She nodded. “Oh, yes, it’s been very busy. Della really needs to get someone hired. I don’t know how long Jodi and I can do it all.”
“Does Della help you out?” It was her business, so I couldn’t imagine her not working alongside her employees.
She inhaled. “I hate to complain about her, but she doesn’t help out nearly enough. We were already short a person, and now that we’ve lost Richard, we’re really having a hard time keeping up.”
I shook my head. “I would think Della would step up and help out.”
“She does help out some, but I guess she’s got paperwork to do.” She shrugged. “I just hope she gets someone hired soon. That’s what we really need.”
I nodded. “I gave Jodi a ride home the other day, and she said you all were busy. She was carrying two shopping bags, and I couldn’t pass her by and let her carry them home like that.”
She nodded. “Yeah, poor Jodi. She’s on foot these days. I try to give her a ride to work when I can, but sometimes Della doesn’t have us coming in at the same time.”
“Oh? Her car must have needed more repairs than she thought it needed. Being on foot is no fun when the weather isn’t good.”
She looked at me, puzzled. “Car repairs?”
Now it was my turn to be puzzled. “Yes, she said she had taken her car into the shop to have the transmission repaired.”
Her mouth made a straight line, and then she sighed. “Between you and me, her car isn’t in the shop. It was repossessed.”
“Oh. That’s terrible.” I was surprised to hear this, but if that had happened to my car, I wouldn’t volunteer that information to anyone, either.
She nodded. “It happened about a month ago, and she’s been on foot since then. She’s going to try to buy another car, but I don’t think she has the money right now.”
“Poor thing. She was probably too embarrassed to tell me that. Well, I won’t let on that you told me what really happened.”
“I try to give her a ride around town if I can, but she says she’s fine with walking. She’s been trying to lose weight, anyway.”
“Having to walk everywhere will do it,” I said.
She nodded. “Allie, has Alec said anything new about Richard’s case? Is he close to arresting someone? I just hate that a killer is running around town.”
“You and me both. But if he has someone in his sights, he hasn’t mentioned it to me. I wish he would. I need to know these things.” I chuckled.
She swallowed and paled. “I would think he would have an idea of who did it by now. Don’t you?”
I shrugged. “Sometimes it takes some time to sort through everything. He has to interview people and look at the evidence. Why?”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Well, I just hope he finds them soon. So he didn’t mention who he has his eye on?”
I shook my head. “No, sorry. I don’t know what he’s up to.” I wondered about her questions. Was there a reason she was asking? Besides mere curiosity? “Now that you’ve had some time to think things over, have you thought of anything new? Maybe something you didn’t think about at the beginning that might help the case?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve told Alec everything I know. I wish there was something else, but I just can’t think of a thing.”
I nodded, studying her face. Was she telling me the truth? “I see.”
She exhaled. “Well, it’s been good talking to you, Allie. I had better get inside and get something for lunch. I will definitely try the German chocolate cake. I can hardly wait.”
“I hope you like it,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I headed to my car, looking over my shoulder one last time as she entered the restaurant. Why was she interested in what Alec knew or if he was getting ready to arrest someone? I shook my head and got into my car. I was getting paranoid.
Chapter Sixteen
I tried to do what Alec said and stay away from Jared Thomas, but I was just too curious. And yes, I know what they say about curiosity killing the cat and all that, but I needed some answers.
I pushed my shopping cart into the frozen foods section of the grocery store, hunting Jared. I wasn’t exactly sure who he was or what he looked like, but I saw a young man putting ice cream into the freezer, so I headed in that direction.
I pushed my cart to the ice cream section and leaned over so I could get a look at his name tag. I quickly saw that his name was Jared. I smiled at him. “Good morning. How are you today?” I asked as I opened the freezer door next to the one he had propped open.
He looked at me and smiled. “I’m doing all right. I hear we’re getting some more rain tomorrow though. I’m not looking forward to that.” He was friendly, and that surprised me. I was expecting a dark, angry drug kingpin.
I turned to look at him. “Are you kidding me? More rain? We’re going to float off into the ocean if this keeps up.”
He chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing. I guess we don’t have a choice about it though. Mother Nature seems to have a mind of her own these days.”
I shook my head and looked over the cartons of gourmet ice cream on the freezer shelf. Tutti Frutti. That sounded good. “I guess we don’t have a choice about
