Veronica returned from her late lunch with a cookie for me. No one had come in the store, which I found odd since I’d seen plenty of people outside in the shopping center’s gallery—a long hall between the shops with a vaulted ceiling. Occasionally someone would peer through the window, but the bell over the door remained silent.
“Why aren’t they coming in?” I asked. The stones were displayed on the shelves in an appealing way, particularly in the two glass windows that faced the gallery. I’d familiarized myself with the pricing, and although I didn’t know the area that well, the crystals seemed reasonable. I hadn’t found any that needed to come home with me, though.
“Those who need to come in will,” she said. “After last night’s lookie-loos I decided I didn’t want to bother with anyone w
