package of meat he had brought over from his refrigerator.
Cheryl suppressed a shudder as she watched him. As if she would ever buy such disgusting food as that. Without speaking, she watched him slice into one of her beautiful homegrown tomatoes and slap mayo liberally across a slice of wheat bread. He added a lettuce leaf before topping it with the slice of bread and plunking it down on a paper napkin in front of her.
“Jane?” He raised his thick, black eyebrows at her friend who nodded enthusiastically.
“I saw Sam Toledo, David, with my own eyes. You said he was a criminal and now I believe you. He was holding a gun pointed directly at the other man, and then I heard a gunshot. How can you say nothing happened?”
“I just can. Leave it at that, will you? You are the most annoying, nosy, little sweet thing I ever met. Eat your sandwich, honey. Everything is under control. What were the two of you doing out there in the first place? On an owl prowl?”
“Oh, no! My shovel. And my basket.” Cheryl locked eyes with Jane who shook her head vigorously.
“Not now, not never! I’m not going back into that jungle for anything. You can just forget it, Cheryl.” Jane picked up her sandwich and bit firmly into it.
Larkin grinned as he sat down at the table with his.
“I see you found some seeds to share.” He tugged an embedded seed from the back of her hair.
“Tick seeds in my hair too? Ack!” Cheryl twisted around as if she could see the back of her head and felt for the irritating seeds tangling her unruly mop.
Jane pushed her hand into her matted red head and tugged on an embedded seed. “I have a few I picked up myself.” She yanked and then squealed loudly when the tickseed resisted. Cheryl beckoned and then, stepping to Jane’s back, began to deseed her friend. It was a tedious job, but finally she located every one. She patted her friend on the shoulder and regained her seat at the table.
“Antique peonies. We were trying to rescue a plant or two of those gorgeous old peonies over in the corner adjacent to the house. I heard the bulldozers were on their way. We forgot our basket and spades,” she said regretfully around a very satisfying mouthful of baloney sandwich. She didn’t want to waste the bread since it was already made into a sandwich.
“Are you saying that Sam Toledo bought the property?” She watched Larkin’s face change from her congenial neighbor to the cop persona again.
“Cheryl, sweets, I am not saying anything. The subject is closed. You and Jane stay away from that place. You have your clients to take care of, remember?”
“No way! I’m calling Toledo tomorrow and canceling the job. He might shoot me if he thinks I haven’t done a good enough job.” She poured hot coffee for the three of them.
“Err, about that. Let’s not be so hasty. You’re being paid a lot of money to do that design job. And you’re hoping that it will build your business. Perhaps you should keep it for now.” He blandly munched a large bite of his sandwich.
Cheryl turned around and stared at him with her mouth hanging wide open. She closed it and sat down, sticking her face right next to his.
“Why, now that I agree with you about the criminal aspects of Sam Toledo, are you encouraging me to continue to work for him?” A kernel of suspicion crept through her brain only to be forced back. Surely not.
“Shot! She might get shot!” Jane said in a half panic. “You don’t want Cher to get shot, do you?” She reached over and grabbed on to Cheryl’s arm and squeezed it hard.
“It’s okay, Jane. I have no intention of continuing the association, no matter what brain freeze David has gotten himself into this time. Probably all that volleyball he plays. When you are as old as he is, it’s dangerous to your health.”
“Do me a favor, hon. Just sleep on it.” He stood up, patting her hair, before sliding his hand down the side of her face. He cupped her chin forcing her to look
Cheryl suppressed a shudder as she watched him. As if she would ever buy such disgusting food as that. Without speaking, she watched him slice into one of her beautiful homegrown tomatoes and slap mayo liberally across a slice of wheat bread. He added a lettuce leaf before topping it with the slice of bread and plunking it down on a paper napkin in front of her.
“Jane?” He raised his thick, black eyebrows at her friend who nodded enthusiastically.
“I saw Sam Toledo, David, with my own eyes. You said he was a criminal and now I believe you. He was holding a gun pointed directly at the other man, and then I heard a gunshot. How can you say nothing happened?”
“I just can. Leave it at that, will you? You are the most annoying, nosy, little sweet thing I ever met. Eat your sandwich, honey. Everything is under control. What were the two of you doing out there in the first place? On an owl prowl?”
“Oh, no! My shovel. And my basket.” Cheryl locked eyes with Jane who shook her head vigorously.
“Not now, not never! I’m not going back into that jungle for anything. You can just forget it, Cheryl.” Jane picked up her sandwich and bit firmly into it.
Larkin grinned as he sat down at the table with his.
“I see you found some seeds to share.” He tugged an embedded seed from the back of her hair.
“Tick seeds in my hair too? Ack!” Cheryl twisted around as if she could see the back of her head and felt for the irritating seeds tangling her unruly mop.
Jane pushed her hand into her matted red head and tugged on an embedded seed. “I have a few I picked up myself.” She yanked and then squealed loudly when the tickseed resisted. Cheryl beckoned and then, stepping to Jane’s back, began to deseed her friend. It was a tedious job, but finally she located every one. She patted her friend on the shoulder and regained her seat at the table.
“Antique peonies. We were trying to rescue a plant or two of those gorgeous old peonies over in the corner adjacent to the house. I heard the bulldozers were on their way. We forgot our basket and spades,” she said regretfully around a very satisfying mouthful of baloney sandwich. She didn’t want to waste the bread since it was already made into a sandwich.
“Are you saying that Sam Toledo bought the property?” She watched Larkin’s face change from her congenial neighbor to the cop persona again.
“Cheryl, sweets, I am not saying anything. The subject is closed. You and Jane stay away from that place. You have your clients to take care of, remember?”
“No way! I’m calling Toledo tomorrow and canceling the job. He might shoot me if he thinks I haven’t done a good enough job.” She poured hot coffee for the three of them.
“Err, about that. Let’s not be so hasty. You’re being paid a lot of money to do that design job. And you’re hoping that it will build your business. Perhaps you should keep it for now.” He blandly munched a large bite of his sandwich.
Cheryl turned around and stared at him with her mouth hanging wide open. She closed it and sat down, sticking her face right next to his.
“Why, now that I agree with you about the criminal aspects of Sam Toledo, are you encouraging me to continue to work for him?” A kernel of suspicion crept through her brain only to be forced back. Surely not.
“Shot! She might get shot!” Jane said in a half panic. “You don’t want Cher to get shot, do you?” She reached over and grabbed on to Cheryl’s arm and squeezed it hard.
“It’s okay, Jane. I have no intention of continuing the association, no matter what brain freeze David has gotten himself into this time. Probably all that volleyball he plays. When you are as old as he is, it’s dangerous to your health.”
“Do me a favor, hon. Just sleep on it.” He stood up, patting her hair, before sliding his hand down the side of her face. He cupped her chin forcing her to look