Page 27 of Secrets in the Stacks

“He was in here a few days ago. I got a bad vibe from him, but maybe it was just intensity. He seems fine today. Chatty even.” She tucked her tote under the counter and took the leash off Killer. “Are you eating out tonight?”

“No, we’re heading back to the house. She’s going to pick me up when she’s done with class. I would have gone with her, but I told Mrs. Maynard I’d have her necklace done by the weekend. She wants it to wear to a party on Saturday.” Sam grabbed one of the stools and sat down, rubbing melted ice cream off her chin. “So I had to work. I should be able to be at the book club tomorrow night, as long as things go well tomorrow. If not, I’ll have to pull all-nighters for a few days. But it’s worth it if Darby stays safe.”

Rarity let Sam talk as she finished the daily opening chores. Then she put her clipboard under the cabinet and sat down. “She’s going to be fine. At least as long as we keep the reporters away from her. Drew got ambushed outside the police station yesterday. He told me the reporter lady might be heading our way, but I haven’t seen her yet.”

“I don’t know why…” Sam’s sentence was cut off when the reporter, Charity Lions, walked into the bookstore, red power suit and all. She looked around like she was pretending to shop and then headed right to the counter.

“Good afternoon. You must be Rarity Cole, owner of The Next Chapter. I love your little bookshop. But then again, who doesn’t love such a quaint spot right here on Main Street. I hear you haven’t owned the shop long.”

“It’s been about a year now.” Rarity smiled, but it felt as fake as she felt. “What can I do for you? Are you looking for fiction? Nonfiction? Self-help?”

She saw Sam start to laugh, but then she turned away. “Bye, Rarity. I’ve got to open my shop.”

Rarity watched as Sam deserted her. She was on her own.

“Actually, I wanted to see if Ms. Darby Doyle was working today. I’m doing a story about her grandmother and the unfortunate recent events.” She smiled like the request was just a friend, checking in.

“Sorry, she’s not working. She’s taking a few days due to the death in her family. I’m afraid I don’t know when she’ll be back.” Rarity turned away from the reporter. “Now, if there’s not anything else, I’ve got books to check in and get out on the shelves.”

“Could I ask you a few questions? About the store and your motivation in opening it? I’ve been told you have an amazing story yourself.” The reporter tried a different tactic.

Rarity barely kept the sigh from escaping. The woman was persistent. “Sorry, I’m awfully busy right now, small businesses usually are. Call me later, and we can set up a time.”

“Excuse me, could you see if you have the other books in this series?” The man who’d come in earlier leaned on the counter. He handed a thriller to Rarity and then turned to focus on Charity. “Why, hello darling. I bet you love men who read, don’t you? Well, you’ve hit the jackpot here. No wedding ring on those pretty hands. Are you single?”

Rarity took the book and turned away toward her computer, trying to hide her smile. “This will take a few minutes to look up. I have to boot up the inventory. It’s been a busy afternoon. I haven’t gotten much of my opening tasks done yet.”

“No hurry, I’ll just get acquainted with this lovely lady.” He leaned closer. “Your perfume is so enticing. What is it called?”

Charity stepped away from the counter—and from the man—and put a card near Rarity. “Call me if you have time for an interview this week. I really have to go.”

“Seriously? I thought we were getting to know each other. My name’s Nick, by the way,” the man called after her. After the door closed, he turned back to Rarity. Straightening, he tapped the counter and started walking to the door. “No need to look that up. I just wanted to help you out. I didn’t find what I was looking for, so maybe I’ll check in the next time I’m in the area.”

“I could order a book, if you wanted,” Rarity called after him, but he just waved without turning around and left the shop.

Rarity took the book he’d handed her and walked it back to the shelf where it belonged. She returned to the counter, where she found Killer watching her. “It’s been a weird afternoon here, hasn’t it?”

The little dog went over and took a drink out of his bowl. Then he returned to his bed by the fireplace. Now, Rarity was really on her own.

Later that night, when Archer came over to watch a movie, she told him about both her visit from the reporter and her new “friend” Nick. He didn’t respond for a minute; then he looked at her. “Do you think he really was just browsing? He couldn’t have stolen something from the shop, right?”

“I don’t have anything of value in that section. It’s books about the area, where I keep the hiking books so people you send over have to look around a bit before they just buy their next hiking guide.” She sipped her wine, thinking about the books on those shelves. “Nothing anyone would want to steal.”

“Then I’m not sure why he’s hanging out. This is the same guy you thought was threatening the last time he was in the shop, right?”

“Yeah, but watching him with Charity? I think he knows the power of his words. And he scared her away on purpose. He wanted to ‘save’ me from how pushy she was.” Rarity thought about the encounter. “Maybe he was doing a Save the Cat move. You know, making me think he’s a good guy?”

Archer reached for the popcorn. “Well, next time, tell him it’s my job to play white knight when it comes to you. He needs to just buy a book and go away.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him. And if he has a problem with it, I’ll send him to your place. Maybe he’ll fall for Calliope, and he’ll be hanging out at your shop rather than mine.” She took a handful of popcorn and gave a small piece to Killer. “It just didn’t feel like he was flirting or interested in me. The books, yes. But not me as a person.”

“You never know what lies behind a man’s good intentions.” Archer put his arm around her and pulled her close. “I just want you to be safe and happy.”

At the moment, she felt like he was meeting both of those goals for her. She laid her head on his shoulder and watched the movie.

Chapter 12

Tuesday morning, Rarity packed extra food in her bag for Killer. With the book club meeting at the shop, the day was always long. As they walked into town, she saw Terrance drinking coffee on his deck and waved. She liked her little neighborhood.

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