A Pour Way to Dye (Book 2 in the Soapmaking Mysteries) (26 page)

Cindy shrugged. “I guess.” She grabbed her
coat and left

I started for the back when Kate said, “Hey,
I thought you were going to work with us this morning since we’re
going to be one short.”

“
I am,” I said. “I just need
to ask Bob and Jim something.”

Kate tapped her watch. “Just as long as
you’re back here when we open.”

I saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

I took the baggie with the paper towel from
my pocket as I walked back to the line. Bob had his head under the
old burner while Jim stood nearby handing him tools. Jeff was
offering his own commentary as I approached.

“
Now I know why there were
only three stooges,” I said. “That’s plenty enough for
trouble.”

From under the boiler, I heard Bob say,
“Don’t forget Shep. That makes four in my book.”

Jim said, “Not four at the same time, though.
It was always three.”

“
I could swear all four of
them were on one show,” Jeff said.

Jim threw a rag at him. “Yeah, you also claim
you’ve seen a UFO, remember?”

“
Hey, it didn’t look like a
weather balloon to me. I don’t care what the newspaper
said.”

“
Guys, I need to ask you
something,” I said.

Bob said, “Fire away.” He paused, then asked,
“What’s wrong with you guys? That was funny. I’m working on the
boiler, and I said fire away.”

Jeff said, “Oh, it was funny. You just can’t
see my reaction, because I’m laughing on the inside.”

Jim asked, “What was it you wanted to know?
You don’t need these two clowns, I can answer any question you need
answered.”

“
Unless it’s about your love
life; he’s a wash there,” Bob said.

“
Or anything factual in any
way,” Jeff chimed in. “Other than that, he’s your man.”

I handed the baggie to Jim. “What is it?”

He took the paper towel out of the baggie,
studied it a moment, then lifted it to his nose. “Beats me.”

“
So much for an expert
opinion,” Jeff said.

“
Then you tell him what it
is,” Jim snapped.

I said, “He already tried.”

“
And failed,” Jeff answered
with a smile.

“
Bob, I hate to ask,” I
said, “but do you have a second?”

“
Sure, I was planning to
take a break anyway.” He crawled out from under the boiler where
the old burner was still firmly in place.

“
Having some trouble with
that?” I asked.

“
No, I enjoy lying on the
concrete on my back scraping my knuckles. I can’t put the new one
on if I can’t get the old one off, you know what I
mean?”

I looked at the replacement burner, and was
amazed how good it looked. “Where in the world did you find
that?”

Bob said, “It’s not that hard, if you just
know where to look.”

Jim slapped Bob’s shoulder. “Don’t let him
lie to you. We scavenged through junkyards all day yesterday until
he found that. It was buried under a coat of grease so thick I
couldn’t even tell what it was. I kept telling him all the way home
last night that it would never work, so the fool stayed up all
night getting it in shape.”

Bob stifled a yawn. “It was worth it. What’s
the mystery, Ben?”

Jim handed him the paper towel, and I watched
Bob go through the same process Jim had done. He frowned a second,
then smiled. “I know what it is.”

“
Don’t keep us in suspense,”
I said. “What is it?”

“
It’s a chemical used to
antique things. I’ve seen it before. It takes shiny metal and makes
it black. Really, it’s kind of cool.”

That didn’t make sense. “Are you sure it’s
not some kind of cleaner?” I’d been so sure that Ralph had been
cleaning those coins, but could he have been doing just the
opposite?

“
I’m sure. It’s a different
smell altogether,” he said. “Now if you ladies will excuse me, I
seem to be the only one working here today.”

“
Hey, that’s not fair,” Jim
said. “I’m handing you tools.”

“
And I’m giving you some
much-needed advice,” Jeff protested.

“
I’m working the front,” I
said.

Bob held his grease-stained hands up. “I
apologize, on all counts. You are all working harder than I am.” He
shook his head, but I could see the smile he was trying to hide as
he slid back under the boiler.

