| |
This, of course, was the kiss of death for the quiet afternoon. As soon as Wilson left to get Mona, the library became the busiest place in the town of Whitby. What’s more, everyone needed to ask me a question.
When it was my break time, I hurried off to the lounge just as Luna was finishing up her own break and about to come out.
When Luna saw me, her eyes twinkled for the first real time that day. “Did you work some sort of magic, Ann?”
“Me?” I asked blankly.
“Yes, you! You’re being far too modest. All I know is, you had a meeting with Wilson and the next thing I knew my mother was here at the library and Wilson himself was her driver.”
Oh, of course. That’s how busy the afternoon had been—it had eradicated any thought of Mona and Wilson. “To be honest, I went in his office to get the volunteer luncheon signed off on, but I did mention what happened to Roz. And I might have mentioned it would be good for your mom to come over to the library for a while today and get out of the house.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “You never do take any credit. And then you somehow got him to pick her up. She was delighted. You’d have thought Price Charming himself was at her door with a carriage.”
“I simply explained to Wilson that you had storytime and that I was the sole librarian at the circulation desk.” My eyes opened wide. “You don’t mean they’re actually hitting it off, do you? I had the feeling he was going to be all stiff and formal the whole way to the library.”
Luna shrugged. “Maybe he started out that way, but when they came into the building, he was chuckling at something Mom said and she was beaming up at him. I mean, her eyes were still super red from crying this morning, but I couldn’t have dreamed up a better way of distracting her. Plus, with Wilson on his way over, she somehow got herself made-up and out of her pjs and robe and into a cute outfit in record time.”
I smiled as I opened the fridge and pulled out the red grapes I’d brought in as a snack. “I’m so glad, Luna. I just hope he’s nice to her. You know sometimes he’s not even nice to us.”
Luna waved her hand dismissively. “You’re just saying that because sometimes he doesn’t listen to us.”
“Sometimes?” I asked.
“And he can be a little brusque.”
I snorted again at ‘a little.’
“But he has a heart of gold, you know. He’d do anything for you,” said Luna.
I had to reluctantly agree with this. He was also an excellent manager, despite the not-listening thing. And he always had the library’s best interests at heart.
“Besides,” added Luna sweetly, “if he does anything to upset my mama, he’s toast.” She winked at me as she sailed out of the breakroom and back to her post in the children’s section.
Things finally slowed down a bit and I was able to get started on Wilson’s Fitz Picks or whatever he was going to call it.
Luna had pulled out some old picture book favorites (like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Corduroy, and The Story of Ferdinand) and also came up with a stack of recent children’s favorites (like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!) for me to use.
Then it was just up to me to see what sort of a mood Fitz was in. Not that he was ever in a bad mood, but sometimes it was easier to get a fetching photo of him than others, even though he was practically a pro at looking fetching. Sometimes, hard as it is to imagine, Fitz would rather just nap.
First, I had to locate Fitz, who’d disappeared while I’d been speaking with Luna in the breakroom earlier. He wasn’t in any sunbeams. I strolled through the periodical section and looked in patrons’ laps. No Fitz. Then I tiptoed through the quiet section trying not to distract the folks focusing on their studying, spreadsheets, taxes, or whatever else they might have been working on.
I frowned and walked over to the children’s section again, although I hadn’t noticed Fitz over there when I’d been over to see the books Luna had pulled out for me. She’d just finished giving book recommendations to a mom who wanted to encourage her son to read.
“Have you seen Fitz?” I asked.
She grinned and nodded. “Sure have. He’s in the back corner with one of our young patrons.”
I looked over at the back corner and sure enough, Fitz was fast asleep on the lap of an elementary-aged boy—a boy who was also asleep.
I winced. “I sort of hate to disturb them. Wilson wanted me to get moving on the Fitz’s Picks thing, though. Has he been asleep long?”
“I don’t think so. But he probably won’t mind. Maybe he can even give you a hand with setting everything up. He looks to be about ten or eleven years old. You know you get the best photos when someone is playing with Fitz and you snap the photo.”
This was true. Until I recruited people to help me snap playful pictures of Fitz, I had an excessive number of pictures of Fitz lying sleepily on his back.
