Secrets in the Stacks, page 8
“You’re sure?” Drew was making notes, and he met Rarity’s gaze.
“I assumed either Darby had come down while I was reading and stepped outside or I hadn’t locked it right. So I locked and checked the door again. I know it was locked when I went to bed.” She shivered at the implication that someone might have been in the house then, waiting for her to leave the study.
“I didn’t come down last night. I was beat, and after everyone left, I grabbed a couple of books, then said good night to Rarity and went upstairs. She woke me up at just before four telling me you were on your way.” Darby looked inside her cup as if she’d forgotten she just emptied it a few seconds ago. She stood and walked over to the counter, where she refilled it. “Someone was in the house last night. But why would they mess up the study?”
“I think they were looking for something.” Rarity met Drew’s gaze. “You think that too, don’t you?”
“Before we jump to conclusions, let’s just get back to your statement. Killer woke you up at three?” He glanced at her pajamas. “And you went outside in Mickey Mouse pj’s?”
“Don’t judge. I keep these for when I’m away from home. I had several sets when I went through treatment. They’re comfortable.” Rarity realized he was teasing her, trying to make her relax. “Anyway, yeah, I decided to take him out back, and that’s when I found the door open. I think they went back out through the gate, but it was closed.”
“And you didn’t touch anything?” Drew didn’t look up. “I mean after you realized there was a problem.”
“Okay, so I touched the gate. I touched the patio door when I locked and unlocked it and then again when I came inside and shut and locked it. Then I went through the house and opened all the doors if they were shut. I opened the study last, and then called you. Then I went upstairs and got Darby out of bed while we waited for you to come.” She was out of coffee too. She stood and refilled her cup. “Today’s going to be a long day.”
“So basically, you touched everything. Darby, who’s coming tonight to stay with you?” Drew asked Darby, who blinked and looked at Rarity.
“Why would you think someone is coming tonight?” Darby asked.
He took a breath in. “One, I’m dating one of the so-called book club, and she mentioned it last night when we talked. And two, why would your boss be here if they weren’t worried about you being in this big house alone?”
“Oh, yeah.” Darby shrugged as she opened her calendar on her phone. “Sometimes you just surprise me with what you know. It’s Thursday, so it’s Malia. Shirley took Friday and Saturday in case anyone had social plans. And then Sam’s coming Sunday and Monday.”
“Well, I think it’s a good idea to have someone here. I’ll increase patrols on your street, but it looks like he didn’t find what he was looking for. Maybe you should go stay with them rather than them coming here?” He looked at Rarity for support.
“She could come stay with me, but you know Shirley’s not going to let anyone in her house. She doesn’t want people to know that George is in the memory care unit,” Rarity pointed out.
“And besides, now that we know someone wants in, we’ll be more careful to keep the doors locked,” Darby added. “I don’t want to be couch surfing for months while someone’s in my house looking for who knows what.”
“Darby—” Drew started, but Rarity interrupted him.
“Drew, she’s right. She needs to get her life back. Her grandmother just died. Now she’s got someone breaking in to go through her books? If it was just a thief, they would have taken art or money or vases or something like that. Catherine had an amazing library, but you can buy most of those books at my store or online. They aren’t special.” Rarity tapped her finger on the table. “I could do an inventory of the books though. Maybe there’s a special one hiding in plain sight?”
“She would have told me.” Darby shook her head. “If she had a rare book, it wouldn’t have been on the shelves. She used to own a couple of first editions. She kept those in the safe.”
“Where are they now? Still in the safe?” Drew focused on Darby.
Darby shook her head. “She sold them to pay for my tuition. She said they were my college education fund. She sold both of them three years ago when I started college. I looked in the safe and got out the will when she died. There were a few coins and about a grand in cash, but nothing else.”
“Who is named in the will?” Drew was writing something. “Do you know?”
