I heard a rustle coming from the open window. I sidled up to the curtain and drew it back to see who was there.
No one. My skin prickled.
Was someone listening?
Chapter 19
Convincing, Cajoling & Cagey
“This one is unusual,” I said, using my standby mantra.
“Ha! They all are,” said Sandra somewhat amused.
My publisher was curious about my next mystery, so I was filling in my agent, Sandra, about it over the phone.
“Knowing you, I’m afraid to ask why it is,” she said.
“A diverse bunch of people keep mysteriously showing up.” I described Mona’s fiancé, Teddy, Scarlett, and Lucas.
I briefly skimmed over the mailed finger package.
I intentionally left out Tony’s sighting in the market.
Sandra knew about the risk he posed once before and would really carry on some more so I let that nugget ride.
She supported Scarlett’s surprise arrival wholeheartedly, advising me to ignore my nervousness about the interview. And as usual, she offered advice and warnings about what I should or should not say, as always protecting my interests.
“Sam, enjoy it for it’s worth: book sales, publicity...”
As far as the phony finger episode, she wasn’t thrilled.
“A finger?” she shrieked. “You should call the police.”
“It was a probably a prank, just a joke from a fan trying to get my attention because of my mysteries. If anything more happens I will notify them though. I promise.”
“The implications of that warning sign should be more than enough to make you rethink staying there,” she said.
I tried to sound unconcerned, but Sandra wasn’t buying into it. She was a dear friend and worried about me.
“Is Clay concerned? What does he think?” she asked.
I still hadn’t heard or gotten a text from him.
With Clay always disappearing I didn’t like it, but understood it. Sandra never did. She knew if Clay was around she wouldn’t have to fear for my safety so much.
I may have neglected to mention to her he wasn’t there.
I nuanced, without really lying. “He trusts my instincts.”
“Clay usually counterpoints you on taking risks. I can’t believe he’d ride easy after that finger was delivered.”
“You’re over-worrying. Besides, Mona’s good backup.”
“How about more details on why Mona’s there?”
“You’ll love this. A bogus email was allegedly sent by Clay to Mona to romance this guy, Teddy and...”
We were still laughing at Martha’s stiletto and Teddy’s nose episode when my brain lapsed and I blew it big time.
“...And when Clay finds out what he’s missed here...”
This is where lying crib notes would’ve come in handy.
There was dead silence at the other end of the line.
...Damn.
“Now, why do I feel I was just lied to?” accused Sandra.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
I heard her usual sigh of resignation. “Just stay safe, will you?” she warned. “I swear, being your friend stretches my patience to the limit. I don’t know why I put up with...”
Click...
A dead line.
She’d run out of steam and hung up. I grinned.
You know, I think she likes this one!
Chapter 20
Without Any Warning
Mona convinced Teddy to eat lunch out, down in New Hope, saying he didn’t look that bad. Who’d recognize him from his modeling ads if he wore some sunglasses?
Martha said, “If you didn’t wear them, who’d recognize you anyway with your bruised, swollen eyes, nose, and stitched lip.”
Trust me, undoing that crack took some smooth-talking.
My senior trio took off to check out both New Hope and Lambertville to see if they could spot Tony. When he disappeared previously, he had vanished without a trace. They promised if they spotted him they’d text Mona.
Scarlett had gone to her room to compose a list of noteworthy questions to ask me. She said she didn’t want to mess up her interview.
If she only knew that was exactly how I felt.
I also felt like a trapped animal and decided to get some fresh air to think. Once outside I began walking the length of the driveway down to the road, about a half a mile, then would backtrack a little to the edge of the woods and front field to hike the perimeter of the whole property.
On the way down the driveway several deer loped off through the trees edging the front fields. A gopher popped up and, noticing me, disappeared from view underground. Off in the distance a fox took off for the woods. I could hear a few wild turkeys calling out a warning to each other.
By the time I backtracked and reached the edge of the front field, I was relaxed enough to enjoy the solitude and began to mull over this mystery. At least it felt like one to me. Was I making something out of nothing over this odd bunch showing up? Then I recalled that package and knew, or I should say, felt that everything was interrelated for a specific purpose. Now I needed to find out what it was.
Watching out for gopher holes so I wouldn’t step in one accidentally, I was surprised to find myself in the back of the property when I glanced up several minutes later. I had to pass through Blue Spruce and Norway pines to continue walking along the perimeter. I glanced at a hawk overhead.
I heard a ding and smiled. Was Clay texting to apologize for not keeping in touch? I bent, cutting the glare with my hand. But before I could read it, something whizzed by and struck a branch right by my head. Instinctively, I dropped like a dead weight to the ground.
That familiar sound was from a gun with a silencer.
I rolled smoothly under dense branches, grateful I had reached a grove of trees and was now flat on the ground, well-hidden from whoever took that shot. I must have ruined their hit by choosing that precise moment to look down at my cell phone. Who would try and pull this off?
