Page 43 of By the Book

“It’s not like he still lives here.”

“I don’t know, Bobby. I’m not a lunatic who’s obsessed with a weird old diary.”

Frowning, Bobby said, “But the diary is a fake.”

“Probably.”

“But nobody knows it’s a fake.”

“Well, George and Colleen know. And Stewart.”

“So, they wouldn’t be looking for it.”

“Right.”

“And whoever killed the mayor must have taken the diary, since we didn’t find the diary there.”

I nodded. “Maybe. But what if the mayordidn’tsteal it? I heard two people, remember? Or what if the mayor had already hidden the diary? Or thrown it away? I think we have three facts: someone killed the mayor; someone stole the diary; and someone is trying to get it back. What I can’t figure out is why. I mean, who would want the diary?”

“Mrs. Shufflebottom,” Bobby said.

“Uh, Mrs. Shufflebottom is a librarian, Bobby. She’s not a killer.”

“Anyone can be a killer under the right circumstances. Think about it: she’s desperate, her world is collapsing, her big plan to save the library just blew up in her face.”

“Wait, you seriously think she killed the mayor?”

“I don’t know. But even if she didn’t, she still needs to get the diary back.”

“Why?” Then it hit me. “Oh shiz! The insurance check.”

Bobby did not appreciate the language, by the way. He said, “Yeah, I don’t know the library by-laws, but I’m guessing there’s some sort of spending limit—above that, and you need approval by the board of trustees, that kind of thing. There’s no way they authorized Mrs. Shufflebottom to spend ten thousand dollars on rare book insurance right after they learned they were being defunded.”

“And if the insurance is fake, then Mrs. Shufflebottom is in serious trouble,” I said. “The only way this doesn’t end with the library being closed—and Mrs. Shufflebottom arrested—is if shecan find the diary and auction it off. God, do you think she knows it might be a fake?”

“I don’t think it matters,” Bobby said. “At this point, she’s in too deep. She doesn’t have any other options.”

I nodded, but I said, “What’s the deal with George and Colleen?”

“I thought you said they were running a con.”

“Yeah, exactly. But what’s the end game here? I mean, George has a business. If this gets out, it would ruin him—why take the risk?”

“Because he thought he could get away with it. Greedy people make mistakes like that all the time.”

“Okay, but why stick around?”

“What?”

“They’re still in town, aren’t they? They didn’t go back to Portland?”

Bobby frowned. “I don’t know.”

“They were still in Hastings Rock this morning. George called me to—” I didn’t actually thump myself on the forehead, but I felt like it. “—to ask if he could come look at Hemlock House’s collection of rare books.”

“Let me guess: you said no.”

“Well, I did the responsible thing and didn’t call him back. But a call like that, it would be way too obvious, though, right? He wouldn’t break into Hemlock House the same day he called to ask if he could browse through my books.”

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