it’s not the same as actually getting some hands-on experience.”
“That’s true.” Thank God for Godwin, Betsy thought. His support and expertise had been priceless when she was getting her feet wet. In fact, they still were. “Do you think he’ll take your advice and try to find retail work?” Betsy broke open a roll of quarters into the cash box.
“Maybe. Or maybe not. He’s been spending time on the Internet lately, looking at different locations of storefronts for rent.”
“So he’s that close to making a decision?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Why are you so worried about this? Do you think he’s making a bad decision?”
“I don’t know.” He offered a wry smile. “Maybe that’s why I’m worried. I just don’t know.”
But Betsy wondered if there was something he wasn’t telling her. Which was very unlike him; Godwin normally wore all his thoughts and emotions on his sleeve. She hoped Rafael wasn’t trying to get Godwin to come into the fledgling business with him; it was often a bad idea to mix romance and business.
“Did you get your new plants from Marge at Green Gaia?” he asked, having apparently had enough of talking about Rafael.
Betsy decided to let dogs that had gone to sleep lie. “Yes, I bought lily of the valley and hostas—I know, I said I didn’t like them, but they’re big and these have showy bicolor leaves. And I bought some bleeding hearts. Connor and I spent most of yesterday planting on the hillside. It’ll take a few years to fill in, but then it will be beautiful back there. It already looks nicer.” Connor was Betsy’s long-time boyfriend. He rented an apartment across the hall from hers.
“Did you ask Marge any more questions about Hailey?”
“A few. Her place was really hopping with customers, so I couldn’t get a good-size block of time. She said that Hailey was what used to be called a man-hater. Always bad-mouthing them. Marge said that one time Hailey was shopping at Green Gaia and overheard her talking about the terrific new man she’d been dating, and when it was Hailey’s turn to pay, she told Marge that she should not be looking for a stepfather for her two daughters, that allowing a man in the house was just asking for trouble.”
“Would that be Marge asking or the man?”
Betsy laughed, then sobered. “I suppose this could indicate Hailey divorced a seriously bad husband—or maybe an incompatible husband divorced Hailey. Either way, he apparently turned her against his entire sex. I’d look at him as a suspect except he’s living out on the West Coast with his third wife and children and hasn’t been involved with Hailey or their children for years.”
“Aw, too bad he’s out, then. Have you found out who profits by Hailey’s death?”
“She doesn’t seem to have left much of an estate, just the house, a modest one out on the west edge of town. Her son and daughter are going to sell it and split the proceeds.”
“Well, there are other kinds of profits, such as it leading to someone gaining peace of mind.”
“Yes, of course. I need to talk to more people. I’d like to find others who were good friends of Hailey’s. There’s this one woman, Ruth Ladwig—”
“Say, we know her, don’t we?”
“We know of her. She’s an expert on dyes, especially vegetable dyes. I’d never met her face-to-face until she came along on a tour of Hailey’s house, the scene of the crime. Have you?”
“No, but Amy Stromberg knows her.”
Amy was the weather forecaster on a local news program—and a needlepointer. “Does Amy dye her own yarn?” asked Betsy, surprised.
“No, I’m sure she doesn’t. I don’t know how they became friends.”
“What does Amy say about Ruth?”
“Only that she really knows what she’s talking about. And that she’s had both her knees replaced—that came up because Amy knows someone who has been having problems with her knee replacement. Amy says Ruth had a good surgeon and followed
“That’s true.” Thank God for Godwin, Betsy thought. His support and expertise had been priceless when she was getting her feet wet. In fact, they still were. “Do you think he’ll take your advice and try to find retail work?” Betsy broke open a roll of quarters into the cash box.
“Maybe. Or maybe not. He’s been spending time on the Internet lately, looking at different locations of storefronts for rent.”
“So he’s that close to making a decision?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Why are you so worried about this? Do you think he’s making a bad decision?”
“I don’t know.” He offered a wry smile. “Maybe that’s why I’m worried. I just don’t know.”
But Betsy wondered if there was something he wasn’t telling her. Which was very unlike him; Godwin normally wore all his thoughts and emotions on his sleeve. She hoped Rafael wasn’t trying to get Godwin to come into the fledgling business with him; it was often a bad idea to mix romance and business.
“Did you get your new plants from Marge at Green Gaia?” he asked, having apparently had enough of talking about Rafael.
Betsy decided to let dogs that had gone to sleep lie. “Yes, I bought lily of the valley and hostas—I know, I said I didn’t like them, but they’re big and these have showy bicolor leaves. And I bought some bleeding hearts. Connor and I spent most of yesterday planting on the hillside. It’ll take a few years to fill in, but then it will be beautiful back there. It already looks nicer.” Connor was Betsy’s long-time boyfriend. He rented an apartment across the hall from hers.
“Did you ask Marge any more questions about Hailey?”
“A few. Her place was really hopping with customers, so I couldn’t get a good-size block of time. She said that Hailey was what used to be called a man-hater. Always bad-mouthing them. Marge said that one time Hailey was shopping at Green Gaia and overheard her talking about the terrific new man she’d been dating, and when it was Hailey’s turn to pay, she told Marge that she should not be looking for a stepfather for her two daughters, that allowing a man in the house was just asking for trouble.”
“Would that be Marge asking or the man?”
Betsy laughed, then sobered. “I suppose this could indicate Hailey divorced a seriously bad husband—or maybe an incompatible husband divorced Hailey. Either way, he apparently turned her against his entire sex. I’d look at him as a suspect except he’s living out on the West Coast with his third wife and children and hasn’t been involved with Hailey or their children for years.”
“Aw, too bad he’s out, then. Have you found out who profits by Hailey’s death?”
“She doesn’t seem to have left much of an estate, just the house, a modest one out on the west edge of town. Her son and daughter are going to sell it and split the proceeds.”
“Well, there are other kinds of profits, such as it leading to someone gaining peace of mind.”
“Yes, of course. I need to talk to more people. I’d like to find others who were good friends of Hailey’s. There’s this one woman, Ruth Ladwig—”
“Say, we know her, don’t we?”
“We know of her. She’s an expert on dyes, especially vegetable dyes. I’d never met her face-to-face until she came along on a tour of Hailey’s house, the scene of the crime. Have you?”
“No, but Amy Stromberg knows her.”
Amy was the weather forecaster on a local news program—and a needlepointer. “Does Amy dye her own yarn?” asked Betsy, surprised.
“No, I’m sure she doesn’t. I don’t know how they became friends.”
“What does Amy say about Ruth?”
“Only that she really knows what she’s talking about. And that she’s had both her knees replaced—that came up because Amy knows someone who has been having problems with her knee replacement. Amy says Ruth had a good surgeon and followed
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