Mystic Park Read Free Page B

marrying one of the most wonderful people in Trinity Falls. Congratulations.” Benita watched with delight as Alonzo’s smile spread into a grin. She felt a twinge of envy.
    According to her great-aunt, Alonzo had been in love with Doreen Fever—now the mayor of Trinity Falls as well as manager of the café at Books & Bakery—since they were in high school. Now nearing retirement, the sheriff was finally going to marry the great love of his life. In contrast, Benita had just broken up with her high school sweetheart. Wasn’t life something?
    â€œDoreen is one of the most wonderful people in town.” Alonzo’s expression softened at the mention of his fiancée. “Your great-aunt is equally a treasure.”
    Benita smiled in agreement. “You shouldn’t let Aunt Helen hear you say that, though. It’ll go straight to her head.”
    â€œSave your backhanded compliments.” Ms. Helen waved a small, seemingly frail hand. “Would you like some tea, Alonzo?”
    Benita frowned as she recalled the three mugs of tea on the counter beside her great-aunt’s stove.
    â€œIf it’s not too much trouble.” Alonzo tucked his campaign hat under his arm.
    â€œNo trouble at all.” Ms. Helen led them back to her kitchen. “We were just about to have some ourselves.”
    Alonzo waited for Benita to follow her great-aunt before accompanying them to the kitchen. How had Ms. Helen known to prepare three mugs of tea? Had she known Alonzo was on his way? But she’d seemed surprised to find him on her doorstep. Benita shrugged the mystery aside. She had enough weighing on her mind. Vaughn had broken up with her after eighteen years of their on-again-off-again romance. And she needed to find a way to convince Ms. Helen to move into an assisted living home.
    About half an hour later, Benita cleared the table after their tea with Alonzo and prepared a light lunch for Ms. Helen and her. She slid a glance toward her great-aunt, who was enjoying a second mug of chai tea. Her relative seemed in good spirits after the sheriff’s report on his department’s morning activities. In Los Angeles, Benita was bombarded with news bulletins about drive-by shootings, home invasions, and murders. In contrast, this morning, the Trinity Falls Sheriff Department had freed a toddler whose head had been stuck in a staircase banister. Deputies had investigated a prank at Heritage High School involving students who’d nailed shut the teachers’ break room. Alonzo suspected the perpetrators to be the same ones who’d nailed shut the high school’s exterior doors last Halloween. Benita was reassured that the national crime wave hadn’t spread to Trinity Falls.
    â€œNever a dull moment in Trinity Falls, is there?” Benita was only half joking.
    She lowered the burner under the pot of homemade chicken soup she’d prepared for dinner last night. The air swelled with the scents of seasonings and fresh vegetables. Benita pulled her homemade wheat bread from the refrigerator to make sandwiches as she waited for the soup to boil. She was rarely inspired to cook like this in L.A. Why was that?
    â€œThat’s what I keep telling you.” Ms. Helen crossed to the dishwasher to add her mug to the machine. “Do you need help preparing lunch?”
    â€œNo, I’ve got it.”
    â€œThat’s what I love about your visits.” Ms. Helen returned to her seat at the kitchen table. “As brief as they are, I never have to do anything while you’re here. You wait on me hand and foot.”
    â€œActually, Aunt Helen, that’s one of the things I wanted to speak with you about. I’m concerned about your living alone.”
    â€œWhy? Because of the recent crime spree? Now you know how I feel about your living in Los Angeles.”
    Benita’s living in Los Angeles was a different matter from her great-aunt living on her own anywhere