ago that was.”
“Good idea,” Thyme said. “If it was ten years ago, then that won’t be significant, but if it was recent, then it could be significant. Of course, the police must already know this.”
“Oh that reminds me. That call I got, when I left the service, was from the detectives. They said we’re allowed back in the shop now.”
“That’s a relief!” Thyme popped a cookie into her mouth. “You know, Scott was the Town Planner, and if he cheated Henry and Helen, then it was likely that he cheated others. I think we’re onto something here.”
I nodded. “I only hope that they don’t cancel the catering for the opening of the Council Chambers, given that Scott was murdered in my store and all.”
Thyme bit her lip, but didn’t reply. I was about to say more to her, when the woman who had booked me for the catering caught my eye and hurried over to me. I held my breath. She launched straight into speech. “Amelia and Thyme, good to see you both here. I must apologize. Obviously, we didn’t cater this. The Mayor just sent people out for tea, coffee, and cookies.” Her tone was apologetic, and I was relieved. She didn’t appear to have any intention of canceling the catering. “So we’re on schedule for the opening?”
I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “I assume it’s still going ahead on time, despite what happened to Scott Plank?”
A scowl crossed the woman’s face. “Of course. I don’t think you’ll see too many people mourning over that pig of a man.” Her cheeks flushed red with either embarrassment or anger. She excused herself and hurried away.
“Phew! What a relief,” I said to Thyme.
“It sure is. Amelia, do we have to add her to our list of suspects, too? I mean, did everyone hate the man?”
I shrugged. “It’s only two suspects so far, if you count Helen and her husband as joint suspects.”
“Two out of two,” Thyme pointed out. “That’s one hundred percent.”
“But not a viable statistic,” I said. “Only two suspects after all.”
Thyme clutched my arm, and nodded to a man nearby. I figured he was Laurence Burleigh. After all, he was dressed brightly, although not quite as brightly as the entity, who, by the way, I hadn’t seen since his speech. He was talking to another man, and Scott Plank’s name was mentioned. Thyme and I edged closer.
“So you’ll be the Town Planner now, Laurence?” the shorter man said.
“Yes, that’s right.”
The other man extended his hand and shook Laurence’s vigorously. “What a relief! That will end some of the corruption on the Council.”
“I hope it ends all the corruption on the Council,” Laurence said firmly.
“I’m sorry he’s dead,” the short man continued, “as far as I care about any human being that’s been murdered. I mean, you wouldn’t wish that on your worst enemy, but Scott Plank was a blight on humanity.”
“You won’t get any argument from me,” Laurence said. At that point, the two men looked at us, so I avoided eye contact and selected a cookie. Thyme did the same. I went to the other end of the table, and Thyme followed me.
“The suspects list is getting rather long,” I said in a low voice.
Thyme chuckled. “Still a small number of people, four, but that’s four out of four. Still one hundred percent.”
I resisted the urge to throw a piece of my cookie at her. “Have you seen the entity at all? We should keep an eye out for him.”
Thyme shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen anything unusual. Perhaps you should make a wish aloud, and see what he does.”
“No way! I’ll only do that under controlled conditions, with Ruprecht there. And speaking of Ruprecht, I wonder how he, Camino, and Mint are going with gathering information?”
“We should all go to Ruprecht’s for dinner tonight and discuss it.”
I figured now was as good a time as any to break the news. “Thyme, I’m going over to Alder’s for dinner tonight.” Thyme did not look happy so I
“Good idea,” Thyme said. “If it was ten years ago, then that won’t be significant, but if it was recent, then it could be significant. Of course, the police must already know this.”
“Oh that reminds me. That call I got, when I left the service, was from the detectives. They said we’re allowed back in the shop now.”
“That’s a relief!” Thyme popped a cookie into her mouth. “You know, Scott was the Town Planner, and if he cheated Henry and Helen, then it was likely that he cheated others. I think we’re onto something here.”
I nodded. “I only hope that they don’t cancel the catering for the opening of the Council Chambers, given that Scott was murdered in my store and all.”
Thyme bit her lip, but didn’t reply. I was about to say more to her, when the woman who had booked me for the catering caught my eye and hurried over to me. I held my breath. She launched straight into speech. “Amelia and Thyme, good to see you both here. I must apologize. Obviously, we didn’t cater this. The Mayor just sent people out for tea, coffee, and cookies.” Her tone was apologetic, and I was relieved. She didn’t appear to have any intention of canceling the catering. “So we’re on schedule for the opening?”
I nodded. “Yes,” I said. “I assume it’s still going ahead on time, despite what happened to Scott Plank?”
A scowl crossed the woman’s face. “Of course. I don’t think you’ll see too many people mourning over that pig of a man.” Her cheeks flushed red with either embarrassment or anger. She excused herself and hurried away.
“Phew! What a relief,” I said to Thyme.
“It sure is. Amelia, do we have to add her to our list of suspects, too? I mean, did everyone hate the man?”
I shrugged. “It’s only two suspects so far, if you count Helen and her husband as joint suspects.”
“Two out of two,” Thyme pointed out. “That’s one hundred percent.”
“But not a viable statistic,” I said. “Only two suspects after all.”
Thyme clutched my arm, and nodded to a man nearby. I figured he was Laurence Burleigh. After all, he was dressed brightly, although not quite as brightly as the entity, who, by the way, I hadn’t seen since his speech. He was talking to another man, and Scott Plank’s name was mentioned. Thyme and I edged closer.
“So you’ll be the Town Planner now, Laurence?” the shorter man said.
“Yes, that’s right.”
The other man extended his hand and shook Laurence’s vigorously. “What a relief! That will end some of the corruption on the Council.”
“I hope it ends all the corruption on the Council,” Laurence said firmly.
“I’m sorry he’s dead,” the short man continued, “as far as I care about any human being that’s been murdered. I mean, you wouldn’t wish that on your worst enemy, but Scott Plank was a blight on humanity.”
“You won’t get any argument from me,” Laurence said. At that point, the two men looked at us, so I avoided eye contact and selected a cookie. Thyme did the same. I went to the other end of the table, and Thyme followed me.
“The suspects list is getting rather long,” I said in a low voice.
Thyme chuckled. “Still a small number of people, four, but that’s four out of four. Still one hundred percent.”
I resisted the urge to throw a piece of my cookie at her. “Have you seen the entity at all? We should keep an eye out for him.”
Thyme shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen anything unusual. Perhaps you should make a wish aloud, and see what he does.”
“No way! I’ll only do that under controlled conditions, with Ruprecht there. And speaking of Ruprecht, I wonder how he, Camino, and Mint are going with gathering information?”
“We should all go to Ruprecht’s for dinner tonight and discuss it.”
I figured now was as good a time as any to break the news. “Thyme, I’m going over to Alder’s for dinner tonight.” Thyme did not look happy so I
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