Arsenic And Old Books

“What was it you wanted, Marie?” I asked, my tone clipped. I glanced around for Diesel, but I didn’t see him. He had either bolted upstairs to wait by the archive office door or had taken refuge under Melba’s desk. He hated scenes like this as much as I did.

Marie eyed me warily for a moment, then offered me a tenuous smile. “Oh, I was just hoping to visit the archive and have a quick look at the Rachel Long diaries. My dear friend Lucinda Long called me last night to tell me that it would be all right.”

Lucinda probably did call her, I reckoned, but I doubted the mayor told her it would be okay to try to browbeat Melba into letting her into the archive without my knowledge and approval.

I forbore to mention that when I responded. “I explained to Her Honor yesterday that I have to have time to examine the diaries more closely. I’m sure they need at least minimum conservation work before they can be handled by anyone else. I thought you understood that as well.”

“Oh, I have a lot of experience handling primary documents.” Marie’s airy, smug tone did nothing to endear her to me. “I know how delicate they can be. Besides, I’ve worked in far more prestigious archives than this one.”

She made as if to start listing them, but my tart response cut her off. “I don’t happen to be responsible for any other archives, so I’m not that interested in your work outside Athena College. I told the mayor last night that the documents ought to be ready for you to work with the first of next week. If you’re not satisfied with that, then I suggest you look for another project.”

I could tell by Melba’s broad grin that she was enjoying this immensely. She didn’t often see me lose my temper, but she was getting closer by the second, thanks to Marie, who didn’t have the sense to know when she was licked.

Marie sniffed, her expression disdainful. “You’re just annoyed that Lucinda isn’t letting you deny me exclusive access. I told you she would do what I want. She didn’t dare refuse me, after all I’ve done for her.”

I could have smacked her right then.

Melba saved me the trouble. “Honey, about the only thing you’ve done for Her Honor the mayor is be a thorn in her side from the day she was unlucky enough to meet you. Charlie said you’d have to wait until next week, and you darn well better listen to him. If I see you in this building again before next Monday morning, I’m going to get on the phone and call Professor Newkirk. If it comes down to you and the professor, who’s known Lucinda all her life, I reckon I know who she’s going to listen to. Now get out of my sight.” She turned and walked back into her office without looking back. I spotted Diesel’s head sticking out from under her desk. He would be fine there until I was done here.

Even Marie, brash and pigheaded as she could be, wasn’t foolhardy enough to talk back to Melba after that set-down. Instead she shot me a glance of utter loathing, picked up the briefcase she had dropped earlier, and stomped her way to the front door.

Where she promptly ran into another person, this time a tall, rangy young woman who looked like she would be comfortable on a tennis court or golf course.

“Out of my way.” Marie snapped out the words and made as if to push by the stranger.

“Hold on there, Professor,” the young woman said, her tone firm. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.” She refused to budge from the doorway, and Marie had to step back.

The stranger’s voice sounded oddly familiar, and it took me a moment to place it. This must be Kelly Grimes, the writer who also wanted access to the diaries. Evidently she did know Marie after all.

“What’s going on?” Melba whispered. I hadn’t heard her approach.

“Let’s see,” I said in an undertone.

“What could you possibly have to say to me? I have no idea who you are. Kindly get out of my way.” Marie stepped forward, but Kelly Grimes stood firm.

“You surely ought to remember me, Dr. Steverton.” Ms. Grimes laughed as she stared down at the shorter, squatter woman. “I was one of the few students who actually made it through your so-called seminar on the role of women in the Civil War five years ago. You don’t have that many upper-level students, so I find it hard to believe you really don’t know who I am.”

Marie’s gaze flicked toward Melba and me. We stared back with obvious interest. Marie turned toward her former student again.

“Oh, yes, of course,” she said. “Ms. Grimes, isn’t it? I didn’t really get a good look at your face before. It’s always a pleasure to see former students, but I’m afraid I have no time to talk right now, so you’ll have to excuse me.”

She tried once again to push past the writer, but Kelly Grimes simply laughed again.

“I do have time, Dr. Steverton, and you’re going to listen to me now. I found out you’re trying to hog something for yourself that I need, and that’s really unfortunate. You’re going to have to share, or there will be sad consequences.”

Melba nudged me in the side. “Who is she? She looks familiar, but I can’t place her.”