"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"
Knowing that Arabella tended to exaggerate things, Charlie knew that there was an element of truth to what she said. Some girl stealing from the diner was indeed something worth finding out about.
"All right, Arabella shall we go and see what all the fuss is about?"
"Well Frances can't see can she? She's blind as a bat, don't be so insensitive, Charlie" chided Arabella... insensitively. But Frances didn't mind, or at least pretended not to, she was keen to impress the disembodied voice that was Charlie.
"That's all right, it's just a figure of speech, isn't it Deputy?" she asked in the direction of where she thought he was and gave another gleaming smile.
"Oh, put them teeth away, honey, our handsome Deputy's only go eyes for one woman, ain't that right Charlie?" Arabella asked mischievously as they approached the back door. "And believe it or not, Franny, it ain't either of us two good lookin' gals!"
"Yes, Dear"
"My name is so Tully," Tully insisted
"Is so made up, more like!" muttered Jacob.
"...an' there's no racoon here 'cause I chased it out!" Add lying to her list of sins!
Jabob made a tshuh! noise that exactly summed up his exasperation at the lameness of her lies and his disgust that she thought them stupid enough to believe them!
But then the lady offered her food, and Tully had long ago learned not to turn down food. "I like apple pie," she muttered, "I ain't starvin', though." At least partly another lie, she'd had bits to eat here and there, so she wasn't going to die or anything.
"Hold on what? She stole food from us so we're punishing her by offering her more food?!" Jacob spluttered, amazed at Clara's tack on this.
"I come in lookin' fer food," she finally admitted, focusing on Clara, since she was a lot nicer than the man, "I got no money nor way ta pay." And asking was out of the question, it wasn't worth the risk of being run off. "Didn't mean no harm by it." It wouldn't be genuine to apologize, so she didn't.
"Well, you should have asked, not just taken!" Jacob butted in "We're Christian folks, we'd give some scraps to a beggar if they asked nice."
"I like apple pie," the woman muttered, "I ain't starvin', though."
"That's good to know," Clara nodded, at last some progress of sorts.
"Hold on what? She stole food from us so we're punishing her by offering her more food?!" Jacob spluttered.
"I baked that pie, Jacob, and I am in charge of the diner until Mrs. Pike returns, so that decision is mine," Clara was not going to let her husband change her mind on this.
"I come in lookin' fer food," she finally admitted, focusing on Clara, "I got no money nor way ta pay. Didn't mean no harm by it."
"Well, you should have asked, not just taken!" Jacob butted in "We're Christian folks, we'd give some scraps to a beggar if they asked nice."
"My rather excitable husband is basically correct. I do wish you had asked. But nevermind that. It is water over the dam as the saying goes," Clara added.
"But how about this, Tully? You can have a nice big slice of apple pie and then in return instead of paying for it, you can clean up the mess on the floor. I have had a long hard day of work and I am tired. Carrying this baby does not help things. Then we will let you go freely and everything is all even up."
"Ya ask an' them says 'no', then they're watchin' for ya, an' ya got nothin'," Tully grumbled, shrugging as she slumped in the chair, pondering over the woman's offer.
"Didn't mean ta cause ya no extra work." And that was true, she had just intended to get some stew and go, and certainly not leaving a mess.
"Gimme a rag." Standing slowly and keeping a wary eye on Jacob, Tully shuffled toward the mess that she'd caused. "I ain't gonna take no charity," she declared, "I'll clean th' mess, then ya can give me pie." She had her standards, and at least she knew how to clean!
Glaring defiantly at Jacob, Tully grabbed the rag, then stooped over to start confining the mess into a pile, determined that she wasn't going to get on her hands and knees like a servant! It was a pity that all this food had been wasted, and right now, she'd be having a feast if they'd just left her alone!
But then, pie sounded so much better than stew, and she wouldn't have thought of that.
Looking back at Clara, she asked, "Ya gotta mop, too? That'd be quicker. An' I can make ya some chamomile tea, if ya got some around, be good fer yer nerves."
Clara now knew she was making real progress, the woman...Tully...she should think of her as now that she had a name...was going to do the cleanup.
"Thank you," Clara left it simple but sincere.
Jacob was now nearest to the sink area, where there was a wet dishcloth. He stepped to the side, grabbed it, and slopped it down onto the floor next to the mess.
"There you go. If you mean it, get on your hands and knees and clean it up." he said, harshly.
That drew a stern glare from Clara toward her husband who was seemingly bent on making this as difficult as possible for her. But she would not snap at him in front of this stranger. They were after all husband and wife.
Tully did not argue with Jacob either but bent over to begin cleaning. It was quite a wet mess to expect much though using a dishrag. Tully turned.
"Ya gotta mop, too? That'd be quicker. An' I can make ya some chamomile tea, if ya got some around, be good fer yer nerves."
"Oh, yes, of course," Clara went to the sidewall closet and returned with it.
"And I have some coffee left too. You are welcome to have a cup of it with your pie. I do not want the tea, my nerves are fine. Thank you for your concern."
She glanced then to Jacob with one eyebrow up as if to say 'do not make a smart remark'.
"Yes, Dear"
Talk about the 'prodigal son'! Or rather the prodigal thieving little toad. Now Clara was fetching and carrying mops for the girl and offering her tea or, no, hold on, the thieving little toad was offering Clara tea. Not even real tea, some horrible sounding medicinal concoction. Good job Arabella was no longer there, she considered any kind of tea-drinking as unpatriotic.
"Oh, yes, of course," Clara went to the sidewall closet and returned with it.
"And I have some coffee left too. You are welcome to have a cup of it with your pie. I do not want the tea, my nerves are fine. Thank you for your concern."
Jacob opened his mouth to make a smart remark but Clara did the eyebrow thing. God, he hated the eyebrow thing - and there were so many smart remarks he could make, too.
Well, while these two were enjoying some sort of female bonding... thing... he was surplus to requirements.
"I'll go and... check out front." he said. "Shout me if you need me." he said to Clara. He left the room but left the kitchen door open, just in case.
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
After what seemed an eternity, Charlie finally made it to the back door of the cafe. It was now very quiet compared to the shouting that was going on a few moments ago. He was now wondering if it was really worth finding out what the problem was but a couple of looks and bit of push from Arabella towards the door made up his mind.
He raised his hand and knocked twice on the door...
Thankfully, the man finally left, leaving Tully feeling relieved, not that she was completely comfortable with Clara, but at least the arguing was over.
"Didn't mean ta cause ya trouble with yer man," she muttered, then just concentrated on finishing her task, at the same time calculating her chances of making it out the back door, and whether, after all this, she was more concerned with a meal or escape.
That dilemma was solved for her when she was just finishing with the cleaning, and there was a knock on the back door. Gasping, she pulled the mop handle across her body like a shield, backing as far into the corner as she could. She was ready to fight her way out, if it came to that!
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Arabella felt that a mere knock on the door wasn't enough, and shouted through the crack: "Open up, it's the Law!! Deputy Charlie's here, and you don't want mess around with The Big Dubya!"
She glanced at Charlie, oh good, at least he'd remembered to put his gun on this morning and his badge, and he didn't look hungover: maybe his efforts to stop drinking were working at last. Still, she thought more encouragement might be needed to get the Lutzes to open up.
"We can come in the easy way or the hard way! come out with your hands up..." oh, she couldn't remember what stupid name the girl had made up, but she got a near approximation to it "... Hannah Montana!"
Frances whispered an urgent correction.