Миранда Джеймс - Arsenic And Old Books

I eyed the remaining food warily. My mouth watered but my stomach felt full. I pushed back from the table, determined to resist temptation.

“Come on, boy, let’s go upstairs. I need to brush my teeth, and then we’re heading to work.”

Diesel reared up on his hind legs and put his paws on the table. As large as he was, he could easily see what was on the table, even if his nose hadn’t already told him.

“No, boy, you have to come with me.” If I wasn’t firm with him, he’d be up on the table and tearing into the sausage the moment I left the kitchen. “Come on. Now.”

The cat stared at the plate, then at me. He meowed again.

I sighed. This standoff could drag on indefinitely. I picked up the plate and found space for it in the fridge.

“I told you no, and I meant it.”

Diesel dropped to all fours and padded toward me. I rubbed his head and praised him for minding me.

Ten minutes later we walked out the front door and were on our way to the archive. Diesel wore his harness and ambled happily beside me. He knew where we were going, and I was sure he was already looking forward to seeing his buddy Melba.

The moment we entered the old house that served both as the administrative center of the college library next door and as the archive and rare book room, I heard raised voices coming from Melba’s office.

“I don’t care who you are or who you know, woman.” Melba’s tone was heated.

Diesel and I moved closer to the open door of the office.

“You had better start caring, or you’ll find yourself without a job. I came in here with a simple request, and all you’re doing is being obstructive, and for no reason. Mayor Long is going to hear about this.”

Marie Steverton barged out of Melba’s office and cannoned right into me as I was about to enter.

SIX

Diesel emitted a loud yowl and scooted out of the way as Marie lost her balance and landed hard on her rump on the floor. Diesel tangled the leash around my legs, and I stumbled and almost fell right on top of Marie.

At the last moment, however, I managed to regain my balance. I unwrapped the leash from my legs, dropped it, and then bent to offer the fallen Marie a hand.

“Why don’t you look where you’re going?” Marie flapped my hand away and got herself up.

I turned away from the ungainly sight and did my best to hold on to my rapidly escalating temper.

“You’re the one who went rushing off like a blind pig after an acorn.” Melba hurried over and put herself between Marie and me. “Don’t blame Charlie because you’re rude and a klutz into the bargain.”

Marie’s face reddened. “You are going to lose your job over this. I can’t believe you’re talking to a member of the faculty in this manner. You have no business working with decent people.”

Melba laughed. “Well, honey, in your case, I’m not.”

Marie took a moment to process Melba’s last remark. Her expression promised another explosion.

“You’d better watch what you say to me,” Melba continued before Marie could respond. “I’m going in my office right this minute to give my old friend Professor Newkirk a call. I was his personal secretary about fifteen years ago, and we’ve always been good buddies.” She smirked at Marie. “I think he’d like to hear about the low-down behavior of one of his faculty members. Yes, ma’am, I do think he’s going to be real interested in what I have to say.”

The lightning change in Marie’s demeanor was almost comical. She went from stroke-inducing fury to sickening obsequiousness in two seconds flat.

“Oh, now, there’s no reason for you to disturb Dr. Newkirk.” Her tone oozed sweetness. “He’s far too busy to be bothered with such a simple misunderstanding. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in chastising you for doing your job. Surely you’ll be willing to overlook one little lapse.”

Melba and I exchanged a quick glance. What little respect I had for Marie disappeared.

“What was it you wanted, Marie?” I asked, my tone clipped. I glanced around for Diesel, but I didn’t see him. He had either bolted upstairs to wait by the archive office door or had taken refuge under Melba’s desk. He hated scenes like this as much as I did.

Marie eyed me warily for a moment, then offered me a tenuous smile. “Oh, I was just hoping to visit the archive and have a quick look at the Rachel Long diaries. My dear friend Lucinda Long called me last night to tell me that it would be all right.”

Lucinda probably did call her, I reckoned, but I doubted the mayor told her it would be okay to try to browbeat Melba into letting her into the archive without my knowledge and approval.

I forbore to mention that when I responded. “I explained to Her Honor yesterday that I have to have time to examine the diaries more closely. I’m sure they need at least minimum conservation work before they can be handled by anyone else. I thought you understood that as well.”

“Oh, I have a lot of experience handling primary documents.” Marie’s airy, smug tone did nothing to endear her to me. “I know how delicate they can be. Besides, I’ve worked in far more prestigious archives than this one.”

She made as if to start listing them, but my tart response cut her off. “I don’t happen to be responsible for any other archives, so I’m not that interested in your work outside Athena College. I told the mayor last night that the documents ought to be ready for you to work with the first of next week. If you’re not satisfied with that, then I suggest you look for another project.”

I could tell by Melba’s broad grin that she was enjoying this immensely. She didn’t often see me lose my temper, but she was getting closer by the second, thanks to Marie, who didn’t have the sense to know when she was licked.

Marie sniffed, her expression disdainful. “You’re just annoyed that Lucinda isn’t letting you deny me exclusive access. I told you she would do what I want. She didn’t dare refuse me, after all I’ve done for her.”

I could have smacked her right then.

Melba saved me the trouble. “Honey, about the only thing you’ve done for Her Honor the mayor is be a thorn in her side from the day she was unlucky enough to meet you. Charlie said you’d have to wait until next week, and you darn well better listen to him. If I see you in this building again before next Monday morning, I’m going to get on the phone and call Professor Newkirk. If it comes down to you and the professor, who’s known Lucinda all her life, I reckon I know who she’s going to listen to. Now get out of my sight.” She turned and walked back into her office without looking back. I spotted Diesel’s head sticking out from under her desk. He would be fine there until I was done here.

Even Marie, brash and pigheaded as she could be, wasn’t foolhardy enough to talk back to Melba after that set-down. Instead she shot me a glance of utter loathing, picked up the briefcase she had dropped earlier, and stomped her way to the front door.

Where she promptly ran into another person, this time a tall, rangy young woman who looked like she would be comfortable on a tennis court or golf course.

“Out of my way.” Marie snapped out the words and made as if to push by the stranger.

“Hold on there, Professor,” the young woman said, her tone firm. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.” She refused to budge from the doorway, and Marie had to step back.

The stranger’s voice sounded oddly familiar, and it took me a moment to place it. This must be Kelly Grimes, the writer who also wanted access to the diaries. Evidently she did know Marie after all.

“What’s going on?” Melba whispered. I hadn’t heard her approach.