“How is that possible?” Macy whispered.
Janet shook her head, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “I’ve never heard of anything like it.”
Back in the office, her eyes on the accounts, Macy could not stop thinking about the clock. She would have to be sure and tell Scott about it when she saw him at dinner on Monday night. No doubt, he would find it interesting. Her fingers touched her lips and she smiled. His kiss had been nice. Had it been only a good-bye kind of kiss? Or had he really wanted to be close to her?
After a quick lunch, customers had slowed their coming into the shop, so she headed upstairs to straighten the shelves. That was when she noticed the quilting frame. Forgetting about the shelves, she headed over to the frame and knelt in front of the structure. The right front leg of the frame had been taped with duct tape for over five years. Today, the tape was gone and the leg smoothly glued and repaired.
She took a deep breath. Janet had to see this.
The afternoon sped by. Even though she had dreaded the influx of strangers in town, it had been a very pleasant afternoon. Annie Oakley Days seemed to be popular with folks from all around. Now, she’d have to badger some of the local ladies to get busy with more quilts. Her stock was beginning to dwindle.
At last, she was finished with the evening paper work. She shut the lid of the laptop and reached for the chain switch on the cowboy boot lamp. Her hand stopped, just as she began to pull it down. A sound. Was it in the shop? Or something outside? A ripple of fear raced down her spine.
Get a hold of yourself, Macy. It’s probably just a mouse. Or the wind. Or. . .something like that.
She took a deep breath and stood. Janet had only been gone about half an hour. She peeked out of the office door to a quiet, well-lit, store. She was being silly. It was time to get home and enjoy her two days off. Annie Oakley days had been successful enough for the shop that she would have to come in and do some ordering on Monday morning. Not exactly leisure time, but it made her happy that it had to be done.
Chapter 19
She smiled at the man across the booth from her. They were at Dixie’s again, neither of them wanting a long drive to Bartlesville to get dinner. And this was their first date alone, without Sammie. The sweet girl was at a birthday party, and would be spending the night with several others at the birthday child’s house, since there was no school on Tuesday. Teacher’s meeting, Scott told her.
She had worried that being alone together might be awkward, but her qualms had been needless. There was something about him that made her feel as if she had known him for years, like they had been childhood friends, growing up together, fishing in the creek, putting pennies on the train tracks, picking apples out of old man Burner’s orchard. She hoped the feeling was mutual.
Scott leaned back in the booth and reached for another piece of his roll. “Now, tell me all of that again,” he said, before popping the bite of it into his mouth.
“I guess I’d better start at the beginning,” she explained. She took another sip of her tea and cleared her throat. “It started, I think, the evening I went into the office to put in some orders for Aunt Alta. I noticed that I had left the bathroom light on. Really, I didn’t think much about it, but it isn’t like me to be so careless.” From there, she told the rest, including the story about the clock and the leg of the quilt frame. Even the antique garland, with its beautiful glowing lights that mysteriously began to work again.
Scott folded his arms across his chest and stared out the big glass windows that had a view of the street. Lights streamed across the glass, as the cars drove slowly down Main Street. “Sounds to me like there’s someone living there.”
Macy shivered. “In my shop?”
He relaxed and put his arms to his sides. “Maybe not in your shop, but they seem to have access to it. I take it you don’t have any sort of alarm system?”
She shook her head. “No. I even told Bennie Roman about it. For a police chief, I thought she was pretty cheeky laughing at me, the way she did. Made me feel like a silly, jumpy woman. Said I must be wrong about the clock.”
He ignored her statement. “And how much money did you say is missing?”
She thought about the accounts. There had been anywhere from five dollars to seven a day. Some days a little more, some days less, some days, not any. “I don’t have the exact amount, but I’d say close to forty or fifty dollars. Usually just a few dollars, less than ten every other day or so.”
He chewed his lip and took a sip of his soft drink. “Just about enough to eat on, I’d say.”
Macy stared. “You think whoever it is needs food?” She had been thinking of a common thief that was just taking to get what they could.
“They’re not taking very much,” he reasoned. “It’s probably out of what you’re leaving in the cash register at night for the next day, isn’t it?”
She nodded.
“I figure someone would notice a person coming in and sneaking out money during the day. And those repairs to your shop sound like some sort of payment. To me, anyway.”
She sighed. “I’d never thought of it like that. I wish I knew who it is that’s doing it. I mean, if they need help. . .I’d be willing to pay them a lot more than five dollars a day.”
He grinned. The grin that always seemed to send her heart spinning.
He leaned forward, his arms on the table, his blue eyes bright in the lantern light. “I’ve got an idea. Let’s run out to the house, and then we’ll come back to your store.”
***
She stared at the camera in Scott’s hand. “You really think this will work and they won’t notice?”
