Overdue

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

  I nodded. “That’s what Blake thought, too. He said Elliot was very upset about it when he was driving by. But Elliot didn’t mention anything about it to me. He acted as if they were still in a relationship.”

  Luna shrugged. “Maybe for him, they were still in a relationship. Maybe he thought he could somehow fix things and they’d be able to continue seeing each other. Could have been a little denial going on there. What else did he say? Or what did Blake say? And how on earth did Carmen end up dating two guys when you and I can’t even find a single eligible person to go out with in this town?”

  I gave her a wry smile. “Well, when you have women dating multiple men, it definitely doesn’t help with the availability factor.” I started to tell Luna about what Elliot had said about Mel, but then I stopped as a vague memory came back to me. “Ah, don’t you have a friend named Mel? Mel Trumbull?”

  “Sure! She comes to see me in the children’s section about once or twice a week. We go out to lunch sometimes, when I’m not trying to save money. Which means our lunch dates lately are few and far between,” said Luna, making a face. “Maybe she needs to pack a bag lunch and meet me in the breakroom.”

  I paused and Luna stared at me. “You’re not saying that Mel has something to do with this! But she and Carmen were friends. Like real friends. Carmen was probably Mel’s best friend.”

  I said lightly, “I’m not saying Mel had anything at all to do with Carmen’s death. You asked what Elliot had said and that’s what he mentioned. That Mel and Carmen had been at odds with each other lately. Had you noticed anything like that?”

  Luna frowned. “I hate to say it, but I think I’ve been a little more self-involved than usual. I know Mel was talking to me about Carmen, but I thought she was just piling on.”

  “Piling on?” I asked.

  “Yeah. You know, when your friend starts complaining about somebody and you say: ‘I know what you mean! She can really be a pain!’ That sort of thing.”

  I said, “So you just thought that Mel was being supportive when you were saying bad things about Carmen.”

  Luna sighed. “Things I now really regret, considering what’s happened. But yeah.”

  “Did you ever see the two of them together? How they got along together?” I asked curiously.

  Luna grimaced. “Not really. That’s because, whenever Carmen walked up, I usually tried to be heading in the opposite direction. But one time when I was out running an errand, I did. The dynamics there weren’t so hot. Carmen was definitely in charge, but then she was always in charge. I could see that she was bossing Mel around about something. It also looked like Carmen was putting Mel down somehow. Like in a passive-aggressive way.” She shrugged. “That’s not the way a friend should be. So Mel and I started hanging out a little more. In fact, she should be in the library soon . . . said she was going to run by on her way over to work.”

  I said, “I might come over to the children’s section and introduce myself.”

  “Knowing Mel, she might introduce herself on the way in. She called me last night and was really upset about Carmen. I think she has conflicted feelings about her and probably feels guilty like I do. Anyway, I think she wanted to kind of talk the whole thing through. She wanted to talk it through last night, but I persuaded her to come by today in the hopes it would be quiet here. I needed to talk to my mom last night. After I did that, I was all talked out and really just wanted to veg in front of my TV until I fell asleep.” She grinned at me. “I’m sure you went home and read most of Ulysses.”

  I snorted. “I think you know I didn’t go home and read Ulysses.”

  Luna gave me a mischievous smile. “I made a shocking discovery in the breakroom. It appears that you’re cheating on James Joyce with Rosamunde Pilcher.”

  I sighed. “You’re right about that. September is sort of a comfort read for me.”

  “But from where you’ve bookmarked it, it looks like you were extracting comfort even before everything happened yesterday.”

  I grinned at her. “I needed comfort after reading Ulysses.”

  “I don’t know why you just didn’t tell your film club friend that you’d already read it. Then he wouldn’t have kept pestering you to read the book. And he’d have believed you, because you’ve read so many books.”

  I said, “Because he would have wanted to discuss it in-depth and I only have a basic working knowledge of it. This guy has read the book multiple times.”

