It's Murder at the Buy-Right

29

 Daisy Ann stood staring at the spot where she'd discovered Deke.

"Man, it smells bad in here."

"Rotten meat," said Daisy. "Not to mention the aroma of rotting produce. A lovely bouquet, don't you think, Henry?"

Henry was holding his nose. He suddenly took off his tee shirt and wrapped it around the middle of his face.

"You look like a masked bandit," she said.

"I don't care. I've been wearing this thing for three days. I thought it was really ripe until I stepped in here. This tee smells laundry mat fresh compared to the air in here."

"It's the pits, ain't it?"

Henry moved to the far wall.

"Let's get the rot out of this room. I'm going to turn the unit back on and cool it off back here. Nothing's worse than hot stink, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say, Daisy Ann."

They worked for several hours removing the worst of the mess.

"Well, at least it's easier to breathe in here. Take this bar of soap, and go in the wash room beside the break room."

"Yes, ma'am."

"As you go by the juice aisle, grab a Buy-Right tee in your size, Henry. You're right about your three-day tee being a bit ripe."

"Sorry."

"Think nothing of it. But if you're going to be an employee of this store, I want you to look the part. Besides, it's just good advertising for you to wear one of those shirts. Makes it easy to tell you apart from the regular customers."

Daisy Ann winked at Henry.

When he'd freshened up, Henry appeared in the back storeroom.

"Everything still works good," Daisy Ann said. "Nothing's been damaged. I just don't understand, Henry. What were they after? Why did hurt Deke if they weren't going to steal anything?"

"Maybe something interrupted them before they could take off with anything."

"Maybe," she said. "Come on. Let's get some of this cardboard broken down. We'll take it out back and make some room."

They flattened boxes.

"I'll go with you," Daisy Ann said. "That bin takes four hands to open up."

The cardboard bin was a relic, rusty and hard to open.

"You were right about this being a two-man job."

"I told you, Henry. This thing is a monster. It eats small kids for lunch."

"This lid is a bear, alright. Careful. Did you slip?"

"No," said Daisy Ann. "I stepped on something. I twisted my ankle and broke the heel off my best lamé shoe!"

"Screwdriver," said Henry.

Daisy Ann picked it up.

"Must belong to one of the boys. One of them owes me a new pair of shoes!"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I got an old pair of sneakers I keep under my station for emergencies."

She tested her ankle. Nothing seemed broken. She smiled.

"Just my pride's a little bruised. I'll get over it."

"How are they?"

"Don't know. Haven't had a chance to get in touch with Tex or Grit. I'll give them a ring when we get back inside."

"Guess I should have kept my trap shut."

"Why?"

"They come back," Henry said. "I'll be out of a job."

"No way. Let's get back to work."