Murder in Waiting - Lynn Cahoon Page 0,5
something.
“The society has issued a decision on the application.”
I turned, my chef knife still in my hand. “And?”
“I’m sorry, Jill, they said they don’t have the funding to approve the site.” He kept reading. “Weird, though; they don’t say if it was a historic site or not, just that they don’t have the money to chase it this year.”
“They spent four years on hold just to tell me the funding is low?” I put the chopped cabbage in a bowl. “What a waste of tax dollars.”
“It says you can reapply next year if you want.” Greg set the letter down and came behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It was stupid anyway.” I felt tears on my cheeks. “I don’t mind, except for Miss Emily. If this land is actually a historic site, it should be protected.”
“We could just do it ourselves.” He kissed the back of my neck. “Maybe get some press on the issue?”
I groaned, thinking of the writer I’d just blown off at the beach. “Speaking of media, there’s a writer who’s going to try to get an interview with me or you about the wall. I was thinking our answer should be no comment. But now that the Heritage Society has bailed, maybe we should think about talking to him. What do you think?”
“I think I’m not getting my barbeque party patio.” He glanced out the window to the backyard. “It’s too bad too. The spot would have been perfect for private evening dinners and a little canoodling.”
I started to laugh. “Did you really just say canoodling?”
He gently bit my neck, then let me go. “What can I say, I’ve been hanging out with Harrold too much these last few months. Are they still coming for dinner Sunday night?”
I finished the salad and cleaned up the sink. “As far as I know. Aunt Jackie’s been busy with inventory. And her shift has really picked up since the chain bookstore in Bakerstown shut down. I hate seeing any bookstore close, but we are gaining a lot of business. Especially the online orders. Deek’s new platform has paid for itself the first quarter out. I may have to give that kid a raise.”
Greg’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and looked at the text. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. You go ahead and eat. I’ll grill something when I get home.”
“Something wrong?” Toby Killian, Greg’s part-time deputy and my part-time barista as well as the guy who rented out the shed-turned-apartment in the backyard didn’t usually bother Greg at night unless it was important. Like a murder serious. And we’d had more than our share of those in the last few years for such a little town.
Greg smiled. “Kind of. At least it’s serious to the sea lion.”
“Excuse me?” I put wrap over the salad and put it in the fridge. I wasn’t that hungry, and if I waited a few hours, we might still be able to have dinner together.
“You’ll see it on the news. Toby says there’s already a television crew out there. Look, I’ve got to go save a wandering sea creature. And you say my job’s boring.” He kissed me as he grabbed his keys and left the house.
“At least it’s not a dead body,” I told Emma as she watched him leave through the back door.
She barked a response that could have meant she agreed with me, but probably meant “where’s my favorite guy going?”
I grabbed a bottle of water and went over to the table to work on Amy’s party again. I would figure this out before Greg got back, send an email to Amy for approval, and make the reservations. I’d planned two weddings, my fake one and the one for my failed marriage. I could plan one little party for a few women.
I opened my notebook and made a list of the things I knew and the things I didn’t. The list of didn’t knows was way longer. I sent an email to Amy with my questions, then started sorting through options.
I still hadn’t heard from Amy and my head was pounding by the time Greg came home. He came in through the kitchen door and stopped short when he saw me. “I thought you would have been in bed by now.”
I closed the laptop and put the notebook on top of it. “Nope. Project Bachelorette Party is kicking my butt. Do you know how many options there are for a female-themed party in