...Tony? I racked my brain for reasons to support his involvement. What possible motive would he have for shooting at me? I hadn’t done anything that I could recall, so I nixed his involvement. Back to square one. So who took that shot? I grabbed my cell to speed dial a text to Mona and the others for backup, but then thought I should read the text that most likely saved my life before I did that. If it was from Clay, he’d want to know immediately too.
‘Will you find that coveted & valuable tome first?
Warning: I’m watching & listening.’
Still flush to the ground, I reread the text.
Coveted and valuable tome?
After several minutes, I figured they—whoever ‘they’ were—must be long gone. They’d gotten my attention. I stood, took a fast 360° pivot. Nothing but wildlife stared back. That bullet flying passed my head had gone way beyond a delivered-finger warning. I had lingered long enough and had to get back to the safety of the house.
I hustled inside into the kitchen and stared through its expansive bank of tall windows to survey the back area. Still rattled, I couldn’t recall where that shot came from or which way I was facing at that precise moment.
I knew I had checked the time, but then may have turned when I glanced up at that low-flying hawk, then heard that ding from that incoming text and looked downward, reaching into my pocket for my phone. That single move at that exact moment had saved me.
Now, think logically, Sam. Think this through.
I was out front, a wide open target. So, why did they wait until I was out back? Okay, then it was probably a warning shot to get my attention. A tome was a book and in this case apparently valuable. If it was coveted then it was most likely an old one too. But why did they warn me of its intended theft? And why challenge me to find it first? Was someone playing a sick game with me? This was crazy.
...Couldn’t be. No way. Was that why Tony was in town?
I texted Clay and my crew
for backup then forwarded that two line strange text I received to Alicia Worth. Maybe she could make some sense of it. Within minutes I received a return call on the house phone from her, a very interesting one...
Chapter 21
One For The Books
When Martha, Hazel, and Betty arrived, I was already methodically searching the cabinets in the family room.
Martha looked all around. “What is going on here?”
“Why did you take all those books out?” Betty asked.
Hazel glanced at the open cabinets. “What happened?”
I explained what occurred outside, my near miss with that bullet, barely controlling my anger and frustration at what some nut was now putting me through.
“Oh, my!” Hazel exclaimed, clutching her chest.
“You could have been killed!” said Betty, clearly upset.
“Let’s not fall apart here, you two,” said Martha. “We have to remain calm in a time of crisis. Sam is alive and well, and slightly peeved as you can plainly see.”
Martha then turned to me, worry etching her eyes that I’d catch, not about to show it in front of Hazel and Betty. “You’re pushing your luck, young lady. We’ll talk about calling in the cops, but first let me read that text you got.”
I’d give them my take on this then Alicia’s odd reaction.
I gently tossed over my phone to her.
“What’s this all supposed to mean?” Martha asked after reading it with Betty and Hazel leaning over her shoulder.
“Apparently, they are looking for a very valuable book that’s located somewhere in this house.”
“Why divulge what they’re looking for?” asked Hazel.
“I know, that’s exactly what I asked at first,” I said.
“What do you mean, at first?” Betty asked.
“They know it’s here, but not exactly where,” I responded.
Martha got it. “And hope you’ll find it first, saving them the risk of being exposed to the alarms and cameras located in this house that would alert us and the police.”
I nodded. “Then try to steal it from us once we find it. I know this sounds strange, but I don’t think they know the title either, just that it’s a very valuable one.”
They stood there silently digesting my last comment.
“Sounds farfetched, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“I recall,” said Martha, “someone saying something very similar to me the other day regarding my take on this.”
I rested my hand lightly on her arm. “My apologies.”
“I don’t know...” said a doubtful Betty.
“What?” I asked her.
“Look for a valuable book in this big house?”
Martha grabbed her cell and began typing.
Hazel glanced at the cabinets then me. “Find anything?”
“More old books in boxes, but I’m not sure how rare.”
Martha read aloud from her phone. “‘A tome: A book, volume, digest, manuscript.’ No doubt of their intentions.”
I glanced at the multitude of books staring back at us from all the bookcases in the family room then remembered the large great room, the living room... I never really paid much attention to how many books the Worths’ had. I was more focused on all their valuable paintings.
Then I smiled confidently. “It’ll be a daunting task, but not one we can’t handle, right? I know we can do this,” I said firmly.
“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Betty.
“Sure is one for the books,” quipped Martha, frowning.
For once their usual clichés were very apropos.
Chapter 22
Librarian & Libation
I took a break from playing librarian and uncorked some wine, inviting the others to join me. We kicked up our feet to discuss the case and hash out how to handle this. I kept my voice low. Scarlett was just a door and stairwell away. This was serious business.
“Still no word from Clay,” I said, “but I received a call earlier from Alicia. She stated, although many of her books were collectible, she couldn’t think of one in particular that might be worth taking a shot over. She asked that we keep this quiet and don’t call in the police yet unless something worse happens. It could have been just a hunter’s wild shot gone astray out in the woods and nothing more. After all, it’s fall and this is a rural area. She said it does happen.”
