“Come in with me while I angle for another slice of pie?” Graham asked, nodding toward the house. Through the windows I could see my family moving about, talking and laughing. I wanted to be done being angry, but I just didn’t know how.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Now that can’t be right. You picked at your dinner and dragged oversized wildlife a mile down a cart track. You must have worked up quite an appetite.” I watched the tortoise slowly find its feet and poke the front of its nose out every so slightly. Could it be so easy to adapt and start over?
“I don’t know what to say to them. I don’t know how to act like nothing happened.”
“I think you won’t have to say anything if your mouth is full of pie.” A chiming sound erupted from Graham’s phone and his attention went elsewhere. He finished up quickly and returned his attention to me. “Someone’s reported lemurs swarming all over the Dumpster behind the general store.”
“Sounds like you had better get going. Do you need any help? I believe you called me an exotics whisperer just a little while ago.”
“You’re just looking for an excuse to avoid your family.”
“Does that make my help any less valuable?”
“Mitch is the one who called it in. He’s waiting for me there.”
“I think I hear my grandmother calling me. I’ll say your good-byes for you.” I waved at him as he backed down the driveway, then I headed out to the sugarhouse. I may have said I’d tell her good-bye, but I never said when.
Sixteen
The next day was the first opportunity I had to ask about the Best Bett All in One fertilizer. I didn’t want to be caught anywhere near the police station so I went looking for Myra at the Stack. She’s usually there for lunch and ends up eating half her other meals there as well. She was the first stop on my journey to get to the bottom of the Best Bett All in One question. If anyone was going to know the score with all things Bett, it was Myra.
Even from the doorway it was easy to spot Myra’s purple polka-dotted, stretch knit clad backside oozing over both sides of a counter stool. Piper waved at me from her usual spot behind the counter. It was all the encouragement I needed. Her own family might be the only topic Myra didn’t gossip about, but if there was one thing I knew about her, it was that she wouldn’t be able to resist correcting false information. It might be her nature or it might be something developed through her time with the police department but she was incapable of letting it pass. I figured I could use Piper as my sounding board. Myra also couldn’t resist listening in on a bit of gossip she hadn’t heard and then trying to top it with something better of her own.
“Hi, ladies. What’s good today?”
“Everything, as always. I’m surprised to see you in here, though, with all the leftovers I’m sure are still floating around your place. Nothing’s happened to your grandmother, has it?” Myra looked alarmed and then eager for a bit of news.
“She’s as fit as a health spa spokesperson. I just wanted a break from turkey.”
“I recommend the special,” Piper said, pointing to the chalkboard painted in the shape of a giant maple leaf on the wall near the door. Sweet potato and kale stew with a cranberry corn muffin.
“I’ll take it. So, Piper, what have you heard about the new Bett family fertilizer business?” I studiously avoided glancing at Myra. It was just like fishing; this was the tricky part with wiggling the bait. Piper shrugged hard enough to slosh the coffee in the pot she was holding.
“Nothing. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you’ve got that right?”
“I heard about it from the state ag inspector. He heard about it from Alanza.”
“Small world. How’d the inspector know Alanza?”
“She must have called him about her sugaring business,” Myra said. I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist joining the conversation and especially sounding like she knew more than the next person. “Which Bett did he say was involved?”
“He didn’t but I am hoping to find out so I can buy some from them. And maybe even sell it at the shop. You know how I like to use local products whenever I can.” Community spirit is strong in Sugar Grove and it seemed a likely story.
“I know all the Betts and I can’t think of any in the fertilizer business. There’s Felicia, and Connie and myself. Even Knowlton is a relative, which makes Tansey one by marriage.” Myra stirred her coffee so agitatedly she sloshed some over the side. Piper wiped it up before it had a chance to spread.