At Wick's End (Book 1 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’m a
little touchy about it is all.”
    “ What does George do?” I
asked, hoping to make her forget what I’d said.
    “ What doesn’t he do, I like
to say. He’s a volunteer fireman, he’s a lay reader at St. Albans
and he helps out at the animal shelter. Whenever he’s not
volunteering, he manages to make custom furniture for the high-end
marketplace.”
    “ Wow, when does he have
time for you?”
    Millie smiled. “I may have just one job, but
it manages to fill my time. Don’t you worry about George and me, we
do just fine.”
    Millie’s gaze drifted upstairs, then
returned to me. She said softly, “Harrison, I shouldn’t have said
anything, but since I started it, I feel obliged to finish. If I
were you I’d keep my eye on Gary Cragg. He’s up to something, but I
can’t for the life of me figure out what it is. There’s one thing I
can tell you, though. He and Belle had a major problem with each
other lately.”
    “ Do you have any idea what
it was about?” I asked.
    She said, “I asked Belle about it last week,
but she just mumbled something about sharks and wouldn’t say
another word. There aren’t any in the river out there, but I’m not
so sure we don’t have a couple at River’s Edge.”
    “ Who else should I watch
out for?” I asked.
    “ There’s a fellow Belle
just rented space to upstairs named Markum. I don’t know if that’s
his first name or last, since he’s the only tenant who’s never set
foot in my place.”
    “ What does he do?” I asked
after finishing off the coffee.
    “ The sign on his door says,
‘Salvage and Recovery’, whatever that’s supposed to mean. If he
runs a junkyard, it’s not around here. I understand he and Belle
had words the other day.” She took my cup and refilled it. “Never
mind, he’s probably fine. George says I have too much time on my
hands between my breakfast and lunch rush hours, and I’ll never
admit it to his face, but most likely he’s right.” She studied me a
second, then asked, “So how are you and Eve getting
along?”
    “ Well, she’s teaching me
candlemaking basics, if that means anything.”
    Millie smiled. “You can bet your life it
does. Eve’s a candle fanatic. She wouldn’t teach you if she didn’t
like you, Harrison. You two should be just fine.”
    I could still remember the tone of her
critiques of my early efforts. “If you say so.”
    She flipped the towel gently at me. “Trust
me on that, Harrison. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a batch of
blueberry doughnuts to mix up for tomorrow morning. Want me to save
you a couple?”
    “ That would be great.
Thanks.”
    “ It’s all part of The
Crocked Pot’s service, sir.”
    I decided it would be a good time to tackle
Belle’s apartment. Eve could handle At Wick’s End by herself. Truth
be told, she’d most likely do better solo until I learned enough to
help out in the shop. Cleaning up the mess at Belle’s place
wouldn’t get any easier, and the longer I put it off, the harder it
would be.
    I was just about to reach the door upstairs
when I heard someone moving around inside.
    I didn’t even have the heavy candle to
defend myself, but I charged in anyway.
    It was time to find out who was breaking in,
and what they wanted from Belle, once and for all.
    I was startled to find Heather Bane from The
New Age shop putting Belle’s clothes in a box that had once held a
case of Maker’s Mark whiskey.
    I said, “What are you doing in here?”
    She looked startled by my sudden appearance.
Perhaps even a little guilty.
    “ I heard about the
break-in, and I couldn’t bear the thought of you tackling this mess
by yourself, not with what you’ve been through.”
    “ That was thoughtful of
you,” I said, trying to keep the accusation out of my voice. “How
did you happen to get in? I was under the impression this door
locked automatically.” That was something Mr. Young had shown me
himself soon after we’d discovered the break-in.
    “ Well,