A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

Author:Victoria Gilbert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

* * *

On Saturday, as I waited for Lauren in the university library lobby, I was glad that this was not the institution where I’d worked for many years. Not because this was an inferior institution, far from it. It was simply that I’d never set foot in my former library since I’d been forced to retire, and had no desire to break that trend.

It was childish, perhaps, but the way I’d been tossed aside, despite years of dedicated service, simply due to my age, still rankled. I also had no desire to run into any of my former colleagues—at least, none that I hadn’t continued to remain in contact with after my departure. Fortunately, no one at this university knew me. I was just another older woman in gray wool slacks and a black sweater. I wouldn’t draw any attention.

Which was the plan, of course.

Lauren had followed suit, showing up in worn jeans and an oversized team jersey celebrating a popular NFL football team. With her hair swept up under a battered cap, she could easily pass for a student.

“Hi there,” she said as she approached me. “Ready for the ambush?”

I tugged down the sleeves of my sweater. “I don’t want to think of it like that.”

Lauren gave me a wink. “Come on, Miss Marple, let’s investigate.”

Not sure if I should be offended or flattered by this comparison, I simply followed her to the main bank of elevators. Cam had sent us information on Rena’s part-time job, indicating that she was working as a shelver in the general collection.

“It’s a lot of territory to cover,” I told Lauren as we took the elevator to the first level of the stacks. “Rena could be anywhere on one of several floors. Should we split up so we can divide and conquer?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, if one of us finds her, then the other will still be wandering around aimlessly.”

“Cell phones,” I said, flashing mine. “Whoever locates her first can call the other.”

Lauren frowned. “But won’t that look odd? If I was Rena, and someone came up to talk to me, then wanted to call somebody else to join us, I’d be out of there so fast your head would spin.”

“Good point. Okay, we’ll stick together,” I said, pocketing my phone.

We set off, zigzagging through the first floor of the stacks without any sight of Rena. It took searching two more floors before we found her.

Shelving books from a rolling metal library cart, Rena was doing the head bopping that told me she was listening to music.

“Hello, Rena,” I called out, earning a sharp look from a student studying at one of the carrels lining the walls.

Rena spun around, whipping out her earbuds. “What? Who are you?”

“Jane Hunter,” I said, extending my hand.

Ignoring this, Rena stuffed the earbuds into the pocket of her jeans. “Am I supposed to know you? Or you?” she added, giving Lauren the once over.

“I suppose not. I stopped by your house the other day to offer my condolences, but I doubt you’d remember me.

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