by Ritter Ames
"Also ask Gil if the police have any idea who scratched the nasty epitaph on Lila's car door," she suggested.
"I've already got a pretty good idea about that one."
"And?"
Meg shot her self-satisfied grin. "The same person who keyed Collier's car."
"Erin?"
"One and the same."
It was a good point when coupled with the awful message dug into Collier's paint job. She wished she could have seen the damage. See if there was any similarity between what Erin did to his car and what appeared on Lila's. "Ask what Gil thinks. I know you have her pegged for everything including the hole in the ozone, but see who else might be juvenile enough to key Lila's car door."
"A key, a knife." Meg shrugged again. "Not a huge step up from one to the other."
"But it is a giant leap between writing 'bitch' on a car door, and actually killing the woman who drives the Prius."
* * *
All discussion ended when the twins and the Berman boys burst through the front door about nine and announced their team won. Gil sent his sons back out and headed for home so Meg could gather her notes and make her goodbyes. Kate congratulated her girls for cheering the team to victory but warned it was time to head upstairs.
"After we get a glass of milk!" Sam called, as the duo disappeared into the kitchen
At the front door, Meg said, "I'll be here at six-forty-five so we can make a coffee run on the way, and we'll still be on time to set up the food. We'll likely be able to find something in our bake sale stash to take the place of donuts."
"Absolutely." Kate smiled. "However, remind me once in awhile not to eat all the profits."
"Like that's going to happen."
"You never know. I'll have the van waiting out front and warmed up. Just knock when you're ready."
"See you then."
Kate closed and locked the door, satisfied they had a plan to start working toward helping Sydney. The police probably weren't the only ones believing the teen guilty of matricide, and if Kate wasn't so swamped with work and tied down to the job site she'd probably hear talk about it in the community. But her gut and Meg's said otherwise. Now they just had to prove it. She stretched, realizing they'd been sitting and stewing for a couple of hours. Plus, it was late. But it was a Friday night, and only the moms had to rise early the next morning, which left everyone in high spirits. It had been fun seeing the kids' excitement.
As the girls thundered up the stairs, Kate called, "I have a bath ready for you two. Get in and wash off the game dust."
She heard footsteps clump back down, and Sam hung over the railing. "Did you talk to Daddy yet?"
"I haven't seen him, sweetie." Kate met her daughter on the stairs and turned the child back toward the twins' bathroom. "We'll talk when he gets home. I promise."
"But I'll be asleep."
"You'd better be." Kate smiled to try to take the sting out her daughter's disappointment at having to wait. Patience had never been one of her virtues at Sam's age either. Now, it seemed her life operated on her reserve of patience.
Half an hour later Kate closed the book she'd been reading to the two now clean and sleepy girls and gave both a kiss and hug goodnight.
When Keith arrived home, she gave him the condensed version of the earlier talk under the cedar trees. She expected him to take to the idea without argument and was surprised when he hesitated.
"You don't think we're sending the wrong message, do you?" he asked.
"Why? What do you mean?"
Keith ran his fingers through his hair, making his light brown waves a bit more disheveled. "Look, correct me if I'm wrong, Katie, but it sounds like this really kind of started because Sam didn't want to write a short report."
She sat a bit straighter. "Maybe. But we've been seeing the growing competition between the girls over the last year. This sounded to me like a way to give Sam something of her own."
"As long as it's not an excuse. Those girls are sharp, and I want a few more years before I find they're playing us."
Kate pursed her lips, thinking back to the afternoon. He was right to note the girls often played one parent off the other. Frankly, she would be more concerned if they didn't try. It was a typical kid move. But this seemed different. "Sam was truly upset, Keith. I understand what you're saying, and I know the end of the school year is in sight and the kids want it over sooner rather than later, but I think this is something we really need to try. I realize it will be more work for you, but it doesn't have to be every day, and I can run her to the rink when she's just going for practice."
He smiled and reached across to grab Kate's hands in his. "I'll find the time. No big deal. I guess I'm just a little afraid of the twins pulling apart, as that's kind of the first sign they're growing up."
"Plus, you're afraid they'll realize they're smarter than us."
"Absolutely." He nodded and laughed then pulled her to her feet. "Come on, you have to get up early. It's way past your bedtime, too."
Keith headed for the shower, and Kate curled up in the big bed, almost asleep by the time he'd finished up and dove under the covers beside her. He kissed her ear then whispered, "But make sure Meg is with you at all times. I understand why you feel you need to ask some questions. I don't like it, but I get it. However, I do not want a repeat of any of the excitement we experienced last month with you almost kidnapped—or worse. My heart can't take a repeat."
"Scout's honor," Kate murmured back.
"Were you ever a scout?"
"Okay, how about mom's honor." She turned over to kiss him goodnight. "Now, go to sleep. I have to get up early, remember? We have to do our part to make the book sale a success."
