Why Did Bernie Have to Die? by Genie Gabriel

Author:Genie Gabriel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery small town series police hero family

~ * ~

Whispers became the normal means of communication in the weeks before Christmas. The boys took over the barn as their workshop, posting a lookout to warn the others whenever Bernie or Tallie approached.

The boys asked Bernie to use some scraps of wood left over from adding a room onto the house for CJ and Grady, and seemed to be all smiles at dinner.

Until one day, when a very somber Collin hesitantly approached Tallie. "Will you give us a ride to the general store?"

"How about tomorrow after school? Will that be soon enough?"

After nodding, Collin still stood in front of Tallie, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor. "Does all the stuff cost money?"

"Yes. Do you have money?"

Collin frowned. "Only eighty-six cents. That's not enough."

"You could do extra chores to earn money."

"That would be like buying your own present." The boy's frown deepened, then a wide smile claimed his face. "But maybe Mr. Haroldson would let us do chores for him. Thanks, Mom!"

Collin dashed away, the back door closing with a solid thump behind him. Going back to the boys' workshop in the barn, Tallie figured.

The next day, the boys relegated Tallie to exploring the merchandise on the shelves of the general store while they held a whispered conversation with Mr. Haroldson.

At last, a deal seemed to have been struck wherein Tallie agreed to bring the boys to the general store after school for several days to do chores for Mr. Haroldson in return for the item they needed to finish a gift for her. While the boys were working, Tallie sat by the pot-bellied stove with a bag that contained yarn and needles, hiding a new green sweater she was knitting for Patrick.

On one of the evenings the boys were helping Mr. Haroldson, he approached Tallie with a question. "Do you know Grady is a special boy?"

"Thank you." Tallie smiled. "I think all my boys are special."

"I mean he has a gift for tinkering." Mr. Haroldson sat beside Tallie and lowered his voice. "I sometimes have customers who, shall we say, aren't very careful with merchandise and break things or take them apart and leave the pieces on the shelf."

"Are the boys—"

"Oh, no, no." Mr. Haroldson paused again. "Grady is putting these things back together with very little help from me. I think you might have an inventor in your family."

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