by Essie Lang
Shelby was caught off guard. Never in her wildest dreams had she anticipated a crowd large enough to throw the ever-confident Chrissie into a spin. “Well, I would, but our author hasn’t arrived yet. I’m expecting her on the one o’clock boat. In fact, I was just about to go down to meet her.”
“Well, maybe you should consider bringing her inside through the French doors in the conservatory and slipping around the edge of the crowd. By the time they realize it’s her, she’ll be tucked inside. Then I’ll tell the crowd you’re just getting her settled and it won’t be much longer. Okay?”
“Sure. That sounds reasonable. There’s a really big crowd?”
Chrissie smiled. “There is. I’ve been doing a lot of promoting on social media, and it’s paying off.” She looked around the store. “Will you need help? Can you handle this?”
“Cody is on his lunch break but will be back any minute, so we should be just fine. Thanks anyway.”
“Well, I’ll stick my head back in now and then, and if you need help, I’ll be happy to do whatever. By the way, I love what you’re doing to your hair these days. Ciao.” Chrissie gave a small wave and headed back into the hall.
My hair? Shelby hadn’t changed the style or the color since she had arrived in Alexandria Bay. It was still long and curly and brown, although she did tend to wear it pulled back more often these days.
She could hear the voices growing louder outside the door. A crowd … wow. She hoped they could handle it. She appreciated Chrissie’s offer of help. Not so long ago, she hadn’t been too sure they would even be friends. Not after Shelby had pegged Chrissie’s fiancé as a possible murder suspect in his aunt Loreena’s death.
She was glad all of that was behind them. She didn’t like to have conflict in her life.
Cody returned, pulling the door shut behind him and turning to Shelby with a huge smile on his face. “It’s bedlam out there. We’re going to clean up today.”
Shelby laughed. “So Chrissie has been telling me. She also wants us to start the signing as soon as Savannah arrives. I’ll slip out and wait at the dock. The boat should be in any minute. By the way, you’re looking especially awesome today. It couldn’t be because of a certain visiting author, could it?”
Cody’s cheeks turned red, and Shelby bit back a smile. “Red looks great on you, by the way.” She meant his bow tie rather than his cheeks, which had deepened in color.
She hurried down to the dock, feeling her excitement mounting, and arrived just as the tour boat was pulling in. She waited until she spotted Savannah and Liam, gave them a wave to attract their attention, and after quick hugs, led them to the castle and the door Chrissie had suggested.
“There’s quite a crowd lined up in the main hall already, so we’ll just try to skirt them this way,” Shelby explained, holding the French door open for them.
“I’m so pleased to hear that,” Savannah squeaked, and Shelby took a quick look at her. She hoped it was excitement she had heard in Savannah’s voice. The author’s smile, however, didn’t seem quite as vibrant as it had the day before. Shelby hoped everything was okay. Maybe Savannah was concerned that Jenna Dunlop would turn up again. Or perhaps, like Shelby, she hadn’t slept very well. She certainly looked polished and ready to meet her public, though. The stylish red pantsuit she was wearing hugged her curves, and the white-and-black polka-dot blouse added to the glam appeal.
Liam walked with his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker, watching where he was stepping, seemingly paying little attention to the others around him.
“Here we go. Keep close,” Shelby said, and led them into the bookstore, but not before a couple of alert fans tried to pin Savannah into giving them an autograph right there and then.
Cody rushed over to meet them. “I’m delighted to see you again, Ms. Page.”
Savannah laughed, delighted. “Please, I thought I asked you to call me Savannah. And it’s nice seeing you again, Cody.”
His face lit up, and he ushered Savannah to the table. “May I get you some water or coffee?”
“Water would be perfect, thank you.” She looked at Liam, who was scanning the store. “This is delightful, Shelby. As nice as, if not even more charming than, the one in Alexandria Bay, but don’t tell your aunt I said that.” She winked.
Shelby grinned. “She’d be pleased, believe me. Now, do you need anything else?”
Liam came over to stand behind Savannah’s chair once again. “I think we’re all set,” he answered, and pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket, handing it to Savannah. She put her hand on his, but he quickly pulled away.
Something’s not quite right, Shelby thought.
“If you don’t mind, we’ll open the doors right away,” she said. “They’re worried about it getting too crowded in the hall. I’m afraid we’ll have to bring them inside in batches; we’re such a small space.”
“That sounds reasonable.” Savannah pulled an extra pen out of her purse and placed it on the desk. “Liam will open the books to the title page again, if that’s okay with you.”
“Thanks, Liam.” Shelby smiled at Liam, who glanced toward the door as if preparing himself.
Savannah took a sip of the water Cody had set on the desk and also looked at the door, biting her bottom lip. Shelby hesitated, wondering if Savannah needed a minute to calm her nerves, which seemed odd, because she’d been so calm the day before.
Oh well, they had to get started. Shelby nodded again at Cody, this time to open the door.
The first two customers almost tripped over their own feet in their rush to get inside.
