With a few wriggles of his metal tool, the man entered Piper and Fred’s place. Following his usual method, he ripped everything apart. Scrambled the bedding. Emptied the closets. Yanked drawers out of chests. Threw magazines to the corners and left a shambles in his shadow. Though he sorted through objects in every room, he found no book with a red cover anywhere. He took the page torn from Lelia from his pocket and looked for a good place to toss it. It landed by the front door as he left.
Lily looked around the bookmobile, freshly tidied from front to back. It looked normal again. She opened up for customers and kept busy renting books to patrons. No one mentioned the break-in and she didn’t bring it up.
When it was almost time for book club, she closed up and waited for Piper and Aggie to arrive. After a cup of tea, Lily stood up. “I promised you a quote last night and this morning I found one from the enlightened author, Voltaire. ‘Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.’ The words seemed appropriate.”
“Absolutely.” Piper waved her newly painted lilac nails. “Although we could go dancing in the lavender fields to worry the farmers.”
Aggie rubbed her brow “After what happened to the bookmobile, let’s not cause a fuss.”
“Then, for now, let’s read,” Lily said. “As usual, I have books to show you. Mill on the Floss. Mrs. Dalloway. The Wide Sargasso Sea. Villette. Venus in India.”
“How about something really racy today,” Piper said.
Lily opened Venus in India and turned to a bookmarked passage. “Okay then, let’s go.
She saw the mighty engine, its ponderous, well-shaped sack, and the forest out of which they grew, and knew that they were now all hers ….
Shall I keep reading?”
Piper pulsated off the chair. “Oh, shoot, those words and the tea make me crave air and space. Anyone for a change of scene? Let’s move to my house. Freddie’s at the station. We’ll have the run of the place. We can read and dance there.”
They trooped outside and turned toward the Valerian house.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Piper shouted. “No one’s home and that guy’s coming out of our house and getting in his car.”
“Hop in the pickup,” Aggie said.
They climbed in and Aggie gunned the engine.
“His car’s turning down that side street.” Lily grabbed the seat belt and latched it.
Piper waved her arm and shouted out the window, “Stop!”
“You. Intruder. You,” Aggie yelled into the air, “You. Halt!”
“I couldn’t see his face, but he had on coveralls and a cap,” Piper said. “What do we do?”
“We catch him.” Aggie raced the engine and honked the horn, ignoring stop signs, chasing after the dust cloud in the distance. Ahead, the sedan’s tires squealed as the car headed toward the main highway.
“Are you used to driving this fast?” Lily said.
“Only this one time.” Aggie honked the horn again.
Piper clutched the armrest. “Now I’m the one wondering who hates me enough to break in.”
Aggie’s pickup paused to find an entry spot among the steadily moving traffic on the multi-laned highway. Then, she plunged ahead and the pickup joined the tightly packed flow of vehicles. Truck horns blared at them.
Lily cried out. “There’s his car, jammed in between two semis.”
“No, he slipped through to the inside fast lane.” Piper scowled.
The pickup squeaked into the next lane, while trucks and SUVs and busses barreled alongside, passing on either side.
“I’m trying to keep up.” Aggie groaned. “I’m trying.”
The pickup coughed.
“We’re losing him.” Piper held on for dear life. “Floor it.”
“That’s all it’ll do,” Aggie said. “We’re outclassed.”
“And falling farther and farther behind.” Lily squinted, trying to spot the vehicle they were chasing.
Piper shrugged. “I don’t think we’ll catch him.”
“You’re right.” At the next exit, Aggie turned back toward town.
“See if the sheriff’s in his office, Piper,” Lily said. “He could radio ahead and the highway patrol might catch him if we gave a description.”
“Too late. He could turn off anywhere. I’ll call the sheriff from home. Let’s see how much damage he did. Too bad Jaxon was in the backyard, but then, he’s not much of a watchdog.”
They entered together, prepared for destruction, and found it. Piper surveyed the upturned furniture, the strewn clothing and discarded objects. Tears flooded down her cheeks when she reported the damage to the sheriff.
