by S. E. Babin
"No," I grumbled. "I'm not going to give you anything."
We stopped at the entrance to Coco's Coffee, a trendy little coffee shop that specialized in flavored blends. I couldn't help but think this shop was going to be super jealous when they realized the gem Trudy had just created in her kitchen. Cole opened the door for me and gestured for me to go in. I murmured my thanks and stepped into the scent of heavenly java and hazelnut.
"Mmm," I couldn't help but say.
"I agree." Cole unwound the scarf from his neck and led the way to the back of the shop. There was a small gathering of circular tables, far enough away from each other to have a private conversation as long as you kept your voice low. He pulled my chair out, a point in his favor, and tossed his jacket down on the opposite seat. "What would you like?"
"Just a regular coffee," I said. I hoped to not be here too long.
His eyes flashed. "Cream or sugar?"
I shook my head. "Thanks."
He ducked his head and walked back up to the counter. I tugged my scarf to make it a little looser but didn't bother to take my coat off. The sounds of the espresso machines whirred in the background. Indie folk music played through the speakers scattered around the store and the sound of murmuring voices made it really easy to relax here. The shop carried cupcakes from Sprinkles and a wide variety of quick breads. I'd had their pumpkin bread before, and it was divine. I craned my neck over to see what they had today and noticed a Cinnamon Spice bread I hadn't seen yet. Making a mental note to come back and check it out, I turned back around and put my head in my hands.
I couldn't believe Harper shoved me out like that. She'd never acted so strangely, especially not around a cute guy. Cole's face swam in my brain. He was super cute. The absolute last thing I needed was a journalist hanging around me, though. I liked a quiet life.
Cole came up behind me and set a mug down in front of me. He squeezed past and settled himself in the other seat.
"So," Cole said, "tell me everything you know about Marcy."
I inhaled to give him a piece of my mind, but he laughed and waved his hand. "I'm kidding, Miss Adair. Please. Let's just enjoy our coffee."
"Dakota," I corrected automatically.
"Good," he said, his eyes crinkling adorably at the edges. "This is how we converse like normal people."
A laugh escaped me. "I'm not against conversing. I just don't want to talk about Marcy."
"I gathered," he said, his tone dry as dust. "It's my job to find out all the facts, though."
"Then I'm sure the police can tell you what you want to know." They wouldn't tell him anything, but I wasn't going to say a word about that.
"Uh huh. I'm sure they've told you lots, too." Cole leaned forward. There was a glint in his green eyes I didn't like. "If we work together, I'm sure we can figure out what actually happened to Marcy before they do."
He was trying to catch me in a fib. I felt it in my gut. "Who said anything happened to Marcy?" I shook my head. "They think it's natural causes."
Cole's lips thinned. "Nice try. We both know she had a lot of value in that land. I heard she also had a good chunk of change wrapped up in books." He smiled like a shark. "Which is where you come in, of course. Word is, you were there to appraise books she had."
"Word from who?" I questioned.
"Come on Dakota. Why else would you be there?"
I sipped my coffee and studied him. What made a guy like him tick? Money? Power? Cold, poorly made coffee and low job satisfaction?
"What makes you so sure something happened to her?" I asked instead. "She was in ill health and had been for a while."
He looked down at his cup, but not so quickly I couldn't see the gleam of interest in his eyes. "Did she tell you why she was sick?"
"Nope," I said. "The only thing she said is that she finally felt well enough to visit my shop." I sighed. "That is all you're going to get out of me today, Mr. Gardener."
"Cole, please." He turned on his all-American boy charm and I felt myself weaken just a little. I straightened up to my full height, and even though I still had to crane my neck up to look at him, I still felt like it had given me some resolve.
"Cole," I agreed. "How long have you been in town?" I'd never seen him before, not even at the many festivals we held here.
He shifted in his seat; his gaze wary. "About four months. Why?"
