Murder by the Bookend

by Laura Gail Black

  Tish made a few more notes in her book. “It’s okay. It’ll likely come back to you as time passes. If you do remember something, let us know.” She stood and turned to leave.

  “Tish?” I called her back. “Thank you.”

  “For?” Tish cocked an eyebrow.

  “For all of it.” At her quizzical look, I elaborated. “For getting Detective Sutter to leave me alone. For helping Keith. For believing me.”

  Tish smiled and nodded once. “Any time.” She strode from the room, and a moment later, I heard the front door open and close.

  “That was interesting.” Rita adjusted my blankets again.

  I smiled, knowing she was fussing over me out of love, but there were only so many ways she could fix my blankets. “Rita, I’m fine.”

  Rita sat on the side of my bed and took my hand, clutching it tightly. “I know. Really, I do. But you almost weren’t, and it would’ve been my fault.” Tears glittered in her eyes.

  I read the fear in her face, and my stomach clenched. I would’ve fared better if she’d given me the chewing out I deserved. But tears? “It wouldn’t have been your fault. It would’ve been mine. I’m the idiot that charged in without backup.”

  “No, because your backup was busy hearing about some stranger’s wedding, glad to have something to pass at least a tiny bit of the time, not thinking that anything might really happen that night.” A single tear slid down her face. “I should’ve told Mrs. Willis I needed to go. I should’ve been there for you.”

  Although her hands enveloped mine, I squeezed back as best I could. “You’re here for me now. That’s what counts.”

  Rita sniffed loudly and reached for a tissue from the box on my nightstand, using it to dab at her eyes. “Yes, I am.” She stood. “I’ll bring you some lunch.”

  A lump caught in my throat at the realization that I meant as much to my friend as she did to me. “Thanks,” I croaked out.

  I slid down on the pillows when she left the room and pulled the blankets up. Before she made it back into the room, sleep claimed me once more.

  My dreams became a jumble of fire, smoke, and fear. A figure loomed over me, and the smell of gasoline burned in my nose. A warm wet tongue licked the flames away. Wait … I struggled to open my eyes. Something thumped rhythmically against my thigh, jarring me out of my nightmare.

  I raised my eyelids as Eddy licked my cheek again. I grinned and wrapped my arms around my dog, spying Keith behind him. “Hey, you brought him home.”

  “The vet said he was confident Eddy’s going to be okay, so he said he could keep you company while you recuperated from … from …” Keith’s voice caught, and he cleared his throat.

  Rita strode through the door with a tray. “It’s not lunchtime anymore, but here’s some stew. Since it’s now nine o’clock, we can call it a late supper.”

  I’d slept another seven hours, and I was still tired. Keith moved to my side and helped me sit up against the headboard, although he didn’t fluff any pillows like Rita had done earlier. My stomach rumbled as Rita flipped the legs on the tray and set it across my lap before she shooed Eddy off the bed.

  I picked up the spoon and scooped up some of the stew, raising the spoon toward my mouth. As I looked up, I froze, spoon halfway there. “Would one of you like to video me eating? That way you won’t both have to stand there staring at me.”

  Rita chuckled. “Okay, okay.” She shuffled out of the room, and I heard her clinking dishes in the kitchen, sounding like she was loading a few things into the dishwasher.

  Keith sat in the chair Tish had occupied earlier, reaching down to scratch Eddy’s ears while I ate.

  “Tell me what you’ve found out.” I spooned a bite into my mouth.

  Keith shook his head. “Not much. As you know, it was definitely arson, you were intentionally locked in the building, and someone hit you over the head with a huge book.”

  “I didn’t know about the book part. It’s all sort of hazy.” I grabbed a napkin and dabbed at a dribble that had slid down my chin. Eating soup while lounging in bed wasn’t as easy as it looked.

  Keith squinted his eyes and looked upward, as if visualizing something. “You were hit with The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, copyright nineteen seventy-one. I think I got that right.”

  I laughed. “Leave it to me to get hit with an old book.”

  Keith smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, leave it to you. Is your soup good?”

