Bodies and Blueberries Read online

  “All this way for nothing…” Tabby mumbled.

  “I tell you what, if you need to, you are welcome to use my charge card to get the fountain. I didn’t realize just how much you really wanted those old frogs. Set your new budget at four hundred, okay?”

  Tabby grabbed her best friend and gave her a huge hug.

  “I have two hundred cash with me. If I need your card, I’ll give you the cash right away and pay you the rest when we get home. You’re the best.”

  “All right, all ready. Let go of me. Let’s go look at this frog thing,” Jenny said, smiling brightly.

  The friends waited for some of the viewers to walk away. Tabby walked around to the back of the fountain. The fountain was approximately eight feet tall and five feet wide. The lily pond at the bottom was a little bit wider than the rest of the fountain. There were eight frogs in different positions on the four levels. They were placed in such a way that the cascading water would splash around them, making it look like they were playing in the stream. Jenny shuffled noisily to the back of the unusual fountain to join Tabby in her perusal.

  “Does it look like it works?” Jenny questioned.

  “Truthfully, it looks like the whole inner workings need to be gutted and repaired.”

  “How much will that cost?”

  “At least two to three hundred, I’m afraid.”

  “Is it still worth it?”

  “To me it is; I have totally fallen in love with this fountain. It’s even more beautiful in person. Don’t you wonder where it came from and who else has owned it over the last hundred years?”

  “My brain doesn’t think like yours. I don’t see a mystery in everything I look at.”

  “Do I really do that?”

  “Yes, you do. Let’s go check the books so I know what I want to bid on. Then we’ll register, get our paddle numbers, and grab seats as close to the front as we can.”

  They found the book table and Jenny went through the different lots to see if she wanted to bid on any of them. She decided on two lots that had both old and new books. They registered and each got their own number to bid with. The closest seats they could get to the front was in row eight. They sat and waited for the auction to begin.

  “We still have a few minutes. Can you save the seats while I go find a restroom?” asked Jenny. “All that coffee is catching up with me.”

  “Sure, go ahead. I’ll be right here.”

  Tabby looked around and saw that all the chairs were filling up fast. To the right of the room was a row of desks for the registered phone bidders with a person stationed at each one. Cell phones in hand, they were ready to call out their client’s bids. Jenny returned to her seat just as the auctioneer walked up to the podium.

  “Did I miss anything?”

  “No, it’s just starting,” Tabby whispered.

  The first hour passed with jewelry, paintings, and vases being sold and then the books came up for auction. Jenny bid on both the lots that she wanted, and to her surprise, won them for a reasonable price.

  “Let’s hope I’m as lucky as you in my bidding,” Tabby said, smiling.

  The auctioneer announced a half an hour break. The girls left their paddles on their chairs and got up to stretch. They walked out to the silo to see what was left to bid on.

  “It looks like it’s just the big pieces left. That means the fountains should be coming up soon. I’m going to run to the restroom. I’ll meet you back at the seats,” Tabby stated.

  The auctioneer returned to the podium. Jerry Jaspar was setting up photos of the fountains that were outside.

  “We are moving forward to the fountain lots. Phone attendants, please get our three registered phone bidders on the line.”

  Three of the fountains were auctioned off for between fifty and two-hundred dollars each. Jerry placed the picture of the frog fountain on the easel.

  “Phone attendants, do we have our three bidders on the line?”

  “Here we go!” Tabby exclaimed, sitting straight up in her chair so her paddle would be seen easily.

  “Are the phone bidders ready?”

  The attendants nodded their heads “Yes”.

  “Let’s begin the bidding at fifty dollars.”

  Tabby’s paddle shot up.

  “We have fifty, do I hear seventy-five?”

  Another paddle shot up.

  “I have seventy-five, looking for one hundred.”

  “Two hundred,” yelled one of the phone attendants.

  “I have two-hundred. Do I hear two-twenty-five?”

