Old Bones: a Hetty Fox Cozy Mystery (Hetty Fox Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Read Free

glanced over at Andrew. He was still hovering across from me and glowering  in my direction. Weighing the joy of spending more time with a disgruntled Andrew, or spending time with Laura and her problem,  I took a deep breath and said, “I’ll be right there.”
     
    ***
     
    Laura Day lived in a tidy, 1920s brick bungalow across the river from me. Her side of the river was what I called the low ground. My place was on the opposite bank and sat on the top of a towering cliff. My location gave me an enchanting view of the Illinois River and of the houses stretched out on its far bank. Now I pointed my car’s nose east, over the bridge and onto the flatlands.
    After reaching her place, I exited my car and hurried up the path to her house. Laura was a charming woman, probably somewhere in her middle forties. She mostly wore a happy smile and always had a ready hand. “Please, come in,” she now said. She swung the door wide. “I have fresh coffee and Toby’s here. We need to discuss some knitting club business.”
    She ushered me into the kitchen, where Toby Spires was already seated. She was a large, muscular woman, with kinky, steel-gray hair. She often seemed to be as sour in outlook as Laura was cheerful.
    I wished Toby a good morning. In return she gave me a low grunt. Her muscular arms were folded across her wide chest. She looked about as welcoming as a pit bull at a doberman convention.
    “Go ahead,” Laura told me. “Take a seat.”
    I did as instructed. “So what’s up?”
    Toby huffed and announced. “We’ve got a rogue member. She’s trying to take over the club.”
    “That's not quite correct,” Laura countered. “It’s just that she wants us to change  our meeting dates.”
    Toby’s face flushed. A small vein at her neck visibly throbbed. “Can you imagine that woman’s nerve? She’s been a member all of two months. Now, she wants to turn the club on its ear.”
    I glanced  at Laura. “What’s her proposal?”
    “She’s asked us to shift our meetings from Monday afternoons to Saturdays.”
    Currently, our group met twice monthly on the first and third Mondays.
    I cleared my throat. “That doesn’t sound too extreme. Most of our members are either retired or are stay-at-home moms. I would think a change is possible without causing too much distress.”
    Toby raised her chin. “I can tell you it’s a big deal to me. I’m pretty sure most of the other members will feel the same way.”
    I smiled at her. “Then, I doubt the proposal will be successful.”
    Toby snorted. “Well, of course not. We are what we are, and I, for one, am proud of it. We’re not about to change just because she makes some kind of silly suggestion.”
    Laura chuckled. “Now Toby, not everyone sees this issue quite the same way you do.”
    She snorted. “I suspect there’ll be enough who do that we’ll  defeat the plan.”
    I glanced at Laura. “Who’s put this proposal forward?”
    “Her name is Valerie Jarrett.  You’ve met her. She came she’s been to at least three sessions. Other than stirring up this hornet’s nest, she seems like she’ll make a pretty decent member.”
    “Hogwash,” Toby thundered. “She’s nothing but a troublemaker.”
    Laura set my coffee before me and shook her head. “Valerie used to work full time. She says by meeting on Mondays we’re not being fair to local working women.”
    “Oh.” I glanced down and studied my coffee.I couldn’t deny she had a point. “What do you want me to do?” I wasn’t an officer in the club.
    Laura sat and folded her hands together on the table. “Hetty, I’d like you to meet with Valerie. Feel her out. See if you and she can work out a compromise.”
    “Why would she listen to me?”
    “Because I think you’ll give her a fair hearing.” She glanced at Toby. “That’s not something I think many others in our club are ready to do.” She returned her attention to me. “Truthfully,  I’m terrified of this coming up