Overdue

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

  When Fitz and I finally pulled up to the library, we were there about thirty minutes before it opened to the public. I raised my eyebrows and grinned in surprise as Luna laboriously pedaled up, wearing a backpack and a strained smile in response.

  “I’m early!” she said, puffing out breath. “But I knew it was safe to come this early because you have a key and you’re always early.”

  “And you’re making me feel lazy for not exercising,” I said. “Good for you! How did you end up with a bike?”

  Luna was still trying to catch her breath. “Oh, I’d texted my mom yesterday after we talked about it. She knew a neighbor who was trying to downsize because her youngest left for college. Sure enough, she had a bike. Let me have it for ten dollars.”

  I was still getting the library key out of my purse (Wilson, always very rules-oriented and security-conscious, hadn’t yet seen fit to give Luna one) when we heard a car pulling up behind us.

  “Oh good,” breathed Luna amid gasping breaths, “Wilson is here to witness my early arrival.” She took the cat carrier from me so I could grab the key.

  And indeed, we gave a quick wave to his astounded visage as he parked.

  Luna followed me in and gently set the carrier down, crooning to Fitz as he pranced out of it and rubbed against her. “I wonder how many early mornings it will take before he sees I’m really committed,” she mused.

  I knew Wilson could be pretty stubborn and tended to cling to his opinions, but I didn’t mention this. “Why don’t you just take it one day at a time?” I asked.

  Luna nodded. “And Mom mentioned she’d like to come spend the day here with me tomorrow. It’s a good thing—she needs to get out of the house when I’m gone all day.”

  “And film club is tomorrow,” I pointed out. “Didn’t she really like it the last time she went? She seemed to.”

  Luna lit up. “She did! All right, that’s a no-brainer then.” She glanced back to see Wilson making his way toward the door. “Okay, no dilly-dallying for me today! I’m off to the children’s section to make some bulletin boards. And update the social media accounts for the teen patrons! And maybe clean the breakroom!” Luna continued on as she disappeared into the stacks of the children’s section.

  Wilson walked up to me, nodding his head courteously at Fitz as if the cat understood the greeting. Being Fitz, however, maybe he did. The cat purred at Wilson and Wilson gave him a smile. I’d known Wilson hadn’t seemed completely on-board when the library had first adopted Fitz, but now he was definitely sold on the orange and white cat. In fact, his attitude toward Fitz was almost as if he were a colleague and not an animal at all.

  I said, “Good morning. Everything okay this morning?”

  Wilson nodded absently, looking around him as if he’d misplaced something. “Where is Luna? Didn’t I see her walking in with you? But I didn’t see her car. Did you have to pick her up? No wonder she’s so early, if that’s the case.”

  I quickly shook my head. “No, Luna is bicycling to work now. She was here when I arrived and she said she’s getting started with new bulletin boards in the children’s section.”

  Wilson’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. But he seemed eager to change the subject instead of letting me wax poetic about Luna’s great work ethic and punctuality.

  “I did want to talk to you about the Ask Fitz column,” he said briskly.

  My heart sank. Hadn’t we already talked about the column yesterday? What more could possibly be said?

  “Do you have a response ready for today? It might be good for Fitz to answer a question a day. I think we need to show Fitz is very responsive.”

  Fitz rolled over on his back and languorously stretched.

  I said slowly, “I did have an answer ready for the column, yes. I’ve been starting out with topics that are fairly straightforward and then I figured I could move on from there. I’ve also been sure to list additional resources for the patrons writing in so they can find further help.”

  Wilson said, “Just make sure Fitz’s response is all over social media.”

  “And the library, right?” I asked. “I figured you’d want me to print it out and put it on the bulletin board near the circulation desk.”

  “Well, that too, yes. But mostly, I want to see it on social media. That way, a lot more patrons will be able to see Fitz’s advice. And then people can share the post and comment.” Wilson’s face, so frequently stern, suddenly became more animated. “Actually, that will be very interesting, now that I think about it. Perhaps some of the people reading Fitz’s response will want to add their own advice or experiences in the comments. Or perhaps they will even disagree with Fitz’s advice.”

  My advice, I thought glumly. At least I had good sources to help me give helpful tips.

  “I’ll be sure to share it both in the library and on social media,” I said.

  Wilson said, “I’m sure you will, Ann. I always have great faith in you, you know.”

  He was about to move toward his office when he stopped again, abruptly. “I hear a lot about video these days.”

  Once again, my heart sank. “Video?”

  “That’s right,” he said brusquely. “People sharing video and watching video. The popularity of video.”

  “YouTube is very popular.”

  He nodded. “YouTube, yes. Perhaps Fitz should have video responses.”

  I could feel myself balking. I said lightly, “The only problem with that is we don’t have a talking cat.”

  “Don’t we?” asked Wilson. “I think we could show Fitz lolling around on the floor or chasing a toy and do a voice-over in the background. It could be another way to get more audience engagement.”

  I had the sinking feeling Wilson had been attending too many social media workshops at the library board meetings. “I could try to set that up,” I said in an unconvincing manner.

