by Rita Lawless
“Large print?” April indicated a section to the left.
“No,” he answered quickly. “Her eyes are just fine. I had hoped for newer books, maybe things that came in during the last week or so?”
April frowned. She had two boxes of Regency romance novels that Virginia had brought in last week. April had meant to put them out, but so far she hadn’t had the time. She had shelved, and already sold, the mystery books her friend had brought in.
Thinking of Virginia reminded April that the younger woman hadn’t called her back about the trade amounts. She needed to get hold of her today, before Virginia thought April was trying to rip her off.
“I have some newer ones, on the new release shelf near the door. Do you know what authors your mother likes?”
“I didn’t ask,” he said. He grabbed one of the books on the shelf. “Are these the new ones?”
“Those just came in within the last few weeks, yes.” April watched as he gathered up all the Regency books.
“I’ll take them all.”
“Great.” She smiled. “Would you like to trade something? We can set up an account for you.”
“No, cash is fine.” They exchanged green for books, and April bagged his purchases.
“When your mom is done, bring them back and we can trade them off. I have new books coming in every day.” Well, mostly every day, she amended in her mind.
“Will do. Thank you, April.” He headed out the door and April frowned. She hadn’t remembered telling her his name.
After everyone had left, April checked the shelves to make sure things were still in order. When that was done, she pushed a few buttons on the computer and called up Virginia’s file. As she dialed her friend’s number, she wondered why Virginia hadn’t returned the first call. The phone rang four times, and the voice mail kicked in; after the beep, April left a message. “Hey Virginia, it’s April again. I wanted to talk about those books you brought in. Please give me a holler at the store. I hope everything’s okay. Call me.” She left the store number, and as an afterthought she tacked on her cell phone number.
When she was done with that, she checked the register. All in all, it had been a good day, so far anyway. The store still had a few hours left to go, and she hoped she would have a few more sales, and trades, before the end of the day.
But that didn’t happen. The next few hours were pretty dull, and when the door finally opened, at ten minutes to five, April wanted to scream for joy. Two men in dress clothes came in, and her heart sank. They didn’t look like book readers. Hopefully they weren’t stopping by the strip mall to ask for directions.
She bit back a giggle. Men never ask for directions. “May I help you gentlemen?”
“April Johnstone?”
“Yes,” she confirmed cautiously.
“I’m Det. Steve Rogers with the Denver PD, and this is my partner Det. James Threadway. We’d like to talk to you about Virginia Midland.”
April’s blood turned cold. She read enough mystery novels to know that detectives didn’t show up for minor cases. They were dispatched, mostly anyway, in cases of death.
“Yes,” she said, keeping her voice even.
“Did you know Ms. Midland?”
There it was, the past tense word that told April why Virginia hadn’t called her back. “I know Virginia, yes. She’s a customer, and a friend. Not a hang out friend, but we talk when she’s in here.”
“You called her this afternoon,” Threadway said.
“Yes. She brought in some books to trade and I haven’t seen her since then.”
“When was she in here?” Threadway asked.
“Last week. I know that because I saw her at the club the previous Tuesday night and—”
“Club?” Rogers interrupted.
“Um, no, she brought in books recently, to trade.” April cleared her throat. “What is this about?”
“Ms. Johnstone, we hate to tell you this, but Ms. Midland is dead. She was found in her house this morning after a mailman became concerned about mail piling up in her box. She’s been dead for several days. When was the last time you talked to her?”
April’s hands started to shake. She grasped the counter in an effort to steady her wobbly knees. “Um, I need… to sit.”
The two detectives moved quickly. Rogers grabbed her arm, and Threadway grabbed one of two chairs April kept behind the counter. It was as if air was making its way into her nose, but not finding its way into her lungs.
April started breathing in through her mouth, trying desperately to catch her breath. One of the men was rubbing her back, telling her to try and calm her breathing before she hyperventilated. His voice was like a buzzing noise in her head.
This couldn’t be happening. The beautiful blonde whom April had just seen at Charlie’s, who was excited about the possibility of a new Dom, was dead. She’d just been in the shop. This just couldn’t be possible.
“Are you sure you have the right person?”
“Yes,” one of them said.
April straightened and looked between the two. She couldn’t remember which was which.
“You and Ms. Midland were good friends?”
April looked at the one who spoke. “Well, detective, um…”
“Threadway,” he supplied.
“Right, Threadway. She’d been coming into the shop for about a year now, and after a few visits we’d talk, about books, movies, and things like that. We didn’t see each other socially, if that’s what you’re asking. We didn’t go out to dinner, or movies, or shopping.”
“But you mentioned a club,” Rogers reminded her.
April could have kicked herself in the butt for that. Of course, while they were investigating Virginia’s life, they would learn about her lifestyle.
“I saw her at Charlie’s about two weeks ago.”
“The BDSM club?” Threadway asked. His tone indicated he was shocked. “Do you know what she was doing there?”
“Meeting a man, detective.”
