“By what?” Mavis asked, turning to look at the towers of books that decorated the space.
“A ghost,” Jacques said.
“But that’s preposterous!” Mavis said. “Next you are going to tell me that the silly ghost that supposedly haunted my ancestral home is real too.”
“I—” he paused, “would never suggest such a thing.”
“Who was throwing books?” Mavis demanded to know.
Amber looked from Jacques to Mavis and back again. After the last librarian found her way to the nut farm over such a declaration, she certainly wasn’t going to suggest it was a ghost.
Jonathan peered over the counter next. His eyes danced with laughter when he saw them hiding. “We had to clear the shelves in order to work on them,” he said to his mother, pulling her gently away. “It must have been the stack I made on the table by the door that fell.”
Jacques looked at Amber and shrugged. “Works for me,” he whispered. He stood up and offered her a hand up.
“Why did you make them all so tall?” Mavis turned to stare at the room.
“I guess we made a game out of the monotony of stacking them,” Jonathan said.
“I suppose I can understand that,” Mavis said skeptically.
“I won see?” He pointed to the tallest stack. “That’s mine.”
Amber could hardly believe the ease with which he lied.
“Did you want to stay and help?” Jonathan asked his mother.
Jacques gave him a look that suggested he’d gone insane to suggest it.
“I suppose I could,” Mavis said, “but I offered to make dinner for everyone tonight, and I still need to go to the market.”
“Pot roast?” Jonathan asked, but it sounded like a suggestion.
“Yes,” his mother said, “if that’s what you’d like.”
“Like?” Jonathan scoffed. “Mom, you know I love your pot roast.”
“Well, all right.” Mavis smiled happily. “Pot roast it is then.” She stepped around a pile of books on the floor and headed for the door. She paused. “Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a sign that says closed for repairs.”
“Thank you,” Amber said. “I’ll put it up right away.”
“I will see you all tonight, my dears.” Mavis waved goodbye as she left.
“That was quick thinking,” Jacques said when the door closed behind her.
“You’d better lock that,” Jonathan said to Amber, and then he turned to Jacques. “What the hell was that about?”
“Ah,” Jacques looked around the room then leaned close to whisper, “Agnes thought that Amber had stolen her book.”
“What book?” Jonathan looked at the diary on the counter and started to pick it up. “This?”
“Oh, I don’t know if I’d touch that if I were you,” Amber said as he did. She moved further back toward the door, not only to lock it, but to get out of the way of the flying books she was sure would come.
Jonathan opened the front cover noticing that Jacques backed away from him as well. Jonathan chuckled at how he kept his eye out for flying objects. He shook his head before turning a few pages. “Hmm,” he said.
“What’s hmm?” Jacques asked.
“She says something about knowing where a treasure is hidden.”
“Non.” Jacques pointed his finger. “You are trying to get me. I know this trick.”
“No, seriously.” Jonathan spun the book around and pointed.
Jacques tried to read it from where he was.
“You can’t seriously be afraid of a little ghost.”
“She’s not so little,” Jacques said. A heavy bookend fell off the counter and landed on his foot when he said the last part. “Ouch!” He hopped on one foot while holding the toes of his other.
“Is she,” Amber looked around the room worriedly, “still angry?”
“I don’t think so,” Jonathan said. “that is to say,” he looked at Jacques, “as long as you don’t insult her.”
“Or steal her book,” Jacques added, “or her man, she’ll be fine.”
“Steal her man?” Jonathan raised a brow, looking at Jacques who pointed at Amber.
“Yeah,” Amber giggled for the first time, “I know, Right?”
Jonathan found himself rather charmed, not only by the sound of her laughter, but by her lack of pretentiousness. Most the women he’d known had been more than assured in their lives that looks meant everything and that this somehow gave them some sort of entitlement.
“Oh no! Talk about a man stealer,” Jacques said, looking out the door. “Here comes trouble . . . again!”
Jonathan turned to see none other than Patricia Parker coming up the walk outside. “You locked that, right?” Jonathan asked.
Amber nodded.
“What should we do?” Jacques asked.
“Hide,” Jonathan said, moving to a place where she couldn’t see him through the glass.
“Hide?” Jacques asked before ducking once again behind the counter.
Amber was between the two and in plain sight. She stared like a deer caught in the headlights as the busy bee came closer.
Jonathan reached out and pulled her toward him, stuffing her in the spot right in front of him. He leaned over her to peek around the corner, pressing his chest against her upper back.
He still had his hand on her arm. And as innocent as it was when he slid it down to her elbow, it felt like a lover’s caress, leaving behind a searing heat. Don’t let your imagination run away here! Amber told herself sternly. She took a deep calming breath. There was nothing to it.
A shadow that darkened the doorway diminished the light coming in through it. Amber knew he was peering over her looking at the real goddess just outside, but that logical explanation didn’t register to the awakening feelings stirring within her body.
The heat and tension from the palm of his hand kept building. There is nothing to it. . . . There is nothing to it. Amber kept repeating over and over in her head, but his breath against the back of her neck sent goose bumps down to her toes. There is nothing to it! She closed her eyes, willing away the emotions that being this close to him brought.