I went up front to tell my sisters I had an
errand to run when I saw that we were already open for business.
Kate was running the floor today since it was one of Mom’s rare
days off, so I decided to tell her and escape before Louisa could
protest.

“
Ben, you’re just the person
we’re looking for.”

That’s when I noticed Herbert and Constance
standing with her. Constance had a Tupperware bowl in her hands as
Herbert said, “That’s not entirely true. We were looking for Cindy,
but she’s not here, so I guess you’ll have to do.”

“
Herbert, be civil,”
Constance said. There was no doubt in my mind that if she hadn’t
been holding the bowl in both hands, she would have elbowed her
spouse. I saw Kate move away from the conversation, and wished I
could join her.

“
What can I do for you?” I
asked, hoping to make it quick so I could get back to my
investigation.

“
Tell us how to fix this,”
Constance said as she took the lid off her bowl. Inside it was a
concoction that looked like cottage cheese gone bad, with lumps of
soap floating in a viscous liquid.

Herbert volunteered, “We were hand-milling
last night and this is what we got. The stuff wouldn’t set up, even
overnight.”

“
Let me guess,” I said as I
studied the mess. “You used a lot of additives when you combined
it.”

Constance said, “Maybe I went a little
overboard, but I’ve done it with pours before and it was fine.”

“
Hand-milling is different,”
I said. “Your soap is curdled, but I can fix this.
Maybe.”

Herbert sneered down at the bowl. “I don’t
see how.”

“
Let’s go back to the
classroom,” I said, taking the bowl from Constance’s
hands.

I measured out some fresh soap noodles, added
water, and set the pot on the hot plate. In no time at all I had
nice melt, so I added the contents of Constance’s bowl into the pot
and let that combine. I poured the new melt into one of our molds
and handed it to them.

“
Give this six to twelve
hours, then see what you’ve got. I’m not giving you any guarantees,
but it might do the trick.”

“
What if it doesn’t?”
Herbert asked.

“
Then toss it out and start
over,” I said.

Constance said, “I’m sure it will work. Thank
you, Ben.”

Herbert nodded. “Yeah, you’re almost as good
as your sister.”

“
Herbert,” his wife
snapped.

“
Honestly, I’m glad to hear
you like Cindy’s teaching,” I said.

“
She’s very good, but so are
you,” Constance said.

Herbert said, “Quit trying to butter him up.
He’s not your teacher anymore.”

“
I’m just being polite, and
you know it.”

Her husband added, “Don’t try to convince me,
woman. You’re the one who’s protesting too much.”

After they were gone, Kate drifted back
toward me. “What was that all about?”

“
They had a problem with a
hand-mill,” I said.

Kate looked at me a second, then said, “I
hope you’re not upset that they asked for Cindy first.”

“
Are you kidding me? I’m
elated. I’ve always thought she’d make a wonderful teacher. I’m
just thrilled I’ve been proven right.”

Kate kissed my cheek. “You want to know
something? You’re the best big brother any of us could ask
for.”

“
Thanks,” I said.

Louisa was on the phone, and she looked
shaken when she hung up. “Ben, that was the hospital.”

“
What happened? Is there any
news about Andrew?”

She nodded. “He just died.”

Chapter 12

“
Where are you going?” Kate
asked me as I bolted for the door.

“
I need to talk to Terri.” I
had to know if Andrew had come out of it before he’d died. If he’d
confessed to the murder, it would take the heat off me
entirely.

“
Don’t push her too hard,”
Louisa said. “She just lost a brother and a father in less than a
week. She’s going to be a basket case.”

“
I’ll be gentle,” I
said.

I drove ten miles over the speed limit as I
raced to the hospital. I had to talk to Terri. To my surprise, I
found her in the parking lot wandering aimlessly around.

I pulled into a spot, then said, “Terri, are
you all right?”

