A book to kill for, p.9
A Book to Kill For, page 9
Where did that thought come from? Maggie shook her head and tried to focus.
Samantha didn’t notice her, and neither did the two other women behind the counter, who were engrossed in conversation with the popular middle-aged cougar.
“I’m still going. There isn’t an opening or ribbon cutting that Calvin and I would ever miss. But I’ve got my doubts. A new man arrives in town, and suddenly one of our own dies mysteriously? I’m not into conspiracy theories, but it is a little strange, don’t you think?” Samantha said, her voice low, sultry, and almost hypnotic. It didn’t take long for Maggie to realize where the rumors about Joshua were coming from.
Part of her wanted to march right up to Samantha and tell her she had seen their whole exchange in the alley and that Samantha was just mad because Joshua didn’t fall for her babe-in-the-woods routine. But she kept her mouth shut and listened.
“Oh, come on, Sam. You can tell us. Is there something going on between you and Mr. Whitfield’s son?” one of the salesladies asked. She was pretty, with long black hair pulled back and almond-shaped eyes, and she was as thin as a stick of dry spaghetti. But the question she’d asked made Maggie almost dry heave.
“No. My gosh, he’s young enough to be my son,” Samantha replied and giggled.
“Since when has that stopped you?” a saleswoman with round, knobby shoulders replied, making all of them giggle.
“True. He’s got a few things to learn about how things are done here in Fair Haven,” Samantha said. “And I’m just the one to teach them to him.”
“What about Calvin? Isn’t he ever suspicious?” the almond-eyed woman said.
“If he took time away from his big-busted secretary, maybe he would be. But we have a rather simple arrangement. He doesn’t ask me what I’m spending, and I don’t ask him who he’s seeing. It works for us.” Samantha laughed, making Maggie feel nauseous. “I will say this, though. It is an overwhelming aphrodisiac to know that the most handsome guy in town has something you want.”
“You always did like the bad boys, Sam,” Miss Knobby Shoulders said.
Maggie slunk back and forth between the dress racks. Every so often, she looked down at a price tag to give the appearance that she was really shopping. When she saw one that read $160 for a plain white blouse, she squinted at the ticket again to make sure she was reading it right. Even if she’d had the money, she didn’t dare think of spending it on clothes. She’d buy one of Mr. Whitfield’s first editions.
“Yeah, and the bad boys like me. I spoke with Joshua Whitfield about making a trade. At first, he agreed,” Samantha said. “Then he changed his mind after Bo dropped dead, like he knew there was something more there. He doesn’t realize that I’m not afraid of him, whether he killed Bo or not. When I want something, I get it.”
“So, speaking of getting things, would you like a fitting room for those?” the almond-eyed woman said.
“Oh, I almost forgot I had them. Yes. I need to look extra serious tomorrow night for the café opening. Joshua won’t be able to hold out for too long. And when I’m done with him, I’ll make sure the police know all about it,” Samantha purred, making the other women laugh.
Maggie didn’t know what to think. She could hardly get over the fact that a married woman well known in town so freely talked about having affairs and accepting her husband doing the same. But in addition, that Samantha would pass along a rumor about Bo’s murderer being Joshua was a whole different level of gossipy. If Mrs. Peacock had heard half of what Maggie had just heard, she would be on the phone for hours, passing the information around.
But Maggie had no one to tell. There was no way she could believe such a thing about her new boss. He might have had terrible taste in books and no real knowledge of the classics, but that was hardly a crime. Sadly.
“You know that black dress you’d passed on is on sale. I know it’s your size, Sam. Do you want me to grab it for you?” Miss Knobby Shoulders asked as she unlocked a fitting room for Samantha.
“No. If I can’t pay full price, I don’t buy it.” Samantha laughed loudly, making the saleswoman laugh, too.
“Sam, you are too much.” Miss Knobby Shoulders guffawed.
Maggie shook her head. What the heck kind of joke was that? There was nothing funny about a sale.
