A Deadly Edition

by Victoria Gilbert

  “Back in a minute,” Samantha said, as soon as we both noticed the tall, bony figure appear Wednesday morning and immediately disappear into one of the far rows.

  I gave her a mock salute. “Your sacrifice is appreciated.”

  Samantha grinned before heading into the stacks.

  Left alone, I checked the integrated library system, or ILS, on the desk computer, searching for any new interlibrary loan requests. As I compiled a file of titles to search later, my aunt’s best friend, Zelda Shoemaker, appeared at my elbow.

  “Oh, hi,” I said, saving my file before turning to face her. “I didn’t realize you were volunteering today.”

  “I switched with Denise. She had a doctor’s appointment.” Zelda patted her expertly dyed curls. Unlike my aunt, she eschewed her natural color, claiming that her hair had turned an unattractive yellowish gray rather than Aunt Lydia’s pure white. While that might’ve been true, there was also the fact that with Zelda’s relatively unlined face and rosy cheeks, the blonde tint of her permed curls made her appear ten years younger than her sixty-seven years.

  I frowned. Denise, who typically volunteered more hours than Zelda, had originally signed up to work into the evening. Since Samantha was working the late shift, she’d be alone after I left around five. “Are you planning to stay later? Denise had signed up for that.”

  Zelda rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, we worked it out. Bill’s coming in at five. He’ll stay with Samantha until closing.”

  “That’s great. I just wish you’d told me ahead of time,” I said, fighting a twinge of irritation. I appreciated the library volunteers, but sometimes they forgot to include me in their schedule changes. I was concerned that this might cause a major problem one day. “You know I like to be informed when you guys switch things around. Just in case I need to cover in an emergency.”

  Zelda tapped my arm with her pale-pink polished nails. “You worry too much, Amy. It’s going to age you before your time.”

  “That’s not the only thing that will do it,” I said, thinking of my unfortunate habit of stumbling over dead bodies. “I guess you heard that the sheriff’s department is focusing their investigation into Oscar Selvaggio’s death on Kurt Kendrick?”

  Zelda pursed her lips. “There were a lot of other people there. Maybe more than one with a reason to want to kill that rather obnoxious man.”

  “What do you mean? Did you see something?”

  Zelda’s light-brown eyes sparkled. I loved her dearly, but I had to admit that she liked nothing better than sharing juicy gossip. Something I always had to remember when I spoke with her. “Just one of the guests being manhandled by that Selvaggio fellow, that’s all.”

  “Are you serious? I hope you informed the authorities,” I said, my mood brightening as I realized that this might take some of the focus off Kurt. Or Adele, or my brother, I thought.

  “Of course I did.” Zelda stroked her plump jawline with one finger. “I don’t know who it was, as we weren’t introduced, but I definitely caught Selvaggio grabbing the woman’s arm and giving it a pretty rough shake. They were alone in the kitchen at the time. When I walked in, Selvaggio dropped the woman’s arm and strode past me without meeting my eyes.”

  “Really?” The kitchen … I realized she could be talking about Adele, and if so, I’d better tread carefully. “Did the woman say anything?”

  “Not really. She thanked me for walking in when I did and made some small talk about the party, but that was all.” Zelda’s expression turned thoughtful. “Now that I think about it, it seems even stranger that she didn’t introduce herself. But maybe you know her—a slender older woman in a purple dress?”

  I coughed to cover the swear word that almost escaped my lips. It looked like I would be forced to lie, or at least skirt the truth, to prevent my aunt’s inquisitive friend from jumping to any unwanted conclusions. Gripping the edge of the circulation desk with both hands, I forced a smile before speaking again. “That would be Adele Tourneau, a former dancer who was once Richard’s coach. She’s known Richard and his friend Karla for a long time, and Kurt Kendrick has been a patron of some of her dance charities for many years, so it’s not surprising she was invited.”

  “Seems like she also knew Oscar Selvaggio before the party.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not sure about that. Maybe Selvaggio grabbed her because he was trying some sort of clumsy advance. He came off as overly flirtatious to me, and Adele is a very attractive lady.”

