Deadly Start Clark Nefri (new reading .TXT) 📖

had a longer than normal lead time due to the holidays and its popularity. That would make Marguerite even happier. Not.

She was right.

“Two weeks! We need those copies on the second of January. Not a day later.”

Charlotte’s fixed smile was back. “And if they happen to arrive in earlier, we’ll let you know. Unfortunately, the wholesaler closes for a week at this time of year so all I can do is request these as urgent.”

Octavia leaned over the counter. “I doubt that’s all you can do. You’re probably not even doing it right. How could you? You’re not really qualified for this kind of work. Are you?”

“She most certainly is!” Rosie was just inside the door, her face furious. “Octavia, kindly let me pass.”

Octavia’s jaw dropped, and she stepped to one side. Rosie pushed herself around to Charlotte’s side of the counter and put her hand on Charlotte’s arm. “Let me say this once and then we’ll move on. Charlotte is here because I want her to be here. She brings skills and a passion for books which has already made a positive impact to the bookshop. When I’m not here, Charlotte is in charge and I would take it as a personal favour for you all to respect that.”

Warmth rose inside Charlotte. Nobody had ever stood up for her like that. Octavia’s face reddened, Marguerite scowled, and Glenys nodded. Well, well, well.

Rosie removed her hand from Charlotte’s arm and tapped the keyboard. “Right, so the earliest you’ll get these books is January seven. Perhaps next time you might need to plan ahead if there are any holidays. Wholesalers are entitled to a break the same as anyone.”

She lifted her chin to stare at the three ladies. Charlotte stayed still and quiet. Rosie was a fireball in a controlled, polite way. One by one, the ladies looked away.

“Do you still wish for the order to be placed?” Rosie asked.

Octavia pulled her handbag closer to her body and huffed as she stalked out of the shop. Marguerite followed without a word or glance. But Glenys grinned at Rosie, then at Charlotte. “Please do order the books. We’ll put our first meeting back a few days to accommodate the delivery. Thank you, Charlotte.” Then she toddled after the others.

Charlotte sank onto a stool. “Oh, my goodness.”

“That’s all you have?” Rosie shook her head. “I am so annoyed with those women. Well, maybe not Glenys, but those other two!”

“What if they don’t come back? I don’t want you losing customers because of me.”

Rosie turned a serious gaze on Charlotte. “Any customer who cannot behave in a civil manner can go. As much as I like trading, the customer is most certainly not always right!”

“Thank you.”

“No. Thank you for keeping your cool and looking after my interests in the face of such rudeness. Really, I don’t know where Octavia and Marguerite get their entitlement from. Ever since Marguerite married Sid, she’s turned into a mean woman.”

“I imagine marriage to Sid would do that. Coffee?”

Over steaming cups of coffee and a break between customers, Charlotte filled Rosie in on the events of the night. She left out a bit. No point worrying Rosie about Sid’s odd behaviour, nor Charlotte deliberately hiding from him.

“So, two young men. One called Darro. A dark ute and a trailer. Surely Sid can find them based on that description?”

“I didn’t exactly tell him. There’s something else. He pulled me over yesterday near the Christmas Tree farm.”

Rosie put down her cup and turned concerned eyes to Charlotte. “Why?”

“For existing. First, he wanted to breathalyse me and when there was no trace of alcohol, he inspected the car from top to bottom. Then he spent ages in his patrol car with my licence. And naturally there was nothing to find so he gave it back and let me leave. But in the interim, someone sped past and a stone chipped my windscreen. Do you know who might repair it?”

“Oh dear. I do. There’s a nice mobile man so I’ll find his number for you. Whether he is around or already having a holiday I don’t know.” Rosie searched on the computer. “Did you get a Christmas tree?”

“I did! It’s a bit dried out and sad but I’m going to nurture it back to health.”

“Was it busy up there?” Rosie wrote down a phone number and name on a notepad. “Here you go, give Ivan a call.”

“Thanks. There were people coming and going the whole time I was there. I met Abbie and Lachie.”

“How is Abbie? That baby is due next month.”

“She’s lovely and seemed well, not that we spoke for long. She knew all about me.”

“Small towns.”

“So I’m learning. Lachie is very cute. He calls his mother Mrs Forest and insisted on carrying the tree to the car. I got the feeling though that they don’t have a lot. For Christmas.”

“Darcy’s father left him with a lot of debt, so I imagine money is tight. I do hope they have a good week. As bad as the Christmas tree thefts are, it might generate some income for them.”

A family wandered in and Rosie greeted them. Charlotte folded the paper from the notepad. Esther and Doug had replaced their artificial tree with one of Darcy’s. What would happen with the one from the roundabout?

Chapter Twelve

Small towns were good for more than rumours, gossip, and knowing everyone. Charlotte’s experiences in River’s End was of a community that cared for its own, banding together in times of need.

Kingfisher Falls might be a bit different. Toward closing time, Sid strode in, along with two men Charlotte hadn’t met. One was bald, sixties, sweating under a three-piece suit. The other also wore a suit, but no tie and the two top buttons undone. He was no older than thirty, with dark hair and shifty eyes.

“Gentlemen, how may we help?” Rosie stiffened the moment they arrived and stayed behind the counter instead of her usual cheery welcome from the customer side.

Sid stood back as the older man