Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates (distant reading .txt) 📗

“We’re a library,” I said, shocked to my very core. “We exist to serve the citizenry, not to make a profit off them.”

“My point exactly. It’s time you expanded your mandate. I’ve brought a proposal for—”

Bertie glanced between Connor and Gordon. “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Perhaps not, but I know who you are. Albertina James, library director. You own a business in town. I hope you don’t take time away from what I’m paying you, as a taxpayer, to do while you run your yoga studio.”

“I—” Bertie said.

“Mr. Frankland,” Connor interrupted. “You’ve never before showed the slightest interest in the business of this library. I have to assume you’re here today in an attempt to up the stakes on the suit you recently filed against the town. If you have issues with me and with the town council, please don’t bring them here. Let these people go about their business.”

Charles had been watching the exchange from the top of a shelf. His ears were pressed flat against his head, his eyes narrow, his tail moving slowly back and forth. When Gordon Frankland took a step toward Bertie and the board members, Charles, staunch defender of the library, made his move. He sailed through the air, a ball of furious white-and-tan fur and flashing claws, and landed directly in front of Gordon.

Frankland screeched, threw his hands in the air, checked his stride, lost his balance, and pitched forward.

He would have crashed into a shelf had Connor not grabbed his arm in the nick of time.

Rather than graciously extending his thanks to Connor, Frankland yanked his arm free and yelled at Bertie and the gathered board. “That cat’s a menace!”

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “He’s usually very well behaved.”

Frankland turned on me. “Doesn’t look like it, does it? I could have been badly injured. You’ll be hearing from my lawyers.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” I said. “Nothing was injured but your pride. You should be thanking His Honor for helping you, not threatening us.”

He stared at me. The spark in his eyes told me he was enjoying this. “I know you. You’re Amos O’Malley’s niece.”

“I am.” I should have known better, really I should. But this man’s casual maliciousness pushed me over the edge of common sense. “I am also Millar Richardson’s daughter, and I know you’re acquainted with his firm. You were at Jake’s on Monday night.”

“So I was. What of it?”

“Lucy, I don’t think—” Connor began.

“Monday night. The night my father’s law partner Richard Lewiston Junior was murdered moments after you insulted the same Mr. Lewiston in front of his son and his wife and his law partner. You left the restaurant shortly, very shortly, before Mr. Lewiston was attacked. Did you kill him?’

Bertie sucked in a breath. The assembled board members watched, wide-eyed. Connor took a step toward me. Charles, who’d leapt onto the returns cart to watch the action, hissed at Gordon and displayed his always-impressive teeth.

“I hope you’ve prepared the tea, Bertie,” Mrs. Fitzgerald said. “I’ve developed a powerful thirst.”

No one took the hint.

“Are you accusing me of being a murderer?” Frankland said to me.

“No, she isn’t,” Connor said. “This isn’t the time or the place, Gordon.”

I stood my ground. “I’m not accusing anyone of anything. I simply asked the question uppermost in my mind. Did you kill Rich Lewiston, Mr. Frankland?”

The edges of Gordon’s mouth turned up, and too late I realized that I’d gone too far. I’d given him exactly what he wanted.

He smirked. “Sounds like an accusation to me. A baseless, unfounded accusation designed to slander my reputation in front of all these people.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Mrs. Fitzgerald said. “Did you hear anything, Bertie?”

“Not me,” Bertie said.

“I didn’t know you had a reputation that could be slandered, Gordon,” Cindy said.

He heard the jab, but he didn’t turn away from me. “I’ll see you in court, young lady. Better get yourself a lawyer, and you’ll want a good one. Not Richardson Lewiston. They have enough troubles these days.”

Then, with his back to everyone else in the room, he winked at me, before turning and marching purposefully out of the library.

That is, he would have marched purposefully had Charles not jumped off the cart, charged across the room, and planted himself between Frankland’s feet. Gordon swore and danced and stumbled into the door. He raised his right foot, aiming it at Charles. I yelled, “Don’t you dare!”

He lowered his foot, wrenched open the door, and disappeared. The door slammed behind him.

I scooped Charles up. “That,” I said, “didn’t help.”

Charles’s eyes sparkled. Trying to trip Gordon Frankland a second time hadn’t helped the situation any, but it made Charles feel better.

“I declare,” one of the new board members said, “is this library always this exciting?”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Mrs. Fitzgerald said. “Shall we begin our meeting?”

“Do I need a lawyer?” I asked Connor.

“No. You didn’t accuse him of murder, and you didn’t even imply he’d done it. You simply asked.”

“We all heard what you said,” Bertie said. “The man’s a pest.” She looked at the cat, now washing his whiskers. “I hope Charles hasn’t gone too far this time.”

“Nothing will come of that threat either,” Connor said. “Any suit would be frivolous, and although that wouldn’t stop Frankland from pursuing it, his reputation is getting out of hand. He’ll have trouble finding a lawyer to take it on.”

“We can only hope,” I said.

Bertie led the way to the meeting room, and Connor followed, after giving me an encouraging smile.

Fortunately, Gordon Frankland couldn’t sue me for what I’d been thinking. Because I had been thinking he was an excellent suspect for the murder of Rich. He’d been in the area at the time, he’d had poisonous relations with the dead man, and only minutes before he’d had a confrontation with Rich’s son. Had Gordon left the restaurant and run into Rich Lewiston coming in?

Had they exchanged words? Had one thing led to another and things gotten out of hand?

Had it been an accidental