Darby nodded. “I read it a few days ago. Everything is in my name. All her accounts were set to go to me if she died. The house and belongings are mine. Nothing goes to my parents. It’s strange, but I still haven’t been able to reach my parents. The number they had in Alaska is out of order. I’m beginning to get worried about them.”
Drew put his notebook away. “Go get the last contact information you have, and I’ll try to reach them too. When’s the funeral?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t set up anything. I wanted to talk to Mom and Dad first. I have their last letter in my room. Grandma had been talking to them, but I was mad and hadn’t reached out for a while. Now I can’t reach them.” Darby excused herself to go get her folks’ information.
“This is weird,” Drew said after she left the room. “I can’t get my parents to leave me alone, and Darby hasn’t talked to hers in over a year?”
“She was mad. Sometimes it takes a while to get over something. She knew they’d be there when she needed them.” Rarity sipped her coffee.
“Except they aren’t.” Drew set his pen down on the table. “I need to get the crime scene guys back. Sorry, I heard from Alex you paid for the last cleaning.”
Rarity grimaced. “I guess I’ll pay for the next one too. Maybe I can advertise it as an employee benefit and write it off as a business expense.”
He chuckled. “You might want to talk to your accountant on that. It’s a good thing, what you guys are doing. The book club, I mean. It’s looking like Darby is all alone in the world, at least until we track down her parents.”
“Don’t you think that’s weird? About her parents? And it’s not the only weird thing going on. Why the books? What was he looking for?”
“So the killer is a male? And you’re assuming the person who broke in is also the killer.”
The dog looked up from the towel he was sleeping on and whined. Apparently, they’d said his name one too many times.
“Sorry, buddy.” Drew laughed and leaned back. “But you’re right, it’s weird.”
* * * *
Rarity waited for Darby to get ready for school before she left to go home. She needed to shower and get ready for work. Darby would meet her at the shop after classes, and Drew would let Rarity know when the crime scene techs were done so Alex could go in and clean again. Then Malia would pick Darby up, and they’d go get dinner before heading back to the house. If everything went as planned, Darby would be sleeping in her own bed again tonight. And hopefully, whoever had broken in would stay away. Drew had assured her that if Darby made sure to lock up, she should be fine. But to keep her phone close, just in case.
Sam was waiting at the shop when Rarity arrived. She took Killer’s leash and let him sniff out his turf while Rarity opened the bookstore door. “Are you all right? Drew told me what happened. I can’t believe someone was in the house with you guys.”
“It’s too big of a house for Darby to be there alone. And now, no one can find her parents. What on earth is going on with that family? I thought I’d call Archer later and see if he has a current number or if he’s tried to reach out. He’s friends with Jeff, Darby’s dad.” Rarity turned on the lights and flipped over the closed sign.
Sam followed her inside. “I’m concerned about Shirley staying there with Darby.”
“Me too, but are you going to tell Shirley she’s too old?” Rarity took Killer’s leash from Sam and unclicked his collar. The little dog ran to his bed and settled in. Rarity laughed. “Killer’s happy that his world is back to normal.”
“At least someone’s life is. Did Darby go to school?” Sam followed Rarity to the counter and pulled up one of the stools that Rarity now kept behind the counter for use when friends stopped by to chat. “Do you want me to make coffee?”
“Please. I’m not used to only getting four hours. I’m going to be dead tired tonight, and Archer wants to have dinner. And yeah, Darby went to class.” Rarity settled in for her day, checking the register to make sure she had enough cash to give change for a twenty. Most of her sales were by card, but occasionally, she needed cash for a transaction. Like the guy who’d bought the book and then promptly lost it. It was still sitting under the counter.
When Sam came out of the kitchen with two steaming cups and a plate filled with cookies, she settled on one of the stools and took a sugar cookie.
“Did Drew tell you that someone was looking for one of Catherine’s books? I think they might have thought she still had the first editions. Like she’d keep them out on a shelf.”
“First editions?”