  I’d almost finished the whole bowl. “I guess it was.”

  Rita swept in again, jacket on and purse over her shoulder. “Okay, Detective. I’m off. Take good care of our girl tonight.”

  “Wait, what?” I sat up straighter as Rita grabbed the tray off my lap.

  “I’m sleeping in my own bed tonight, girlie.” Rita nodded toward Keith. “He’s taking tonight’s shift to watch over you while you sleep. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

  Before I could stop her, she walked out of the room. I heard her set the tray on the counter and the front door open and close. Keith followed her, and I heard him turn the front door bolt. As his footsteps neared, lights disappeared from the main area in my apartment.

  I stared at Keith as he entered the room, my eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

  He sat on the bed and pulled off his shoes and his jacket, arranging both on the chair in the room. Next, he pulled off his holster, laying his gun on the nightstand before turning off the lamp. “I’m getting ready for bed.” He settled, fully dressed, on top of the covers next to me and opened his arms.

  I slid into them and lay my head on his chest, listening to the steady thump thump of his heartbeat. “You don’t have to stay here tonight. I’m fine. Really.”

  “Jenna, I almost lost you.” His voice caught again, a slight tremble underscoring his emotions. “I think I’d prefer to keep you close for now.” He dropped a kiss on my hair. “Now go to sleep.”

  I snuggled closer, finding a comfortable fit. A soft thud hit the bed as Eddy jumped up. He turned three times, settling against the small of my back.

  My body relaxed, and I allowed sleep to tug me down into nothingness. For tonight, at least, I was the safest girl in town.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sun streamed into the bedroom, and I stretched, inhaling deeply. Coffee? The warm smell wafted in through my open bedroom door. The previous night seeped into my half-awake brain.

  I slowly sat up. “Keith?”

  Footsteps sounded, and Keith stepped into the doorway. “Good morning, sunshine. I have eggs ready to scramble and toast sitting in the toaster. Ready for some breakfast?”

  How did I get so lucky? “Sure. Can I shower first, or am I still confined to bed?”

  Keith grinned. “Nah, you’re good. I’ll make you take it easy, but I’m not quite the taskmaster that Rita is. Go ahead and grab a shower. Take your time. When I hear the water stop, I’ll start the eggs and toast.” He pulled my bedroom door shut as he left, his happy whistle echoing through the main area.

  I shook my head, a silly smile on my face, and was pleasantly surprised my unthinking action didn’t trigger another headache or wave of dizziness. I stood and walked to the bathroom, where I shimmied out of my fleece pants and T-shirt before stepping under a steaming spray of water.

  Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the bedroom, clean, combed, teeth brushed, and dressed in old, soft jeans and another loose T-shirt. Barefoot, I padded across to the kitchen and sat on a stool, elbows propped on the bar-top counter, trying to contain a giggle.

  Keith turned, my frilly pink apron wrapped around his waist, and set an empty mug on the counter in front of me before filling it with coffee. “I know you missed this yesterday.”

  I picked up the mug and inhaled the aroma. “Mmmmmmm.” I blew across the hot liquid and took a small sip, letting the strong flavor warm me from the inside. “I needed that.”

  “Wait ’til you get a load of this.”
Keith turned to the counter, turning back to me with two plates in his hands. “Your feast awaits.” He placed a plate in front of me.

  Three strips of bacon lay next to a small pile of fluffy scrambled eggs. Two slices of toast, cut diagonally, butter already swept across their surface, lay on the other half of the plate. A feast indeed.

  I picked up my fork and took a bite of eggs. “These are perfect.”

  Keith swept the apron over his head and settled onto the stool next to me. “Mom taught me how to cook when I was in high school. She didn’t want me to be one of those guys who couldn’t feed himself or clean a house or wash his own laundry.”

  “She did a great job.” I crunched on a piece of crispy bacon.

  Keith laughed. “I’m glad you like it.”

  I glanced at the clock. “Shouldn’t you be on your way to work by now?”

