Read and Gone

by Allison Brook

  “Like it?” she asked, coming to stand beside me.

  “Smells yummy.”

  “Jennifer made a huge batch of potpourri with cinnamon, orange, and cranberries. She brought it in this morning, along with several pine cones which we set beside the bowls.”

  “Oh! Is she all right then?”

  “Jennifer?” Sally wrinkled her brow. “As far as I know. Why?”

  “Marital problems,” I said.

  “Of course. The police questioned her husband about the murders, but they let him go.”

  The lights on the large Christmas tree in the main reading room caught my attention.

  “Lovely, isn’t it?” Sally said.

  “Beautiful. I could stare at it all day.” We walked closer to the tree, where a small crowd of patrons had gathered. Smoky Joe stared at the lights, his little black nose inches from the lowest branch.

  “Don’t get any ideas about climbing that tree,” I admonished him.

  “I don’t think any of us will get much work done these next few days,” Sally said. “I still have a few gifts to wrap and place under my tree at home.”

  “Don’t forget your Secret Santa gift,” I said, suddenly remembering my gift for Dorothy, which I’d had the foresight to place in the trunk of my car.

  Sally patted my arm. “Thanks for reminding me. I’ll have to stop home for that little item.”

  She left and, not for the first time, I marveled at how we’d become friends after our very rough beginning back in October.

  I knew Trish was minding the office, so I decided to stop in at the library coffee shop to see how Jennifer was coping. I admit, I had an ulterior motive too. Jennifer was the one link, if a very tenuous one, to the missing gems and the two murders. Not that tenuous, though, when one considered that her husband, Paul, had been brought in for questioning regarding both murders.

  I found her serving coffee and scones to two patrons chatting at one of the tables. I waited until she was back behind the counter before addressing her. “How are you doing, Jennifer? I stopped by the other day, but the coffee shop was closed.”

  “Yes, I had a few personal errands that required immediate attention.” She appeared calm and self-possessed. No sign of the grieving, frantic woman I’d spoken to last week.

  “You seem to be feeling much … better,” I said, hoping my adverb didn’t offend.

  “I am much better,” Jennifer said, “now that I have a plan.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s good.”

  “I’ve made up my mind to leave Paul. I’m going to put some distance between me and this place.”

  “Oh,” I said again, sounding like the village idiot. What on earth was responsible for the change in Jennifer?

  “I sense that I can trust you, Carrie, not to say a word to anyone.”

  “Of course I won’t.”

  “I haven’t told anyone, not even Sally.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “She’ll easily find someone to take over the coffee shop. But it’s time I moved on with my life. Finally said goodbye to my life in Clover Ridge.”

  “Why, Jennifer? What made you suddenly decide?”

  She clamped her mouth shut as one of the women came to the counter and plucked a few napkins from the holder. Jennifer waited until the woman sat down again and spoke to her companion.

  “The police questioned Paul about that man’s murder. He came home in a lousy mood. Yes, he happened to see the man, Tom Quincy. Yes, he went over to talk to him, to tell him to keep far away from me. Yes, someone might have seen them talking, but he never laid a finger on him. The police must have believed him because they brought him home hours later.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “Paul lashed into me, claimed all this was happening to him because I had an affair with Benton. He went on and on. I tried to escape to our bedroom, but he followed me there and ranted some more. Finally, he went downstairs and started drinking. He fell asleep on the living room couch. I packed a bag and went to my sister’s. I needed to make a clean break from everything bad in my life.”

  “Where will you go? What will you live on?” I asked.

  She smiled. “I’ll manage. I’ll get a job somewhere. Start off fresh in a new town.”

  I nodded, but something wasn’t adding up. Something made me ask, “Are you sorry you got involved with Benton Parr?”

  “No, but last night it hit me. I was never in love with Benton. I turned to him because my marriage was over, only I wasn’t strong enough to leave Paul.”

  “And now you’re strong enough?”