  “We have all the equipment,” he said, waving his hands expansively. “I know the board would like to see it put to use, especially for projects that generate engagement.”

  Engagement certainly seemed to be the keyword here.

  “This sounds as if it could be that kind of project,” I agreed, sticking a smile on my face. Before he could mull this over any further, I interjected, “By the way, speaking of the board, Tanya James asked if I could run by her house around lunchtime to help her carry out some books for the Friends of the Library sale.”

  Wilson said, “Tanya James? Naturally! By all means, help her out. Take as much time as you need.”

  “Thanks,” I said dryly as he hurried off. I’d figured I could count on Wilson to be very generous whenever a trustee was in need.

  I glanced up as the sliding doors to the library opened and saw Burton there. He seemed to have taken special care over his appearance today and I also had a whiff of aftershave lotion, which I was pretty sure I hadn’t smelled on him before. I wasn’t surprised when he walked up to me and immediately asked if Luna were around.

  Which is when Luna came around a corner and joined us. “Hi,” she said. She still seemed completely oblivious of Burton’s interest in her. In fact, she seemed to have something else on her mind entirely.

  Burton said, “I was just looking for you. There’s something I wanted to speak with you about.”

  I was about to find an excuse to make a speedy exit when I saw that Luna’s face had completely drained of color. “You know,” she whispered.

  Chapter Twelve

  Burton frowned at Luna in confusion. “Know what?”

  “I’ve felt so awful. So guilty. But I didn’t want to let anyone know. I’m the only one taking care of my mom, you know. I have responsibilities. But each day, I’ve felt worse and worse. In some ways, it’s kind of a relief to talk about it.”

  I said, “Luna, we have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Luna’s head swung back and forth as she took in Burton’s and my blank expressions. “Weren’t you going to talk to me about the argument I
had with Carmen?”

  Burton shook his head. He slowly said, “No. I was going to talk with you about a possible joint project between the library and the police department.”

  Luna’s face flushed and she covered it with her hands. “Oh, wow. I just blew it, didn’t I? I guess I’d make a really bad crook.”

  “You sure would,” I agreed. “Which is fine, since you’re not one. Right?”

  “Right. Although I’ve felt so terrible, like I was saying. It wasn’t just the shock of discovering her, although that was bad enough. It was the fact that I’d had an argument with her and not long before she died. I feel really guilty. And I hate feeling guilty.”

  I said, “It wasn’t as if you knew that something awful was going to happen to Carmen. It was just another ordinary day.”

  Burton took out his notebook. “Could you tell me what happened, Luna?”

  She sighed and ran her fingers nervously through her purple hair as Fitz watched her with concern. “You see, it’s been tough for my mother and me to make it on my salary here at the library. She’s had all these medical bills, you know. I’ve been really trying to help make ends meet. I’ve been packing my lunch and everything. I’d petitioned the library board for more money at their last meeting . . . not much, just a supplementary amount,” she added hurriedly. “But Carmen apparently voted against it. At least, she was the deciding vote. That’s why I was so surprised, after she’d been so awesome to stand up for you, Ann.”

  “How did you find out that she’d voted against the raise?” I asked curiously. “That doesn’t sound like something Wilson would mention.”

  Luna shook her head. “Nope. It was from Carmen herself. She thought it was ‘impertinent’ of me to ask for a raise in salary, especially since I was so new on staff. She explained the library was an institution and needed all the income it could get. Our jobs were to serve. To serve the patrons, of course, but also the library itself.”

  I made a face and Burton winced.

  Luna said, “Anyway, I really tried to keep myself in check. I know I’m new here and I signed on to work knowing what my salary was. But I had no idea how many medical expenses my mom would have from her surgeries. And I wasn’t asking for a lot. It was just the way she made me feel like I was nothing. Like I was being really out of line to ask for anything at all. So I admit I was sharp with her. And then I was terrified Wilson would find out.”

  I gave her a sympathetic look.

  Burton said thoughtfully, “I didn’t realize he was such a tough guy to work for.”

  Luna said, “He’s really not. But he sure likes to butter up anyone on the library board or Friends of the Library. He wouldn’t have been happy about me calling her out. But I’ve been feeling bad about it all. That’s one reason I was coming to help bring the books up from the basement—because I wanted to apologize in person to Carmen.”

  Burton nodded, but looked uncomfortable, as if he’d rather Luna hadn’t said anything about her argument with Carmen. I guessed this might make Luna a suspect, at least to a certain degree.

  Sure enough, he reluctantly asked, “So you came up after Ann had found Carmen at the bottom of the stairs. What were you doing before that?”

  Luna shifted in her seat. “I was helping a mom find a book for her beginning reader. And then I took a break and made a phone call to check on my mom.” She sighed. “Too bad I wasn’t giving a storytime or something like that. Being surrounded by a bunch of mothers and toddlers while I was singing, reading books, and blowing bubbles would have given me a far, far better alibi.”

  Burton said kindly, “I don’t think anyone would consider you a very serious suspect.” But I did notice he’d made a quick note in his notebook. He opened his mouth, probably to ask Luna about the joint project, but Luna was already quickly moving away. “Better run. I’ve got a storytime coming up.”

