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.I’ll probably be here, but you can go in.”“Oh, I couldn’t—wouldn’t want to be there unless you were.”“It’s all right, really.Workers are everywhere right now anyway.You’ll probably be tripping all over each other.”“Oh, you’re such a life saver.”“Question: someone mentioned you were once going to give painting lessons.”Mamie’s smile faded.“I offered classes, but only two people signed up, so it wasn’t worth doing it.”“I’d like to take a class or two.”“Maybe…well, I’ll see if I can… I’ll talk to you later.” Mamie closed the door and hurried across the street, a new bounce in her step.“That was nice of you,” Claire said.“What?”“Do you really want painting lessons?”Payton smiled.“Of course.Do you want the rest of the tour?”“Everything is so beautiful.”“Thanks.I wanted people to see that they can use their plants as decorations rather than just something to set on a windowsill.Like this ficus radicans, for example.” Payton pointed to a plant on a wall shelf beside a photo of a little blonde girl.The plant’s tiny tendrils twisted through the shelf’s openwork back.“This plant looks best winding around something.Obviously this one has to be sold with the shelf, but I sell them separately also.Then I have these hand painted Mexican planters.They were made to hold herbs and sit on a windowsill.”Two steps led down to the outdoor patio.A five-foot latticework fence had been erected on three sides, shielding the area from the road.Tall umbrella palms made subtle privacy curtains at the street side.Different shapes and colors of stones had been laid in a meandering pattern on the gravel.“Absolutely beautiful.” Helen sat in a white wicker chair and put her feet up on the matching ottoman.Sunshine filtered through the overhead lattice casting Helen’s face in warped squares of light.Hanging plants swayed in the warm breeze; the gentle aroma of peppermint wafted through.Amanda took a chair beside Helen.“Payton, this is lovely.”“Thank you.”Claire sat in the third chair.Felicia took the fourth.Payton remained standing.Helen sipped her tea and pointed to a potted plant on the next table.“Tell me about this.We’re almost finished with our breakfast room and—”“A breakfast room?” Claire asked.“Yes.One day Payton pointed out how nice a sunroom cum breakfast nook would be, so I talked Carter into demolishing that rickety attached shed and replacing it with a glass room.You should see what a difference it makes.Anyway, I’ll be looking for plants to put out there.How would this be?”“You don’t want that.It needs beaucoup sunlight, and your room will have filtered sun because of the surrounding chestnut trees,” Payton said.“It’s so refreshing to have someone to tell me what’s going to work or not.Usually, I just hope a plant will live long enough for me to get it home from the supermarket.You know what you should do, dear? Start a home service where you go to people’s homes and tell them what sorts of plants they should have.”It was hard keeping her ears tuned to Helen’s words because Claire’s eyes had spotted something that sent a thrill of excitement literally from her head to her toes.Nirvana.It had to be.She was experiencing total and all-encompassing bliss because, in the center of the glass topped table, not three feet away, sat the plant! In an unassuming plastic pot, eight inches of shining green leaves and a young cluster of blue/purple flowers, was her monkshood plant.Claire leaned back and closed her eyes.The others could think she was enjoying the pleasant weather and relaxing furniture if they wanted.In reality Claire was experiencing an emotion something like childbirth: the overwhelming sensation that hits when the pressure’s released from your vagina and everyone yells congratulations.Congratulations, Miss Bastian.Your baby has arrived.Claire’s fingers twitched.She forced her hands to fold in her lap, presenting the vision of leisure and cheer.Two tags were affixed to the pot.She couldn’t read the price, but the cost didn’t matter, she’d mortgage her home if she had to.“What are you smiling at?” Felicia asked.Would any of them suspect she was the one who’d murdered Sean Adams? Would they care? She’d seen movies where people in town banded together to protect a murderer.She’d better not count on something like that.Face up to it, that’s all she could do if the time came.Felicia’s eyebrows lifted and Claire realized the woman was waiting for a response.“I was just enjoying the day.” Her eyes roved casually to the plant.A yellow tag meant it was easy to grow [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.I’ll probably be here, but you can go in.”