minutes later Miss Gaspich joined them.
“Where’s the tea bags?” Mrs. Fitz called. “I can’t find nothing in this kitchen.”
Jake grinned at Berry. “The ladies didn’t have a good night.”
He sauntered out to the kitchen, and soon soothing sounds drifted in to Berry. Jake was telling Mrs. Fitz how nice she looked in the morning…full of energy. Mrs. Dugan and Miss Gaspich were similarly pacified.
Berry joined the group, and a tableclothwas discovered and spread over the round oak table. A blue teapot appeared. Packing crates were drawn up to serve as chairs. Mrs. Fitz looked like she was beginning to come around, but Miss Gaspich looked like death. Her red-rimmed eyes sagged in her face, and her mouth crinkled into a small furrow in pasty cheeks.
“Miss Gaspich, do you feel all right?” Berry asked.
Miss Gaspich slumped against the table, staring glassy-eyed at her teacup. “Couldn’t sleep all night. Didn’t sleep a wink.”
Mrs. Fitz looked disgusted. “You snored all night, you old bat. And you hogged the pillow.”
Mrs. Dugan leaned across the table. “You! You were the one who hogged the pillow. Tossing and turning and complaining. Mildred was the perfect bed partner compared to you.”
Jake deposited a steaming mug of coffee in front of Berry. “Looks like we have a problem here.”
“Possible multiple homicides.”
“I think I’ll go out and get some beds today.”He slouched over Berry, draping his bare arm across her collarbone, and whispered in her ear. “I only have four bedrooms. Guess that means two of us will have to double up.”
Mrs. Dugan glared at him. “I heard that. You men. You only have one thing on your mind. Sex. Sex. Sex.”
Mrs. Fitz winked at Jake. “Don’t pay no attention to her. She’s cranky because she’s always got sex on her mind, too, but she can’t remember what you’re supposed to do about it. Last man Mrs. Dugan knew was old Criswald, and he couldn’t remember what to do about it, either.”
Miss Gaspich giggled. Mrs. Dugan looked scandalized. And Mrs. Fitz looked like she was enjoying their reactions.
“I tell you what,” Mrs. Fitz said, smiling broadly. “How about when Jake goes out to get us some beds, he gets us some handsome men to go with them?”
Sarah Dugan pursed her lips. “That’s disgusting.”
“Yeah. But it made Mildred giggle. It’s bringing some color to her cheeks.”
Berry sipped at her coffee and thought she wouldn’t want to underestimate Mrs. Fitz. Her methods were a bit unorthodox for a little old lady, but she knew how to rally the troops.
Jake finished his coffee. “It’s Saturday. What time does the Pizza Place open on Saturday?”
“Ten.”
“I guess we can get ourselves together by ten.”
“First breakfast,” Mrs. Dugan said.
Mrs. Fitz drained her cup of tea. “Then the laundry. If we don’t do the laundry we’ll have to work in our nighties.”
Jake set his cup on the table and lazily stretched behind Berry. “I’ll take a quick shower, and then we can check out the apartment.”
Berry was having a difficult time not bursting into tears. The apartment was even worse than she’d remembered. The soot was everywhere. It had infiltrated every drawer, it clung to the walls, and it blackened the windows.
Jake put his arms around Berry and rested his chin on the top of her head. “It could be worse. No one was hurt.”
“Yes, but everything is ruined.”
“Not everything.”
Berry looked down at the rug. “The rug is ruined.”
“Mmmm.” His voice rumbled in her ear.
Berry was having a difficult time concentrating on the rug. She was being distracted by his hands inching their way down her spine.
“And the couch is ruined,” she said.
“Mmmm. The couch.”
The hands squeezed her ever so slightly, and his thumbs massaged little circles into her back just above the waistband of her jeans.
“And…um.” She couldn’t think what else was ruined. It was right on the
“Where’s the tea bags?” Mrs. Fitz called. “I can’t find nothing in this kitchen.”
Jake grinned at Berry. “The ladies didn’t have a good night.”
He sauntered out to the kitchen, and soon soothing sounds drifted in to Berry. Jake was telling Mrs. Fitz how nice she looked in the morning…full of energy. Mrs. Dugan and Miss Gaspich were similarly pacified.
Berry joined the group, and a tableclothwas discovered and spread over the round oak table. A blue teapot appeared. Packing crates were drawn up to serve as chairs. Mrs. Fitz looked like she was beginning to come around, but Miss Gaspich looked like death. Her red-rimmed eyes sagged in her face, and her mouth crinkled into a small furrow in pasty cheeks.
“Miss Gaspich, do you feel all right?” Berry asked.
Miss Gaspich slumped against the table, staring glassy-eyed at her teacup. “Couldn’t sleep all night. Didn’t sleep a wink.”
Mrs. Fitz looked disgusted. “You snored all night, you old bat. And you hogged the pillow.”
Mrs. Dugan leaned across the table. “You! You were the one who hogged the pillow. Tossing and turning and complaining. Mildred was the perfect bed partner compared to you.”
Jake deposited a steaming mug of coffee in front of Berry. “Looks like we have a problem here.”
“Possible multiple homicides.”
“I think I’ll go out and get some beds today.”He slouched over Berry, draping his bare arm across her collarbone, and whispered in her ear. “I only have four bedrooms. Guess that means two of us will have to double up.”
Mrs. Dugan glared at him. “I heard that. You men. You only have one thing on your mind. Sex. Sex. Sex.”
Mrs. Fitz winked at Jake. “Don’t pay no attention to her. She’s cranky because she’s always got sex on her mind, too, but she can’t remember what you’re supposed to do about it. Last man Mrs. Dugan knew was old Criswald, and he couldn’t remember what to do about it, either.”
Miss Gaspich giggled. Mrs. Dugan looked scandalized. And Mrs. Fitz looked like she was enjoying their reactions.
“I tell you what,” Mrs. Fitz said, smiling broadly. “How about when Jake goes out to get us some beds, he gets us some handsome men to go with them?”
Sarah Dugan pursed her lips. “That’s disgusting.”
“Yeah. But it made Mildred giggle. It’s bringing some color to her cheeks.”
Berry sipped at her coffee and thought she wouldn’t want to underestimate Mrs. Fitz. Her methods were a bit unorthodox for a little old lady, but she knew how to rally the troops.
Jake finished his coffee. “It’s Saturday. What time does the Pizza Place open on Saturday?”
“Ten.”
“I guess we can get ourselves together by ten.”
“First breakfast,” Mrs. Dugan said.
Mrs. Fitz drained her cup of tea. “Then the laundry. If we don’t do the laundry we’ll have to work in our nighties.”
Jake set his cup on the table and lazily stretched behind Berry. “I’ll take a quick shower, and then we can check out the apartment.”
Berry was having a difficult time not bursting into tears. The apartment was even worse than she’d remembered. The soot was everywhere. It had infiltrated every drawer, it clung to the walls, and it blackened the windows.
Jake put his arms around Berry and rested his chin on the top of her head. “It could be worse. No one was hurt.”
“Yes, but everything is ruined.”
“Not everything.”
Berry looked down at the rug. “The rug is ruined.”
“Mmmm.” His voice rumbled in her ear.
Berry was having a difficult time concentrating on the rug. She was being distracted by his hands inching their way down her spine.
“And the couch is ruined,” she said.
“Mmmm. The couch.”
The hands squeezed her ever so slightly, and his thumbs massaged little circles into her back just above the waistband of her jeans.
“And…um.” She couldn’t think what else was ruined. It was right on the
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