A Flicker of Doubt (Book 4 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) (21 page)

“
Do you mean to tell me that
you didn’t at least consult a specialist? Cyrus, did he rot your
brain as well?”

“
I couldn’t walk, that’s all
I knew,” Cyrus said. “Dr. Jefferson’s done something about the
pain, but he said my case was hopeless.”

“
We’ll see about that,” Ruth
said. She told Morton, “Call the hospital. Have them send an
ambulance immediately. Then find out the identity of this quack
who’s been treating him. Do it now, sheriff.”

Morton jumped as if he’d been snake bit
“Yes, ma’am, I’m on it”

“
I won’t go to the
hospital,” Cyrus said. “They kill people there.”

“
Well, they cure them there,
too, little brother. You’ve been a perfect fool about this; you
know that don’t you? Don’t worry though, we’ll make it
better.

- Where is that confounded ambulance?”

As if materializing at her request I heard
the sirens approach.

One of the deputies stepped into the room.
“Boss, what should we do about those guys you had us watch?”

‘
Take them in,” Morton
snapped. “And you can charge them while you’re at it”

“
With what?” The deputy
looked even more confused.

“
Make it disturbing the
peace, kidnapping, you can even claim they were resisting arrest
for all I care. I just want to sit on them until we can find out
who hired them.” “

“
Yes, sir,” the deputy said
and left

Two paramedics came in with a gurney between
them. “What’s happening here?”

Ruth pointed to Cyrus and said, ‘Take him to
the hospital. He believes something is wrong with his legs, but
he’s going to resist, I warn you.”

“
I’m not going to the
hospital,” Cyrus repeated.

Ruth got down in his face and said, “Little
brother, do you really feel like going up against me?”

“
No,” he said, the fight
suddenly gone out of him.

“
That’s better,” Ruth said,
softening with capitulation. “Will it help if I ride there with
you?”

One of the paramedics said, “Sony, ma’am,
I’m afraid you can’t do that”

“
Young man, I could stand
here and threaten you with the fact that one wing of your hospital
was endowed my father, but I won’t Instead, I’ll just say that if
you do anything to keep me away from my brother, you’ll be working
in the hospital furnace room before nightfall.”

While the paramedic was making up his mind,
the other said, “Ma’am, we’d be delighted to have you ride with
us.”

“
Very good,” Ruth said,
pleased with the minor victory. “Is there any way my brother can
avoid being strapped down to that thing and ride
upright?”

“
I’m sorry, but for his
safety, it would be best if we could do it our way.”

She nodded. “So be it.” Ruth turned to her
brother. “I’m going to be right beside you the entire way. Don’t
worry, Cyrus, I’m here now.”

I followed them out, and said, “Should I
take the limo and join you at the hospital?”

Ruth said, “No, have the driver take you
back to the candleshop. I’ll call you later. One second, please,”
she said as she walked quickly to me. In a low voice, she added,
“I’m sorry I doubted you, Mr. Black.”

Then prove it and call me by my given
name.”

“
Harrison it is,” she
said.

“
Ruth? Where are you?” her
brother called out

“
Tm coming,
Cyrus.”

After they were gone, Morton and I stood
outside by the limousine. “I guess I owe you an apology,” he said
reluctantly.

That’s not important right now,” I said. “I
just hope there’s a prayer of a chance he’ll walk someday.”

Morton nodded. “I owe you one,” he said.

I turned to the driver and said, “I need to
get back to the candleshop, John. Do you mind giving me a
lift?”

“
You heard the lady. I’ll
take you wherever you want to go.”

He held the door open for me, but I shook my
head. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll ride up front.”

John smiled softly. “You’re one of kind,
Harrison. Most folks love being chauffeured around.”

I had an idea. “Do you ever get to ride
yourself? Give me your cap and I’ll let you travel in style. You
can even shut the interior window if you want to.”

He laughed. “I’d get fired if I did that but
thanks for offering.”