  Tabby raised her paddle again.

  “I have two-twenty-five. Do I hear two-fifty?”

  “Three hundred,” hollered the same phone attendant again.

  “Darn,” Tabby muttered.

  “Three hundred, do I hear three-fifty?”

  Tabby raised her paddle.

  “I have three-fifty. Do I hear four hundred?”

  Tabby held her breath. One more bid and she was out.

  “Four twenty-five,” countered the phone attendant one more time.

  “Keep bidding,” Jenny encouraged.

  “I can’t,” Tabby confided sadly.

  “I have four twenty-five. Do I hear four-fifty?”

  Tabby didn’t move. Jenny grabbed her paddle and waved it in the air.

  “We have four-fifty. Do I hear four-seventy-five?”

  “What are you doing?” Tabby demanded.

  “We had to try one more time,” Jenny offered.

  “Five hundred,” bellowed the same phone representative.

  Tabby grabbed the paddle from her best friend’s hand and sat on it. She knew Jenny would keep bidding just to get the fountain for her no matter what the cost.

  “No more,” Tabby whispered. “We tried.”

  “I have five hundred. Do I hear five twenty-five?”

  Silence. No paddles were raised in the air.

  “I have five hundred once, five hundred twice, five hundred three times, and sold for five hundred dollars to the phone bidder at station two.”

  The girls got up to leave.

  “Well, at least you got some books for your store; it wasn’t a total waste of time,” Tabby stated, trying to smile. “Let’s pick up your books and go get some lunch.”

  On the way home the girls stopped at a small café just outside of town and enjoyed a nice lunch on the patio under the bright sunshine. They could have driven another twenty minutes and eaten in Whipper Will Junction, but it was nice to eat without the local drama and gossip.

  They drove to The Tilted Coffee Cup to pick up Jenny’s car from the parking lot since she had to drive right to the book store. Her assistant, Sienna, had worked by herself all morning so Jenny could go to the auction. They transferred the boxes of books to Jenny’s back seat and with a wave she was off to work.

  Tabby had to tell her mom she didn’t win the bid. Samantha had been cleaning a spot in the back room of Mystic Happenings to store the fountain for her daughter.

  It was such a nice day she decided to walk to her mom’s store at the other end of town. Everyone she passed was smiling and in a good mood. Several of the storefronts on Main Street were showing signs of life. Many of the smaller businesses closed for the winter and re-opened in the early spring for the beginning of tourist season.

  Tabby stopped in front of the store site she would be renting in the fall and peered through the window. There were boxes piled everywhere and a new counter had been installed at the far end of the room. Sam Pierce, the man that was opening the baseball card shop, was nowhere to be seen. Tabby wanted to check with him to see if he was using the upstairs space for storage. The shop had a large cellar that was plenty big enough for stock. She wanted to rent the upstairs apartment and move out of the place she was in now.

  Chapter 2

  * * *

  “I wish I had known you wanted this space right away,” said a voice behind her. “I never would have rented it to Mr. Pierce for just the s
ummer season.”

  “Oh, Mr. Wells; you startled me,” Tabby answered, turning around.

  “I would rather have rented this building to a local than to an outsider. I tried to rent Mr. Pierce the larger shop at the end of town. I even offered the other place for the same price as this one. He insisted on renting this shop instead.”

  “I was looking for Mr. Pierce, then I was coming to see you,” Tabby responded, giving the elderly man a hug.

  “Does this mean I am finally getting the date I want with you?” he asked, winking.

  “Mr. Wells, you’re incorrigible. I sent you a letter about the possibility of renting the upstairs apartment here.”

  “I suppose that’s a possibility,” Mr. Wells replied.

  “Jenny told me you are selling her the bookstore building; she is so excited. I was hoping maybe we could come up with the same kind of deal for this building.”

  “I would love to see my buildings go to locals. The Starling Apartments are already up for sale. Some big-time developer wants to buy them just to tear them down. I can’t do that to the people living there.”

