Negative Reaction: A Rock Creek Village Cozy Mystery (Callie Cassidy Mysteries Book 5) by Lori Roberts Herbst

Author:Lori Roberts Herbst [Herbst, Lori Roberts]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lori Roberts Herbst
Published: 2023-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

MRS. FINNEY WORE a violet chiffon skating dress with a crosshatched back and a silver-sequined t-neck. Her light purple skate covers complemented the corkscrew curls on her head. Mr. Purdy sported formfitting lavender slacks, flared at the ankles, and a ruffled silver shirt. I shook my head in disbelief. Surely I was hallucinating.

Renata chuckled. “You can’t make this stuff up.”

Mrs. Finney noticed us and took Mr. Purdy by the hand. The two of them flew across the ice, sending up a spray of snow as they slid to a choreographed stop in front of us.

“Cease your gawking, dear,” Mrs. Finney said to me. “It’s unbecoming and even insulting. It’s as if you’ve never seen anyone over the age of twenty on skates.”

I snapped my mouth shut. “It’s not that, Mrs. Finney. It’s just…I didn’t know the two of you were such talented skaters.”

“You can’t possibly believe you’ve plumbed the depths of my skill sets, now, can you?”

Mr. Purdy beamed at his partner. “It would take centuries to plumb those depths.”

Renata and I glanced at each other, uncertain how to respond. “The two of you put on a great show,” I said at last. “It almost looks as if you’re practicing for a competition.”

Mr. Purdy slid an arm around Mrs. Finney’s waist and pulled her close. “Right you are. We’re preparing for the annual Ice Extravaganza competition in May.” He touched the tip of his finger to Mrs. Finney’s nose. “But it’s not all work. We’re having fun, too, aren’t we, Dumpling?”

Mrs. Finney giggled like a schoolgirl. “That we are, Sugarcube.”

Dumpling? Sugarcube? This relationship was advancing at warp speed, and the gag factor was increasing at the same pace.

“Well, you look like old pros to me,” Renata said.

Mrs. Finney raised a bushy eyebrow. “Old pros, dear?”

“No, not old,” Renata said, flustered. “I didn’t mean…I’m trying to say experienced.”

I stifled a snicker, and Mrs. Finney turned her stern eyes on me. “One must never succumb to the societal constructs of aging, my dears.” She threw her arms wide. “There is so much life to be lived. So much to be reveled in and relished.”

I wondered if that was an AARP motto.

Mrs. Finney stared at Mr. Purdy with now-starry eyes, and he returned the affectionate gaze. “This isn’t our first venture into pairs skating,” he said. “We’ve been doing this on and off for decades.”

My interest level spiked. Maybe now I’d get some background information on these two. I’d been trying for months, to no avail.

“I’d love to hear more,” I said, leaning on the boards.

Mrs. Finney waved me off. “Another time, dear. For now, we must continue our training. Our upcoming contest is quite competitive. If we’re to make a good showing, we mustn’t dally.”

“Yes,” Mr. Purdy said. “We’re lusting after that silver cup. It would be our fourth.”

Mrs. Finney took his hand and pulled him back to center ice, where they completed a stunning sequence of fancy footwork, topped off with a few breathtaking twirls.

AS I LOADED MY equipment into the car, my mind reeled with images of Mr.

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