March Street Mystery 2 (March Street Cozy Mystery Box Sets) by Estelle Richards

Author:Estelle Richards [Richards, Estelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

“I wonder if the café will keep potato salad on the menu after this,” I wondered aloud as we drove home from the Coleman house.

“Everybody likes potato salad,” Grandma Iris said. “But will people keep ordering it, that’s the question.”

“True.” I turned the car into our driveway. I had another enforced day off of work. I wondered how I might fill it.

“Will you still eat it?”

I thought of Ricardo’s herbed potato salad. It was always a mix of creamy and tangy, and the fresh parsley and dill he put in gave it a certain something extra. But then I thought of Finn dying, and Sam and Joey in the hospital, and my appetite waned.

“Maybe,” I said. “Will you?”

“I never liked my potato salad full of leaves like that.”

I laughed. “Leaves? They’re herbs.”

“Herbs, shmerbs. All you really need are potatoes, mayo, and pickles. Maybe a little mustard or a chopped up hard-boiled egg if you feel like it.”

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. I like both.”

We got out of the car. I couldn’t help but notice that our yard, while nice-looking, couldn’t compare to the Coleman yard.

“What do you want to do this afternoon?” I said. “Feel like a trip to the garden store?”

“I love that idea. We can get started on the greenhouse while you’re home from work.” Grandma Iris rubbed her hands together, ideas sparkling in her eyes.

While I hated the café being closed, I liked working with my hands. The greenhouse project would keep me busy.

“How about we take Buddy for a walk first, and maybe have a little lunch, and then we’ll go.”

She nodded agreement and we went inside.

An hour later we were on our way to the garden center in Starling.

“Do you think we should stop in and see Casey while we’re in town?” I said as we exited the highway into our neighboring town.

“That’s a good idea. I’m sure she could use a distraction. We’ll bring her to the garden store with us.”

“If she wants to come with.”

“Who wouldn’t want to come to the garden store?” Grandma Iris said with an indignant tone in her voice. “It would be unnatural.”

Casey looked surprised to see us. Her hair was tied up in a pony tail and she was wearing ragged sweats and had a cleaning rag in her hand.

“I’m sorry, did we have plans?” she said. She gave the door handles a quick rub with the cloth in her hand.

“No, but we were in town.”

“We’re taking you to the garden store,” Grandma Iris piped up.

“If you’re not busy,” I added.

“I was just doing a little cleaning. But an outing sounds great. Do you mind if I just change clothes real quick?”

She got changed and we were on our way to a paradise of plants. The garden center in Starling was the biggest in the tri-county area. Half a dozen giant greenhouses sold garden plants, indoor potted plants, and culinary herbs all year round.

The warehouse held building supplies like lumber, paving stones, and every kind of mulch imaginable.

Between the two areas lay a sea of trees, sectioned off into groupings like shade, fruit, and flowering.

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