“For?” Threadway prompted.
“Why do people usually meet people at Charlie’s? You can’t have sex there, according to the rules, but you can get to know people, and…”
“Transfer your activities to another site,” Rogers finished for her.
“Exactly.”
“Who did she meet?” Rogers asked.
April wanted them to slow things down, give her a chance to process the fact that Virginia was dead.
“Ms. Johnstone?” Rogers said. “Who did she meet?”
“I don’t know. All I could see was the back of his head. I talked to Virginia…” her voice broke, and tears stung her eyes. She swallowed hard to gain her composure. “I talked to Virginia before I went to meet my friend. When I came back out she was sitting with a man, but I didn’t go back over.”
“Young, old, dark hair, blond hair?”
April glared at Rogers. “Did you miss the part where I said all I saw was the back of his head?”
“What color was his hair?” He continued to push her.
“Blond, like dark blond.”
“Would you say he was muscular, skinny, fat, tall, short?”
April wanted to scream. Instead, she inhaled deeply. “I would say he was in his thirties, if I were to guess. He wore a denim shirt; I remember that. She came into the store last week, to trade books. She seemed happy with him, said she thought they were going to get along.”
“When was that?” Rogers asked.
“Friday, or maybe Saturday.” She was sure it was Friday, but she felt so rattled right now that she thought she might be wrong. “Let me check her file.”
“You keep records?”
“Of course, detective. People here have accounts, and they can build up credits. I start off on paper cards, but eventually I transfer it to the computer so there is a permanent record.”
“Can you print hers out for us?”
April tapped a few keys. “Sure, just give me a minute.”
<
br /> Finally, there was a pause while the printer hummed to life. “How did she die?”
“We’re still waiting on the autopsy results,” Threadway said, his tone gentle.
“Bull.” She laughed sarcastically. “You just don’t want to tell me. Afraid I’ll faint?”
“She was stabbed,” Rogers said.
A horrific image of Virginia bleeding took center space in April’s mind. She bit back a sob. “I called her twice. Once earlier to tell her about her books. Then today since she hadn’t returned my call.”
“Earlier?” Threadway sounded confused. “What day was that?”
April reached for the calendar on her desk. She flipped through a few pages, just to give herself a little breathing space. “Yesterday.” Before her first time with Titan. It seemed so long ago.
“Was Virginia a sub, or a Dominatrix?” Threadway asked.
“Sub,” April answered.
“And you have no clue who she met?” This from Rogers. April thought they were pretty good at trading questions.
“No, she never mentioned a name to me. But she did seem to light up when she talked about him while she was in the shop.” The memory of Virginia’s shy smile made April fight back a sob.
“Are you going to be all right when we’re gone?” Rogers gently squeezed her shoulder. “Is there someone we could call to be with you?”
“Misty,” April said. “She’s my best friend. I’ll call her.”
“Why don’t you do that while we’re here,” Rogers suggested.
The two detectives put their heads together to look at the list. April dialed Misty’s number. Like a true friend, she could tell something was wrong the minute April said hello.
“I’m just leaving work,” Misty said. “I’ll be right there. In the meantime, don’t say anything.”
“What are you, a lawyer?” April laughed. “I have nothing to hide.”
“Isn’t that what they always say on TV? Don’t say anything unless you’ve talked to your lawyer?”
“If you’re a suspect,” April said. “I’m not.”
“Right now,” Misty continued. “But they always try to pin it on someone who didn’t do it, at least at first.”
“You’ve read too many mystery books,” April told her. “Just get here.”
“On my way.”
April clicked off the phone. The two detectives were talking quietly. Rogers turned to her. “Do you still have the books she brought in the last time she was here?”
“Some of them,” April said. “She brought a lot. I sold some of the newer ones already. I keep track of numbers, and what genre of books my customers like, but not the titles they buy. I have no clue who bought those books.”
“Regency romances,” Threadway said.
“And some mysteries,” April said. “But most of them are still in the back.”
“Can we see them?” Rogers asked.
April said they could. It was close to closing time, and she didn’t think anyone else would be in today. She locked the door and led them toward the storeroom. When they were in the back, she indicated the boxes. She stood in the doorway as they bent to examine them.
About ten minutes later there was a knock at the door. April hurried to the front. Misty stood there, pulling on the locked door. April let her in, and her friend hugged her tightly.
“Where are the cops?”
“In the storeroom, looking at the books Virginia brought in.” April started to cry. “I just can’t believe she’s dead. She was so sweet.”
Misty wrapped her into a hug. April’s shoulders shook as she cried. The sound of a man clearing his throat brought April back to the reality. Now was not the time to fall apart. She could do that later, after everyone was gone. She kept her gaze averted as she wiped her eyes. She turned to find the two officers standing in the doorway.
“Nothing there but books,” Rogers said.
“Well, this is a bookstore,” April said, hoping she sounded normal.
“Misty,” Threadway said. “Nice to see you again.”
