A Gift for Murder

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

The good news was the Metro wasn't terribly crowded on a Saturday morning. I even got a seat for a change. The bad news was that I was going to work on a Saturday, and I had approximately twelve hours to figure out who was threatening Stan Grantwood and to stop them. Oh, and I would be risking my job, asking unpleasant questions of people. Not to mention dealing with Sue Savotsky. I yanked a book out of my purse and did my best to concentrate on it for the next twenty minutes.

I didn't see Scott when I got to the Center, but Janelle was in her office. I spent a few minutes with her, reviewing what needed doing. We went down to the show floor together at eight-fifteen but split up once we were there.

I started with Sue Savotsky. Might as well get that over with.

She went and got her list when she saw me coming. I took it with some trepidation, but only four names were on the sheet of paper she passed to me. Doable, if not exactly pleasant. Still, I hadn't promised to spend much time with each of those people.

As soon as she'd handed over the list, though, she arched an eyebrow and asked, "Was that your boyfriend with you last night?"

"Just a friend. He's working at Chang's."

"I thought I'd seen him around. He's the kind you notice. But, really, Heather. Just a friend? No way. Not a guy who looks like that."

I shrugged. "I met him at the start of the show, so I've barely known him a couple of days."

"You two looked pretty cozy together. Think there might be a future in it?"

It was too early in the day for this, but I swallowed my irritation. "Who can tell after just a couple of days?"

"Does he live in this area? These show-only affairs can be hard on the nerves."

"Close enough," I said. "I'd better get going. I've got a lot to do today and I need to talk to these people." I waved the paper she'd handed me.

"Don't forget to remind them they've got to stop interfering with my customers."

"I won't forget." I turned and headed away.

She'd thoughtfully included booth numbers. All four were on this aisle, the first of them just three booths down on the other side. When I got there, I looked around and wondered how on earth Savotsky could think these people were drawing off her business. The product line was completely different. CooperWorks specialized in those porcelain village scenes that pop up everywhere during the holidays, especially during Christmas. The displays showed charmingly arranged towns of miniature houses and public buildings, all lit up and placed on boards where cotton passed for snow. Little people marched along the main street, guided by small streetlights with tiny bulbs, passing churches, the train station, stores and the town hall. Off to one side of the booth, the Halloween version made a display as dark and eerie as the Christmas one was light and soothing. I'd seen something similar at Kirshorn's, though I thought these a bit nicer.

"Can I help you?" a woman in her late forties asked, breaking into my momentary distraction.

I introduced myself and added, "I'm here because I promised Sue Savotsky at Trimstates I'd talk to you." The woman's eyes narrowed and she drew in a breath.

"Wait," I said. "Give me a minute. I know she's a nuisance. I'm actually doing this to protect you from her. After numerous complaints, I told her yesterday that if she would refrain from confronting people herself and just make a list, I'd talk to everyone on her list. I didn't make any promises about what I'd say."

The woman stared at me for a moment before she got it and started to laugh. "You're a brave soul to volunteer to do that."

"My boss says I've got a martyr complex, but really I'm just an idiot. Anyway, consider yourself admonished." I sighed. "I've got to go repeat this to three other people."