Booked for Homicide (A Shelf Indulgence Cozy Mystery Book 1) by S.E. Babin

Author:S.E. Babin [Babin, S.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Published: 2023-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

EIGHT

Aweek later, I found Jeff standing in front of my store at ten sharp. I grumbled to myself as I scooped Poppy out of the seat and walked up to the front.

"I don't have time for this," I said as I unlocked the door. Poppy gave Jeff a half-hearted hiss before she went limp in my arms.

Jeff scoffed. "Time for a paying customer, you mean? I can't wait to put that on your Facebook page when I give you zero stars."

I flipped on the lights as he trailed behind me. "I've only seen you buy one thing since you've been visiting and that was just a couple of days ago. Are pigs flying? Are you actually here to buy something else?"

At his eager look, I clarified. "Besides my shop?"

Poppy leapt out of my arms with little fanfare and skidded around the corner. It could be seconds or hours until I saw her again.

“Your cat is weird,” Jeff remarked.

“She doesn’t like you,” I said as I went around the counter and put my belongings underneath it.

“The feeling is mutual.” He looked around the shop, his gaze missing nothing.

"Are you here for a book then? If you aren't, I have a lot to do today so I'm sure you can see yourself out."

"My brother is here," Jeff said.

When he didn't say anything else, I raised my eyebrows and put my hands on my hips. "So?"

"He wants to meet you." Jeff fidgeted, his feet shuffling over the carpet.

A grin formed on my face. "And so, he sent you here as his errand boy?"

"No," he snapped. "He picked up a shift today and sent me to ask you if you'd drop by the library. I guess he didn't want to make a personal call on his first day."

"A personal call?" That didn't sound right.

"You know what I mean. He didn't want to use the phone. So here I am." Jeff walked over to my new releases display and began to touch everything. I wasn't sure the man knew how to remain still. "He mentioned something about a bunch of books donated that he already has copies of."

I decided to take mercy on him. "If I have time, I'll stop by." While I had him here though ... "Do you know Marcy and Carrie?" I rubbed the side of my eye as I tried to remember their last name. I didn't think the police told me. "I can't remember their last name, but they live on Spruce."

Jeff's gaze narrowed. "I do," he said slowly. "Why?"

"I'm sure you've heard what happened to Marcy. I heard their entire street was bought up by investors."

His face went blank which told me I might be onto something. "Don't you think it's a reach for it to be a coincidence that Marcy died right after she refused to sell to those people again?"

His stare was cold. Jeff wasn't a bad looking guy, but his personality was so terrible that it made him unattractive to me. Occasionally I'd seen bright spots in him, but today it was like looking at an arctic storm.

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