Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
After a moment, I realized he was walking at a good clip. His height gave him the advantage, and I had to break into a near jog to keep up. “Are we in a rush?”
“I just want to get to the carnival.”
“Because of the churros?” I goaded him.
“You’re annoying. I’m glad you don’t come to service.”
I gasped. Loudly. Dramatically.
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. If you must know, I simply want to head off a possible situation.”
“Which is what?”
He stopped as we reached the chain-link fence surrounding the high school. “I’m concerned Diana Flint might attack Troy Johnson’s stall.”
“Why?” I asked, gesturing for him to start walking. “What did Troy supposedly do to her?”
“Not just her.”
I groaned. “Tell me.”
“Well, apparently, she believes, as does Ken Slater, that Troy killed their bees.”
Diana was a pill about the fact that her apiary should have been the biggest and best in Osprey. Countless times she’d tried to get my friend and neighbor Troy Johnson’s honey taken off the shelves at the local store. But instead of fighting with her, Troy had opened his own store, selling honey with every added natural flavor one could conjure, as well as candles in every shape and size. He also sold tea and simmer pot mixes. It had been a hit the moment he opened his doors, deservedly so, and now, with the influx of tourists, his business was not only booming, but profits were through the roof. Conversely, Diana’s honey sat on the shelf, collecting dust.
It made sense. Troy made a superior product, was committed to sustainability, and his colony was thriving.
“She’s upset because of Troy’s success, you mean?” I rolled my eyes. “That’s not new.”
“No, no, quite literally—her bees, along with Mr. Slater’s colony, have all died.”
“Died?”
He nodded. “Mr. Aguirre—he cares for the Flint apiary—told me they had an entomologist, or a melittologist, I don’t remember which, come out from the university, and she reported that it looked as though the bees were poisoned, but she had no idea by what.”
“Yeah, but what would that have to do with Troy? He loves bees. He would never hurt anyone’s hives.”
“I agree, but the same entomologist or mel—”
“Bee expert, I got it.”
“So this same bee expert, after seeing Ken’s colony, said she suspected the pollen the bees collected was somehow tainted, so that when the bees took it back to the hive, an infection spread and killed all the others.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It is, yes, but that’s not the worst part.”
“True. The worst is that even without a shred of proof, I’m sure, Diana and Ken are pointing the finger at Troy.”
“That’s right.”
“Again, Troy would never hurt bees.”
“I know that, as does everyone else. Furthermore, he owns the biggest apiary in Osprey and is more successful than both Diana and Ken put together.”
“But?”
“But they both still accused him of killing their bees at the small-business meeting.”
“When?”
“Earlier today.”
“Why were you there?”
“Oh, the church is thinking of selling that parcel of land we own on the other side of the library now that Filson’s Fish Shack has gone out of business.”
I squinted at him. “It was the name, you know, not the fact that they sold fishing supplies that did them in.”
“I agree. We’re right by Lake Erie, for goodness’ sake, but with that name, most people thought Fish Shack was a restaurant.”
“I’m sure the tourists would have liked another restaurant.”
“Well, Bill is returning to being an actuary, so that worked out fine, and Linda is still working over at the high school.”
He had to tell me, even though I knew, to reassure me that all was well. It was part of his caring nature. “It’s good when a place can close and everyone is okay.”
“Yes, it is,” he affirmed, then cleared his throat. “But back to Troy, both Diana and Ken are convinced of his guilt even though the rest of the business leaders were not. And I know they were the two affected by what happened, but still, it’s illogical.”
“Not to be mean, but you know that’s how they both are.”
“Yes, and even more so when you hear their argument.”
“Hit me.”
“They believe Troy planted special flowers on his land that are infecting the bees.”
I crossed my arms. “Wouldn’t his bees be dead too if that were the case?”
“That’s exactly what Amanda Sterling said.”
My best friend could always be counted on for sound, pragmatic thinking. “Good.”
“She went on to say how ridiculous it is to assume that Diana’s or Ken’s bees flew all the way from their side of town, more than five miles away, to Troy’s to collect pollen when there’s all those flowers and water right there closer to home.”
“Yeah. Why would that happen?”
He threw up his hands. “I don’t know what they’re thinking, Xan, but Troy should protect his shop and his bees.”
“You actually think they’ll try and do something?”