As they walked back to Ruth’s car, the scent of pine following them, Ida said, “I liked him.”
“Seems like he has a solid alibi, unless he’s already set it up with his brother to lie,” Ruth said.
“He sells nice wreaths,” Helen added.
Nans glanced back at the lot, where Noah was helping the young couple load a tree into their trunk. “He also genuinely seems sad about Stanley. That’s not nothing.”
“Unless he’s a very good actor,” Ida pointed out.
“Unless that,” Nans agreed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
They found Eddie Parks in the back hallway of town hall, hauling boxes of decorations from a storage closet. The hallway smelled like a mix of pine cleaner, old wood, and something faintly peppermint. A mop bucket sat in the corner, and his maintenance cart was parked against the wall, loaded with supplies.
His knit cap was pulled low over his ears. His cheeks were red from exertion or cold—maybe both. His boots were wet, leaving dark prints on the tile floor.
He looked up when he heard them approaching and let out a long breath. “Well, if it isn’t the interrogation squad.”
Nans stopped a few feet away, her expression gentle. “We’re not interrogating. We’re chatting.”
Eddie set the box down with more force than necessary. “Sure.”
Helen stepped forward, her voice soft. “Eddie, we’re sorry about Stanley.”
Eddie’s mouth tightened. He looked down at the box, not meeting her eyes. “Yeah.”
“You were here early this morning?” Ruth asked, her iPad ready but held casually at her side.
“I’m always here early. Pipes don’t care about holidays.” Eddie wiped his hands on his jacket, leaving faint streaks of dust. “Building’s old. Something’s always breaking.”
Ida stepped closer and sniffed theatrically. “You smell like pine cleaner.”
Eddie blinked at her. “That’s my job.”
“What’s that on your shoe? Looks like glitter,” Ida added, tilting her head like a detective who’d just found a crucial clue.
Eddie’s eyes flicked away. “My wife does a lot of stuff with glitter.”
Nans folded her hands. “Eddie, do you have access to the storage room? The one where Stanley was found?”
“Master key.” Eddie pulled a key ring from his belt and held it up. It jangled with at least a dozen keys. “I can get into every room in this building.”
“Were you in the storage room recently?” Ruth asked.
Eddie hesitated, his hand tightening around the key ring. “I was in there yesterday. Checking for water damage. There’s a draft that freezes the back wall sometimes. Pipes can burst if I’m not careful.”
Helen’s voice stayed gentle. “Did you notice anything wrong with the shelving while you were in there?”
Eddie swallowed. “It looked fine.”
Nans stepped closer, her gaze steady. “Did Stanley argue with you?”
Eddie’s jaw tightened. “Always.”
“But did he argue with you this week?” Nans pressed.
Eddie’s hands curled around the edge of the box he’d just set down, knuckles going white. “He accused me of misplacing extension cords. Said I was careless. And he implied... other things.”
