Overheard at Chipperfields' Part LXIX ...

"So, my husband decided to order a pizza when we were in Winnipeg," said JayDee as she and Dani stood behind the counter, "He asked if the mushrooms were fresh, and the girl serving us said, 'oh sure, the can was just opened a half an hour ago!!'"

"Are you serious?" asked Dani, her eyes widening, "She said that?"

"Yeah," said JayDee, a smiling brightening her face, "she said it."

"So, did you order mushrooms on your pizza?" asked Dani, her eyes wide with wonder, her face looking innocent.

"Nope." said JayDee flatly, "He decided against mushrooms on the pizza, and went with black olives instead."

"Yum," said Dani as she turned to greet the customer who had stepped up to the counter.

"You're looking good too," said the regular who was standing in front of Dani smiling. Behind Dani, JayDee was blushing slightly as she turned and headed into the kitchen laughing.

"What can I get for you sir?" asked Dani with a serious dour look on her face, "We have a fine selection of items on the menu ..." with a flourish she waved her hand up towrds the blackboard hanging from the ceiling.

"I'll have my usual thanks," laughed the regular, "I'll have a large Chipperfields' with room for cream."

"Sure no problem sir," Dani replied as she pumped the coffee into a mug and fought hard to surpress a smile, "would you like a cookie or a slice of carrot cake to go with it?"

"No, I'm good," said the regular as he took the coffee from Dani and turned to put the cream in the mug. He turned and headed toward a table along the wall as J-- passed by the front windows and headed came through the front doors.

"Hello J--," said Dani, as she looked up and smiled at J--.

"Hello Dani darling," said J-- with a broad smile, "the bosses around?" J-- glanced around the store. He nodded in greetng at the regular sitting by the juke box.

"Nope, Ross and Bonnie are on holidays," her index and ring fingers made quotation marks as she spoke, "they're in Mexico." Her fingers again made quotatin marks.

"What do all the quotation marks means?" asked J-- as he watched Dani get his Manitoba Organic tea ready.

"Oh," answered Dani, glancing to the kitchn and speaking softly, "it's just that we aren't really sure if they've gone to Mexico, or whether they're actually at home having one of those Stay-cations that Ross is so big on."

"Really?" offered J-- with a broad smile crossing his face, "what makes you think that they're not actually in Mexico like they said, but staying at home."

"Well, it started when JayDee was coming back from taking her daughter to riding the day before yesterday and she saw Ross' car parked in their driveway." said Dani, "Then she found this ..." she pulled out a piece of folded paper from under the cash register and handed it to J--.

"What is it?" asked J--.

"Look at it," Dani waved her hand over the paper in J--'s hand, "Its pretty self-explanitory."

J-- opened it and read aloud, "Four fifty kilogram bags of play sand," he glanced up, then looked back at the paper and continued reading, "three sun lamps, two chaise lounges, one poolside table and assorted hot tub conditioning chemicals ..." J--'s voice trailed off, "what is this?"

"It's a bill from the Hardware store," answered Dani, "and it was for a delivery the day they left for Mexico." her hands again made the quotation signs.

"So, you don't think they've actually gone to Mexico?" ventured J--, "where are they then?"

"I think they're actually staying at home," said Dani, her face serious, "I think they've rigged up their basement like a beach so they can say they went and spent two weeks in Mexico, while they actually had a stay-cation here." She nodded for emphasis.

"Really?" said J--, a smile crossing his face, "are you the only one who thinks this?"

Dani shook her head, "JayDee does too and so does Kriss. We just can't prove it."

"Why don't you just drive out to their house and have a look around?" asked J--.

"That would be too much like being a peeking Tom or something," said Dani, blushing slightly, "besides, when we went out the other day we couldn't see in the windows anyway. All the blinds are drawn."

J-- laughed, "SO, you did check?!"

Dani blushed and shrugged her shoulders, "It was actually Kriss' idea, but I drove because I have the 4X4."

J-- shook his head as he laughed, "but you couldn't tell if they were really there or not?"

"Nope," answered Dani, "but we couldn't see where the Hardware store left all this stuff," she waved the bill between her and J--, "if this came while they were away, it should be sitting outside somewhere."

"You're too suspicious," said J-- with a laugh, "maybe Gord and his crew didn't deliver it."

"Oh they delivered it," said Dani, her eyes narrowing, "I saw the truck pull out of the store lot," she jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of the Hardware store across the street, "and when they came back none of the stuff was there."

"How do you know it was the stuff for Ross and Bonnie?" asked J--, still smiling.

"OH I Know," said Dani emphatically, "I know."

"Okay," J-- waved his hand in front of himself as he spoke, "I give up. I can't argue this, and I just want to have my tea."

"Sure thing," said Dani as he picked up the tea brewing pot and came out from behind the counter, "you sitting over there." She motioned to the corner table where the regular was already sitting.

"I guess," said J-- smiling and following her.

"Mark my words though," Dani set down the tea pot as she spoke, "when we get an email from Ross and Bonnie, they'll send us a picture and we'll be able to tell they're actually in the basement of their house and not on holidays some where south."

"Sure" scoffed J--, "whatever you say."

Just then JayDee came out of the office waving several pieces of paper in her hand, "Hey, we just got an email from Bonnie with pictures ..."

J-- and Dani glanced at each other and both of them burst out laughing.

"I guess we may know the answer," said J-- as he sat down at the table and held out his hand to JayDee as she came towards him holding out the papers before herself ...