Rarity told Sam about the valuables in the safe and how, now, it was pretty much empty. “At least she has enough money to finish college. And she’ll get a ton if she sells the house. But I think right now, she just needs to act like nothing’s changed in her world. It’s going to be hard enough getting over the loss of her grandmother.”
“We should go to the funeral. Do we know when it will be?”
Rarity wrote down the question. “I’ll ask Darby when she comes in to meet up with Malia. I think she’s trying to reach her folks first before setting a date, but she might have to just have it without them.”
“It must be hard to not have anyone to talk with.” Sam chose a second cookie.
Rarity sipped her coffee. “She has people to talk with. She has us.”
After Sam left, Rarity went over to the shelf where she’d found the Cheryl Jackson books. She checked the copyright page for both. Same publisher. And bonus, she actually had a contact at the publisher. A salesman came to visit her at least twice a year and brought her catalogue. She’d heard about the publishing salesmen, but she’d thought they were a rumor from back in the day when a personal touch sold books. Now, Jennifer’s sales area was huge, but the woman was real, and even if she didn’t visit once a month, she kept in touch by email. Rarity crafted a quick email asking for any current information on Cheryl Jackson.
Jennifer’s response was quick. Rarity must have found her in the office for once.
She read the email and sighed. Quick meant little if the response was just, I haven’t heard about her. Jennifer had promised to check with the publishing office and see if she could track down her editor or publicist. Rarity responded and added the fact that she wanted to see if the elusive Ms. Jackson would do an in-person signing.
She didn’t get a response to that, but she hadn’t thought she would. Her second email was just adding details to the first, and Jennifer had already told her she’d have to look into the author.
Jennifer was a busy woman. With that conversation off her list, she went through the rest of her to-dos, stopping when a customer would wander into the store. For a Thursday, she had a lot of walk-ins. A few locals came in, and one harried mother of three asked if she had a story hour for kids. It was a good idea, one she hadn’t thought of before. Maybe she could turn over the development of the idea to Darby. It would give her something fun to do and hopefully keep her mind off her loss.
When Darby arrived close to four, Rarity waved her over to the counter. “I haven’t had a break for food. Can you watch the register while I run to the Garnet? Do you want something?”
“Actually, a mocha would be awesome. Malia and I are hitting the Garnet when she gets here, so I don’t want to eat anything.” She slipped off her coat.
Rarity noticed her eyes were hooded. Darby needed a good night’s sleep as much as Rarity did. “Okay. I’m starving, and all I’ve had is cookies today. I’m getting a sandwich.”
She told Killer to be good and headed outside to the sunshine. She waved at Madame Zelda, who was sitting on the bench outside her storefront. Then she hurried across the street to get food.
When she returned, eating french fries as she walked back to the store, Madame Zelda waved her over. “Crap,” Rarity muttered as she folded the bag closed. When she got closer, she smiled. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. And I won’t keep you long. I just wanted you to tell Darby how sorry I am about Catherine.” She glanced at her watch and stood. “I’ve got a reading soon, or I’d come over myself. Just let her know I’ll be at the funeral when she schedules it.”
Rarity watched as Madame Zelda disappeared into her store. Apparently, the woman knew everyone in town. Which probably was true. Sedona was a small town. And Catherine Doyle had lived here a while.
She frowned as she made her way over to the bookstore’s front door. Too many questions had started plaguing her. How long had Catherine Doyle lived in Sedona? Maybe that was part of the story that was missing?
Darby was working with a customer when Rarity walked in, but she nodded when Rarity held up the coffee cup. She snapped her fingers, and Killer followed her into the break room. As she set out her late lunch, she grabbed a notebook and started writing down her questions. Last night’s break-in had to be about a book. Or a hidden safe that Darby didn’t know about. But if Catherine had a second safe, wouldn’t she leave that information with her will in the first safe? It was kind of like having a bank account but never telling anyone about it.
