window is the perfect lookout.”
I removed my hand from her phone. “You’re too late. Cody left the square at noon.”
“He’s coming back.”
“Not until the hearing resumes, and that won’t be until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
“Wrong. Cody and Lila are coming to the square at six o’clock tonight to sign autographs. See their tent?” She pointed out the window.
I leaned over for a look. Sure enough, a big green-and-white-striped tent was being erected on the lawn in front of the courthouse, and a crowd had gathered to watch. The TV news vans were back, too. “We lock up the flower shop at five o’clock, Tara, and I have plans this evening.”
Grace came through the doorway. “I’m sorry to report that the meeting has started.”
Which meant I was out of luck, since I couldn’t very well barge in. I sank down on another chair at the table, hoping Dave didn’t do or say anything rash.
Tara’s flying thumbs paused. “Please let me stay, Aunt Abby. I won’t touch anything. I’ll just sit here tweeting.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Mom said, pulling out a chair at the table.
“What about Grandpa?” Tara asked.
“Grandpa is perfectly capable of making himself a sandwich. Abigail, leave me a set of keys, and I’ll lock up when Tara is done.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” Tara said, smiling at her. “You’re awesome.”
“And you have to make up your missed piano lesson,” Mom said, wagging her index finger at Tara even while she beamed at the compliment.
“I’ll put on some coffee for you before I leave, Maureen,” Grace said cheerfully, heading for the counter at the back.
“Y’all have a good evening,” Lottie called to us on her way out.
Terrific. Everyone was happy, if you didn’t count me. I took myself back to the workroom to finish the orders on the spindle before my six o’clock dinner date with Marco. At least that was something to look forward to.
At five o’clock it started to rain. By five thirty the rain had turned into a full-blown thunderstorm, with wind gusts up to twenty-five miles an hour, eardrum-shattering claps of thunder, and jagged bolts of lightning that had our electricity blinking.
I checked on Tara and Mom and found them packing up. “The signing was called off,” Mom said. “Severe storm warnings are out. I’m going to take Tara home.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow after school,” Tara promised.
“Can’t wait,” I said.
As I watched them dash to Mom’s car, the phone rang. I locked the door, then hurried to answer it at the cashier counter. “Bloomers Flower Shop. How may I help you?”
“Abby,” Martha said, “have you heard from Dave?”
“No, why?”
“He didn’t come back to the office after his meeting with Attorney Lipinski, and he’d said he would. I thought maybe you’d spotted him around the square or he’d stopped by Bloomers to talk to you about the meeting, since you’d volunteered to help him with the case.”
“I haven’t seen him. Maybe he went straight home.”
“I called his house, but Peg hasn’t heard from him either. I phoned Lipinski’s office and no one answered, but it’s after five o’clock, so everyone’s probably gone for the day. I tried Dave’s cell phone, too, but he isn’t picking up. I don’t know whether to be worried or not.”
“He could have stopped at the grocery store on his way home,” I said. “My cell phone cuts out in some stores. Maybe his does, too.”
There was a pause and then Martha said, “You’re right. I’m sure it’s something as simple as that. Anyway, if you should hear from him, tell him I got the complaint filed and within an hour had a call from a reporter who somehow got wind of it. I wanted Dave to be prepared.”
“Will do, Martha. And, likewise, if you hear from him, please let me know.” As I hung up, I spotted Mom’s tee cart in the middle of the showroom floor. I pushed it into the corner beside a tall dieffenbachia and
I removed my hand from her phone. “You’re too late. Cody left the square at noon.”
“He’s coming back.”
“Not until the hearing resumes, and that won’t be until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
“Wrong. Cody and Lila are coming to the square at six o’clock tonight to sign autographs. See their tent?” She pointed out the window.
I leaned over for a look. Sure enough, a big green-and-white-striped tent was being erected on the lawn in front of the courthouse, and a crowd had gathered to watch. The TV news vans were back, too. “We lock up the flower shop at five o’clock, Tara, and I have plans this evening.”
Grace came through the doorway. “I’m sorry to report that the meeting has started.”
Which meant I was out of luck, since I couldn’t very well barge in. I sank down on another chair at the table, hoping Dave didn’t do or say anything rash.
Tara’s flying thumbs paused. “Please let me stay, Aunt Abby. I won’t touch anything. I’ll just sit here tweeting.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Mom said, pulling out a chair at the table.
“What about Grandpa?” Tara asked.
“Grandpa is perfectly capable of making himself a sandwich. Abigail, leave me a set of keys, and I’ll lock up when Tara is done.”
“Thanks, Grandma,” Tara said, smiling at her. “You’re awesome.”
“And you have to make up your missed piano lesson,” Mom said, wagging her index finger at Tara even while she beamed at the compliment.
“I’ll put on some coffee for you before I leave, Maureen,” Grace said cheerfully, heading for the counter at the back.
“Y’all have a good evening,” Lottie called to us on her way out.
Terrific. Everyone was happy, if you didn’t count me. I took myself back to the workroom to finish the orders on the spindle before my six o’clock dinner date with Marco. At least that was something to look forward to.
At five o’clock it started to rain. By five thirty the rain had turned into a full-blown thunderstorm, with wind gusts up to twenty-five miles an hour, eardrum-shattering claps of thunder, and jagged bolts of lightning that had our electricity blinking.
I checked on Tara and Mom and found them packing up. “The signing was called off,” Mom said. “Severe storm warnings are out. I’m going to take Tara home.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow after school,” Tara promised.
“Can’t wait,” I said.
As I watched them dash to Mom’s car, the phone rang. I locked the door, then hurried to answer it at the cashier counter. “Bloomers Flower Shop. How may I help you?”
“Abby,” Martha said, “have you heard from Dave?”
“No, why?”
“He didn’t come back to the office after his meeting with Attorney Lipinski, and he’d said he would. I thought maybe you’d spotted him around the square or he’d stopped by Bloomers to talk to you about the meeting, since you’d volunteered to help him with the case.”
“I haven’t seen him. Maybe he went straight home.”
“I called his house, but Peg hasn’t heard from him either. I phoned Lipinski’s office and no one answered, but it’s after five o’clock, so everyone’s probably gone for the day. I tried Dave’s cell phone, too, but he isn’t picking up. I don’t know whether to be worried or not.”
“He could have stopped at the grocery store on his way home,” I said. “My cell phone cuts out in some stores. Maybe his does, too.”
There was a pause and then Martha said, “You’re right. I’m sure it’s something as simple as that. Anyway, if you should hear from him, tell him I got the complaint filed and within an hour had a call from a reporter who somehow got wind of it. I wanted Dave to be prepared.”
“Will do, Martha. And, likewise, if you hear from him, please let me know.” As I hung up, I spotted Mom’s tee cart in the middle of the showroom floor. I pushed it into the corner beside a tall dieffenbachia and
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