Perky's Books & Gifts by Evelyn Rainey

Author:Evelyn Rainey [Rainey, Evelyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Mystery, Occult, demon, love story, Dark Fantasy
Amazon: B00H75DOY0
Goodreads: 20441312
Publisher: Bedlam Press
Published: 2013-12-07T06:00:00+00:00

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Chapter Seventeen

June 29

I slept on the couch in the Romance section and had a fresh pot of coffee brewing as Thomas unlocked the front door. He screamed like a girl when he saw me.

“You scared the crap out of me, Madison! What are you doing here?”

I handed him a mug of coffee and said softly, “Thomas, we need to talk.”

“Who is it this time? The Colonel didn’t shoot someone, did he?”

“No,” I grinned. He looked adorable in the morning light. His thinning blonde hair was fluffy above his receding hairline. His brown eyes looked bright like a bunny rabbit’s. He had a small patch of beard under his chin he’d missed shaving. He smelled of English Leather and Scope.

As soon as I got the chance, I was going to throttle Calvin. This sudden infatuation with Thomas was obviously Calvin’s fault.

I cleared my throat and sipped my coffee. “Let’s go to your office and talk privately.”

“Is there someone else here?” Thomas looked around nervously.

“You’ve heard that walls have ears? Well, books do, too.” I led the way back to the storeroom.

“This is the café’s drawer. Would you count it down for me?” I sat beside him.

“Sure, Madison. I always count down the café’s drawer and it’s always correct.” His eyes glazed slightly.

I watched as he counted.

“Two thousand, three hundred, seventy-eight dollars and twelve cents on the nose.” Thomas declared.

“Now watch me.” I took all the currency out of the drawer and counted it again. Two thousand, two hundred, eighty-eight dollars and twelve cents was my total.

“But that’s impossible. I just counted it. Where’d the money go?”

“Greg’s pockets?” I suggested.

“That’s impossible. Greg is charming, trustworthy, loyal, kind…”

“Greg’s a thief.”

“But he had impeccable references.”

“When was the last time you used the word impeccable, Thomas? Americans don’t say impeccable. And since when do we check references?”

“But even if Greg might be borrowing,” Thomas’ eyes glazed again.

“Greg is stealing.”

“That’s what I said.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, but remained silent.

“Greg’s a Commissioned Officer. He can’t be fired, even if he is,” Thomas stuttered on ‘st’, but couldn’t continue.

“What do you mean, he can’t be fired?”

“Commissioned Officers can not be fired for any reason. That’s Perky’s policy.”

“I’m a Commissioned Officer.”

“I know that, Maddie.”

“You mean I can’t be fired?”

“Of course not. Who would want to fire you?”

“If I were stealing from the store, you should fire me.”

“Can’t do it.” Thomas pulled down a brand new notebook stuffed with paper. “See here, page 517, section B, part 72. ‘Commissioned Officers are employees-emeritus. Under no circumstance are they to be terminated. See How to Court Martial a Commissioned Officer for further details.’”

“Court Martial?” I stood at his side, helping him flip through the book. “Where’s the section on Court Martial?”

“It was here yesterday.” Thomas pointed to the gap between pages 1575 and 1579.

“Thomas,” I looked up at him. “Why do you know that it was here yesterday?”

“Because Greg asked me why the corporation never fired Mrs. Abercrombie and I remembered reading that section to him.”

“Greg

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