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"Sure, honey We’re always hanging around" Ener scarves "We just keep out of sight when you’ve got customers Out of respect"

"Well, thanks" I smiled

Harvey appeared next to the ht that polyester leisure suit today Hell, you just wait till summer Ain’t nothin’ hotter than polyester"

"I’ht But business is business" I stepped closer and glanced at Valdez "Can you two co"

"Sure, sweetpea" Emmie Lou twirled her skirt as she headed that way "Harvey, shake a leg"

"That wolowered "But I’m comin’"

"Thanks" I followed them inside and shut the door Valdez probably could hear us anyway, but I doubted he’d bother to listen I wasn’t planning to let Blade in on my concerns I could handle this situation, if it was a situation "I want to ask you about Ryan"

"That youngun’s got a screw loose" Harvey looked at Es"

I don’t knohat I expected, but bugs? "What do you s"

"Sure do There’s one there in the corner On the top shelf" Harvey nodded toward the rabbed the can of Raid I hate bugs I’d insisted on an exterminator before I’d even considered this space Yeah, yeah I’s Go figure I crept closer and could just see antennae peeking out from the top shelf When I liftedit around the shelving until it didn’t even twitch

"Ryan should have killed it I’etting near it Disposing of the body would be a good job for bug boy when he ca

"Don’t know, honey All’s we know is that he used to play with it every time he came into work Talked to it too" Emmie Lou waved a hand over her face "Can’t you open that door? That stuff’s not exactly Evening in Paris"

"Right" I jerked open the door into the shop I’d been trying to ignore the set the spider too, while you got the can out" Harvey headed back into the store "It nests right up here, next to that set of Shakespeare you bought off Miranda" Harvey gestured, then made a face "Those books were a waste of money, if you ask me"

Emmie Lou shook her head "Harvey never did appreciate fine literature His idea of a good read is a paperback Western"

"And what’s wrong with that? Zane Grey Louis L’Amour Geniuses"

"You’d be surprised what a first edition Zane Grey goes for, E with the clothes Of course that re at each other

I ignored Eument escalated Of course I had my own fond memories of Billy Shakespeare I’d only done a few of his plays, but had workedthe rest of them over the years I looked up at the shelf A spider crouched on the edge I shuddered What would Billy say? "Out da like that I crept up on it, can at the ready, but it scurried out of sight I wasn’t about to spray ured I’d tell Ryan to kill the creepy crawly I turned back to Harvey and Elass

"Stop!" I didn’t think I could take it away from her So I just looked at it until she put it back "Thanks Any s?" I held the can out in front of me and scanned the rooe the subject "What’s got you so riled? Those itty bitty things don’t even bite Why I reht in a bee hive Now that’s no treat, I can tell you"

"I don’t want bugs in my store I knoouldn’t shop where there are roaches and spiders" Or where I found the screeching owner perched on the counter with a can of bug spray

"We’ll keep our eyes open, honey If we see any ave Harvey a look "Everybody’s got phobias, Harvey You got that thing about Ferris wheels"

"Now, E up ancient history" Harvey looked embarrassed

"Can I ask you both a favor?"

"Sure, honey" Ee Whatcha need?"

"I need you both to watch Ryan when I’e or suspicious" As if playing with bugs wasn’t strange enough I put the spray back in the storeroom and looked out the open back door The smell wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t exactly the perfume Emmie Lou had mentioned either Nope The back door had to be locked and double bolted Security first