It didn’t take long for Maggie to work her way through the store and finally end up close to the fitting room where Samantha was. The conversation between Samantha and Miss Knobby Shoulders shifted from Joshua to clothes, and Maggie quickly lost interest—until something on the sale rack caught her eye.
It hung from a hanger that appeared to be fancier than the dress itself. It was a simple red dress with an A-line skirt. It certainly was the most modest thing in the entire place and reminded Maggie of proms from the 1950s. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking at her as she checked the price. It had been $170. Then it was marked down to $85. Now, in a last-ditch effort to sell the dress, it bore a final sale price of $60 and a handwritten warning that all sales were final and the dress was being sold as-is. Maggie inspected every inch of the dress, and aside from a bit of hem that looked to have come loose, it was in perfect condition.
It was the most she had paid for a dress in recent memory. Without hesitating, she snatched the dress from the rack, folded it in her arms, and hurried to the register. The woman with almond-shaped eyes gave a forced smile as she took the dress from Maggie.
“You do know that this is a sale dress and all sales are final?” she said. Her name tag read Shawna.
“I can read. Yes, I saw that,” Maggie said, not meaning to be rude but just stating a fact. She pushed her glasses up and pulled her wallet from her purse, which was strapped across her body to leave her hands free.
Once Shawna rang up the dress and Maggie paid in cash, she folded it nicely, wrapped it in tissue paper, stuck it in a pretty bag that had the image of a spotlight on it, and handed it to Maggie.
“Enjoy.” Shawna again forced a smile that made her squint.
Maggie took the bag and, without a word, hurried out of the store. She was practically shaking as she hurried back to the bookshop. She didn’t know what she was more excited about, the things she’d heard Samantha saying or the dress.
Chapter 16
Despite the weather forecast predicting more steady rain and even a flash flood watch in some of the more rural areas, the people of Fair Haven were not deterred from an evening out. As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror and tried to get a look at herself in her new red dress, Maggie couldn’t help feeling like she was playing a character in a book.
She’d never tell a soul, but she had taken the dress off three times after convincing herself it was too flashy, too scandalous, too red for the bookshop and café event. As she slipped it back over her head and adjusted her glasses for the fourth time, there was a knock on her door. Dropping her hands to her sides in frustration, she padded to the door in her bare feet and yanked it open with a fuss.
“Who the heck…oh, hello, Mrs. Peacock.” Maggie tried to put on a smile as she pushed up her glasses.
“Why, Maggie, you look splendid!” Mrs. Peacock gushed.
“Oh, well, thank you, but I don’t think I’m going to wear…” Maggie started but was quickly interrupted.
“Are you wearing that to the café tonight? Everyone in town is planning on stopping by. My goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so dressed up. I do hope you aren’t getting your hopes up for Joshua Whitfield.” Mrs. Peacock frowned as the gossip hung there on the tip of her tongue, just waiting for the slightest nudge to fall out of her mouth.
“What?” Maggie crinkled her face and shook her head.
“I’m just looking out for you. I know how fond you were of Mr. Whitfield, but sometimes the apple falls far from the tree,” Mrs. Peacock said from beneath her umbrella. “You know what everyone is saying about Joshua? That he had something to do with poor Bo’s death. Now, I’m only saying what I heard.”
“Mrs. Peacock, I don’t think Joshua had anything to do with Bo’s death,” Maggie protested. “You can’t tell me you really believe he did, too?”
“I’m not sure what to believe. That’s why I’m going to the café to get a better look at him for myself,” Mrs. Peacock replied.
“Was there something else you wanted? Or did you really just come here to tell me you were going there?”
“Oh, dear, I’ve plumb forgotten what I came to tell you. Well, I will tell you this: there isn’t going to be a fellow in all of Fair Haven who isn’t going to notice you in that dress. You look as pretty as a picture,” Mrs. Peacock said. “You should dress up more often.”
Maggie rolled her eyes as her landlady hurried back to the big house. She would probably be on the phone within seconds, telling someone in town about the scandalous red dress she was wearing.
