Read or Alive by Nora Page

Author:Nora Page
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

* * *

The wispy clouds had grown brooding cumulus heads by the time Cleo parked near the Depot. She sat in her captain’s seat, flipping through a gardening magazine and watching folks hurry by, umbrellas in hand. A few spits of rain dotted her windshield.

Cleo liked rainy days, the best for cozying up with a good book. Unfortunately, such days tended to drive down bookmobile business. She’d had a handful of visitors, most dropping by to chat, presumably about the weather.

“Looks like rain,” they’d say, before edging toward the topic of murder and Cleo’s theories. She consoled herself by touting the innocence of everyone’s top two suspects, Henry and Dot.

She was getting ready for her next stop at the school when a flash of bright color caught her eye. Kitty Peavey strolled from the Depot. She paused under the eaves and then out to the dim daylight, palm up, checking the weather. Cleo expected the “proprietress of Southern Delights” to retreat from the hair-frizzing mist. Instead, Kitty sashayed down the sidewalk and straight for Words on Wheels.

“I’ve been meaning to visit your cute bus,” Kitty said, entering with a cloud of perfume. “Aw, what a sweet kitty cat,” she cooed at Rhett, who sat on a shelf, looking grumpily out at the weather.

Rhett immediately flopped and purred, and Kitty gushed more pretty-kitty praise.

Cleo’s feelings toward the woman rose. She reminded herself that Kitty was a suspect, for murder and various book crimes. Thus warned, Cleo extended cautious greetings. “His name is Rhett Butler,” she admitted when Kitty asked.

Kitty clapped. “How cute! You and your cousin really are true GWTW fans!”

“We are,” Cleo said, swept by a chilliness that wasn’t blown in with the weather. “She has the police looking for her valuable signed copy, the copy Hunter Fox acquired under … misleading circumstances.” Cleo’s manners kept her from outright bad-mouthing the recently deceased.

“Bless him,” Kitty said with a pout. “That man was the best scout ever. He could sniff out high-value books like a bloodhound, I tell you. ‘Look low, look high,’ that was his motto.” Seeing Cleo’s perplexed expression, she said. “On the shelves, for treasures other buyers miss. I suppose it’s the same in the library. Folks focus on eye height.”

“It is true,” Cleo said. She was guilty of it too, although she did have the dual excuses of bad knees and a height of barely five feet three inches.

Kitty shook her head. “Poor Hunt. He told me he was coming into something big too. It’s a shame.”

“Big?” Cleo asked, her interest piqued. She stood to lean back against the dash and watch Kitty’s face. “A rare book?”

“I don’t know,” Kitty said with a sorrowful sigh. “All he said was, he wasn’t going to have to spend so much time digging around dusty old bookshelves and attics and chatting folks up.” She looked up, and Cleo saw a true tear in her eye. Kitty recovered quickly, flicking her hand and leaning back down to inspect Cleo’s traveling display.

“Why, this is cute too,” Kitty said.

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