  “I don’t think it was that.” Zelda narrowed her eyes. “Because the guy said something like ‘Don’t forget I know what you tried to do,’ which made me think they were already pretty well acquainted.”

  I swept up a scattering of loose bookmarks from the desktop and shoved them back into their plastic display holder. “But even so, he might have had a thing for her for years and finally took the opportunity to make a move.”

  “That doesn’t quite fit what I observed.” Zelda’s expression brightened as her gaze flitted toward the entry doors. “But look—it’s your brother. I didn’t realize he was still in town.”

  “He’s staying with us for a few weeks. A little break from work.” I caught Scott’s eye and waved him over.

  “Brought you some lunch, courtesy of Aunt Lydia,” he said, holding up a brown paper bag. “She said you’d left without packing anything and was worried you wouldn’t have time to run out to the diner.”

  “Thanks,” I said, taking the bag. “Let me just set this in the back.”

  As I turned away to head into the workroom, I heard Zelda bombarding Scott with questions about his visit. I smiled grimly. I was grateful he’d shown up to distract Zelda before she could pry any further into Adele’s connection to Selvaggio but sorry he’d also be obliged to lie to her if she asked too many personal questions.

  Returning to the desk, I was greeted by another familiar face. “Hi, Ethan,” I said, as the firefighter slipped a book into the return slot in the desk. “Finished with the new Patterson already?”

  “Yeah, it’s been slow at the firehouse—which is good, of course.” Ethan nodded at Zelda and Scott. “Hello, Ms. Shoemaker, how are you?”

  “Very well, thank you,” Zelda replied, motioning toward Scott. “This is Amy’s brother, by the way. I doubt you’ve met. He doesn’t visit us rustic folks in Taylorsford much.”

  Ethan extended his hand. “Ethan Payne,” he said.

  As the two men shook hands, I noticed them checking each other out. Something Zelda also seemed to observe, if the sudden spark of glee in her eyes was any indication.

  “Scott’s another brilliant member of the Webber family, or so I’m told,” she said. “One of those computer experts, doing stuff I can’t for the life of me understand.”

  “Cybersecurity, for the most part,” Scott said, his gaze fixed on Ethan. “You’re a firefighter?”

  “Yeah.” Ethan rubbed his short hair with one hand. “I sometimes help out the EMTs too. I work for the county.”

  “I thought the local firefighters and EMTs were mostly volunteers.”

  “They are. But the county hires a few professionals to supervise the volunteers and do training and that sort of thing.” Ethan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Anyway, we’re happy to have Amy here, running the library. She’s done a great job.”

  “I’m sure,” Scott said, with a swift glance at me.

  “Ethan’s the one who helped rescue me that time I was trapped in the well,” I said.

  Scott raised his eyebrows at me before focusing on Ethan. “So you’re the guy? Thanks for that. It could’ve been a tragedy, if what I heard later was true.”

  Color rose in Ethan’s cheeks. “I was just doing my job.”

  “We still appreciate it.” Scott pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he continued to examine Ethan intently.

  I had talked to Scott about my rescue, but I knew that wasn’t what had captured his attention. Recently I’d also
mentioned Ethan’s involvement in a later investigation. One that had included his then boyfriend, Chris. “I’d hate to have lost my big sister, especially that way,” Scott said.

  Zelda shuddered. “Oh, don’t remind me. That would’ve been horrible.” She tossed her head, bouncing her crisp curls. “But thankfully that’s all in the past. Now we can happily look forward to celebrating her wedding.”

  “Right, that’s coming up soon, isn’t it?” Ethan asked.

  “Less than four weeks now. That’s one reason Scott’s here,” I said, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to add verisimilitude to my brother’s cover story. “He had a break from work and wanted to visit Aunt Lydia, then just decided to stay for the wedding.”

  “You’ll be around for a few weeks?” There was no mistaking the interest brightening Ethan’s expression.

  Zelda gave me a knowing look. “That’s right. Come to think of it, Ethan, maybe you could show him around town. Amy and Richard are so busy with work and wedding preparations, and while Lydia would probably be happy to play tour guide, Scott might prefer the company of someone closer to his own age.”

