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Her mouth pursed. “It’s not my place to say very much,” she responded. “But I can tell you one thing — the answer to your question isn’t as far away as you might think.”
“It is?” I said, startled. “What…are you saying that the murderer is somewhere nearby? Are they here in Globe?”
“I’ve told you what I can,” Grandma Ellen said. “It’s up to you to make that final leap. Good luck, Selena.”
She faded away then, and I knew there was no point in trying to call her back. Once she’d spoken, that was it.
No, I’d have to figure it out on my own…to make that “final leap,” as she’d said.
I couldn’t help thinking that, with my complete lack of helpful information, it would be a leap into the dark.
But I couldn’t waste any time brooding over my grandmother’s pronouncements, since I needed to head into work. It was important that I be there the whole day —tomorrow was Friday, and I’d already told Melanie I wouldn’t be at the shop because I’d be helping Victoria with her wedding prep. My assistant had assured me that wouldn’t be a problem, and yet I still didn’t think it would be a good idea to ditch her while I went off on some wild goose chase.
Not that there seemed to be any geese worth chasing when it came to this particular mystery. The whole drive in to work, I kept wracking my brains, trying to think of all the blonde women I’d seen in Globe lately, and not coming up with anyone who wasn’t a resident and who hadn’t been part of the landscape there for years. None of them fit that odd description the pendulum had given me, of someone who both lived here and didn’t.
Unless my crazy idea about someone who was working on the Mariposa Heights development being the actual killer actually had some merit. I thought I’d heard Victoria mention once that the lead architect and a couple of the assistants were renting houses and apartments here in Globe because they didn’t want to tackle the long commute from Phoenix.
Was that what Grandma Ellen had meant? It felt like an awfully long shot to me.
Once again, I had that sensation of hitting a brick wall…and I didn’t like it one bit.
But being in the shop always made me feel calmer, more centered, and I had to admit it was nice to be there alone for a little while before Melanie showed up. I breathed in the cool, faintly incense-scented air, and stood quietly in the middle of the space for a moment, head tilted up so I could gaze at the beautiful night-sky mural Hazel had painted on the ceiling only a few years ago.
Almost two and a half years now, although it felt as though I’d lived a lifetime in that brief span. I had friends and a life here that I’d never even dreamed of having back when I lived in Los Angeles…and right now, one of those friends needed me.
“Is something wrong with the ceiling?” Melanie asked, and I startled.
“No, no,” I said quickly, a little embarrassed that I’d been so lost in my reverie, I hadn’t even heard her approach. “Just letting my mind wander.”
She smiled, although there was almost something indulgent in that smile, as if she was thinking I already had a severe case of pregnancy brain even though I was only four months along.
“We’re supposed to get a pretty big shipment from Llewellyn Press today,” I went on, keeping my tone brisk and businesslike. “When it arrives, you can handle unpacking it while I keep an eye on things up here.”
“Sure,” she said easily. “I like working in the stockroom.”
And thank the Goddess for that, because even now I could tell it wasn’t as easy to be bending and lifting as it had been a couple of months ago.
“For now, though,” I told her, “you can open things up. Here’s the key.”
And I handed her a key to the front door, something I’d finally had a chance to get duplicated yesterday while on my lunch break.
“Oh, thanks,” she said. “I was wondering how we were going to handle me running the store without you for the next couple of days.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get around to it,” I replied. “But yes, this key works on both the front door and the one in the back. Victoria and I decided that we’ll leave the lobby unlocked, since her studio and my store will be locked up, anyway. And I’ll show you how to set the alarm when we leave today.”
“Sounds good,” Melanie said, and hurried off to unlock the front door, since by then it was actually a couple of minutes after ten.
Not that it mattered, since it wasn’t as though we had anyone clamoring to get inside that particular Thursday morning.
As the day wore on, though, things got busier, and I was kept on my toes, especially when the promised Llewellyn Press shipment arrived a little after two, and Melanie had to go back to the stockroom to get it unpacked and all the various items put on their designated shelves.
I’d just finished packing up some crystals for a couple of tourists passing through on their way to Payson when Henry Lewis entered the shop. My expression must have been one of utter surprise, because he sent me an ironic smile as he approached the counter.
“Afternoon,” he said.
“Hi, Henry,” I replied, hoping I sounded at least partly unruffled. “Looking for something for Joyce?”
Maybe one eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. “No,” he said. “Our anniversary isn’t until next month. I just wanted to come by and let you know I talked to the D.A.”
