by Evelyn Amber
Instead of only searching for the title, she decided to search for the price. She searched endlessly, but most websites offered a price no higher than the regular retail price.
She clicked on one last website and she found exactly what she was looking for. This site was dedicated to antiques of every kind. She found the section devoted to books. She found that a first edition of Alice in Wonderland could go anywhere from a few hundred pounds to upwards of tens of thousands of pounds. Even unoriginal but old books went for a healthy sum of money. She picked her copy up and turned it in her hand, comparing it to the picture displayed on the computer screen. It was certainly similar to the copies that went for less. Alice knew it was no original but maybe she could offer it to Barry as a peace offering or to at least buy her some time to find the elusive missing copy.
After placing the book in her handbag, Alice headed out. The weather over the past week had been so erratic she hadn’t considered how warm it could have been. She rolled the sleeves of her cardigan up and headed towards Barry’s house. His house was in a quiet part of the town and it took Alice ten minutes to walk there, but the weather was pleasant enough for her to enjoy the short journey.
Barry’s garden was unkempt and had weeds growing everywhere. The grass was as high as Alice’s ankles and the flowers had wilted. It looked like weeks of neglect rather than a few days, meaning that his problems probably reached back further than she had first thought. She wondered what was going on with the jolly man she had always enjoyed talking to about old books.
Alice took the book out of her bag, stood up straight, and knocked on the door. She waited for Barry to answer, but instead it was a man she didn’t recognize. He was tall and handsome, his dark hair brushed neatly away from his chiselled, clean-shaven face. He was kitted out in an expensive looking suit, and had a smile that reeked of arrogance. She would have put him in his mid-forties, if she had to guess.
The stranger’s smile made Alice feel uneasy and her cheeks blushed. His intense gaze caused her to squirm. Barry appeared behind him and narrowed his eyes before looking down at the item in her hands. His eyes grew twice the size and the excitement in his face caused Alice to feel guilty.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” the man asked, not moving his eyes from her, his smile growing like the Cheshire Cat.
“Oh,” Barry replied, seeming to forget himself. “Thomas this is Alice Taylor. She runs the bookshop I told you about. Alice this is Thomas Atkins.”
Alice gave Thomas a small smile before focusing her attention on Barry.
“Is that what I think it is?” Barry asked, moving around Thomas, almost licking his lips at the sight of the book. “Did you get it back?”.
Barry snatched the book from her hands, but his face dropped when he looked at the front cover.
“What is this rubbish?” Barry barked, staring accusingly at her. “This isn’t the right book. This isn’t my book!”
“I know,” Alice said. “But I thought that–”
“You thought what?”
“Well,” Alice started, “I did some research and I know this isn’t worth as much as the original but it’s still worth something.”
“This book,” Barry said shaking it in the air, “is worthless! I can’t do anything with this!”
“Now, now,” Thomas said, calmly placing his hand on Barry’s shoulder. “There’s no need to get worked up. Why don’t you come in, Alice?”
Alice looked at Barry, but he simply walked back into the house with a wave of his hand.
“Sit down,” Barry mumbled as he took a seat in a chair.
Alice sat down slowly, and Thomas joined her on the sofa, his arms crossed casually across his knee.
“Did you speak to Minnie?” Barry asked.
“Yes.”
“And?” Barry demanded. “What did she say?”
“She doesn’t know where it is,” Alice admitted.
Barry withdrew into himself, his gaze unable to look at Thomas.
“Barry,” Thomas said. “Would you like to make Alice and I a drink? Do you prefer tea or coffee?”
“Tea,” Alice replied.
Barry got up straight away and shuffled to the kitchen, his head pointed at the floor. He adhered to Thomas’ commands without any question, and Alice had the uneasy feeling that Barry was afraid of the handsome man.
“As you can imagine, we are in quite a pickle,” Thomas said as soon as Barry exited the room. “It is of the upmost importance that this book is returned to us. It’s very valuable.”
“I know,” Alice said, “and if I could help, I would, but I don’t know where it is.”
“I believe you sold it at your shop?”
“I did,” Alice said. “To a good friend of mine who unfortunately passed away the day after. He was murdered.”
“Yes,” Thomas said, patting her hand. “I heard. I’m terribly sorry to hear about that.”
“Barry told me you’re in the antique dealing business,” Alice said, pulling her hand away.
“That’s correct,” Thomas said, smiling proudly. “Thomas Atkins Antiques.”
“Can’t say I’ve heard of it,” Alice said flatly, hoping to penetrate his air of arrogance.
Thomas chuckled, his deep laugh reverberating around the room. He made Alice feel uncomfortable and she couldn’t put her finger on why.
“It’s a rather prestigious business,” Thomas continued. “I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of it. I don’t usually deal with small towns, but when Thomas contacted me about that book, I couldn’t resist. I’ve been trying to hunt down a copy like that for months.”
Barry came in with three mugs and biscuits balanced on a tray, his hands shaking so much that Alice was sure he would drop it.
“Let me take that,” Alice said as she stepped up and took the tray from Barry.
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
Alice placed the tray on the small coffee table and sat back down.
