A Taste of Death (Maggie Olenski Series) by Mary Ellen Hughes Page B

stuffed toys and things every once in a while. It gives the place a new look, and I notice the regular customers glance around a bit more, move to sections other than their usual ones."
    "That cat tucked among the mysteries caught me off guard. I thought he was going to leap out any second."
    Elizabeth laughed. "Some day I plan to get a real one. Won't that wake up the mystery readers, when old Blackie there winks at them?"
    "Speaking of mysteries, it sounds like Sheriff Severin will have quite a time finding Jack Warwick's murderer."
    Elizabeth's face suddenly flushed, and she tried to hide it by taking a sip of tea, managing only to look uncomfortable. This surprised Maggie until she remembered Annette's cryptic comment in front of the sup ermarket. "Poor Mrs. Warwick and poor Elizabeth", she had said. Maggie regretted bringing the subject up. There was something about Elizabeth that made one feel very protective.
    The phone rang, and Elizabeth jumped up, clearly grateful for the interruption. " Hello? Oh, Paul, hi. No, it's okay ."
    Maggie got up and wandered over to the children's book section to browse. With the size of the shop, though, she couldn't help overhearing most of what Elizabeth said. Paul was obviously asking about her well-being, and Elizabeth responded with distantly polite gratitude, as she might have answered the casual inquiries of an acquaintance on the street. Maggie hadn't seen much distance in Paul's concern when he talked about Elizabeth to her and Dyna in the ski lodge, or when he had watched Elizabeth at the town meeting.
    "Dinner? Tonight?" Maggie heard her say. "Thank you,  Paul, but I'm really pretty busy doing inventory now. I'll probably be working late for several nights."
    Elizabeth apparently didn't return the strong feelings Paul clearly had for her. She probably wasn't even aware of them, as the neutrally friendly tone of voice implied. That must cut Paul worse than outright dislike and rejection, Maggie thought. 
    Elizabeth hung up, and Maggie turned back to her. "Thanks so much for the tea. I won't hold you up from your work any more. I should get back to mine."
    "Stop in any time," Elizabeth smiled, picking up her clipboard and pencil. She seemed to mean that sincerely.
    "I will." Maggie realized she still held the slim book she had pulled off the shelf and leaned back to return it to its slot. A small spider ran out of the space and onto her hand.
    "Oh!" Maggie cried, startled. She shook the spider off and was ready to step on it when Elizabeth stopped her.
    "Wait, let me." Elizabeth scooped the insect onto her clipboard and carried it over to a tall potted fern near the window. "It ’ s too cold to put him outside," she explained without a trace of e mbarrassment. "Maybe he'll be okay there until Spring."
    Maggie watched, and as she did something clicked in her memory bank, something that had been stored there a long time ago.
    "Betsy?" she said.
    Elizabeth turned and looked at her. "Nobody's called me that for a long time," she said.
    "Since summer camp?" Maggie asked.
    Elizabeth stared at her. "You're not that Maggie, are you?
    Maggie grinned. "I think I am. Camp, oh, what was it called, Camp Kitty...."
    "Kittiwake!"
    "Yes, that's it!"
    "Girl Scout camp, down in southern Maryland."
    "Right. We were in sixth grade, I think."
    "The summer before sixth," Elizabeth corrected. "And we shared a cabin."
    "With two other girls, Jennifer and...."
    "Stacey." Elizabeth's eyes were dancing.
    "And Stacey found a Daddy Longlegs on her bed once and went berserk and would have squashed it, but you rescued it and put it safely outside."
    "Did I?" Elizabeth asked, smiling. "I don't remember that, but I guess I might have."
    Maggie smiled back. "I wouldn't have recognized you except for the spider. You've grown up."
    "As have you. That was a good two weeks, that I do remember."
    "Did you stay in Girl Scouts?" Maggie asked.
    "A couple more years. Then we moved, and my mother started getting sick,