“A virtual assistant? What could someone like that do for me?”

“I had a long conversation about it with the last author who came to sign at Haven’t Got a Clue. They do all kinds of things for authors—like posting on various social media sites, and sending out bookmarks and such to fans.”

“This sounds intriguing. I’ll have to look into it.” She sighed. “But my first priority must be the Chamber. Dear Antonio has offered to have one of his staff take care of the Chamber’s March breakfast, but I still have to give him an estimate of how many are coming. And then there’s the monthly newsletter . . .”

“Virtual assistants do newsletters, too. I’ll bet if you found one for yourself, they could also do Chamber work, too.”

“I don’t know. I’d have to think about it. The Chamber really needs to have a real person who can deal with problems that arise. I think my best option is still to find a small office to rent and replace Betsy as soon as possible.”

Tricia nodded. “Let me know if you change your mind and I’ll put out some feelers.”

“Thank you. Now, did Betsy’s ex have anything juicy to say about her?”

Tricia shook her head. “You know, he was angry when we first started talking, but the more he spoke about her, the more he seemed . . . I don’t know, regretful? He said at one time she was a dynamite lady.” Tricia sobered. “Somehow I just can’t imagine Betsy as a real spitfire, but . . . I suppose anything’s possible. Or was when she was younger.”

“Do you want another slice of pizza?” Angelica asked, taking one for herself.

Tricia shook her head. “I also went back to Betsy’s house and managed to talk to one of her neighbors.”

“Did you learn anything of interest?”

“Only that, thanks to Betsy, the neighbors have a terrible mouse problem. She said after Jerry left, Betsy didn’t bother with proper maintenance. She corroborated some of the things Joelle told me on Saturday. And, speaking of Joelle, the neighbor also said she’s been back again and again, but she doesn’t leave with anything other than her purse. Or at least a purse.”

“So what’s she been doing there?” Angelica asked.

“Tidying?” Tricia suggested. “If the neighbor hadn’t been watching me like a hawk, I might have walked around back to see if Joelle had lifted any of the blinds.” Tricia ate her last bite of pizza. “I have one piece of happy news for you.” Angelica’s eyes lit up. “You are now officially on the guest list for Mr. Everett’s surprise birthday party.”

“Oh, good. If I can’t be out on a date with a rich, handsome, and kind man, then I’d just as soon be among my friends—and you, dear Tricia.”

“Thank you.” Tricia wiped her mouth with one of the paper napkins. “What time do we have to meet Karen?”

Angelica bit into her pizza and looked at the clock. She chewed and swallowed before answering. “In about fifteen minutes.”

“That soon?”

“Why, have you got something else planned for tonight?”

“Hardly,” Tricia said without enthusiasm. She noticed Miss Marple patiently waiting by the stairs that led to her loft apartment. “I’ve got to feed Miss Marple. By the time I’m finished, it should be time to leave.”

“No rush,” Angelica said and reached for a third slice of pizza.

Tricia got up from her chair, shaking her head. No doubt Angelica would soon be complaining about her weight again and Tricia would have no sympathy for her. And what if the little house proved unsuitable as office space? Would Angelica find solace in junk food and eat even more?

Tricia wasn’t going to speculate.

Instead, she opened the door marked PRIVATE and headed up the stairs with Miss Marple trotting along beside her. If the house did meet Angelica’s standards, and she indeed rented it for the Chamber of Commerce, it would no doubt annoy the hell out of Bob Kelly, and that at least made Tricia smile.

*   *   *

Since the rental house was only two blocks up the street, Tricia and Angelica elected to walk the short distance. They saw a car parked at the curb. As they approached, the engine died, and Karen Johnson got out. “Good evening, ladies.”

“Hi,” Tricia called.

“I hope you don’t mind me bringing Tricia along,” Angelica said, and pulled her scarf just a little bit higher on her neck.

“Not at all. The more the merrier.” Karen joined the sisters on the sidewalk. She held a large flashlight in one hand, and picked through a set of keys with another.

“Oh, dear. Will we have to see the inside of the place by flashlight?” Angelica asked.

“Oh, no. Antonio called the power company and had all the utilities turned on. He came over earlier and got the furnace working so there should be heat and light, but I imagine it might take a few days for the house to warm up and thoroughly dry out.”

“Was there water damage?” Angelica asked, concerned.

“No, but Antonio said it felt damp. It’s been shuttered for over a year. Overall he felt the property was in pretty good shape.”

“So you haven’t seen it yet, either?” Tricia asked.

Karen shook her head. “Antonio told me there are still some boxes inside. The former owner had rented out the building for storage for the last couple of years, but the last tenant hadn’t paid the rent in some time. They were contacted several times and asked to collect their belongings before the sale went through, but the owner never heard from her tenant again.”

“So who has to clean the place out?” Tricia asked.

“Tell us when we get inside,” Angelica complained. “I’m cold!”

“Follow me. The steps are icy. We’ll use the ramp,” Karen said and led them around to the side of the building and the wooden ramp that had been cleared of snow. She unlocked the door, reached inside, and flipped a couple of light switches before allowing Tricia and Angelica to enter before her.

Karen hadn’t been kidding when she’d said there were some boxes inside. The descriptor some was certainly an understatement. What must have once been a living room was stacked floor to ceiling with cartons.

“Now would be a good time to answer Tricia’s question,” Angelica said, sounding apprehensive. “Who’s going to empty this place?”

“Of course, NRA will clean the place before the Chamber takes possession. Antonio has already ordered a Dumpster to be delivered tomorrow. We’ll take care of clearing the place out, and we’ll also paint, and either replace the carpet or put down a new floor. It depends on what we find when we rip up the old stuff.”

Tricia gave her sister a skeptical look. “You can’t be serious about renting this place.”

“I’m more than serious, I’m desperate,” Angelica said. She turned back to Karen. “Let’s see the rest of the place.”

A short hall linked the living room to a bathroom, a closet, and a small bedroom. At the back of the house was a tiny kitchen, which was only big enough for a bistro table and four undersized chairs. The former tenant must have left them, but all the appliances were missing.

“There are two small bedrooms upstairs that could be used for storage,” Karen said hopefully.

“How much is it a month, and how long a lease does the Chamber need to sign?” Angelica asked.

“We’d like a year’s lease. We can talk about the price when we get to my office.”

“Can you throw in a fridge and a microwave?” Angelica asked hopefully.

“We can talk about it,” Karen said, still sounding hopeful.

“That bathroom looks like it’s in terrible shape,” Tricia said, trying to be helpful.

“We won’t be bathing,” Angelica said.

“We’ll make sure the plumbing works before you take possession,” Karen promised.

“Do you have the paperwork with you?” Angelica asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

“Then let’s not bother to go back to the Brookview. We can hash it out right here.”

“Very good,” Karen said, sounding delighted.