“You, too, Officer.”
“Detective,” he corrected.
“Sorry,” she countered.
“We’ll be going, but we might be back if we have more questions,” Rogers said. “If you remember anything about the man you saw her with at Charlie’s, please let us know.”
April nodded her assent, then let the men out. When they were gone, she turned toward Misty. “Have you slept with him?”
“Yup. He’s a good Dom.”
April shook her head. “I don’t believe you. You’ve slept with everyone.”
“Not his partner. I’ve never met him.”
April couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do you think they’re having the same conversation? Do you think Rogers is asking Sir James if he’d slept with me, and then saying he’s a ho-dog?”
“I didn’t say you were a ho-dog.” April plopped herself down in one of the cushiony wingback chairs near the door of the shop. Misty sat in the other. April’s hands still shook, and she felt as if she might lose whatever food she’d eaten that day.
“How is it that the cops came to see you about her?” Misty asked. “I didn’t think the two of you were that good of friends.”
April hadn’t thought of that. “Well, I called her this afternoon. Maybe they were monitoring her phone. She’d brought some books in to the store for trade. That’s what they were doing in the storeroom, going through Virginia’s boxes.”
An image of the smile on Virginia’s face the last time she’d been in the shop took hold in April’s mind. How was it possible that she was gone? That someone had come into her home and… She sobbed and put her head in her hands.
“I’m so sorry.” Misty knelt in front of her and took April’s hands between hers. She squeezed them hard.
April sniffled. “This just seems like a bad dream.”
Misty hugged her, which made April feel as if things might be fine. “Want to go get something to eat?”
“Yes.” April straightened and wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. “A big, fat, greasy hamburger with tater tots on the side, and a chocolate shake.”
“Extra pickles on mine, please,” Misty said as she pushed herself up from the floor.
Even though she felt as if she might burst into tears at any second, April knew the best thing she could do was not sit around and dwell on things. Getting something to eat would take her mind off the visit from the detectives. It wouldn’t make her forget, but it might help her to refocus for a few moments while she came to terms with the fact that her young friend would never again enter the shop.
“I’m going to wash my face, and then I’ll be right out.” April made her way to the back of the store. Once in the bathroom she shut the door, mostly out of habit. She splashed cold water on her face, getting quite a bit of it on her shirtfront. Not that it mattered. She had extras in the office, kept because, as Misty always said, April was the messiest eater on the face of the planet. If she ate anything with ketchup, it somehow ended up on the front of her shirt.
“April.” Misty’s voice sounded strange.
April blotted her face with a paper towel before she opened the door. “What?” she shouted back.
“Out here,” a deep voice said. It was one she’d heard not that long ago. She stopped in the doorway of the bathroom, wondering what the hell he was doing there.
It didn’t take her long to reach the front. Misty was near the front door, Titan at her side. April studied him, confusion taking center space in her mind.
“What—”
He interrupted her. “I hear we’re going to get something to eat. Let’s go. I’m buying.”
Chapter Four
They found a diner in LoDo that wasn’t too crowded, in fact, much to April’s surprise, they were seated within five minutes of their arrival. To April, it was nothing less than amazing. But as soon as they were seated, she and Titan on one s
ide of the booth, Misty on the other, the reason for the visit from the cops, for her calling Misty, pushed away all the other feelings she had, and she felt like she might tear up again.
“So, what did you tell the cops?” Titan asked after the waitress had delivered iced teas and taken their orders.
“Excuse me?” April had picked up her water glass, and for a moment she thought it would slip from her fingers and shatter on the table.
“About Virginia.”
April set the cup down. “How did you… what?”
“Everybody knows about it,” he said as he took a sip from his own glass. He was so calm, as if he were discussing the weather. “I figured that’s why they were at your store, unless you had a break-in or something.”
“And why would you think that?” Too many thoughts were passing through her mind at one time. How was it that he happened to be at the store the minute the cops were gone? Why did he think the police were there about the murder?
“How do you know about Virginia?”
“Everybody knows,” he said again. They fell silent as the waitress returned with condiments in preparation for their meal. She set the bottles on the table, and April could tell from the look on her face that she was uncomfortable that they were all staring at her, and had stopped talking the minute she’d approached.
When she was gone, Titan leaned closer to the table, as if he had a secret to impart to April and Misty. Instead of telling them something, he asked, “What did they tell you?”
“That Virginia was dead,” April said. She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “You sound like you know an awful lot about what’s happened.”
He shrugged. “I watch the news.”
“That’s not what you said,” April countered. “You said everybody knew. Who is everybody?”
“People at Charlie’s,” he informed her. He had a straight face, which made her think he was telling the truth, or he was good at lying. “Tom called me to tell me he’d heard about it from a mutual friend.”
“Who was the friend?” she asked.
“He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask,” Titan said. He lifted his glass and took a long swallow.
She knew that was bull, because when she called someone to tell them something like this, she usually started the conversation with, “So and so just called and said that this happened.”
