The Key in the Attic by DeAnna Julie Dodson Read Free Book Online Page B

Huggins signs it.”
    “As you say.” The woman took a pair of designer sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. “That being the case, if you’re planning to take them with you, it will save you some time and trouble later on if you go ahead and pack up whatever is in those cabinets, your merchandise, I presume, and clear them out now. I understand Huggins wants to make a quick deal, and so do we. Good afternoon, Ms. Brock. Greg.”
    Greg mumbled a quick goodbye and trotted after her through the door.
    For a moment, Mary Beth could only stare after them. Then she turned away from the door and looked over the little shop that she had worked so hard to make appealing to people like herself—people who loved all kinds of needlework.
    “And just how am I supposed to keep my customers happy if all my merchandise is packed up in storage? Oh, that’s right, I don’t have any customers. Thank you very much, Ms. Whoever-You-Are.” She glanced again at the business card. All it had under the SLR & FFH, Incorporated logo was “Kyrie McMillan, Corporate Planning,” an email address and six different telephone numbers. “Ms. Corporate Planner then. Fine. We’ll see whether or not you always get your way.”
    “What’d you say, Miss Brock?”
    Mary Beth started and turned around to see Amanda Culbertson had slipped inside without her noticing. She laughed and said, “Mandy! Where’d you come from?”
    “I was just over at the library. I had a little free time, and it seemed like a good opportunity to come help you out. Who were those people who just left your shop? I’ve never seen them around town.”
    Mary Beth pursed her lips as she watched their black SUV hurry down Main Street. “Well, I hope we won’t see them much more. If at all.” Abruptly, she smiled and ushered Mandy into the shop. “Now how are you at alphabetizing?”
    Amanda frowned, slightly puzzled. “OK, I guess.”
    “Good.” Mary Beth took her to the wall of pattern books at the back of the store. “Sometimes customers don’t put things back in the right places, and I don’t always notice. Could you go through all these books and make sure they’re in the right category—crochet, knitting, sewing, etc.—and then alphabetize according to the last name of the author?”
    “Sure. That’s easy enough.”
    “And if the same author wrote more than one book, then put the titles for that author in alphabetical order too—OK?”
    “Got it.”
    “Thank you, Mandy. You’re going to be a great help.”
    Mary Beth’s smile faded when the girl’s hot-pink cellphone suddenly blared out a rap tune with unintelligible lyrics and something that sounded like car crashes in the background. Cringing, Amanda glanced at the caller ID and then turned the phone off.
    “Sorry about that, Miss Brock. They can leave a message.”
    Mary Beth’s smile returned. “That’s very considerate. Thank you.”
    Seeing that Mandy was going to be busy for a while, Mary Beth went into the back room and ate the tuna sandwich and potato chips she had brought from home. When she came back into the front of the store, she was surprised to see Ian Butler coming through the front door.
    “Ian. Hi. Did you decide to take up knitting?”
    Ian laughed, his dark eyes warm. “Actually, I came to talk to you, if you have a minute.”
    “Sure. It’s been Grand Central Station around here this morning. But Mandy is tidying up my books for me, so at the moment, I’m a lady of leisure. Come sit down.”
    She led him to the circle of chairs usually occupied by the ladies of the Hook and Needle Club, and both of them had a seat.
    “So what’s on your mind, Ian?”
    “I just had lunch with Annie and Alice. They’re about ready to make war on the town council over this thing with Burly Boy.”
    “Ugh. Don’t even mention that name to me right now. I just got a visit from somebody in Corporate Planning or something.”
    “Was it that McMillan woman?”
    “I take it