Beware the Orchids (A Shady Acres Mystery Book 1) by Cynthia Hickey

the idea past Alice, who loved it, and asked her to make the announcement then call the repairman. Seconds later, the announcement came over the loud speaker. One job complete.
    I stepped into the greenhouse. Birdie dug in the dirt under the counter where Maybelle had lain. “Birdie?”
    “You’re taking too long, Missy. I thought I’d do some digging of my own.”
    “What do you expect to find?”
    She crawled out. “I have no idea.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Life goes on as if she never existed.”
    I put my arms around her. “Maybelle is missed, honey.”
    “No, she isn’t. She was a difficult, nosy, prickly woman, but she was my friend.” She wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I want to see justice done.”
    So did I. “Want to help me put plastic on the roof? You can hold the ladder. It might help take your mind off things.”
    “I don’t see what good I am, but I suppose I can hold a ladder.”
    I retrieved the ladder from against the building and stood it up. “Don’t let me fall.”
    “No guarantees.”
    With my heart in my throat, I climbed the ladder. I probably should have asked the new guy, but he’d be plenty busy doing all the things Heath wasn’t able to get to. The ladder shook under me. I glanced down to see Birdie leaning against it eating a cookie. “Birdie!”
    “Oh, sorry. I missed breakfast.” She put both hands back on the ladder.
    “Hand me an edge of that plastic roll and the duct tape. Slowly, please, and one at a time.”
    She handed me the tape and I set it on the top step of the twenty-four foot ladder. Then, slowly but surely, I began taping the plastic over the hole.
    “Shelby Marie Hart!”
    I turned, missing the rung. As the ladder fell, I jumped to the nearest shelf and smashed a fern. “Grandma! Are you trying to kill me?”
    “What are you doing on that ladder?”
    “Fixing the roof. Temporarily, of course.” I jumped to the ground and tried to prop up the leaves of the mangled plant I’d landed on. Maybe I’d have Mr. Mason finish the roof job.
    “Have Cheryl get up there. She won’t have to go as high.” Grandma crossed her thin arms and glared. “You can’t get killed. We need you to help solve this murder.”
    “That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Birdie said, wiping the cookie crumbs from her hands.
    “Did you learn anything from Officer Lawrence last night?”
    Grandma motioned her head toward Birdie. “Oh, I learned a lot, but nothing I can talk about in polite company.”
    “Gross.” I shuddered.
    “I’m leaving!” Birdie threw up her hands and stalked away.
    “While the two of you talk, I’ll finish this poor attempt at roof repair.” Cheryl climbed up the ladder.
    “Did you learn anything about the case or not?” I gave up on the poor fern. It would either revive or become compost in the next day or two.
    “That man is as tight-lipped as a clam, but I did do some snooping when he went to the bathroom.”
    That could get her arrested and thrown behind bars. “You can’t be doing that. What if he would have caught you?”
    She shrugged. “I would have charmed my way free. Do you want to know what I found out or not?”
    “Of course, I do.”
    “Maybelle has a rap sheet.” Grandma pretended to study her manicure, but stared up at me from lowered lashes.
    “Stop playing around and tell me.” I stomped my foot.
    “Petty theft, that kind of thing. A couple of parking tickets.” She leaned against the counter. “Mr. Lawrence had a file on his coffee table.”
    “He left it in the open?”
    “Not really. I had to move several books and magazines to find it. Here’s the thing.” She held up her hand. “If Maybelle wasn’t such a nice girl, it’s very possible she was involved in something she shouldn’t have been and was killed for it. We need to search her things. Have they cleared out her cottage yet?”
    I shook my head. “That’s scheduled for tomorrow, I think.”
    Cheryl jumped from the ladder. “What are