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?With fast reflexes, Hypno plucked it out of the air.
?“Easy with that,” Stewart said. He was not happy about his product flying about.
?“It’s fine, John.” Hypno smirked at him. She turned the pipe over in her hand and shrugged. “Any good tobacco will do.”
?“Thank you,” Sheryl purred, and took the pipe from her gently, then gave her a big smile. “You’ve been a lot of help.”
?“Anything you need, keep me in mind,” Hypno vowed, not backing down. She then picked up a large plastic bin, hefted it to her left shoulder with no effort, and walked away.
?“I tell her to use the dolly, but she don’t listen,” Stewart complained. He pulled out a pouch, opened the top, which closed like a zipper, and held it out. “Smell”
?Sheryl took a deep inhale and made an “ohh!” of approval.
?I sniffed at it, and it was very woodsy without being too sweet.
?“We’ll take it,” Sheryl offered, and reached into her purse. “My treat, Mark.”
?“Okay,” I agreed, still with no idea what she was doing.
?She drew out a check and began to write. Stewart mentioned a price and Sheryl nodded. It sounded expensive to me, but I went along with it.
?“I would suggest,” Stewart told me as Sheryl wrote, “that you oil that pipe for a few days.”
?“Oil it?” I repeated.
?“Yeah for the wood,” Stewart explained. “Preserves it. Just hit it with some fine furniture oil. Y’know, lemon oil or something. Don’t get it in the bowl though.”
?“For how long?” I said.
?“A few days. I wouldn’t smoke it until you do.”
?“Okay.”
?She handed him the check. “Do you want to see my driver’s license?”
?“Nah, I know you’re with the Mystery Club,” Stewart dismissed.
?“By the way,” Sheryl pondered, and leaned closer to him. “Who bought the other pipes like the one Mark lost?”
?“Why?” Stewart said, suspicious.
?“Just curious,” she shrugged.
?“Well, one was a guy walking around in a deerstalker hat,” John confirmed, as he pulled out a receipt book and shuffled through the pages.
?“I saw him,” I noted.
?Stewart held up a page in the book and said, “The other was Charles Nederlander.”
20. Fore-Edge
Sheryl Homes
?“Charles bought the last pipe?” I said in my best bubbly voice. “Really?”
?“He told me it would be a good addition to his collection,” John responded. “Didn’t buy any tobacco, though.”
?“If Mark needs to order more, do you have a business card?”
