“I wouldn’t put it quite like that.”
“Did she know why you were in town?”
“I told her I work for a large corporation, if that’s what you mean.”
“But you didn’t tell her you were trying to build one of your big stores here.”
“I don’t discuss business with strangers.”
“But you don’t have a problem with trying to gather information about those strangers, and using it to your advantage.”
“It wasn’t like that. Your mother and I enjoyed a few drinks in the hotel lounge, and went our separate ways. She said she was leaving town today. I haven’t seen her since.”
“You still haven’t explained what you were doing at the ranch after dark.” Drake circled back around to that topic. “How did you explain to her what you were doing there?”
“Look, I haven’t done anything wrong.” He avoided answering Drake’s question.
“Maybe not legally, but I’d say your ethics leave something to be desired. As I said before, this conversation is over.”
Fletcher looked like he was going to argue further when I spoke up. “What did you say your name is?” Both men looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“Ernest Fletcher, why?” He turned back to Drake, dismissing me as a minor irritant.
“Is that the name you gave Mona when you met her?” I wasn’t finished with him yet.
“I don’t know what you’re getting at.” His face took on a greenish tint when he realized his mistake. Bluffing wasn’t his strong suite.
“Because when she saw you last night, she called you Everett. That’s close, but not the same. Did you give her a phony name so she wouldn’t know what you were really doing in town?”
“You must be mistaken.” Without another word he stood up, marching out of the restaurant. He kept his head high, and his back ridged.
“Your intimidation skills are impressive,” I complimented Drake when we were alone again.
“I gotta say you aren’t so bad yourself,” he admitted. “That certainly threw him off his game. I think it’s time I had a little chat with someone from Dynamic Corporation.”
“Do you think he is capable of killing someone if they stand in his way of closing a deal?”
He shook his head. “No, he’s short on business ethics, but I don’t think he’d kill anyone. Hopefully, we’ve seen the last of him and Dynamic Corporation. There are enough other towns willing to allow them to build a store there.”
I wondered if meeting Mona in the bar that first night was as accidental as he claimed. It was quite a coincidence that they were staying in the same hotel. If he had researched Jim and others in town, it wouldn’t be hard for him to know who Mona was. She is very active on all forms of social media. He could have found out she was coming up here, and hoped to use her to talk with Jim.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
He was still nursing a sore ankle, thanks to that damned librarian. He refused to say her name. What he wouldn’t give to pay her back in kind. His hands itched at the thought of getting them on her. She was causing him all sorts of trouble, and he didn’t think that would end any time soon.
Someone had been snooping on the town’s web site recently. Pine Mountain wasn’t a tourist destination in the off seasons. Until it started to snow in earnest, few people were checking out the town.
Since that first town hall meeting though, there had been a big uptick in web site hits. Someone was checking things out; things that ordinary tourists had no interest in. If he had to venture a guess, that damned librarian was snooping around. He should have stopped Max before he went to see her. She was going to ruin everything if she didn’t let up. He wasn’t going to let a librarian outsmart him.
~~~
For six months I’d managed to avoid Beth Ann. With the missing money, Max’s murder, and then Fred’s murder following my visit, I was her new best friend. She seemed to think I should be a fount of information. Telling her anything was like e-mailing the entire world.
The library had only been open a few minutes Saturday morning when she pushed through the door. She sat down in the chair in front of my desk, an expectant smile on her face.
“Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?” Her loud voice echoed in the cavernous room. I got the feeling she already knew all about what happened. There had been enough people at the ranch willing to pass along any gossip. She probably knew more about what happened than I did, plus some things that hadn’t happened.
“Yes, it was very nice. How was yours?”
“Oh, um, mine was nice, as well.” She wasn’t here to talk about herself. She was looking for dirt on others. “Kind of quiet,” she added as an afterthought.
“Yes, I heard that your folks moved to Scottsdale when your father retired.” I was hoping to steer the conversation to other matters. “How do they like it there?”
“It’s fine. They were tired of the snow and cold. Scottsdale is so much more…” She stopped, searching for the right word.
“Snooty?” I asked, cocking my head to one side. Pine Mountain is more cowboy boots and jeans than high heels and pearls. Her mother had lamented the lack of cultural activities here ten years ago.
“No, I wouldn’t put it quite like that.” She was horrified at my suggestion. “People with more…” She stopped again. She was digging a deeper hole for herself with each word. Finally she gave up looking.
“Refinement,” I offered another suggestion. This time she nodded her head. “I was surprised that you didn’t move with them. In school, you said you couldn’t wait to leave this “small town” in the dust.” I put finger quotes around the words she always said with a sneer.
“Well, things change.” Before I could say anything else, she rushed on with the reason for her visit. “I was surprised to hear that Jim had his usual Thanksgiving Day party. Since Hannah was born, Jane hasn’t felt like hosting any parties. How was it?”
“It wasn’t a party. There were just a few friends and family. Jim is still in mourning since Max was killed.”
