“Exactly.”
Cheryl took me through a list of questions, designed to lead me to what I suspected was a top-of-the-line system and much more than I needed. But I let her play her sales game. By the time she’d finished talking about all the advantages of installing one of her company’s systems, I was almost sold, yet something was nagging at me. “What about all those security problems the bank’s been having? I’ve heard it’s the underground power lines or phone lines in the area that’s been setting off the alarm? I don’t want to be chasing after errors in the system.”
“Oh, you’ve heard about those?” Cheryl focused on the computer screen again. I’d been with the girl for twenty minutes and I’d found her tell. She might not have been lying, but I knew when she didn’t want to talk about something. “Every system can have a few glitches at first. I’m sure we’ve taken care of those here in South Cove.”
“Too bad the bank was the test system. Seems like that would be the one place you’d want your system to be perfect.”
Cheryl handed me a pamphlet that went over the cost of installation and the monthly service fees, along with her card. “Unfortunate, yes, but not unusual. I can almost assure you that there will be no further issues with the Stay Safe Security systems in the town of South Cove.”
After Cheryl left, customers kept me busy until Aunt Jackie came in, dressed in a skirted suit that looked even more expensive and polished than Cheryl’s had. She eyed my jeans and Yellowstone T-shirt. “You’re not wearing that.”
“I’m not the one in trouble, so yes, I am wearing this.” I gave my aunt a kiss on the cheek and finished the book order for the week. I’d found a new mystery I’d already tucked into my purse to keep me busy while I waited for my aunt to talk to her lawyer.
Toby arrived and I went over a few pickup orders I had taken for that afternoon. A group of women were having a retreat over at Main Street Books and had ordered a selection of coffees and treats for their afternoon break. Mary had called in the order, apologizing for the lateness. She had told them she would do the additional break, but with the excitement the last few days, she’d forgotten to bake.
“She’ll be here at two to pick up.” I gave the list to Toby, who nodded.
“No problem.” He picked up the flyer Cheryl had left. “You considering this company for the shop?”
“I talked to their salesperson this morning. Have you heard anything about the company?”
“Nothing good. I’ll get you some names of a few guys who are housed out of Bakerstown. Stay Safe Security has a PO Box as a headquarters in Colorado and well, you know about the bank’s issues. The auditors are insisting on the branch cancelling their contract and hiring a new provider.” He lowered his voice. “I’m only telling you this to keep you from getting into the same problem.”
“I won’t tell Greg you said anything,” I assured my barista.
Aunt Jackie came in from the back. “You won’t tell Greg what?”
I hustled my aunt out of the shop. “Call if you need us.” Although we wouldn’t be in a position to help for hours. Maybe I should have called in Sasha for the day. She’d started taking classes at the local university, so she’d cut her hours from the full-time position we’d carved out for her after the end of her internship. I dialed the shop’s number on my cell as we walked to my Jeep.
“Coffee, Books, and More, how can I help you?” Toby’s baritone boomed through the speaker.
“I’m impressed. Usually you just say, ‘Talk to me.’” I clicked open the doors with my key fob and climbed inside, waiting for Aunt Jackie to settle in the passenger seat.
“I saw you dial the phone out the front window. So what do you want?” Toby went back to being the smart aleck he typically portrayed.
“If it gets too busy, call Sasha. She doesn’t have classes on Tuesday, so she might come in to help.”
“No way. If she doesn’t have classes, she needs to be studying. I can’t believe the load she’s taking this year. Did you know she wants to go pre-law?” Toby’s voice was tinged with humor.
“I tried to talk her out of it, but she’s stubborn. I just hope she doesn’t become a police officer.” I tapped Aunt Jackie’s unfastened seat belt with my finger. She frowned but clicked the belt on, holding her hands out in a surrender motion.
“Nothing wrong with wanting to serve and protect. There are a lot worse jobs out there. See you tomorrow.” Then my barista hung up on me.
“I guess he was done talking.” I put my phone in one of the cubbies by my seat and started the engine.