  “Next time, you should pick an easier book to read. Like Infinite Jest,” said Luna with a snort. She glanced over to the children’s department. “Okay, I should head over there. Do you want me to put some of the Fitz flyers in the kids’ area? Or are you specifically targeting the adult patrons’ questions?”

  “I think Wilson wanted us to get a real mix, so let’s go for it,” I said.

  “If you’re ready to do some research on why the sky’s blue,” said Luna with a laugh.

  Chapter Six

  Dear Fitz,

  I have a pretty quiet life, which I really like. But sometimes, I realize I’m a little bit lonely. Do you have any tips for an introvert for making friends?

  Signed,

  Solitary

  Dear Solitary,

  Making friends can be a challenge for anybody. I was new at the library and made a lot of friends by just going up and hanging out with them. But that’s easier for a cat than it is for a human. You don’t have to go up and talk to total strangers like I do . . . maybe there are people who you already know who you’d like to spend a little more time with. Ask them questions—humans love to talk about themselves. I’m including a list of library clubs and events that might give you the perfect chance to meet people. I know you’ll do claw-some at this!

  Your Friend,

  Fitz

  LUNA WAS RIGHT ABOUT Mel. She came in about twenty minutes later and walked right up to the circulation desk. Fortunately, the library was quiet then or else it might have been tough to talk to her privately.

  Mel introduced herself, holding out her hand. She had an anxious, restless demeanor, but her smile was genuine and went all the way up to her eyes, which were still swollen from crying.

  “It’s good to actually meet you,” she said. “I feel bad because I’ve seen you in here for years and never really introduced myself.”

  I smiled back at her, “It’s good to meet you now. And don’t worry about it. The library isn’t necessarily a social place.”

  Luna walked up as Mel said, “It’s the best place in the world, isn’t it? You can come to relax and be quiet and not speak to a soul. Or you can come in and talk to people and make friends and join clubs.”

  Luna grinned. “It’s different things to different people.”

  Mel glanced around and said to me, “Is it okay if we talk for just a minute or two? That is, you don’t have something else you should be doing?”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Technically, it’s time for my break. I’ll just spend it hanging out with you.”

  “Okay, good,” breathed Mel in relief. “I’m sorry to make you two go through your story again. But I couldn’t sleep a wink last night and until I know what happened, I’m thinking I won’t get much sleep any other night. Carmen and I were good friends.” She colored a little.

  Luna waved her hand at me. “Ann, why don’t you tell her? I wasn’t there the whole time and I think you have a better perspective on the whole thing. But let’s move over to the children’s section so I’m technically still where I’m supposed to be working.”

  I did tell the story, being as undramatic and level as I possibly could. But still Mel’s face was pinched with anxiety and she cried out uncontrollably at the part when I explained how I’d seen Carmen at the bottom of the stairs.

  Mel’s eyes were huge as I finished and tears pooled at the bottom of them, threatening to spill over. Luna was already thrusting tissues at her since the children’s department had boxes on the tops of every group of shelves
in an impossible attempt to keep germs at bay.

  Mel dabbed at her eyes and cleared her throat a few times while looking at the floor. Then she said, “I hate this. Who could have done something like this?” Then she snapped her mouth shut as if she’d had an idea.

  Luna frowned at her. “What’s up, Mel? It looked like something came to mind just then? Or was it someone who came to mind?”

  Mel shook her head and her brown hair fell across her face as she looked down at the floor again. “It’s nothing. At least, I guess it’s nothing.”

  I’d have let that go because clearly Mel didn’t want to say anything. But Luna being Luna, she pressed a bit harder, leaning forward and looking at her friend with concern. “Mel, there’s something on your mind. You’re with friends.”

  Mel sighed. “It’s just that Carmen and I had been arguing about something lately. I feel just awful about it.”

  Luna said quickly, “No one knew Carmen was going to be taken from us so suddenly . . . you shouldn’t feel badly about an argument. After all, friends squabble.” I saw an indecipherable expression pass across Luna’s features for a second before giving Mel a reassuring smile.

