Without Any Warning (A Samantha Jamison Mystery Volume 2) by Peggy A. Edelheit Read Free Book Online Page B

I was determined to stand my ground this time.
    “Martha, now please stop with the small talk! Exactly who’s watching my store?” I demanded. “I’m not moving another inch until you tell me.”
    She didn’t miss a beat. “Why, Jack of course, including Sneakers too!” she replied, trying to move me along.
    Dread started inching up my spine. I could barely get the words out. “…Jack is a building contractor …and I might add …very busy! Can you please tell me …why he would be watching …my store?”
    She stared down at the floor. “…Well …he had to be there anyway …to rebuild after that…fire.”
    I closed my eyes and sighed, “I can’t believe this!”
    Can you?

 
     
     
    Chapter 18
    Patience And Pinot Grigio
     
     
    “Like I was saying, it all happened so fast,” Martha explained to Mona and me. We were sitting in the living room. Every now and again I glanced at the deck adjacent to mine, but my neighbor did not appear. “She just about wore my patience plum clean out. Why, that customer moved like lightning. When I turned my back, she lit that candle so she could see how it looked in the store setting. I told her, ‘No way!’ beforehand, when she first asked me. Do you think she listened? Of course not! When I hollered, she jumped a mile high, knocking it over. Of course, that’s when the rug caught fire, which the sofa was on, which was next to those drapes you liked so much…”
    Martha stopped to sip her wine, and then continued on. “…All I have to say is thank the Lord for 911! …Now, about that wall damage…”
    I was already on my second glass of wine, getting a mild buzz and feeling a little fuzzy. It seemed to help.
    Mona was laughing hysterically, while trying to drink her wine without spilling any. She turned to look at me. “She’s a real stitch. Where did you ever find her?”
    I turned to Mona. “From a friend! Can you believe it?” I let some more wine continue to do its magic.
    “Were all your friends in Highlands like her?” Mona asked, laughing and wiping the tears from her eyes.
      “Yes, one actually chased me for miles in the dark,” I said, sipping some more wine.
    “Sam,” Mona choked. “You should write a book about all of them.”
    “I did. It’s called, The Puzzle .” I refilled our glasses, mentally calculating the mounting monetary damages. “So much for investing my book profits,” I lamented sadly.
    “Don’t you two get bored here?” Martha suddenly asked. “What do you do here for entertainment?”
    Mona and I looked at each other.
    “Me?” I replied, ticking off on my fingers. “Let’s see now, there’s running on the beach in the dark, baseball, art preservation. You know, I’m sort of partial toward vases.”
      “I’ve grown attached to the boardwalk,” Mona said. “Remember that old song by the Drifters?”
    After more mindless banter, I held up my hand to shush them both for a moment. “I just want to lay down some ground rules here at the house so there is no confusion. Since it appears I’m no longer residing here alone for the near future, we have to make sure personal space is respected. I need my quiet time in the morning to write. As far as minor daily chores, we can split that up amongst the three of us. You two okay with that so far?”
    “Sure,” they both said, nodding their approval.
    Mona piped up. “Hey, don’t forget to tell Martha about taking morning showers on Tuesdays.”
    So I told her about the Crystal Cleaners crew story. And then I proceeded to tell her about the statue incident in the wee hours of the morning. Mona poured us more wine. Then I told Martha about the beach incident. Lastly, I told them both about the David episode, purposely omitting whom he reminded me of. I didn’t know how to explain that one.
    “You actually got caught using your binoculars?” laughed Mona, trying not to spill her drink on the sofa.
    “Unfortunately, yes,” I admitted, squirming in my