Betsy nearly slammed the door in his face, but restrained herself. Still, she managed a good degree of frost in her voice as she asked, “What do you want?”

“We’ve got some business to discuss, Ms. Devonshire,” he said. His voice was calm, so decided a contrast to his fierce expression that it occurred to her his face looked that way naturally. “May I come in? This won’t take long.”

“Very well.” She stepped back and led him into the living room. Because she did not want him to sit in her sister’s chair, she took it, and when she did, he sat on the love seat.

“I understand you are taking inventory in the store.”

“We haven’t begun yet, we’re still cleaning up after—” The words choked her, she could not finish the sentence. “Anyhow how did you find that out?”

He showed a fierce grin. “This is a small town.”

“Then perhaps you also know I have spoken with Mr. Penberthy,” she said, allowing the ice to show once more, “and he tells me we need to complete an inventory to close the estate.”

“Any idea how long that will take?”

“At least three days.”

“I can find some helpers if you need them to hurry things along, and to help you set up for the going-out-of-business sale. How about I let you stay in the apartment until everything’s finished?”

Something about this offer of a favor got her back up. “What if I decide to keep the shop open?”

“Of course you won’t decide that,” he said, his certainty now reaching the insufferable stage. “You can’t, since the lease ended when your sister died.”

“You’re wrong. I have the option of continuing the operation of Crewel World.”

It was wonderful to see his color change, to watch his eyes widen, then narrow, to see the way the nostrils in that beak of a nose widened. “What idiot told you that?”

“Mr. Penberthy told me that Margot incorporated herself and ‘assigned’ the lease to the corporation. I was made vice-president of the corporation, and I can keep Crewel World open if I want to.”

If she wanted proof that Mickels had not been told about the incorporation, she got it. He jumped to his feet and flung his hands over his head. His raincoat spread itself wide, making him appear enormous in the low-ceilinged room. “That’s not true!” he shouted. “I don’t believe Penberthy told you that! This building is mine, this property is mine, and the lease died with your sister! You’re out, d‘you hear? Out! I’ll get an eviction notice on you. You’ll be out of that shop in thirty days, and this building will be gone before the ground freezes! I’ve waited too long for this, and I won’t have you start in on me like Margot did!”

Betsy was on her feet now, too. Some little alarm was ringing, but she was beyond hearing it, and was about to make the big accusation when the alarm became a real sound, the sound of the doorbell pealing. It rang in one long noise that continued until she ran to push the door release.