  I groaned inwardly. Zelda was an inveterate matchmaker. Not that I minded the thought of Scott dating Ethan, but I also knew my brother. He resisted outside involvement in his personal life like a cat fighting a leash.

  To my surprise, Scott simply tipped his head and studied Zelda for a second before turning his gaze back on Ethan. “That would be nice, although I don’t want to insert myself into your undoubtedly busy schedule.”

  “It really wouldn’t be a problem. I have two days off a week. It’s just that I don’t always know when they’ll be. But if you’re flexible about the timing, I’d be happy to show you some of the sights. Although”—Ethan fiddled with his collar for a moment—“haven’t you seen everything already? I mean, you have family living here and all.”

  Scott’s smile broadened. “I do, but I don’t get to visit much. In fact, it’s been quite some time since I was here. I’m sure many things have changed.”

  “Well, it was nice to see both you boys, but I suppose I should get back to work,” Zelda said, circling around to stand next to me behind the desk. “If I don’t do my fair share, Amy might not allow me to volunteer anymore.”

  I snorted. “As if I’m going to turn away free help.”

  Scott and Ethan, discussing some of the recent changes in and around Taylorsford, didn’t appear to hear me.

  Zelda nudged my foot with her shoe. “I’ll watch the desk if you want to eat lunch,” she said in a quieter voice. “I know Samantha has to lead story hour in the children’s room as soon as she’s done correcting the Nightingale’s shelving.”

  “If you’re sure that’s okay, it would be a help.” I cast one final glance at Scott and Ethan, who’d moved away from the desk but were still chatting. “I’ll just take a half hour today, though. Eating alone in the break room isn’t really something that makes me want to linger.”

  “No problem, dear. Take as much or as little time as you want. I’ll be here.” She winked. “And maybe they will be too,” she added, bobbing her head in the direction of Ethan and Scott.

  “Hmmmm …” I shook a finger at her. “Now, promise you’ll behave. You’re looking far too much like a cat among the canaries. No more blatant matchmaking, okay?”

  Zelda grinned. “Don’t worry. I think my job is done.”

  After I grabbed my lunch from the workroom, I cast one last glance at my brother and Ethan before I crossed to the children’s room. They certainly seemed to be enjoying their conversation, which was fine, although … I chased this thought away for a moment to let Samantha know she was free to set up for story hour, since Zelda was covering the desk.

  But as I slumped into one of the break room’s hard plastic chairs, I analyzed the bubble of concern that had risen in my chest when I’d observed Ethan and Scott.

  I loved my brother, but his track record in the romance department was not the best. Mainly due to his work, of course. Ethan might think his career, with its erratic schedule, was a detriment to establishing a long-term relationship, but Scott’s globe-trotting, secretive job was even worse. Honestly, I thought as I gnawed on a piece of celery, I’m worried about Ethan, not Scott. My brother won’t mind if a new relationship turns out to be just a fling. I’m not so sure Ethan will feel the same.

  These thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the break room door.

  “Come in,” I said, after swallowing a bit of celery.

  Samantha poked her head around the door. “Sorry to bother you, but there’s a lady here who said she knows you. Adele Tourneau?” There was a wariness in Samantha’s dark eyes. Aware of my history of helping the authorities with murder investigations, she knew that not everyone who wanted to talk to me was a friend.

  “It’s okay. She can come in,” I said. “Thanks.”

  As Samantha ushered Adele into the break room, she said, “If there’s anything you need, just shout.”

  I cast her a warm smile. “Don’t worry. You have enough to do, dealing with the little monsters.”

  Samantha returned my smile before gently closing the door.

  I wiped my mouth with a napkin as I motioned toward a chair. “This is a pleasant surprise. I thought you would’ve left town by now.”

  Adele sat down, facing me across the table. “I decided to spend a few extra days.” She shrugged her slender shoulders. “I have so little to do these days outside of my charity work. So whenever I travel, I like to take my time.”

  “Are you staying at Highview?”