Back at the candleshop, I raised a few
eyebrows getting out of a limo, but I just waved to Millie as she
came out of her shop to see what the fuss was about John and I
shook hands, then he headed off to the hospital.

“
Now I’ve seen it all:
Harrison Black riding around town in a limousine.”

“
I thought it might be fun,”
I said, keeping my expression level.

“
Harrison, you’re pulling my
leg. Ruth Nash’s back In town, isn’t she?”

I nodded. “I finally got in to see
Cyrus.”

“
How is he?”

“
He was in a wheelchair” I
said. ‘It doesn’t look good.”

“
Then I’ll say an extra
prayer for him tonight,” Millie said.

“
It couldn’t
hurt.”

Millie wasn’t the only one the limo had
attracted. Sanora came out of her shop, too. “Harrison, I need to
talk to you.”

From the expression on her face, I knew it
wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. “I’ll be right
there.”

She ducked back into her
shop, and Millie asked,
“What have you
done now?”

“
I’m not sure, but I’ve got
a feeling I’m about to find out.”

Chapter 17

“
Harrison, I hate to be
another complication for you, so I’ve decided to make the decision
myself and leave River’s Edge.”

I stared at Sanora, not sure what the best
way to react would be. In a heartbeat, I decided to go with full,
flat-out honesty, just as Pearly had suggested. “Blast it all, I
don’t want you to leave.”

She looked at me carefully and asked, “Does
that mean Heather is going?”

“
How many times am I going
to have to say this? Sanora, I want you both here. You’re an
important part of River’s Edge, and I’m not talking about the rent
you pay, either. You bring us all a classier level of clientele,
and more importantly, I like you being a part of the
place.”

“
Why, Harrison, I didn’t
realize you cared.”

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Listen, I
know I’ve been kind of distracted lately, but I haven’t been
playing favorites, I swear it. I’ve been so tied up with everything
that’s been happening I haven’t had a chance to be the landlord I
should be.”

She touched my arm lightly. “I know we all
make demands on time you don’t have.”

“
I mean it, Sanora, I don’t
want you to go. It’s as simple as that.”

She took it in, then nodded firmly. “Then I
won’t leave. If Heather has a problem with me, she’s going to have
to just deal with it”

“
Good, I’m glad you’re
staying. I’ll run your new lease right over.”

She smiled slightly. “Before I can change my
mind, is that it?”

“
I didn’t say that. I want
you to be happy here.”

She gestured to the river outside. “Why do
you think I fought so hard to get back? River’s Edge gets in your
blood, you know?”

“
I do,” I said.

I ran upstairs and grabbed Sanora’s lease,
then almost as an afterthought I grabbed Heather’s as well. Maybe
I’d be two-for-two today.

Sanora laughed when I barged back into her
pottery shop. “You weren’t kidding, were you?”

“
I even brought you a
pen.”

She took it, started to sign, then
stopped.

“
What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

“
No, but I hope this isn’t
an omen or something. The pen you gave me is out of
ink.”

“
Blast it all, I meant to
throw that one away.”

Sanora grabbed another pen and said, “Don’t
worry, Harrison, I’m not someone who looks everywhere for hidden
signs.” She jotted her name down in all the marked boxes, then
handed the document back to me. There, it’s official. I’m staying.”
“And it’s official that I’m glad.” I headed back to my apartment,
happy the dry pen had been with Sanora and not Heather. There was
no doubt my New Age friend would have indeed taken the dry pen as
an omen. I’d have to find a brand-new one before I asked Heather to
renew her lease. I took Sanora’s signed contract back upstairs,
then dug into my desk drawer for a pen that wrote. I found one
nearly brand-new and clipped it onto the side of Heather’s lease.
She was the last one on my list, but from the way things were
going, I wasn’t at all sure she was going to stay.

The New Age shop she owned had a few folks
browsing inside, so Heather wasn’t too busy to talk tome.

“
I brought your new lease,”
I said.

