Mallow

"What are those?", had stopped the argument, that had burst into her office and continued at her desk. Biddy and Martha stared at the hand tooled leather covers all a different shade covering the spectrum, Cordovan pastels..

"Theyare from.., my mother, she is getting on and she wanted me to have them before she passed, in case I had any questions after reading them... Family stuff.."

"Mind if I look?" Biddy started around the desk, same old arguments forgotten..

"Yes, I DO! And how dare you two just pop in here without knocking first..."

"We never knock.."

"Yes I know and I am tired of it! Back out front!" barked Liz, as she rose from her desk and herded the ladies out of her office.

Well you know how small towns are. The Too Much Time On Our Hands Detective Agency was soon full time on the case. AKA, Martha and Biddy against all others. "No she hasn't got any packages lately... I shouldn't be discussing this, postmaster have my ass..." No mail.

"An apple pie? For me?"

"Oh go on Horace! It's not like we haven't done nice things for you before..."

"When you want something."

"Shame on on you! Biddy let's go.."

"Homemade, right, crust and fillin?"

"Shame on you again! Let's go Martha.."

"Come on in.." And he swings open the screen door.

"I'm telling you, no callers, no visitors, no UPS or Fedex. She just lives across the street not down the block. Mabel on the next block, she's hard to keep track of.. This certainly is good pie. I'm just gonna slip it into some tupperware, so you can take this dish right on home.."

Out on the sidewalk, "He didn't even rinse this out." No deliveries...