2 A Novel Way to Die by Ali Brandon

Author:Ali Brandon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2012-11-06T05:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

HOW LONG SHE HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE STAIRWAY contemplating the possibility of Robert as a cold-blooded killer, Darla wasn’t certain. It was only when a member of the store’s Friday Afternoon Book Club greeted her with a puzzled, “How have you been, Darla?” and squeezed past her on his way up the steps that she roused herself and headed to the register.

A few of the other club members had trickled into the store as well and were browsing the new releases. While the group had a formal membership of almost thirty—mostly students, retirees, and stay-at-home moms—a core group of about a dozen regulars met every two weeks upstairs in the shop’s lounge area. Darla always enjoyed their company and appreciated the recurring business, but today it was the distraction that their arrival offered that earned her gratitude. The conversation level in the store grew louder and more animated as they debated which, if any, of these newcomers might make for good future book club reading.

It took another twenty minutes and a few impulse book purchases before the club members all settled upstairs. Darla had little chance to say anything to Robert as he helped bag the purchases she rang up, and by the time the readers’ good-natured arguing had begun drifting down to them, she’d made up her mind to say nothing—at least, not directly to the youth. But as soon as Robert left for the day, she would call Jake for her advice and see if the ex-cop thought that Darla’s concerns warranted a call to Reese.

An hour and a half later, the book club meeting upstairs was beginning to wind down. Business had been a bit slow if steady, with one customer seeming to walk in just as another left. James had already arrived for his afternoon shift. After a quick greeting for Darla, he began conversing with Robert regarding the latest shipment of graphic novels from the day before, inventory for which they had a small but devoted customer base. As for Hamlet, he had long since decided that book club day was not his favorite store event and so had spent the past couple of hours safely ensconced atop the history shelf in the back room.

Hamlet rejoined her at the register as Robert stepped up and reached under the counter for his backpack. The sleeping bag was still cinched to it, but now Darla saw more nefarious uses for that piece of camping gear than an aid to making out in the park, as in, something that could be stuffed full of pilfered scrap metal.

“I guess it’s time for me to take off,” Robert told her, his closed expression reminding her of his attitude the day he’d come in for his initial interview.

Darla did her best to hide her feelings of dismay as she surveyed him. In his short tenure at Pettistone’s, the youth had proved a valuable if at times idiosyncratic employee. For now, she simply said, “See you tomorrow. And if you think of anything else that might help Jake or Detective Reese locate Tera Aguilar, you can call me.

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