"I've never seen you around. Don't you think that's weird? A reporter I've never seen suddenly snooping in a small-town murder investigation?"
He sat up straighter and grinned, a devilish thing on his face. I blanched, knowing immediately what I'd done.
"Murder, you say?" Cole asked. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pen and a small notepad. "On whose authority did you say this come from?"
I wanted to punch him right in his tanned face. "No one's authority," I said. "It was a slip of the tongue. You're welcome to call the police department. It isn't a murder investigation." The lady doth protest too much, I thought, suppressing a sigh.
He wrote something on his paper and concealed it, too fast for me to see what it was. "You think it should be, though?"
"I'm not saying another word, Cole." This guy might be cute, but he was a real pain in my knickers. Picking up my mug, I held it up. "Thanks for the coffee." I snatched my jacket with my other hand, spun, and made my way out of the shop, not even stopping when I heard him call my name.
Annoyance made my steps quick and sure, and within a few minutes I was back in my shop. Cole stopped following me after the third time he called my name and I didn't turn around.
What a jerk.
Harper's eyes widened when I rushed into the shop. I saved a special glare for her before I once again took off my winter wear. "If I have to put my jacket on one more time before I go home today, I'm going to scream," I muttered under my breath as I walked inside. The bell jangled behind me, but I didn't turn around. It was probably one of the regulars.
Harper shrank under my glare. "Sorry," she said quietly. "He was so cute, though. He looked like Dakota candy."
A bark of laughter escaped me. "Dakota is on a diet," I declared. "And he might look like candy, but he's one of those onions disguised as a candy apple. Delicious on the outside. Super gross on the inside."
"Gross, am I? Ouch," came an amused voice.
Harper's eyes widened, and I spun around only to see Cole there, a wide grin on his face. I thought he'd stopped following me!
He hadn't bothered to put his jacket back on, but he didn't look cold. A white Henley shirt emphasized his lean build and made his eyes all the more green. "I just came in to apologize." A smirk tilted his mouth up. "Though I can see you're still angry. Rightfully so. What can I say? I'm a journalist at heart. I hope you'll let me buy you another cup of coffee, no strings attached." He offered a tight smile and walked out of the door.
"Le swoon," Harper said.
"Nope." I held a hand up and walked to the back. I was done with all of these men in this town. Insufferable. The lot of them.
I had two hours until the shop closed. "I'm doing inventory!" I called back to Harper. She could handle the customers for that little stunt she'd pulled with Cole earlier.
As soon as I got to the back, I sank down into my chair and groaned.
What a day.
10
At noon the next day, I was straightening up some books in the children's area when Harper gasped in surprise. The thing about a bookstore is nine times out of ten it's super quiet. I rushed to the front only to see Carrie, Marcy's sister standing there glaring at my assistant.
"Hello," I said politely. "Can I help you?"
Carrie was taller and thinner than Marcy had been. Her face had a perpetually pinched look to it. I could imagine if she smiled, she'd still look unhappy. "I'm here for the book my sister ordered."
I had it locked up in the back. "Oh good! I'll go get it." I gave her a small smile. "I wasn't sure what to do with after what happened. Please ac
cept my condolences on your loss."
Carrie nodded. "Thank you." That was it. There was no other emotion on her face other than an impatient look. I stifled down my next words. It wasn't up to me to decide how someone grieved. I've read enough books to know everyone handles things in their own way and their own time.
I remembered a woman accused of murder who did cartwheels in the yard while the police were investigating. It didn't mean she was guilty. It just meant she was ... processing.
I could and did find it weird. I still couldn't decide she was a killer. That wasn't up to me.
"I'll go and get your book," I said, feeling awkward as I walked back to the office. I bent down at the safe and put in the combination. It opened and I pulled the book out, still in the bag I'd brought it in when I found Marcy. A shuddering sigh racked my body, and I stared blankly down at it for a moment. Life could end in a blink and all that was left were memories and things. I swallowed hard as I looked around my office. This was the culmination of a dream and a whole lot of money. If I had to leave it behind, the only one I had was my mother.
