Talk of the Town by Suzanne Macpherson Read Free Book Online

I keep this up.” Kelly got closer to the pan. Her mouth watered. “On the other hand, I don’t care.” She grabbed up a small plate off the stack and cut herself a big square.
    She picked out her favorite cup, bought brand-new at Miller’s Hardware; a Fiesta ware pink number. Kelly sat down at the little table on the far end of the shop that doubled as a sterilizing station and coffee break area.
    “Honey, you look so much better than when you got here. You were so skinny you looked like one of them high-fashion, high-strung models from the big city,” Myrtle said.
    Kelly hadn’t even thought about L.A. in the last few days. Everyone seemed satisfied with the sketchy background she’d given them. No one seemed to be asking too many questions. She felt a darkness come over her as she thought about it.
    There were a few details she needed to clean up. It helped that Myrtle had gotten her a new ID from some mysterious connection, and laundered all the traveler’s checks into cash, which Kelly deposited in her new-name bank account at Paradise Savings and Loan.
    That woman was amazing. She and Myrtlehad done a lot of talking. About Raymond, about her life before Raymond, about this man Sam Myrtle said the cosmos had picked out for her.
    Sam Grayson, the most eligible bachelor in town. Probably the only bachelor under forty-five, more like it. Kelly was curious, but, after all, she was still married and would have to do something about that—a concept that always confused her whenever she thought about it: how to get a divorce while living under an assumed name.
    Then there was the briefcase full of money under her bed. Kelly had actually forgotten about it until this moment. She still wasn’t sure what to do with the money except sleep on it—literally.
    What she needed was a lawyer. Legal advice. Yep. Oh, Mr. Grayson, I’ve got a couple hundred thousand dollars or so under my bed and don’t know what to do about it. Can you give me some advice?
    She raised an eyebrow at her own absurd thinking and ate the last bite of apple cobbler with gusto.
    “You better run along, hon, it’s already eight-thirty. Mrs. Palmer will be wanting her scones,” Myrtle reminded her. Kelly got up, startled out of her thoughts. She put her dish under the table in the dishpan they kept for party cleanups. It seemed like every day was party day at Myrtle’s.
    Kelly grabbed her black leather jacket anddraped it around her shoulders. She gave Myrtle’s cheek a kiss as she passed by, pushed the screen door open, and stepped out on the stoop.
    “Oh, sweetie, don’t forget to go over to Dottie’s house after work. You promised her help loadin’ up for the social.”
    “I remember. See you later, Mrs. Williamson,” Kelly called back through the screen door as it snapped shut behind her.
     
    “Do you think this will work, Myrtle?” Dottie Williamson looked up into the huge round mirror at the reflection of Myrtle standing behind her with a comb.
    “Them two just need a little help. They’re like two ducks that keep swimmin’ around the pond at the same time, goin’ in circles. We just gotta get one of ’em to stop long enough for the other to run smack into ’em.” Myrtle brandished her blue rattail comb dramatically over Dottie’s head.
    “Do you really think so?”
    “Dottie, hon, I’d say you can start quiltin’ up the weddin’ quilt anytime. Them two is destined. It’s in the stars.”
    “Oh, Myrtle, that’s sweet. Maybe I’ll put stars on it.”
    “You do that, Dottie. Stars.”
    Myrtle put the finishing touches on Dottie’scoiffure and reached for the hair spray. Something was afoot in Paradise. Them stars were offkilter, and she wasn’t sure exactly why. She’d do her cards later and see what came up. Nothin’ a little female ingenuity couldn’t overcome, of that she was sure.
     
    Kelly knew the little daily task Mrs. Palmer had so politely asked her to take was for the sole purpose of throwing her in