Betty set down her wineglass. “Like we’d believe that.”
“She claimed there was nothing unusual about her book collection and maybe I was over-reading this whole thing. Maybe it was a misdirected text and stray bullet. She also mentioned that one of her neighbors in the woods at the back of her property is a retired sharpshooter for the secret service and each hunting season thins out the deer herd on all the area properties and then donates all the deer meat to a food bank kitchen. But he uses a bow, not a gun.”
“Maybe he ran out of arrows,” cracked Martha.
“So, Alicia claims it was some overenthusiastic nut, hunting deer and that was a stray bullet whizzing by you,” said Betty, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.
“You don’t sound convinced that it might have been an accident either,” said Hazel.
“Since when do hunters use silencers?” I countered sarcastically.
“Point well-taken,” said Martha.
“Then Alicia sent me this text after we hung up. Look.”
When you reed the manuscript,
Make sure you have the right one, the other is lethal.
I trust you’ll get it write and no the difference in thyme.
“I wasn’t sure why she misspelled it until I reassessed our conversation. Alicia’s voice had an edge, a forced calm, dismissing my concerns, even after I brought up those two bogus emails. She spoke cryptically. I’m now convinced she purposely misspelled it, sensing the phones might be compromised and our computers, but in due time I’d figure her text out. Trouble is, I can’t decipher it.”
“Do you think you can find this book?” Hazel asked.
“What about getting the police involved?” Betty added.
“It had to be a warning shot. If they wanted to shoot me they could’ve accomplished that easily out front when I was walking in the wide-open field. After giving it some thought, I think this was to get my attention. Trust me, they did. Plus for some reason Alicia kept stressing not to call the police, but if it goes further than that warning shot, I...”
Just then, Mona and Teddy barged in.
“What’s so important?” she asked breathlessly. She saw open cabinets, several books scattered about. “Tell me...”
I gave her a warning look and a slight shake of the head.
The ever-astute Mona quickly turned to Teddy.
“Lunch was a total disaster. I’ve heard enough moaning! Go up and take your pain pills before looking in any more mirrors, and then lie down for an hour,” she instructed.
Because of all the bruising and swelling on Teddy face, I think it was too much effort to argue, so he nodded and made his exit, but not before we heard a muffled, “Bithhh!”
“Well,” said Betty, smoothing her skirt. Such manners!”
“A true gentleman,” scoffed Hazel, “wouldn’t speak that way to a room full of ladies.”
“Who said we were all ladies,” said Martha chuckling.
Offering a glass of wine to Mona, I invited her to sit down. Then I painstakingly recapped what had transpired, including the texts I’d received while she was babysitting Teddy in New Hope.
When I finished, she frowned. “I should’ve been here.”
“Don’t feel guilty. You couldn’t have done much. They were probably long gone by the time I got up and ran in.”
“We’re not informing Miss Scarlett either,” Hazel said.
I just checked on her,” Martha said, rejoining us. “She’s out cold for now. We can speak freely.”
“Must have hit the Southern Comfort again,” Betty said.
> “We don’t want Teddy, Scarlett or Lucas to find out about this,” I said. “For the moment they’re all suspect.”
Hazel chuckled. “All we need is for Rhett to show up.”
Just then the doorbell buzzed. Tension traveled the room as each of us imagined who it could possibly be.
No one said zip.
There was no way.
I mean, what were the odds, right?
Chapter 23
And Then There Was...
I think the thought of spending backbreaking time going through more of those books and the intrigue of just who might be at the door swept all of us as one to walk into the foyer to find out who was now buzzing insistently.
“What’s so important? Are they nuts?” said Martha.
I glanced at the ladies before opening the door. They were all still holding their wineglasses, ready and waiting.
I unlocked the door, swung it open, and gaped.
“...Tony?
He winked and said, “Miss me?”
I didn’t have to glance backward when I heard intakes of breath behind me. They were just as shocked as I was.
“What the...”
I stood there staring at tall, dark, and handsome Tony, who had crossed my path before on my last mystery. As usual, he was dressed ‘to the nines,’ as Martha would say: flashy designer suit, polished shoes, and Louis Vuitton tie, minus any ominous red stains.
If I wasn’t stuck on Clay, I’d consider this bad boy.
“Aren’t you going to at least invite me in?” he asked, interrupting my quickly-suppressed thoughts as I flushed.
My eyes hastily searched for bulges under his jacket. “Well...” I said, hesitating.
“I’m not carrying.” He unbuttoned and opened his jacket to prove it. Nothing but muscled male under a tailored shirt.
At the end of our last case, Tony had been found innocent and was released on a technicality, and vanished after our final encounter. So, why this public visit all of a sudden? I back-stepped even though I had reinforcements: witnesses standing right behind me.
The Lush Life (Samantha Jamison Mystery Book 8) Page 5