Forbidden Guest House novel · Chapter 12 of 32

Chapter 12: Night Shift

"Boxes to the ceiling," I repeated.

The church lady nodded once and went down the steps to her car.

I looked at Leif.

Leif looked at me.

"No," Hedy said.

"I didn't say anything."

"You said it with your whole face. You want to go dig in Marlys Moen's basement."

"I want to volunteer for the centennial museum. It's a civic duty."

"It's a felony."

"Not if they ask for volunteers," Leif said. "Then it's a sign-up sheet."

The sign-up sheet was on the bulletin board in the church basement, next to the potluck schedule.

At the top, in neat round capitals: ORGANIZED BY M. MOEN.

The Friday night shift, six to midnight, had one name on it.

The church lady from the courthouse steps.

I wrote Kari Solberg under hers.

Leif wrote Leif Mattson under mine in square block capitals.

"That's subtle," I said.

"It's my name."

On Friday at five-thirty I tied on my apron one more time to set up dinner.

Hedy took it off me.

"Go," she said. "Go commit your civic duty."

"It's a full Friday. You can't do forty covers alone."

"I did forty covers alone in 1994 with a broken wrist. Your Gran was in Duluth having her gallbladder out."

"Hedy."

"I'll grumble. I'll grumble the whole time, and you'll owe me. Go."

She shoved a paper bag of sandwiches into Leif's hands.

"Feed her," she told him. "She forgets."

The old bank building stood on Lake Street, a block from the water.

Red stone, arched windows boarded up, MOEN LAKELAND BANK 1926 carved over the door.

The church lady let us in with a key on a shoelace.

"Basement's down the back stairs," she said. "I'll be up here. I have very poor hearing."

She said it looking right at me.

The basement was one long room under a low ceiling.

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