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

any interest whatsoever in Rich Lewiston, his family, or his whereabouts. I’ve left it at that, and I expect you to do the same.”

“That doesn’t mean they don’t know. Maybe—”

“Lucy, I said I expect you to do the same.”

“Okay. Have you seen Rich’s will?”

“Lucy! You’ve been warned to stay out of it. I’m adding my voice to that. Stay out of it.”

“But—”

Detective Watson hung up.

The library was hopping when I got back. “Thank you so much, Louise Jane,” I said. “I appreciate your help.”

“Anytime, Lucy. Did you call Connor?”

“No. Why should I?”

“About the house.”

“Oh, the house. Right. I’ll let you know what he says. Anything happen while I was out?”

“Nothing memorable. We’ve been busy. You really do need more help around here.” Louise Jane got up from behind the desk and smiled at me.

“Thanks again,” I said. “What brings you here today, anyway? Don’t you work at the beach supply store on Saturdays?”

“I quit.”

“You quit?”

“Working at Uncle Dennis’s branch of Beach Blanket Disco Mart isn’t a job I want to do, but I’ve been helping him out when he needs it. I’ve found something else, so he’ll have to manage without me.”

“You mean you got a new job? Where?”

She smirked. “You’ll find out. ’Bye, Lucy.”

I watched her leave, a decided swing to her step, but I didn’t have time to wonder what she’d meant, as a young man came to ask for my help filling in job applications on the computer.

The final children’s program of the day ended at four thirty, and Ronald came downstairs to wave off his excited little charges, who were clutching their homemade scrapbooks and telling their parents to be on the lookout for wildlife.

“Good day?” I asked him.

Ronald rubbed his curly gray hair. Today’s tie featured the Simpsons.

“A very good day. I’m looking forward to seeing what wildlife sightings they record in their books over the week. I’m expecting lots of dogs, outdoor cats, and squirrels.”

“Would you mind watching the desk for a few minutes?” I asked Ronald. “I need to talk to Charlene.”

“Happy to,” he said.

I’d been ordered off the Lewiston case by Sam Watson. I might be able to ignore the threat from anonymous, but I couldn’t ignore Watson. I had to think about something, and at slow times during the day I’d tried not to think about who might have killed my father’s law partner. Instead I’d found myself thinking about Charlene and her English visitors. As long as I was sticking my nose into other people’s secret relationships, I might as well keep at it. I climbed the stairs to the third floor. Charlene’s office door was open, and I knocked lightly.

She turned to me with a smile, which I was pleased to see. “Hi, Lucy.” She took the earbuds out of her ears, and the pounding beat flowed around me. She pushed a button on her phone to stop it. “I want to apologize for snapping at you the other day.”

“Not a problem.”

“I’m sorry. Truly sorry. All I can say in my defense is I’ve had a lot on my mind.” She smiled again. She looked different somehow, I thought. She looked like a woman in love.

And I was here to burst her balloon. I took a deep breath and spoke quickly before my nerve failed me and I fled. “I know something’s been going on with you, Charlene, and I’m hoping we can talk frankly. As friends. We are friends, right?”

“Yes, we are. You’re right that something’s been going on. Bertie’s going to tell you and Ronald on Monday, but as long as you’re here—”

“Bertie? What’s this got to do with Bertie?”

“It’s got everything to do with Bertie. With you and Ronald too. I quit.”

“You what?”

“I quit. I’m leaving the Lighthouse Library at the end of the month.”

“But … Charlene, why?”

She beamed at me and clapped her hands. “It’s so sudden and so exciting! I’m going to England. I’ve got a job offer at Oxford. To my considerable surprise, they remember me there and would like to have me back. I told Bertie yesterday.”

“James and Daisy are at Oxford, aren’t they?”

“Yes, Lucy. That’s sort of the point. It’s all happened so dreadfully fast, but I know this is the right thing for me to do.” Her eyes glowed with sheer happiness. “James and I want to be together, and neither of us wants a long-distance relationship. Those things never work out. I have job opportunities in England, and he doesn’t have any here. Thus I’m going to England. I’m so excited!”

I took a deep breath. “But, but … Charlene, what does Daisy have to say about this?”

“Daisy? What about Daisy? She’s happy for us. I like her a lot, and I’m glad we’re going to be close.”

“Uh. Okay. If that’s what you want. I guess. What about your mom?”

“Mom’s well enough to travel these days, and she’ll live with us.”

“She’s okay with that?”

“Lucy, are you feeling all right? Of course my mom’s okay with it. She’s looking forward to the change of scenery, although she’ll miss all her friends in Nags Head. She wants me to be happy. I want me to be happy. Don’t you? I know it means changes here, at the library, but that’s no reason for you to look so glum.”

“I want you to be happy, Charlene, I do. Forgive me, please, but I don’t see that this is the right way to go about it. I mean, James and Daisy … I mean, Charlene, he’s married already! This can’t end well, and you’re giving up your job and moving halfway across the world.”

Charlene fell back against her chair and started to cry. I took a step forward, ready to wrap her in my arms and comfort her. Then I realized she wasn’t weeping. She was crying with laughter. “Oh, Lucy. Dear, sweet Lucy. You didn’t think—James isn’t Daisy’s husband. He’s her brother.”

“But … but … he can’t be her brother. They don’t look at all alike.”

“Half brother. They have the same mother but different fathers. They both