"A Murder In Milburn", Book 3: Death In The Library (17 page)

“I don’t think Selena had any intention of pressing cases against us,” Harvey said.

“Yes,” Mayor Almand said. “Explain that to your little girlfriend over here.”

“My girlfriend’s name is Nora,” Harvey said. “I’d prefer it if you called her by it.”

Mayor Almand’s face was stormy. “If my wife hears one word about me and Helen, there won’t be a worse enemy in the world. I’ll bring down all my wrath on you, Nora. You mark my words, I will.”

Harvey’s lips pressed together. “You better leave, Mayor. I respect you tremendously, but if you talk like that, I might lose my temper.”

“Just remember,” Mayor Almand said. “I mean what I say. Quit meddling in this.”

*****

Chapter 21

Harvey and Nora watched Mayor Almand drive away. He turned to her then, and kissed her hard.

“Thank you,” he said, when he broke apart.

“What for?”

“For trusting me enough to call me here,” Harvey said. “For finally asking for my help.”

“Well, I’ve got a broken arm,” Nora said. “Truth is I didn’t need your help, Harvey. I just wanted to make an excuse to see you again.”

“You still think I’m unreasonable for wanting you to quit… this?” Harvey asked. “What do you get, when you investigate?”

“Peace,” Nora said. “I can’t explain why.”

“You don’t need to,” Harvey said. “You think I don’t know? It’s what you do. You try and make the world a better place. Because yours was shattered twice. Once when your parents died, and once when Raquel did. So every time you see an injustice, you go all out trying to fix it. Even when there’s no reward to you.”

Nora shrugged. “Maybe I’m not so emotional, Harvey. Maybe I just have a weird hobby.”

“Do you think your hobby is more important than me?”

“You’re a hobby too,” Nora teased.

When Harvey’s face darkened, she said, “Harvey. I know you hate thinking of me putting myself into danger. The only thing I can promise you is that next time, I’ll ask you if you’d like to come with me. I can’t explain the impulse that leads me to investigate. I only know that stifling it will harm me more than any murderer could. It’ll stifle my very soul.”

Harvey nodded.

“All my life I had only one passion, to cook. But what it really was, is to see the light in people’s eyes when they eat a good meal. Now, I look for the light in the eyes of those who have suffered. Of those who had doubts haunting them. It’s a drug, really.”

“I know,” Harvey said. “I only hope you’ll some day lose the addiction.”

“I…” Nora’s voice caught. “If this feels like an addiction to you, and a dangerous one, you don’t have to stay with me. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“No,” Harvey agreed. “You can’t.”

“It would be selfish of me,” Nora said. “I’m not… I wouldn’t treat you that way.”

“No.”

“Harvey, I know I’m not very demonstrative. I know you get jealous easily.”

“That’s my fault, not yours,” Harvey said. “I’m sorry. I know you’d never do anything, it’s just… I get angry at any man who looks at you.”

“Harvey…”

“So,” Harvey said. “About that dinner with the Mayor. The one where May asked you to settle down with me.”

Nora turned red. She put a hand over her mouth.

Harvey bent down on one knee. He put a hand inside his coat.

“Oh Harvey!” Nora gasped. “I love you. I do.”

He looked up at her with a mischievous smile. “ I love you too, Nora.” With a flourish, he bought out a handkerchief from his pocket, and began to clean his shoe. Nora gave a little gasp of outrage.

“What?” Harvey asked. “Did you get ideas in your head?”

“Harvey Nathaniel, you complete devil! You know exactly what you and I were thinking when you got down on that knee.”

“I was thinking that my shoe is rather dirty,” Harvey said, springing up and linking his hand with her. “That’s all that’s on my mind.”

“You’re going to torture me,” Nora said. “I just know it.”

“Me? Never!” His laugh rang out as he kissed her again.

*****

Chapter 22

A week passed by, with no further news. Nora spent that week mostly busy with her catering jobs. Her bank account was looking healthier than ever now, and she longed to invest it all on the diner.

Tina looked morose still, but helped Nora out each evening. They’d fixed the date, the fifteenth. In the meanwhile, they had begun to start putting out help wanted signs, and looking for staff. Nora spent her days completely immersed in bringing the diner to life. She obsessed over everything, from the font on the menu, to the shade of each curtain. She herself scrubbed and painted and looked over each inch of the diner.

Still, at the back of her mind, something lurked. The pieces of the puzzle seemed like they almost fit. It was like one final piece was needed- a piece that Nora knew she had within her. She just couldn’t remember what it was.
 

She stayed awake nights, mulling over every conversation she’d had. Who could it be? She began to spend as much time as she could in the diner, trying to soothe her brain by working so hard that it could not think. Her subconscious mind, she knew, would not let it go. But maybe it was time for her conscious mind to take a break.

On one of those evenings, Tina asked Nora to stop by Selena’s old house.

“The construction crew wrapped up the work to the foundation,” Tina said. “I need to start cleaning this place out. Which means throwing things away. The way the investigation is heading, I don’t know what to do. Should I throw anything? Sam won’t even hear of it. He wants to keep the house as it is, even if it means losing money. He’s talking very seriously of hiring a private detective to help find out about Selena’s death.”

“He’s taken it hard,” Nora said.

“I’m worried about him,” Tina said. “I’m so worried. He’s changed, Nora. My husband is a completely different man and I don’t know if I’ll ever get him back. I’ve tried reaching him in so many ways, but- something’s always missing.”

Nora nodded.

“Sometimes…” Tina hesitated. “Sometimes, I catch him looking at me. He looks at me with this… thoughtful look in his eyes. As if he’s calculating… calculating what it would take for me to kill someone.”

“Oh Tina!”

“I know! I know it’s a ridiculous thought. But he’s not the only one. This entire town looks at me as if I
might
be a murderer. People are whispering, Nora, and you must have heard some of the whispers.”

