The Trouble With Angels Page 0,19

against the driver's side, as lightly as if she were giving the highly polished red door a peck on the cheek. Joy noticed her car's engine had stopped as mysteriously as it had started.

"I'll back Edith away from your vehicle," she volunteered, "but she wouldn't start earlier. That's why I was headed back to my office. I'm terribly sorry, but I can't explain what happened."

"Don't worry about it. These crazy things sometimes happen."

Joy hopped inside her car and inserted the key in the ignition. To her complete and utter puzzlement, the engine purred to life like a spoiled, cream-fed kitten.

As soon as she'd pulled away and parked her antique car, she hurried over to view the extent of the damage. Her chest was tight with anticipation.

Ted knelt in front of the driver's door and ran his fingertips over the sports car's slick finish. From what Joy could see, there didn't seem to be so much as a single scratch.

"That's amazing," she whispered, so relieved it took restraint not to leap off the ground and cheer. "I don't see any damage. Of course, you'll want to check it again when the light's better." She wrote down the pertinent information regarding her insurance company, plus her name and address, and gave these to Ted.

"I'll have my mechanic look at it as well," Blythe announced sternly from the sidewalk. "As well as a friend who owns a body shop."

"Of course," Joy said. "Please do. As I said earlier, I fully intend to pay for your trouble."

"You're damn right you will."

"Blythe," Ted said softly, "I know you're upset, but there's nothing to worry about. The car doesn't even seem scratched. Let it go for now, and I'll take care of everything in the morning."

Blythe nodded and sagged as though the weight of the world were pressed upon her delicate shoulders. "The crazy thing is I found my handbag. The trip back wasn't even necessary. It was in the backseat, but I was sure I left it in your grandmother's apartment."

"It doesn't matter." Ted placed his arm protectively around her shoulders and led her around to the passenger side of the car. He held the door open for her and helped her inside.

"You'll get back to me about any damage?" Joy asked.

Ted nodded. "You might have your car checked out as well. Clearly something's wrong for it to take off on its own like that."

Joy folded her arms. "Thank you for your help."

Ted hesitated. "Do I know you?"

"I don't believe we've formally met. I'm Joy Palmer, the resident service director."

"Joy Palmer." He repeated the name as if that would jar his memory.

"I know your grandmother quite well. She might have mentioned me."

"Ted," Blythe called from inside the car, "are we going to dinner or not?"

Ted rubbed his hand along the side of his jaw, as if he would have liked nothing better than to forget the whole thing. "It's nice to meet you, Joy. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."

"I'm sorry, too."

"Ted!"

"I'll let you know about the car as soon as possible."

"I'd appreciate that." She watched as he drove away, before returning to her own vehicle. Then she slipped onto the driver's seat and closed her hands around the steering wheel. It took a full minute for her to relax.

"Honestly, Edith, I should park you overnight in a bad neighborhood for that little trick. You couldn't have rammed someone else's car?" Muttering to herself, Joy put the car in reverse and pulled out of the space.

She shook her head in wonder. She couldn't remember a time Edith had run better.

"What am I going to do with you?" Shirley asked from the brick fence that ran along the property line of Wilshire Grove Retirement Center.

"Do with me about what?"

"You know darn good and well," Shirley insisted.

"Are you asking about that little trick with Joy's car?" Mercy said, grinning gleefully.

Shirley wore an injured, disappointed look. "You know Gabriel wants me to keep an eye on you two. I'm older and more mature, and I just don't know what I am going to tell him."

"You worry too much. I didn't have anything to do with Joy's car moving. Gravity did."

"Gravity?"

"Sure. If Goodness can whip shopping carts around parking lots and call it gravity, then a little thing like a slow-moving car shouldn't be any big concern."

"That's it," Shirley said with great finality. "I can't take it any longer. I simply can't put up with this kind of mischief from you and Goodness. As far