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I stared at the email. It couldn’t be, could it? Was this a confession in the guise of someone seeking help? I read it through again. Maybe all I could think about right now were the murders, but it seemed like the person who wrote the email had done something serious. To me, with the mention of ‘losing my temper,’ it didn’t sound like the person was talking about cheating on a girlfriend.
And so I called Burton right away. And he arrived right away. We walked into the breakroom to make sure we weren’t overheard.
He grimly read the email a few times and then sighed and rubbed his face with his large hands.
I said hesitantly, “I didn’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but I figured this was something you’d want to know about.” I clicked on the email’s header to see if I could find out any information on the sender. Then I snorted in disbelief.
Burton leaned in closer and snorted, too. The email appeared to be sent from the library’s own server. The email was sent from inside the library.
“Do me a favor and don’t respond to this one,” he said in a wry voice.
“Of course not. Do you think there’s something in it? Could it possibly be the person behind Carmen’s and Howard’s deaths?” I asked.
He said, “I really don’t know. But it’s a lead and I’m taking it seriously.” He paused. “This signature makes it sound like Blake Thompson could be involved.”
I was already shaking my head. “I just don’t see it. He’d have to be stupid to implicate himself. And he’s not a stupid guy.”
“Now I know you went to high school with him and all, Ann. But you have to agree this looks a little suspicious. At least answer me this: has Blake Thompson been in the library lately?”
I made a face. He’d just been in fixing the copier, of course. He could have easily used an app to set the email to send later, after he’d left the premises. Then I remembered something else.
“Yes,” I said reluctantly. “He was here recently. And he did mention to me that he was missing some tools.”
Burton nodded and stood up. “Thanks so much for calling this to my attention, Ann.”
I watched as he walked out the breakroom door.
Later at the circulation desk, I struggled to focus, still thinking about Blake and unable to shake my conviction that he had nothing to do with the email that was sent to me. I finally got back into the Ask Fitz emails, glanced through them, and (not finding anything else alarming in the inbox), picked a question to answer.
Since this was Fitz the cat responding, I figured I would keep things from being too dark. I carefully wrote out Fitz’s advice, along with a photo of Fitz looking sympathetically into the camera. Like the others, I signed it Your Friend, Fitz.
I read it through a few times, tweaking a few things, and then emailed it over to Wilson to see if it fit his vision for the column, as I had for the previous ones.
I saw he’d emailed back immediately. “Post it!” was all the email said. So I quickly did.
Luna came by right as I was hitting send. “How’s it going?” she asked. “Holding up okay?”
“I’m going to be sleeping well tonight.” I rubbed my eyes.
“At least you don’t have your date tonight, right?” asked Luna a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Well, I didn’t want to fall asleep at the table in front of the poor guy,” I said lightly. “Although part of me wants to go ahead and knock it out. Dates have a way of hanging over me.”
Luna shook her head. “You’re way too keyed up about romance. You should just set out on a mission to enjoy yourself! Have some food, some conversation, maybe a glass of wine. Look at it as a break from the ordinary.”
I sighed. “Apparently, I’m not that well-adjusted. It’s always pretty stressful for me.” I hesitated. I wanted to talk with someone about the email we’d received and Burton hadn’t told me not to share it with anyone . . . only not to respond to it.
“Here’s something else that’s stressful,” I said. I pulled up the email and showed it to Luna.
Her eyes grew wide as she read it. “Oh, wow,” she breathed.
“I know.”
Luna said, “Wait. Did you show this to the cops?”
“I sure did. But I don’t really feel good about it.”
Luna glanced over the email again. “Because it so obviously points to Blake?”
“Exactly. I mean, he’s not stupid enough to do something like that. He wouldn’t have signed an email that way, you know? I feel like somebody’s trying to set him up. And the email was sent from the library. I checked.”
Luna gave a low whistle. “What did Burton say?”
“He’s checking it out, of course. He has to. I just hope Blake doesn’t get locked up over this. To me, it’s basically a fake confession letter.” I put a hand up to my forehead where it was starting to pound.
