Free Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry Page A

left them alone.
    Andrea came to a halt in the midst of racks of light fixtures. She turned toward him. “I’m not too proud to admit when I’m out of my depth. What do you think we need?”
    Since he’d already decided, he was relieved that they weren’t going to argue about it. He chose two brands and set the boxes in front of her. “Either one of these would do the job.”
    “Which do you recommend?”
    He put his hand on the more expensive brand. “This will cost more to begin with, but it’s higher rated. Still, the other one will serve.”
    She shook her head decisively. “I don’t want to worry that they’ll have to be replaced in a couple of years. How many do you think we need to cover the area?”
    “I’d say six would do it.” He glanced at the racks. “Ted doesn’t have that many out, but he probably has more in the back.”
    She picked up the box. “I’ll ask him to get them while you’re picking out the locks.” Her smile flickered. “You don’t need to ask my opinion. Just get what you think will work best.”
    So apparently Andrea trusted him in that, at least, and she wasn’t grudging the money spent on something her grandmother needed. He watched her walk toward the counter. Even in khaki pants and a fitteddenim jacket, she had just enough of an urban flair to let you know she didn’t belong here.
    Too bad. Because Katherine would like having her around, not because it mattered to him.
    It took a few minutes to find locks that satisfied him. Nothing would keep out a really determined thief, but these would discourage anyone who was looking for a lock that could be popped quickly and quietly.
    He headed back to the counter, his hands full, but checked when he saw the person who stood next to Andrea, talking away as if they were old friends. Margaret Allen. He’d be willing to bet that no legitimate errand had brought her into the hardware store. It was far more likely that she’d spotted them from across the street and decided to check up on the competition.
    He approached and dropped the locks on the counter, their clatter interrupting the conversation. “That’s it for us, Ted. Ring us up.”
    He turned, forcing a smile. “Hello, Margaret. How’s business?”
    She returned the smile with one that had syrup oozing off it. Margaret looked, he always thought, like a well-fed, self-satisfied cat, and never so much as when she was asserting her position as the owner of the finest inn in the county. Just how far would she go to maintain that status? The question had begun pricking at the back of his mind lately.
    “How nice to see you, Cal. I was just telling Andrea how wonderful it is of her to come and help her grandmother at such a sad time. Poor Rachel. I’m afraid all their visions of starting a bed-and-breakfast will belost. Still, I always say that every cloud has a silver lining, and I’m sure in the end, this disappointment will be for the best. Don’t you agree, Andrea?”
    Andrea looked a little dazed at the flood of saccharine. “Yes, I mean—”
    “We have to go.” He handed Andrea the credit card Ted had been patiently holding out. “Lots to do. Nice seeing you, Margaret.” He scooped up boxes, handing the bag containing the locks to Andrea, and nudged her toward the door.
    She shot him an annoyed look. “I’m glad to have met you, Ms. Allen. I’ll tell my sister you asked about her.”
    They reached the pickup, and he started loading fixtures quickly, not having any desire to hang around for another interrogation from Margaret.
    Andrea dropped the bag with the locks into the pickup bed. “You didn’t have to be rude to that poor woman. She was just expressing her concern.”
    “Right.” He shook his head. “That was Margaret Allen.” He pointed to the Georgian mansion across the street with its twin weeping willows overhanging the wrought iron fence. “That Margaret Allen, owner of The Willows bed-and-breakfast.”
    “She said she was a friend of