Lavender and Lies by Carly Winter

Author:Carly Winter [Winter, Carly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Westward Publishing

Chapter 12

When I returned to the store, I found Annabelle cheerfully chatting with a girl in her late teens, who had been in before. Both looked my way as I weaved through the display tables. As I set my bag down behind the counter, I tried to remember the young woman’s name. I also realized there was something drastically different about her, but I couldn’t place that either.

“Look!” Annabelle said. “Look at how well the comfrey soap is working for Monica!”

That’s right. The girl had acne and Annabelle had been working with her for months, trying to figure out a gentle solution. As I recalled what she’d looked like the first time she came in—depressed with horrible acne, she’d tried to hide behind with her long, dark hair—Monica beamed up at me, a totally different person. With her dark locks pulled back, her almost clear skin appeared smooth and calm, not angry and red as it had before.

“You look beautiful,” I said, my heart swelling. I loved helping people who were at the end of their rope, just like Monica had been after trying all the pharmaceutical concoctions available with little or no success.

“Thank you. It feels so much better. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

We chatted a few more minutes about school and the upcoming winter dance, then I excused myself when Annabelle turned the conversation back to what the next steps would be.

In the back room, I plunked down on a stool and sighed. Catnip greeted me by rubbing himself all over my pantlegs, then jumping into my arms. I gave him a squeeze, glad I’d adopted him after Bonnie’s murder. Even though his nighttime antics drove me crazy, I was happy to have him in my life.

A few minutes later, Annabelle walked in, smiling, and pulled over a stool to sit down across from me. “How did it go with Kathy?” she asked.

My phone rang. Glancing at the screen, I realized Jacob was calling. I picked up immediately while setting Catnip down on the floor.

“Jacob? Is everything okay?”

“Hey, Sam. Not really. I’m running really low on money.”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my thumb. Who wasn’t? “Okay. Will the lights stay on for a few more days?”

“Yeah. I used my paycheck to get some groceries and dog food, and now I’m almost out.”

“Okay, I’ll have some for you in the next couple of days.”

“Thanks, Sam. I appreciate it.”

I hung up and turned to Annabelle. “That was Jacob. He needs some money.”

“Oh, no. I can chip in a hundred if needed.”

“Thanks. That’s sweet of you.”

“Now go back to your talk with Kathy.”

“My conversation with her was interesting,” I replied.

“What did she say?”

I gave her a brief recap.

“The walls?” she shrieked. “He kept money in the walls? What the heck?!”

“It’s weird, I know.”

“And she’s not going to give Gina any of what’s she’s due?”

I shook my head. “Kathy said that Ralph owed Gina, she didn’t. So why should she pay?”

As Annabelle narrowed her gaze and ran her hand over the dozens of silver bracelets she wore, I wondered what plan she was cooking.

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