Arsenic And Old Books

I considered that for a moment. The scanning process wasn’t fast—not if you wanted the best-quality results—and it was tedious. Even so, I could get a significant amount of it done this week, if I had help.

I told the mayor that, and she nodded. “Sounds good. Go ahead, and if you need funds for additional help, let me know. I’m sure my husband will be happy to discuss arrangements with the library director.” She glanced at her watch again. “Now I really have to get going. Good-bye for now.”

“Thanks, and have a good afternoon,” I called after her as she headed for the door.

Helen Louise came over to the table. “What’s all this about diaries?”

“Do you have a few minutes to sit with me? I can tell you all about it.”

She surveyed the room. Her two staff members were behind the counter and were not busy at the moment. “Looks like things have slowed a bit, and I’m more than ready to sit for a while.” She pulled out a chair.

“First, fabulous lunch. Thank you.”

Diesel, who had finished his chicken, chimed in with chirps and a meow or two. Helen Louise grinned. “Have to keep my men well fed and happy. I’m glad you both enjoyed it. Now, about these diaries.”

“They belonged to a relative of Andrew Long—Rachel Afton Long. Great-great-grandmother, I think. Can’t remember exactly how many greats at the moment.” I went on to tell her about the interest in the diaries from Marie Steverton—at whose name she grimaced—and Kelly Grimes. “And there’s the latter over in the corner, next to Jasper Singletary’s table.”

Helen Louise turned her head to see where I indicated. She turned back to me with a frown. “That’s interesting,” she said. “I’ve seen her in here several times recently, but I had no idea who she was. She’s never introduced herself. The truly odd thing is, though, every time she’s been in here, so has Jasper.”

TEN

“Too many times to be mere coincidence, would you say?” I asked.

Helen Louise nodded. “Yes, but I wouldn’t have remarked on it, probably, until you explained who she is.”

“Maybe she’s following him around, trying to catch him out on something.” That seemed possible, given she was secretly engaged to Singletary’s opponent. I couldn’t tell Helen Louise that, however.

“She’s being rather obvious about it, wouldn’t you say?” Helen Louise glanced back in the direction of Kelly Grimes. “Surely he, or one of his aides, would have picked up on it by now.”

“True,” I said. “They can’t all be oblivious.” I watched the writer for a moment.

At the table next to her, the men pushed back their chairs and stood. Jasper Singletary motioned with his hand, and the other men began to file toward the door. He turned in the direction of the restroom. He didn’t appear to notice Kelly Grimes when he passed her.

She stared after him until he disappeared into the hallway where the restrooms were located. Then she gathered her things and made her way out of the bakery. Was she going to follow Singletary to his next stop? I wondered.

Helen Louise turned to me and shrugged. “Guess that’s over for now.” She stood and picked up the two empty plates. “How about dessert?”

I shook my head. “No, after that wonderful meal and the big breakfast Azalea cooked, I’d better not. Otherwise I’ll have to run to Memphis and back to work it all off.”

We shared a laugh, and Helen Louise said, “I’ll be back in a minute,” before she walked away with the plates.

“We’re going to have to get back to work,” I told Diesel, who stared longingly after Helen Louise. He wanted more chicken, but he’d had more than enough already. He turned to me and meowed. “I want to stop by the bookstore first, though. We haven’t been in there lately, and I want to see what’s new.”

The cat meowed again. I thought he recognized the word bookstore. He liked going to the Athenaeum, the town’s only independent bookstore. The owner, Jordan Thompson, always made a fuss over him. Today, however, I would have to tell her not to give him any cat treats. Otherwise, he might have to join me on that jog to Memphis and back.

While I waited for Helen Louise to return, I decided I might as well make a restroom stop before we left. “Come on, boy,” I told Diesel and picked up his leash.

I had taken only a couple of steps when I saw Jasper Singletary return to the dining room. As I moved closer, I saw him pause right by Kelly Grimes’s vacated table and pull out a cell phone. He stared down at it, and if I hadn’t been watching closely, I would have missed what happened next.

With his free hand he picked up something from the table and thrust it into his pocket. He stared at the cell phone a moment longer, and then he tucked it back into its holster on his belt. He strode toward the door and nodded at me as we passed each other.

More strange behavior. There was definitely something afoot. What had he scooped up from the table? I pondered that as I completed my business in the restroom. Diesel waited patiently near me.