Death on the Page

by Essie Lang

  “Sure, if you’re certain you should be taking the shuttle. I’d love to have the company, but you might be wiser working at the main store if you’re that desperate to get out. I’m sure Trudy would be glad to have you. You know, the dock and walkway might be slippery after yesterday’s rain.”

  There was a long pause. “I guess you’re right. The whole boat thing might be too much right now. I’ve been feeling a bit queasy, but I’m putting most of the blame for that on my mother-in-law. You don’t think Trudy would mind?”

  “I’m sure she’d be thrilled. Why don’t you call her? How are you feeling, besides queasy and restless?”

  “Well, now that the initial concerns about the pregnancy are long past, I’m feeling as I should be. Or, as I’m told I should be. I know I’m being a bit unreasonable, but I really do wish these last few months were over and I was complaining about the lack of sleep instead.”

  Shelby chuckled. “I’ll remind you of that, shall I?”

  “Uh, maybe not. Okay, thanks a lot, Shelby. It would be nice to see you, though. Maybe you could stop in on your next day off? For some coffee?”

  “I know, I’ve been meaning to. I’d thought about that on Monday, but something came up. I will call you first, though, and make sure it’s a good time for all in your house.”

  Taylor laughed. “Might be a good idea. Have a good day.”

  “You, too.” Shelby was smiling as she hung up the phone.

  “That looks like it was good news,” Matthew said as he pushed the door open.

  “It was Taylor, who’s getting antsy. I suggested she work in town today rather than taking the shuttle.”

  Matthew nodded but said nothing. “I just wanted to stop by and tell you that if you’re starting to pack anything up for winter storage and need a hand with boxes, just let me know.”

  “Okay, I will, thanks. But to tell you the truth, I hadn’t even thought about that yet. Edie hasn’t mentioned anything either. Is that odd?”

  “No, probably not. She’s always hated to close up over winter, so I have to remind her, too. You’ve still got plenty of time, but there may be some things you can take back to the Bay ahead of time and cut down the final job.”

  “Sure. I’ll think about it. Thanks, Matthew.” He turned to leave, but Shelby spoke up. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

  “I’ve been thinking about something Chrissie Halstead said yesterday, about more items that have gone missing around here, although it’s hard to pinpoint when it happened. Do you have any ideas?”

  “And why do you want to know? I’d say it’s a matter for the board to deal with. I’m just surprised they haven’t done so already. No one has even asked me for my suggestions. It’s not something you should be getting involved with, you know. Just like you shouldn’t keep asking questions about the murder.”

  “Well, I’m trying not to, but information keeps landing in my lap. That reminds me, I also have a request I said I’d pass along to you.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “I had a visit the other night from a fairly new author, although she is apparently published, who was supposed to meet with Savannah and get some tips from her or have her read her manuscript or something. She couldn’t get here on the weekend so missed seeing Savannah, and now she’s wondering if I could introduce her to you. For the same reasons.”

  The look on Matthew’s face was hard to pinpoint. “That’s not my thing anymore, Shelby. I’ve left that world and everything to do with it behind. Please tell her I’m not interested.”

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I felt I had to ask. I hope that’s okay. I’ll let her know it’s not going to happen.”

  “Thanks, Shelby.” He nodded and eventually managed a smile.

  After he’d left, Shelby busied herself dusting and shifting stacks of books. Again. Anything to keep busy. When she’d finished, she stood back to appreciate her handiwork. Not much difference. Huh.

  She decided to get it over with and called Chief Stone, who answered on the first ring. She was in the office and ready to listen.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but I have a question, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure, go ahead and ask. That doesn’t mean I’ll answer. But I am curious.”

  “It’s a what if question. What if the boys who broke in were planning to do more than trying to hang a banner? What if they were really there to steal items to sell?”

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “Well, nothing specific, but if it were true, and they were there the night of the murder, they could have bumped into Savannah, literally. That would make her death an accident. What do you think?”

  “I’d like to know what you’re basing this on. I know you have specific information to make you think this. It’s not a random thought. I have dealt with you before.”

  Shelby cleared her throat. Did she have to mention Chrissie?

  “You’ve been talking to Chrissie Halstead again and she’s figured out that more items are missing, right?” the chief continued before Shelby could make a decision.

  “Maybe.”

  “So, my question is, why hasn’t she come to me about this? Has she even told the board?”

  “You’ll have to ask her, but I know she’s trying to figure out what’s going on. It does seem possible that this could go either way. Either the thief is someone who had nothing to do with the murder, or the two crimes are linked. So, what about the boys? Could they have been looking for loot, maybe what they thought were antiques they could sell? Like I said, could it have been an accident after all?”

  “And if I had my doubts, what makes you think I’d share them with you?”

  “Well, I just shared a lot of information with you.” Shelby could hear the exasperation in her own voice and thought she’d better dial it back.

  “You think I didn’t know anything about this? Or have similar thoughts? Me, the police chief?”

  Shelby wasn’t sure, but she did know she was through sparring. She might not have any answers, but she had shared some information, and hopefully it was new as well as useful.