  Mel hesitated and glanced around them before saying in a low voice, “It’s just that I didn’t really approve of how Carmen was living her life.”

  “In what way?” I asked quietly.

  Mel made a face. “She was dating a lot. And cheating on people.”

  Luna said, “We already heard she had two boyfriends at once.”

  Mel said, “Not just two. Three. At least, three that I knew about. And they really didn’t know about each other. At least, two of them didn’t know about each other until very recently and then they were mad when they found out, even though Carmen said she never planned on being exclusive to any one person. They were both arguing with Carmen to break up with the other guy. But nobody really knew about the third guy,” said Mel.

  “Who was the third guy?” I asked in a hushed voice.

  Mel said miserably, “The mayor.”

  “What?” chorused Luna and I.

  Luna continued, “The mayor? But he’s married.”

  “That’s what we were arguing about,” said Mel sadly. “It’s one thing for Carmen to be seeing two men at the same time and sneaking around. But I thought it was something completely different for her to be seeing someone who was married.”

  Luna gaped at her. “Carmen and the mayor? He’s not even her age. What was the attraction there?”

  Mel shrugged and looked embarrassed for Carmen. “That’s the thing. I guess maybe because it was a challenge and Carmen always met challenges head-on? Maybe it was a thrill for her to do something illicit? She never gave me a good answer.”

  I said, “And you told her how you felt?”

  Mel sighed. “I did. I really did. At first, I told myself it was none of my business and I didn’t need to get involved. But it bothered me. For one thing, it was totally pointless. It wasn’t like she was in love with Howard or anything. The only thing that could possibly have come of their affair was the end of his marriage.”

  Luna snorted. “And not only that, but the whole thing was just wrong. Carmen wasn’t exactly experiencing a shortage in terms of the number of men she was dating.”

  Mel nodded eagerly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Carmen could probably go out with any guy in town that she wanted to. So why would she pick somebody who was married? Somebody who was about twenty or more years older than she was? I couldn’t believe it. It just seemed really unscrupulous to me and there came a point where I couldn’t keep my opinion to myself anymore.”

  I asked, “So her relationship with the mayor had been going on for some time?”

  Mel said, “Not really long, but a few months.”

  Luna said, “How did she even get to know him?”

  Mel said, “Well, he’s out and about a lot. And I know he does all of those ‘Muffins with the Mayor’ here at the library. I mean, she didn’t tell me how they became acquainted, but I bet it was here.”

  Luna said, “Well, that surprises me. I guess people in power must have a certain draw.”

  I said, “But power in Whitby isn’t really the same, is it?”

  Mel said, “I’m not sure what she was thinking. But we never really totally made up after our argument. It’s the one time I actually pushed back and told her I thought she was in the wrong.” She gestured at Luna. “This is why I’ve become friends with Luna. She’s so laid-back and easy to be around.”

  I said, “And Carmen could be difficult.”

  Mel nodded. “That’s right. She liked having her own way. She didn’t appreciate being told no. And she was always so uptight about everything. Hanging out with Luna is a relief. Everything Carmen did had ulterior motives. Luna’s always totally upfront about everything. I don’t have to worry she’s sneaking off behind my back and talking about me to other people.”

  Luna looked uncharacteristically at a loss for words

  “I feel so awful about her poor brother, too. I mean, he moved down here to be closer to her and now she’s gone.” Mel’s mouth drooped. “Do you know Grayson?”

  Luna shot me a sideways glance and I cleared my throat. “Only a little. He comes in the library sometimes. And he’s my neighbor, too—he lives right down the street from me.”

  Mel sighed. “He’s had a hard time lately and now this.”

  “What kind of a hard time?” asked Luna.

  “His girlfriend broke up with him just recently. And now he’s losing his sister on top of it all.”

  Luna’s eyebrows shot up and she gave me a meaningful look when the girlfriend was mentioned. I gave her a slight, remonstrative shake of my head.

