Tristan continued, “That’s not all, though. Then when we were passing through Harrow’s, the General Store, I noticed that we were being watched. Edna and Peggy were watching us from inside the store. I elbowed Tommy, and he pointed out that they weren’t the only ones who were staring. It was weird.”
"You know people in town have nothing better to do than get in other people's business. Especially Edna Harrow and Peggy Dresher. My grandmother used to belong to the same bridge club as them, and she said all they do is talk crap about other people. Sad...”
"Edna is one of the ladies who insulted me. She said I am just like my mother - sullen and weird."
"From what I hear, you are nothing like your mother aside from looks."
"It made me really uncomfortable. It was as if they knew something about us that we didn't."
“I think you have enough on your plate, with researching this ridiculous project. Don’t worry about what stupid people think, especially gossiping old ladies with nothing better to do.”
*
Edna Harrow slammed the cash register drawer shut with a bang inside Harrow’s General Store, her father’s operation, as she reclaimed her seat next to her long-time friend and fellow Harrow’s employee, Peggy Dresher. Peggy was sitting on her metal folding chair, her thunderous saddlebags draping over the edges on either side of her seat with a miserable scowl permanently planted on her once attractive face. She opened up her mouth to speak, showing nothing but empty space; she had failed to wear her dentures again, and as a result she was difficult to understand as she rambled on about lord knows what. Peggy routinely left her dentures at home, and insisted that they were only for special occasions, like weddings and funerals. As Edna, who actually had no trouble understanding Peggy, lowered her skeletal figure onto the chair beside Peggy, the morning conversation opened with the usual topics: health complaints, husband complaints, and a hearty round of malicious gossip about their fellow community members.
“How ya feeling today, Peggy?”
“Just grand, isn’t this the life?” Peggy said facetiously as she waved to the tiny, cluttered General Store.
“One of these days, we’re just going to pack up and head to somewhere warm and this town ain’t gonna know what hit them…”
“Where’ll we go? And should we bring Hank and Arnie?”
“I thought we were running away! Why the hell would we bring the husbands?!”
“It’d be much less stressful without them. But what if we get lonely?”
“Edna, we are youthful, vivacious, and full of spunk! We’ll find a pair of cabana boys, and live our days without worry!”
“Why, young men do love older women these days!”
As Peggy contemplated her daydreams out loud with her longest living friend, Jack Morrow had walked up to the front counter and rung the rusty bell that was sitting on the countertop, with a sign next to it that said “Ring for Service.” Edna and Peggy argued silently, debating who would be assisting Jack today. Neither of them wanted to take on the task. They didn’t like Jack much.
“Good Morning, Jack,” said Edna lifting herself gingerly off of her seat, fluffing up her red dye job in the process. “What can I do you for this fine morning?”
“Hi Edna. We need to pick up some chicken feed.”
“We just got two dozen cases in yesterday, so help yourself. They’re out back. Anything else you need? Milk? Eggs? Baked goods?”
“Nope, that is all I need.”
Edna smiled and nodded at Jack, but as she watched him head to the back of the store towards the supply yard, she glared at him suspiciously, her crow’s feet appearing on the sides of her face.
“I never did trust him….” Edna said to Peggy, unaware that Tristan and Tommy Morrow were staring right at her when she let the words spill from her mouth.
Tommy motioned to Tristan to follow him, and they followed Jack out the back door. Edna hurried back to her seat as Peggy commented, “That girl is so strange. Did you see the way she stared? A weird and sullen girl just like her mother.”
“Her poor mother.”
“So why don’t you trust Jack? He comes from good stock.”
“Would you? You know what he did to his wife!”
“Yeah, I know the rumors, but how’s he not in jail? Maybe it wasn’t him.”
“They could never prove it, but you could just tell… that was no accident… and who else had access to her? That was a crime of passion! You’d have to hate someone an awful lot to do what he did. Besides my nephew Earl was on the case. Nasty piece of work, he said that investigation was.”
“I think you’re reading too many of those crime of passion novels that Marty sells at the drug store!”
“I’m not kidding! He’s bad news!”