Black & White Croakies
Page 20
Alice’s grin widened. “A fine choice. I have a large selection in the store. Help yourself if you’d like. Just be sure to put a couple of dollars in the till for the rent.”
My eyes went wide. “Rent?” There’d been no mention of rent. I’d thought I was going to be working off my room and board. It was an old-fashioned arrangement but a necessity. When my grandmother had died a few months previous, she’d left me with a tiny house filled with ratty furnishings and a lot of debt that pretty much wiped out whatever I would earn from the sale of the house.
I had no money and no family that I knew of. If Agent A.P. hadn’t come to me and told me there was an apprenticeship open for an artifact librarian, I’d have been in sad shape.
For once in my life, it had seemed like the winds of fate had blown in my favor. Though the Societe agent had been vague about how he’d found me, murmuring something about being a friend of my grandmother’s.
I highly doubted that.
“Yes,” said Alice. “I rent books for avid readers who don’t have the space to store them all.”
I nodded in understanding. “That makes sense.”
She placed cups of tea in front of us and then pulled a third chair from the corner. Dropping into it with a sigh, Alice Parker fixed a speculative look on me. Then, lifting her teacup to her mouth, she said, “So, Naida Griffith, tell me why I should hire you as an apprentice for Keeper of the Artifacts?”
My mind went blank. I glanced toward A.P., but he wasn’t paying attention to us. He’d pulled out his cell phone and seemed to be checking his emails.
I was on my own.
“Um…” I said stupidly. I tucked a long strand of my curly brown hair behind one ear. Digging deep, I discarded options as quickly as they occurred to me. I couldn’t tell her it was because I’d just turned twenty-two and needed a job. From what A.P. had told me, Keepers were born to wrangle artifacts. It wasn’t a career choice. It was their legacy. I didn’t want Alice to know I wasn’t really suited for the job. She’d find out soon enough.
After a moment that stretched farther than the last pair of size eight jeans I’d tried to pull on over my size ten hips, I finally said the only thing that came to mind. “Strange objects seem to follow me around.” I cringed inwardly. As random statements went, it was somewhere in the realm of “I see dead people.”
To my shock, Alice cocked her head, narrowed her small eyes behind the massive glasses, and smiled. “Well now, that’s just perfect. Okay then. Let’s get started.”
Check out the entire series here: https://samcheever.com/books/#enchanting
Also by Sam Cheever
If you enjoyed Black & White Croakies, you might also enjoy these other fun mystery series by Sam. To find out more, visit the BOOKS page at www.samcheever.com:
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Enchanting Inquiries Paranormal Mysteries - For more fun adventures with Naida, Sebille, Wicked, Slimy, and Hobs!
Reluctant Familiar Paranormal Mysteries
Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries
Gainfully Employed Mysteries
Silver Hills Cozy Mysteries
Country Cousin Mysteries
About the Author
USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes contemporary and paranormal mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 80+ books.
To learn more about Sam and her work, visit her at one of her online hotspots:
www.samcheever.com
samcheever@samcheever.com