  “May I ask one more thing? You said you found the laptop. Where was it?”

  There was silence for longer than Shelby liked, but finally Stone said, “It seems she forgot it. Her fiancé had it, but he’d been upset about not staying with her that night, so he didn’t take it over to her. He also said he’d then forgotten about it. Since I can’t prove otherwise …”

  Another few seconds and then Stone continued, “I appreciate that you’re sharing information with me, even though you shouldn’t have that information at all. Be careful.”

  Shelby hung up with a smile, even though she couldn’t help but think what a frustrating person Chief Stone was. She guessed that might be a good thing for a police officer.

  A half hour later, the phone rang, and Shelby started to feel like she’d been on the phone all day. She hoped it was some good news. It was Rachel Michaels.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I just have to know; did you ask Matthew Kessler yet?”

  “Uh, yes, I did, Rachel. And I’m sorry to say, he’s declined. He’s been away from the publishing world for so long he doesn’t think he has anything to offer.” Maybe that wasn’t exactly what he’d said, but it sounded right.

  “I see.”

  Shelby thought it sounded like she really didn’t see but decided to say nothing.

  “I wonder if he’d be more inclined to meet with me if he knew I’d decided to write about the murder of his wife.”

  Seriously? “What made you think of that? It’s an old case now.”

  “Well, it is, but it’s still unsolved. A cold case, and maybe I could put a new spin on it. Who knows, maybe with the right research, I could explore new angles, and maybe even find the killer.”

  “You don’t think that’s been tried over the years? Besides, I’m pretty
certain Matthew Kessler would not want to go through all those details again. It’s a part of his life he doesn’t want to revisit.” Odd that Savannah had the same idea.

  Rachel was silent for several minutes, but Shelby was certain she was still on the line.

  “In that case,” Rachel said, “I guess you did try, so thanks.” She hung up without saying goodbye. For some reason, that didn’t surprise Shelby.

  * * *

  A short while later, Shelby caught the final boat back to the Bay. She decided she needed a short walk to help relieve the tension she felt.

  As she passed Driftwood and Seawinds, she glanced through the window and saw the Noland sisters, Peggy and Deanna, behind the counter, deep in conversation. It looked warm and inviting inside and she knew there would be a good reason to shop in there, but she kept walking. She had been trying to stick a bit more to her budget these days.

  A couple of stores had already closed for the day, but Chocomania’s lights were still on and it looked busy. Shelby thought briefly about stopping in for a truffle, for energy, but kept walking. When she’d gone several blocks up the hill, she turned around and looked at the view. There weren’t many cars driving the streets and even fewer walkers out. She guessed people were home getting supper ready, which she should be doing. She lingered longer, though, focusing on the lights starting to twinkle in the water beyond.

  She wondered what it would look like in winter and tried to imagine the same scene blanketed in snow. That was something she was looking forward to, even though she’d be relocated to Edie’s house by then. Her thoughts wandered to Christmas, realizing it would be an entirely different experience for her. For so many years, she’d celebrated with only her dad. Occasionally they’d be invited to the home of a colleague and she’d get a glimpse of what it could be like for other families. But this year, she’d be celebrating with Edie, and she was certain Edie knew how to celebrate.

  She could picture the stores with brightly colored lights in their windows and the same draped across the houses. She wondered what the town council would do. Did they hang wreaths, lights, candy canes? So many possibilities, and she knew she was looking forward to it all.

  Maybe she’d spend some of it with Zack. She hoped so, unless he was heading home to see his folks in Seattle. He hadn’t mentioned them since he’d explained about the tense relationship with his dad, so it seemed unlikely he’d be going. But not impossible. She crossed her fingers, hoping he’d be around, and then hurriedly uncrossed them, feeling a bit foolish.

  She wished she’d brought her car, as she was getting hungry and a bit chilled. That would have been silly, though. She knew that too many short trips were hard on the car’s battery so, unless it was an emergency or an extra long walk, she left it parked in a lot close to the houseboat.

  As she neared the Lower James Street Dock, her mind wandered back to possible motives for Savannah’s murder. There were still too many suspects. And she had a lot of questions about Jenna’s version of what had happened with her story idea. It didn’t seem possible that somebody as successful as Savannah Page would have needed to steal someone else’s plot, or taken the chance on it. Jenna must have it wrong, but it wouldn’t hurt to find out why she was so certain. Maybe Shelby would eat at the pub tonight—if Jenna was working, that was—and get in a few questions.

  Maybe she could find out if a still-angry Jenna Dunlop thought Savannah hadn’t been punished enough.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  She opened the door of the Brew House and was hit by a blast of warmth and noise. There was a good crowd tonight, but what had she expected? She’d heard it was a popular spot. At least they sounded like they were having a good time. Her thoughts briefly flickered to Zack and his explanation about having to work that night. I’d better get used to it, I guess. It goes with the job. That was, if she wanted something more from this relationship. But now wasn’t the time for soul-searching.