She liked to read, but she was retired. I didn't think she'd want to run this place.
I stood, my breath coming out slowly. Maybe after this I needed to make some changes. Make some friends. Get out in the world. Do more than read and work.
Marcy had wanted to, and she couldn't.
Shaken, I took the book back out and handed it to Carrie. "Here it is. If you want to come on over to the register, I'll ring you up."
Carrie opened the bag and pulled the book out. A sneer lit her mouth briefly before she realized I was watching. "How much do I owe you?"
I rattled off the price as she pulled cash out of her wallet. "While I'm here, I'd also like you to find something else for me."
"No problem," I said politely. Harper hovered a few feet away, shifting nervously back and forth. "What book were you looking for?"
Carrie pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "A Law Dictionary by John Bouvier. I'm looking for the second volume, first edition."
I blinked at her and my eyebrows slowly rose. "Uh. Okay." That book was probably ten grand. "I know for a fact I don't have that one in stock. We don't stock anything over a few hundred dollars. Something like that will need to be paid for up front, including my five percent finder's fee. As long as you're okay with that, we can start the process."
Carrie nodded, her short dark hair swinging against her face. "That's fine."
I glanced over at Harper. She had a funny look on her face. A quick shrug lifted one of her thin shoulders and she turned away, pretending to straighten some files.
I gave Carrie her change back and pulled up my computer to try to find the book she was looking for. "Do you have all the other volumes?" I asked, trying to make conversation.
"My sister does." Our gazes met. Her dark one was curious, as I'm sure mine was. Maybe I was going about this all wrong. Maybe Carrie was just an introverted woman who collected rare books and had absolutely nothing to do with her sister's death. Maybe I was looking for something that wasn't there. She might be taller than her sister, but she still wasn't tall. In fact, she was a few inches shorter than me. I couldn't see her harming her sister and there was no evidence of a struggle in Marcy's house.
"Ah," I said as I found the book she was looking for. "If you'd like to look at this one, I think this might fit what you're looking for." I turned the screen around and let Carrie click on the pictures. Excusing myself, I walked over to where Harper was.
"This is so weird," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why is she worried about a book when her sister isn't even buried yet?"
"I don't know," I said, looking at Carrie. "But I hope to find out."
Carrie turned the monitor back around and nodded. "I'll take it," she said.
I came back over to the counter and rang up the purchase, adding in my fee. I didn't like Carrie that much, but I loved the $500 bucks I was making on this sale. She paid with a credit card and I swallowed hard as I swiped it. This was the single largest purchase I'd ever done, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Usually people came in here asking for collectible books from their childhood. They weren't looking for books like these. Rarities like this were for the big-time collectors. Not people like me or Harper.
"I should have it in within two weeks," I told her, pushing her purchase back over to her. "Enjoy your book."
Carrie nodded. Just as she started to walk away, Poppy came from behind a shelf and stopped in her path. The two females, feline and human, stared at each other. A heart wrenching yowl came from the red Persian. I gasped in alarm, but Poppy seemed fine. Just strangely ... vocal. She stared at Carrie as the woman stepped around her and walked away without another word, the jingling bell over the door the only sign she'd been here.
"Well, that is going to haunt me for the rest of the night," Harper said, her voice shaking.
"Me too." I went over to the cat and bent down to scratch her behind the ear. "You okay?"
Poppy meowed and promptly flopped on her back for a belly rub. I obliged, concern still making my thoughts spin. I'd never heard that sound come out of her before. "You don't like Carrie, do you?"
Poppy stared at me, her golden eyes betraying nothing of her thoughts.
"Neither do I," I murmured.
"Me too!" Harper chimed in. "That woman gives me the creeps."
The bell jingled again, and I sent Harper a warning look to stop talking about it. Greeting the woman who came in, I got up from the floor.
