by Diane Bator
If she wanted to stay, there were a few things she’d need: a job, a place to live and to stop drinking. The library was the one place Maddox, who was likely to focus on her avenues of escape, would never think to look. She’d gone there several times to read newspapers and try to find a job. Dunnsforth gave her a background and resume. He’d probably made sure anyone who checked her past would find nothing unusual.
She’d strolled up and down Main Street and browsed the stores of Packham so many times she knew them all by heart. Her favorite haunt was the dusty old used bookstore with the brand new For Sale sign in the dirty window.
The first time she walked into the bookstore, she nearly backed out of the clutter and dust. Stacks of sagging boxes stood near the back of the store. Although someone had made half-hearted attempts, the store was unkempt and needed to be scoured, possibly even sandblasted and painted. Browsing through the shop daily made her immune to the chaos and opened her mind to the possibilities.
While she hated the dusty shelves, grey walls and dirty windows, something drew her in. She could hide and have all the romance, adventures and childlike wonder of life simply by picking a book off a shelf. If she bought the place, they could be her shelves and her books. The idea, as farfetched as it sounded, had merit.
She loved the smell, the gilded letters on old novels and the shiny covers on new ones. The scent was better than coffee. Stores that combined the best of both were her favorite haunts. All Ray’s Used Books needed was a coffee bar and a month’s worth of cleaning.
The old curmudgeon who owned it always sat hunched over a weathered wooden countertop scrutinizing a letter. Who’d want to buy books from someone who looked like he slept in his clothes and smelled like a wet dog?
Katie winced. Maybe he needed some help—even if only to clean the place up so he could sell it. Then she could go through the books, one at a time. The old man reminded her of an old family friend she hadn’t seen in years. It was almost like finding a favorite moth-eaten sweater.
She approached cautiously. “Are you Ray?”
“Good guess.” He had a layer of white stubble. “Who wants to know?”
“I wanted to ask about your For Sale sign.” She’d blurted out the words before she could change her mind.
“The sign’s not for sale.” A curious glint lit his eyes and he frowned. “Neither is the store.”
“The sign in the window says it is. Maybe I can help you out.”
“Talk to my niece or my agent.” Ray handed her a business card. “You got a phone?”
Her phone was one of the things she abandoned in her condo since Maddox and the police could track her. “No.”
“What kind of kid doesn’t have a phone these days?” He handed her a black rotary phone. “You can use mine but it’ll cost you.”
Katie stared at the phone that belonged in a museum. “Uh.”
Ray tilted his head and handed her the receiver then dialed for her. “You sure you want to own a bookstore? You don’t seem that bright.”
She scowled. “I’ve run a business before.” Sort of. “Oh, hi. Is this Penny Clayton? I’m calling about the used bookstore.”
His gaze penetrated her the entire time she talked to his real estate agent and she found it nerve-wracking. When she hung up, she forced a smile. “I’ll be back with the agent later. I hope the store’s cleaner by then.”
“Yeah. I’ll get somebody right on that.”
Katie wandered up Main Street and grabbed a cup of coffee then sat back to think about her future, or lack thereof. Buying a bookstore probably wasn’t one of her better plans. She hadn’t really thought the idea through. Only a week ago Maddox threatened her life. She should be hiding in a cave along the Nile somewhere. Maybe Ray was right. She wasn’t all that bright.
Katie took a coin from her pocket. Heads, she stayed in Packham. Tails, she caught the next bus out of town. She flipped it three times and got heads each time. Then five more heads in a row. Fate had plans for her.
“How long have you been in Packham?” Penny Clayton, the agent, had a non-fat latte and bran muffin. Safe and sensible, just like her beige suit and tan shoes. She was blonde with delicate features, was probably popular in high school and hadn’t left Packham much.
Katie hesitated. “Um. Not long. You?”
“I was born here.”
She showed Katie the spec sheet on the store and answered all of her questions.
“Does the bookstore do good business?”