“
I can’t find my car,” she
said, her voice near hysteria. “It was here, I know it, and now
it’s gone. Help me find it, Ben.”

“
Tell you what, why don’t
you get in the Miata and I’ll drive you around until we come across
it.” I didn’t want her driving in that condition, but short of
forcing her into my car, I didn’t know how else to accomplish
that.

Thankfully, she let me help her into the
Miata.

Once we were moving, I said, “I’m so sorry
about Andrew.”

“
I’m in shock,” she said.
“Last week I had a family, and suddenly I’m all alone.” There were
tears running down her cheeks, though her voice was
firm.

“
Did he ever wake up?” I
asked.

“
Why do you ask?” she
said.

“
I’m just wondering if he
said anything about your father. Terri, I’ve got the sneaking
suspicion that Andrew might have had something to do with what
happened to him.” It was a real risk talking to her like that, but
I had to get her to open up while she was still
unguarded.

The question hung in the air, then she said
softly, “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Just before he died, he
told me he’d killed Dad for the jewelry shop. Ben, it’s horrible. I
can’t tell anybody, I’m so ashamed.”

“
I can’t imagine how you
feel, but you’ve got to let Molly know what he said.”

She whimpered softly, and I could barely make
out her words. “I can’t, not alone. It’s too much.”

“
How about if I go with
you?” I said. “I’ll be there for you.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Ben. I’m sorry for
all of the mean things I said to you lately. I’ve just been under
so much stress I can’t stand it.”

“
Hey, you were just trying
to protect your family. Let me call Molly and have her meet us at
her office.”

“
Not the police station,”
Terri said, grabbing my arm tight enough to hurt. “I can’t stand
being around that many people right now.”

“
How about the garden at the
soap shop? We’ll have privacy there.”

“
That’s fine,” Terri
agreed.

I dug out my cell phone and called Molly.
Once she realized who it was, she was very curt with me. “Make it
quick, I don’t have time for you today.”

Trying to keep my voice calm, I said, “I’m
with Terri Joy. Her brother just died.”

Molly hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry to
hear that.”

I continued, “Just before he passed away, he
admitted to her that he killed their father. She’d like to talk to
you, if you’ve got the time.”

That got Molly’s attention. “I’m in my
office. Bring her straight here.”

“
She’d like to meet you at
Where There’s Soap. We’re just about there. We’ll be on the bench
in the flower garden waiting for you.”

“
I’ll be right there,” she
said, and hung up.

I pulled into the customer parking lot. It
was closer to the garden, and it had the added benefit that Terri
couldn’t see the jewelry shop from there.

As we walked into the garden, she said,
“Thanks, Ben, I can do this by myself now.”

“
I don’t mind being there
with you,” I said.

“
I need to tell this to
Molly alone. Do you understand?”

“
Absolutely. I’ll wait right
here for you, and when you’re finished I’ll take you home. We can
get your car later.”

“
Thanks,” she said as she
put a hand on my arm. Terri started crying again, and I did the
only thing I could think of. I put my arms around her and did my
best to comfort her. I heard a car drive by the shop, and I looked
up, fully expecting to see Molly.

Instead, Diana hesitated, saw me with my arms
wrapped around another woman, then sped quickly away.

I was going to have some explaining to do,
but it would have to wait.

Molly drove up a minute later. As she
approached us, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“
No, but I will be,” Terri
said.

The two of them walked toward the garden, and
I could see Terri fighting another breakdown. Ten minutes later
they approached me, and Terri said, “Molly’s taking me home.
Thanks, Ben, for everything.”

I took her hands in mine. “If there’s
anything my family or I can do, don’t hesitate to ask. You’re not
alone, do you understand me?”

She nodded, and Molly led her to her car.

After Terri was sitting inside, Molly turned
to me and said, “Thanks for calling.”

“
Hey, it was my civic duty,”
I said.

She started to speak, then hesitated.
“Listen, we need to talk. About a lot of things.”