“Stay still. I think you’re bleeding.” I noticed his sweater had some dark spots on it up near his shoulder.
Roger sat up. “It’s only the wine from the glass you threw,” he said. “This sweater is cashmere, you know.”
Who wore cashmere in the summer? Who worried about his sweater moments after someone had held a gun to his head? “What book was he talking about? Do you know?”
“And why are you here in the first place?” Miss Belle stood behind me, still holding the shotgun. We heard sirens, car doors slamming, and pounding on the door.
“I’ll get it,” I volunteered. “Just stay here. Together.” I ran down the hall, then the stairs, and flung open the door. Awesome stood there, all big and tall and heroic-looking in his uniform. It made me want to fling myself into his arms and sob. Instead, I gave him a quick description of the man in the hallway: tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in jeans, a black shirt, and a ghost-faced mask. Awesome sent a couple of officers to look around the grounds before entering the house. He stood with another officer.
An ambulance pulled up. “I don’t think we’re going to need them. But maybe they should check on Miss Belle and Roger before we send them off.”
We all trotted up the stairs. Miss Belle and Roger were both sitting in the hall, backs against the wall, legs out in front of them.
Awesome turned to me. “We’ll clear the house. There’s a chance the intruder stayed in here instead of leaving.”
“I can help. It’s a big place,” I said.
“No. You stay here.” He looked at the EMTs. “Check her out too.” Then he looked at the other officer. “Let’s go.”
Thirty minutes later, the EMTs left for the second time today. No one really needed attending, but blood pressures were checked and hearts listened to. Awesome came back into the hall this time alone. “No one’s in the house.”
We settled in the kitchen, where I made coffee and heated water for tea. Even with Awesome with us, I felt exposed sitting at the kitchen table looking out at the dark woods. Light from flashlights bobbed around as the police searched for the gunman.
“So, what happened here?” Awesome asked.
I explained what I’d seen. Miss Belle added her version. Neither of us mentioned the book. Roger stared down into his tea. I couldn’t decide if it was from guilt or terror. After all, there was that hastily packed suitcase.
“Any idea what he wanted?” Awesome asked.
The three of us exchanged glances, but no one spoke up. Awesome sat patiently waiting. He didn’t look angry, just interested.
I went first again. “He asked ‘where’s the book’?” I said. “I didn’t know what he was talking about, although Roger said it was something by Hemingway.”
“Roger, just spill what you know,” Miss Belle said. “I’d like to get some sleep at some point tonight.”
Roger threw up his hands. “Kay called me this morning while I was driving to Miss Belle’s house.”
“She had your cell phone number?” That seemed odd to me.
“It’s on my business card. Lots of people have it.” Roger frowned at me.
Boy, was he defensive. “What time and what did she want?” I asked.
“It was around nine thirty and she said she wanted to meet me.” Roger took a long drink of his coffee.
“Did you think that was odd?” I asked.
“What did she want?” Belle asked.
“She wanted my opinion about the price of something.” He looked at me with lowered eyebrows. “It wasn’t odd at all. People consult with me all of the time.”
That wasn’t long after I’d taken the suitcase down to Miss Belle. She must have overheard us, or maybe she knew the papers were there. “Where did she want to meet?” I asked.
“At a Starbucks in Lexington. I went, but she never showed.”
“Kay took off from here around eleven.” I remembered because the alarm on my phone had gone off about the same time. I glanced at Awesome, worried he might not like me asking so many questions, but he didn’t seem to mind. Maybe he wanted Roger to forget there was a cop in the room so he’d talk more freely.
“You never went to your store today,” Miss Belle said. “Where were you?”
“While I was waiting for Kay this, this hooligan showed up and threatened me.”
“How would he know you’d be there?” I asked. “It had to be through Kay.” I rested my elbows on the table, wishing the coffee was a glass of something stronger.
“Tell us about the threat,” Awesome said.
“He sat down across from me.” Roger shuddered.
That didn’t sound too scary. “What did he look like?” I asked.
“Dark beard, dark eyes, thick eyebrows. He wore a T-shirt and jeans. The only thing out of place was an old Yankees baseball cap worn low on his forehead.”
Yankee caps always stood out in Red Sox Nation, otherwise known as New England. “Never trust a Yankees fan,” I said with a glance at Awesome, “You’re the exception, Awesome.” I turned back to Roger. “Other than that, what was threatening?”
“Wait until you hear the rest,” Roger snapped. “He put his hand over mine, which was weird. I tried to move mine, but he pressed down to trap it there. Then he leaned in. Started asking about a book. I told him he’d have to be more specific because I owned a bookstore. Then he started talking about a rare limited edition of The Sun Also Rises.”
“A first edition?” Miss Belle asked.
Roger shook his head. “Hemingway did a slim leather volume for his friends. Only five. They were leather-bound and the title was stamped in gold. All of them were numbered and signed.”
“What makes them so special?” I asked. So special that some guy was willing to threaten someone for a copy in public.
Roger just looked at me for a moment. “Beyond the obvious? He handwrote notes in the margins giving further insights into the scenes. Every edition was different, depending on his mood at the time. Most are presumed to be lost. Hemingway wasn’t that famous when the book first came out.”
