“There was no more,” Gavin replied again, calmly.
“I know.” The sheriff sighed. “Mrs. Johnson has always been a bit of a loose cannon. We know not to take her accusations too seriously. Unfortunately, most folks in the town enjoy spreading her gossip among themselves. It's a way to pass the time.”
“A rude way,” Annabelle muttered.
The sheriff dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “You're right about that, ma'am, but she doesn't seem able to help herself. If something rubs her the wrong way, she won't stop until everyone knows about it.”
“But, it's false,” Annabelle pointed out primly. “She took two innocuous incidents, added them up in her mind, and came up with… with nonsense.” The full implications of what kind of `nonsense' Mrs. Johnson was envisioning dawned on Annabelle with a new wa