“Oh, yes, I understand. It is so horrible.” Her tone didn’t match her expression. “He must be devastated about his brother’s activities. Who wouldn’t be? Everyone at the bank is still in mourning at the passing of young Fred as well. We can’t imagine why anyone would kill such a nice man.” I made a point of looking at the clock on the wall. I didn’t want her sitting here all day even though we weren’t busy.
She abruptly changed topics again. “We never did get a chance to go out for lunch. Are you free today? The library closes at noon, right?” Was this the real reason for her visit? What exactly was she hoping to discover? Unless I told another lie, I was stuck.
The phone on my desk rang before I could come up with an excuse. “Excuse me, Beth Ann.” Saved by the bell, I thought as I picked up the phone. I turned slightly away from her for a little privacy. “Pine Mountain Library, This is Miss Foster. How may I help you?”
“Would you like to join me for lunch today, Holly?” Linda whispered. Surprised, I looked up. She was standing at the front desk with her back to me. She had heard Beth Ann asking about lunch and came to my rescue. “I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds.”
“Not at all, that sounds great.” I tried to keep the relief out of my voice. “I’ll have the research ready for you first thing Monday.” It was the only thing I could think of to say. That wasn’t exactly a lie either. I did plan on doing some research over the weekend, but it wasn’t for a student.
Replacing the phone, I turned back to Beth Ann with a smile. “Sorry for the interruption. Now where were we?”
“We were making arrangements to meet for lunch today.” She seemed impatient now.
“I’m sorry, but I already have plans. We’ll have to do it another time. I really need to get to work on that research now.” I stood up, hoping she’d take the hint.
“Yes, of course,” she sighed. “Are you free tomorrow? The library isn’t open on Sunday.”
She wasn’t going to let this go.
“Tomorrow is Hannah’s first birthday. Jim is having a small birthday party for her at the ranch after church. Just for the family,” I added in case she thought I would invite her. I was grateful I didn’t have to lie about that.
“Maybe another time,” Beth Ann huffed. She was miffed now. She didn’t like having her plans thwarted. Looking for gossip was one thing, but I didn’t understand her sudden interest in being my friend.
Waiting until Beth Ann’s car left the parking lot, Linda came over to my desk. “I don’t recall her ever coming in here before, not even when she was a student. I hope you don’t mind that I did that.”
“Certainly not. You saved me from telling a lie to get out of lunch with her. Is the diner fine with you?”
“Oh, we don’t really have to have lunch together. Unless you want to, that is.” She was embarrassed now. I didn’t know much about her personal life. She never talked about any family in town.
“I think it’s a great idea. Besides, she’s the type to be watching to see if I really do have plans,” I said. “I’d rather not get caught in a lie.” A smile lit up her face as she went back to her desk. I felt bad that I hadn’t made an effort to get to know her until now. On several occasions I’d gotten the impression she was alone and lonely.
Christmas shopping had slacked off from the previous day, and several people came in to check out books. The library also had good internet service, and people came in to use the computers for online shopping. I had updated the security system when I first started working at the library. I didn’t want anyone using the library’s computers to have their identity stolen or their accounts hacked.
I wondered if the bank had discovered how poor their security was. They really needed to do something about it. If the money had been taken because of their lack of security, I wasn’t sure how that could be proven.
I didn’t know if Fred had been part of the theft, but why else had he been killed? My questions, no matter how innocent I thought they had been, must have made someone nervous. They had decided he was expendable. That would always be on my head.
Max said to follow the clues. But I hadn’t found any clues to follow. I’d run out of ideas where he could have left what he wanted me to find. I didn’t even know what a clue would look like. After the break-in at my house, I had gone through every closet, cupboard, and drawer. Everything in them belonged to me.
Staring at my blank computer screen, I sighed. I wanted to help clear Max’s name, but I didn’t know how. Hacking into the bank’s records was out of the question. Drake would arrest me for sure if I was caught.
I’d checked out the town’s web site several times. The only interesting piece of information I found was the name of the man Jane had spent so much time with on Thanksgiving. Wendell Kramer worked in the town’s IT department. That meant he knew his way around computers. Had he known about the poor security at the bank, and used it to his advantage?
Max said it had started out as a game, but he didn’t say what the game was, or who was playing. I felt like I was going in circles.
Drake said Jack Johnston, the Assistant Treasurer, had alerted Jim about the missing money. Why had he been checking the accounts even before anyone knew Max was missing? What had he been looking for? Had something made him suspicious? Or was he trying to point the finger away from himself?
Looking at the town’s web site again, I studied the picture of Jack Johnston. He looked to be in his fifties with thinning brown hair. His online bio gave very little information other than his work history. He’d worked for the town in one department or another most of his adult life.
What if he’d been hoping to get the treasurer’s job when Jim gave it to Max? He could have framed Max in order to open up the position again. It might be a good idea to check further into Jack Johnston.