Penny laughed. “It could. Ray’s owned it for over thirty years and it needs new blood. Did you want to take a look?”
“Can we go there after he closes?”
“Ray doesn’t like me to bring clients around after hours since he lives in the upper level. We could go now.”
She nodded. “Now is good. Will he be moving when he sells?”
“Of course.” Her answer was too falsetto. She wasn’t sure.
Katie’s first instinct was to run back to the motel and forget the bookstore. A voice in the back of her head told her to follow Penny and keep her mouth shut.
Ray hadn’t left his stool. Even the phone, coated with a fresh layer of dust, sat in the same spot.
“This is Katie Mullins.” Penny waved a hand in her direction. “She’s interested in the store, so be nice and don’t blow it.”
“We’ve met. Thanks for the warning.” Ray scowled. “Hello again, Katie Mullins. I’m not selling so you’d better get that through Hannah’s thick head.”
Penny groaned. “How many times do we have to go through this?”
“Dunno. How dumb are you?”
Katie stifled a laugh and followed Penny through the dusty store, covering her nose to fend off sneezes. The kitchenette and bathroom at the back looked like they hadn’t been cleaned since the early nineteen fifties. The storage room off the kitchenette was crammed with even more dusty boxes.
Penny winced. “Hannah tried to tidy up, but Ray’s a little stubborn.”
“That’s an understatement.” Katie opened a cupboard. The burst of light sent bugs scurrying. “Is he serious about not wanting to sell?”
Penny pawed away a spider web. “His niece and nephew want him to sell the store and move somewhere he won’t be alone all the time. He’s been here so long he refuses to leave.”
“How can they make him sell if he doesn’t want to?”
Penny lowered her voice. “When Ray fell down the stairs last fall, his niece got a power of attorney in case something happens to him.” She hesitated. “Don’t get me wrong. Hannah wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t in his best interest. He looked after her and her brother when their parents were killed. Ray slipped again last week and she’s worried he’s going to fall and no one will find him in time.”
They climbed the narrow, creaky stairs to Ray’s quarters, where an unmade twin bed was shoved against one wall next to a dresser missing a drawer. A white Formica table with a half-finished puzzle and a partially eaten sandwich stood against the opposite wall. Stale food and dirty laundry perfumed the air.
“Whoever buys this place has a lot of work to do.” Penny’s voice was soft. “His niece tries, but Ray’s a little thin-skinned and a lot thick-skulled. He goes to her house for dinner all the time.”
Katie stopped halfway down the stairs and looked around the store. She didn’t see dusty shelves and stained carpet. Instead, she visualized freshly painted walls, tiled floors and art on the walls. The clutter had to go. So did Ray. She could get rid of at least half the antique books and stock the store with new ones. Her gaze wandered to the second level, which could be opened up to house used books. They continued down the stairs.
“You haven’t run off screaming yet.” Ray raised his bushy eyebrows. “What’s wrong with you?”
Katie nodded. “I’m thinking.”
“Good.” He hesitated. “You want a job? I need someone to clean this dump up.”
Penny ignored him and dug through her briefcase. �
��I’m sure you need time to think about it. I can put you in touch with someone to arrange a mortgage.”
“I’ll give you a call in the morning.”
“Dammit. Why won’t anyone listen to me?” Ray shoved his way between the two women. “I’m not selling the bookstore.”
Penny pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call Hannah.”
“Stop threatening me and put that damn phone away. I have a better idea.”
“Ray, once you put the store on the market—”
Katie looked him in the eye. “What’s your idea?”
He stepped back. “Look, lady. I need to move and you need a job. You obviously want the place. Although, God only knows why. Let’s put the two together.”
Penny groaned. “Ray—”
“You butt out.” Ray held up a finger to her then turned back to Katie. “Let’s make a deal. You work here and fix the place up. Every month you pay rent and we use that as your mortgage payment.”
“A rent-to-own deal?”
“Yeah, only I still get to tell you how to run the place.”