Of course, people did that all the time. But not someone like Catherine, who actually had a will and had thought about how to take care of Darby if something happened to her. No, from what Rarity could see, Catherine planned ahead. So the break-in had to be about one of the books. Rarity didn’t think Darby was going to stand to have the group uproot their lives to do a second week of sleepovers. Rarity just needed to tell her she wanted to look at the books.
She’d offered to buy some of the library. If Darby was considering selling some of them to the bookstore Rarity could make a list and then an offer. If there was another first edition hidden in the stacks in plain sight, Rarity could find it. Which would take the book out of the house and make Darby safe. Except she’d only be safe if the killer knew Rarity was reviewing them.
She could post the information on the store’s Facebook page. Make it like a sale announcement. Prominent Sedona resident’s private collection on sale here soon. Or something like that. She’d need to wordsmith it a little. Of course, that would make the bookstore the new target. But maybe he’d just come in and try to buy it.
Rarity took a bite of her sandwich and looked at Killer, who was watching her not eat the food in front of her. “We’ll just have to find the book first, right, boy?”
Chapter 9
Archer stood at the stove, stirring his secret recipe spaghetti sauce as they talked. He’d shown up at the bookstore when she closed with a bag of groceries and a bottle of wine. They’d walked to the house, and he suggested she swim while he made dinner. Rarity wasn’t sure what she’d done to get a keeper boyfriend this time—well, besides surviving cancer—but she wasn’t going to question it. She’d finished her laps, changed into sweats, and had her hair up in a bun on her head, drying. “I should wear a swim cap, but it feels too tight.” She moved into the open-concept great room and watched Archer pour two glasses of wine. She took hers and held it up. “To a man who cooks. How did I get this lucky?”
“You haven’t tasted the spaghetti sauce yet. You could hate it.” He clinked glasses with her. “At least you’ll have salad and garlic bread to fall back on in case it’s not edible.”
“You’ve cooked here a lot. None of your meals were even close to bad, let alone inedible.” She sat in one of the chairs at the table. “How was your day?”
“We finished the next quarter’s schedule. I’m thinking I need to hire a new guide. We’re getting busy. Maybe just someone part-time who just wants to work the busy season.” He brought his glass over and sat next to her. “How’s the investigation going?”
“Shouldn’t you ask Drew that?” She grabbed a cracker and a slice of prosciutto ham off the appetizer plate Archer had set up. “Either my swim was too long or you’re really good at this cooking thing. A charcuterie plate? You’re talented.”
“It’s called a charcuterie board, and besides, this isn’t one. There are no olives, no nuts, and only a few types of cheese. I’d just call this an appetizer.” He spread some mustard on a cracker, then layered it with ham and cheese. “I like to cook. It helps me think when I have problems.”
“I take it you have problems?” She curled her leg up underneath her and sipped her wine. She’d give him some room to talk. Usually, their conversations were about work or her. She wanted to know more about Archer.
“You were right; my office manager is getting a little too friendly now that you’re in the picture. I don’t know. Maybe she was always this way, and I didn’t see it.” He took a bite of his mini sandwich, to which he’d added a top cracker and mustard layer. “I’ve been as clear as I can that I’m not interested, but she still doesn’t get it.”
“I hate to bring up the obvious, but maybe you need to replace her?” Rarity didn’t meet Archer’s gaze.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Calliope is an amazing office manager. She could get another job in a hot second. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. I’ve been clear I’m not interested and that I’m seeing you, so maybe she’ll figure it out. Sooner rather than later. Every time she does something nice for me, I’m looking at the motives behind it. Maybe it’s just me. Now that I’ve seen proof of her feelings for me, I can’t not see it.”
“I’m probably not the best one to give you advice in this area since I have a vested interest. I am enjoying our time together. I’m not jealous.” She sipped her wine, letting the statement settle. “Okay, I think that’s true. I’m not jealous. I just wish she liked me more. And that the reason she doesn’t wasn’t because we are dating and she wishes she was dating you. I don’t think it’s jealousy, but I am concerned about you being alone with her all the time. I’d hate for her to misunderstand something you said.”