Concentrating on the screen, I wasn’t aware someone had stepped up to my desk. Nearly jumping out of my chair, I whirled around to find Drake staring down at me. “Checking something out?” He didn’t look happy at what was on my computer screen.
My face felt like it was on fire, but I tried to bluff my way through. “Yes, I was looking to see who some the guests were at your dad’s dinner. I still don’t know that many people in town.”
“So you’re looking up people who work for the town?” He cocked his head to one side.
“Well, I figured he had invited some people he worked with. Is there something wrong with that?”
“Not at all, but Dad doesn’t work in the Treasurer’s Office. What’s really going on in that pretty head of yours, Holly?”
“Nothing sinister, I assure you.” I put on my most innocent look, fluttering my eyelashes at him. “Isn’t the town web site out there for people to look at? I didn’t think that was a crime.”
He sat down on the corner of my desk, facing me. “What are you really doing?” He kept his voice low so no one could listen in on our conversation. He picked up my hand, playing with my fingers.
“Whatever it is, it’s not very helpful.” I shrugged, giving up the pretense of innocently looking at the web site. “Drake, I believe Max knew who took the money. He was scared when he came to see me.” I kept repeating that, hoping he would finally believe me.
“If that’s the case, why didn’t he tell Dad, or me? We would have helped him in any way possible. I still don’t understand why he came to you.”
“Does it bruise your ego that he came to me instead of you?” I tugged my hand free of his grasp, as my temper began to heat up.
“My ego is a little sturdier than that.” He chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re really up to?”
I released a sigh. “Max wasn’t behind that big store deal either, but someone who worked for the town was. I just want to figure out who would benefit from doing that.”
He leaned over, whispering in my ear. “Give it a rest. I’ve got this covered.”
I jerked back, surprise written on my face. Before I could say anything, he placed his finger over my lips. “Don’t say anything. There are ears everywhere.” He looked across the lobby where a group of women were sitting. They came in every week to discuss the latest book they were reading. They weren’t interested in their books right now. They were intently watching us.
“You know who did it?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“I know my job, and I know how to investigate. I need you to stay out of things. I don’t want you to get hurt. Is that so hard to understand?” I shook my head. “Good. I’m doing everything to find the money, and put things right.”
“I know, but I don’t understand why the bank hasn’t been able to trace where the money was transferred to. They should have found out what happened almost immediately. What’s the hold up?”
“It’s not that simple. Someone rerouted the money before it even left the bank here. It never made it to the embezzler’s account.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“Max,” I whispered. “He did that. He said to follow the trail.”
“Trail?” Drake sat back, looking at me. “I thought he said to follow the clues.”
“Well, yeah, or the trail. What difference does it make?”
“That’s two different things.” He leaned down, kissing me soundly. “Thanks. I’ll take it from here.” He tapped the end of my nose with one finger. “Stay out of trouble. I want you around for that formal proposal, remember?” With a final kiss, he stood up.
With a small salute and a smile to the book club women, he sauntered out of the library. Several of the ladies giggled at his antics while others waved a hand in front of their faces. The man was incorrigible. I shook my head, but couldn’t help but smile. My heart was tripping happily in my chest.
Linda came over to my desk a few minutes later. “Is everything all right? I’ll understand if you need to cancel our lunch.”
“Everything’s fine and we’re not canceling lunch.”
/> Looking at the door where he disappeared, she smiled softly. “He’s a good man, much like his father. Both of his boys are good men.” I couldn’t agree more, but I didn’t say anything.
We had fifteen minutes before closing for the weekend. First Beth Ann, and now Drake, I was ready for this day to be over.
The diner was busy when Linda and I walked in a half hour later. People were tired of eating leftover turkey, but didn’t want to go to the trouble of cooking. Dennis and Darlene’s three grandkids were sitting at the counter, the youngest in a high chair. Cheerios were scattered on the high chair tray, and the other two were eating French fries. Their daughter Debbie was waiting tables while their son-in-law Mike was in the kitchen with Dennis filling orders.
Their diner was one of the businesses that would suffer if chain stores and restaurants began taking over the town. There was a lot to be said for family businesses that chains couldn’t offer.
When a table opened up at the back of the busy diner, Linda and I took our seats. An awkward silence settled over us. We’d never socialized before, and I wasn’t sure how to begin. Drawing a deep breath, I asked the question that had been plaguing me recently. “Did you apply for the position Jim gave me?” If that had been the case, it might account for her stilted attitude towards me at times.
“No,” she frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“You’ve worked at the library for a long time. It stands to reason that you might have wanted the promotion.”
She gave me a shy smile. “Yes, I’ve been there a long time, long enough to know that I don’t want to be the boss. I can go home at night and not worry about all the administrative duties you have to deal with. The student books alone are a nightmare.
“Then there’s the students themselves.” She shook her head. “Most of them are very nice and well-behaved. That isn’t the case with all of them though. The parents are even worse.” She shuddered slightly. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not after your job. That headache is all yours.”
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