Penny raised her eyebrows. “Hannah’s not going to like this.”
“Hannah, shmannah. It’s my store. Go find something else to sell, you vulture.” Ray snorted. “That’s the only way I’m leaving this place. I’m not selling outright.”
“You’d rent your business so you don’t have to sell? Will you give me sweat equity for all the renovations I have to do?”
“No.”
“Yes.” Penny’s voice was firm.
Ray’s mouth tightened. “Yes.”
“Can we renegotiate later if you decide to sell?”
“Possibly.” He shrugged.
Penny groaned. “Yes.”
“How much for a down payment?”
“Five grand.”
Penny moaned. “Ray—”
Katie blew out a breath. “I’ll let you know tomorrow morning.”
After yet another restless night, Katie wandered up to Java Jo’s and read the morning paper over coffee and a toasted bagel. Maddox and Roland were each free on their own recognizance. The article made no mention of Al or Chevy, which meant they were either in jail or still on the loose. A lump of bagel stuck in her throat. She washed it down and asked for a refill, wishing for a hefty shot of Irish cream. She flipped a coin then borrowed the phone to call Penny.
“Does Ray want cash or a bank draft?” Katie asked when Penny arrived at nine.
“Are you sure? It’s kind of a weird deal.” Penny raised her eyebrows. “You have that much cash? I mean, you don’t look like…”
Katie handed her a plastic shopping bag containing five thousand dollars and thought fast. “It was a buy-out. My ex-boyfriend and I owned a condo. He paid me cash so I’d leave and he could move on.”
“I’m sorry.” Penny lowered the bag beneath the table and peered inside. Her jaw dropped and she tucked the bag into her briefcase without counting the cash.
“I’m not.” She thought about the many times Maddox beat her. “I’d rather invest the money than hide it in my mattress.”
“I’ll take care of everything.” Penny’s hands shook. She’d probably never seen that much cash before. “Including Ray. I just need your address.”
Katie closed her eyes. That was the one thing she hadn’t gotten around to doing. “I’m kind of ‘in transit’ right now. I didn’t know where I was going or what I was doing. I’m in a motel.” If that didn’t make her sound suspicious, nothing else would.
“Oh.” Penny’s face went blank then she lowered her voice. “He was abusive.”
Her face burned. She didn’t want to be labeled an abuse victim, but it seemed to carry some weight with Penny. At least it wasn’t really far from the truth. She nodded.
“My sister went through the same thing. Sometimes things happen faster than you expect.” She pulled out her cell phone. “My husband’s grandma has a room for rent. I’m sure she’d love to meet you. I’ll set up a meeting and put in a good word.” Chatting on the phone, with papers shoved beneath her arm and her briefcase clutched to her chest, Penny left the café.
Katie sighed and bought a second cup of coffee. Was she getting in over her head all over again?
Chapter 5
Danny
Danny had left Leo to follow up on a couple of leads and search for Paulina Chourney. He ditched his DMR disguise—the sandy wig and bushy beard—to help Hannah and Nate move Ray and about one thousand of his favorite books into a retirement home. Although he’d warned them he had to get back to Newville as soon as possible, Ray hadn’t packed a thing.
Cursing the whole time, Danny threw most of the furniture into the dumpster since it was beyond repair anyway. The books and dust he left for the woman taking over.
“That retirement home smells like old people,” Ray muttered.
“Yeah, not like the bookstore.” He’d rather follow up the leads he gave Leo than throw out month-old, half-eaten apples. “It’s cleaner, too.”
Danny was glad Ray had found an investor for the bookstore but had yet to see the elusive Katie Mullins, who was conveniently nowhere to be found. He supposed she’d wait until Ray was physically gone before she took over. Probably a wise move. Ray didn’t adapt well to change.
“Have you met her?” Danny closed the flap on the last box of Ray’s clothes and yellowed photographs. “Are you sure he didn’t make this all up?”
