The Longest Yard Sale by Sherry Harris Page B

been Beverly, our new manager. We hired her a couple of months ago to try to give the shop some continuity rather than being managed by people who’d have to move when the military saw fit.”
    â€œHow’s that working out?”
    â€œShe’s really kept the inventory moving. The sorting room isn’t a death trap anymore. She’s selling some of the better stuff on eBay.” Laura yawned and stretched. “She also got the idea that we should be open once a month on Sunday afternoon. Not everyone is crazy about the idea.”
    â€œIt looks like you had a lot of volunteers.” That wasn’t always the case.
    â€œWe did today. I strong-armed them into it. I’m not sure about the Sunday thing.”
    â€œIs she here? I’d like to meet her.”
    â€œNo. She had a church thing this afternoon.” Laura yawned. “Beverly’s also an accountant, so the books are up to date. Anyway, what’s going on? It sounded like you wanted to talk about something when you called.”
    â€œDo you know Terry McQueen?” I asked.
    Laura drew her knees up under her. “Yes.”
    I waited, hoping she’d volunteer more. Something must be going on or she wouldn’t be so reticent. “I saw he got a Civilian of the Quarter award, but I didn’t recognize his name.”
    â€œDo you usually know the award recipients?” Laura asked.
    Rarely. How was I going to get out of this one without mentioning that he might be dead and having Pellner and CJ on my back for blabbing?
    â€œSometimes. I saw his picture in the base paper and thought he looked familiar.” Whew, I didn’t have to lie.
    â€œHe hasn’t been very popular on base lately,” Laura said.
    â€œWhy not?” Maybe the reason he was killed had something to do with the base, and I wouldn’t have to worry about Carol being accused of murder. Oh, no. I tried not to have any physical reaction to that thought. I realized it had been lurking around the back of my brain since we’d found the body.
    â€œAre you okay? You look a little pale.” Laura’s big eyes looked concerned.
    â€œI’m fine. Just a little tired after the yard sale yesterday.” I turned on the couch so I was facing Laura and tucked one leg under the other. “Are you going to tell me why Terry hasn’t been popular?”
    Laura sat for a minute staring at the front door of the shop. “Do you know Dave Jackson?”
    That wasn’t what I’d been expecting. “CJ and I’ve known Bubbles—Dave—for a long time. I didn’t know he’d moved here until yesterday morning.”
    â€œSo you know about the missile scandal and that Dave was fired?” Laura asked.
    I nodded, wondering what this had to do with Terry.
    â€œDave and Terry started a financial planning company, and some people on base are none too happy.”
    I stared at Laura, surprised by this bit of news. “I just heard about the company yesterday. I didn’t know Terry was involved, though.” If people were unhappy with him, it might be why he was murdered. It didn’t explain why it happened in Carol’s shop. I hoped Bubbles was okay. I’d check with Stella when I got home.
    â€œTerry’s a great guy with a mind for numbers. He was a shoo-in to win the civilian of the year award.”
    â€œBut he isn’t now?”
    Laura plucked at an errant thread on the seam of the couch.
    â€œHave a lot of people on base invested with them?” I prodded.
    â€œI don’t know for sure. We did.”
    It felt to me like Laura was holding something back. “Are people upset about the financial planning company? Isn’t it doing well?” That was the complete opposite of what Gennie had said, but maybe someone on base was disgruntled.
    â€œNo. The people I know who’ve invested with them are happy. I know we are.” Laura shifted. “You know how