  “I am so glad you are not going to sell to them,” Tabby responded.

  “Since these old bones can’t take the winters here anymore, Florida is calling my name. I can take my time selling the rentals because they will still provide income even if I leave. Some of my places have to be sold so I have the money to move and buy a new place down south.”

  “Who is selling everything for you?” Tabby inquired. “Larry Fink?”

  “No, I don’t like him; I think he is a snake,” Mr. Wells groused, shaking his head. “I wish I had looked into his background a little more before I handed all my rentals over to him.”

  “Join the club. A lot of people around here don’t trust him. He’s so creepy,” Tabby replied, shivering. “Did you know he raised all the rents at The Starling Apartments?”

  “He what?!” Mr. Wells demanded, his voice rising with his anger.

  “You didn’t know?” Tabby inquired.

  “No, I didn’t. That will be taken care of immediately. He thinks I am just an old man who is losing his mind and doesn’t know what’s going on. I knew he was a snake. That’s why I’m going to Larsen to hire a Miss Carver from Rose Point Realty as my sales agent. She’s new to the office but they say she’s a spitfire and gets the job done. Looks like she will be taking care of my rentals from now on, too.

  “I think that will be a smart thing to do,” Tabby encouraged him. “Do I have to talk to Larry Fink about renting upstairs or should I wait until you change things over to Miss Carver?”

  “No, I still have the final say over what happens to my properties even though Fink raised the rents behind my back. When do you want to move in?” he asked.

  “Really? How about now?” Tabby responded with her warmest smile.

  “Now?”

  “Only kidding. How about the first of May? I know Sierra Holt has been waiting for a place to open up at Starling. She could have the apartment I am in and you wouldn’t lose any rent. In fact, you’d be gaining rent because the space above the store has been empty for a while now.”

  “Smart girl. Are you this good at talking your way into everything you want, or am I just an old softie?” Mr. Wells laughed.

  “You’re just an old softie, but I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry,” Tabby whispered, batting her eyes at the old man.

  “Oh, I have a little something for you. I saw this on my way here and knew you had to have it for your new shop. I was going to give it to you tomorrow so I’m glad I ran into you.”

  He extended his hand and lying in it was a small teddy bear that was light brown, six inches tall, and holding a small jar of strawberry jelly in its little paws.

  “That is so cute. He will sit on the register to greet everyone,” Tabby smiled, taking the bear.

  “I’m going to see Fink now. You will need keys to move your things in over the next couple of weeks. I will make sure Fink gets them to you. You don’t have to pay rent until the first. How does four-hundred a month sound? No charge for move-in time.”

  “You are so awesome,” Tabby replied, grabbing the old man in a big bear hug.

  “If I knew this was all it took to get so many hugs, I would have suggested it a long time ago,” said Mr. Wells, his eyes twinkling. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Tabby watched her elderly friend walk away. He was one of the people who had influenced her decision to move back to Whipper Will Junction; growing up, he had been like the grandfather that Tabby never had. All the townspeople loved Mr. Wells. He owned most of the buildings, but he had made a point to keep the rents low so that his tenants didn’t have to struggle to maintain a decent life. Mr. Wells was one of those people that gave back more than he ever received.

  Tabby took one last look in the window of the store. In the reflection of the window, she saw Fink staring from across the street.

  I wonder how long he’s been watching us.

  Soon this space would be her new gift shop; Jellies, Jams, and Weddings. Halloween would be her first real holiday in the new store and she was excited because it was also her favorite holiday! She couldn’t wait to decorate the big picture window so people passing by would stop and look and hopefully come inside to shop.

  She continued down Main Street. Mac was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his store. James MacAvey owned the only market in town and he always kept it well stocked. If you couldn’t find what you needed at Mac’s Market, then you really didn’t need it.

  “Good morning, Tabby,” he smiled, leaning on his broom.