“Do you have a copy at your store?” I asked.
“I wish,” Roger said. “At the same time he’s saying all of this, he started forcing my index finger back with his thumb.” Roger grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket and patted his upper lip. His index finger had a splint on it. “He told me he’d snap it like a twig and then start on the others if I didn’t give the book to him. I guess I fainted, because the next thing I remember, there was a Starbucks’ employee with water and a woman who was a nurse standing over me.”
“Where’d the man go?” I asked.
“The nurse said he yelled for help and said he was going to get my medication from my car.” Roger paused. “I don’t take anything.”
“Did you call the police?” I asked.
“No. Just wanted to get out of there. I told the people in the store I just had low blood sugar and fainted.”
“Oh, Roger, that’s a terrible experience.” Miss Belle patted his arm.
“It gets worse,” he said.
That wasn’t surprising, considering he’d ended up with a gun to his head a few minutes ago.
“When I got to my car, there was a note on the front passenger seat. Stuck there with a knife.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Someone broke into your car?” Miss Belle asked.
“I don’t know how they got in,” Roger said.
“What kind of knife?” I glanced over at Awesome again. He gave me a little nod.
“A carving knife with a fancy, carved handle. What kind of person carries something like that around with him?”
An evil one, but I wasn’t going to say it out loud. “What did the note say?”
“That he wanted the book and I’d better find it fast.” He looked at Miss Belle. “Do you have such a book?” He looked at her again hopefully.
She pursed her lips. After a couple of moments, she shook her head. “Not that I know of. Sebast
ian collected lots of books. And he did love Hemingway. I didn’t always pay attention. It seems he would mention such an important book.”
“Unless he obtained it illegally,” Roger said.
Miss Belle straightened up. “Excuse me?”
Her response made me wonder if she was being truthful. I’d never seen her so upset. Of course, I hadn’t spent a lot of time with her. But until now, she’d taken all the day’s events in stride. Perhaps too much?
“Let’s all calm down,” Awesome said. “We need to figure out what’s going on here.”
“I’m sorry, Belle. I didn’t mean to insinuate you or Sebastian would do such a thing. It’s been a dreadful day.”
Miss Belle nodded.
Roger continued. “But sometimes people buy things inadvertently.”
“How would the man even know the book is supposedly here?” I asked.
Everyone thought about that for a moment.
“I don’t know,” Miss Belle said.
“Is there any chance it’s in the house somewhere?” I watched Roger closely. What I wanted to ask was whether he’d seen it and taken it. But I rethought before I did. Roger seemed like the kind of man who would turn something over at the first sign of trouble. What if I’d interrupted him going to get the rare book when I walked down the hall to go to bed? But Roger didn’t react to my comment.
“Maybe we should do a search,” I said. There were thousands of books in this house between Sebastian’s study, Miss Belle’s office, and the attic. I wasn’t sure the four of us could do it. Then I looked at Miss Belle. Her face was pale and deep shadows had formed under her eyes. “Or we can look in the morning.”
Everyone looked relieved at that. We all took a moment to collect our thoughts and drink some coffee. I yawned, setting everyone off.
“Sarah and I went by your house this evening,” Miss Belle said.
“You went to my house?” Roger asked. He rose halfway out of his chair, before sinking back down.
Why was he so upset?
“The door was open. I thought something had happened to you.” Miss Belle gave him a fierce look. “There was a partially packed suitcase on the bed. It looked like you were fleeing.”
“I wasn’t fleeing,” Roger said. “I decided to go away for a few days.”
A couple of moments ticked by while we all stared at Roger. Why was he planning to flee? Why hadn’t he?
“We still don’t know all of what happened between the time you left the Starbucks and arrived here.” Miss Belle might be tired, but her mind was clicking right along.
Awesome perked up at that.
“Right after I left Starbucks, I went to my doctor and had him fix my finger.” He held up his hand with the splint on it. “Then I headed straight home to leave until this all blew over.”
“But you were interrupted,” I said.
“Someone rang the doorbell. I looked out my guest room window. The man from Starbucks was there. I high tailed it out the back.” He slapped his hands to his mouth. “That man must have broken in. It’s the only explanation for why my front door was unlocked.” He shuddered. “Having that cretin in my house is most unnerving.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Where did you go after you left your house?”
“I hid out at the store while I tried to figure out if it was safe to go back to get my car. Or if I could use my credit cards with no one finding out where I was. I’m not cut out for a life on the run.”
“Your employee told us you hadn’t been to the store all day,” I said.
“She lied. For me. I have a security system set up at the store. I watched the monitor and tried to figure out what to do. Then that ruffian showed up at the store. I ran out the back door.” Roger shook his head. “I’ve never done so much running in my life.”
He said running with such disdain, I almost laughed. But I knew how he felt because that was how my day had been too.
“Where did you go then? We went to Chef Sal’s in hopes of finding you there,” Miss Belle said.
Roger got a longing look on his face. “Oh for some of his osso buco. At least I was smart enough not to go there.”