“Don’t worry. We’re going to hide it somewhere in the shop. Believe me, they won’t have a clue. And it doesn’t make any sound, else it wouldn’t be good for filming game. That’s what hunters use them for. I had this one set up out behind the house. Sammie likes to watch the animals that appear on it.”
“I wouldn’t think it would be very many,” she said.
He shook his head and opened a compartment on the camera. “We saw a couple of bobcats last week. And once, we got a good shot of a bear.”
“Wow. I bet that was a cool thing to see! After living in Oklahoma City for so many years, I’ve forgotten what it was like out in the country, I guess.”
He winked and turned his attention to the camera. “It’s like riding a horse,” he teased. “You’ll get back into the country lifestyle without any trouble.”
***
Macy found her nerves racing as she inserted the key into the back door of the store. She had nothing to be nervous about, she told herself. Scott was with her. He wouldn’t let anything happen. And besides, what was she afraid of? Whoever had been inside had been doing work on the store. Work that she hadn’t been able to have done.
“Where do you think it ought to go?” she asked, looking around the store.
“I don’t know. What else needs repaired,” he asked, a twinkle in his blue eyes.
She laughed. “Probably a lot of things. Aunt Alta has never been able to do much more than make ends meet with this place. How about that shelf over there? You can see that it has a splint on it, to keep it from cracking. And it’s not that far away from the cash register, an area we assume he’s visited a few times already.”
He examined the break in the shelf. “I could fix this for you,” he said.
She smiled. “Thanks for offering. If my repair fairy doesn’t return, I might take you up on that.”
He made his way over to a large, artificial Christmas tree in the corner. “I’ll just slip the camera between the branches and face it toward the shelf. I don’t think whoever it is will be able to spot it inside this tree.”
“Maybe not,” she agreed, her eyes searching the room. What if he was in here right now?
“All set,” he told her. “How about we go get a cup of coffee at the drive-in?”
“Sounds like a good idea,” she agreed. And maybe while the
y were gone, her would-be thief/repairman would make a visit.
***
After the girl brought his coffee and her hot chocolate to the truck, they were both quiet for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the drinks on such a cool evening. Macy looked at his profile. He seemed serious since they left the store.
“Everything OK?” she asked.
He grinned and turned to her. “Yes, ma’am. Everything is fine. You know, Macy, I’ve been waiting to meet you for a long time.”
She nodded and took another sip of her coffee. “I know.” It felt funny saying it aloud. She felt his hand close over hers. She looked up. “But, do you. . . ?”
“Think it’s too fast?” he asked.
She nodded.
He shrugged and took another sip of the hot brew. “Maybe if we were twenty. But we’re not. What about you?”
She gave a small laugh. “I don’t know. It’s just a surprise. I had no idea that moving back to Christmas Creek would bring all of this to me. Aunt Alta getting married, me running the store. But, best of all, you and Sammie.”
He nodded and let go of her hand. He leaned back in the seat. “We’ve only known each other about four weeks, now. But something about it seems right.”
“Did you know it that first night we met, when I almost ran you over?” she teased.
He shook his head and gave her a serious look. “It was when you shot me with the ketchup packet.”
She laughed. “I forgot about that. I figured you would think I was one of those women that went around always having accidents.”
“Well, you kind of are,” he grinned, picking up a napkin and reaching over and wiping whipped cream from her chin. “And I wouldn’t have you any other way,” he teased, then leaned over and kissed her nose.
Chapter 20
The next morning, she and Janet counted the cash together. It was exactly the amount they had put in the register on Saturday afternoon. No doubt, the night time visitor would not be on Scott’s game camera.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Macy said.
“Well, at least no one has stolen anything,” Janet said, pushing shut the drawer of the old register. “Don’t worry, if he shows back up, that camera will tell us.”
Lawrence Wright, the mailman, stepped inside the shop at ten o’clock sharp. “Not much for you today,” he smiled, handing a stack of envelopes to Macy. “Guess you ladies heard about the robbery?” He sounded hopeful that they hadn’t.
Macy glanced at Janet. “What robbery?”
“Over the weekend, someone broke into Wally Jackson’s Leatherworks and stole over five hundred dollars, not to mention, there was quite a bit of vandalism. Wally’s having to wait on the insurance inspector before he can get the mess cleaned up.”
Janet shook her head. “That’s terrible.”
Lawrence nodded, looking pleased that he had delivered the news to them. “See you ladies tomorrow.”
“Well, whoever broke into Wally’s, it wasn’t our guy,” Macy stated, heading toward the coffee maker.
“I agree,” Janet said, following close behind. “Our thief cleans up, not destroys.”
***
It was two hours later that the front bell jangled and Bennie Roman, police chief stepped inside. Bennie was a short, stocky sort of woman. She kept her dark hair cropped short, and her uniform was always spotless. “Good morning,” she greeted Macy.
“Good morning, Chief,” Macy answered. Hopefully, the Chief hadn’t found whoever had been in her shop. Something about the man, whoever he was, had gained her compassion.