Luna opened a drawer behind the desk and pulled out a couple of aspirin for me. I took them from her as she casually asked, “On a completely separate topic, have you noticed anything different about my mom?”
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if Mona would want me to tell Luna that she was setting her cap for Linus. I wasn’t even sure she was setting her cap for him—it just might be she was simply interested in finding out more, since he was so inscrutable. “Different?”
“Yes. She seems really outgoing today, for one. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she is. I was so worried about her when she didn’t even want to leave the house. Plus, she’s all gussied up today for some reason. A silk blouse for a day at the library?”
I said, “Maybe she was excited about going to film club and she was just looking for an excuse to look nice. I know sometimes getting dressed up makes me feel better,” I said.
This was actually a blatant lie. Whenever I felt under-the-weather or down in the dumps, I felt way better when I put on yoga pants and a baggy tee shirt and curled up with Fitz and a good book on my sofa.
Luna seemed to sense the lie but wasn’t totally ready to call me out on it. “Really?” She looked at me through narrowed eyes.
“Sure.” I was eager to move off the subject of Mona’s sudden desire to dress up for a trip to the library. “By the way, your mom seemed so engaged at film club today.”
“No knitting this time?” asked Luna with a smile tugging at her lips.
“None at all. And she was able to fill in a little background information for us for the time the movie was made.”
Luna said, “She’s still getting along well with everyone in the group?” Her voice was doubtful as if she couldn’t really picture her mother hanging out with a teenage film buff and a typewriter repairman, among others.
“Oh, she’s definitely one of the gang.”
Luna opened her mouth as if she was going to ask more questions, but then stared across at the door. “Uh oh. Looks like Mel is here and she doesn’t look happy.”
I followed her gaze and saw that was an understatement. Mel looked like she hadn’t slept in days. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her clothes were rumpled and stained with what appeared to be coffee. She spotted us and started hurrying in our direction.
“At least it’s quiet in the library right now,” said Luna.
Mel came right up to the circulation desk and leaned against it as if she needed some support. “I’m so glad you’re both here,” she said, her eyes wide.
“What’s happened?” asked Luna breathlessly. She seemed to be steeling herself for more bad news.
Mel’s bloodshot eyes filled with tears. “Oh, I heard about the mayor. It’s so awful.”
I was a little surprised Mel would be so upset about the mayor’s death. Although it was a small town and everyone knew everyone else, I’d heard that, if anything, Mel had been on the outs with the mayor because of the zoning issue near her house.
Mel continued with a hiccupping breath. “And it’s not just that. I haven’t been able to sleep since Carmen died. I feel terrible about it.”
Luna shook her head and said in a firm voice, “You have nothing to feel terrible about. Friends squabble sometimes—you know that. You had absolutely no idea Carmen was going to die before you two had an opportunity to make up. Why would you? She was a healthy young woman.”
Fitz came bounding up at this point. I swear the furry boy has some sort of built-in radar to tell him when someone was upset. He slid across the smooth surface of the circulation desk and peered with great concern at Mel with his large, green eyes. She reached out a hand for him with a muffled sob and he bumped his head against her as a few tears trickled down her pale cheeks.
The interaction seemed to help Mel pull herself together a little. She continued rubbing Fitz as she said quietly, “You’re right. I had no idea Carmen was going to die. But I still shouldn’t have fallen out with her. It really wasn’t any of my business what she was doing with the mayor. And now the mayor is dead, too.”
Luna glanced over at me helplessly.
I said gently, “Mel, their deaths were tragedies. But you didn’t have anything to do with them. You shouldn’t feel guilty.”
Mel looked unconvinced. “Thanks. I’m trying not to, but it’s really hard. Carmen and I were friends. I feel like I ran out on her when she needed me the most. I should have been there for her. Instead, I wasn’t even talking to her. Maybe she would have told me something was going on. Maybe there was someone who was giving her a hard time. Then at least we’d know who might have killed her.” Her voice trembled over the last few words.