The customer smiled politely and went straight to the romance section. Harper wiggled her eyebrows at me. "She has the right idea," she whispered.
"Shut it, Harper," I said.
My assistant and friend snorted in amusement and stretched.
Today could be a very long day.
* * *
By the time six rolled around, I was dead on my feet. An unexpected field trip rolled through and our shop was overrun with twenty exuberant fifth graders. When I saw them coming down the sidewalk, I had to stop myself from locking the doors. The money had the potential to be good and I couldn't begrudge kids a good book. I just didn't want them destroying my shop.
Two harried teachers came in and apologized profusely. One of them, a pretty strawberry blonde, spoke. "I am so sorry. We were supposed to go to a small farm two towns over, and when we got there, they had the place shut down! They didn't tell us or anything, and then we had twenty disappointed elementary school students! So, we had to call all their parents and the school and work something else out, and I am so sorry, but our kids will be careful. If they aren't, we will pay for everything. And if you have a cup of coffee, we will keep you in our prayers for the rest of our natural lives."
Harper burst out laughing. I motioned for them to come in. "We have a coffee pot over in the corner. It's your lucky day. We just made a fresh pot."
She sighed and eyed me like I was the best thing since sliced bread. Holding one finger up, she stepped back outside. I heard her barking orders to the kids like a drill sergeant and the kids began to file in, one at a time, whisper quiet.
I have no idea what she said to them, but it seemed to work.
Once we got them out the door and made a healthy profit from all the books they bought, I leaned against the counter and stretched out my aching back.
We hadn't been that busy in ages. "I think I need a chiropractor visit," I groaned.
Harper chuckled. "Those kids were adorable, weren't they?" I didn't miss the wistful note in her voice.
"They were," I agreed. "I can't believe how good they were."
"They were probably just delighted to be out of the classroom for the day. Kids need to get out more instead of sitting in the classroom all day." Harper shuffled some papers out of the way and began to wipe down the counter and the register. Exchanging cash all day and hosting customers paved the way for a lot of germs to get left behind so we wiped most surfaces down every day
.
A quick glance at the clock made me stand up straighter. Five minutes until closing time! I took the other spray bottle and sprayed down the front of the desk, then walked over and cleaned off the door handles and the windows. By that time, the clock had struck six, and we were officially closed for business. On Fridays, we stayed open later and sometimes hosted a teen night, but the other days of the week we closed early. So far it hadn't hurt our bottom line and since we were in the area where a lot of tourists walked through, the hours made sense. By then a lot of them were out eating dinner or tired from the day and ready to go back to their lodging.
Waving at Harper, I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door. I wanted to stop by the investment firm who bought up all the properties on Marcy's street. All I had to do was a quick, anonymous public records search to figure out the investment firm’s name and address.
* * *
Tapping my nails on the austere white countertop, I waited for someone at the firm to notice I was alive. Granted, I guess I didn't look like I had a lot of free cash in my outfit of skinny jeans, rain boots and a long flannel. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, even if it was true.
A woman with perfect makeup and what had to be a designer suit finally came over to me, her heels clicking across the floor in perfect timing to the music pumping through the speakers.
"Hello," she said politely. A quizzical look formed in her eyes. "Are you looking for someone?"
I smiled and put on my best I am smart and I have every right to be here look. Even though I didn't. I was about to get real nosy.
"Yes, hello. I'm interested in purchasing a house on Spruce Street, but when I went to my realtor's office, she told me that most of them were snatched up by an investment company." I smiled. "I'm here to figure out if there are any extra houses there for sale or if I could purchase one of them from you." I studied my nails. "You see, my boyfriend is an artist and when he came up to visit, he said one of those homes would be perfect for inspiration." I rolled my eyes. "But we didn't move fast enough when the one on the end came up for sale and now I'm here. I so want to be able to get him one for his birthday. You see, my parents left me a whole bunch of money, and I want to do something really nice for him."