  I gave Burton a sympathetic look. “Sorry. Maybe you’ll have a chance to catch up with her later? She obviously totally forgot about the project you were going to mention.”

  Burton smiled at me. “I’ll be back.” He walked slowly out of the building.

  THE MORNING FLEW BY. At least it moved quickly because of a few disasters. The women’s restroom had a toilet back up, a volunteer decided to shelve a cart alphabetically by title instead of author, and there was a long period of time where several computers refused to connect to the internet for a mysterious reason known only to the powers that be.

  When I glanced again at my watch, I saw it wasn’t only time to help Tanya James move the books, but I was going to need to really hustle to get there.

  When I pulled up to her house, I was relieved to see her also just pulling up.

  She smiled at me as she got out of her car. “Couldn’t find anyone else to help?” she asked.

  I chuckled. “I didn’t even try. If you could see the morning that just transpired at the library, you’d understand.”

  We walked to the house and she fumbled in her purse for her keys, saying, “I completely understand. Sometimes when you walk out, you can hit the reset button on your day. I think that’s why Howard likes working from home so much now.”

  As she started digging her keys out from the bottom of a large and very expensive purse, I said, “Tanya, it looks like your front door is already open.”

  She jerked her head up and frowned reprovingly at the door. It wasn’t wide open, but it wasn’t shut, either. “That’s rather careless of Howard,” she said in an irritated voice.

  “He’s still working at home?” I asked. I’d assumed the reason Tanya needed help lugging books was because Howard was going to be away at the time.

  Her frown deepened and when she spoke again, that edge of irritation was no longer in her voice. “He’s not supposed to be. That was the whole reason I asked you to help. He had a busy morning at home catching up on emails and then he was going to the office around eleven-thirty to prepare for an afternoon of meetings. Howard wasn’t going to be available to help.”

  She pushed the door open with a forceful shove. I followed her into the atrium of the large home. Despite all the windows, the antique furniture and the gray paint and old paneling made the interior fairly dim.

  On the wall, I could make out a large number of signed photographs of Howard and Tanya with various important people—political figures and celebrities, mostly. There also appeared to be several pictures with what looked like a mountain climber and well-known tennis players.

  Tanya noticed my gaze and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “It looks ridiculous right here in the front of the house, doesn’t it? But Howard is so proud of his connections. You know he’s a self-made man? He really pulled himself up by his bootstraps and is so appreciative of where he is today.”

  She paused and then called out sharply, “Howard! Howard?”

  Tanya paused for a moment to listen as she called, tilting her head to see if she could hear Howard upstairs. Hearing only silence, she frowned, hands on her hips.

  “Maybe he’s in the backyard?” I asked. It seemed like a longshot on a hot day, but it looked as though they both did some light gardening. They wouldn’t have gotten the same effects from a yard service.

  She listened but didn’t say a word, pushing past me to head to the back door. But we went through the kitchen on the way.

  I nearly ran into Tanya’s back as she stopped cold. Peering around her, I could see Howard’s lifeless form sprawled on the kitchen floor, a fire extinguisher on the floor beside him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tanya was frozen in shock. After I’d quickly stepped around Tanya to make sure there was nothing we could do for Howard, I put an arm around her and helped her out of her house and to my car to wait for the police. By this time, Tanya was shivering despite the heat of the day, so I turned on my seat warmer for the passenger seat.

  Burton was there within three minutes, giving us a grim nod before striding into the house to check the scene for himself. It didn’t
take him long before he came back out and walked in our direction.

  I opened my car door to get out, but Tanya put a hand out. “Stay.” She hesitated and said, “Please. I don’t want to go through this official stuff without a friendly face.”

  I wasn’t so sure my face looked at all friendly. In fact, I had the feeling it was probably stamped with the same horror I saw on Tanya’s. But I nodded.

  As it turned out, Burton didn’t want to move Tanya, anyway. His expression was concerned and his manner, for Burton, was tentative. I couldn’t really blame him. He was a new police chief and here he was working a murder of an extremely high-profile person in the town. And he certainly wouldn’t want to make everything worse by approaching the mayor’s wife the wrong way. In many ways, she was just as influential as her husband had been.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said to Tanya. “Is there anyone you’d like me to call?”

  Her mouth tightened and she gave a brisk shake of her head. “No. My mother will have to know eventually, but this will be so upsetting to her. I’ll have to figure out a way to break the news later.” She turned finally to look at Burton and said harshly, “Who did this? Who is doing this? Is it the same person who killed Carmen? Don’t you have any leads?”

  Burton said gently, “We’re getting there. Unfortunately, it can take a while for the investigation to turn up any leads. I know how frustrating that must be.” He took out a small notepad and pencil. “Could you just take me through what Howard’s day looked like today? I’m sorry—I know this is hard.”

  But Tanya had nerves of steel. She might be angry and she might be frustrated, but she was certainly not broken up about this; at least, she wasn’t broken up in a way that was obvious to anyone else. She pursed her lips and said in a monotone, “It was really just like any other day, except a bit busier. Howard and I rose early and we took the dog for a walk before it became too hot outside.”