Luna reached out a hand and rubbed her arm. Her voice was kind as she said, “The police are working hard to find out who did it. I’m sure they’ll arrest someone soon.”
Mel buried her face in Fitz’s fur for a moment. In a muffled voice she said, “I think they already have.”
“What?” Luna and I chorused together.
Mel gave us a miserable look. She quietly said, “On the way over, I saw Burton walking Blake into the police station.”
I suddenly felt as if I couldn’t breathe. I finally stammered out, “In handcuffs?”
Mel quickly shook her head. “No. But it didn’t look friendly. I’m really worried about him.”
I said stoutly, “Mel, Burton is probably just having a conversation with Blake. There’s no need to read anything else into it than that.”
“I know you’re right. It’s just that I’m such a nervous wreck over all this violence. And I feel so bad about the mayor’s death ...” She paused and then said, “I’m worried, too.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I was there this morning.”
I felt myself grow very still. “There? At the mayor’s house?”
She nodded and closed her eyes briefly. “I was on my way to work and kept thinking about Carmen and how awful I felt about how I left things with her. My anger. My harsh words. You probably don’t know about this Ann, but Luna does; I’ve been having an ongoing fight with town hall over zoning near my house. Anyway, the last town hall meeting, I got really upset. Nobody seemed to really be listening to me. I blew up.”
Luna said stoutly, “I don’t think that blew up really describes what happened, Mel. You were just frustrated, that’s all. And you had a right to be. It’s your house. The last thing you want when you go home at night is to have a lot of noise and lights from a restaurant behind you when you’re finally trying to relax for the day.”
Mel gave her a grateful look. “That’s true. But I didn’t handle it the right way at all. I was so upset and I yelled at the mayor and said all kinds of things I didn’t really mean. Anyway, this morning, I was thinking about that and about Carmen. I decided to run by his house on the way to work and apologize for what I said and the tone of voice I used. I mean, he’s a professional and he was doing what he thought was right for the town. I just took it all too personally.”
Luna said quickly, “That was a very nice thing to do.”
“I just felt bad about the whole thing. I think the reason I got so upset wasn’t just because of the zoning change. It was also because of his relationship with Carmen. I felt that made a statement about him and the kind of person he was,” said Mel.
I nodded. “In a way, it did.”
Mel said, “It did. He was the kind of person who’d cheat on his wife with someone a lot younger. But again—that wasn’t any of my business. Anyway, I ran by his house. It was pretty early, but I knew he and Tanya were early morning people because I’ve seen them out walking their dog before I head to work.”
I asked, “Did he come to the door? Or Tanya?”
Mel shook her head. “No. Tanya’s car wasn’t even there, but his was. I was wondering this morning if maybe he was trying to avoid me, which I totally understand. But what if he was already dead then?” She gave us a horrified look. “Or maybe he wasn’t even dead, but he needed help? What if whoever killed him was inside? And I just walked away?”
Luna said forcefully, “Mel, remember, you had nothing to do with his death. The only person who did is the person who murdered him.”
Mel said miserably in a very quiet voice, “And now I’m scared to tell the police I was there. I mean, they’re going to think I did do it, even though they seem like they’re interested in Blake right now.”
“They won’t think you did it,” said Luna soothingly. “There has to be evidence.”
Mel said, “But there’s motive. I was arguing with both Carmen and the mayor before they died. And then I was at the scene of the crime.”
I pointed out, “You don’t really know if you were there at the time of the crime. It could be the mayor was in the shower and didn’t hear the door. Or maybe you’re right and he peeked out the window, saw you, and didn’t feel like answering the door because he didn’t know what you were going to say.”
Mel considered this, a spark of hope in her eyes. “Do you really think so?”
“We don’t know exactly when he was murdered,” I said. “I don’t think you should worry about not being able to help him. After all, if he had been in there with the murderer when you arrived and you confronted him, you might have been his next victim.”
Mel gave a small shiver.
I said, “Was there anything else you noticed while you were there? You said Tanya’s car wasn’t at the house.”