Thomas’ grin didn’t falter once, and it made Alice more uncomfortable with each passing second. He turned and looked at Barry before picking up a very expensive-looking briefcase.
“If you could somehow retrieve that book, Alice,” he said, unbuckling the briefcase, and taking out a glossy business card, “I could repay you very handsomely for your efforts.”
She accepted the business card and turned it over her hands. It looked fancier than any card she had come across.
“But what about me?” Barry said. “You promised me that money. She was the one who sold it!”
“Yes,” Thomas said, snapping at Barry. “But let’s not forget who gave her that book to sell. You didn’t deliver what you promised.”
Alice peered into the briefcase before he snapped it shut. It was filled with papers, and gold pens engraved with his ‘T.A.’ monogram, as well as what looked like metal bookmarks. She assumed they were antiques.
“I’m really sorry,” Alice said as she placed the business card in her cardigan pocket. “But I’m not lying. I really don’t know where it is. I’ve talked to Minnie and she doesn’t know where it is either.”
“Minnie?” Thomas asked with mild curiosity.
“Trevor’s wife,” Alice replied. “She said she would look around when she’s back home. She might find it.”
“That book belongs to me!” Barry bellowed. “If Alice is going to call anyone, it should be me!”
“Since I gave you an advance,” Thomas said, narrowing his eyes and pointing a finger at Barry, “I think you’ll find that book belongs to me.”
Alice noticed how shocked Barry looked at his own outburst. He shrank back into himself, looking down at the tea in his hands that he hadn’t even sipped.
Alice took her tea and swigged it. Any chance of trying to rectify things with Barry was out of the question and she wanted to leave as soon as she could.
She gulped the tea so quickly that a little dribbled down the side of her mouth. Thomas took a handkerchief fro
m his sleeve and dabbed at the side of her mouth. Alice moved her head away reflexively and wiped the tea with her hand. After another long gulp, she had finished.
“Right,” Alice said as she stood. “I better get going.”
Barry was going to hand her the book back, but she shook her hand.
“It’s the least I can do,” she said, holding up her hands. “I’ll see you later.”
Barry remained seated and continued to stare down at the floor. It was horrible to see one of her friends so downtrodden, but there was nothing else she could offer or say to him to make him feel better.
“If Minnie finds it,” Alice said directing her words at Barry, “I’ll let you know.”
Thomas showed her out. He paused at the door before opening it and flashed his pearly white teeth again.
“It was lovely to meet you, Alice,” he purred. “I’ll have to visit your bookshop at some point. Anyone who loves books is a friend of mine.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled before wriggling around him to open the door.
Alice couldn’t enjoy the warm weather on the way home. Her mind was swarming with everything she had seen. She didn’t want to pass judgement on someone she didn’t know, but Thomas’ grinning face unsettled her. She didn’t trust him.
When she arrived back at her cottage, she let out a huge sigh of relief, happy to be in her own surroundings. She took the business card out of her cardigan pocket and looked at it, the embossed gold lettering sparkling in the light.
She sat at her laptop again and typed in Thomas’ name. The first site revealed a lot more about his business. Even from scanning his website, it appeared as though he must have been making a fortune. He seemed to deal in everything from rare books to period furniture.
She clicked off the page and scrolled down until something caught her eye. She clicked on another link. It was a newspaper article of a robbery that had been conducted by Thomas. It was a robbery of an old book store, just shy of twenty-five-years ago. The owner had pressed charges, but he had only had to pay a fine rather and carry out community service.
She shut the laptop, sure Thomas had to be connected to the missing book and even Trevor’s murder.
“What am I missing?” she muttered as her fingers drummed on the table.
10
Sitting behind the counter of her bookshop, Alice twirled a pen around in her hand as she absentmindedly watched Justin sweep the floor. Her phone rang, making her blink away her daydreams. She looked at the screen and it was Minnie.
“Hello,” Alice said cheerfully after accepting the call. She waited for Minnie to reply, but she was met with silence. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” Minnie replied finally. “I’m back at my café today.”
“Already?”
“I want to keep myself busy,” Minnie admitted, her tone not as sure as her words. “I haven’t had one customer yet. They’re either avoiding me, or they don’t expect me to be back open.”
“I’m sure it’s the latter,” Alice assured her, hoping that was the case. “You have loyal customers.”
“When’s your lunch break?”
“In five minutes,” Alice said as she checked her watch.
“I have a chocolate muffin here with your name on it,” Minnie said with a shaky laugh. “Plus, I need some company. The silence is driving me crazy.”
“I’ll be there in five,” Alice said. “I just need to go through a few orders.”
“See you soon.”
Alice hung up, unsure of how to feel about her friend being back at work.
“Was that Minnie?” Justin asked as he rested the brush against a shelf.
“Yeah,” Alice replied. “She’s back at the café and wants me to go over.”
“So soon?”
“It’ll probably do her some good,” Alice said with a wave of her hand as she looked at the papers on the counter. “Have those knitting books still not arrived? Clementine’s going to lose her mind.”
“No,” Justin said as he took the sheet from Alice to look at all the orders. “Go to the café. I’ll ring the suppliers again.”
