The library was quiet, except for the children’s section. It was packed with boys and girls around six years old, all sitting on the floor listening to Mae, the children’s librarian, reading aloud. Their teacher and a woman Mary didn’t know, but assumed was a mother volunteer, stood at the back of the group, beaming at the scene. Luke stood a little behind them, leaning up against the wall, listening. He turned when Mary tapped him on the shoulder. He smiled at her and motioned for her to follow him back into the main library, where they could talk and where the sight of Millie wouldn’t distract the children or collect frowns from someone who might want the ‘no dogs allowed’ rule to be followed. They went into Luke’s office and closed the door.
‘I’m glad to see you. Do you know anything?’ He motioned to a chair in front of his desk and dropped down into his own.
Mary assumed that wasn’t a general question but he wanted information on Jerry Lowell’s murder and on Marlene and Tommy. She took the chair he’d indicated and shook her head. ‘Not much.’
Luke looked dubious but he didn’t press her. ‘Have you seen Marlene or Tommy?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. Just came from there.’
‘How are they?’
‘Marlene’s in shock. She barely knows what she’s doing. Tommy seems to be coping a little better but it’s not an easy time.’
‘No.’ Luke drew in a deep breath. ‘Not easy for any of us. I can’t believe something like that could happen in our little town – that someone could just walk into a shop and shoot the owner. Why? There had to be a reason. Do you think he was trying to rob Jerry? I hear those gold-buying shops keep a lot of cash on hand.’
Mary thought back to the stack of cash Jerry had held as he peeled off the small amount of money her mother’s ring had brought. He hadn’t seemed concerned, just gave her the money and the receipt and put the money back in the cash register. Is that where he always kept large sums? They had a safe. Did he keep most of it there?
‘I guess they must,’ she answered but that wasn’t why she was here. ‘Luke, my sisters and I want to make a donation to the library in our mother’s name. We want to purchase some books – fiction – and wondered if we can do a memorial of some kind. You know, to commemorate the donation in her name.’
The abrupt change of subject made Luke blink, but the thought of new books made him smile. ‘What a lovely idea. Of course we can. I can make a book plate with her name on it, saying they were a gift to the library in memory of her. Would that do?’
It would do very well. Mary thanked him and they started to discuss the details. Did Mary and her sisters want to pick out the books or would they leave that to the selection committee? They could leave it to the committee but she had a couple of stipulations. Her mother loved mysteries and was always on the lookout for new authors. Could they find a mystery author new to the library? It would be a pleasure was his answer. Details worked out, Mary pushed back her chair.
But Luke wasn’t quite ready to let her go. ‘Mary, this is going to sound selfish, but I have to ask.’
She waited, wondering what Luke thought she could answer.
‘Our wedding, Pam’s and mine, is in two months. Lowell’s is making the rings. Do you think Tommy will be able to do that? I know I shouldn’t be thinking of myself right now, but I don’t want to get right down to the wire and find we don’t have rings.’
It might be selfish of Luke but it was also a natural reaction. Unfortunately, Mary had no idea how to answer. ‘Why don’t you give it a couple of days? Let’s see what Dan comes up with and how Tommy seems. You’ve got a little time. He’s doing Susannah and Neil’s as well, but they’ve got a year. The engagement ring can wait. Let’s see what happens.’
Luke nodded slowly. ‘I guess. I can’t help thinking … You know, I walked by the We Buy Gold shop yesterday afternoon. It must have been right about the time it happened. The paper said he’d been dead about two hours when Marlene found him. Is that right?’
‘I think so. You walked by the shop? Did you notice anything? Were the blinds closed?’
Luke’s face went blank. ‘I don’t remember. I wasn’t thinking about that shop. I’d just dropped off Pam’s laptop at Black’s as it wasn’t holding a charge, and was thinking about getting back to the library. I only had one volunteer and … There is one thing I remember, though.’
Hope surged through Mary. A clue? Something that might help? ‘What? What do you remember?’
‘A paneled van drove out of the alley parking lot onto Parkview. I remember because I didn’t recognize it. I know most people who park back there.’
‘A paneled van.’ That didn’t sound very hopeful. The world was full of them. ‘What kind of van? Was it delivering something?’
‘Not that I could see. Delivery vans usually have the name of the company on the side, maybe a phone number. This was a plain white-paneled van that looked like it was overdue a trip through the car wash.’
A white-paneled van. Where had she heard … ‘Did you tell Dan?’
‘No. There’s nothing to tell. I didn’t see anyone or anything out of place when I went by the shop and it was just a paneled van I didn’t recognize.’
‘Could you see who was driving?’
Luke sighed. ‘Mary, I didn’t look.’
She didn’t suppose he had. She probably wouldn’t have, either. ‘If you don’t mind, I’ll mention it to Dan tonight. It probably isn’t important, but if he thinks it is he’ll come talk to you.’
Luke didn’t mind. She gave him the money for the books and he gave her a receipt, telling her that when he’d worked up a design for the bookplate, he’d call her. It wasn’t until she’d unlocked the car, standing beside the open door to let it cool a little before she and Millie got in, that she remembered where she’d heard about a white-paneled van. One had been spotted near at least two of the robbed jewelry stores. A slightly dirty van with no markings. Hope surged liberally mixed with confusion. Could it be the same van? If so, who was driving? Could it have any connection with Jerry’s death? Could the person driving be the killer? Could that same person have killed Ian Miller as well? If so, who was that person? She didn’t know anyone who drove a plain white-paneled van. But she had a lot to tell Dan tonight. Marlene’s suspicion Jerry might have committed suicide, his increasing nervousness about something over the last year and now the van. There had to be a connection somewhere. Didn’t there?