Page 106 of Murder on the Page

He didn’t know about that? Then how had he learned about the probe? I flashed on his Dates and Places profile and wanted to palm slap my forehead a second time. Before being a sales rep, he’d worked in banking telecommunications. Had he bugged the bookstore, perhaps setting up the surveillancewhen he was supposedly using the bathroom in the stockroom? Had he listened to Tegan and me discussing our next move? For that matter, had he tapped my cell phone and eavesdropped on my conversation with Frank Fitzwilliam? I hadn’t thought to look for reconnaissance equipment in his room at the inn.

“Move.”

“The police will figure out you used to sell pharmaceuticals. They’ll realize you’re savvy enough to have poisoned Marigold.”

“With you gone, I doubt it.”

“One question.”

“Shoot.” He snickered. “Oh, gee, you can’t.” He waggled the Beretta. “I’ve got the gun.”

“Why did you trigger the alarm here?” I took a small step toward the refrigerator while getting a firm grip on the strap of my tote. “Why not kidnap me at my house? You felt comfortable stealing in the other night.”

“Aha.You figured that out. Clever girl.”

Darcy yowled.

“My cat doesn’t like when someone calls me ‘girl,’ either,” I said.

“To answer your question, why did I come here? I thought it would be easier to contain you. The space is limited, and let’s face it, sealing you in the refrigerator is, in a word, brilliant. When someone finds you days from now, they’ll think how careless you were to let the door close. Keep moving.”

Rick had to know there was a safety lock on the inside. He wasn’t just going to put me into the refrigerator. He intended to knock me out. I’d freeze before I roused.

I took another baby step. Had Zach seen the text I’d sent him with the image of the empty bank envelope? Would he realize what it signified? I said, “Marigold offered you a hundred K to walk out of Noeline’s life, didn’t she?”

Rick didn’t respond, meaningyes.

“Why didn’t you take it and go?” I pressed.

“Because I fell in love with Noeline.”

“As if.”

“It’s true. I decided to stick around.”

“How long do you think you can hide the truth?”

“A long, long time.”

“Tell me this,” I said, rounding the granite island, judging the distance between us. I’d only get one chance to swing my tote. “Did you also take Marigold’s ring?”

“What ring?”

“A diamond-and-ruby target ring, circa 1920, value seventy-nine thousand dollars.”

Rick whistled. “Alas, no, that evaded me. Oh, well. C’mon, now, don’t dally any longer. I told Noeline I was going out for coffee. I need to pick it up before I return.”

I made eye contact with Darcy. He was standing on the shelving, ears pricked, tail bristled and stiff.Good boy,I tried to transmit via ESP. I took one small step and then, giving the command like I would for a game of Pounce, I raised my chin and nodded.

Darcy leaped to the floor.The action startled Rick.

At the same time, I whacked Rick in the arm with my tote. He dropped the Beretta. I kicked it away and hit him again. The tote connected with his ear. He groaned and fell to his knees.

I whooped.Let’s hear it for recipe cards, books, e-readers, and to-do lists.

Darcy leaped onto Rick’s neck and clawed. Rick let out a shriek.

Someone pounded on the rear door. Remembering I’d locked it, I raced to it, threw the latch, and swung it open.

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