CHAPTER NINE
Friends of Hazelton Public Library
Annual Book Sale
First Saturday in June every year
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - $10 Early Bird Admission (Free to Library Friends members)
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Free admission to everyone
More than 50 categories of books, all sorted and ready for sale
Hard covers, paperbacks, audio books, CDs, DVDs
All at great bargain prices
Games for the kids under the trees, and community bake sale inside
Proceeds benefit the Friends of Hazelton Public Library
KEEP OUR LITTLE LIBRARY STRONG
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Tiffany James met them at the van as they pulled up the next morning.
"Oh, gosh, Mrs. McK, Mrs. B, I told Mom we'd have to get here early to beat you two. This sounds like so much fun. I can't wait to work the bake sale, and I promise to not sample very many." Tiffany spoke all in one breath then giggled at the end.
The teen had her brunette hair in a messy bun on the back of her head and a smile across her face. As usual, her running monologue started as soon as van doors opened, and she didn't even stop when Kate talked over her asking for the key to the room holding the baked goods. Meg walked up behind Tiffany and rolled her eyes, but Kate just smiled and kept moving toward the front door of the library.
"So, I said, if that's the way it's going to be, then it's over right now."
Kate nodded as Tiffany continued a story which was an update from one she'd shared the previous week when she babysat the twins. The best thing about the teen was that once she got all of her pent up dialogue out, Kate knew she'd be ready to take on anything asked of her. Nodding, smiling, and uh-huhing in the right places was all it took.
Book sale tables had been moved outside, so the library wouldn't be quite as claustrophobic as the day before. April Stephens had explained during the orientation which tables were leaving and which were staying, but it was a relief to see them actually in the morning sunshine and near all the towering trees. Along the east end, a row of evergreens soared up past the rooftops, with the lower four feet of clean trunks offering a glimpse of the traffic beyond. Surrounding the library building itself were hemlocks and a couple of Norway maples, the
latter of which were causing the sidewalk to migrate a bit due to their aggressive root system. Kate hoped they could relocate the walk some way, so they wouldn't have to take down the beautiful trees.
As if reading Kate's mind, Meg said, "Mother had to have her Norway maple removed when it cracked her driveway. Such aggressive root systems. Became a mess. Someone is going to trip on this walk if the library isn't careful."
Inside, they left Meg to find Valerie and get their cash drawer set up, and Tiffany followed Kate to the locked room.
"Wow, it's chilly in here." Kate flipped on the light and rubbed her upper arms.
Tiffany shrugged. "It's okay. What do you think we need to do first?"
Kate scanned the filled shelves, as well as the trays and platters of goodies that had been set on the chairs as the rolling tiers filled up. The smell of sugar and sweetness filled the air. The concentrated aroma made her want to grab one of the pink cupcakes on the covered platter by her knee. Hopefully, the mingled scents would persuade book sale visitors to come over to their area and buy a treat or ten to take home for later. Her hand hovered a moment longer near the cupcakes, but Tiffany broke tasty treats' spell when she asked, "Are you thinking the cupcakes for the first pass?"
"I want to keep anything frosted inside if possible, as the van could get warm and melt the treats before there's room to display everything," Kate explained. Over-warmed cakes and cookies would likely still taste wonderful, but heat could make the presentation sub-par. And leftover baked goods were not in her plan, as they would likely be offered to the volunteers, and Kate knew her sweet tooth always triumphed over her resolve in those types of situations.
There were six carts, and though they could no longer stash each one in their area, the rolling shelves would be useful just the same. She made her decisions, shifting four carts closer to the door, transferring some of the sturdier items for more fragile foods, and giving Tiffany her reasoning.
"We'll get the sale started with some of these breakfast and iced items and hide the next round under the table. Then while you and Meg are setting items out for sale, I'll use these other two carts to run breads and some of the sturdier cookies and such out to the van," Kate explained.
Tiffany took hold of one cart and moved it toward the door. "Mrs. B can stock while I'm rolling these out, and I can restock the shelves as she empties them onto the table."
"Exactly." Positioning a hand at each end, Kate was thankful for the carts. They were going to make the day's transition much better than she'd hoped, and they held enough that the trips to the van could be kept at a minimum.
She kept rolling as Tiffany stopped at the V-shaped bake sale station. People in the aisles were good to get out of the way, and it didn't take much more than fifteen minutes or so to have everything stowed in the van and her final cart emptied and rolling back inside. It was probably the relieved feeling of a job well done that made her forget about the rising sidewalk near the Norway maple. The obstacle she had carefully avoided each trip prior. Someone calling her name didn't help either. She turned, then flew backward over the cart.
"Oh, dear me!" April Stephens hurried over and offered Kate a hand to help her to her feet. "That cart stopped and you went right on. Are you okay?"
Today, the real estate agent had a blue blazer over her pink tee and a navy and pink patterned scarf at her neck. Kate wasn't sure whether her upscale dress showed she was supervising the volunteers or that she was working her day job at the same time. Kate suspected the latter as closer to the truth. Behind the real estate agent stood a dark-haired man in a dark suit. Kate had no idea who he was, but the man radiated power. Finally, behind him was a bullet-headed linebacker type she knew without asking was the first man's bodyguard. Why would he need protection of that sort in Hazelton?
"Yes, thank you." Kate moved the front cart wheels over the rise in the cement walk and reached a hand up to smooth her hair back down. "Did you call me for something?"