I started walking toward the corner and called out softly, “Hey, there. May I take Fitz back?”
The boy woke up with a jolt, which wasn’t what I’d intended. He hastily put the cat on the floor and took off.
I stopped, frowning and looked back toward Luna, who’d seen the whole thing.
“Maybe he realized there was something he needed to do,” she said with a shrug. “Here, I can give you a hand with Fitz.”
But as soon as she said it, a father came up with his son, needing help finding books to help with a report his child was doing for school. Luna gave me a helpless look and I collected Fitz to take the photos myself.
It didn’t work out that way, though. Suddenly, the library became busy again. A patron asked for my help completing a job application on one of the shared computers. While I was helping her, another patron’s shared computer froze and I had to help get it working again. Then a patron came in asking for a particular book, but couldn’t remember the book’s title or author, only that it had an orange cover. Fitz gave up on me and ended up taking a luxurious nap in a sunbeam in the periodical section.
After that—it was time for me to leave for the day since I was only on the schedule until four and it was already past that. Before I did, though, I wanted to ask Luna about what Linus had told me and I hadn’t really had a chance earlier since Luna was focused on Wilson and her mother.
Luna was just re-shelving some picture books when I caught up with her. I mentioned what Linus had said about a long-ago tragedy and asked Luna if she knew anything about it.
She shook her head. “Not really—like I said, I was a good deal older, so I was already out of town. I’m sure my mom knows more about it, but I think she’s playing cards with a couple of her friends near the periodicals.”
I said quickly, “No worry, I’ll check in with her later about it.”
Luna glanced at the clock. “You should be getting out of here anyway or else you might find yourself stuck again.”
A young mom came up to ask Luna something, so I headed back out of the children’s section. I asked Fitz if he wanted to go home with me and he gave a chirping meow and padded toward the breakroom where I kept his carrier. He trotted happily into the cat carrier and I headed for the exit as quickly as possible, thinking patrons with problems might continue to ambush me on the way out.
Once I got back home, I fed Fitz, gave him some fresh water, and then rooted in my fridge to see what might be available for supper. I made a face at the unappealing offerings I saw. Maybe I’d gotten spoiled by going out with Grace. I didn’t usually have a problem with my leftovers and they certainly needed to be eaten. But then, I didn’t have that much of an appetite yet, either. The lunch, like most healthy food, had been very filling.
I walked to my bedroom and changed into athletic clothes. I hadn’t gone jogging in years. It was one of those things I said I’d do at the start of the year but somehow never managed to follow through with. There was a moment of relief when I saw my athletic clothes still actually fit. I put on my running shoes, gave Fitz a quick rub, and headed back out to the car. I figured I’d run in the park instead of the neighborhood. Sometimes a change of scenery was a good thing.
The park was perfect, with wide sidewalks, views of the mountains, and a pond, complete with ducks, right in the middle with bridges to cross over the pond. It was busy there, but not too crazy. Several joggers, mothers with children who were feeding the ducks (the town had installed a bird feeding station to keep the public feedings safe for the ducks), and some kids playing in the playground.
I realized I was going to have to stretch since I’d hadn’t exercised for a while. Once I started stretching, I realized I was going to have to stretch quite a bit more. I hadn’t realized how tight my muscles were until I started. It couldn’t all be from disuse—I was sure the stress from the past week was also taking its toll.
I was still working to get some more flexibility into my legs when I heard a voice behind me.
“Ann?”
I stopped stretching and turned to see Felicity there. She smiled at me. “So you do leave the library.”
I chuckled. “Only occasionally and never successfully. I was planning on a run but then realized how tight all my muscles are. It looks like you’re about to jog.”
Felicity was decked out in what was likely very expensive athletic wear and not gear from Target, like I was. She smiled at me. “I am. I try to run every day.”
“That’s awesome,” I said. “I need to do the same thing.” I paused. “Actually, maybe a better goal would be once a week. Or once a month. If I say I’m going to run every day, it’ll never happen.”
“Well, with all the craziness lately, I’m really doing a lot of jogging. It’s great stress relief. Want to jog with me?”
“Right now?” I asked weakly.
Felicity chuckled. “Why not?”