  Her smile had something of the Cheshire Cat about it. “Strong enough to move on.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I felt perplexed as I walked to my office. Why the sudden change in Jennifer? Was she involved with another man? It didn’t sound like she was, but something had radically altered her thinking. What could it be? Not only had she finally decided to end her marriage to Paul, but she’d done a complete one-eighty regarding Benton Parr who, only a week ago, she’d told me was her one true love.

  As the king says in The King and I: “’Tis a puzzlement.” And I had no way of solving that mystery right now.

  As I passed through the reading room, I caught sight of an elderly male patron ignoring the newspaper in his lap to stroke a tranquil Smoky Joe sitting at the side of his chair. I smiled to think that my little feline was proving to be a wonderful addition to the Clover Ridge Library.

  I greeted Trish, went over a few items with her, then settled down at my desk to tackle the pile of paperwork I hoped to wade through before leaving for the holiday party.

  My library phone rang and I answered it. “Good morning, Carrie Singleton of Programs and Events speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Hi, Carrie. It’s Dina Parr.”

  “Oh, hello.”

  My tone of voice must have conveyed the fact that I wasn’t alone because she said, “Sounds like you have company.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I’m calling to see if we’re still on for our excursion tomorrow morning.”

  “We are. Want to tell me more about it?”

  “We’ll be going to my father’s cabin in the woods about an hour’s drive from here. Pick me up at eight fifteen.”

  “Will do.”

  “See you then.”

  She disconnected and I did too. Trish shot me a questioning look, and I waved my hand as if it wasn’t a matter of importance.

  The day passed slowly. I called home to see how my father was managing. He must have been sleeping because he didn’t answer the phone. I hoped he wasn’t out searching for the gems. There was nothing I could do if he was. I sighed. On the one hand, I was glad to have him with me over the holidays. On the other hand, I worried how he would react after I turned over the gems to Dylan. I sighed again. He was bound to leave town as soon as he felt better and the matter of the stolen gems was settled. Until then, I expected to be on the alert and too tense to relax.

  I ate my sandwich at one when Trish left the office to man the hospitality desk. Minutes later, Evelyn made an appearance. She beamed at me.

  “Don’t you look gorgeous!”

  “Thank you. So do you.” I admired her navy silk dress and short matching jacket. Instead of her usual low-heeled, practical shoes, today Evelyn wore navy sling-back heels. Her gray hair looked as though it had been styled.

  “Who did your hair?—which looks lovely today. I mean, I had no idea there were beauty salons for ghosts.”

  Evelyn brushed my curiosity aside. “Not now, Carrie. Concentrate on what’s important. The matter of two murders and a small fortune of missing gems requires your attention.”

  I stared at her as she perched on her favorite place—Trish’s desk. “I don’t know who committed the murders. I only know they must be linked to the missing gems.”

  “Who knows about the gems?” Evelyn asked.

  “Lots of people.” I started ticking them off
on my fingers. “My father; Dina Parr and her brother, Richard; their mother, Mariel; Chris Crowley; and maybe Jennifer Darby.”

  “That’s quite a list. Any idea where they might be?”

  I told Evelyn about my plans to drive to Benton’s cabin in the woods with Dina.

  “And if you find them there, how do you plan on taking them from Dina?”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  Evelyn pursed her lips. “I don’t like this, Carrie. For all you know, Dina killed her father and Tom Quincy to get her hands on these gems. She doesn’t have a car, so she’s roped you into helping her.”

  “You’re right. She could be the killer, but she trusts me. I could offer to hide the gems until we can fence them. After all, she’s living at home now and wouldn’t want her mother to find them.”

  “You’re taking a big risk. I think you ought to tell Lieutenant Mathers. Let him search the cabin instead of you going there.”

  To change the subject, I told her that I’d stopped by Morgan’s nursing home to pick up the check last night and delivered it to Stella and Chris Crowley.

  “They must have appreciated that.”

  “I think they did. In their own way. That’s where I ran into Dina.”

  “Really? That surprises me.”