  “Oh no, Kurt and I are friendly, but we aren’t that close. I have a room at one of the local B and Bs.” Adele fanned her face with both hands. “It’s rather stuffy in here, isn’t it? And a trifle drab and closed in, especially in comparison to the main part of the library.”

  “Welcome to the 1960s. Unfortunately, this space was an add-on, like the children’s room just outside.” I looked around, taking in the plain painted drywall and acoustic-tile drop ceiling. “It doesn’t have the charm of the original, that’s for sure. Or the high ceilings and natural ventilation.”

  “No, I’m afraid it is lacking in all those aspects.” Adele looked drained. Deep lines grooved her forehead, and her elegant features appeared pinched.

  I pushed my lunch to one side and leaned forward, resting my forearms on the table. “What can I help you with, Adele? It seems like you want to ask me something.”

  “Not so much help as …” Adele tucked an errant strand of silver hair behind one ear. “To be honest, dear, I’m afraid you might’ve gotten the wrong impression of me at the party.” She twitched her thin lips into a smile. “I’m really not a lush, you know, despite you catching me depleting Kurt’s liquor stores.”

  “I never thought you were.”

  Adele fluttered one of her slender hands. “I got the feeling you were taken aback when you found me in the butler’s pantry, and then we didn’t really have time to talk later, so I just wanted to be sure.”

  “I wasn’t concerned about the drink; I was worried because you seemed agitated. Not that there was anything wrong, but I felt you just weren’t your usual calm and graceful self, that’s all.” I studied the older woman’s lovely face for a moment as my mind calculated the timing of our encounter. If it had been after Oscar Selvaggio accosted her, perhaps that explained everything. “Someone told me that you had an unpleasant encounter during the party. Was that before I saw you?”

  “What?” Like a deer sensing danger, Adele stiffened. “I don’t know what they could possibly be referring to. I had no such issue at the party.”

  “You didn’t have a run-in with Oscar Selvaggio?” I narrowed my eyes as I kept my gaze fixed on Adele’s wan face. “Someone said you did.”

  Adele stared down at her hands, which she had clasped together on the table in front of her. “Heavens no. I never even spoke to him.”

  “But you’ve met before?”


  “Not really,” Adele said, without looking up. “I’ve seen him at some events, that’s all. He and Kurt run in the same circles, and you know Kurt has supported many of my charity efforts.” She lifted one hand and examined her unpolished fingernails. “But I’ve only seen him in passing, and I certainly didn’t know he was invited to Kurt’s party.”

  “He wasn’t.” I sat back, dropping my hands into my lap. “He just stopped by to talk to Kurt about some item they both wanted to buy. A Kelmscott Chaucer, from what I understand.”

  At the mention of the book, Adele’s fingers clenched into her palms. “Really? Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

  I was sure she was lying but decided not to call her on it. “Anyway, that’s one reason why the authorities are focusing on Kurt as a suspect. I guess they think he has a motive, although I can’t imagine Kurt killing someone over a deal. Other things, maybe,” I added, with a little laugh.

  When Adele raised her head to meet my gaze, her eyes were wary. “Be careful, Amy. I am fond of Kurt, but he does associate with people I find … distasteful.”

  “Like Oscar Selvaggio?”

  Adele sniffed. “I’d say Selvaggio would’ve been one of the least dangerous of Kurt’s associates. There are far worse.”

  “I don’t doubt that, but I also don’t think Kurt would allow them to get close to anyone he cared about.”

  “One can’t always control such things. Not even someone like Kurt Kendrick.” Adele shoved back her chair and rose to her feet. “I don’t want to see you or Richard or Karla or anyone, really, harmed due to the actions of people who are willing to take risks for gain. Or even,” she added, her voice dropping to a lower register, “someone who made a mistake, once upon a time.”

  “What are you saying, Adele? That I should stop asking questions? Or answering them?”

  “I’m just suggesting that you concentrate on your upcoming wedding and leave investigating to the authorities.” Adele crossed to the door but paused with her hand on the knob and turned back to look me in the eye. “Whatever you think you saw, whatever you hear, and no matter what gossip falls into your lap, please leave this alone, Amy. For Richard’s sake as well as yours.”