“I’ll come, too.”
“Can you take Bobby home first?”
“Sure, honey.”
“I’ll drive them,” Hank began, then looked down at his Santa suit.
“I can give them a lift,” Ted said.
“Thanks, but I have my car,” Jason said.
Hank looked surprised. “Fixed?”
Bill looked back and forth between the two. “What was wrong with it?”
“Brakes, back and front. But I had to get it done.” Jason squeezed Penny and jostled Bobby. “I got some precious cargo.”
“Musta cost a bit.”
“Yeah, it did. That’s why I haven’t had wheels.”
Liv shut her eyes. The boy seemed to have no idea where Bill was leading him.
Bill gave him a considering look. “I have to ask you, and don’t take this the wrong way, but where did you get the money to pay for it?”
Jason’s face flooded with color.
“Dang it, Bill.”
“Sorry, Hank, but I have to ask. Where did you get the money, son?”
Jason shrugged. “I didn’t want to take it. But—”
“There, you see, he’s confessing,” Grace said triumphantly. “It was the pair of them, together. And I insist you arrest them.”
“Shut up, Grace.” This from Bill and not Hank. “What do you mean, son?”
“Someone left an envelope with the money in Hank’s mailbox. It had my name on it. It was just enough to pay off the garage and get my car back.”
“Ha. A likely story,” Grace said. “You can see he’s lying.”
Beside her, Ted stiffened. “That’s enough, Grace.”
Liv started. She’d seen her even-tempered assistant angry only once before, and that hadn’t ended well.
Bill looked at Hank; Hank averted his eyes. Liv was sure this was the first he’d heard of the envelope or the money.
“Do you still have the envelope?”
Jason stuck his hands in his pants pockets.
Grace shrieked. “He’s got a gun.”
Liv was ready to smack the woman herself.
Jason’s hands came up empty. “No sir, I guess I tossed it at the garage. Yeah, I chucked it in the trash can at the garage.”
Bill pulled out his radio, talked quietly into it, sending a man to check Jason’s story.
“What about the rest of the money?” Grace demanded. “There was over four thousand dollars.”
“There wasn’t that much. Just enough to get my car. I swear. I thought maybe it was from Hank, and he didn’t want to let on he was helping.”
Hank shook his head. “Musta been the Good Samaritans.”
Liv glanced at Ted.
“A group of folks from the local churches who like to help out their neighbors. Anonymously.”
“I didn’t want to take it. I don’t like being beholden, but at that point I would have taken any handout if it would help Penny and the Newlands out.” Jason let go of Penny and hung his head. “I just can’t seem to get anything right.”
“That’s not true,” Penny said. “You’re a good man, it’s not your fault.”
Hank stepped in front of the two. “They’re not saying anything more without a lawyer present.”
Grace sneered. It destroyed whatever residual beauty might have been hiding beneath her hard features and mean disposition. “That’s practically a confession. I demand you arrest them both.”
Bill let out a long suffering sigh. “No, it isn’t Grace. You’ve done nothing but cause trouble since you returned to town. I suggest you go over the facts—and only the facts—before you make your statement.”
“Huh. I suppose you’re going to let those two off scot-free.”
“No, I’m going to take them both with me.”
“Bill, they’ve done—”
“Hank, stay out of this. I’m just going to take their statements and remove them from this environment. No need to worry any of the Newlands. There will be someone down at the station to see to Bobby.”
He said it calmly, but Liv didn’t doubt that she wasn’t the only one who had added a silent “toxic” to the “environment” he was talking about. She knew she couldn’t wait to get away.
Bill gave Grace a pointed look. “And, Grace, do not start spreading rumors that may or may not be true. You wouldn’t want a lawsuit on your hands.”
Grace sniffed. Crossed her arms.
Bill led the two young people and baby out the front door.
Ted grabbed Hank as he headed after them, motioned to Liv, and they went outside together, without giving Grace another look.