“Are you hungry?” Miss Belle asked. “I can throw together something.”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
“Let me help,” I said. In a matter of minutes, we’d put together cheese and crackers, chicken salad, and an assortment of breads. Miss Belle also put out a plate of cookies. Considering the spread, you’d think it was mealtime instead of midnight.
Roger and Awesome dug in. I was still full from our dinner. For once, even the cookies didn’t tempt me.
After Roger had eaten, he was ready to talk again. “To answer your question. I went to my happy place. The Boston Public Library.”
The Boston Public Library is amazing, and it’s massive. For someone like Roger, who loved books, it seemed like a natural. That thought made me frown. It seemed like exactly where a book lover would go.
Roger noticed my frown. “It was stupid. Apparently, it’s the go-to place for rare book dealers to hide out. Because that hooligan showed up there.”
This tale was so wild, I was beginning to wonder if it might be true. I looked at Awesome. His eyes had narrowed, but he still kept quiet.
“Fortunately, I was sitting in a place where I could see much of the library. And I know it well enough that I once again slipped away.” He shook his head yet again. “If I was reading this in a book, I’d have thrown it across the room by now.”
I’d had my own wild adventure today, so I didn’t feel it was my place to be critical. “What did you do next?” I asked.
“I hopped on the T and just rode around, changing lines, staying underground and out of sight.”
The T was what they called the subway system in Boston. Short for trolley; the system was that old.
“So how did you end up here? At gunpoint?” Awesome sounded annoyed. And he looked tired. The lights that had been bobbing around the grounds had long since disappeared. We hadn’t heard anything, so I guess the thug had escaped once again. I looked out, wondering if he was out there watching us.
“I came here for two reasons,” Roger said. “First, I thought Belle would put me up for the night. Second, I thought perhaps Belle would have the limited edition of The Sun Also Rises that man seems to want so badly. Trust me, I’d love to give it to him and return to my normal boring life.”
“Of course you’re welcome to stay,” Miss Belle said. “I wish I knew where the book was.”
“What happened?” Awesome’s voice snapped out. It sounded as if he’d had it with Roger.
“I took a taxi out here. Let myself in with the key Miss Belle gave me when I took on her project. I went upstairs and entered the room I’d used in the past.” He paused.
Awesome made a whirling motion with his hand to keep Roger on track.
“It obviously didn’t go according to plan. I got my toothbrush and was heading down the hall to the bathroom when the hooligan nabbed me. He dragged me back to my room and told me to show him the book. He didn’t need to add the or else.” Roger yawned. “I thought if I led him to the attic, maybe I’d have an opportunity to escape without anyone getting injured.” He spread out his hands. “That’s my story.”
I wondered again if it was just a story. Made up by a lunatic who was trying to cover his tracks for stealing from Miss Belle. Roger could be working with the man who’d a gun to his head. And that was just an act when they were discovered.
“How’d the man keep finding you all day?”
“I don’t have any idea.” Lines creased Roger’s forehead.
“Have you worn the same clothes all day?” Awesome asked Roger.
“Yes. Why?”
“Empty your pockets,” Awesome said.
Roger took off his sweater and patted the pocket of his button-up shirt. Then he pulled out the pockets of his seersucker pants. Something went flying. Awesome bent over and picked up a small, roun
d disk.
“Tracking device,” Awesome said. “He probably planted it on you at the Starbucks.”
Roger, Miss Belle, and I exchanged uneasy looks. What the heck had we ended up in the middle of?
“I’ll call some other departments to see if we can get any security footage of the assailant,” Awesome said.
Roger looked at Awesome with eager puppy eyes.
“But security footage is often blurry,” he said, “so don’t get your hopes up.”
“Can’t your people edit it to make it clear?” Roger asked.
“Not like they can on TV,” Awesome said. “Would you be willing to work with a sketch artist?”
“Anything to find that hooligan,” Roger answered. He rubbed his finger.
“What now?” I asked Awesome. “We can’t leave Miss Belle here on her own.” I looked at her and then out at the woods again. The night was dark. We were sitting in the lighted kitchen. I gave a small shiver.
He frowned and thought it over. “Excuse me a minute. I have a plan.”
He left the kitchen, and I could hear him talking. The rest of us were too worn out to speak. We avoided eye contact too. A few minutes later, Awesome walked back in.
“An unmarked car is going to come here and take the three of you to the station. I’ll drive Sarah’s car back to her place. Hopefully, if the intruder is out there watching, he won’t be close enough to see who’s driving what car. I’ll also put someone here at the house to keep things safe tonight until a search can be conducted for the book tomorrow.”
We all nodded.
“The officer will pull into the garage underneath the station. Someone will meet you there. I’ll have them put you in one of the SUVs and take you to my place for the night. Miss Belle can have my room, Roger the couch, and Sarah the recliner.”
“Where are you going to sleep?” Miss Belle asked.
“I’ll head over to Sarah’s, turn on some lights, then off, as a decoy. If it’s okay with you, Sarah, I’ll spend the night there.”
“Of course,” I said, “if you think that will help.”
Awesome nodded. “Maybe we can draw him out and get this shut down tonight.”
The Gun Also Rises Page 8