Page 31 of Secrets in the Stacks

“Except the time I was at the bookstore, picking up more books after lunch. I don’t have anyone to verify my alibi from about one to one thirty. Except you had given me the list of books as soon as I finished lunch that day.” Darby shook her head. “I think I’m still on the list because I could have had the books already packed up, ran to the house, killed Grandma, and then ran back and delivered the books.”

“Except, like you said, I didn’t give you the list until after lunch.” Rarity put her name by the item. “I’ll drop by and see Drew and make sure he knows this. So that should take you off the list.”

“Not if she hired someone to kill Catherine,” Malia said through a mouthful of cookie.

Everyone turned to stare at her. Finally, Holly said, “We’re trying to keep her off the suspect list, not give a bunch of ways she should still be on it.”

Darby shook her head. “Malia’s right. Even if Rarity convinces the police that I couldn’t have done it, they still can come back and say I hired someone. But unless they did it on commission or took a payment plan, I don’t have that kind of money available to me. Even now, I don’t have full access to Grandma’s accounts until next week. Most murder-for-hire guys don’t like waiting around for their money.”

“I think they don’t trust their employer.” Malia nodded. “That’s an angle I hadn’t thought of to keep you off the list.”

Rarity wrote down the issue of money to hire a killer and put her name by that, too. “I’ll run this by Drew. I hate to give him another reason to suspect Darby, but like you said, if there isn’t someone who does the job up front and waits for the money, it has to clear her.”

“Or at least put Darby at the bottom of the list. The problem is I don’t know anyone else who should be on the list. Does anyone?” Shirley had her notebook open and a pen in her hand. “We need alternate options for our police detective to go look at if we want him to leave Darby alone.”

“Good point.” Rarity tapped the closed marker on her lips. She had a bad habit of doing this with or without the top on the pen, so now she made sure she closed it before she got to thinking about something. “I still think there’s something with the books. I didn’t find any valuable books on the lists you all gave me Sunday. But maybe one of the books had a secret compartment and had money or a safe deposit key, or even gold coins. We are in the Wild West here. Maybe she found a stash from a robbed stagecoach.”

Darby shook her head. “Something like that would have been in the safe. Grandma was fanatical about keeping money safe. Even with my purse when I used to carry one. She’d freak out if I set it on the floor. She said it told the universe that you didn’t think money was important and that you didn’t need any. She was superstitious.”

Shirley raised her hand. “I hate to bring this up, but you said no one can find your folks. They might have come into town and killed Catherine.”

The room got quiet as everyone waited for Darby to react to Shirley’s statement.

Finally, Darby shook her head. “I don’t think they killed Grandma, but I also don’t know where they are. If they are dead too, then there’s more to this than we know.”

“I didn’t mean to say that I think your parents are dead. I’m so sorry, Darby. I’m doing this all wrong.” Shirley closed her eyes. “Maybe this is too close.”

“No!” The force of Darby’s voice made Rarity jump. “I’m sorry, but we have to at least try to figure this out. It’s hard to know, but it’s worse not knowing. I need to know why anyone would kill Grandma. If it was my parents, and I don’t think it was, I can cope with it. We just need to find out what happened. Then I’ll deal with the bounce back. I’m strong. I can handle anything.”

With those words, Carson from the festival’s hydration tent came through the door.

“I had to open my mouth,” Darby muttered, watching Carson look around the store.

Rarity hurried over to greet her. “Hi, we’re doing book club, but you’re welcome to look around.”

“Actually, I’ve been invited by Holly. We’re going to do a reading and see if we can reach Catherine through the tarot cards. Do you mind if I get set up?” Carson nodded to the fireplace, where the rest of the group sat.

“Sorry, I forgot. I think everyone knows Carson,” Rarity began. “She’s here to do a reading?”

Holly stood. “I asked Carson to come by because I was reading about people who are able to talk to the dead through the tarot, and I thought this might be the time to try it.”

“I’ve been thinking about this since Holly told me, isn’t the process a little fiction based?” Darby looked at Carson. “Sorry, I don’t mean to offend.”

“You’re not offending me. I get it. Sometimes my craft is looked upon like it’s not real. But I’m already here. If it’s possible for me to reach Catherine, don’t you want to try?” Carson looked around the group, and each one nodded when her gaze fell on them. “Okay then, it’s settled. Let’s get set up.”

After the table was cleared and wiped down, then dried off, Carson laid down a red velvet cloth with designs embroidered in a circle. She set down her tarot cards and took a deep breath to center herself. Looking around the room, she focused on Killer sitting in his bed and watching her. “You may want to put the dog on your lap. If we get a visitor, it can upset animals, as they can sense the additional spirit. Some dogs are cool, but some freak out.”

Rarity snapped her fingers, and Killer ran to her. She picked him up, and he settled on her lap, still watching Darby. Rarity put a hand on his back to steady him. And to be ready to grab his collar, in case he got spooked. She didn’t think he’d bite anyone, but he’d never been to a seance before, either. At least that she knew of. It was Sedona. “I’ve got him.”

Carson smiled and then repeated the ritual. Three deep breaths, she opened her eyes and scanned the room, then repeated the deep breaths.

This time when Carson opened her eyes, Rarity thought they were a little extra bright. She felt Killer’s body tighten under her hand. She rubbed his neck, hoping to calm him.

“I’ve asked Darby to sit next to me so she can lead the reading. First, I’ll have her say her grandmother’s name clearly three times as I’m shuffling the cards. Then she can ask the question she wants her grandmother to answer. I’ll have her cut the cards, and then we’ll draw out a five-card spread. I’ll interpret the cards, and hopefully, this will give you the answers to your question. Is everyone ready?”

The women in the circle nodded, and Carson turned to Darby. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I want to do this,” Darby quickly responded.

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