  “I got the feeling she spends a lot of her free time there. Dina claims there’s nothing romantic between her and Chris, but I sense he doesn’t see it that way. Anyway, we left mother and son discussing how they might spend the money. We went out for pizza, and she told me a few things about the Crowleys. Stella’s done a number on Chris, leading him to believe his father was a victim all his life and not a drunkard that started a fire. Dina said she got sick of hearing that from Chris, so she told him the truth.”

  “Dina sounds like a gem,” Evelyn said sarcastically.

  I laughed. “I kind of like her, despite her larcenous tendencies. She doesn’t have it easy. Her father was a thief and a hypocrite, and her mother’s a snob.”

  “Your parents were far from ideal, yet you turned out all right.”

  “Thank you, Evelyn. Speaking of which, I brought Jim home from the hospital this morning. And he didn’t answer the phone when I called a few minutes ago.”

  Evelyn looked worried. “Let’s hope he didn’t go off hunting for those troublesome gems. He’s weak, and the murderer has already killed two people.”

  I suddenly remembered. “Jim’s roommate in the hospital was Dorothy’s neighbor.”

  Evelyn looked frightened. “Not Ernie Pfeiffer!”

  “That’s his name. He’s none too fond of your niece. Said she’s tried to sue him a few times.”

  “He’s not someone you want to mess with, Carrie. I told Dorothy not to get involved with him in any way, shape, or form. And certainly not to set out to sue him. But did she listen to me? Of course not!”

  “Why?”

  “We, Robert and I, had the misfortune of investing with Ernie Pfeiffer. We trusted him and handed over most of our savings. Robert soon realized he was running a Ponzi scheme and demanded our money back. Only after we threatened to go to the authorities did he return about two-thirds of what we’d invested with him.” She paused. “Then the nasty incidents began, incidents I know were his doing.”

  “I’m sorry, Evelyn.”

  She began to fade. “I’m too upset to talk about it anymore. Take care, my girl. Don’t do anything foolish. Your life is more valuable than all the gems in the world.”

  I stared at the empty space where Evelyn had been only moments before. I’d never seen her so distraught, not even when she was afraid that her niece Dorothy had murdered two people. I called the cottage landline again and got a busy signal. Relieved that my father was back from wherever he’d gone, I was able to settle down to do paperwork until the library closed at five.

  A light snow was falling when I carried Smoky Joe out to the car. I wished I’d been smart enough to wear boots instead of exposing my favorite black heels to the elements. All of the patrons had exited the library minutes earlier, and those of us on staff were leaving in groups of twos and threes to head for the restaurant half a mile outside of town. Angela had offered to drive me there, but I had to drop Smoky Joe off at my aunt and uncle’s house and pick him up later, so I thought it would be best if I drove to the restaurant myself.

  “Don’t tell me you’re bringing that cat to our Christmas party!”

  I stared at Dorothy, noting the expression of indignation on her face.

  “Don’t worry, Dorothy. I’m—” I stopped short, having decided it was none of her business where Smoky Joe would be for the next few hours.

  “Yes?” she encouraged, her eyes alight with interest. Or was it malice?

  “No need to worry. That cat, as you put it, will be well taken care of.”

  “I wasn’t worried.” She expelled a loud huff and moved on.

  Sourpuss. I was surprised Dorothy was coming to the holiday party since she had no friends among the library staff. Even Sally, who used to be her friend, steered clear of her these days. And I had the unfortunate honor of being her Secret Santa! I thought of the pretty scarf I’d bought for her, tucked away in the trunk of my car. She doesn’t deserve it.

  At the restaurant, the maître d’ showed me to a private room where piped-in Christmas music played softly. I dropped Dorothy’s Secret Santa gift on the small table set up for the presents and approached the dining table. There were fifteen of us, which I thought was a nice jolly number. I was sorry Trish and Susan couldn’t make it, but they both had family commitments. Angela called my name, and I scooted along the wall to the empty chair between her and Sally. Marion, her assistant Gayle, and Harvey Kirk, the computer librarian, greeted me from across the table. I was sitting amid friends, exactly where I wanted to be! Dorothy, I was glad to see, was at the far end of the table.

