Read Between the Tines by Susan Sleeman Read Free Book Online Page A

focused on Daisy. "How're you doing, Daisy?"
    She looked up. "Paige, thank goodness you're here. I just don't know what I'm gonna do. Earl's on his way to pick me up, and he'll let me have it for sure. Will you talk to him?"
    My policy on interfering between a husband and wife could be summed up in one word. Don't. "You better take care of this all by yourself."
    "But Paige—"
    "No buts," I said with a firm tone and held my ground even when her lower lip quivered. Earl didn't like the amount of time Daisy spent gardening, and he blamed me and my radio show for getting her started in the gardening hobby. Even if I were inclined to meddle, I certainly wouldn't have a good influence on him. "So did Mitch have many more questions?"
    Adam shook his head. "He rehashed the same ones while trying to get Daisy to admit she knew Gary and had a motive for killing him."
    Wanting Daisy to fess up about her encounter with Gary , I stared into her large eyes. "And what did you tell him?"
    She looked away. "I said I didn't know the man."
    "Then how do you explain your argument with Gary on Friday?" I perched on the corner of my cluttered desk, crossed my arms, and waited for her reaction.
    "What?" Adam lurched forward, pulling my eyes from the now squirming Daisy. "You're acting as cryptic as Lawson."
    "Why don't we let Daisy clear up the confusion?" I turned back to Daisy. "If it helps, Hazel has already told me about Friday afternoon. Maybe you want to tell your side of it."
    "Fine." She sat back and crossed her bare arms in a pose that mimicked mine. " Gary came in the shop and yelled at me for not delivering his plants on time. He was so mean he made me cry. I didn't yell back because I knew you wouldn't want me to, but I wanted to tell him off so bad. Hazel tried to make him calm down. I just wanted to hit him."
    I leaned forward, offering a sincere smile. "And when you delivered his plants, did you argue more?"
    She slowly nodded. "Kinda. He tried to start things up again, but his wife stopped him. She told him Christians don't treat others that way."
    "And he stopped?" I asked.
    "Not at first. He hollered at her and said he was new at the Christian bit, to give him a break. Then his wife got really quiet and said new Christian or not he had to try to do the right thing. He kept looking at me, real funny like, but then he went and sat in a chair. So I unloaded the plants." Daisy stopped, sucked in a breath and looked at the ceiling.
    "And that was it?" Adam asked, his face creased in frustration.
    She looked down. "Almost. He apologized before I left. It was kinda weird to watch him go so fast from being such a jerk to really nice. He said it was 'cause he prayed, but I don't buy it." She picked at a spot on her jeans.
    "I'm glad you told the truth," I said, feeling as if I were scolding a child. "But I'm not happy you lied to Mitch."
    "I thought he'd arrest me if he heard about the fight. I didn't do nothing wrong, and I won't go to jail just 'cause Gary Buzzy went off on me." Her lips puckered into a pout.
    Adam held a hand between us and stared at Daisy. "This isn't good, Daisy. Not good at all. If you'd come right out with it, Lawson would probably have let it go. Now, he's going to focus on the disagreement and try to blow it into something it's not."
    She jumped to her feet, her eyes wildly flitting around like a caged animal looking for escape. "So now what do I do?"
    "Might be better if Mitch heard about this directly from Daisy," I said.
    Adam stood and went over to her. "Paige is right, Daisy. We have to call Lawson. Before we do, is there anything else you forgot to mention?"
    "Well . . ." She gnawed on her lower lip. "I might have met Gary at Pacific Pickles. He was the personnel manager, and he did my first interview. But that's it."
    Irritation oozed from Adam's pores as his mouth opened then closed. He breathed deeply, struggling to calm his nerves, something he always tried to do before blowing up.
    While he fought for