Snuffed Out (Book 2 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) by Tim Myers Page B

here, knowing what happened to him?”
    She frowned gently. “I thought about that,
believe me, but we built this place together. What more fitting
tribute could there be than continue it? I’m sure Aaron would have
wanted it that way. I do hope you’ll give me that lease. Three
years will make this place feel like home.”
    I started to agree, then realized what I’d
told Cragg. I’d already committed myself. “I’m afraid that’s not
going to happen, at least not for now. Why don’t you finish out
Aaron’s lease, it runs through November. We can talk about
extensions then.”
    “ If that’s what you want,”
she said. “Was it...here that it happened?”
    She gently touched the wheel Aaron had been
working at, as if afraid it would bite her.
    “ Yes. Some of the folks
around here think it was odd that he was throwing on an electric
wheel.”
    “ Aaron was always trying
something new. It wouldn’t surprise me at all that he was throwing
on it, goodness knows I nagged him enough to try it. I prefer
electric, myself. When I used a kick wheel, my legs ached at the
end of the day.” She dusted her hands off, as if removing the last
remnant of the wheel’s touch, then said, “So I can move
in?”
    I nodded. “I hate to bring this up, but the
rent is due for the business. Actually, it’s a few days late.”
    She nodded. “Then let’s take care of that
right now. I’m sure Gary is still upstairs, and I’ve got my
checkbook.”
    I agreed. It would be best to just go ahead
and get it all out of the way. I looked at it as one less thing to
worry about. Then perhaps Eve and Ann Marie would stop nagging
me.
    We signed the papers creating a new lease
for Sanora, covering just the short term until Aaron’s year was up.
Even if she didn’t work out as a tenant, I’d bought myself two more
months of rent, and a little breathing room.
    What an adventurous afternoon off I’d had.
My shoulders were stiffening up from my kayaking experience and the
slight sunburn I’d gotten was getting redder by the moment. A hot
shower took most of the ache out of the burn, but by the time I was
finished, I barely had enough energy to keep my eyes open. I’d read
just two pages of my book when it dropped to my chest, and I fell
fast asleep.
     
    From the beating my front
door was taking, someone was trying to break into my apartment. At
least that’s what it sounded like when I woke up the next morning.
I stared at the alarm clock through bleary eyes and saw that it was
just a little past six a.m.
    Grabbing a robe on my way out of the
bedroom, I opened the door to find Heather Bane glaring at me,
madder than a wet cat.
    She started in on me before I could open my
mouth. “Harrison Black, of all the no-brain, thickheaded, idiotic
things to do, I can’t believe you did it.”
    “ What was I supposed to have
done?” I asked, trying my best to wake up. I was no match for
Heather, certainly not still half-asleep, though I was coming
around pretty quickly under the tirade.
    “ You let that woman back
into our lives.”
    “ What woman? Erin?” Now what
was she talking about?
    “ Sanora, you nit! I can’t
believe she’s here. You’ve got to throw her out, Harrison. Tear up
the check, give her a refund, I don’t care what it takes, but she’s
got to go.”
    “ Take it easy, Heather. I
don’t know what all the fuss is about. She said she was a tenant
here with Aaron from the very start.”
    “ Before me, is that what
you’re saying? Did you happen to ask her why she left?”
    “ I assumed it was because of
the divorce,” I said. “Listen, can we discuss this over a cup of
coffee?”
    “ I’ve had mine, thank you
very much. You assumed wrong. Belle threw her out. She told Aaron
that either Sanora went alone, or they both did. What do you think
about that?”
    “ It’s hard for me to believe
Belle would do something like that. What happened?”
    Heather said, “I don’t know exactly. Belle
said it would be