Murder at Stake by Constance Barker

Author:Constance Barker [Barker, Constance]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Constance Barker
Published: 2017-08-27T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

I thought the afternoon had gotten just about as strange as it could get, but the East End Shopping Center had more surprises in store for me today. The door to the butcher shop was wide open when I passed it on my way to Liz’s parlor, so I poked my head inside. I was surprised to see Pastor D’Arnaud behind the empty meat case looking over some paperwork on his clipboard.

“Pastor!” I guess I surprised him too because his clipboard nearly hit the ceiling, and his reading glasses flew off his stunned face.

“Uh...Miss Howard...so nice to see you,” He said as he picked up his pad and his eyeglasses. “Sorry. I was engrossed in my numbers and wasn’t expecting anyone to come in today.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I startled you. I guess I was a little surprised to see you here in Jonesy’s shop too. I didn’t mean to shriek at you. Are you...why...what brings you...?”

He smiled and showed the kind eyes of his that I hadn’t seen for a while. “I thought you knew, Miss Howard. I mean, you were one of our biggest customers. Carl and I were partners here. I was just taking an inventory of the meat we have left here.”

“Oh! That’s why you said you were going to the butcher shop after the memorial service for Carl.”

“Yes, Vonnie and I came here to put all the meat in the freezer until we could figure things out. Most of the fresh meat was actually in Jonesy’s barn in the walk-in cooler there before everything was destroyed. He had a complete stainless-steel, UL-approved butcher shop there.”

“Yes, he told me he had just gotten half a cow, or something. I was going to get a nice roast from him for Sunday dinner at the restaurant. But...”

“Yes. It’s terrible. Terrible. I’m not sure what Vonnie and I will do with the shop yet, but you are welcome to stop in and take a look at what we have in the freezer. Perhaps we can both benefit from a transaction. Let’s talk about it Sunday.”

“Sure, Pastor.”

I looked to make sure Junior’s car was still there, and then headed over to Liz’s hair salon. Junior was leaning very close to Liz at the counter. Was he whispering to her? Or kissing her on the cheek? I couldn’t tell. Liz and Junior? She’s a couple years older than me and ten years older than Junior, but you never know.

“Who’s helping Babs out at the diner if you’re here, Mercy?”

I recognized Deloris’s throaty voice, and looked around the room. But where was she?

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Mercy. I’m right here.”

“Oh! I didn’t recognize you without your beehive, Deloris.” She was in a chair, her hair down, with foil for the color and large coke-can rollers to get her ready for a new beehive.

“You know I come here every other Thursday. Don’t look so surprised.”

“Of course. Uh...It was really slow so I have Zack helping out behind the counter. Smoke has the kitchen handled.

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