Murder at the Maples: A Flora Lively Mystery Read Online Free

seen before. Its presence in the warehouse was a little worrying, but now was not the time to ask which poor soul had moved into their new house minus their dining table this week. Marshall’s behaviour was still bothering her. One minute he was tensed for a fight, all jutting jaw and frowns; the next he was passing her tissues and playing the good guy. He’d seemed genuinely worried about her reaction to the Rockfords news – he knew how she took everything so personally.
    ‘You’re not responsible for the worldwide recession,’ he’d said during one of their many rows about the state of the business.
    But Flora knew he thought he could do so much better if she’d only give him free rein.
    Marshall returned with beer and pizza and they all tucked in, eating in gloomy silence until Flora said, ‘Come on, guys, it’s not the end of the world.’ Her words sounded unconvincing even to her own ears.
    Stuart sighed. ‘Business has been crap lately anyway. It’s not like this is going to make it any worse.’ He shoved another slice of pepperoni into his mouth and chewed it solemnly. Flora tried to hide her exasperation. It was difficult for Stuart and Steve, they were on casual contracts – Shakers couldn’t support more than two full-time employees. Even so, they’d been employed pretty consistently for the last few years, despite the recession. None of them knew that Flora paid herself a pittance so she could keep their wages flowing. She had a feeling Uncle Max suspected, but out in the wilds of Whixall he was in no position to be inspecting the accounts.
    ‘Come on.’ Flora adopted a tone of voice more jolly than she felt. ‘I’m sure we can think of something.’
    ‘Maybe you should go see David Rockford,’ Marshall said, fixing Stuart with a sardonic stare. ‘You could ask if there’s any work going. They’re bound to be recruiting soon.’
    ‘Marshall! There’s no need for that.’ Flora jumped off the table and laid her pizza to one side. She began to pace around the perimeter of the warehouse, kicking boxes out of her path as she went. ‘We’ve got to stick together,’ she said. ‘This is not the time to be bickering.’
    Marshall kept his eyes on the wall. Stuart’s expression had darkened but he continued munching on his pepperoni – Steve was keeping quiet, but there was something tense about his shoulders, and he’d hardly touched his pizza. Or his beer, which was definitely worrying.
    Flora sighed and leaned against one side of the shutters. A breeze blew in and ruffled her hair. She tipped her face to the last of the sun and closed her eyes. Honestly, being in charge of three male employees was a lot more challenging than people might imagine. Keeping these boys in check was something her dad had not prepared her for. If only he’d managed to stick around a bit longer … She swallowed. While her mum’s death had been expected, only a matter of time, her father’s had taken everyone by surprise. He’d only been sixty-four, fit and robust, hauling furniture with the strength of a man half his age. Flora knew his heart attack was just another word for a broken heart. He hadn’t the will to go on without her mother.
    But he’d had faith in her, and he’d wanted Shakers to be hers one day. Most days that was enough to get her through.
    ‘It’s time to make some changes, that’s for sure,’ Marshall said.
    Flora opened her eyes and pulled a face in the direction of the car park. There was no one to see her, but it made her feel better anyway.
    ‘Damn right. Can’t go on like this.’
    Steve’s contribution. Flora waited for Stuart to pipe up.
    ‘What do you suggest, mate?’ he said.
    Flora couldn’t stand it any longer.
    ‘We all know exactly what Marshall’s talking about, so don’t come all “what do you suggest”, Stuart.’ She ignored his shocked expression and rounded on Marshall. ‘And you – you should know better. We need to stick together, we need to keep