fellow of yours with you. I love to watch him eat. You’re lucky with that one.”
“I know, but let’s not tell him, okay?”
Angelica smiled at me. “I have a feeling he knows how lucky he is, too. Don’t wait so long to come back next time, Suzanne. You, too, Grace.”
“We promise,” I replied.
After we were back in the Jeep, Grace said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so good in my life.”
“She makes magic with some flour, a few eggs, and a pinch of salt, doesn’t she?”
“You’re no slacker, either,” Grace said.
“I wasn’t fishing for compliments.”
“Good, then I won’t have to give you one. It is hard to believe, though, that you two use so many of the same ingredients. Are you ready to tackle Nancy Patton?”
I wasn’t entirely sure at the moment. “It’s almost not worth spoiling that great lunch, you know what I mean? Seriously, if she was married to Lester and they couldn’t stay together, how bad must she be?”
“I’m afraid there’s only one way we’re going to find out.”
We drove a few blocks to the heart of downtown, and Second Acts was right where we’d been told.
I took a deep breath, and then turned to Grace as I parked.
“Remember, I’m the reporter, and you’re the photographer.”
“Got it,” she said, taking her camera out as we walked to the front door.
A woman younger than I’d been expecting was behind the desk of the store. She was more handsome than pretty, with razor lips and a blunt nose that still managed to convey that she was more put together than anyone else on the planet. I had a hard time imagining her with Lester, but then again, who knew what brought people together.
As I glanced around the room at the hodgepodge of items she had for sale, I wondered how she managed to stay in business. At first glance, it looked as though a yard sale had exploded inside, but as I looked a little closer, I saw some really nice things mixed in with the clutter. Something in particular caught my eye. It was a genuine Houpt donut cutter, a different model from the one I owned. An aluminum cylinder the size of a can of peas offered a grid of raised edges for cutting donuts out of dough simply by rolling it across the surface with its wooden handle. It surprised me to see that it was nicer than the one I was currently using. Although Grace and I had a cover story all worked out, in an instant, I decided to abandon it. I had a new plan, and if the price was anywhere near reasonable, I was going to have a new donut cutter, as well.
I turned and winked at Grace, and then picked up the cutter. It was marked $65, and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if that was a good price or not. I held it up to the woman and asked, “Is there any room to negotiate on this price?”
“Bring it here,” she commanded.
I obeyed, and she took the cutter from my hand. After studying a cryptic code on its handle, she said, “The price is firm, but I can allow a ten percent discount.”
I was about to say that it really wasn’t all that firm after all, when common sense took over. I was trying to ingratiate myself with her by being a paying customer.
“That’s most gracious of you. I’ll take your kind offer.”
She nodded her approval and began the paperwork, no doubt to credit the sale to the proper client.
“You look awfully familiar,” I said as she worked. “Have we met?”
She flicked her glance my way. “I doubt it.”
It wasn’t the warmest response in the world, but I offered my hand anyway. “I’m Suzanne Hart. I run the donut shop in April Springs.”
“I wouldn’t know about that. I don’t eat them,” she said severely.
Wow, I was feeling all warm and fuzzy from her gushing about my livelihood.
It was time to lie. I snapped my fingers and said suddenly, “I’ve got it. You were with Lester Moorefield when I saw you. You two were close, weren’t you?”
She shrugged, not even trying to feign an answer now. Perhaps it had been
“I know, but let’s not tell him, okay?”
Angelica smiled at me. “I have a feeling he knows how lucky he is, too. Don’t wait so long to come back next time, Suzanne. You, too, Grace.”
“We promise,” I replied.
After we were back in the Jeep, Grace said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so good in my life.”
“She makes magic with some flour, a few eggs, and a pinch of salt, doesn’t she?”
“You’re no slacker, either,” Grace said.
“I wasn’t fishing for compliments.”
“Good, then I won’t have to give you one. It is hard to believe, though, that you two use so many of the same ingredients. Are you ready to tackle Nancy Patton?”
I wasn’t entirely sure at the moment. “It’s almost not worth spoiling that great lunch, you know what I mean? Seriously, if she was married to Lester and they couldn’t stay together, how bad must she be?”
“I’m afraid there’s only one way we’re going to find out.”
We drove a few blocks to the heart of downtown, and Second Acts was right where we’d been told.
I took a deep breath, and then turned to Grace as I parked.
“Remember, I’m the reporter, and you’re the photographer.”
“Got it,” she said, taking her camera out as we walked to the front door.
A woman younger than I’d been expecting was behind the desk of the store. She was more handsome than pretty, with razor lips and a blunt nose that still managed to convey that she was more put together than anyone else on the planet. I had a hard time imagining her with Lester, but then again, who knew what brought people together.
As I glanced around the room at the hodgepodge of items she had for sale, I wondered how she managed to stay in business. At first glance, it looked as though a yard sale had exploded inside, but as I looked a little closer, I saw some really nice things mixed in with the clutter. Something in particular caught my eye. It was a genuine Houpt donut cutter, a different model from the one I owned. An aluminum cylinder the size of a can of peas offered a grid of raised edges for cutting donuts out of dough simply by rolling it across the surface with its wooden handle. It surprised me to see that it was nicer than the one I was currently using. Although Grace and I had a cover story all worked out, in an instant, I decided to abandon it. I had a new plan, and if the price was anywhere near reasonable, I was going to have a new donut cutter, as well.
I turned and winked at Grace, and then picked up the cutter. It was marked $65, and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if that was a good price or not. I held it up to the woman and asked, “Is there any room to negotiate on this price?”
“Bring it here,” she commanded.
I obeyed, and she took the cutter from my hand. After studying a cryptic code on its handle, she said, “The price is firm, but I can allow a ten percent discount.”
I was about to say that it really wasn’t all that firm after all, when common sense took over. I was trying to ingratiate myself with her by being a paying customer.
“That’s most gracious of you. I’ll take your kind offer.”
She nodded her approval and began the paperwork, no doubt to credit the sale to the proper client.
“You look awfully familiar,” I said as she worked. “Have we met?”
She flicked her glance my way. “I doubt it.”
It wasn’t the warmest response in the world, but I offered my hand anyway. “I’m Suzanne Hart. I run the donut shop in April Springs.”
“I wouldn’t know about that. I don’t eat them,” she said severely.
Wow, I was feeling all warm and fuzzy from her gushing about my livelihood.
It was time to lie. I snapped my fingers and said suddenly, “I’ve got it. You were with Lester Moorefield when I saw you. You two were close, weren’t you?”
She shrugged, not even trying to feign an answer now. Perhaps it had been
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