Page 22 of A Seer and Present Danger

Jules chuckled and swished off to the front door.

“Bertie,” Jules’ voice floated back to us. “So nice to see you. Come on in. Can I get you coffee, water, tea?”

“No refreshments,” Bertie clipped. “Show me how much you’ve gotten done. I only have a few minutes.”

“All right. Let’s start in the main showroom.”

Jules strolled in and a petite, older women with short cut white hair marched into the room behind her. She was dressed immaculately in a pantsuit the color of lemons. (It somehow looked amazing on her.)

Bertie’s quick, piercing gaze took in everything all at once.

“Satisfactory improvements. You’ll be doing more as time goes on?”

“This is a test run for local artists,” Jules said. “We’re just seeing what works and what we might need to change before we offer steady hours.”

“Piper, Dusi.” Bertie nodded in greeting.

“Hey.” I waved. Dusi just nodded back.

“There will be a meeting this evening to go over the details of the Boast of the Coast,” Bertie said. “Piper, I’ll have Tish forward you the minutes. Pass along my acceptance to Buzz’s breakfast and dessert coupons. It was a generous donation.”

“He was thrilled to help,” I said. “If one of those kids needed half that kitchen, he’d rip it out and drive the whole thing over to them himself.”

“Not sure that would fit in a box,” Dusi mused.

“Since you’re short on time,” Jules said, “let me take you to our main attraction: Dusi’s art gallery.”

She ushered Bertie back out into the hall. “We’ll have records and books available here.” She pointed at the empty room. “But you must know that since Tark volunteered to run it. Back here will be rentable tables and areas for selling crafts, food, and other handmade items.”

“I have read your layout plans,” Bertie said briskly. “Where will Piper’s shop be?”

I had stayed behind with Dusi. But the thing about drafty old mansions was the sound really got around.

“She wanted this little nook next to the maker space with the light from the high windows.”

“Ah.” Bertie sounded…satisfied. “It will do.”

I didn’t even know she’d been aware I was opening a small (very small) knit and crochet shop, much less that she’d have an opinion on it.

Of course this was Bertie we were talking about. Nothing escaped her sharp eyes.

“Show me the upstairs,” Bertie commanded. “Will you hold workshops there?”

“Yes,” Jules said, excited. “Turns out there’s an elevator in this old place. Did you know that?”

“Of course.” She sounded offended. “I was here before it was built. I knew the original owner.”

“Oh? What happened to him?”

“He fell off a cliff and died.”

I made wide eyes at Dusi, who was looking just slightly over my head, but watching my body language.

“There’s been a lot of death in this old place,” I whispered.

She shrugged one shoulder in that fluid way of hers that made me wonder if she danced. “Probably why it’s so haunted.”

“Haunted! Really?”