  We chatted easily through our salad and main course. I enjoyed my stuffed flounder and was looking forward to dessert. As the two servers cleared our dishes, Sally stood to make some announcements. Soon we were being served coffee or tea, chocolate mousse or cheesecake. Angela ordered one dessert, and I ordered the other so we could have a bit of both. Both the mousse and the cake were delicious.

  “And now for our Secret Santa presents,” Marion announced.

  She walked over to the small table piled with gifts. I knew it was the library’s tradition to keep the giver and receiver a secret until this moment, when they were distributed at the holiday dinner. I felt a bit anxious, hoping that Dorothy would like what I’d bought her. I’d paid a few dollars more than the prearranged amount for her silk scarf because it included two of the colors she wore most often—violet and hunter green.

  The gifts were lovely. Angela received a large mug, Sally a beautiful serving dish. I went up when my name was called and lifted the largest box on the table. “Wow!” I said as my colleagues laughed and made speculative comments about what might be inside.

  I tore through the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside was a statue of a gray cat with green eyes. I held it up and everyone applauded. I glanced at the card, which I should have done first and smiled at Sally’s message.

  “Thank you, Sally. This takes the place of honor in my living room.”

  Sally grinned. “Check out the bottom of the box.”

  I felt inside the box. There was a cat toy filled with catnip. I held it up and said, “Smoky Joe thanks you.”

  Everyone applauded. Everyone but Dorothy. She stared balefully at me. Oh, no! I hope she wasn’t about to start another campaign against me because Sally was my friend and no longer hers.

  I threw back my shoulders and smiled as I carried my gifts to my seat. I would not let myself be cowed by that unhappy woman! I was no longer the vulnerable newcomer to the library. If Dorothy started causing trouble again, I was ready for her.

  I watched carefully as she unwrapped my gift. Her pursed lips relaxed into a genuine smile when she lifted the scarf
from the box. “Thank you, Carrie. I love the colors.”

  “I know you do,” I said.

  She nodded, and I felt as if I’d passed a test. Dorothy wouldn’t be pulling her shenanigans on me, at least not in the immediate future.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I was the first to leave the party. I hugged my friends goodbye, and carried my Secret Santa gifts out to the rear parking lot. The snow had stopped, leaving a light covering on the ground so that I made a trail of footprints to my car. After clearing off the windows with the snow brush and ice scraper gadget Uncle Bosco had bought for me, I drove to my aunt and uncle’s house. Uncle Bosco greeted me at the door. Smoky Joe meowed loudly to let me know he was seriously annoyed at having been left behind.

  “He spent most of the time staring out the window, looking for you,” my uncle said.

  I stroked Smoky Joe’s head. “Sorry, pal, but you can’t go everywhere I go.”

  I thanked Uncle Bosco and kissed him goodbye, then carried Smoky Joe out to the car. I gave him Sally’s toy, and he settled down to chew on it.

  “We’re homeward bound, Smoky Joe!” I announced and started the car. He head-butted me, then curled up on the passenger’s seat. I exhaled loudly, glad that I hadn’t left him in the car while I was at the holiday party, as I’d first considered doing. The killer could very well have taken Smoky Joe or hurt him while I was inside the restaurant, as a warning to stop me from chasing after the gems.

  I drove slowly, on the alert to spot anyone who might be following me, but no one was. When I reached the cottage, I was startled to see a gray Lexus parked next to my father’s car. I carried the box into the house, letting Smoky Joe follow me on his own. My father and Mariel Parr were sitting in the living room, drinking coffee.

  They didn’t hear me come in because they were laughing over something one of them had said. Smoky Joe ran to Mariel, and she bent down to pet him.

  “Evening, Caro,” my father called to me. “Say hello to Mariel Parr.”

  Mariel and I greeted each other. She looked lovely in a navy pant suit and white turtleneck sweater. “I told your father we’d met at my mother’s nursing home last night. Quite a coincidence.”