Aggie and Lily set about restoring order, while Piper catalogued personal possessions.
“Everything’s accounted for.” She picked up the torn page. “Except I don’t know where this came from.”
Lily studied it. “It’s a page from the same book I found. From Lelia. See the heading on top.”
Aggie snatched the paper. “There was one of these in the farmhouse when it was trashed.” Piper pulled her bookmobile reading from under the guest room mattress. “Guess he didn’t want my erotica, unless he didn’t recognize it when he saw it.”
“Not everyone does,” Lily said. “And some see it where it’s not.”
Piper picked up the phone. “Guess I should call Freddie at the garage.”
“That sounds private.” Lily turned to leave.
Piper waved her lilac nails at them. “I’ll see you guys later. You can hold my hand then.”
Aggie and Lily slipped out the front door.
Piper poked in the gas station numbers. “So, Freddie, you’ll probably hear about this soon enough, but I wanted to tell you myself. Someone broke into our house.”
“Jeez, Piper. You okay? I’ll close up and be right over.”
“No. I’m all right. I wasn’t here. The sheriff’s on his way and afterward, he plans to stop by the gas station and give you a full report. He thinks it was a small time thief looking for easy cash. Or kids.”
“What could anyone have wanted from our place?”
“Nothing, far as I can tell. Whoever did it, now knows we have nothing to steal.”
“Maybe I should train Jaxon to bark, instead of training him not to. Hell, Piper, I’m coming home.”
“You don’t need to. It’s unnecessary. The sheriff will give you all the details, and I have an appointment at the salon. I wanted to let you know before you heard about the break-in from someone else.”
“Yeah, I get it. We’ll talk about this sometime next year.”
“I meant we could talk tonight.”
“Yeah, sure. If you feel like it. Or if I do.”
She tightened her lips. The phone line clicked.
Griffo tried. He really tried. When he brought the sword out from the corner of the vardo, held it to his lips, and smelled the rusty metal, his neck opening tightened into the size of a pinhole. Then, he’d stumble over to gag in the sink, afraid of slitting his own throat.
After each break-in, the man grabbed his pencil and crossed a name off his list. As he dwelled on the possibilities of who might possess the stolen book, another suspicion surfaced. Someone he hadn’t considered before. Someone who might recognize the value of the book much more than any others on the list.
CHAPTER 26
In the heart of night, the man coasted into the back of the Used Stuff Store parking lot. He fumbled at the door working to open it before he sneaked inside. Flashlight in hand, he probed the office from top to bottom. He tiptoed into the sales area to examine rows of chests, sliding out drawers, neglecting to push them shut.
Quiet. Quiet. He checked hiding places in used desks for sale, French provincial, Danish modern, faux bamboo, regulation office types. He slipped with eel-like movements about the store as his slashing light played around different areas, highlighting corners, checking funky trunks, looking behind phonographs and on top of metal kitche
n cabinets. He was barely discernible, barely there.
Except. Except for one time. In one unnerving moment, he could not control the bottom drawer of a classic sewing machine. It squealed with a penetrating vibration when he pulled it open. Its horrendous howl flew up and away, traveling up the stairwell to the upper reaches of the apartment, a sound curling around and around, making a noise to wake any occupant. The intruder held his breath for a moment, but heard nothing. All was silent in the upper reaches of the building.
Until along the far side of the room, on the apartment stairway, the third step from the bottom creaked with a footfall. The invader threw his intense flashlight beam in that direction.
It highlighted Maxine in a large lacy nightie, grasping the railing. Her droopy eyes faced the glare and she gasped for air. The sound of her heavy breathing reached him. Through streaks of moonlight penetrating the front windows, he realized she saw him, but knew he’d only be a blurry shadow of a man. Because of his baseball cap and goggles, she wouldn’t be able to identify him. Her eyelids squinted at places the moonbeams revealed and her head swiveled toward the papers strewn by the cash register, next to sofa cushions gone askew, on to gaping drawers everywhere.