By the time four thirty rolled around, Shelby was exhausted. She looked from Savannah to Liam to Cody, and they all appeared to be in the same shape. They’d had new customers arriving even after the signing had officially ended, but Savannah had agreed to continue. Now Cody had put the Closed sign on the door. They all needed a breather. It also left them just enough time to put everything back in order and deal with the cash before closing. Shelby let out a sigh of relief that nothing had happened: no woman in a brown coat, no accusations, no distractions at all.
“I can’t thank you enough, Savannah. That was another terrific signing. A major success.”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
Savannah smiled, looking relieved. Shelby had never really thought about how exhausting a signing must be for the author. Having to be “on” for that long. Shelby had never been a big talker, and she could in no way think of how she’d do in such a situation.
“I loved that,” Savannah continued. “And such an enthusiastic group of fans. I really hadn’t expected this much happening in Alexandria Bay. And, of course, it’s such a treat to be signing in the castle. Thank you so much for having me. Both days have really been a lot of fun. I hope we can do it all again when my next book comes out. Maybe do a launch here, since the books will be set in the castle. We’ll keep in touch.”
Shelby beamed. Nice praise for Bayside Books, and a super idea as well. She could just imagine the crowds for that, although she wasn’t quite sure what the Heritage Society would think. Oh well, plenty of time to think about that later.
“So, what are your plans now? Back to the mainland before settling into the suite tonight?”
“Yes. We’re having a quick bite at Riley’s, as recommended yesterday by Trudy. And then I’ll just grab my overnight bag. The board has arranged a ride back over here with Terry’s Boats, I think it’s called.”
Shelby nodded.
“Anyway, I’m supposed to meet him at the dock at seven. I want to be over here before it’s dark. Liam is doing”—she looked at him—“what exactly?”
He shrugged. “I’d planned on a walk around town, since we really haven’t had a chance to do that, and then early to bed with a book. Not one of yours, I might point out.” He grinned. He seemed to be back to the easygoing guy from the night before.
Savannah chuckled. “He’s read them all, or so he says. Anyway, thanks again. I hope
we’ll see you sometime tomorrow before we leave. Will you be in the store?”
“Tomorrow, yes. Maybe I’ll see you before you head back to the mainland in the morning.”
“Sounds great. Thanks again.” She gave Shelby a quick hug and then hugged Cody, too.
He was still smiling twenty minutes later as they waited for the final boat of the evening.
Chapter Seven
Sunday morning openings at the bookstore usually left Shelby with a feeling of anticipation. It could be the make or break day of the week. If sales had been lower than usual, a busy Sunday could change the week’s totals, even though they were open shorter hours. Or vice versa. Of course, it wasn’t etched in stone; it was just a little game she liked to play. But this morning was different. Yesterday’s sales had been amazing, and she had been smiling since doing the tally the night before. She now felt confident that Bayside Books would be in good shape for the slow winter season.
She quickly sorted the cash float into the till, put the coffee pot on, and did a quick survey of the room, knowing it would all be okay. Even though both she and Cody had been exhausted after the signing, they’d done a thorough tidying before closing the night before.
She was all set. She looked out the door into the hall, wondering if Savannah had lingered and might stop by before leaving. There was no sign of Savannah, but the uniformed security, all two of them, looked like they were on a mission. She walked over to Jim Nesbitt, the supervisor of the security staff, and asked what was going on.
He looked surprised by her presence and then guarded. “We’re doing a quick search of the castle before we open.”
“Why?” That wasn’t usual procedure.
“Sorry, I don’t have time to talk. I’m really busy,” he answered, and walked off at a good clip.
Shelby’s curiosity was aroused, and when she spotted one of the younger security staff, she hurried over to him. “What’s going on?”
He looked at her and then over at his supervisor, who was headed into the music room. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but we’re looking for Miss Page, the woman who stayed in the guest suite last night.”
“What do you mean, you’re looking for her? Hasn’t she already left the island?” Shelby glanced at her watch.
“It doesn’t look like it. All her stuff’s still up there in the room, but nobody’s seen her.” His radio crackled. “Uh-oh, gotta go.”
He rushed off, leaving Shelby to worry.
She wondered if Matthew would know more about what was going on. She went to the front door and looked out, eventually spotting him to the left of the doorway, pushing aside some of the bushes that edged the castle, apparently searching behind them.
“Matthew, what’s happening?” she asked as she reached him.
He glanced up and frowned. “That author is missing, and we’re searching for her.”
“Oh my gosh, can I help?” She felt her pulse racing as the worst of her fears, ones she hadn’t even realized she had, pushed forward.
He stood up and rubbed his lower back. “Security seems to have it under control. Nesbitt has assigned us to sections, so I’d say just go back inside the bookstore and wait it out.”
Not going to happen. “Well, let me help you anyway. There’s a lot of bushes along here to check out.” She emphasized that by sweeping her arm along the abundance of greenery.
He thought a moment. “Yeah. Okay. I’ve already done the back. You can start over there at the front corner and work your way across. I’ll catch up when I’m finished here. If you have something long-sleeved, it would be best to put it on.”