“Thanks,” Alice said as she walked around the desk. “Do you want me to bring back one of Minnie’s cakes?”
“I can’t,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “Kyle has us on some silly diet for our holiday. No carbs! It’s killing me. No beach is worth this.”
“She has salads?” Alice offered as she reached for the door. Justin pondered the offer for a moment but shook his head. “Rather you than me!”
Minnie’s café was located on the same street as Alice’s bookshop, so it only took her a minute to walk there. Minnie greeted her with a smile, and Alice was sure that was her way of hiding her disappointment at having an empty café. Alice thought she might have been overreacting about the lack of customers, but there was no one to be seen.
The café had started as a hobby for Minnie to occupy her time rather than being a money-making venture. When the café proved to be popular with the residents of Ashbrook, Trevor quit his job at the garage and they combined their efforts. Minnie was a great cook and baker, and Trevor had been great with the numbers and helping to spread the word. The café was always booming, so the emptiness unsettled Alice.
It was more modern looking than Townsgate Café, but it wasn’t lacking its own charm. Minnie had gone for a cleaner colour palette of greys and whites with scarce pops of colour here and there. The floor was classic black and white square tiles. The metal seats with grey cushioning were stylish but comfortable, and she had pale blue stools lining the metal counter where customers usually sat when they ordered Minnie’s famous milkshakes.
“Has it really been like this all day?” Alice asked as she walked up to the counter, grabbing one of the stools.
“Yep,” Minnie said with a sad smile. “Actually, no. Penelope came in for a coffee.”
“It’ll pick up,” Alice said. “Everyone loves it here.”
“I hope so,” Minnie said. “At this rate, I won’t need to hire anyone else now that…now that I’m alone here.”
Minnie unpinned her apron, hung it up on a metal hanger behind her, and joined Alice in sitting down.
“It feels like everyone is avoiding me.”
“I’m sure they aren’t,” Alice assured her. “They’re probably not sure what to say yet. Death is complicated.”
“They could start with a ‘hi’,” Minnie scoffed. “I feel like a leper! The stares of pity when I walked here this morning drove me crazy.”
“It’ll subside. Nothing like this has ever happened here before. It’s such a quiet town. People don’t know how to react.”
“If it doesn’t,” Minnie started, “I’m moving to a new country and changing my name.”
“Buy two tickets,” Alice said. “This ‘spring’ weather is enough to make me want to flee. One day it’s warm, the next it’s freezing.”
“It’s England,” Minnie joked, her smile lighting up her tired face. “Can you expect anything less?”
“You’re right.”
It felt so nice to laugh with Minnie. She realised how much she’d missed the normalcy of sitting with her and talking. The dark clouds still hung above Minnie, waiting to downpour at any second, but Alice could tell she was forcing herself to be strong.
“I’m happy to see you here,” Alice said sincerely.
“I couldn’t stand staying in that house alone all day,” Minnie replied. “Did you manage to speak to Faith?”
“I did,” Alice replied as she sucked air through her teeth. “Yesterday, in fact.”
Alice knew she had to tell her she believed Faith’s version of events; Minnie would see through her if she tried to lie. But, she was unsure how her friend would take the news. It felt like a betrayal. Alice bit down on her bottom lip and looked down at the table.
“I know that look,” Minnie said, raising her brows. “Spill.”
“I don’t think she did it,” Alice st
arted. “I’m not saying what she did was right, but I don’t think she killed him.”
Minnie rolled her eyes before looking straight at Alice with slightly pursed lips. Minnie might have been able to read Alice, but the same was also true in reverse. Alice could tell Minnie was frustrated by her admission.
“You’re too nice for your own good,” Minnie said with a waft of her hand as she sat back in her chair. “You always have been. I knew she’d win you over. Women like her are manipulative. She wormed her way back into my Trevor’s life, and now she’s wormed her lies into your brain, and you’ve fallen for it, Alice! Hook, line, and sinker!”
“It could have been someone else,” Alice pointed out.
“Like who?”
“Do you know a man called Thomas Atkins?” Alice asked.
“Can’t say I do,” she replied. “Why?”
“I went to Barry’s yesterday,” Alice started. “And this Thomas guy was there asking me about Alice in Wonderland. There’s something about him that gives me the creeps.”
“What’s so special about that damn book?” Minnie asked, seeming irritated by Alice bringing it up again. “You’ve mentioned it so many times. You aren’t telling me something.”
“It’s worth a lot of money.”
“How much?”
“Thousands.” Alice gulped. “And in the right collection, there’s a buyer willing to pay £35,000.”
Minnie arched a brow as though she didn’t believe what Alice had just revealed, but she appeared to think about it for a moment before something flashed across her face.
“You don’t think–”
“That someone killed Trevor for the book?” Alice interjected. “That’s where my thoughts have been leading me.”
“But who?”
“I don’t know,” Alice said. “Barry, maybe?”
“Barry?” Minnie repeated with a forced laugh. “Don’t be so silly! Are we talking about the same Barry Oakes? Yeah, he’s a little odd sometimes, but he wouldn’t murder someone! He’s Barry! He comes in here all the time and he’s never been anything but polite. Besides, you told me yourself he doesn’t have the book.”