Jonathan watched as Patricia turned around and left. He knew he could move away from the woman in front of him, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. Somehow the feel of her felt so right. Even the smell of the pom-pom style pony tail that tickled his nose was euphoric. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. There was probably something wrong with him, but in that moment he didn’t even care.
“I think she is gone,” Jacques said popping up startling them both.
They opened their eyes in shock and parted like positive charged particles in opposite directions.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Jonathan said, rubbing his hands together briskly. “It shouldn’t take us long to replace all the broken locks on the tops of these shelves. Then we can help Amber put all these books back.” He looked back at Jacques.
Amber had decided the books that were scattered near the front desk needed immediate attention. “Attraction is not love, Amber. You know that!” She berated herself softy.
“I thought it was love, too, once long ago.”
Amber was startled by the disembodied voice she had heard. “Agnes?” she whispered.
“I’m here.” A transparent hand reached out towards her.
Amber scrambled back until she was pressed against the counter. “You are right not to trust any of them.”
“Who?”
“Men!” Agnes spat and disappeared.
“Are you alright?” Jonathan asked as he noticed her squashed up against the counter like something was about to bite her.
“I think I just saw her,” Amber squeaked.
“Really?” Jonathan asked.
“She is enough to scare anyone.” Jacques nodded in understanding. A whole stack of books fell over on him, several bouncing off his head. “Ow!” he yelped. “You wouldn’t have dared before I had a body,” he s
aid.
Amber looked at him oddly. “Before you had a body?”
“Uh—” Jacques realized his slip. “Past life joke, non? It’s a psychic thing.”
Jonathan and Jacques spent the next hour securing the book shelves and replacing the hardware that attached them while Amber tackled the stacks of books. It was getting close to noon when Patricia returned, carrying bags of lunch.
She knocked on the door. “Jonathan, I know you’re in there.”
“What should we do?” Amber asked in a whisper as Patricia peered through the glass.
“I don’t think she’s going to go away,” Jacques said. “Are those bags from Ben’s Juicy Burgers?” His stomach growled hungrily. “Maybe we should let her in.”
“You’re right.” Jonathan walked over to look. “She’ll just be there when we leave.”
“Oui.” Jacques nodded. “We might as well have lunch.”
Amber couldn’t believe what she was hearing. They were both caving to their hunger, letting their stomachs rule.
“No—It’s not worth it,” Jonathan said stoically. “We must be strong. I’ll sneak out the back and bring burgers back.”
“If you don’t open this door right now,” Patricia said, “you will regret it.”
Jacques raised an eyebrow looking at him. “How much dirt can she have on you?” he asked.
“Ah—” Jonathan nodded slightly with a shrug. “We do go way back.”
“I’ll tell the real story of our trip to Peru,” Patricia called out.
“How bad could it be?” Jacques asked.
“I know that Jacques is a supernatural being from outer space.”
“Maybe we should open the door,” Jacques said.
Amber looked at him in surprise.
“Not that I am.” He laughed. “That would be. . . I mean from outer space? Where did she get that?”
Jonathan sighed. “May I have the keys please?”
Amber handed them to him and watched as he opened the door.
“It’s about time,” Patricia said as she walked in.
“I told you before that Jacques was on my team and had been watching the suspects.”
“Jonathan,” Patricia said. “I know what I saw.”
“What you saw was induced by some Peruvian hallucinogens.” Jonathan gave her the same old excuse. “We’ve been over this.”
“But I only drank bottled water,” she said, placing the food on the counter.
“But you ate the food,” Jacques said, sniffing at the bags appreciatively. “Do I look like an alien?”
Patricia ignored him, looking at Amber instead. “So you’re the one.”
Amber didn’t know what to say to that. “I’m the new librarian.”
“Why would Cupid attack you?” Patricia asked. “Maybe,” Patricia eyed her up and down with a gleam that said she was on to something, “he really thinks he is Cupid and that you needed his help. . . . Of course!” She laughed, turning away, dismissing Amber as if she were inconsequential.
“Don’t pay any attention to her,” Jacques whispered as he snooped through the bags on the counter.
“Or maybe it’s because he is a nutcase and needs help,” Jonathan said.
“Oh, Jonny, don’t be like that.” She stepped closer, placing her hand on his chest. “Remember the times. . . .”
“We had our fun,” Jonathan said, capturing her hand and taking it off of his chest.
Patricia’s eyes narrowed on him. “Is that all I was to you . . . fun?” She stepped away from him.
Both Amber and Jacques looked from one to the other as unwilling spectators in the exchange.
“I’m not the one who left to go to Burma to further my career,” Jonathan reminded her.
“It was an assignment.” Patricia pouted.
Jonathan had had access to satellite that proved that wrong.
“Besides, he’s a married man,” Patricia added as if this made his allegations beyond reason.
Married. Jonathan remembered looking at engagement rings for her the day before she left. The image made him cold inside. “You should know I have photos of your trip, Patricia.”
