Penny Gothic by Shelley White

Author:Shelley White [White, Shelley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gypsy; magic; Victorian; contemporary; alternate worlds; humor; hero to the rescue
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2021-06-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

In Which We Are Not On Fire

Bobbie and I stood watching from the sidewalk as the paramedics loaded my neighbor onto the ambulance. The absence of oxygen mask and the fact that his face was covered told me Mr. McKay and Gram would soon be neighbors once again.

I had only popped into his shop once since moving in to say hello and reintroduce myself. He knew exactly who I was and welcomed me like a long-lost granddaughter while expressing sincere condolences at the loss of Gram. I felt awful about not keeping a better eye on him. Even in that short visit, I could tell he wasn’t the spry, capable man he once was.

The ambulance pulled away, and a police officer approached us.

“Which one of you owns the shop next door?” she asked.

“I do. I’m Penny Darling.”

“I’m Detective Spaulding. I’m sorry about your neighbor. Were you close?”

“A little. I knew him, but he was friends with the previous owner, my grandmother.”

She nodded her head, understanding the connection. “Well, the fire was contained. In fact, no real damage was done. It appeared Mr.,” she consulted her notebook, “McKay, experienced a cardiac event while trying to light the woodstove in his shop. The newspaper he was using produced a lot of smoke, but the fire itself was contained inside the stove. The smoke was noticed by people on the street who then called 911. Unfortunately, first responders arrived too late to save Mr. McKay, if that had even been possible to begin with.”

“Do you have a way to contact his relatives?”

“I’m going back in to see if I can find something now. His residence is on the second floor?”

“Yes. I have a spare key to his shop. If you let me know when you leave, I can lock the door for you.”

“Thank you.” She flipped her notepad closed. “I’ll check in when I’m done.”

“We’re not open yet, but I’ll leave the front door unlocked. Just yell in case I’m in the back.”

The detective nodded and went back into the shop. At that moment, my calendar alarm dinged. I sighed, and quickly rescheduled my thrift store trip to Wednesday.

Poor Mr. McKay. I was in no mood to get my shop ready for its grand opening, when the business next door was as good as dead. It made me sad, but I couldn’t see anyone taking it over and keeping it a tobacco and leather goods store. Pipe smokers were becoming few and far between, and the types of leather goods he sold had a limited customer base as well. For all that, it was the manliest man’s shop I’d ever been in. The smell always reminded me of “old man,” not in a geriatric, minty-medicine sort of way, but comforting and strong.

“Come on, Sis.” Bobbie put an arm around my shoulder and led me back to the bookstore. “Let’s have some tea. You get it started, and I’ll go down the block and get us some sadness cookies.”

I went inside, turned on the electric kettle, and sat down to wait.

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