“Oh, I couldn’t—wouldn’t want to be there unless you were.”“It’s all right, really.Workers are everywhere right now anyway.You’ll probably be tripping all over each other.”“Oh, you’re such a life saver.”“Question: someone mentioned you were once going to give painting lessons.”Mamie’s smile faded.“I offered classes, but only two people signed up, so it wasn’t worth doing it.”“I’d like to take a class or two.”“Maybe…well, I’ll see if I can… I’ll talk to you later.” Mamie closed the door and hurried across the street, a new bounce in her step.“That was nice of you,” Claire said.“What?”“Do you really want painting lessons?”Payton smiled.“Of course.Do you want the rest of the tour?”“Everything is so beautiful.”“Thanks.I wanted people to see that they can use their plants as decorations rather than just something to set on a windowsill.Like this ficus radicans, for example.” Payton pointed to a plant on a wall shelf beside a photo of a little blonde girl.The plant’s tiny tendrils twisted through the shelf’s openwork back.“This plant looks best winding around something.Obviously this one has to be sold with the shelf, but I sell them separately also.Then I have these hand painted Mexican planters.They were made to hold herbs and sit on a windowsill.”Two steps led down to the outdoor patio.A five-foot latticework fence had been erected on three sides, shielding the area from the road.Tall umbrella palms made subtle privacy curtains at the street side.Different shapes and colors of stones had been laid in a meandering pattern on the gravel.“Absolutely beautiful.” Helen sat in a white wicker chair and put her feet up on the matching ottoman.Sunshine filtered through the overhead lattice casting Helen’s face in warped squares of light.Hanging plants swayed in the warm breeze; the gentle aroma of peppermint wafted through.Amanda took a chair beside Helen.“Payton, this is lovely.”“Thank you.”Claire sat in the third chair.Felicia took the fourth.Payton remained standing.Helen sipped her tea and pointed to a potted plant on the next table.“Tell me about this.We’re almost finished with our breakfast room and—”“A breakfast room?” Claire asked.“Yes.One day Payton pointed out how nice a sunroom cum breakfast nook would be, so I talked Carter into demolishing that rickety attached shed and replacing it with a glass room.You should see what a difference it makes.Anyway, I’ll be looking for plants to put out there.How would this be?”“You don’t want that.It needs beaucoup sunlight, and your room will have filtered sun because of the surrounding chestnut trees,” Payton said.“It’s so refreshing to have someone to tell me what’s going to work or not.Usually, I just hope a plant will live long enough for me to get it home from the supermarket.You know what you should do, dear? Start a home service where you go to people’s homes and tell them what sorts of plants they should have.”It was hard keeping her ears tuned to Helen’s words because Claire’s eyes had spotted something that sent a thrill of excitement literally from her head to her toes.Nirvana.It had to be.She was experiencing total and all-encompassing bliss because, in the center of the glass topped table, not three feet away, sat the plant! In an unassuming plastic pot, eight inches of shining green leaves and a young cluster of blue/purple flowers, was her monkshood plant.Claire leaned back and closed her eyes.The others could think she was enjoying the pleasant weather and relaxing furniture if they wanted.In reality Claire was experiencing an emotion something like childbirth: the overwhelming sensation that hits when the pressure’s released from your vagina and everyone yells congratulations.Congratulations, Miss Bastian.Your baby has arrived.Claire’s fingers twitched.She forced her hands to fold in her lap, presenting the vision of leisure and cheer.Two tags were affixed to the pot.She couldn’t read the price, but the cost didn’t matter, she’d mortgage her home if she had to.“What are you smiling at?” Felicia asked.Would any of them suspect she was the one who’d murdered Sean Adams? Would they care? She’d seen movies where people in town banded together to protect a murderer.She’d better not count on something like that.Face up to it, that’s all she could do if the time came.Felicia’s eyebrows lifted and Claire realized the woman was waiting for a response.“I was just enjoying the day.” Her eyes roved casually to the plant.A yellow tag meant it was easy to grow [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]