Cry for the Strangers Page 0,6
basket of the cart.
The crash came as she was pausing in front of a rack of inexpensive dresses. She whirled around and saw George Blake hurrying toward the china display. Satisfied that the accident had had nothing to do with her, Rebecca turned back to the rack and continued her search for a dress that would set off her almost ethereal prettiness. Rebecca had a fragile look to her, and it was difficult for her to find clothing that didn’t overwhelm her. She was about to give up her search when she heard Mr. Blake behind her.
“You’re going to have to pay for that stuff.” His voice was gruff, as if he was expecting to be contradicted. Rebecca turned and looked shyly at him.
“I beg your pardon?”
“The china,” Blake said accusingly. “You’re going to have to pay for the things you broke.”
“But I didn’t have anything to do with that,” Rebecca explained. “I was standing right here, looking at the dresses.”
“I saw you looking at the china,” Blake said evenly.
Rebecca frowned unhappily. “But that was five or ten minutes ago. And I didn’t even touch it.”
Blake’s face darkened, and Rebecca almost recoiled from the man’s unconcealed hostility.
“Don’t lie to me, Mrs. Palmer. You must have knocked the stack over. There isn’t anybody here but you and me.”
Rebecca glanced quickly around and saw that. he was right Except for her and the proprietor, the store was empty.
“But I didn’t have anything to do with it,” she insisted helplessly. “I told you, I wasn’t anywhere near that table.”
Blake just stared at her.
“Don’t know why you want to say something like that,” he said finally. “Ever since you and your family got here, we’ve all known there was something funny about you. Now I guess I know what it is—you’re a liar.”
“I am not!” Rebecca flared. “If I’d done it, I’d admit it, and pay for the damage. But I didn’t do anything.”
“All right,” Blake replied. “I’ll take your word for it. But if you don’t mind, I’ll just put all that stuff in your basket back on the shelves.”
“You’ll do what?”
“I don’t want you shopping here anymore,” Blake said. “I suppose you have a right to be in Clark’s Harbor, but that doesn’t mean I have to sell to you. From now on take your business somewhere else.”
Rebecca Palmer bit her lip and forced herself not to burst into tears. What is it, she asked herself. What is it about this town? But she knew there was no point in asking Blake, less point in arguing with him.
Silently, Rebecca left the dry goods store, wondering how she would explain the incident to her husband and how he would react to it. Not well, she was sure. Glen Palmer controlled his artist’s temperament well, but sometimes he blew. This, she was sure, would make him blow.
“There’s a café,” Elaine Randall said, pointing. The restaurant was on the second floor of a two-story building, above a tavern. The Randalls had to pass through the tavern to go upstairs, and Brad glanced around when his eyes had adjusted to the gloom. The bar was nearly empty—only a couple of old men sitting at a scarred oak table, a checkerboard and a pitcher of beer between them. He grinned his approval to Elaine and followed her upstairs.
The café, in contrast to the bar, was nearly full. There was one empty table by the window, and the Randalls headed for it. Brad scanned the menu, deciding on a crab salad without really considering the options, then put the menu aside in favor of his favorite hobby: people watching.
A few minutes later a waitress appeared and took their order. When she was done, Elaine placed the menu back in its holder behind the napkins and folded her hands.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Tell me who’s here.”
“Not much to tell, really,” Brad said. “It looks to me like mostly fishermen—”
“Very astute of you,” Elaine broke in, “considering there’s a wharf right outside the window.”
“Also some housewives and shopkeepers,” Brad continued, ignoring the gibe. “And one person I can’t figure out.”
“Where?” Elaine asked, glancing around. “Never mind—it has to be that man sitting by himself over there. I see what you mean.”
“Really? What do I mean?”
“He’s different from the rest of them,” Elaine said. “He looks like he doesn’t quite fit in, and knows it.”
Brad nodded and glanced once more at the man they were talking about. It was his clothes, Brad decided, and something about his face. Like a number of the men