Mel considered this for a moment. “Well, I saw Blake leaving. He didn’t see me, though,” she added quickly. “He looked like he was leaving in a hurry. I know from when he was dating Carmen that he always had a lot of jobs to work and lots of last-minute jobs. I just figured he was late heading out of there.” She looked at us with big eyes. “You don’t think Blake had anything to do with the mayor’s death, do you?”
“Do you?” asked Luna.
Mel shook her head, alarmed. “No, of course not! I mean, I couldn’t believe it when I saw Burton and Blake going into the police station. I even sent him a text before I came here asking him what was going on. Blake and Howard always got along so great with each other. Well, I guess sometimes they had little spats, but it was always over silly stuff and they made up right away. Blake was always going over to the mayor’s house to have dinner with them or to see a movie or something.”
Luna knit her eyebrows. “Now, that’s something I wouldn’t have expected. I mean, there’s a big age difference between Blake and Tanya and Howard James. Plus, there’s a big difference in their backgrounds.”
Mel frowned. “You mean because Blake is blue-collar? I guess so. Carmen told me Blake was like the son they wished they had. He seems like he can do anything . . . he’s just one of those really, really capable people. He knows how to fix plumbing stuff and electrical problems. I got the impression that they admire him because he’s so handy and can do all the stuff they can’t do.” Mel dropped to a quieter voice, as if not wanting to be overheard. “And they weren’t able to have children of their own. Blake has filled that spot in a lot of ways. It’s not just that he can do anything workwise, he’s also so athletic and has so many hobbies and interests.”
It sounded like Mel had a bit of a crush on Blake. Her voice, when she spoke of him, was awed.
Mel continued, “I’ve always really liked Blake and he was always friendly to me when the three of us were hanging out. Sometimes we’d go out to dinner together and Blake never made me feel like a third wheel. And I see him a lot because I work at a paint store and Blake does some painting on the side.” She blushed. “Like I said, he can do anything. And I just know he didn’t have anything to do with Howard’s death. He just wouldn’t have it in him.”
Her phone pinged and Mel eagerly looked at it. Her face lit up. “It’s him! Blake, I mean. The police released him.”
Luna and I grinned back at her. “That’s great news,” I said.
Mel looked at her watch and said reluctantly, “I need to be going.” She smiled shyly at Luna and me. “Thanks so much to both of you. You’ve made me feel so much better. I guess I really just needed to talk it all through. I’ve had all these thoughts bottled together in my head for so long and I just don’t know what to make of them. You’ve helped me sort them out. Maybe I can actually sleep tonight for once.”
Mel gave Fitz a farewell rub and buried her face in his fur once more. “And thanks to you, too, Fitz.”
We watched as Mel left. Luna gave a low whistle. “I really like Mel, but boy, she’s an emotional wreck right now.”
I said, “At least she seems a little better than she did when she came in.”
Luna said, “Yeah, but she had nowhere to go but up.” She paused and then looked at me. “What did you think about her ardent defense of Blake? I mean, she saw him at Howard’s house this morning.”
“I think she’s likes Blake. Maybe she has a crush on him, too.”
Luna nodded. “That’s exactly what I thought. And she’s determined to cover up for him. Well, I can’t let that pass. I know it’s hearsay, but I’m going to let the chief know the next time I see him. Then Burton can tell Blake he was spotted there the morning Howard died and ask him why he lied about it.” She squinted across the library at the clock. “Oops. I’ve got to get ready for storytime.” She hurried off.
I was worried about something else, although I didn’t want to share it with Luna. Luna was Mel’s friend and fiercely loyal to everyone she cared about. But I kept thinking about Mel as I tickled Fitz under his chin. She clearly had warm feelings for him. She wasn’t in a relationship and I wasn’t sure when the last time she had been in a relationship was. It could be her love life was as messy as mine was. Mel had argued with Carmen about Carmen’s relationship with the mayor . . . someone who Blake considered a father figure. What if Mel had struck out at Carmen in frustration?
And what if the mayor had seen something? Mel had already admitted being at his house and was already upset with Howard because of the zoning issue. Could Mel be more dangerous than she seemed?