Page 24 of Secrets in the Stacks

She didn’t get an answer until she was home with Killer, packing her overnight bag. Again. She heard the beep from the bedroom, and she put the last item into the bag and zipped it closed. She went out to the living room and dropped the bag by the door. Then she picked up her phone and read the text.

Phone numbers I had were disconnected. Drew has a buddy in Anchorage. He’s looking into finding them. Dinner plans?

She texted back. Sorry, heading to Darby’s to do a book inventory. Want to come?

She didn’t have to wait long for a response. I’ll go to the Garnet and watch the game. If you need me, call.

She thought about that last sentence. She had a feeling Drew had already told him about the weird customer. She’d told Archer about the break-in when they’d had dinner on Thursday. It was natural for him to be worried. And knowing that he was concerned made her heart beat a little faster.

Terrance was out on his porch when she and Killer started off for Darby’s house. She waved. “Hey, neighbor.”

“And where are you two off to? You look like you’re taking a trip.” Terrance stood and left his porch, meeting them on the sidewalk.

“I’m staying the night with a friend. Darby Doyle? Her grandmother passed recently, and we’re trying to get her affairs in order.” She clicked her fingers together, and Killer sat near her feet, even though his body shook. He wanted to go visit Terrance.

“I heard about Catherine’s passing. Do we know when the funeral is? I’d like to pay my respects.” Terrance leaned down and gave Killer’s head a pat. “She was a lovely lady with a heart bigger than any other. She practically started the women’s shelter in Flagstaff. And she spearheaded the local clinic here for low income women and children. I think she bought their building for them. At least that was the rumor back in the day.”

Rarity was beginning to think that Darby might be underplaying the amount of money her grandmother left her. It wasn’t her business, but she wondered if maybe money had been the motivating factor in her murder. “I didn’t realize she was that wealthy.”

“Oh, she would say she wasn’t. She just got lucky with a cheap buy, which I’m sure was true, but not everyone can just pull fifty thousand out of their pocket now, can they? Especially since she’d lost her husband and didn’t work.” He shook his head. “Many of my friends tried to get in tight with what they all called the rich widow, but she shot them all down. Me, I wasn’t fit to live with myself; there was no way I could have married back then. You wouldn’t know it from my sparkling personality now, but I was a bit of a loner for a lot of years.”

Rarity smiled and rubbed the old man’s arm. “Well, I’m glad you changed your tune. For my sake at least. I’ve loved being your neighbor.”

“Well, I’ll watch your house and give you a call before I call the cops. Just in case you send someone over to get something you forgot. Or maybe you should call me if you don’t want your friend arrested for trespassing.”

“I didn’t forget anything, but if I did, I’ll give you a call.” Having Terrance around was like having a doting grandfather. At least that’s what Rarity imagined having a grandfather would be like. She’d lost hers before she could even remember them.

He smiled. “That will work. Have a good night.”

“You too,” Rarity responded as he moved back to his porch. She knew he’d be up until the sun rose the next morning. Saturday was his night on the informal group of senior watchmen who lived in the neighborhood. Each night, someone patrolled the streets, making sure no one broke in, like what had happened to Catherine Doyle. Except her break-in had happened during the day. Rarity liked to think that if they had lived in her neighborhood, the senior watchdogs would have made short work of the intruder. And probably would have saved Catherine Doyle’s life.

By the time she got to Darby’s, Sam and Shirley were already there. She and Killer went upstairs and dropped her bag in the same room she’d slept in earlier that week. Apparently, Shirley had a different bedroom.

She paused by Darby’s bedroom. Darby was sitting at a desk in the room, working on her computer, her back to the door. Homework must not be done yet. Rarity didn’t bother her. Instead, she and Killer hurried downstairs and met up with the rest of the group out on the patio.

Sam held up a wineglass. “There’s wine, beer, or coffee.”

“If we’re going to get that study inventoried, most of us better stick to the coffee.” She paused at the wine bottle. “But I can have one glass before we start. Especially if we’re having pizza. I need something to cut the carbs.”

“That’s my girl.” Sam grinned and nodded to Shirley. “Shirley says the library is filled with a lot of nonfiction books. Are you sure there’s anything worth stealing in there?”

“There’s a reason whoever came into the house the other night went to the study. It’s got to be a book, or maybe one of those paintings, but I’m not an art expert. And if it was a painting, he would have been in and out with it.” She looked at Sam and Shirley. “Are either of you art experts?”

“No, but I can Google image search with the best of them,” Shirley boasted.

Both Sam and Rarity stared at her.

“What? An old lady can’t know how to do a techy thing?” Shirley shook her head. “I’m surprised at the two of you, age profiling like that.”

“No disrespect, but mad props, instead.” Sam looked toward the door as the bell rang. “That’s got to be Holly and Malia, or the pizza, or both. I’ll run and open the door for them.”

Shirley took her wineglass and went to the patio’s edge and stared at the pool.

Rarity joined her. “Are you okay?”

Shirley nodded, slowly pointing to the backyard. “This is all so lovely. Darby’s lucky to own this, but I’m sure she’ll be selling it. The house is way too big for one person. I’m surprised Catherine kept it after her son moved away.”

Rarity studied her friend. “Did you know Darby’s parents? Or Catherine?”

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