about Susan?”
“No, but I didn’t expect him to know anything about her. She was gone long before he bought the house. But now I’m wondering what’s going on with Mrs. Maxwell.”
“Isn’t one mystery enough for you? Or have you given up on the Susan thing?”
“Not hardly. I still want to find her.” Annie nudged Boots out of the way and sat on the couch. “And I’d still like to know who put that note through my mail slot.”
“What did Ian say about it?”
“He’s going to ask Chief Edwards about it unofficially. It’s probably not a big deal.”
“Well, I’d say you had enough on your hands without stirring up things out at Tom Maxwell’s.”
“Still, I’d sure like to talk to Mrs. Maxwell myself. There’s something strange about those two.”
“You don’t think he’s one of those guys who doesn’t want his wife having any friends, do you, Annie?”
“I don’t know. I’d go back out there and find out if I was sure he wasn’t going to be home.”
“I suppose if you knew somebody he was doing a job for, they could tell you when he was going to be working. But I don’t know who.”
“Alice, you’re a genius! Peggy’s already given his phone number to Mary Beth. She can arrange for him to install her cabinets, and while he’s there, I can go make sure his wife is OK.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s a pretty big conclusion to jump to just because a woman doesn’t feel like meeting a total stranger who showed up on her property uninvited. And if there is something going on, don’t you think you should let the police handle it?”
“They already think I’m crazy. Besides, I don’t think he’s holding her hostage or something like that. I just want to talk to her without worrying about him being around. It’s not that scary.”
“But, Annie—”
“I’m going to try to catch Mary Beth before the shop closes. Call you back in a minute.”
She clicked off the phone and clicked it back on again. When she heard the dial tone, she punched in Mary Beth’s number.
“A Stitch in Time. This is Mary Beth. How can I help you?”
“Hey there. It’s Annie Dawson. I’m glad I caught you.”
“Hello, Annie. What can I do for you?”
“Did you ever get your cabinets in?”
“As a matter of fact, they came today. The right model, the right color, and the right amount. It’s a miracle.”
Annie smiled to hear the relief in Mary Beth’s voice.
“That’s great. Do you have somebody to put them in for you yet?”
“I suppose I’ll try that Tom Maxwell Peggy was telling me about since Wally’s going to be busy for a while. Why? Do you know of somebody else?”
“No, actually I was hoping you were going to hire Tom. Um, it’s kind of a weird situation …”
Mary Beth laughed. “It’s not more about Susan Morris, is it?”
“No. Well, not entirely. Remember Peggy said she thought the Maxwells were living in Susan’s old house?”
“Yeah. And?”
“I found out that she was right. I went out there, just for old times’ sake more than anything else, and met Mr. Maxwell.”
“What’s he like?”
“He wasn’t too happy to see me, I’m afraid. I don’t think it was anything personal, but I think he had been napping when I showed up, and he was pretty grouchy.”
Again Mary Beth laughed. “I don’t blame him.”
“Anyway, he wasn’t going to introduce me to his wife, and he was pretty reluctant to say much of anything except that neither of them socializes much. I thought it sounded a little strange, and then, when I was driving off, I’m sure I saw her looking out the window.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess. Maybe I’m looking for a mystery where there isn’t one, but I would really like to talk to her when he’s not around. I thought maybe you could hire him to do your cabinets, and while he was over there, I could go introduce myself to her. Even if she doesn’t feel like making a new friend, at least I could talk
“No, but I didn’t expect him to know anything about her. She was gone long before he bought the house. But now I’m wondering what’s going on with Mrs. Maxwell.”
“Isn’t one mystery enough for you? Or have you given up on the Susan thing?”
“Not hardly. I still want to find her.” Annie nudged Boots out of the way and sat on the couch. “And I’d still like to know who put that note through my mail slot.”
“What did Ian say about it?”
“He’s going to ask Chief Edwards about it unofficially. It’s probably not a big deal.”
“Well, I’d say you had enough on your hands without stirring up things out at Tom Maxwell’s.”
“Still, I’d sure like to talk to Mrs. Maxwell myself. There’s something strange about those two.”
“You don’t think he’s one of those guys who doesn’t want his wife having any friends, do you, Annie?”
“I don’t know. I’d go back out there and find out if I was sure he wasn’t going to be home.”
“I suppose if you knew somebody he was doing a job for, they could tell you when he was going to be working. But I don’t know who.”
“Alice, you’re a genius! Peggy’s already given his phone number to Mary Beth. She can arrange for him to install her cabinets, and while he’s there, I can go make sure his wife is OK.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s a pretty big conclusion to jump to just because a woman doesn’t feel like meeting a total stranger who showed up on her property uninvited. And if there is something going on, don’t you think you should let the police handle it?”
“They already think I’m crazy. Besides, I don’t think he’s holding her hostage or something like that. I just want to talk to her without worrying about him being around. It’s not that scary.”
“But, Annie—”
“I’m going to try to catch Mary Beth before the shop closes. Call you back in a minute.”
She clicked off the phone and clicked it back on again. When she heard the dial tone, she punched in Mary Beth’s number.
“A Stitch in Time. This is Mary Beth. How can I help you?”
“Hey there. It’s Annie Dawson. I’m glad I caught you.”
“Hello, Annie. What can I do for you?”
“Did you ever get your cabinets in?”
“As a matter of fact, they came today. The right model, the right color, and the right amount. It’s a miracle.”
Annie smiled to hear the relief in Mary Beth’s voice.
“That’s great. Do you have somebody to put them in for you yet?”
“I suppose I’ll try that Tom Maxwell Peggy was telling me about since Wally’s going to be busy for a while. Why? Do you know of somebody else?”
“No, actually I was hoping you were going to hire Tom. Um, it’s kind of a weird situation …”
Mary Beth laughed. “It’s not more about Susan Morris, is it?”
“No. Well, not entirely. Remember Peggy said she thought the Maxwells were living in Susan’s old house?”
“Yeah. And?”
“I found out that she was right. I went out there, just for old times’ sake more than anything else, and met Mr. Maxwell.”
“What’s he like?”
“He wasn’t too happy to see me, I’m afraid. I don’t think it was anything personal, but I think he had been napping when I showed up, and he was pretty grouchy.”
Again Mary Beth laughed. “I don’t blame him.”
“Anyway, he wasn’t going to introduce me to his wife, and he was pretty reluctant to say much of anything except that neither of them socializes much. I thought it sounded a little strange, and then, when I was driving off, I’m sure I saw her looking out the window.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess. Maybe I’m looking for a mystery where there isn’t one, but I would really like to talk to her when he’s not around. I thought maybe you could hire him to do your cabinets, and while he was over there, I could go introduce myself to her. Even if she doesn’t feel like making a new friend, at least I could talk
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