They stood on the sidewalk as Bill helped Penny and the baby into his cruiser. A crowd was forming, watching and wondering. Bill took one look and opened the front passenger door and motioned Jason in.
“Nothing serious, folks, baby just needs a ride home.” He nodded to the group on the sidewalk and got into the car and drove away.
“The baby’s not sick, is he, Hank?” asked a lady in a hunting cap and jacket.
“Just a little under the weather. Nothing to worry about.”
“That new pediatrician in town is real good I hear. I hope Penny takes him over there and not to the clinic.” The woman shook her head. “I wonder if she has insurance.”
“We’ll take care of him, don’t you worry. Thank you for asking, though.”
Liv looked at Hank. He’d gone from fiery bull to mild-mannered Santa in a heartbeat. Were these lightning-quick Jekyll-and-Hyde changes his normal behavior, or was it really just Grace that set him off?
The crowd dispersed. As soon as they were out of earshot, Hank said, “I don’t care how much the Newlands need Penny. She is not going back to that store, if I have to hire them both myself.”
Ted placed a sympathetic hand on the larger man’s arm. “No, I don’t think she should go back. But that could make things tight for the Newlands. I know they’re depending on her income.”
Hank shook his head. “Penny couldn’t possibly steal. I don’t care what Grace says, she’s a good girl and shouldn’t be subjected to that vile creature.”
“Penny’s just started working at the Buttercup,” Liv said. “BeBe gave her a couple of shifts when she’s not at TAT. Maybe we could piecemeal a salary for Penny from several merchants. Not ideal, but better than nothing.”
“Anything to keep Penny out of that place,” Hank said, watching the police car turn the corner.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Liv said. And as soon as they got Penny out, she’d start working on a way to get Grace out. “I know Nancy could use some help, she was just saying so, though I’m not sure how much she can afford. I’m sure there are others.”
“I really appreciate it, and I know Penny will, too. You don’t mind asking?”
“Not at all,” Liv said, surprised. “But I think it would be better if we both go. Do you have time to stop for just a second on your way back to Santa Village?”
“Sure. I could do that. Do you think that might help sway Nancy to take Penny on?”
Liv thought Nancy would do anything Hank Ousterhout asked her to do. Liv was counting on it.
Chapter Eighteen
“Poor girl,” Nancy Pyne said, looking with concern at Hank.
“So Hank,” Liv stressed, “and I thought that you might be able to use her just for the Christmas rush.”
Nancy looked around the store where two customers were burrowing through a pile of organic hand-dyed scarves.
“She already has a few weekend hours with BeBe at the Buttercup,” Liv continued. “If you can use her a few hours somewhere, I’ll see if any of the other merchants can add to it. That way, maybe she won’t have to go back to TAT.”
“She can’t go back,” Hank said. “Even if Grace would let her. She accused Penny of stealing this morning.”
“She didn’t do it, of course,” Liv said quickly, and hoped she was telling the truth.
“Of course not,” Nancy said.
Hank rumbled his agreement. “The Newlands and I would be real beholden if you could help Penny out, Nancy. Though not if you can’t afford it. We completely understand. Don’t want to put a hardship on anybody.”
Nancy caved. “Of course I want to help. What are friends for?” The look she gave Hank was a little pathetic. Hank didn’t even notice.
“I might be able to use her for a few hours toward the end of the week, when traffic picks up.” She cast a quick glance over to the young women who had totally wrecked her display. “Not an eight-hour shift, but something.”
“That’s great, Nancy, thank you,” Liv said, already calculating whom to see next.
“Yeah, Nancy, that’s awfully kind of you. But I knew you’d do what you could.” Hank heaved a satisfied sigh. “Well, I’d best be getting back to the kiddies. Joss Waterbury’s probably wondering where the heck I got off to.”
He smiled quickly and headed to the back room.
“Thanks, Nancy,” Liv said.
Nancy nodded slowly, but she was watching Hank’s retreating back. “I just want to do my part. A girl in trouble needs friends. Penny’s a lucky girl.” She looked so wistful that Liv was moved to commiserate.
