Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets

Author:Elaine Viets [Viets, Elaine]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Mystery & Detective, Fiction, Mystery Fiction, Women Detectives, Hawthorne; Helen (Fictitious Character), Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), Women Detectives - Florida - Fort Lauderdale, Bookstores, Booksellers and Bookselling, Bookstores - Employees
ISBN: 9780451210814
Google: rlnZ3VYDBJ4C
Amazon: 0451210816
Published: 2003-12-01T06:00:00+00:00

the list, as if that could make her produce it.

“Our shipment was delayed,” Helen lied.

“You’re supposed to be a bookstore,” he said. “Where

are your books?” He threw the clipping on the counter and

stormed out.

Behind him was an unhappy old hippie. His bald dome

tapered off into a pony tail. His red eyes were dilated from

weed. “Don’t you have more of these music books? That’s

a pathetic selection, man.” The Grateful Dead biography he

handed Helen was well thumbed and sticky with spilled

whipped-cream coffee.

“That’s our only copy, sir. But I can check with the manager. We could sell it to you for ten percent off.”

“I can’t give this as a gift,” he said, leaving the stained

book on the counter next to the newspaper clipping. “Hey,

no prob. I’ll go to one of the chains. I just wanted to support your store.”

Brad mourned the fact that the floors were no longer

strewn with subscription cards. “The new magazines come

out this week,” he said. “These magazines are so old all the

cards have fallen out. That People magazine story on J.Lo

is four weeks old. I have to get my news about her on the

Internet.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You can’t take a computer into the bathroom,” Denny

said as he passed by with a tray of abandoned café plates

and cups.

Brad glared at him. “It’s not like that,” he said. “J.Lo is a

lovely person. The Internet runs the same four photos of

her.”

The only bright spot in Helen’s depressing day was when

Sarah walked in the door. Her friend wore a long cool dress

136

Elaine Viets

the color of lemon sherbet. A shell cameo bracelet showed

off her plump, pretty arm.

“When do you get off work?” she said.

“Half an hour. I’m on a shortened schedule. Everyone’s

hours were cut back.”

“Then you need some serious cheering up. I’ll be waiting

in the café.”

It was two o’clock when Helen finally balanced her cash

drawer. Sarah was drinking something frothy with whipped

cream. “Come on,” she said. “There’s still time to make it.”

“Make what?” Helen said.

“Butterfly World. It’s better than Valium.”

“Is that the butterfly preserve in Coconut Creek? How

much is admission?”

“About fifteen dollars,” Sarah said.

Fifteen dollars was pocket change in Helen’s old life.

Now she didn’t have the money, unless she wanted to skip

meals. She’d learned to judge costs by how long she had to

stand behind a counter. A Butterfly World ticket was two

and a half hours on her feet.

“I can’t go,” Helen said. “I can’t afford it.”

“I’ll pay for your ticket.”

“I’m not a charity case,” Helen said huffily.

“So pay me off at a buck a week. Consider it an investment in your mental health.”

The world looked different riding high in Sarah’s luxurious Range Rover. She’d bought it with the proceeds of

some shrewd investments. Sarah was smart, no doubt about

it. Which was why Helen downplayed the possibility of the

bookstore’s closing. Sarah wanted Helen to quit her deadend job and get something that used her number-crunching

talents. Helen couldn’t tell her friend why she needed to

steer clear of corporate and government computers. So

Sarah delicately probed and Helen dodged her questions on

the interminable trip.

MURDER BETWEEN THE COVERS

137

The long drive

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