I quickly said, “I don’t think you know what you’re getting into. I’ll never be able to keep up with your pace if you run every day.”
“I’m not training for a marathon, just trying to move. Besides, it’s supposed to be safer to jog with a buddy. Not that I’d ordinarily think of Whitby as a dangerous place, but . . .” She shrugged.
I reluctantly acquiesced and Felicity joined me in stretching. Then we took off at an easy pace. I could feel Felicity deliberately slowing down so we could run together.
Felicity glanced over at me. “Speaking of Whitby being unsafe, I heard about Roz. That’s one reason I’m jogging right now . . . I’d already jogged this morning, but the news really stressed me out.”
I said, slightly breathlessly, “Yes, it was a real shock. I didn’t know Roz as well as the rest of you did of course, but I really liked her. And I felt terrible for Luna.”
Felicity added, “And Kelly. Whenever I think of Kelly, I think of Roz. They’re like peanut butter and jelly.” She sighed. “Anyway, I don’t know what to make of it. Have you heard any details about what happened from Luna? I tried to reach Kelly today, but her phone went right to voicemail.”
I slowed my pace just a little so I would be able to jog and talk at the same time. “I don’t know much. I know it looks like someone waited for Roz to leave for her shift and then pushed her down the stairs.”
“It wasn’t an accident then?” asked Felicity. Her eyes narrowed. “Part of me was hoping poor Roz was in a hurry, took a wrong step and landed in a bad way on the staircase.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t appear so.”
“And it wasn’t a mugging gone wrong? A robbery?”
I shook my head again. “Nothing was stolen.”
Felicity said roughly, “What a mess. This whole thing is like a nightmare that won’t stop. First the odd weekend party ending with Scott’s death. Now Roz? I mean, what’s going on?”
I didn’t respond, partly because I hoped Felicity would go on talking and partly because I was more out of breath than I should be.
Felicity continued, “I’m sure everybody is thinking the same thing, but who would kill Roz? She was always a peacemaker. Always a supportive friend. I just can’t believe someone I know would do something like this.”
“What do you think might have happened?” I asked, gasping a little.
Felicity sighed. “I just don’t know.” She paused for a few moments, which I was grateful for as I tried to regulate my breathing. “The only thing I can think of is that Roz knew something about what happened to Scott. The morning we found Scott in the pool, I was talking with Roz and felt like she wasn’t being completely forthcoming. When I pushed her on it, she just shook her head and said she wasn’t going to ruin somebody’s life over something she wasn’t sure even happened. Now she’s dead.”
“You think she might have been covering up for somebody,” I said.
Felicity shrugged. “I don’t know what else to think. But I know Roz said she had a lot to drink that night and she was worried her memory wasn’t all that reliable. Or that maybe she got the events out of order.”
I said, “I’m sure everybody feels that way. There was a lot of alcohol and lots of sun that day.”
“Yeah.”
I said carefully, “I think both the drinks and the sun made everybody act out more than they usually would. Kyle seemed upset at Scott’s flirtatious behavior over the weekend, too.”
Felicity snorted. “Scott was just trying to get under Kelly’s skin.”
“You weren’t upset about Scott’s advances? I think I might have been.” I tried to keep my voice light.
“Oh no. No, I knew exactly what Scott was doing and I gave him a piece of my mind about it. He backed off after that.”
I said slowly, “Do you think Scott was also trying to get a rise out of Kyle?”
Felicity flushed and I didn’t think it was from the jogging. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just that Kyle seemed like he might be interested in you, that’s all.”
Felicity was quiet for a couple of moments. “I don’t know. Although I find that hard to believe. Kyle and I have known each other for so long that we’re almost like brother and sister.”
It hadn’t looked that way to me, but I kept quiet. I wasn’t even entirely sure I could summon enough breath to speak.
Felicity finally added, “Actually, I wouldn’t mind going out with Kyle, although it would be a little weird at first. Like I said, we’ve known each other since we were kids. But I can’t do it with a murder investigation hanging over us. I want Scott’s and Roz’s deaths to be cleared up and then maybe we can see where we stand.”
I glanced over at her. “I have the feeling he’s going to try and attend that next book club meeting.”