April waved a hand. "I didn't mean to cause a problem. Wow, that walk is pretty dangerous there. I'll put it on my list of things to talk to the city leaders and library board about next time I have the chance."
She turned to the two men. "Oh, let me introduce you to Morgan Jackson. You know, the financier. He's in town looking at property, and my company has some promising places to show him. Morgan, this is Kate McKenzie, a volunteer here today. She's also in charge of the move at the Collier house."
Jackson's handshake was a bit firmer than Kate preferred. "Nice to meet you Mr. Jackson."
"Oh, Morgan, please," he said, but his smile seemed to forget to head on up to his eyes." And it was Kate, correct? That house is a nice property. I'll be interested in seeing it when it's actually available. April has told me the Colliers want to be out before the property is shown. You will note anything I need to be aware of, won't you?"
"I believe you're in good hands with April. She won't miss anything you need to know." Kate moved on toward the door. "If you need to talk about something and wouldn't mind walking with me, I really need to get inside and help."
"I quite understand," April said, following. "Morgan is interested in knowing if your timetable for the move has been affected drastically by the unfortunate incident."
Unfortunate incident? Yeah, I'd call a murder something extremely unfortunate. She understood why April prevaricated around the murder term, especially in the presence of a prospective buyer. She noticed the tightness of April's jaw and wondered if the agent thought it was a little creepy this man was interested so soon after the murder. Still, if the real estate agent was asking for help, Kate couldn't offer much. "I'm sorry, but the timetable is still up in the air at the moment. I'll have to get back to you after I get a chance to touch base with the other parties."
Morgan took that moment to make his goodbyes. "I have a meeting. April, if you would just call me later when you can offer an update."
"Absolutely."
"Cooper, if you could get the car," Morgan said to the other man, and Kate watched the bald-headed bodyguard, and obviously driver, too, dash off ahead of Jackson toward the parking lot.
"Watch that rise in the walk," April called, and Morgan nodded his thanks.
"Thank you for not mentioning the murder," April said, her voice low. "He knows about it, I'm sure, but well, he asked me to show him the property. Do you have any idea at all for a timeframe?"
"Truthfully, I don't." Kate kept her tone quiet. She rolled the cart up the handicapped ramp and inside the door. "Until the police release the scene, I'm at a standstill. I've already talked to the moving company, and they said they would see what adjustments needed to be made in the schedule once things went back on track, but for now it's up to Lieutenant Johnson."
"I just talked with Johnson about half and hour ago when I could get a second away from Morgan." April dogged Kate's every step, jogging around booksellers who moved out of the cart's way. "He said the crime scene tape will likely be removed this afternoon. I'm going by there on my way home to make sure."
Kate stopped and placed a hand on her hip. "Then I'll see what I can do about restarting our efforts once I speak with Blaine Collier. I haven't had a chance to see how the family is doing, and I don't want to intrude if they need some space."
"I talked to Blaine, too. He said they're staying in the hotel until moving day, but I think the kids and the animals are getting a little stir crazy."
"Then I'll try to get something initiated tomorrow afternoon. Monday at the latest."
"You couldn't do it today? This afternoon, I mean? I hate to ask, but if Morgan is interested in something with this kind of history I really don't want to lose the prospect. Plus, if the moving date isn't pushed back, I think that would help the family even more."
Given the fact the sale was through the corporation, Kate felt a little like she was being played. Especially considering how April made all the other phone calls before even approaching Kate. However, she also understood this was th
e woman's business, and the murder complicated what could have likely been a difficult sale anyway, so a little latitude was called for in this case. She took a breath and put on her professional smile again. "April, I would love to be able to try to make up the time this weekend that we lost over Lila's murder, but I'm probably going to be a little too tired today. However, I'll definitely try to see if I can get things restarted tomorrow."
April deflated just a little but recovered quickly. "Oh, yes, of course. Please, just keep me informed. You did know I'm the agent of record now. Right?"
"Yes, Valerie James mentioned the fact yesterday."
April frowned for a second but then added, "Good, good. Well, I'll leave you to it." She turned and headed back out the front door.
Rolling the cart a bit slower and sidestepping book patrons gave Kate a moment to ponder Morgan Jackson. She understood April's dilemma. Even beyond Lila being killed in the house, it was an upper-end property with a price that prohibited a good majority of lookers. So having a Mr. Moneybags come in who was interested in the house would obviously make April want to do everything in her power to keep the showing process moving along. But his interest in a murder house so soon after the event felt wrong on many levels. The news was all over the area media, and pictures of the house appeared on every television news broadcast and on the web.
She shrugged. Maybe he thinks he can get a bargain that way.
Nevertheless, Morgan Jackson was a name she was definitely going to mention to Meg. If the newspaper didn't already know who the man was, it was likely the local press needed to learn, and Gil was just the journalist to find out more.
As she drew near the bake station, the rich sugar smell mixed with the heady scent of all the well-loved books people had kept on their shelves for years. And which would now be heading for new shelves. Sweet deals on sweet reads and sweet eats, too. Kate smiled at the connection, as well as the lovely display of goods their bake sale area presented.