Blue Dahlia (In the Garden 1)

"It's not like that. Why is he late?" she demanded, glancing at her watch. "I knew he'd be late. He has 'I'm chronically late for mostly everything' written all over him. "

When a customer came in, Hayley patted Stella's shoulder. "That's my cue. Have a good time. May I help you?" she asked, strolling over to the customer.

Stella waited another couple of minutes, assuring herself that Hayley had the new customer in hand. Ruby rang up two more. Work was being done where work needed to be done, and she had nothing to do but wait.

Deciding to do her waiting outside, she grabbed her jacket.

Her planters looked good, and she figured her display of them was directly responsible for the flats of pansies they'd moved in the past few days. That being the case, they could add a few more planters, do a couple of half whiskey barrels, add some hanging pots.

Scribbling, she wandered around, picking out the best spots to place displays, to add other touches that would inspire customers to buy.

* * *

When Logan pulled up at quarter after one, she was sitting on the steps, listing the proposed displays and arrangements and dividing up the labor of creating them.

She got up even as he climbed out of the truck. "I got hung up. "

"No problem. I kept busy. "

"You okay riding in the truck?"

"Wouldn't be the first time. " She got in, and as she buckled her seat belt, studied the forest of notes and reminders, sketches and math calculations stuck to his dashboard.

"Your filing system?"

"Most of it. " He turned on the CD player, and Elvis rocked out with "Heartbreak Hotel. " "Seems only right. "

"Are you a big fan?"

"You've got to respect the King. "

"How many times have you been to Graceland?"

"Couldn't say. People come in from out of town, they want to see it. You visit Memphis, you want Graceland, Beale Street, ribs, the Peabody's duck walk. "

Maybe she could chill, Stella decided. They were just talking, after all. Like normal people. "Then this is the first tic on my list. "

He looked over at her. Though his eyes were shielded by the black lenses, she knew, from the angle of his head, that they were narrowed with speculation. "You've been here, what, around a month, and you haven't gone for ribs?"

"No. Will I be arrested?"

"You a vegetarian?"

"No, and I like ribs. "

"Honey, you haven't had ribs yet if you haven't had Memphis ribs. Don't your parents live down here? I thought I'd met them once. "

"My father and his wife, yeah. Will and Jolene Dooley. "

"And no ribs?"

"I guess not. Will they be arrested?"

"They might, if it gets out. But I'll give you, and them, a break and keep quiet about it for the time being. "

"Guess we'll owe you. "

"Heartbreak Hotel" moved into "Shake, Rattle, and Roll. " This was her father's music, she thought. It was odd, and kind of sweet, to be driving along, tapping her foot, on the way to Memphis listening to the music her father had listened to as a teenager.