“No, but Penny Clayton arranged the whole deal so she exists. Apparently, she’s pretty and willing to put up with Uncle Ray, so that says a lot.” Hannah leaned on the wobbly table. “I’m still worried about him, though. This store was a part of his life for so long I’m not sure he’ll keep his nose out. He’ll drive her crazy and she’ll either run away or burn the place down.”
“Sorry.” Danny picked up the box. “I’ve got bigger things to worry about.”
She let out a sigh and pushed back her dark hair. “I know. Thanks for being here to help. I know Uncle Ray appreciates it too.”
The store below was so quiet his footsteps echoed. How had Ray stayed sane in the silence? He’d go mental after a week.
“I’m sure Katie will be here soon.” Ray fished handfuls of pens and reams of yellowed paper out of the drawers while Nate pressed buttons on his cell phone.
“Yeah. I’m sure she will.” The more his uncle talked about her, the more Danny tuned him out. “Nate? Have you talked to this Katie person?”
“Not in person.” His brother-in-law, Nate Diggley, held up a finger. “I just sent a text to her via Penny. She wants to do some renovations. Ray says she’s a skinny little thing with fancy fingernails, so I doubt she’ll tackle them on her own. I’ll give her a hand for half my usual fee.”
“Good of you to offer.”
“Good of her to take over this dump so Hannah can sleep at night.” He shrugged. “Besides, I have to take the work where I can get it these days. I’ve got two growing boys to feed.”
When word had gotten out someone new was moving into the retirement home, a long line of seniors with walkers and wheelchairs, mostly women, staked out the hallway to get a glimpse. Ray seemed to know most of them. The men each shook his hand and told him what time the card games started. Several women slipped him pieces of paper, which Danny guessed contained room or phone numbers. That thought made him shudder.
The place smelled like old people, like Ray said, as well as some harsh disinfectant that burned Danny’s nose. He sneezed so hard he fumbled the box he carried.
“Hello, darling.” An elderly woman with a walker leaned in the doorway of the room across from Ray’s. She flashed Danny a wide smile and adjusted her tiara. “You’re a handsome hunk of man. Are you related to that old coot?”
“Ray? He’s my uncle.”
“So, you’ll visit from time to time.” Her purple eye shadow sparkled when she fluttered her eyelids. “Finally, something to look forward to in this den of misery. I’m Mimsy Lexington, darling. Do
make sure you come by to say hello.”
As a child, he’d heard stories about Mimsy and the entire Lexington family that made his hair stand on end. He’d probably even met her once or twice in passing, but she hadn’t left nearly the same impression she did now with her long gown and stage makeup.
“Leave him alone, Mimsy.” Ray shot her a look that made her laugh and turn her back. He muttered and tugged Danny into his new room.
Nate clapped a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “At least we don’t have to worry about him misbehaving. The women around here will keep him in line.”
With Ray settled, Danny drove down Main Street to refocus his mind from packing and moving to finding Paulina. He called Leo who hadn’t come up with any solid leads, despite canvassing Newville with her photo.
“So, what’s our next move?” Leo sounded as tired as Danny felt.
“We keep looking until forensics finds evidence or we get lucky. First, I’m going to grab a coffee and get back to the city. There’s nothing more I can do here.”
He pulled up across the street from Java Jo’s and sighed. Paulina went missing just over a week ago, so they still had a fighting chance. Slim was better than none. He needed to get back to the airport, airlines and taxi companies in the hopes someone saw her. Anything would help.
“Large coffee to go, please.”
The woman behind the counter flashed a smile. “You bet, hon. Did Ray move out of the store?”
“Yeah. To right across the hall from Mimsy Lexington, who was checking me out.”
She winked. “You should be used to that. Half the women in Packham check you out.”
“I didn’t need to know that.” Danny’s face burned.
He gave a small wave and walked straight into a woman with a mop of dusty red hair. When the top of her head hit his chin, she took a step back and looked at him with sea glass green eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. Something about her seemed familiar. Probably someone he went to high school with and had ignored. “Sorry.”
