Page 39 of Secrets in the Stacks

“There’s still another load of dishes to wash, but this load just started, so I’d put it off until tomorrow.” Shirley nodded to the fridge. “And now, there’s room for your stuff in the fridge. If you want to learn about meal planning, I can come over and give you a quick tutorial.”

“Maybe later,” Darby said. Then she changed the subject. “Rarity, I think you were right about Grandma. One of the ladies I talked to said she had mentioned writing a book. Did anyone see something like that in the journals?”

Rarity shook her head. “Not specifically, but your grandmother could weave a tale. I can’t believe how detailed her descriptions were. A few of the journals I read had character sketches of people in town. I recognized a few of the people who she wrote about.”

“Well, I’m going to go through her computer and see if I can find any manuscripts.” Darby took the last cookie off a tray and popped it into her mouth.

“You should start a shopping list now and add to it when you use something up.” Shirley pointed to the notebook on the table. “That way you don’t forget about it.”

“Great idea.” Darby turned to Rarity. “I hope I find an unpublished manuscript. Then I can get it ready to publish under her name as a tribute to her.”

“That would be sweet. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.” Rarity saw Archer pop his head into the kitchen. He smiled, then left again. “I think my ride’s getting anxious. Are we done here? I have a dinner date.”

“Go, go.” Darby smiled. “I’ll be fine. Besides, Malia and Holly are taking me to dinner since they couldn’t make the wake. They’ll be here in less than ten minutes. I don’t want to hold up your evening. Believe me, guys. I’m okay here on my own.”

Rarity hugged Darby. “You did a great job today. Your grandmother would be proud.”

After saying her goodbyes, Rarity went looking for Archer. All of the downstairs rooms were empty. She found him in the sunroom, reading.

“What you reading?” she said as she came up behind him.

He jumped like she’d expected and then turned to grin. “You almost gave me a heart attack. I know I’m the last one here, besides your book club in the kitchen, but I keep hearing things. Old house, lots of noises. When I get a house, I want a brand-new one, built on a certified cemetery-free plot of land.”

Rarity frowned, looking back at the interior of the house. “Maybe we should walk the house before we go.”

“Believe me, I already have. Several times. The last round was when you saw me as I popped my head into the kitchen. Drew said he’s still not sure why anyone would break into the house, but he knows someone did.” He stood and tucked the book into his suit pocket. “Ready to go to dinner?”

“Yes, I’m starving. Feeding people is hard work, even when all the food is brought for you.” Rarity thought about her statement. She’d focused on the wrong thing. “Okay, let me rephrase that, cleaning up after feeding people is the hard part. Do you want to walk through the house again before we leave?”

“No, I’m sure it was just the house settling. I’ve walked through the house three times now. Besides, I hear things all the time at the shop, but my building is near the bar. Closing time can get a little interesting. Drew’s tired of me calling and waking him up to come break up a fight.” He took her arm, and they made their way back into the main house.

The door to Catherine’s study stood open.

Rarity pointed to it. “That’s odd. I know that was closed the last time I looked.”

“It was closed on my last round too. Stay here.” Archer started moving toward the door.

Rarity moved with him. When he turned and glared at her, she shrugged. “You go, I go. It’s kind of a personal rule.”

“You are a pain in the butt.” He smiled to soften the words. “Okay, then, be quiet until we clear the room.”

“You’re the one who’s still talking,” Rarity pointed out.

They reached the doorway, and Archer pushed the door open farther. He looked around the room, then nodded and entered.

She followed, and now she could see that the room was totally empty. “If someone was here, they’re gone now.”

Archer nodded. He looked around at the desk, the table and chairs, the fireplace, and the large big-screen television. He spoke slowly. “Maybe someone just came in to get a break or to chat with someone where they had some privacy.”

“We need to talk with Darby without her getting upset.” Rarity groaned. “Sorry, I’m falling back into bad relationship habits. Ever since I had the feeling someone’s watching, all I want to do is protect my friends from getting hurt by anyone. So let me reframe what I wanted to say. We need to tell Darby.”

“Cool, the first lesson is not to put expectations on what you tell other people. They will do what they want. Her feelings are not your responsibility, nor are the actions she may take because of the feelings. They’re just there.” Archer sighed. “Now I’m doing it, right?”

“Thanks for the unnecessary explanation.” She laughed as she put her arms around him and gently closed the door. “We’re only human. Let’s go tell Darby.”

They found Darby in the kitchen with Shirley drinking a cup of tea. Which had to have been Shirley’s idea. Darby looked up as the door opened. “Hey, I thought you two were gone.”

“Archer wanted to do another sweep of the house. Did you know the study was open?” Rarity asked.

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