seem fair, does it?”
Bershada said, “There are companies that will clean up crime scenes, but it’s bad enough having one stranger go through your stuff, without inviting more of them. Plus, they aren’t cheap.”
“But what choice do you have?” Rosemary asked.
She, Bershada, and Shelly looked at Betsy then, who said, “What, you want to surprise her?”
“I should think she’d find it a wonderful surprise,” Rosemary said.
“I’m not so sure,” Betsy said. “It’s one thing to be there when someone is helping to clean up your place, because you can tell them to throw that away and keep this, and thank them. But it’s another thing entirely when a bunch of gossipy women go through your things when you’re not there, and without your permission, and think they’re doing you a favor!”
“Okay, you have a point there,” said Shelly. “So why don’t we ask her?”
This time they all looked pointedly at Betsy, who acknowledged the responsibility with a small nod. “All right,” she said, “I’ll ask her if we can help, okay?” She looked at each in turn. “That’s we , as in all of us. Except Godwin, who is taking a late flight to Florida.”
“I could put it off,” Godwin offered, obviously hoping Betsy would turn him down.
“No, you can’t,” Betsy said firmly. “You and Dax bought those cheap tickets and you can’t change them.”
“That’s right,” Godwin said, relieved.
Betsy looked at the others. “I expect you back here when Crewel World closes at eight.”
Bershada and Shelly nodded, but Rosemary’s fair complexion turned bright pink. “Oh, wait, I was thinking we’d do it tomorrow! I can’t tonight! I’m so sorry. My daughter is taking me out to dinner and a movie tonight.”
Bershada said, “But you can’t expect Doris to try to sleep in her apartment when it’s all torn up.”
“I’m really sorry,” reiterated Rosemary. “But my daughter and I have been trying to have a private conversation for two weeks. I think she’s got something important she wants to talk about.”
“Oh. That’s different,” said Bershada. “We understand. So go ahead, don’t worry about it.” She turned to Shelly. “What time?”
“Wait, hold on,” said Betsy. “What if the police are still investigating in there? Or they have it sealed up for some reason and we can’t get in?”
“I’ll be right back,” said Godwin, pleased to be able to do something in aid of the cause. He was gone only a few minutes. “They’re winding up now,” he said. “They’ll be gone in about ten or fifteen minutes.”
“How about we go up now—no, in an hour?” suggested Shelly. “I want to take these things home.” She held up a plastic bag of yarn and needles.
“Fine with me,” said Bershada.
“But I’m not free until eight—” Betsy began, trying not to sigh. Her feet were already aching and she had a headache from hours in the shop.
“I’ll come,” said Alice, who had been standing quietly in the background.
“Thank you!” said Rosemary. Still pink, she went away.
“Yes, thank you, Alice,” said Betsy, her tone quieter but just as heartfelt.
Betsy phoned Phil and said some members of the Monday Bunch had volunteered to help clean up Doris’s apartment.
“Well, isn’t that nice of you!” he said. “I think that’s really great! I’ll tell Dorie—and I’ll be there to help, too. Hold on.” There was a conversation on his end, unintelligible because he had put a hand over the receiver. “All right,” he said. “Betsy, we’ll both be there in an hour. Thank you!”
They were all prompt. Betsy went up with Doris, Phil, Alice, Shelly, and Bershada to have a quick look for herself. The yellow plastic crime-scene tape had been pulled down, but left in a heap on the floor. Doris unlocked her door and started to open it, but when it bumped against something she drew back fearfully. Betsy reached in and pushed the obstacle out of the way—it was
Bershada said, “There are companies that will clean up crime scenes, but it’s bad enough having one stranger go through your stuff, without inviting more of them. Plus, they aren’t cheap.”
“But what choice do you have?” Rosemary asked.
She, Bershada, and Shelly looked at Betsy then, who said, “What, you want to surprise her?”
“I should think she’d find it a wonderful surprise,” Rosemary said.
“I’m not so sure,” Betsy said. “It’s one thing to be there when someone is helping to clean up your place, because you can tell them to throw that away and keep this, and thank them. But it’s another thing entirely when a bunch of gossipy women go through your things when you’re not there, and without your permission, and think they’re doing you a favor!”
“Okay, you have a point there,” said Shelly. “So why don’t we ask her?”
This time they all looked pointedly at Betsy, who acknowledged the responsibility with a small nod. “All right,” she said, “I’ll ask her if we can help, okay?” She looked at each in turn. “That’s we , as in all of us. Except Godwin, who is taking a late flight to Florida.”
“I could put it off,” Godwin offered, obviously hoping Betsy would turn him down.
“No, you can’t,” Betsy said firmly. “You and Dax bought those cheap tickets and you can’t change them.”
“That’s right,” Godwin said, relieved.
Betsy looked at the others. “I expect you back here when Crewel World closes at eight.”
Bershada and Shelly nodded, but Rosemary’s fair complexion turned bright pink. “Oh, wait, I was thinking we’d do it tomorrow! I can’t tonight! I’m so sorry. My daughter is taking me out to dinner and a movie tonight.”
Bershada said, “But you can’t expect Doris to try to sleep in her apartment when it’s all torn up.”
“I’m really sorry,” reiterated Rosemary. “But my daughter and I have been trying to have a private conversation for two weeks. I think she’s got something important she wants to talk about.”
“Oh. That’s different,” said Bershada. “We understand. So go ahead, don’t worry about it.” She turned to Shelly. “What time?”
“Wait, hold on,” said Betsy. “What if the police are still investigating in there? Or they have it sealed up for some reason and we can’t get in?”
“I’ll be right back,” said Godwin, pleased to be able to do something in aid of the cause. He was gone only a few minutes. “They’re winding up now,” he said. “They’ll be gone in about ten or fifteen minutes.”
“How about we go up now—no, in an hour?” suggested Shelly. “I want to take these things home.” She held up a plastic bag of yarn and needles.
“Fine with me,” said Bershada.
“But I’m not free until eight—” Betsy began, trying not to sigh. Her feet were already aching and she had a headache from hours in the shop.
“I’ll come,” said Alice, who had been standing quietly in the background.
“Thank you!” said Rosemary. Still pink, she went away.
“Yes, thank you, Alice,” said Betsy, her tone quieter but just as heartfelt.
Betsy phoned Phil and said some members of the Monday Bunch had volunteered to help clean up Doris’s apartment.
“Well, isn’t that nice of you!” he said. “I think that’s really great! I’ll tell Dorie—and I’ll be there to help, too. Hold on.” There was a conversation on his end, unintelligible because he had put a hand over the receiver. “All right,” he said. “Betsy, we’ll both be there in an hour. Thank you!”
They were all prompt. Betsy went up with Doris, Phil, Alice, Shelly, and Bershada to have a quick look for herself. The yellow plastic crime-scene tape had been pulled down, but left in a heap on the floor. Doris unlocked her door and started to open it, but when it bumped against something she drew back fearfully. Betsy reached in and pushed the obstacle out of the way—it was
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