When Maggie looked at the clock, she had zero time to change into one of her more sensible skirts and cardigan sweaters. She had no choice but to leave for the bookshop wearing what she had on. Without giving it another thought, she slipped into her black heels, grabbed the clutch purse that had three vintage rhinestone pins fastened to it, scooped up Mr. Whitfield’s umbrella, and left. She’d promised Joshua she’d be there early in order to help with any last-minute details. She hoped he didn’t expect her to do any touch-up painting or to polish any of the brass fixtures she’d seen him installing.
Thankfully, she found a parking spot just off the alley and took only a few steps before she was in the bookshop. Before she even pushed the door open, she smiled widely at the new lettering on it.
“The Bookish Café,” she said before touching the bright-red letters with gold trim. It was a stunning replacement for the faded, chipped letters that had been on the door just a few days earlier. “Oh, Mr. Whitfield, you’d be so proud.”
She walked in and quickly set her things deep beneath the counter so no one would see her purse or umbrella. Just as she was about to climb up into the display window and take down the sheets, a familiar voice came from behind her.
“Hello, Mags.”
She turned and saw Toby. “Toby. I didn’t know you were still in town,” Maggie said.
“The bridges are still out. And now with those flash flood warnings, heaven knows when I’ll be able to leave. But I have to say that of all the places to be stranded, I can think of none more quaint than Fair Haven. Although the streets of Bordeaux, France, will forever hold a special place in my heart,” Toby replied with a sly look on his face.
“What were you doing in the back of the store?” Maggie asked.
“There was a specific book that I was looking for,” Toby answered and looked down at the floor for a moment. “Alexander and I had had many discussions over it. Before he passed, he’d promised it to me. I was hoping that I might find it and take it with me on my journey back home.”
“Was that The Sound and the Fury?” Maggie asked and narrowed her eyes.
“Yes.” Toby smiled, his eyes twinkling.
“I don’t have it,” Maggie replied.
“What?” Toby’s voice dropped to a low bass.
“Joshua told me I had to make room for the new books. So many of Mr. Whitfield’s books were old, so I set them on a table for a quick sale. Some kid needed it for a book report. I sold it to him for fifty cents, I think. Maybe seventy-five.” She smiled innocently.
“Surely you’re joking,” Toby said with a nervous smile.
“No,” Maggie replied, knowing she wasn’t joking, just lying to see what Toby would do. “I know Mr. Whitfield had some old books, and maybe they were worth a few dollars, but I also know that Mr. Whitfield was more interested in people reading the books, getting ideas and enjoyment from them, and that he would have given away everything if he thought it would make someone happy.”
“You ignorant twit,” Toby hissed.
“Hey!” was the only word Maggie managed to get out.
“That book was a signed first edition!” Toby shouted, making Maggie jump and take a step backward. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? That book was my way out! It was worth over ten thousand dollars!”
Maggie straightened and squared her shoulders. “Is that so? Well, my customer paid cash. I have no idea who he was or where he went.”
Toby took another step toward Maggie, his hands clenched into tight fists. His puffy jowls trembled with anger, and he ground his teeth together. “Alexander promised that book to me,” he snarled.
“Upon receipt of payment in full. But you didn’t have the money. You wanted him to just give it to you because you were friends. And when he wouldn’t, you said the next time you’d see him would be at his funeral. How long have you been watching the obituaries, Tobias, waiting to see Alexander Whitfield’s name listed? You’re sick,” Maggie hissed. Never in her life had she ever stood up to anyone this way. She was terrified.
“He promised me!” Toby shouted.
“You took advantage of Mr. Whitfield. And then you thought you’d come in here and steal his things. Did Bo Logan catch you? Is that why you flipped the fuse box for him to get electrocuted? Or did you accidentally kill him because you were trying to get rid of Joshua and anyone who had any legal claim to all these books?”