“
So Sanora’s
moving?”

“
No, she said if you had a
problem with her, you were just going to have to deal with it She’s
sure you’re leaving.”

Heather looked at me as if I’d slapped her.
“She said that?”

“
She didn’t have to. She
signed her lease. That says it all, doesn’t it?”

Heather said, “Give me my lease.”

“
Wait a second and think
about this. As much as I want you here, I don’t want to force you
to stay.”

“
If you want me here, give
me the lease.”

I slid it across the counter, with the pen
still attached. She signed her name so hard the lease agreement
paper tore under the assault.

I said, “Heather, I’m glad you’re
staying.”

She snapped, “Go tell her I’m not budging,
either. She’s not going to run me out”

I started to leave, but I swear Esmeralda
winked at me as I walked past her. I had been reading way too much
in that cat’s expressions lately. While I wasn’t particularly proud
of the way I’d manipulated Heather and Sanora into staying, I was
happy they were both going to be around. If it turned out that one
of them was miserable with the arrangement later, I’d tear up lease
and let them off the hook, and what’s more, they both knew it. But
I’d given them both a reason to stay, and evidently it had been
enough.

“
Nice of you to grace the
place with your presence,” Eve said as I walked into At Wick’s
End.

‘
I’m the landlord at River’s
Edge, too, you know. These new leases have thrown a wrench into
everything.”

Eve actually looked guilty for chastising
me, a first in our working relationship. “I’m sorry, I forgot all,
about that. Are we losing Heather or Sanora?”

“
Guess again,” I said,
keeping my face expressionless.

“
Oh, dear, not both of them.
Harrison, you’ve got to do something.”

“
There’s another option you
didn’t mention. They’re both staying.”

Eve startled me by throwing her arms around
me in hug. As soon as she realized what she’d done, she quickly
away. “How did you manage it?”

“
I had a nudge from
Pearly.”

There was a history of bad blood between the
two of them, so Eve dropped her inquiry. “So the family stays
together,” she said.

“
For now,” I amended, fully
intending to release anyone from their lease if they ever requested
it. River’s Edge was more than just a place to do business. Eve was
right; it was a family, and if someone wanted to leave, I wouldn’t
stand in their way.

I was selling a block of bee’s wax for
pouring when ‘ the telephone rang. I’d taken to carrying the
portable phone around with me when I worked the candleshop, so it
was easy enough to answer as I worked.

“
At Wick’s End.”

“
Harrison, this is Jeanie
from Greg Runion’s office.”

“
Hi, Jeanie. What can I do
for you?”

She said, “Greg’s going on a sudden business
trip that I didn’t know about I’ve got a feeling he’s not coming
back.”

“
What makes you say that?” I
asked.

“
He stormed in here ten
minutes ago, then rushed out the door again just now with a box
full of papers. Harrison, he looked scared, and in all the time
I’ve worked for him, I’ve never seen Greg Runion afraid of
anything. I thought you should know.”

“
And you don’t have any idea
where he’s going?”

“
That’s just it,” she said.
“He always makes such a fuss about traveling. I have to get his
tickets, make the Intel reservations, everything. He stopped at my
desk and told me he’d be back in a day or two, but I don’t believe
him. Should you call the sheriff?”

“
And tell him what that your
boss decided to leave town? Jeanie, Morton thinks I’ve got an
overactive imagination as it is. There’s nothing I can
do.”

She hesitated, then said, “I just thought
you should know.”

“
I’m sorry, you’re right. I
shouldn’t have been so abrupt. I do appreciate you calling me.
Listen, if you come across anything else I should know about, call
me is back, okay? And thanks again. I mean it.”

“
You’re welcome,” she said.
As I finished ringing up my customer’s wax, I wondered what had
gotten into Runion. Jeanie knew him better than anyone else in the
world, and if he was running scared, she’d know it But what could
have shaken him up so much? I wish I knew, but I couldn’t do
anything about it at the moment