Another, longer tease . . .
**
Before Eva had even stepped around the counter, the front door opened. Three more customers. Great. Time to reassess the personnel budget. Katie Crenshaw, Zack’s girlfriend, often stopped by to help out after school and any Saturdays when she had the time. Today she’d had weekend cheerleading practice, and naturally everything was falling down around Eva’s ears.
She didn’t have a choice. “Mrs. Appleton, why don’t you step out into the garden and find Zachary? He’ll be glad to show you the selection of hibiscus. I’ll be right out as soon as I take care of these customers.”
“Fine, dear,” Mrs. Appleton said, taking tiny steps toward the door and waving her handkerchief all the way there. “Zachary!”
Eva grimaced. It looked like she was going to have to spring for whatever piece of photographic equipment her son couldn’t live without on top of his pay.
She blew out a puff of steam and looked around. Two of the customers had walked outside to the garden. She’d take care of the couple after she finished with the third.
She found him, or at least heard him, clinking bottles of liquid Diazinon on the back shelf. She came around the corner and stopped.
“Can I hel—”
“Hello, Eva,” said Carson Brandt.
Oh … my … God.
