Page 22 of Dying to Read

“I’m not calling Terrance.” Shirley took the list and scanned the titles. “Do you want them all up hereat the front?”

“Please. And you don’t have to call Terrance. I’ll check with Archer first, in case he’s free; then I’ll ask Terrance. And if that doesn’t work, maybe Jonathon can borrow Drew’s truck.” The problem with local festivals was that everyone in town was involved in them and busy. Maybe she’d have to think about trading in her car for a bigger one. A vehicle that could haul boxes every once in a while.

Rarity started a festival to-do list. She found that if she had a step-by-step list, she forgot fewer things that she needed. Of course, each festival was different. She needed some candy for the booth too. Which meant a trip to Flagstaff tonight or tomorrow night.

As she was finishing that up, Jonathon came through the door. “Good morning,book people.”

Rarity waved him over. “Just the person I was waiting to see.”

“That can’t be good.” He glanced around the bookstore, which was currently emptyof customers.

“I need you to watch the front while I stuff plastic eggs. Kathy is coming in as well, so send her back when she gets here. And if someone wants to buy a book, pull me out and I’ll ring them up.”Rarity tucked her notebook under the counter. Once she got the egg stuffing done, she would worry about the rest of the festival tasks. And maybe she’d think twice about volunteering for every project that came along.

Jonathon sat at his normal table and opened his laptop. “Sounds suspiciously easy. What’s the catch?”

“I’ll buy you lunch. And maybe you can help stuff plastic eggs later?” Rarity wanted this chore to be off the list today.

He nodded and studied the screen. “I’m on call for whatever you need. Maybe my muse will be quick to give me today’s words since I might be called out of playat any time.”

“I live to serve,” Rarity answered as she headed tothe back room.

She and Shirley quietly worked on their assignments in the back. “Hey, I have a question. Were you here when Archer’s grandmotherwas murdered?”

“No, we moved here a few years after it happened. I heard about it at church, though. I guess she was attacked in her home. She was supposed to be out that night with her son and daughter-in-law to see the youngest, Dana’s, play. But she had a migraine and stayed home.” Shirley moved the last box over to the door. “Everyone was freaked out about home invasions for years after that.”

“So she wasn’t supposed to be home. Maybe it was a robbery gone bad.” Rarity filled another plastic egg and put it into one of the laundry baskets that Heidi had brought to put the completed eggs into when they were finished. They were stuffing the candy for the five-to-seven-year-old hunt. “I wonder who knew she owned the rareAlicebook?”

“I’m not sure why anyone would have stolen a book. It had to be someone who knew its value. Is there even a black market that deals in stolen books?” Shirley glanced out the window, where the hills surrounding the town were barely visible. “Especially out here?”

“All good questions for our resident crime expert. But I hate to bother him if he’s writing.” Rarity nodded toward the front.

Jonathon tucked his head in the door. “Not writing, but I need coffee to bribe my muse. Any made?”

“Sure, let me get you a cup.” Rarity stood and filled a large cup. She walked the coffee over to where Jonathon stood, watching the front door. “You know the bell will ring if anyonecomes inside.”

“Habit. I’ve been put on watch, and watch is what I’m going to do. What question did you two want to ask me?” He sipped his coffee.

Rarity glanced over at Shirley. “I guessyou heard us.”

“Part of it. Go on and ask, you won’t hurt my feelings.” He met her gaze and smiled.

“Okay, so Marilyn wasn’t supposed to be home. Was this a robbery gone bad? Who knew she had such a valuable book? And is there a black market for such items?”

He blinked several times. “I need to think a minute. That’s not one good question, they’re all good. So we looked at the idea that the killing was bad luck for Marilyn. A robbery gone wrong was our theory, except we scoured the local pawn shops and talked to reputable book dealers. No one had heard about anAlicecoming up for sale. I kept in touch with several book dealers over the years, but it never showed up. Until you found it in your restroom.”

Rarity nodded. “But were there otherbooks taken?”

“Some, but none of them were as rare or valuable as theAlice in Wonderland. I have a complete list in my case file copy at the house. I’ll have Edith scan it and send it to me.” The bell over the door sounded, and Jonathon nodded. “I’ve got to go back to work and look like a real bookseller. I’ll let you know if they want to buy something.”

Shirley and Rarity went back to stuffing eggs. The bell on the door kept ringing, and Jonathon called Rarity up to help several times. When Kathy came into the back room at about eleven, she gasped. “Did the Easter Bunny throw up in here?”

“No, we’re just his helpers.” Rarity stood and motioned to her chair. “You take this spot. I’m going to go grab lunch for everyone. What do you want, Shirley?”

After Rarity had gotten everyone’s lunch order called in, she still had about a half hour before the food would be ready and she’d have to leave. Instead of going back to the back room to stuff more eggs, she walked around the bookstore and straightened books. She reshelved those that had been left somewhere besides their shelved spot when the customer had discarded them and chosen another book.

A book sat by a reading chair on a table. Rarity picked it up and immediately noticed the age of the cover. She’d been left another offering. She sat down in the chair and gently opened it to the title page. She didn’t know what to look for as far as it being a first edition, but the book, a hardback copy ofThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, sat on her lap.

She appreciated someone trying to do the right thing by returning the books, but she didn’t know why she was the middleman between the Ender family and the original thief. Or if he wasn’t the thief, he at least had another clue in the discovery of who stole these booksand from whom.

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