The Feed Store Floozy (The Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series) by Judy Nickles Page B

must be fascinating.”
    “It is. When Wally asked me to come here, I thought it would be a working vacation.”
    “Were you close friends?”
    “Wally and me? We went to college together and kept in touch afterwards, but the relationship was strictly professional.”
    “And you kept in touch with Brice Dolan, too.”
    “I hadn’t heard from him in years. He’s married, you know.”
    You’re lying through your teeth. I can tell by the way you won’t look at me. “Yes, I do know.”
    “I’m not interested in him romantically.”
    “It’s none of my business how you’re interested in him.” Maybe you were interested in Wally Powers, too. Playing both sides of the court.
    “You’re right—it’s not.” Jill squared her shoulders. “That’s all I came to say. Brice doesn’t need any more gossip floating around when he’s trying to get his business off the ground.”
    “I hope he’ll be successful. With all the tourist trade we get throughout the year, he should have good seasonal sales and be able to stay afloat.”
    “I’ll keep this house in mind the next time I need a period place for a shoot.” Jill crossed the room toward the French doors leading to the foyer.
    “That’s kind of you.” Penelope rose and followed her unexpected guest. But you’ll get your camera in here when the Arkansas River turns to purple ink.
    Jill stepped out on the porch. “I’m glad we had this little talk.”
    Penelope crossed her fingers behind her back. “Oh, so am I. Goodbye now.”
    ****
    Penelope found Mary Lynn waiting in the kitchen. “Who was your visitor?”
    “The professional photographer Wally Powers brought in.”
    “Why is she still here? Is she a suspect?”
    “Beats me—to both questions.”
    “Why did she come to see you?”
    “I stopped in Brice’s shop yesterday, to wish him luck and all that. She came in from the back and called him ‘darlin’. So she came by today to tell me they’re not involved.”
    “And you believe her?”
    “No, but I don’t blessed care anyway. Apparently she, Wally Powers, and Brice all went to college together.”
    “They did?”
    “That’s what Brice said—and she confirmed it. Apparently she worked for Wally Powers from time to time.”
    “Did you hear about the letter Hal Greene found in his door the other day?”
    “He told Daddy about it at the Sit-n-Swill the other night. I kept waiting to hear from you, but you never called.”
    “You could’ve called me.”
    “Mary Lynn, we’re best friends precisely for the reason we don’t crowd each other. I know you’ve been upset over all this, and I didn’t think you needed me asking a bunch of questions.”
    “Oh. Well, the letter was typed and unsigned. Brad talked to Harry and Missy, his secretary. Actually, she’s the secretary for everybody in the city government, all eight of them. She uses a computer and prints stuff out, and she said all the old typewriters they used at city hall were disposed of at an auction about eight years ago. So somebody stole the letterhead.”
    “Makes sense.”
    “It doesn’t make sense, Pen. Somebody’s trying to frame Harry. And by the way, we don’t own a typewriter either.”
    “I didn’t ask you that.”
    “I know, but I’m telling you.”
    “Okay.”
    “Harry called Hal right away and told him he didn’t write the letter. I guess Hal believed him.”
    “They’ve known each other a long time.”
    “Since high school, just like the two of us.”
    Penelope took two sodas from the refrigerator, fitted the cans into cozies, and set them on the table. “I’ve talked to Bradley a couple of times, but he never says anything about an open case.”
    “The whole town’s talking about it, though. I hope Chief Malone gave Hal some good hard facts to print in tomorrow’s Bugle .”
    Penelope shrugged. “I’m sure he did. What people don’t know for sure, they make up. A straightforward story will go a long way toward stopping the conjecture. Oh,