“I’m here about your stolen money,” Bennie said. “I know I didn’t take you seriously before, Macy, but since the break-in over at Wally’s I think I ought to reconsider.”
Macy shook her head. “It can’t be the same person. Whoever took the money from our cash register also repaired some things in the shop.”
Bennie shook her head and pulled out a notebook. “Probably not, then. But, I’m not making any assumptions. Now, let’s start at the beginning.”
***
“Do you think I shouldn’t have told her?” Macy said, balling her hands into fists.
Scott reached across the small table and coaxed open her hands. “You didn’t do anything wrong. But I’m inclined to agree that Bennie is looking for two different people.”
“Well, she should only be looking for one,” Macy retorted, ignoring her cooling coffee. “I don’t want her to catch whoever has been in the shop.”
He grinned and let go of her. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to press charges.”
She felt herself relax. She picked up her cup and took a sip. “Now I wish I’d never mentioned it to her.”
“It will work out. You just wait.”
“I’m glad someone has some confidence,” she laughed. “Janet has been a bundle of nerves since the moment Bennie stepped inside the store.”
Chapter 21
Wednesday morning, the cash register was short six dollars. Macy’s eyes met Janet’s. “He’s going to be on the camera,” she whispered, as if the intruder was hiding somewhere in the shop.
Janet nodded and both their heads turned toward the Christmas tree, its pretty lights flashing in the morning sun that streamed through the window.
Macy swallowed hard. “I’m going to call Scott.”
***
“Are you ladies ready?” he grinned.
Macy chewed her lip as he methodically inserted the card from the camera into her computer. She hadn’t been this nervous since her last trip to the dentist.
“There,” he said, and began typing in something on the screen.
Macy watched as a picture appeared.
“It’s activated by movement, so we’ll just fast forward through the two of you busy working. That might take a while.”
She watched as the picture flew by. She could tell he was looking at the dates on the pictures. After a few minutes he slowed. “OK. We’re getting close to last night.”
Macy and Janet stood behind him, both leaning in for a better look at the screen.
“There he is,” Scott said.
Macy stared. The picture was good quality, but a dangling Santa ornament from the tree partially blocked their view of the person. It appeared to be a young man. He seemed to be looking at the products on the shelves. In one picture it looked as if he was straightening the row of candles.
“That’s our man, all right,” Janet commented.
“If only we could see his face,” Macy groaned. “That Santa just ruined it.”
“Maybe,” Scott said. “That is an interesting jacket he’s wearing. Looks like an old bomber jacket. Probably leather, but worn pretty bad,” he commented.
Macy studied the next picture. “Look, it has a tear near the cuff area.”
He nodded. “We might not be able to see his face very well, but that jacket is a give-away.”
“But where would we ever see him?” Janet asked.
Scott glanced up at Macy. “I’m betting McDonald’s. For the amount of money that he is taking, that’s probably the best place to start looking.”
Chapter 22
Macy sighed and took another sip of her tea. This was their third lunch at McDonald’s this week. So far, no guy in an old leather bomber jacket had appeared. And she just couldn’t take another day of a burger and fries for lunch. “Are you sure there isn’t somewhere else he might be eating?” Like maybe Dixie’s? The meatloaf platter was the lunch special every Friday.
Scott shrugged and took a bite of his burger. “I guess he could be buying groceries and eating wherever he’s staying.”
Macy picked up a fry and studied it. “That worries me, too. Where could he be living and only need six dollars a day?”
“What about that shop next door to yours? The one that is closed, I mean. The windows are boarded and I doubt any light would show through at night. Could anyone be staying in there?”
Macy dropped the fry back onto the paper cont
ainer. “That’s it! After all these years, I had forgotten. I mean, you can’t even see the door!”
“What door?” Scott asked, his sapphire eyes round and curious.
She leaned forward across the small table and lowered her voice. “That old quilt that hangs on the wall near the back of the shop is covering a door. It leads into that old antique shop. When Aunt Alta bought the building, it had been used as one store and then someone had separated them. Do you think it’s possible that someone has been coming in that way?” Just the thought of it sent a spiral of fear down her back. All this time, someone could have been coming into the shop whenever they wanted to. Why hadn’t she remembered?
Scott nodded and crumpled up his food papers. “Let’s go have a look.”
***
Macy and Janet stared into the dark, abandoned shop. Scott had easily opened the door between the two. Whoever had been coming in that way had not bothered to lock the door on the other side.
“Do you have a flashlight?” Scott asked.
“I’ll get it.” Janet hurried to find it on a shelf behind the counter.
Scott switched it on and Macy and Janet stepped right behind him as he entered the abandoned store. Macy’s nose wrinkled as the smell of mold and dust assaulted her senses in the cold air. The old board floor was rough and gritty with sand and dirt beneath her lace up boots. She reached down and pulled up her calico skirt, hoping to keep it from the grime.
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