  Keith swallowed a bite of eggs. “I’m going in a little late. Tish knows. If you’re feeling better, you can hang by yourself for a while. Rita will be over this afternoon to check on you. Otherwise, I can take a day of personal leave.”

  “Nope, I actually feel great this morning. All the sleep yesterday helped immensely.” I crunched another slice of bacon. “And today I can watch TV, so I’ll have plenty to keep me company. Besides, Eddy is here.” I dropped a tiny piece of bacon on the floor, and Eddy gobbled it up.

  As we finished our breakfast, Keith stood and picked up our plates. I watched him as he cleaned up the kitchen, knowing he would argue with me if I said I could do it later. When done, he settled me in the living room with the remote. He knelt in front of me. “Honey, are you sure you’re okay?”

  I nodded. “I promise. I would tell you if I wasn’t. I’m not looking for a trip back to the hospital.”

  Keith kissed me softly, lingering for a moment, before standing and going to the bedroom, returning wearing his shoulder holster, his jacket over his arm. “I’m heading out. If you need me for anything, call. I’ll come.” He hesitated. “I promise I won’t let you down again.”

  I stood and followed him to the door, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and gazing into his eyes. “What happened is not your fault. It’s mine. I did something stupid, and it blew up in my face. Stop beating yourself up about it.”

  He kissed me again, deeper this time, before stepping away. “I’ll call you in a couple of hours to check on you, okay?”

  “I’ll be here.” I smiled and stepped back, watching as he strode down the walkway to the stairs.

  Alone at last, I walked through my apartment to the couch, where I sat and watched a Murder, She Wrote rerun. There was no way I could do this all day, though. I’d been bed-bound for two days, and today I was full of energy.

  I clicked off the TV and stood, and Eddy was instantly at my feet, glancing back and forth between me and the front door. I got the message and strode to the door, where I put on a jacket from the hook, zipping it up over my old T-shirt, and snagged Eddy’s leash. However, rather than go out the front door, I figured it was a better idea to go out through the store, where I could tell Mason what I was doing.

  Easing down the spiral staircase, I stepped on each tread carefully, making sure the twists and angles didn’t bring on another bout of dizziness. Nope, all good. As I neared the bottom, Mason caught sight of me and rushed toward me.

  “Jenna, you’re okay!” He threw his arms around me in a bear hug before jumping back, a worried look on his face. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “I’m fine.” I stepped off onto the floor. “I just felt like getting out of the apartment for a while. Besides, Eddy needs a walk.” I pointed at Eddy, standing patiently by the front door.

  “Cool. Okay.” Mason stepped aside. “Just don’t be gone long. Keith would kill me if I let anything happen to you.”

  I smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Mason, I won’t break. I’m only going for a walk with my dog.”

  Mason followed me to the door and stared after me as I left. Twice I looked back, and he remained hovering in the doorway, watching my progress. I shook my head and stepped off into a grassy area at one end of the historic district, giving Eddy a place to take care of his morning business.

  Eddy took his time, and I enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine, trying not to let my mind go too far into greeting-card territory. Every day is a gift. Life shares sweet promise with those who open their eyes. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it’s a beautiful day to be alive. At this rate, I’d be ready to work for Hallmark.

  Done with sniffing, exploring, and marking his territory, as he did every morning, Eddy tugged toward the store. The wind had picked up, and while I wore a warm jacket, Eddy did not.

  We entered the store, and I walked behind the counter to sit, draping my jacket over the other stool.

  Door chimes rang, and Rita rushed in, take-out bags over her arm. “Hey, girlie. I figured you’d be upstairs.”

  Mason approached, rubbing his hands together. “What did you bring?” He sniffed the air.

  Rita plopped a bag onto the counter. “Yours is in there. It’s chicken fried rice and steamed dumplings from the Chinese place near the inn.”

  Mason sat on my jacket, jumping back up when I tugged at it. “Sorry.” He reached for the bag. “I’m starving. I didn’t have time for breakfast.”

  Rita shook her head. “You’re always starving. It’s the natural state for a young man of your age.” She waggled her fingers at me. “Let’s take ours upstairs.”

