The Babbling Brook Naked Poker Club - Book One by Ann Warner

possible.”
    “But you don’t think so.”
    “It would be so easy to steal things in a
place like this. And if the thief takes small items that the owner
might not miss right away, well . . .”
    “And you think Eddie’s responsible?”
    “We already know he’s a thief.”
    “But if he’s taking valuables worth
thousands, why nickel and dime his grocery customers?” Myrtle
said.
    “Because he can?” Lill offered.
    “Do you think either loss has been reported
to the police?” Edna said.
    Lill shook her head. “Mr. Souter’s working
hard to keep it hush-hush. If it got out there’s a thief, it would
certainly put a crimp in resident recruitment.”
    “But there must be insurance to reimburse
the families for the necklace and card,” I said.
    “Since the card, at least, wasn’t declared
on the property inventory when Glenn moved in, Brookside doesn’t
have to pay a thing.”
    “Property inventory?”
    “Why, yes,” Myrtle said. “Don’t you
remember, Josephine? It was that tedious form we had to fill out,
listing anything worth more than $250.”
    “I’d forgotten that.” Actually, I hadn’t
forgotten. I’d never seen the form. Jeff must have filled it out
for me along with the other paperwork.
    “You know what this means,” I said. “Anyone
with access to the forms could easily see what valuables were
listed by each resident and plan accordingly. Although that doesn’t
explain how someone learned about Glenn’s baseball card if it
wasn’t listed. Maybe stealing it was simply luck.”
    “We can’t pin those losses on Eddie,” Myrtle
said.
    “But it does give us additional information
to share with the police.”
    “If you go to the police, Josephine, I will
not be among his accusers,” Myrtle said. “And neither will Bertie.”
She sat back with a humph, folded her arms— a neat trick, by the
way— and gave me a satisfied look.
    And it was perfectly clear. Myrtle and
Bertie had been plotting. “What is it you, and Bertie, want to do,
Myrtle?” I asked in my sweetest voice.
    Lill kicked me under the table. I winced and
rubbed my shin with my opposite foot as I glared at her. She looked
serenely back.
    “As I’ve already suggested,” Myrtle said,
“we should talk to Eddie. Tell him we know what he’s been doing and
let him know we’ll be watching him very carefully from now on.”
    “Admit it, Josephine, that’s not a bad
idea,” Edna said. Not a surprise. Edna usually sides with
Myrtle.
    “So that’s settled, then,” Myrtle said with
a satisfied smile.
    “Wait. That’s only two in favor.”
    “I assumed when Lillian said nothing that
she was in favor.” Myrtle gave Lill an arch look. “Doesn’t matter.
Bertie’s in favor, so that’s three against two. We simply have to
decide when and where to do it.”
    I sat back and folded my considerably leaner
arms.
    Myrtle did that squirmy thing that usually
means she either has to pee or has great cards. “Bertie and I think
we should meet at my place. Tonight, if it can be arranged. After
dinner.”
    “I don’t think you can fit thirteen people
in your living room.” I’d once caught a glimpse of Myrtle’s
apartment when I was walking by and she was just coming out.
    “Thirteen?”
    “The four of us, Bertie, the other seven
customers, and Eddie.”
    “Bertie feels only he and I need to meet
with Eddie. After all, I’m the one who noticed what was happening,
which is the only reason you know about it.”
    “But we’re the ones who did the
investigating.” Really, the woman was insufferable.
    “I agree with Josephine. I think all four of
us should be included in the meeting,” Lill said.
    Finally, a voice of reason, even if it was
too late to alter the most egregious part of Myrtle’s plan.
    “I suppose that’s all right. But I’ll have
to check with Bertie.”
    “Why?” I said.
    “Well, because—”
    “He’s a man?”
    “Yes, I do think it’s important a man is
present. And since Bertie lost