Alice Kimberly_Haunted Bookshop_03 by The Ghost & the Dead Man's Library

Author:The Ghost & the Dead Man's Library [Ghost, The & Library, the Dead Man's]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ghost, Ghost Stories, Fiction, Supernatural, Women Sleuths, Body, Women Booksellers, Horror, Novelists, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery Fiction, Mind & Spirit, Mystery, Mystery And Suspense Fiction, Private Investigators, Juvenile Fiction, Mystery & Detective - General, Rhode Island, Detective, Mystery & Detective, Fiction - Mystery, General, Suspense, Ghosts, Booksellers and Bookselling, Detective and Mystery Stories
ISBN: 9781405640442
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2006-09-05T05:00:00+00:00

Quibble Me This

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary/Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

—Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven,” 1845

“IT IS HEREBY proposed that the Quinidicott Business Owners Association shall make a request to the Zoning Board to extend parking hours (pahkin’ ah-wahs) an additional hour within the city limits Monday through Thursday, and an additional two hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.”

Bud Napp, the widower who owned Cranberry Street Hardware, paused to stifle a yawn. “We do this in anticipation of the crowds that will supposedly be drawn to the artsy-fartsy films Brainert is going to exhibit when his theater opens next month—”

“I object to that negative remark!” Brainert exclaimed with indignation. “My theater will be a valuable addition to this community.”

“If the zoning witch lets you have a permit, maybe,” Seymour said. “Otherwise your grand movie palace is going to be one big box of empty.”

Brainert scowled. “Thanks for the bulletin, Tarnish. Shouldn’t you be peddling ice cream to the teeners up at the haunted house?”

“No way, Parker,” Seymour replied with a grin. “Wouldn’t miss this meeting for the world.”

It was obvious to me that Seymour had already heard about the masked man breaking into my store and was here to learn all the juicy details.

Mailmen don’t have much to live for, do they, doll?

On that, I had no comment.

“Anyone ready to second the final motion on the table?” Bud Napp bellowed impatiently.

Linda Cooper-Logan and her husband, Milner, of Cooper Family Bakery, both raised their hands. “We second it.”

“Motion passed.” Bud slammed the hammer down, rattling the table. He was wielding a real hammer, too—a brand-new ball peen fresh from his hardware store. Someone had absconded with the gavel after a meeting several months ago. It was one mystery the Quindicott Business Owners Association (a.k.a., the Quibble Over Anything Gang) hadn’t got around to solving.

On the other hand, some of the members had helped me solve far more vexing mysteries. To wit: Bud Napp, Seymour Tarnish, J. Brainert Parker, Fiona Finch, Linda and Milner Logan, and Mr. Koh and his daughter had helped solve the murder of a visiting true crime author this past summer. Tonight, after the regular meeting adjourned, I was holding out hope they’d stay and help Sadie, Brainert, and I solve another.

The Ghost and the Dead Man’s Library 141

Bud Napp searched me out in the crowd. “This meet’s adjourned,” he declared with a slam.

The room began to empty at once. Casual attendees filed out immediately—folks like Chick Pattelli, owner of the garden store; Glenn Hastings of Hastings Pharmacy; and Gerry Kovacks, owner and manager of the newly opened phone store, Cellular Planet. All were escorted through the bookstore, to the front door by Sadie. Within a few minutes, the only folks left in the meeting room were the people I’d ask to stay. Sadie locked the door and joined us.

Rather self-consciously, I stepped behind the podium set up at the front of the room. Behind me, Bud Napp sat at a table, our judge and referee in these informal gatherings as well.

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