  I followed her up the staircase, Eddy at my heels.

  Rita spread out a series of square boxes on the counter. “Dumplings for us, lo mien, fried rice, and moo shu.” She reached one last time into the bag and brought out a tall plastic container. “And let’s not forget the egg drop soup.”

  Mouth watering, I grabbed bowls and plates, along with silverware and napkins, and slid them across toward the food. “I am perfectly able to prepare lunch for myself, but I can’t say I’m disappointed you brought over Chinese.”

  Rita scooped a helping of lo mien onto her plate and sat. “I figured you might want the company, stuck in the apartment all day. Little did I know you’d make a break for it the moment our backs were turned.”

  “I went to walk the dog.” I slid onto the stool next to her and reached for the moo shu pancakes. “Eddy’s bladder waits for no man.”

  “Fair enough.” Rita nodded. “How has the rest of your morning been?”

  I slathered brown sauce on the pancake and filled it with the moo shu mix before rolling it. “Boring. I’m not used to just sitting around by myself anymore.”

  “I know.” Rita twirled noodles onto her fork. “But it won’t be forever. Just until we’re sure your head is okay.”

  “Either way, I don’t want to harp on what happened. Tell me what’s going on at the inn. Distract me.” I took a large bite of the rolled moo shu.

  “Not much, now that we’re done cleaning up the mess from Selina’s event.” Rita ladled soup into a bowl. “It took the staff two days to fix everything.”

  “Fix?” I wiped my fingers on a paper towel. “She broke stuff?”

  “Oh, honey, you have no idea.” Rita stood and walked into the kitchen, opening a cabinet door and retrieving two glasses. “She got drunk and pitched herself a hissy.”

  “Do tell.” This was a lot more fun than thinking about the meaning of life, à la greeting-card style.

  “It seems Douglas went behind her back and told the staff and the caterers to use less expensive items where possible.” Rita returned to her seat with glasses of sweet tea, sliding one toward me.

  “Thanks.” I took a sip and set the glass down. “I take it she discovered it?”

  “She did.” Rita twirled more noodles. “And she was not happy. As I said, she’d had too much to drink at the open bar, and she dropped a glass. Rather than shatter, it merely cracked and a few pieces broke off. She’d been too preoccupied to realize it wasn’t the crystal she’d asked for
but rather a cheap, heavy glass that wouldn’t shatter into a million pieces if dropped.”

  “Oh, man, I wish I’d seen that.” I took another bite of my moo shu.

  Rita grinned and reached for her back pocket. “But you can.” She pulled out her phone. “One of the servers started videoing after Selina had picked up two more glasses and threw them to the ground, trying to make them shatter like crystal. It’s on YouTube now.” She tapped her screen a few times and passed me her phone.

  I propped the phone up on her PopSocket and hit “Play.” Selina March filled the screen, screeching at the top of her lungs.

  “Where the hell is my crystal? I asked for crystal, and this crap isn’t it!” Selina staggered, falling into the bar but failing to catch herself before she ungracefully plopped to the floor.

  Two male bartenders ran to her aid, each taking one of Selina’s arms to help lift her to her feet.

  “Get your lying hands off me!” Selina smacked at the two men. “Don’t touch me!” She rolled to her knees and inched up onto her feet, her hands still splayed on the ground and her backside pointed directly at the rest of the room and the camera. Her bejeweled hands groped for the bar top, and she tugged herself upright, catching one of her stiletto heels in the hem of her dress, which seemed to be made of some delicate, bright red, frothy material. A loud rip sounded as the sharp heel tore a gaping hole down half of the skirt in the back.

  Douglas crossed the room at a jog, shoving his way through the ring of onlookers.

  Selina turned and caught sight of him, pointed, and let a bloodcurdling scream fly. “You! You did this! You ruined everything!” She picked up another guest’s half-empty drink and threw it at him.

  Douglas sidestepped the flying glassware, and it splattered against another partygoer’s tuxedo, red wine soaking into his white shirt like a blood stain.