His voice was raspy. “Quick, go back upstairs and you won’t get hurt. Just tell me where you hid the book?”
“Who are you, breaking in here? It’s the middle of the night,” she whispered. The stair squeaked again, as she continued down the last two steps and stumbled, bumping against an upended table, tripping over an errant footstool. “Damn it. What book are you talking about?”
She leaned against a hat rack that tipped, then crashed against a display of metal shelving. She stumbled again, ending up on her knees.
The man grabbed a rake from the ash can with the sign, “Garden Implements for Sale.” He waved the long handle toward her, prongs close to her head. “Don’t do anything dumb. Tell me where to find the book. The one wrapped in newspaper. The one under the shelving unit for throwaways. I need it now.”
Maxine pulled herself up. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you found it, opened the package and recognized its enormous worth.” The rake dipped above Maxine’s head, threatening. “You realized you could secretly sell it for a million bucks.”
“No. No. Listen.” She clawed at the phone. “Just leave before I call the sheriff.”
“Don’t do that. I’m warning you.” Like the arc of a rainbow, the end of the metal rake swung above her head as she swayed from side to side. The prongs moved closer and closer. Maneuvering to avoid the rake, she slipped again and went down. Crack went her skull, smacking hard against the refurbished pot-bellied stove marked “cheap $15.”
He flashed his light and saw blood oozing onto the planked floor, the dark stain seeping into aged woodgrain. He rested the rake on the stove and the flashlight wavered over her still face. “Damn it,” the man cried. “Coming down was a dumb move.”
Maxine Morton didn’t refute his remark. He realized she was unavailable for comment.
He knew she’d never wake up. In a trance, the intruder plowed through the store, checking overlooked pieces of furniture. He did the same upstairs. He turned on the lights and ransacked the apartment. By the time he left, he was certain the book was no longer on the premises.
When the sheriff answered the 911 call, he drove immediately to the Used Stuff Store. He nodded at Sax when the front door opened and patted his back when the sobbing began. The sheriff helped Sax to an old rocking chair, then moved a few brisk steps to the crime scene. Early light glowed ominously on Maxine’s body. She was surrounded by violent destruction. He bent to examine her head.
The sheriff turned to Sax, “What can you tell me?”
Sax’s voice was only a murmur. “Nothing except Maxine is dead. I found her this morning. Can I leave for my motel room to lie down?”
The sheriff nodded. “I’ll be here surveying the damage. Doing what needs to be done.” He wandered around the store, shaking his head, climbing over furniture.
Finally, he drove to Motel 5 and knocked on Sax’s door.
Sax peered out through a crack before letting him in. “She’s dead,” he cried. “And while I was away, someone broke in here too. What’s happening in this crazy world?” He fell on the bed, in the middle of tangled clothes and covers.
The sheriff observed the mess. Dresser doors hung open. Toothpaste, comb, razor and a string of personal care items trailed out from the bathroom door. He scratched his head. “Can you think of anything to help us solve this? Who might have wanted to hurt your sister? I’m so sorry about Max.”
“I found this book page in my room.” Sax produced a torn sheet from Lelia. “But I don’t know what it means. I can’t tell you anything.” His voice broke. “I don’t know what kind of monster hates us so much he’d do things like this.”
The sheriff righted the chair and sat down. “A death is new, but breaking and entering in Nolan has turned into an epidemic. Your ripped up store and apartment are just the latest episodes. The Used Stuff cash draw still contains seventeen dollars, so it wasn’t the money. Now, your motel room’s upended too. Anything gone?”
Sax shook his head. “Nothing I can think of.”
The sheriff grunted. “I dunno what to do. This is Nolan, for god’s sake.”
Back at Used Stuff, the sheriff was relieved when Hugh Jamison showed up to help with the investigation. The detective called Groverly and ordered a forensic team to take fingerprints and photos. After documentation of the body and a comprehensive inspection of the store’s upheaval, arrangements were made for Maxine’s remains to be removed.