  Mel said, “Anyway, thanks for telling me what happened. Carmen was my friend—my best friend—for a long time. I feel terrible. I wish we had been on better terms in the last few days.”

  Luna muttered, “You’re not the only one.”

  Mel glanced at her watch. “I better head off to work. Good seeing you two.”

  As she left, Luna said, “So I’m going to dwell on the only good news I’ve heard for a while since life stinks otherwise. Sounds like Grayson is single again.”

  I felt myself color. “Maybe, but I don’t think he’s exactly in a romantic frame of mind right now. Plus the fact that he and I don’t even really know each other.”

  Luna said, “Give it time.” She paused. “I do really like Mel, but I have to wonder about her friendship with Carmen. I can’t imagine the two of them had much in common.”

  I said, “Maybe opposites attract in friendships, too.”

  Luna shrugged. “Maybe so. I guess Mel might have also given Carmen the attention she always seemed to need, too. Every time I saw them together, it looked like Mel was hanging on Carmen’s every word. Okay, well, on to work. How are things going on the Fitz front?”

  We walked over to the circulation desk together and I showed her what I’d set up so far. Luna, as usual, was enthusiastic. She always made everyone feel good about their projects at the library. “I think it’s going to be a hit. Although who knows what kinds of questions Fitz is going to get?”

  “I know,” I said dryly. “And Wilson seems to have put me in charge of the project. But he said the column itself could be a group effort. I may need your help to come up with appropriate responses for some things.”

  Luna said, “Sure thing, but I doubt you’ll need to. You’re a librarian! You have all the answers at your fingertips.”

  I said, “Except maybe when it comes to relationships. And I have the feeling this is the kind of setup where we’ll get a lot of lovelorn messages.”

  Luna made a face. “Oh, I didn’t really think about that. Relationships—ack. Well, between the two of us, we should be able to figure it out. Even though we’re both single and not currently dating anyone.”

  The rest of the day flew by, which was a relief. The day before had been so awful and unsettli
ng that I was worried there might be some dead time, and my mind might wander back to the moment I’d found Carmen at the bottom of the stairs. It was my turn to close up the library for the night, so it was nine-thirty by the time I told Fitz goodnight and got into my car and headed home to fall into bed.

  The next morning, I packed my lunch and headed back out again. Luna came up to me in the parking lot before we walked in.

  “You know what today is, don’t you?” she asked a bit breathlessly.

  I froze. “It’s not Wilson’s birthday or something, is it? I always manage to forget that.”

  “No, no. It’s Muffins with the Mayor. The mayor,” repeated Luna excitedly.

  I unlocked the library door and we walked in to be greeted by a purring Fitz who wound himself immediately around my legs until I reached down and rubbed him. Then I gingerly picked him up, regardless of the fact I was getting orange and white fur on my clothes. “I remember the whole conversation about the mayor, Luna. But I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do. We can’t exactly accost Howard at our workplace and accuse him of having an affair with a trustee. And then intimate that perhaps he wanted her murdered.”

  Luna wasn’t at all deflated by this. “Are you sure? There must be a way to delicately do that. A polite way.”

  I snorted. “I seriously doubt it. But maybe we can pick up some information.” Fitz lovingly bumped his face against my jawline.

  “Or, at least, you can. I’m the one who’s stuck in the children’s area with the storytime, remember? Come on, Ann. We owe it to Carmen to try and figure it out. At least, I owe it to Carmen.”

  I wasn’t completely convinced we really owed anything to Carmen, but Luna certainly believed it. Plus, there was clearly a bit of guilt Luna still harbored inside her that she was wanting to relieve.

  The community room of the library was a handy space. It was also used for storytimes, but because of the mayor’s event, Luna was planning on gathering the kids in a corner of the children’s section. The nice thing about the room was it could be used for anything the library needed. Today, we were setting out a few chairs and a long table. The mayor, Howard James, usually liked to mingle with the townspeople instead of being separated from them by a podium. His point each time was that he wanted the room to be ready for conversations.