exposed (Twisted Cedar Mysteries Book 3) by Carmichael C.J

Author:Carmichael, C.J. [Carmichael, C.J.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: General Fiction
Published: 2016-02-25T05:00:00+00:00

chapter fourteen

Wednesday April 7, 1976, Twisted Cedars Library, Oregon

It was five minutes before closing and the library was deserted when Shirley decided to call a colleague from Medford she’d met during the annual conference. Isabel Fraser was an impressive librarian in her mid-forties who’d given a talk on the impact computers were going to have on the modern library. When Shirley had expressed a special interest in the subject Isabel had invited her to call so they could talk further, after the bustle of the conference was over.

Shirley was looking forward to becoming better acquainted with Isabel and to learning more about the future for her profession. As much as Shirley was a fan of tradition, she also loved being on the cutting edge of new technologies. Anything that encouraged more reading and distribution of knowledge, was a plus in her book.

She was disappointed when Isabel didn’t pick up her phone, and the call was routed back to the switchboard.

“Medford Public Library. Terri speaking. May I ask who’s calling?”

“This is Shirley Hammond from the Twisted Cedars Library. I was hoping to talk to Isabel Fraser. We met at the conference two weeks ago.”

There was a long silence, and then the woman on the other end of the line said, “I’m sorry, but we’ve had a terrible tragedy here. I’m afraid Isabel has...passed away.”

Shirley could make no sense of that. “But she wasn’t that old. And she certainly didn’t seem sick. Was it an accident?”

“No.” The woman made a sound that might have been a gulp. “Isabel was murdered. Here. In the library basement. The police figure she died shortly after we closed for the night.”

Shirley stared at the book stacks around her, feeling suddenly vulnerable. She was pretty sure she was alone in here—wasn’t she? She got up and locked the front door. “How did it happen?”

“I’m sorry. It’s pretty gruesome. Are you sure you want to hear?”

“I think I must.”

“Isabel was strangled. Of all things by a red silk scarf. Nothing was stolen. And Isabel wasn’t...defiled. No one has any idea what the motive could have been.”

Shirley’s heart almost stopped at the mention of a red silk scarf.

Could it be hers, one of the ones that had gone missing?

No. This had to be a coincidence.

Suddenly she thought of the snow globe.

Such a silly trinket. Why would he go to all that trouble to deliver it to her...unless, maybe it had never been intended as souvenirs of her conferences but of something much darker.

“I—I have to go.” The woman on the other line—Terri—had started speaking again, but Shirley hung up the phone anyway.

She went back to her desk and unlocked the bottom drawer. Inside was her purse as well as a large manila envelope containing contributions for the Library Improvement Fund. She removed her purse, but left the envelope where it was.

She had to go home and think.

But then she heard a rustling sound from the mystery section. A chill tingled up her spine and over her scalp... She considered turning and running for the door.

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