Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
W ith it being Saturday, Ian and I had the day to ourselves. We weren’t in a rush to start it, relaxing on the couch with a second cup of tea while tossing around some ideas about the Willow mystery.
That was until Ian said, “You can’t avoid your dad. He’s probably already suspicious that you didn’t wait for him to arrive at the scene or that you didn’t follow the ambulance to the hospital last night.”
“I talked with him on the phone,” I said. It sounded like a poor excuse and Ian must have thought the same as well since he scrunched his brow. “I’ll see him soon enough.” Though I would rather not. At least not until my raccoon eyes had faded some, which likely wouldn’t happen soon enough. I was glad he changed the subject since I had planned to.
“How about we go to the bookstore in Barnsville, grab lunch out, though before we go, I thought we could do an Internet search for an aerial view of the cemetery. It could give us an idea of what might be close enough to connect a secret passageway from the mausoleum. Then we can trace the most logical ones on foot and see where it gets us.”
“I like your way of thinking,” I said, eager to start the day.
Once our Internet search was done and a few photos saved, we got dressed and found Mo sitting at the front door with his vest in his mouth and his head slightly tilted to the side, his eyes drooping with sadness.
Ian laughed. “He is just too adorable to say no to.” He squatted down and got Mo’s vest on him when his ears perked up and he barked, though his tail wagged. Someone he knew had just pulled up.
Ian stood and wrapped his arm around me to give me a squeeze. “Time to face the music.”
He knew who it was as well as I did.
We stepped outside and Mo whoofed at my dad and hurried to my truck to make sure he wasn’t left behind.
When my dad’s eyes didn’t register shock when he looked at me, it had me realizing someone had told him what had happened to me.
“Who?” I asked, then shook my head. “Josh just couldn’t resist, could he?”
“When it comes to you, your brother could never resist tattling. You should have told me.”
“And get another lecture?” I asked as sweetly as possible.
My dad threw his hands up as if in surrender. “What difference does another lecture make? You never pay attention to any of them. Are you all right?”
I was about to say, ‘Don’t I look it’ when I stopped realizing what a mistake that would be. I said what I knew would relieve his worry. “Dr. Wagner was very thorough. I am good to go.”
“I’m glad to hear that but I would rather have heard it yesterday when it happened.”
“Dad, I?—”
He raised his hand stopping me. “I know you’re an adult and you don’t need to be telling me everything about what happens to you. But to me, you will always be my little girl who I want to keep safe. So, please take pity on me and spare me what worry you can.”
“I thought I was,” I confessed.
“It is worse if you don’t tell me. So, tell me and I will try my best not to lecture you on being foolish.”
I laughed. “That would take a miracle.”
“Likewise,” he said with a grin.
“See I’m not the only one who loves you even if you are foolish,” Ian said with a handsome grin.
“You weren’t foolish in picking Ian, I’ll give you that,” my dad said, nodding at him.
“Okay, keep that in mind when I tell you the rake whacked me in the face when I chased after the guy who I told you I spotted by the building, and I assumed was the squatter.”
My dad clamped his hand over his mouth to keep a lecture from spilling out and shook his head.
“I barely got a look when the rake hit me, the first time?—”
“First time?” my dad asked with disbelief. “It hit you twice?”
“I was disoriented from the first hit when I stood and my foot caught the rake again, but I did see, the first time, that he was wearing jeans and a hoodie, and a quick thought went through my head that he just might be the vanishing guy. Have you found out anything about the man in the hospital?”
“No luck with fingerprints and finding no identification on him could prove difficult in identifying him. Because of the brain swelling, the doctor has no indication of how long he will be unconscious. Only time will tell.”
“Are you going to release a photo of him?” I asked.
“He’s got so many tubes in him I don’t think anyone would recognize him. I’m having the sketch that you both helped provide updated and we’ll see if anyone can recognize him from that. I’m keeping an officer on him for now since I don’t know if he’s in danger or not, or if he’s guilty of a crime or a victim of a crime. There isn’t much evidence to help us identify who might have been squatting in that building but we’re going to continue to look there and the surrounding area. You and Ian spending time together today.”
Ian’s arm shot around me. “I’m not letting her out of my sight and Mo is joining us.”
“Good, then I’ll have a worry-free day. Enjoy,” he said and waved before turning to get back in his vehicle.
“Dad!” I called out to stop him and hurried to him and kissed his cheek. “It won’t happen again.”
He laughed. “I’d like to believe that.”
We followed my dad down my long driveway and pulled onto the roadway when my phone rang. With Ian driving, I was free to answer it and grabbed it out of the console tray, seeing it was my mom, my dad no doubt failing to tell her everything. I put her on speaker and barely got out, “Hi Mom.”
“Your father says you are good, but I wanted to make sure for myself. You’ve had enough black eyes to know how to care for them.”
“She has?” Ian asked surprised.
“Oh my, yes, Ian. If she wasn’t fighting a boy for picking on someone, it was getting hit by a ball at any given sport or whacking herself accidentally with a tennis racket?—”
“Enough, Mom,” I said. “I’m good and Ian doesn’t need to hear all that.”
“Aye, I do,” Ian said with a teasing grin.
“I’ll tell you more when I see you next, Ian. Your dad said you both are off to enjoy the day. Have fun. Toodles.”
Thankfully, she hung up.
“I wondered why so many cold packs were in your freezer,” he said laughing.
“Very funny, but sadly true.”
“I will do my best to save you from getting black eyes,” he said heroically.
“You might want to wear full knight gear for that quest, Sir Lancelot.”