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
Nancy sighed, only half aware of Liv’s question. “I was pregnant once, when I was in college in Wisconsin. I lost the baby. Lost the boy. I lost a lot that year.”
She watched until the door closed behind Hank, then turned back to Liv with a slight shake of her head as if dispelling a sad memory. “It was a long, long time ago. Water over the dam. I’ll do what I can to help Penny. Let me know how things go.”
“I will, and I’ll be back in to do some shopping myself. I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping.”
The women came to the counter. They each had a scarf in hand. At least they were buying and not just being a nuisance.
“I think I’ll catch up with Hank before he leaves.” Liv went through to the back room, where Hank was standing in front of the mirror adjusting the Santa hat.
“Okay, that’s a start. You go be Santa. I’ll ask Miriam and some of the others and start working out a schedule.”
“Thank you, Ms. Montgomery. Not everybody would take time out of their busy schedule to help out a poor girl.”
“I’m glad to do it. It will help Penny and the Newlands, and it will make my job easier not having to deal with Trim a Tree every other minute.”
Hank regarded himself in the cloudy mirror. “You know, Grace was something else when she was younger. Always had a malicious streak, though. None of us saw it. None of us boys, I mean. Not till it was too late, anyhow.”
“Well,” Liv said and stopped, at a loss for how to continue. She sure fooled you? Or, She’s made up for it now? “I’m going down to A Stitch in Time to see if Miriam needs help. I’ll let you know.”
She left him still standing there. She felt a little guilty. She’d jumped at the chance to get Penny other work, not just to help the girl, but to clear the way for getting rid of TAT once and for all. Liv had her own motives, but why was Hank so intent on taking care of the girl? Maybe he was just a good soul like everyone said. Or maybe he had other reasons?
Miriam was de-icing the sidewalk in front of the fabric and quilt store. She broadcast a handful of pellets and waved at Liv as she came down the sidewalk.
There was a pile of de-icer at her feet.
“Aren’t you getting a little carried away?” Liv asked, indicating the pile.
“Oh.” Miriam hurriedly spread them out with the edge of her boot and moved closer to Liv. “Just between us, I’m standing out here waiting for the sheriff’s men to leave. I just couldn’t bear to watch. I hope they don’t make a mess.”
“They’re in your store?”
Miriam nodded.
“Doing what?”
“Looking for box cutters. Which is ridiculous if you ask me. Of course I have box cutters, a whole drawer full. And I told them so.”
“I would think that most merchants have them.”
“They do. You need them to open stock and cut string, break down boxes . . . a lot of things. But they’ve gone store to store looking for a murder weapon, I guess. The news has traveled like wildfire. No one is happy. They even emptied the Dumpsters and trash cans out back. We’re all ready to lynch Grace Thornsby.”
“Do people think she had something to do with Phil Cosgrove’s murder?”
“I have no idea. I just know everybody would be glad to blame her for all our troubles. And I’m inclined to agree with them. I don’t know what she has against this town.”
Or against someone in particular? Liv wondered.
“Miriam. Did you know her when she was married to Hank?”
“Oh yeah. I’ve known her or at least about her since I was in school. Nobody liked her then. Well, she came from a poor family, and to our discredit we might not have been real nice to her—us girls anyway. But not because she was poor. She was always acting like she was better than us. Even dressed better than some of us, though no one knew how her parents could afford to buy her those things. Just plain spoiled and selfish and vindictive, even back then. And boy crazy. If you started seeing someone, she made it her business to steal him.
“Finally got her claws into Hank Ousterhout, made his life a misery. Such a kind, loving man. He would have been a great father, but she couldn’t be bothered with children. Wrecked his life in that department.”
Was that why he took such an interest in Penny and Jason, so he could at least be a surrogate grandfather? “Well, he’s Santa to a lot of kids,” Liv said, knowing that it sounded lame.
