“That’s an excellent idea,” Liz said, pointing at me with one finger.
“I’ll see what he says and get him to call you.” I slid behind the wheel and started the car, then turned to look at Liz. “The judge’s ID seems pretty solid to me. He lived next to Mike for years. It wasn’t like he forgot his glasses. He even recognized Mike’s hat. Where do we go from here?”
Liz shook her head. “Damned if I know,” she said.
Chapter 9
We got back to Second Chance just before five. Liz brought everyone up to date on what we’d learned from Judge Halloran while Avery and I closed up.
“Can I show you something?” Avery asked as we put the vacuum cleaner away.
“Sure,” I said.
She led the way out to the workshop. On the far corner of the workbench were two of the small pails she’d been covering with maps. These two, however, had been covered with some kind of festive snowman paper.
I picked one up. She’d done a meticulous job as usual. Avery might forget to wear socks in her boots or to cut the tags off her thrift-store finds but she was exacting at any project she took on for the shop.
“Where did you find the paper?” I asked. I didn’t recognize it.
“It was at the bottom of that box of stuff Charlotte was sorting. You know, all that fabric stuff. Was it okay that I used it?”
I nodded. “Very okay.”
She smiled. “I thought I could do a few more and when it gets closer to Christmas we could fill them with those shiny tree ornaments we didn’t sell last year. If people don’t buy them then, hey, we still have some great decorations for here.”
I set the festive pail back on the workbench. “I like that idea,” I said. “But I’m not sure where those ornaments are.”
“They’re in a blue bin on the top shelf out in the garage. It even says ‘Ornaments’ on the top of the box. And I wasn’t out there making a mess looking for them, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I wasn’t thinking that,” I said. “I’m just impressed that you found them so easily.”
She shrugged. “I asked Mr. P. to ask Mac where they were when he texted him. That’s how I found them.”
“Very resourceful,” I said.
“When’s he coming back?” she asked, turning the pail closest to her so the handles lined up exactly.
“I don’t know.”
She seemed baffled. “Well, what did Mac say when you asked him? I know you talk to him.”
“I didn’t ask him,” I said, feeling a twinge of embarrassment at the admission. “Mac has a lot to take care of in Boston.”
“But you told him we miss him, right?” There was a hint of a challenge in her voice.
I let out a breath. “Yes, I’ve told him we miss him.”
“So then you should ask him when he’s coming back so he knows that we want him back.” She didn’t say, “duh,” but it was implied.
“Mac knows we want him back,” I said.
“Okay, whatever.” She didn’t sound convinced.
Rose, Liz and Charlotte were standing by the front window still talking when Avery and I came back into the shop. Rose smiled at the teen. “There are some cookies left in the staff room upstairs. You can take them home with you.”
“Oatmeal raisin?” Avery asked.
Rose shook her head. “Jam-jams.”
Avery smiled. “Thanks,” she said. She cocked her head to one side. “You know, if there’s something you don’t want to say in front of me you could just tell me to leave the room.”
“Fine,” Liz said. “Avery, leave the room.”
“Okay,” she said, heading for the stairs. “But I’m still getting the cookies.” She took the steps two at a time.
I turned to Rose. “Liz told you about our conversation with the judge?”
She nodded. Then she looked up at me. “So what do you think about what he said?”
I brushed a bit of dust off the arm of my shirt. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“Did you ever read that article I sent you about the validity of eyewitness testimony?” she asked. I knew from experience that Rose had very strong opinions on the subject.
“I read both of the articles.”
“So you know that the judge’s confidence in his ID doesn’t translate to it being any more accurate?”
“You think he’s wrong,” I said.
“I think we need to find some evidence that either backs him up or that proves he’s mistaken.” I knew that determined set to her chin. Behind Rose both Liz and Charlotte were trying not to smile.
“And how do you think we should do that?” I asked.
Rose reached over and plucked another dust bunny from my shirt. “We’re going to do what we do best.” She smiled sweetly.
“Refresh my memory,” I said, struggling and failing not to smile back at her. “What is it exactly that we do best?”
“We act like nosey little old ladies.” She gestured at Liz and Charlotte.
“Speak for yourself,” Liz muttered.
“Of course not you, dear,” Rose added, patting my hand and ignoring Liz’s comment.
“So what am I then? Window dressing?” I asked.
“Exactly,” she said with a grin. “And you drive.” She caught sight of Avery coming down the stairs. “No, no child, that’s the wrong tin,” she said, hurrying over.
Liz came and put her arm around me. “It appears that you are just another pretty face,” she teased.
I fished her keys out of my pocket and handed them to her. She leaned over and kissed my cheek, then started for the back door. “Love you,” she said over her shoulder.
“Love you too, toots,” I said.
Rose, Mr. P. and Avery left with Liz. I gave Charlotte a ride home. Elvis conceded the entire front seat to Charlotte and hopped into the back to sit in the middle of the seat.
“Were the cookies a hit?” Charlotte asked.
“I think so,” I said. The judge seemed touched to get them and the note from Gram. I glanced over at her. “I think he had a bit of a crush on her.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” she said with a smile. “But what did he say that makes you think that?”
“When we were leaving he called me Isabel. He caught himself and said I reminded him of Gram.”
“I can see that,” Charlotte said. “You have Isabel’s smile and her stubborn streak.”
“I’m not stubborn,” I said, maybe a bit more vehemently than was necessary.
A loud meow came from the backseat.
“I’m sorry. There seems to be some dispute about that.”
I looked over at Charlotte again. She was laughing.
I glanced in the rearview mirror. Elvis was the picture of innocence on the backseat.
“You’re actually right about the judge,” Charlotte said. “From what I remember he was a little smitten with your grandmother. Of course, once she met your grandfather there was no one else for her, but I suspect for Neill Halloran, Isabel may be the one who got away.”
I pulled onto Charlotte’s street. “It sounds like Gram was a bit of a heartbreaker when she was young. First I find out that Clayton McNamara was romancing her when they were both just six years old and now there’s Judge Halloran. Are there any other romances in Gram’s past that I should know about?”
I turned into Charlotte’s driveway. She smiled at me. “Isabel doesn’t kiss and tell and I don’t tell at all so I think you’re out of luck.” She unfastened her seat belt and reached for her bag. “Have fun tonight and tell Nicolas that if he doesn’t come over this weekend and change the lightbulb in the garage I’m going to drag a kitchen chair out there and do it myself.”
“I have lots of time,” I said, unfastening my seat belt. “I can do that for you right now.”
Charlotte was shaking her head before I finished speaking. “Thank you, but I really want Nick to change that lightbulb. If you do it for me all I’ll get is a working lightbulb, but if Nick does it I’ll get a working lightbulb and three boxes of his junk out of my garage.”