Nora didn’t respond.

“You have, haven’t you?”

“I always told them that Sean had let you and Sam go after questioning,” Nora said, “And that he never brought charges against you.”

“Yes,” Tina said. “But the truth is, that the town’s not going to let this go. Until Sam and I produce a murderer for them.”

The house was dark, the electricity now having been turned off. Nora held a lantern in one hand, as she navigated through the familiar sterile living room, and up into the chaotic study.

“Sooner or later,” Tina said, “We’ll have to get rid of these books.”
 

“So why did you bring me here today?” Nora said, suddenly uneasy. “After all… it’d be better to wait for daylight to sort through them.”

“Yes,” Tina said. “It would, wouldn’t it?”

“Tina,” Nora said sharply. “Why did you actually bring me here? It wasn’t to clear out books.”

“No,” Tina said. “It wasn’t.”

“What was it?”

“It’s going to sound silly to you.”
 

Nora slowly stepped away. “Try me.”
 

“Well, you see, like I said before. Sam and I need to produce a murderer for the town to believe in us again. I racked my brains trying to figure out what to do. I drove around town every day, looking into people’s faces, wondering…
who?
”

In her pocket, Nora pressed a button. It was a new app Harvey had downloaded for her, one that would instantly transmit her location to him when she needed it. They’d agreed that she’d use it if she ever felt even mildly in danger.

“So you see,” Tina said. “The other day, I was passing by here, and I saw a light in one of the windows.”

“A light?” Nora stalled, as she tried to move away.

“Yes. A light. I was wondering who it could be, and it struck me. The murderer.”

“Did you actually see this light?” Nora asked. “Or did you imagine it?”

“Funny, that’s exactly what Sean asked when I told him,” Tina said. “It’s as if he didn’t believe me. He didn’t take me very seriously. He sent a patrol car here for a few days, and now it’s gone.”

“So what’s the next step?”

“Well, I thought you and I could wait it out, and see if we can catch him ourselves,” Tina said. “I told Sam, and he said it was a ridiculous idea.”
 

Nora took a deep breath, feeling relief run through her lungs. “You know, for a minute there, you scared me, Tina.”

“Scared you?” Tina looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You sounded like a murderer,” Nora said.

“You can’t be serious.”

“You could have chosen a better way to tell me.”
 

“Well, I thought what with you and Harvey being so pally again, that you might refuse to come,” Tina said angrily. “But wow, so it’s not just the town. It’s you too. You think I’m capable of killing Selena. Just because I had a silly fight with her? Or because I wanted her money? Well why would I kill Robert, then? Huh?”

“I don’t know,” Nora asked. “Why would you?”

“Next you’ll be saying I loved him myself, secretly. That’s why I killed him,” Tina said. “Or… or that he was blackmailing me.”

“Both are sound theories,” Nora said.

“This is a bitter pill to swallow, Nora,” Tina said. “I feel shattered.”

“A bitter pill,” Nora said. “Of course. Of course it is!”

“What are you talking about?”

“We have to get out of here, Tina. Now.”

“What? Why?”

“If you’re right, if the murderer
does
come here, you and I could be in a lot of trouble. Let’s go. Now. There’s a better way to do this.”

“No! I want to stay. I want to catch him red-handed so that--”

“Tina, I’m telling you, I’ve figured it out. I know. Now all we have to do is--”

The stairs creaked, and both of them fell silent.

Nora felt her breath begin to hitch. Tina whispered. “I have a gun. I came prepared.”

“Are you prepared to use it?” Nora whispered. “Let’s leave, Tina.”

“No,” Tina said. “I have to know who it is.”

The door was flung open, and Tina fired off several shots. There was an eerie silence.

Tina ran to the door. “Who is it?” she cried. “Is it--”

“Tina! No!” Nora cried, trying to grab hold of her. Tina’s momentum pushed her off, however, and Nora was left on her knees, the gun in her hand as Tina reached the door.

As if in a nightmare, a shadow arose, grabbing Tina by the throat, using her body to shield its own.

Nora pointed the gun. “I will shoot!” she said. “Give up.”

The figure only smiled, and stroked Tina’s cheek with the knife in its hand.

*****

Chapter 23

“Don’t shoot, Nora,” Tina pleaded. “Please!”

“I won’t,” Nora said.

“But don’t give yourself up either. Don’t give him the gun.”
 

“I might not have much choice,” Nora said. “If he’s threatening to hurt you.”

“Oh I am,” he said. “I will hurt your friend very badly if you don’t do as I say.”

“Don’t listen to him!” Tina cried. “He’ll kill us both. It’s better if--” she let out a scream as he tightened his hold on her.

“Quiet!” he rasped. To Nora, he said, “When did you find out?”

“I suspected,” Nora said. “I had my theories. But as always, it’ll be up to Sean to find the proof. Still, I think once I tell him this theory, finding the proof will be easy enough.”

“You’re a maniac,” Tina spat out.

“I’m a peaceful man who wanted to be left alone,” he said. “Selena shouldn’t have poked her nose where it didn’t belong. She shouldn’t have brought back the past.”

“No?” Nora smiled. “Is it only the librarian who can have access to the town’s history?”

Grant laughed. “I had no intention of ever writing that book, Nora. Though there are plenty of stories I could have told.”

“The book was written for you,” Nora said. “When you found out that Selena had asked Karen for JJ’s files, that’s when you decided to kill her.”

“I did,” Grant said. “I wanted to kill JJ, but a deputy? I couldn’t possibly touch him. Luckily, someone else did it for me. I took it as a sign that god was on my side. That even He didn’t want the past to be unearthed.”

“Evil will always be found out,” Nora said. “Even if it takes fifty years.”