Worth a Thousand Words: First Glance Photography Cozy Mystery Series, #5

By Eve Craig

This book is a clean Cozy Mystery short story that does not contain any foul language, sexual situations, witches, or paranormal events. 

 

Robin needs a new assistant now that her photography business has grown to a level that she cannot handle on her own. The problem will be finding someone that is willing to work a flexible schedule with late hours. 

 

Will interviewing for a new assistant be murder?    

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cozy Mystery Press
• Release date: Feb 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386521839

Book preview

Chapter One

I’m looking for someone who has a flexible schedule, since I adjust my hours to meet my clients’ needs. How do you feel about having a schedule that varies each week?" Robin Conrad sat behind her desk at First Glance Photography, watching the girl who sat across from her carefully .

She swept her blonde hair behind her ear with one finger and rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. Well, I guess that could be kind of good. I mean, because it wouldn’t be the same thing every week. But I would still get Friday and Saturday evenings off, right?

It’s quite possible that you wouldn’t, actually. It was finally time to hire an assistant. Now that the Hibiscus Historical Museum was up and running and Robin’s photos were all over the building as well as in a special book in the gift shop, she was getting more work than she could easily handle on her own. Ideally, an assistant would make her photo shoots go faster. She could fit more into one day, and perhaps have someone to help handle the phone while she did her editing and ordered prints.

But finding a helper was turning out to be more difficult and time-consuming than just doing everything herself. Her first ad in the classifieds had generated almost no phone calls. This was the second week it had run, and there were far more candidates for the job, but none of them seemed very willing to work.

Like I said, I adjust my hours to fit the needs of my clients. If someone works every day from nine to five, then they might like to come in on an evening or a weekend. The sign on my door says I’m only here until five each night, but that’s rarely ever true.

The interviewee frowned. That’s going to make it really difficult to see my boyfriend. And I have to be off on Wednesdays because that’s when I watch my little sister for my mom.

I see. Robin was tempted to just dismiss her at that, but she didn’t want to be rude. And do you have any experience in photography?

She held up her cell phone. You won’t believe the pics I can take with this thing! She flicked through a few images on the screen, showing her friends at the mall and a dog in a messy living room.

Okay, I think I have everything I need. I’ll let you know. Robin escorted the girl to the front door of the studio just in time to let in the next potential employee. You must be Vanessa.

Vanessa Butler was tall and willowy, with wavy brown hair that rested softly against her high cheekbones. Her hand trembled as she shook Robin’s. It’s nice to meet you, she said softly.

Come on back to my office and we can talk. What interests you about working here? Robin settled back into her chair, pasting a smile on her face and hoping this turned out better than the last three interviews. She hadn’t even bothered taking notes on the last girl.

I really love photography, Vanessa explained, shifting her weight in her chair as though she couldn’t get comfortable. "I