Jenn McKinlay - Due Or Die

Recognition suddenly hit Lindsey. She knew Simpson from the library, except everyone there called him by his first name, Harvey. He was partial to spy novels like Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series and Le Carré’s George Smiley.

She would have liked to have asked him if he’d read any new spy novels lately-the cold snowy days had put her in the mood for a nice espionage thriller-but Edmund dismissed him with a curt nod before she could ask.

Lindsey reached for her glass and clumsily dropped her napkin. Harvey quickly stooped to retrieve it. When he handed it back to her, his gaze met hers and he whispered, “Sully is better read.”

Not him, too. Lindsey took her napkin from him and gave him a quelling look. She was beginning to think there was a conspiracy afoot.

“What was that?” Edmund asked him.

“If she would prefer, there is also red,” Harvey lied without even fluttering an eyelash as he indicated the bottle of white wine on the table with a wave of his hand.

Lindsey wondered if he learned that from his spy novels or if it was just a survival skill for hired help.

“White is fine,” Edmund said and looked at Lindsey. “Yes?”

Harvey disappeared behind the swinging door with a soft swoosh.

Edmund poured them each a glass of French Sauterne, a dry white wine served cold. Lindsey took a small sip, enjoying its light, delicate flavor.

They spent the rest of the meal talking about Lindsey’s time at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. Lindsey had been an archivist there upon graduating with her library science degree. She had always been fascinated by the preservation aspects of library science. To her delight, she had been lucky enough to work primarily with illuminated manuscripts from the Medieval and Renaissance periods.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, given the house he lived in, Edmund asked very intelligent questions about the business of rare books. How they were appraised, what constituted a rare book and where one would go to buy rare books if one wanted to invest in them. It was a delightful conversation, and Lindsey felt the part of her that had been an archivist glory in discussing something so dear to her heart.

She had loved her work and still missed it, but budget cuts has forced a reduction in staff, and she had fallen on the last-hired-and-first-fired sword.

They had finished the main course and Harvey had just brought in cream puffs and espresso when the door banged open and there stood Bill, looking almost as deranged as Marjorie Bilson on a bad day.

“What is she doing here?” he cried.

“Hello, Bill,” Lindsey said. She decided to pretend he wasn’t being rude and see if that would calm him down.

He glowered at her and turned to Edmund. “Well?”

“Lindsey is my guest for lunch,” he said. “We were hoping you would join us.”

“Not likely.” Bill scoffed. “I will not be dining with the enemy anytime soon.”

This was getting ridiculous.

“Bill, I am not your enemy,” she said. “Honestly, I didn’t have anything to do with how the Friends voted.”

“Huh!” Bill snorted. “She hasn’t been near my library, has she?”

“Well, I…” Edmund was obviously at a loss in the face of his uncle’s ire.

“You let her in there?” he cried. “In my precious sanctuary?”

“I gave her a tour and we just peeked in the door,” Edmund said. “I had no idea it would upset you so.”

“Did you touch anything?” Bill asked. “Where’s your bag? Did she bring a bag?”

“Mr. Sint, may I offer you a refreshment?” Harvey appeared and stood behind Lindsey.

She wondered if this was normally his way or if he was offering her moral support. Either way, she appreciated his calm demeanor in the face of Bill’s hysterics.

“Did I ask for a refreshment?” Bill snapped.

“Now, Uncle,” Edmund said in a placating manner.

“Don’t patronize me,” Bill snapped. “I know all about you, little miss library director. You were an archivist at Yale, you love rare books, but you got fired, didn’t you? What happened? Were you helping yourself to the goods?”

“What? No!” she protested.

“Even your law professor boyfriend dumped you,” Bill continued. He narrowed his eyes in a speculative gaze. “What happened? Was he afraid you were going to go to jail and tarnish his reputation so he dropped you like a bad habit?”

“No! It’s none of your business what happened between me and my former fiancé,” Lindsey said. “How did you find out about him anyway?”

“I have my sources,” Bill said.

“Well, your sources are wrong; I dumped him, after he cheated…Well, it really doesn’t matter,” she said. “The fact is, I was let go from my job due to budget cuts, not fired.”

“There,” Edmund said. “See? It’s all perfectly reasonable. I think you owe Ms. Norris an apology.”

“Like hell,” Bill snapped. He turned on his heel and strode from the room. “I am going to inventory my library and make sure every single title is exactly where it is supposed to be.”

He charged from the room. Edmund and Lindsey exchanged a worried look and followed after him. The man appeared to be having a nervous breakdown. For Lindsey’s part, she was particularly irked. He was all but accusing her of theft. She had to tamp down the urge to kick him in the seat of the pants.

They found Bill climbing his rolling ladder. He had begun his inventory on the top shelf and was checking the title of each book. Part of Lindsey was impressed that he knew them all and another part of her was alarmed for the same reason.

“Uncle Bill, come down,” Edmund said. “This is ridiculous. Lindsey didn’t even step into this room. She’s a librarian, for Pete’s sake; she’s not going to steal your books.”

Bill was muttering under his breath, reading the titles as he worked his way across the shelves.

“Bill, if you’re accusing me of theft, I’d like you to come down here and do it to my face,” said Lindsey.

She could feel herself getting fairly steamed over the whole thing. She had a pretty long fuse, but when her temper blew, it generally took the doors and windows out with it.

She looked at Edmund, who appeared to be getting equally agitated.

He reached over and shook the rolling ladder. “Uncle Bill, come down here now!”

Bill had to clutch the side of the ladder to keep from falling, and Lindsey let out a gasp. With as much dignity as was possible, Bill straightened himself up and glanced at the shelf in front of him. He then reached out and grabbed a dark, brown leather-bound book. He climbed down the ladder with the book in his hand.

“Well, this is curious,” Bill said. Gone was his anger and instead his tone sounded bewildered. He tipped his head and looked at Lindsey and then Edmund. All of his panic and hysteria seemed to have evaporated as he studied the book in his hand.

“How so?” Lindsey asked.

“This book isn’t mine,” he said. “It doesn’t belong in my collection.”

BRIAR CREEK

PUBLIC LIBRARY

“Obviously, you’re mistaken,” Edmund said. He went to take the book out of Bill’s hands, but Bill moved it out of reach.

“No, I’m not,” he said. “I know every single title in this room.”

“Where would it have come from?” Lindsey asked. “Maybe you just forgot it.”

“I would expect as one archivist to another,” he said, his tone quite condescending, “that you of all people would appreciate my knowledge of my own collection.”

“May I see the book?” Lindsey asked. “Maybe there’s a reasonable explanation.”

“No!” Edmund stepped forward and snatched the book out of his uncle’s hand.