She looked at the sleeves of his shirt—covered right down to his wrists. She did have a sweater she kept at the store for emergencies.
“I’ll be right back. I need to get my sweater.”
She ran inside and had her hand on the doorknob when she heard voices calling out. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she followed them up to the second floor and into the room known as Mrs. Blye’s sewing room. One of the interior doors stood open, and she could hear several voices. They sounded distant, and she couldn’t figure out where they were. She’d thought this was simply closet space. Where were the voices coming from, anyway?
She found the same young security guard, now upstairs in the hallway, and asked what was happening.
“They’ve found something, down one of the secret passages,” he said before hurrying off.
She’d heard rumors that the castle had several secret passages but had never seen them and had assumed they were no longer in use, if they had ever existed to start with. Obviously, she had been wrong. Had someone broken into the castle?
Just then, Nesbitt came rushing out of the sewing room and almost bumped into her.
“What are you doing here? Please go back downstairs and wait in the bookstore.”
“What’s happened? What have you found? Please tell me.”
He paused a moment, as if considering, but shook his head. “Please go now.”
He grabbed her arm and spun her around, pointing her to the stairs. She decided it was best to do as he said and walked quickly back downstairs, looking for someone to talk to.
She spotted Matthew coming in the front entrance. “What have you heard?”
Matthew placed a hand on each of her arms and took a deep breath. “I was told they found her body at the bottom of the stairs, in one of the secret passages.”
Chapter Eight
Shelby paced the bookstore, trying to keep calm although her pulse raced and her mind seemed stuck on what Matthew had said. She pulled books off the shelves and, after dusting them, reshelved them all. Anything to keep busy while waiting. All she’d been told initially was that the castle would be closed for the day and no one was to leave until the police okayed it.
But what about Savannah? How could that have happened? And what about Liam? Had he been told? He’d be devastated. What could she do?
The waiting was stressful. She debated about calling Edie and telling her but decided she didn’t need those details while recuperating. Besides, Shelby didn’t have much to tell. She’d go to see Edie once she could get back to the mainland and break the news in person.
She almost dropped the two books she had just pulled off the shelves when Tekla Stone, the Alexandria Bay police chief, walked into the store.
“A bit jumpy, are we?” Stone asked, not unkindly.
“You could say that.” Shelby stuck the books back on the shelf.
“A cup of coffee would probably help us both.”
Shelby nodded and got them each a full mug from the back room. Shelby couldn’t taste the coffee she was drinking, feeling her anxiety level rise as she waited for Chief Stone to start the questioning. She had nothing to hide, but the chief always affected her like that.
“That was much needed. Thank you, Shelby,” Stone said, putting her mug down on the side table. She was standing beside the counter and looked every bit the part of a no-nonsense police officer. Even though she only came up to Shelby’s nose, that didn’t make her any less intimidating. Her stocky build filled her blue uniform and her official hat had been pushed back from her forehead, allowing gray curls to escape.
Stone motioned over to the two wicker chairs, a favorite place for customers to relax while thumbing through books. She waited until Shelby sat in one and then took the other. Between them was a narrow, glass-topped wicker table with sunlight playing on the pattern. The bay windows behind them let plenty of light flood into the small bookstore. The pale-green color on the walls also helped to brighten the compact space. Melon Green, it was called. It was one of the things Shelby enjoyed most about their space in the castle.
“Now, what can you tell me about Savannah Page?” Chief Stone pulled a small black notebook out of her jacket pocket.
“I can tell you about the time we spent together during the signings she did for the store the past two days, one in each location, but that’
s about it. And we went out to dinner Friday night. Edie probably knows more because she’s the one who’s been in correspondence with her for the past few months. And she probably has a bio on her author website. Has her body really been found? And in a secret passage? I wasn’t really sure there were such things in the castle. It sounds too much like a fairy tale. I’ve never seen them.”
She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from rambling. She was really nervous.
“Well, that answers one of my questions. I was sort of surprised to hear they were never mentioned in the castle brochures. There’s no one here from the Heritage board, and those I’ve talked to didn’t have an answer. I would think they’d be a really interesting part of the history of this place. Do you know why they weren’t listed?”
Shelby shook her head. “Like I said, I didn’t know they were real, although I’d heard rumors.”
“Rumors? From who?”
“I can’t remember. It was shortly after I started working in here. Maybe one of the volunteers mentioned it. Or maybe even Aunt Edie. I’m sorry I don’t remember more.”
“That’s okay.” Stone looked longingly at the empty coffee cup before continuing. “Tell me about the time you spent with Ms. Page.”
Shelby tried to provide as many details as she could about the two signings and the dinner, wondering how it could help. “Oh, and there was an incident at the main bookstore that you should know about. A local resident, Jenna Dunlop, made a scene, accusing Savannah of stealing her idea. Savannah denied it, of course, but it was really upsetting.”
“What happened?” Stone paused in her writing, her attention now laser-focused.