“He won’t even use weed killer on his crops. He’s
organic all the way.”
“Little green caterpillars and all,” agreed Petra. “We need more conscientious people
like him.”
“You have to talk to Doogie,” Toni urged, popping a final bite of sandwich into her
mouth. “Set him straight.”
“I’ll try,” said Suzanne.
“So much going on in Kindred right now,” mused Petra. “Although, some of it’s actually
positive.” She had a little twinkle in her eye. “Like Lester Drummond getting fired.”
Lester Drummond had been the warden at a nearby for-profit prison. Hardly anyone in
Kindred had wanted the place built, but Mayor Mobley had found a way to ram it through,
arguing that the prison would lead to new jobs and bring increased revenue to local
businesses.
Some of that was certainly true, but a cement bunker surrounded by razor wire didn’t
exactly enhance the beauty of an historic town filled with cute cottages, Victorian
homes, and a picturesque downtown of yellow-brick buildings.And all of it surrounded by towering bluffs on one side and the meandering Catawba
Creek on the other.
“I’m glad Drummond was finally fired,” said Toni. “Especially after that dog-fighting
scandal.” She shook her head. “Just awful.”
“Janell down at Kuyper’s Hardware told me Drummond’s furious about losing his job,”
said Petra.
Drummond was a big man, almost pro-wrestler size, who, with his tattoos and shaved
head, looked like one of the prisoners he’d reigned over. And now that he’d been drop-kicked
through the prison gates, Drummond was probably in an awful frame of mind.
Which made for a fairly lethal package, Suzanne decided.
“And now there’s a new warden,” Petra continued as she stirred chocolate sauce at
the stove. “Some guy name Fiedler.”
“Is he cute?” asked Toni. “Is he single?”
“Even if he is,” Petra said, in an arch tone, “you’re not.”
“Don’t sweat the details,” said Toni, with a flick of her head. “Because I will be
soon.”
She’d barely spoken the words when the front door of the café swung open with a loud
bang.
“Customers?” said Toni.
Suzanne poked her head out the door just as Claudia Busacker, Ben Busacker’s widow,
stepped briskly into the café. Claudia paused, looking unsure of her surroundings.
“Oh!” said Suzanne, startled. She glanced at Toni and Petra and said in a stage whisper,
“Claudia Busacker.”
“Here?” whispered Toni. “Why?”
Petra rolled her eyes. “You know why. Suzanne,” she hissed, “you go out and greet
her!”
Suzanne touched a hand to her chest. “Me? Why me?”
“Because you’re our fearless leader,” said Toni.
Suzanne steeled herself, drew a deep breath, and went out to greet Claudia. In her
heart, she knew it was the right thing—the kind thing—to do.
“Claudia? Mrs. Busacker?” she said as she crossed the café. “Hello.” She stretched
out a hand. “I’m Suzanne Dietz. We’ve…I…well, I’m just so very sorry…” She didn’t
know Claudia all that well, but she’d certainly seen the woman around town.
“Suzanne…yes,” said Claudia, giving a faint smile. As always, Claudia was beautifully
groomed and well put together. She was trim and elegant in her black mink coat with
every hair on her honey blond head perfectly highlighted and blow-combed. But even
with high color in her cheeks from the winter cold, Claudia looked drained. And upon
closer inspection, Suzanne noted dark circles under her eyes and tension lines intersecting
her forehead.
Claudia didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I want to see where it happened,” she
said to Suzanne in a clipped, no-nonsense tone.
Suzanne’s heart went out to Claudia. She clasped her hands in front of herself and
said, “Oh, honey, you really don’t.”
“Yes, I do,” said Claudia. She set her jaw so hard that Suzanne was afraid she’d
organic all the way.”
“Little green caterpillars and all,” agreed Petra. “We need more conscientious people
like him.”
“You have to talk to Doogie,” Toni urged, popping a final bite of sandwich into her
mouth. “Set him straight.”
“I’ll try,” said Suzanne.
“So much going on in Kindred right now,” mused Petra. “Although, some of it’s actually
positive.” She had a little twinkle in her eye. “Like Lester Drummond getting fired.”
Lester Drummond had been the warden at a nearby for-profit prison. Hardly anyone in
Kindred had wanted the place built, but Mayor Mobley had found a way to ram it through,
arguing that the prison would lead to new jobs and bring increased revenue to local
businesses.
Some of that was certainly true, but a cement bunker surrounded by razor wire didn’t
exactly enhance the beauty of an historic town filled with cute cottages, Victorian
homes, and a picturesque downtown of yellow-brick buildings.And all of it surrounded by towering bluffs on one side and the meandering Catawba
Creek on the other.
“I’m glad Drummond was finally fired,” said Toni. “Especially after that dog-fighting
scandal.” She shook her head. “Just awful.”
“Janell down at Kuyper’s Hardware told me Drummond’s furious about losing his job,”
said Petra.
Drummond was a big man, almost pro-wrestler size, who, with his tattoos and shaved
head, looked like one of the prisoners he’d reigned over. And now that he’d been drop-kicked
through the prison gates, Drummond was probably in an awful frame of mind.
Which made for a fairly lethal package, Suzanne decided.
“And now there’s a new warden,” Petra continued as she stirred chocolate sauce at
the stove. “Some guy name Fiedler.”
“Is he cute?” asked Toni. “Is he single?”
“Even if he is,” Petra said, in an arch tone, “you’re not.”
“Don’t sweat the details,” said Toni, with a flick of her head. “Because I will be
soon.”
She’d barely spoken the words when the front door of the café swung open with a loud
bang.
“Customers?” said Toni.
Suzanne poked her head out the door just as Claudia Busacker, Ben Busacker’s widow,
stepped briskly into the café. Claudia paused, looking unsure of her surroundings.
“Oh!” said Suzanne, startled. She glanced at Toni and Petra and said in a stage whisper,
“Claudia Busacker.”
“Here?” whispered Toni. “Why?”
Petra rolled her eyes. “You know why. Suzanne,” she hissed, “you go out and greet
her!”
Suzanne touched a hand to her chest. “Me? Why me?”
“Because you’re our fearless leader,” said Toni.
Suzanne steeled herself, drew a deep breath, and went out to greet Claudia. In her
heart, she knew it was the right thing—the kind thing—to do.
“Claudia? Mrs. Busacker?” she said as she crossed the café. “Hello.” She stretched
out a hand. “I’m Suzanne Dietz. We’ve…I…well, I’m just so very sorry…” She didn’t
know Claudia all that well, but she’d certainly seen the woman around town.
“Suzanne…yes,” said Claudia, giving a faint smile. As always, Claudia was beautifully
groomed and well put together. She was trim and elegant in her black mink coat with
every hair on her honey blond head perfectly highlighted and blow-combed. But even
with high color in her cheeks from the winter cold, Claudia looked drained. And upon
closer inspection, Suzanne noted dark circles under her eyes and tension lines intersecting
her forehead.
Claudia didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I want to see where it happened,” she
said to Suzanne in a clipped, no-nonsense tone.
Suzanne’s heart went out to Claudia. She clasped her hands in front of herself and
said, “Oh, honey, you really don’t.”
“Yes, I do,” said Claudia. She set her jaw so hard that Suzanne was afraid she’d
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