“If it’s murder, that’s a big event for Nolan.” The sheriff took his gun from his holster and wiped it on his pant leg.
It was a day for another big event in town. The full force of the butterfly migration washed past the outskirts, monarchs dropping from a powder-blue sky, drifting closer and closer to Main Street.
“See them dancing.” Lily pointed at the butterflies as Aggie parked next to the bookmobile. They both saw Piper pacing back and forth in front of the van.
Lily jumped out of the pickup. “What’s wrong?”
“You won’t believe it,” Piper’s voice shook. “They found her body at the store.”
Lily unlocked the door. “Whose body? What store?”
Piper rushed in and collapsed. “Maxine. Maxine Morton. Found dead at Used Stuff.”
“Suddenly, a black cloud hangs over us,” Aggie said. “And the town grows bleaker.”
“Do you know what happened?” Lily moved slowly through the bookmobile, her eyes checking each shelf.
“I was on my way to open Cut & Curl when I saw the sheriff’s car at Used Stuff. Folks outside were talking about how Maxine was hit on the head or pushed into a stove or something. And whoever did it really messed up the place.”
“Do you think she was mixed up in something?” Lily said. “Like drugs?”
“Never in any trouble, far as I know.” Piper’s mouth quivered. “And we just bought all those books from her.”
Lily stopped at the Zane Grey collection on the shelf. Her fingers brushed along the spines. “See, the Used Stuff sale books are with us right now.”
Aggie sat and bowed her head. “So Maxine’s presence lingers on the shelves of this very place. I said it before. Someone’s after us and now, after others. A very evil person.”
“A someone who broke into the bookmobile,” Lily said.
“Into our house too.”
“Maxine sold the cure book to me.” Aggie rubbed her temple. “But come to think of it, she was in the office and didn’t know that I bought it.”
“What cure book?” Piper said.
“The one I bought at Used Stuff and left at the Hopper by mistake, chasing after Cim’s cape. Lily thinks it’s worth lots more than the two quarters I paid for it.”
“A great deal more. If it was stolen fro
m the library in Groverly, it’s priceless.” Lily stared at her books.
“If Maxine wanted that book back, she’d have asked. And I’d have given it. She was a longtime goat milk customer.”
Piper quit nibbling on a fingernail and stood up. “Could it be the book I heard about, the one the drug salesman talked about at the Emporium? The one worth a million?”
“Who was in the store that day?” Lily asked.
“Boris and Griffo were both there. And Sax and maybe Maxine. I wasn’t paying too much attention, and I don’t remember the name of the company. I was nervous because I went there to buy some erotica.”
“Suddenly there’s a long list of crime in town.” Lily moved to the front. “Maxine Morton’s dead. The Used Stuff Store trashed. The bookmobile. Piper and Fred’s place. And somehow, we’re in the middle of it.”
“Don’t forget the farm. I thought that was Griffo,” Aggie said, “but I found a torn page from that book too.”
“I haven’t seen Aggie’s special book yet, but from the description, it might be the stolen one,” Lily said. “I saw the exterior when it was part of the library exhibit.”
Piper started pacing up and down the aisle. “But the crooks broke into our house. Freddie and I don’t know about any book, unless it’s connected to what I overheard at the Emporium that day. I’m scared.”
Detective Jamison’s car crawled past the bookmobile parked in the square. When he saw shadows of people moving inside through the back window, he pulled in and parked, nosing his vehicle close to the park’s blooming bushes.
In a sudden rush, the colorful monarchs came from behind buildings, through alleyways and down hidden paths. Attracted by the invitation of flowers blooming in the square, the maze of bright fliers dipped down to feed. More butterflies floated through the town streets. Weaving wings clustering together, they created an advancing orange barricade. He watched as they hovered between his car and the bookmobile.
“What the hell. I’m being attacked by flutterers.” Through the car window, he watched the flood of color move in mesmerizing rhythm. When they obscured the view, he ground his teeth. “Confound it.” Ready to advance through the orange haze, he opened the car door and stood by his automobile.
The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies Page 21
