have some hours at the market?”
“Let’s see,” I said, studying the schedule, not at all positive Carrie Ann could make it without falling off the wagon. I’d promised Hunter, and I really could use the help.
Before we could get down to the details, I spotted my sister Holly’s red Jaguar convertible through the front window, its glossy finish gleaming in the warm September sunlight. My blue truck looked like a bucket of rusty bolts next to it.
I could use her company and support to go take pictures of the missing hives over at Manny’s. And I needed somebody to talk to about Faye.
“Want to work right now?” I asked Carrie Ann.
My cousin looked puzzled, as if she hadn’t thought I’d agree to giving her hours at all. “I suppose.”
“I have to go take some photographs. And tomorrow, can you work the morning for me?”
Carrie Ann smiled as I dashed for the door. “Sure. Cool.”
“There you are.” Holly stalked toward me, wearing the same kind of casual clothes I wore—jeans, V-necked cotton pullover, casual summer footwear. The only difference was everything she wore looked like it cost ten times more than mine. Which it had. “Mom sent me to spy on you,” she said.
“I’m on my way out to Manny Chapman’s. Want to come?”
“’K. I’ll drive.” Holly had a lot of Grams in her, except thankfully her driving was much better. “What’s going on out there? I heard Manny Chapman died. I’m so sorry, I know he was a good friend of yours.”
“Thanks.” I started to well up but fought it back and focused on my mission. “I have to go take pictures of his apiary. I’ll explain on the way. But you can’t tell Mom anything about what I do or say. Okay? Say ‘okay.’ ”
Holly gazed at me with the same hazel eyes I had. “’K.”
I didn’t tell her this was also a hastily hatched surveillance run, and that I planned to clear the honeybees’ good name if it was the last thing I ever did.
Twelve
We pulled up in Grace’s driveway in Holly’s Jag about the time I finished telling her about the bee scare. After one quick glance told me the hives were gone, I couldn’t bring myself to look that way again. “I can’t do it,” I said. “I just can’t.”
“SC (translation: stay cool). I’ll take the pictures,” Holly said. “You just want empty-space pictures, right? Where the hives used to be?”
I nodded. “With some of the house in the background, so everybody can see that the photos were taken right here in Manny’s yard. Knowing Lori, she’ll accuse me of manipulating the photos anyway.” Holly headed over to the remains of the beeyard with her cell phone while I went to the house and knocked on the door. No one was home. Perfect. The honey house beckoned to me.
I used my key to unlock the padlock and drew in a sweet breath of the honey aroma. I flipped on all the lights and began a thorough search. Holly joined me a few minutes later.
“What are you doing?” she wanted to know.
“I’m not sure. Could you check around the outside of the honey house? Look for signs of yellow jackets.”
“Ick,” Holly said. “I’m staying right here with you.”
My sister wasn’t exactly Discovery Channel material.
I took my time, unlike during my last visit. Manny’s missing journal didn’t surface, which was starting to worry me, but I found two dead yellow jackets on the floor of the honey house. Not concrete evidence of anything, but I was in a suspicious frame of mind. “Yellow jackets,” I announced.
Holly peered at the dead insects, keeping her distance. “How can you tell? They all look the same to me.”
“These don’t have hairy back legs to carry pollen like honeybees do. See.” I picked one up and pointed to its smooth legs, which she couldn’t see anyway since she was so far away. I placed it and the other one on a worktable in case they were important to my investigation, and we went outside.
“Now what are you doing?” Holly seemed slightly impatient. “I thought we were going to take a few pictures then leave.”
“In a minute. Help me look for more signs of yellow jackets. But be careful.”
“OMG (Oh, My, Gawd), no! I’m waiting in the car.”
Holly headed for her Jag.
Yellow jackets sometimes make their homes in the ground rather than in more traditional nests, but I didn’t see any buzzing activity at earth level. I had to take several deep breaths