I love the Barn Book Store. It is a true gem for book lovers and a favorite haunt of mine and has become a favorite of Ian’s as well. Once a rustic barn, it was transformed into a vast, welcoming bookstore while retaining its rustic feel and updated appeal. Expansive windows were installed to flood the interior with natural light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The original loft was reimagined and expanded into a spacious second floor, offering even more room to browse and it is where the mystery section is housed.
The store boasts an impressive collection of new and used books and magazines, ensuring there’s something for every reader. I never leave the place without buying something.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the well-stocked coffee bar after taking only a few steps into the store. But it was their array of teas that Ian and I enjoyed, and we would get as soon as we finished perusing the shelves. For those who preferred to soak in the sunshine, picnic tables were available outside during pleasant weather. That was where Mo parked himself with Ettie, Dottie and Sam, the owners’ twelve-year-old daughter who was thrilled to see him. They adore each other and Ettie pointed out that we were not to rush that she would take good care of Mo.
Most of the comfortable sofas and chairs, perfect for sinking into a book or taking a leisurely break that were scattered throughout, were occupied by readers who didn’t appear in a hurry to vacate them anytime soon. And I couldn’t blame them. It was a reader’s paradise.
Ian and I made our way to the second floor and were soon lost amongst the shelves of mysteries. Our pile of books grew rapidly. An hour had nearly gone by when Dottie appeared looking guilty.
“I am so sorry to disturb you Ian, but several women have asked if you would sign their romance books where you are on the cover. I see you have quite a pile of books there. I can give you a generous discount if you could take a few moments to do an impromptu signing. I wouldn’t ask but they are avid readers who are here often.”
Ever thoughtful, Ian looked at me.
“Go ahead. I’ll keep myself busy,” I said, getting used to the attention he received. Well, almost used to it.
“I just shelved some lightly used prepping books and magazines,” Dottie said.
I grinned at Ian. “You know where to find me.”
Ian smiled and kissed me. “I won’t be long.”
Dottie placed the books we had selected in one of the wire baskets kept for customers and I followed them to the top of the stairs. Seeing the line already waiting for Ian proved that I had plenty of time to explore the prepper section and maybe a few others.
I went to the far back of the second floor where the prepper books were kept and glanced over the generous selection and spotted one that I didn’t have by Stu MacMillan. He was more a survivalist than a prepper, living off the grid on one hundred acres in North Dakota with his wife and five children. It was no hardship from the pics he posted on an exclusive prepper social media site.
I was engrossed in the book, but not that engrossed that I didn’t overhear whispers coming from the aisle over. I strained to hear the conversation.
“He could be a problem?” a gravelly voice said.
I could barely make out the response. “Find—who—is.”
“And?”
I hoped to recognize the voices, but the gravelly one was not familiar at all, and the other voice was much too faint to make out.
“Do what’s ne?—”
“Good, Lord, Pepper! What happened to you?”
Vera Andrews, Amy’s nosy neighbor, was nearly on top of me. I heard rushing footsteps and raced past Vera, trying to reach the stairs before the two people did. I wasn’t so lucky. I hurried forward hoping I could get at least a partial look at them.
My phone.
I might be able to get a picture with my phone which everyone constantly reminded me about. I rushed to pull it out of my back pocket. Not an easy task since I still held the MacMillan book and the phone slipped from my hands, flying end over end toward the stairs. I lurched forward to grab it, stretching my one hand out, my fingertips grazing it and momentum taking hold. I went tumbling down the flight of wide stairs, feeling every bump of every step as I was propelled to the bottom where I found myself reliving a similar moment. Only this time instead of landing between the legs of a Highlander, my biker scooped me up before I hit the last few steps, and the bookstore erupted in cheers.
I heard Mo’s bark from somewhere close by and Ian held me so tight I could hear his heart hammer against his chest. As the cheers and applause began to settle, I heard snippets of comments.
“Did you see how fast he reacted?”
“Didn’t hesitate.”
“True hero.”
“Be still my heart.”
“Who knew that someday phones could cause such accidents.”
That voice I recognized . Vera.
“You really need to be more careful, Pepper,” Vera cautioned. “Sir Galahad here isn’t always going to be around to save you. And don’t bother to give me the I-can-save-myself attitude, obviously you couldn’t, and you didn’t and that proves my point. Here’s your phone.”
Vera shoved it in my face, and I took it from her.
She walked away, grabbing her phone from her purse, eager to spread the news of my embarrassing fall.
“Are you all right?” Dottie asked, hurrying toward us.
“Aye, are you?” Ian asked, still cradling me in his arms.
“I’m good. My fault for not watching what I was doing,” I said to Dottie, then whispered to Ian. “You can put me down now.”
He lowered me to my feet with reluctance and Mo was suddenly at my side, looking up at me with worry. “No worries, Mo, I’m good.”
He sat leaning his big body against my leg which meant he didn’t intend to leave my side anytime soon.
I spotted the MacMillan book on the floor and smiled at Dottie who still looked worried and pointed. “I’d like to get that book, and I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea.”
Dottie smiled and snatched up the book. “Earl Grey for the both of you?”
Ian and I nodded.
“Take a rest in the cushioned chairs outside and I’ll bring the tea and your purchases to you,” Dottie said. “And thanks again for the impromptu signing, Ian. The women so enjoyed it.”
Several people called out as we left the store telling me to rest, take it easy, stay off my phone, and I sent them a smile in return. When I finally sank into a cushioned chair, it hit me, and I looked at Ian. “This is going to be all over social media.”
Both our phones started dinging, and I groaned.