  She scanned the area around the bar for Jenna and found her behind it. Great. When two guys who she thought should have been carded picked up the drinks they’d just been served and moved to the side, Shelby slipped around them and sat. She asked the older man next to her to pass down a menu from the stack at the end of the bar. By the time Jenna stood in front of her, she’d made her decision. She ordered a cheeseburger and fries along with a draft beer. Why not?

  Jenna nodded and poured her a brew, placing it in front of her, then went to serve someone else. So much for time to talk. Shelby was determined, though, and decided the trick was to drink and eat slowly. Things had to quiet down, even a bit, at some point. And she’d be ready.

  The burger turned out to be tasty but salty. And messy. It had been a long time since she’d had one, but she was enjoying it. She watched Jenna as she ate. Without the hat, Jenna’s hair was a mass of curls, and the intense black didn’t seem natural at all. Shelby could sympathize with the curls. She’d chosen to wear her hair long, knowing she could at least tame the curls by trapping them in a ponytail.

  By the time Shelby realized she’d been drinking faster than intended, Jenna was back in front with raised eyebrows.

  “I guess I’ll have another,” Shelby said. “Do they come in half sizes?”

  Jenna laughed. “Seriously? Okay, I don’t often get asked that question, but yes, I can do that.” She was back in a flash with the order. “Enjoy.”

  Shelby smiled and took a chance. “When you have a few minutes, can we talk?”

  Jenna frowned. “Sure, I guess. Do I know you?”

  “I’m Shelby Cox, from Bayside Books.”

  Jenna’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, yeah. I’ve seen you in there sometimes. Not often, though.”

  “That’s because I’m usually at the store in Blye Castle. I know you’re busy tonight, but it won’t take long, really.”

  Jenna hesitated. “Sure, I guess that’s okay. I get a break in half an hour.”

  By the time seven PM rolled around, Shelby had finished her meal but hadn’t had much of her second beer. She watched while Jenna talked to one of the servers, who then replaced her behind the bar. Jenna nodded at Shelby to follow, and they went into one of the back rooms. It appeared to be an office, although it looked more like a storage closet with a small desk and seating shoved into it. Shelby sat on the love seat while Jenna relaxed in the chair behind the desk.

  “Okay, I have fifteen minutes, but I’d like to have a few of those to myself. This is an exhausting job, not my first choice, you know.”

  “I do know. You want to be a writer.”

  “Yeah, and how did you know that?” She looked intrigued.

  “I was working at the main bookstore during Savannah Page’s signing, so I heard what you said.”

  Jenna straightened her shoulders and looked wary. “That’s right, I said things. They needed to be said. And what’s more, I’m glad I did it. So, what do you want to know?”

  “You were pretty steamed when you confronted Savannah at the bookstore.”

  “You’re damned right I was. Still am. She stole my work.” She sat with her lips in a tight line that matched her eyes.

  “Your idea, you said, if I remember correctly.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s how it started out, but now it was on the way to becoming her work. The idea was mine and she stole it. That’s plain and simple to me. The story about Joe Cabana? My idea. Even the plan about staying overnight in the castle to do research. Mine.”

  “Had you already approached the Heritage board about it?”

  Jenna shook her head. “Like I said, it was in the idea stage, but it was mine.”

  “And how do you think Savannah heard about your idea in the first place?”

  Jenna sighed and crossed her arms on the desk in front of her, relaxing slightly. “We were at the same writers’ festival. Savannah, of course, was the big name, while I, along with another local writer, were on the same panel talking about where we get our ideas. Of course”—she gave a short laugh—�
�I mentioned that I live in Alexandria Bay and we have this great local legend about the castle and Joe Cabana. I didn’t go into too much detail, but afterward, over coffee, Savannah began asking me questions about it. I guess I should have known something was up. I mean, why would she talk to me, anyway? She had lots of adoring fans wanting to meet her.”

  “So, you gave her some information …”

  “I gave her the entire plot. My fault, I admit. But I was hoping to get some pointers from her, you know, what direction to go in.”

  “What did you plan to do about her stealing the plot, as you claim?”

  “What do you mean? I emailed her first and asked if we could meet for a coffee while she was in town. She said she had time after the signing on Friday. But the more I thought about it, I decided that confronting her in private wasn’t enough. I wanted to confront her and, hopefully, embarrass her in front of her fans. I did what I’d planned to do. She didn’t have an answer, did she? They’ll remember that and not buy her books anymore. That was my goal.” Jenna gloated and settled back in her chair.

  “Well, I don’t think you’ll prevent future sales; in fact, the numbers may be up because she won’t be writing anymore. Her book that’s in the works won’t be coming out, though, unless it’s already finished. That’s guaranteed. How did you know Savannah was working on that idea anyway?”

  “She tweeted about it, not that she said much. But there was enough that I knew where she had gotten the idea.”

  “You followed her on Twitter?”

  “Of course. And on Facebook and Instagram. Like I said, I was a big fan of hers, but I was totally blown away when I read that tweet. I couldn’t believe it. She’d even put a teaser about it on her website.”

  “You could have called her out on Twitter.”

  “Not good enough. I wanted to see her face when I exposed her. And you know what, I was going to tweet about it, too.”