“What?” she asked. “How could you?”
“I worked in witness protection if you’ll recall,” Jonathan said.
“You were spying on me?” She was outraged.
Amber glanced over at Jonathan. The information at least explained his reasons for asking her if she was in the program and why he thought he could help her.
“Let’s just say that you’re not the only one who knows how to collect information,” Jonathan said. “I hope you don’t feel the need to write anything more about our trip.”
“Are you threatening me?” Patricia snarled. Both Jacques and Amber turned to watch her.
“I think it is more a blackmail, oui?” Jacques asked.
“Oh, shut up.” Patricia glared at him and then ripped the sandwich bag away from him. She picked up the other bags off the counter on her way out.
Jonathan stood watching her stride away, wondering why he had ever found her attractive. She and her assets bounced down the stairs, and he made a face, rubbing his jaw. Yeah, now I remember.
He turned back to see both Jacques and Amber looking at titles of books as if that was suddenly really important to sort them. “I say we go get some burgers.”
Jacques immediately perked up. “Oui, I am starving.”
“Agnes?” Jonathan asked. “Do you want something or . . . to come along?” He looked around the room. “No?”
Jacques suddenly sighed and shook his head.
“What?” Jonathan asked.
“She says she would like that very much.”
“Great!” Jonathan headed towards the door. “Let’s go.”
“I know of a great old hamburger place that has been there forever,” Jonathan said as they headed towards his truck.
“What about the juicy burgers from Ben’s?” Jacques asked in disappointment.
“This is even better! It has nostalgia,” Jonathan said with delight. “You’re going to love it!” He opened the doors and climbed in. “They bring the food out to the car on those little trays, and they have those big frozen mugs of root beer.”
Amber couldn’t help but be swayed by his enthusiasm. His delight was infectious. She even found herself looking forward to it as she climbed into the truck, and she hadn’t thought of food with much of any type of excitement in years.
“How are we all going to fit?” Jacques asked as he hopped up next to Amber.
“What do you mean?” Jonathan asked.
“I mean where is Agnes going to sit?” he asked. The last part sounded like he was being squished. “Never mind.”
“I thought ghosts were light,” Jonathan said.
“Maybe she should sit on you then,” Jacques said and received a lap full of maps that had been tucked into the visor above him.
Jonathan chuckled as he pulled away from the curb.
“Could you give me a little more room?” Jacques asked. “Someone should go lighter on the bon-bons if you know what I mean,” he whispered, covering his mouth to the side.
A map fluttered up and smacked him across the face.
Jonathan scooted closer to the door, making more room for Amber on his side. He even moved his arm to rest over the back of the seat so that she had more room.
Awkwardly, Amber moved even closer to him while Jacques scooted toward the other door making room in the middle.
“Oh, that’s better,” Jacques sighed.
Jonathan looked at his grandpa suspiciously, wondering if this hadn’t been his ploy all along as they drove down the road.
Patricia sat in her car, watching them drive away. She couldn’t believe it when he put his arm around the homely little troll. “How could he prefer that dull lifeless woman over me?” she asked. “You think you can play with me? We’ll just see about that.” She looked down at the diary that she’d picked up with the food
on the way out of the library. “I don’t need you to find a story.”
Her cell phone rang as she opened the first page. She groaned, looking at the number. She didn’t want to talk to the man, but he had given her the tip on where the little librarian was staying. “Hello,” she answered.
“Ms. Parker?” the man said.
“Yes,” Patricia said, wondering if his accent was from the Bronx or the West Bank of New Orleans.
“Did you find her?”
“As a matter-of-fact, I did,” Patricia said. “Tell me, why are you so interested?”
“Perhaps we can be of mutual benefit to one another.”
“I’m listening.” Patricia tapped her long red nail on a page of the book and lifted her brow as she read the word treasure. A smile curved her lips.
Chapter 9
“Let’s order,” Jonathan said after they had parked under the overhang and pushed the button on the speaker. “Do you want fries?”
“I do,” Jacques said.
“How about if I order double cheeseburger meals for everyone?” Jonathan looked at Amber and added, “If you don’t finish it all, I’ll help you out.”
Having been pressed up next to him with his arm over her for most of the ride and the rest with his hand on the gear shift had made her forget how hungry she actually was. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m pretty hungry.”
“Excellent!” Jonathan said. Because of the static coming through the speaker, he had to repeat the order several times before the person on the other end had it. “It’s good to see that some things never change.” He grinned.
“It is meals on wheels,” Jacques said as a car hop skated by. “This is something I must try.”
“You’ve never skated before?” Amber asked.
“Non,” Jacques said. “It is on my bucket list, oui?”
“What is on your bucket list?” Jonathan asked.
“I’ve never really considered it,” Amber said.
“What do you do for fun?” Jonathan asked her.
“I suppose I read,” Amber said. She’d been on the run for so many years, going out for fun had never really happened.
“Do you know how to skate?” Jonathan asked.
“Actually, no,” Amber said. “I slipped on ice once, does that count?”
Cupid's Treasure - Mystery of the Golden Arrow Page 9