The Spook in the Stacks: A Lighthouse Library Mystery by Eva Gates

Author:Eva Gates
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781683315803
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Published: 2018-06-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

In the parking lot of Jake’s, Theodore offered to give Julia a ride back to the Ocean Side. Considering that she’d come with Greg, and they were staying at the same hotel, she declined with a light kiss on his cheek. He stood next to his car, under the bright lights, waving until their car had merged into traffic.

“Okay,” I said. “Spill.”

“Spill what? I never for one moment thought she and Greg were … uh … rooming together. Still it was nice to have it confirmed wasn’t it? Isn’t Anna charming? Can’t beat those old-world manners, can you?”

Charming wasn’t the word I’d use, but I let that go. “You said you had something to tell me privately. I assume it’s to do with Greg.”

“Oh, right. Meeting Julia’s mother drove that completely from my mind.” He gave me a big grin: the cat that found the cream bowl unattended. “Greg Summers didn’t voluntarily leave Jay’s employ. He was fired. He might not even have another job to go to.”

“What makes you think that?”

He tapped the side of his nose. “You asked me to do some digging, Lucy. And so I did. The world of collecting is a small one. I don’t specialize in historical documents, but I know plenty of fellows, and some women, who do. I send business their way, and if they hear of an item that might be of interest to me, they—”

“Yes, yes. Get to the point, please.”

“I’m simply explaining how these things work, Lucy. I mentioned on some of the collecting list servs that I’d been offered a bound collection of captain’s logs from an eighteenth-century trading vessel and wondered who might be interested in bidding on it, and I got some queries. I asked about the Ruddle collection, and that’s where it got interesting.” He paused, waiting for me to reply.

I did so. “And?”

“And that began an entirely different thread. Jay Ruddle, so I was told, no longer wanted the responsibility for his collection, nor did he want it to remain in private hands. He decided, very admirably, I thought, that it should be available to the history-loving public. He was searching for a home for it. His curator, Greg Summers, was assigned to assist in that search and told he’d no longer be needed once the collection had moved.”

“That’s not being fired,” I said. “He was told his job was being made redundant, but he was given plenty of responsibilities in the meantime. He wasn’t kicked out onto the curb.”

“Greg lied.”

“He told a story to save face, more likely.”

“Don’t you see, Lucy? If Greg didn’t leave his position voluntarily in order to take another job, then we have to ask if he had reason to want Jay Ruddle dead. The collection might not be given away after all. Julia now has control of it. Presumably, she’ll need a curator. I wonder if she’s aware of the real story. Should I tell her, Lucy?”

“Absolutely not. Yes, we’re trying to help her with the matter

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