Cancelled by Murder by Jean Flowers Page A

“A few months ago, she had it out with Pete at the hardware store. She said the lightbulbs he sold her didn’tlast as long as the package claimed they would. Pete tried to make her see that the package had some weasel words, like ‘up to’ a certain number of hours, not guaranteed. But she wouldn’t quit until she got her money back.” He smiled. “And if you know Pete, you know he was no match for someone looking for a fight.”
    I did know that about Pete, the contrast of his sister, Andrea, having been brought home during our quilting session when she showed herself to be the fighter in the family.
    â€œDaisy was a strong person,” I said, for lack of a better response.
    â€œThat she was. These days, as you know, it’s Olivia Patterson she was having trouble with, but truthfully it was Liv who started this little feud.”
    â€œOver the greeting cards.”
    Cliff nodded. “Daisy’s been over-the-top angry lately because Liv attacked her decision to branch out into cards and gift items in the shop. You simply can’t run a one-item store in a small town. Unless it’s auto parts, or bikes. Even then, Mike has started to carry a few toys in his shop. But Liv kept yelling how she wouldn’t think of selling fabric in her card shop.” He took another breath. “Then Daisy pointed out that Liv did sell fabric in a way—she had some tea towels for sale. And on it went.”
    â€œBut Gigi carries greeting cards in her florist shop, too, which is not unusual,” I noted. “Is Liv going to go after every merchant in town?” I asked.
    â€œIt wouldn’t surprise me. Daisy tried to be a responsible merchant, you know. She purchased the cards we carried from an independent artist over in Springfield. But most ofLiv’s card were from a huge chain. Sure, Liv made a bigger profit, but how is that helping the local economy?”
    I saw that although it was now a moot point, it was important for Cliff to run through his defense of his wife’s choices. I felt he was trying to rewind recent history to see what could have been done differently. I was no stranger to that mode of dealing with a highly charged emotional experience.
    â€œSurely it wouldn’t have been that hard for them to come to an agreement,” I said. “Even if Daisy agreed to limit the number of cards she carried, or offered to maybe carry only cards with fabric themes.”
    â€œYeah, that might have worked,” Cliff said, brightening, as if it could still happen, as if it weren’t too late.
    I noted how easy it was in the abstract to settle a dispute that had cost two businesswomen their mutual support and friendship and, possibly, one of them her life.
    As for me, I was almost ready to close the case. I pictured what might have started as a verbal confrontation between Daisy and Liv, and then the two women ending up, in the middle of the storm, pushing each other around. I could see Daisy falling, perhaps hitting her head, and Liv, frantic, seizing the chance to cover up the unfortunate result with a tree branch that had already fallen. Too easy a solution? It was not for me to say.
    The business issue was so much more complicated than a cursory glance would indicate. I wondered, for example, if I’d ever parked in front of Liv’s store and gone in to buy a card in Daisy’s shop, thus keeping someone who wanted to shop at Liv’s from easy access. My head hurt with the possibilities. There was also the impulse buy. I, for one,never bought just one greeting card. While I scanned the rack for something for Linda’s nephew’s graduation, I might remember another friend’s upcoming birthday or the need for a get-well card. And so on. Almost as bad as my Internet shopping patterns—I’d go online to buy pads for my kitchen chairs and end up with a new flannel nightgown and surely a book or two.
    Investigating the