Felicity said, “I’ll be sure to be prepared to tell him the same thing I told you—we need to hold off until this investigation is finished.”
“Speaking of finished,” I said in a gasping voice. “I think I’m done for today. I’m going to drop off and let you get a real run in.”
Felicity grinned at me. “Want to meet up with me tomorrow? Same time, same place?”
I shook my head as I realized with relief that I was scheduled late at the library. “Think I’m working then.”
“Too bad. See you at the library.” And Felicity, increasing her pace, jogged away.
I knew I needed to cool down and not just abruptly sit on a bench, which was what I really wanted to do. So I slowed my pace to a slow walk in an attempt to get my heart rate down. I spotted a large dog and an elderly man heading in my direction, then took a second look as I realized it was Linus. Smiling, I headed toward him.
He stopped and, amazingly, so did the dog. Linus looked pleased.
“Wow, she’s really responsive to you,” I said. “And well-behaved. I’d have thought she’d try jumping on me or get excited and start pulling on the leash. Her name is Ivy, isn’t it?”
Linus looked proud as he looked down at the dog. “Ivy, yes. She’s been really good. Maybe she knows I’m older and she’s being careful not to run.”
“Or maybe you two already have a close connection. It sure seems that way.” And it did. Ivy was looking up at Linus as if she were waiting on a cue from him.
Then he gave her one. “Sit,” he said quietly and Ivy plopped right down. He gave her a treat and the dog grinned up at him.
I blinked at the dog in surprise. “Wow. So . . . do you think she learned that from a previous owner?”
He smiled at Ivy. “I’d have thought that too, except she didn’t know the command at all about two hours ago. We’ve been working on it. She seems really bright.”
Usually two hours ago would have been a time when Linus would still have been ensconced in the library, reading fiction. I thought back over the day and realized I hadn’t noticed him in there at all.
He must have somehow read my mind because he said shyly, “It felt a little odd not being in the library today.”
I chuckled. “Believe me, I know the feeling. I’m so rarely not at the library that when I have a day off, I keep thinking the whole day that I’ve forgotten something. But I’m being paid to be there. It’s probably good for you to shake things up every now and then.”
Linus nodded. “It was just such a beautiful day. Then the vet called me this morning and said Ivy was ready to go home with me. I went to the store to buy her a pet bed and toys and a few other things and then picked her up.”
“I bet she was glad to see you,” I said.
His eyes twinkled. “Her whole body wagged. But she didn’t jump on me. She’s very polite.”
Ivy flopped on her back for a tummy rub and Linus and I complied. “This is what I should have done,” I said with a chuckle. “Walked. You have the right idea, Linus.”
“Did you run?” he asked in the kind of tone that indicated running was something far out of his sphere of experience.
I nodded. “I did. I’ve only just gotten my breath back, too. In the future, I’ll have to remind myself there’s nothing wrong with a brisk walk instead.” I always tried to be cognizant of the amount of time Linus felt comfortable in conversation so I gave Ivy a final pat and said, “I’ll leave you two to it. Time for me to head back home. Fitz is probably ready for a little supper.”
Linus smiled at me and said, “If you ran, you’re probably ready for a little supper, too.”
As I drove home, I realized it was true. Not only was I starving, though, I knew from earlier there was nothing very appetizing in my house. I had things to snack on like carrot sticks and stuff for making sandwiches, but I knew I’d have a sandwich and carrot sticks for lunch tomorrow at the library and I didn’t much want them two meals in a row. I remembered I didn’t even have eggs in the house and at that point decided to make a run to the store.
One thing about living in a small town—there wasn’t a lot of choice when it came to grocery stores. In fact, there was only one store that was convenient to most of the town. Consequently, there also wasn’t a lot of choice when it came to food items. Most of the time I didn’t really need a bunch of options, but I would have killed that night for a full-service deli section with some pre-prepared food ready to pop into the oven to heat up. There were a few offerings in the small deli section and I stood there for a few minutes deliberating the pros and cons of spaghetti (which didn’t seem to have much sauce) and chicken and broccoli (which likewise didn’t appear to have sauce. Or, perhaps, even seasoning).
A voice came from behind me and I started a little. “Go with the spaghetti. Trust me.”