“I suppose that’s some consolation. Listen to me carry on.” Miriam glanced back at the door of A Stitch in Time. “I wish they’d hurry.”
Liv did, too; she’s almost forgotten her reason for talking to Miriam, and she didn’t want to conduct business on the street with a distracted store owner.
“Thank goodness I didn’t have any customers. Can you imagine what they would have thought? But I can’t stand out here forever. I think I’ll go see if I can hurry them along.”
She hoisted her de-icer bucket and went to the door. “Nice to see you, Liv. Or did you need something from the store? The Santa suit is holding up okay, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes, it’s wonderful. Actually, I came to talk to you about something else.”
“Well, come on inside and let’s see what’s what. When you see these things on television, they really toss a place. But I told Officer Meese that if he left a mess I was going to complain to Bill, and then I was going to tell his mother. That did the trick.”
Liv smiled. “I bet it did.” Small-town life, where even the policemen have to answer to their mothers. She followed Miriam into the shop.
“So, is it true they arrested Penny Newland for theft? Well, I’ll tell you right here and now, she wouldn’t do such a thing, and if Bill Gunnison thinks she did, he ought to be run out of town.”
Liv could hear police moving around in the back of the store. “Grace accused her, but I don’t think anyone believes it’s true.” Liv was beginning to think that this wasn’t the best time to be asking people to help out Penny Newland. What if she was a thief? Or worse, a murderer?
“Well, I hope she doesn’t go back to that horrid store. Clarence was supposed to be helping the Newlands out. I heard he bought them out lock, stock, and barrel. And I ask you, where are those beautiful decorations they used to sell? Certainly not in Grace Thornsby’s store.”
“That is weird. I wonder what happened to them.” And if they were collecting dust in someone’s shed, Liv might be able to jump-start their business again.
“No telling. We all thought Clarence was going to keep the family business going, but, poof”—Miriam gestured with her fingers—“he sold them down the river.”
“Do you know why? Did he think he could make more money with his current merchandis
e?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care how much money he’s making, we won’t put up with it, I’ll tell you right now.” Miriam began straightening bolts of fabric. “You know, I should ask Penny if she has time to make more of these pretty Moravian stars she used to make for their shop.” Miriam indicated the counter where a plastic tree was hung with glittering, three-dimensional paper stars.
“They’re lovely,” Liv said. “I would definitely buy some. Penny made these?”
“Yes. I bought a bunch last Christmas, but people keep trying to buy them. She folds strips of paper, I don’t know how, then dips them in wax and sprinkles them with glitter. They’re the prettiest things, aren’t they?
“I could sell all she made, but I don’t suppose she’d have the time between working, and taking care of her father and the little boy.”
“Well, actually . . .” Liv told Miriam about what had happened at Trim a Tree. And how Hank was determined that she not go back.
“I’m inclined to agree with him,” Liv said. “Nothing good can come of it.”
Miriam sighed. “That’s for sure.”
“I told him I’d see if I could get some of the merchants to take her on part-time and patch together a job for her. I suppose we should wait to see how this accusation pans out. Penny is already working a few hours for BeBe at the Buttercup, and Nancy at the Pyne Bough said she could give her a few hours a week. I’m not even sure if Penny would want something like this, but I thought she should have an option.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Liv. Let me think. If she can do nights, I can have her help out with the craft classes. Then if that works out, I might be able to give her some more hours closer to Christmas.”
“It’s a start.” Liv rummaged in her bag for her phone and wrote down Miriam’s offer in the notes section.
“That’s clever. You keep all your notes in your phone?”
“Yes, it makes life a lot easier and my bag a lot lighter.”
“Too complicated for me. I can barely text my grandchildren.”
Liv clicked out of notes and shut down her phone.
A shout from the back made them both jump. Miriam nearly dropped the fabric she was adjusting. “What on earth has happened now?” Miriam took off toward the stockroom. Liv followed.
Silent Knife (A Celebration Bay Mystery) Page 20
