Up Shute Creek by Denise Grover Swank

Author:Denise Grover Swank [Grover Swank, Denise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781939996688
Publisher: DGS

Chapter 17

The nursery was closed by the time I got back, and Neely Kate and Carly were about finished pulling in the plants that had lined the sidewalk. I watched them for a moment, noticing that Neely Kate had set Carly at ease enough to actually carry on a conversation. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Carly looked more relaxed than she ever had in our short acquaintance.

When Muffy and I got out of the car and walked over to them, Carly glanced up and stopped talking, eyeing me with caution.

“I don’t see Maeve’s car,” I said, shielding my eyes from the sun as I looked over the parking lot.

“She had to leave,” Neely Kate said. “I told her we’d finish up. Find out anything helpful?”

“Yeah, actually. Levi said Sarah was a great employee. He’s been holding her job for her, hoping she’ll come back.”

Neely Kate frowned. “He’s been running the office by himself?”

“No, Mary came back.”

“You’re kiddin’!”

I shook my head. “She showed up the morning after Sarah disappeared, demanding her job back, and since Levi was desperate, he took her back… temporarily. But she was belligerent as all get out when we started askin’ her questions about Sarah. She and Levi got into it and he fired her again.”

“I can’t believe he took her back in the first place,” Neely Kate said. “She’s as mean as a three-legged cat.”

“He said he was gonna call a locksmith to change the locks since she took the keys. And he’s also going to advertise for a replacement.”

“Anything else?” Neely Kate asked.

“He doesn’t recall anything suspicious before her last day at the office,” I said. “And one more thing that helps us narrow down when she found the money… her last day of work, Levi told her if she had a friendly dog, she could bring it to work with her. She told him she didn’t have a dog anymore, but she hoped to get another one someday, after she saved up enough to get a new place.”

“So she didn’t have the money yet,” Neely Kate said.

“Unless she was lyin’ to Levi, but I don’t see why she would.” I moved out of the way as Neely Kate closed the greenhouse door. “That means she found the money Friday night.”

“And we have no idea what she was doin’ on Friday night.” She glanced over her shoulder at me. “We have to find out.”

“We need to talk to Nina again. I know they weren’t hangin’ out, but she might have an idea.”

She grinned. “Looks like we need to have breakfast at the Sunshine Café.”

I grimaced as I recalled the concrete pie. “Maybe I’ll just have coffee.”

Neely Kate chuckled. “Find out anything else?”

“Levi thought Mary had slashed Sarah’s tires, and he paid to replace them out of guilt. I know Nina seemed positive that Digger did it, but if she was mistaken, Mary committed a crime of revenge on her replacement. What would stop her from murderin’ someone?”

Neely Kate looked worried. “Anything else?”

Hesitating, I shot a look toward Carly.

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