  “Hello to you, Mr. MacAvey.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you to call me James?”

  “I keep forgetting. When you grow up calling a person one thing, it’s hard to change.”

  “I guess. Will you be in the cable office on Monday? I’m having trouble with my bill again. This is the second month in a row I’ve had a problem.”

  “I’ll be there. Bring it in and we’ll figure it out,” answered Tabby. “Got to run. On my way to see my mom.”

  “Say hi to her for me.”

  “I will. See you soon.”

  She arrived at her mother’s shop with no more interruptions. Samantha was in the front window setting up a new display of colorful crystals. The afternoon sun was shining on the beautiful display creating rainbows which were complemented by the lilac satin material underneath. Her mother definitely knew how to create an eye-catching display. The beauty of the window would draw people in to the shop.

  Tabby waltzed inside as her mom crawled out of the window space.

  “The window looks beautiful,” Tabby complimented, hugging her mom. “I’m going to have real competition for the best window on Main Street when my store opens.”

  “I’ve been doing this a lot of years,” her mom said, as she walked over to the register counter. “You’ll have to do your best to beat me in the holiday window contests.”

  “It looks like I have to come up with a different plan for my shop. I didn’t win the frog fountain,” Tabby said, picking up an amethyst necklace.

  “Oh honey, I’m sorry. I know how badly you wanted that fountain. What did it go for?”

  “One of the phone bidders got it for five hundred dollars.”

  “Darn, for an old frog fountain? That’s crazy.”

  “I know. But it was so beautiful. When I finally saw it in person, I wanted it even more,” Tabby answered sadly.

  “You’ll come up with something else,” her mom responded, sorting the remaining crystals in the box. “Have you checked out the new flower shop at the end of town? It’s far out.”

  “No, not yet. I need to go there and set up an account for the shop. I’ll see if their wedding flowers are up to par with my arrangements and bouquets.”

  “I love your arrangements; they are so unique. I have always said you should have opened a flower shop, and now someone has beat you to it. Do you lik
e these?” she asked, holding up several strands of Love Beads.

  “They’re nice. My shop will showcase my flower arrangements in the wedding packages. I’m still trying to tighten my merchandise line for the store. I need something that will draw in everyday customers, not just brides. The tourists will love gram’s jams and jellies; I am going to sell the jars individually as well as use them in gift baskets.”

  “You should sell gram’s biscuits to go with the jellies. I have her recipe around here somewhere,” her mother offered as she crawled back into the small window space again.

  “That’s a great idea. They always smelled so good when gram was cooking them. I talked to Mr. Wells about renting the upstairs apartment above the shop so I can do all my cooking there. If I leave the windows open while I make the jams, jellies, and biscuits, the smell should reach all the way up and down Main Street. That will pull in paying customers.”

  “I’m glad you are getting out of those apartments. It will be nice to have you in town.”

  “I told Mr. Wells about the rent increase; he was absolutely furious. Mr. Fink raised the rents without telling him. He was going over to the real estate office and have it out with the sneaky jerk.”

  “I am so glad I bought my building from him ten years ago. It’s almost paid off; I have one year left and it will be all mine. I wish it had an apartment like your building does. Maybe once I own it I can add on a second floor. Right now, I’m happy living with Jill and Judy at the bed and breakfast. Something to think about for the future, I guess.”

  “I’m going to run. I want to see if Mr. Pierce is at his shop yet so I can get upstairs and see how big it is and what kind of shape it’s in. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you,” Tabby said, hugging her mom.

  “Don’t forget you promised to help with the Summer Kick-Off Weekend. We have our first meeting tomorrow night at the library at six-thirty. Will you be there?”

  “Yes. I’ll make supper early so I can be there on time.”

  “Why don’t you just meet us at the diner? We all go there to eat before the first meeting every year.”

  “I have to cook for Finn,” Tabby answered, realizing too late that she shouldn’t have said that.