Maggie held her breath as she watched Toby’s response. She couldn’t say where her accusation of murder had come from. It had been tickling at the back of her mind, but she didn’t want to think it was truly murder. An accident, maybe. But murder? She couldn’t imagine it. But that didn’t change the fact that people did kill for far less.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I wanted the book, but that was all. Mags, you don’t know what I’m going through.” Toby’s whole body deflated like an inner tube slowly losing air. He smiled weakly. “I’m in trouble. I’ve gotten myself into a real pickle.”
“Right. And Mr. Whitfield passing away has left me on the brink of no job and no prospects. But please, do go on about how hard you have it,” she huffed, unaware of where that sarcasm had come from but enjoying it none the less.
“I’m in debt. If Alex had just given me that book, I would have been able to get out of it. I would have had a fresh start. Don’t you see? I just needed his help. But I didn’t kill anyone,” Toby whimpered.
The sight of a man with Toby’s worldly experience and his macho image starting to cry like a child made Maggie cringe.
“You didn’t offer to buy it. You wanted him to just give it to you. And since he wouldn’t, you were just going to steal it. If I hadn’t seen the letter you wrote, I would never have believed it. Mr. Whitfield cared about you. And this is how you repaid him for his years of friendship.” Maggie wondered how Mr. Whitfield had felt upon receiving the letter Toby had written him. If she had to guess, it had probably broken his heart. That brought tears to Maggie’s eyes.
“I was sorry the minute I sent it,” Toby replied as he looked at the ground.
“I’ll be telling Officer Brookes what I know, and he’ll be paying you a visit. No one is getting in or out of Fair Haven for the next three days while the rain continues. Of course, if you thought you could run and somehow get across the flooded bridges, I have the feeling you’d be joining Mr. Whitfield a lot sooner than you’d expected.” Maggie pointed to the door.
“Mags…I really didn’t hurt anyone. I could never hurt anyone,” Toby said as he reached the door.
“That’s a lie. You hurt Mr. Whitfield and thought nothing of it,” Maggie hissed.
She watched as Toby stared at her sadly, swallowing hard before going out into the rain. For a moment, he was jostled by the other pedestrians hurrying past, but before long, he was out of sight.
Maggie’s heart raced as she walked over to the display window. She barely saw the crowd of people who stopped to peek at the new display. Her mind was racing and frozen at the same time. Toby hadn’t just behaved cruelly to Mr. Whitfield but had been ready and willing to take advantage of her too. It made her feel stupid. She folded up the sheets and tucked them away.
With all the excitement, she hadn’t even noticed the beautiful shelves Joshua had put up on either side of the door that led to the café. They were simple yet elegant, and although she might not say it out loud, the way he’d set up everything up made even the contemporary romances and mysteries look enticing. She picked up a copy of Manhattan Solstice and turned it over to read the description aloud.
“My first wedding was in the fall, and it was beautiful until it wasn’t. My second wedding took place in the summer, when the heat was there, but became unbearable. Now, in a new city with a new outlook, I’ve decided never to marry again. Unless the stars align and the moon is in its Manhattan Solstice…oh, gosh, those words just left the worst taste in my mouth.” Maggie gagged. “I can’t. Can’t do it. Won’t be reading this. I can’t get those few seconds of my life back, nope, nope…”
She slipped the book back onto the shelf, smoothed her skirt, patted her hair into place as if the words she had read had somehow frazzled the strands loose from her bun, and adjusted her glasses.
Before she could mutter another word to herself, she heard someone behind her clear their throat.
Chapter 17
“Wow,” Joshua said as he looked at Maggie.
She had no idea that he had tried on two different shirts and three different ties before settling on what he was currently wearing. He had been nervous not just because there were rumors swirling around about Bo’s death but because he was really afraid no one would come. He’d wanted to ask Margaret about the people of Fair Haven. According to his father, Maggie knew just about everyone by sight even if she never said a word to more than half of them. To the other half, she’d probably uttered only one word. But tonight, he didn’t think she’d have a problem talking to anyone. She looked beautiful.
