Chapter 6
Drew followed her out of the tent as she took Killer for a short walk, letting Katie and Darby man the store as they finished their lunches. She didn’t say much until they were near the carnival rides. “So what do you think about Darby? Is someone stalking her?”
“I hate to say yes, but it seems that way. Too many things are happening for me to overlook them. Why is it happening? I have no clue. Maybe the perpetrator feels like they have a connection with Darby. And the other men are getting in the way. She said Marc used that same phrase when they met. Were there people around?”
“Just a few hundred or so for Marc’s talk about racing. I don’t remember thinking one person was too close to her or Marc. Now you have me worried about her.” Rarity looked back in the direction of the tent. “Maybe we should go back.”
“She’s fine for right now. People walk into these festival booths all the time.
If someone’s after her, he’s going to make his move in the dark when she’s alone.
We need to limit that time. Make sure someone walks her home after a shift.
No working a shift by herself. And can one of her friends stay with her at the house?
I know she had a few over the last two nights.
We need to keep that up, or she needs to stay with you if they need to go back to their lives. ”
“I think Malia and Holly will take care of that. Katie needs to go back to class next week. Maybe. She said her boyfriend is taking her to a bunch of these festival movies. I’ll talk to Darby and Katie when we get back.” She stopped to let Killer sniff a patch of grass. “So what about Mason Pike?”
“It’s looking like he didn’t die naturally. The tox screens aren’t back, but the coroner found a needle mark on the back of his neck. If I were to guess, someone came up behind him and shot something into him. Something that worked really fast. He wasn’t alone that long, was he?”
Rarity shook her head. “No, but I think the front door was open. I was sure I locked it but the deadlock wasn’t thrown when I went out to meet the paramedics. Someone could have left through that door.”
“Maybe he opened it. He might have been waiting for someone. I’ll stop by the store this afternoon and check the security tapes.
I’m glad we have Dad hanging out there. At least I know no one is messing with my evidence.
And they probably didn’t know you even had cameras.
” He grinned at her. “I’ll probably have this one in the bag before your book club can even meet to talk about the murder. ”
“I hope that’s true.” As they walked back to the tent, Killer pulled on the leash again. This time, he ran to the side and came back with a leather work glove. Rarity took it from him, looking at Drew as she did. “Where did you find this?”
Drew went over and looked at the tent. “You have an opening right here. I think it was an expander for the tent booth, but someone has loosened the Velcro that kept it together.” He leaned down and picked up a candy bar wrapper.
He took a plastic bag out of his shirt pocket and put the wrapper inside.
Then he held it out for the leather glove.
Rarity dropped it inside, and Killer barked his displeasure at losing his toy.
“Sorry, dude. It’s probably nothing, but I’ll get them dusted for prints. Maybe we’ve actually found a clue.”
Rarity took a breath, inhaling the smell of the corn dogs that were being cooked a row over. “You think someone was here, watching us?”
He glanced around the site, and Rarity noticed they were out of sight for both rows of booths, at least for the people walking by. “I think someone might have been standing here, watching Darby. What has that girl gotten herself into?”
* * *
At the end of the day, Rarity went back to the bookstore with Katie and Darby.
Killer rode in the wagon with some empty boxes that they’d planned to use to restock the tent for tomorrow’s last festival day.
As they walked, Rarity told them about what Drew had said and what they’d found. Darby was quiet.
Finally, she spoke. “You don’t think that truck almost hitting me was an accident, do you?”
“Honestly, no. Is there any way this guy from Scotland is still around? Did you tell him where you were from?” Rarity hated seeing the fear in her eyes. Darby was bold and brash and not afraid of anything. Except now.
“Maybe, probably. He was American, and that’s one of the reasons we hit it off.
Strangers in a strange land kind of thing.
I probably mentioned my grandma’s passing and how I was doing this as an homage to her.
” She shrugged as she walked next to Katie.
“You talk about yourself and your dreams on first dates. That’s how you know if you click. ”
“Drew said they were looking into the incident there. Maybe that will give him something to go on.” Rarity smiled at Darby. “You just need to keep yourself safe. No hiking by yourself, and if you see the guy, scream. If you’re wrong, you’ll just embarrass yourself. But you’ll be alive.”
“You give the worst advice, Rarity Cole,” Katie said as she handed Darby a small cylinder. “Here’s something that will keep you safe. Don’t worry, I’ve got two more in my car. My folks wanted me to have protection when I moved away from home to college.”
“They sent you to college with pepper spray?” Darby held it up, trying to figure out how to work it. “This is better quality than the one I have.”
Katie nodded. “It was either that or a small handgun. I didn’t want to be caught with one at school since they are a gun-free campus.
Besides, I didn’t like the idea of having one and having someone steal it.
I can shoot, no problem, but what if my roommate can’t?
She’d just make the guy mad if she tried to shoot him. ”
Rarity stared at her bookseller. “I didn’t realize you even knew how to shoot.”
“Back home in Kentucky, we learn early. Mostly for hunting and protection from bears. I never shot at anything but targets, but I was better than my older brother. His hand shakes when he shoots,” she said as they arrived at the bookstore.
“Don’t get me wrong, my folks are caring people.
They just wanted me and my sisters to be able to protect ourselves. It’s a mean world out there.”
As Katie went into the bookstore with the wagon and Killer, Darby and Rarity shared a shocked look, then smiled. “You learn something new every day,” Rarity said as she held the door for Darby.
“I know who I want to invite to my police-mandated sleepovers now,” Darby joked as they entered the bookstore and saw the group watching them.
“Now what,” Rarity said as she shut the door behind them.
“So Drew was here,” Jonathon started. “But there was a problem.”
“Someone shut off the security cameras about noon on Friday. So there was no way to know who came in.” Shirley finished his sentence. He stared at her. “What? You don’t even work here. This is something I should tell her, not you.”
Jonathon nodded then added, “Fair enough, but I can tell you that he’s going to check out all the surrounding shops to see if he can see who might have walked out of the bookstore after attacking Mason.”
“And it also means that my date for tonight has been canceled,” Sam added to Jonathon’s report. “So who wants to go to a screening or two with me tonight?”
Rarity raised her hand. “I’ll go. Archer is busy with Jack getting ready for tours starting Sunday afternoon when the festival ends.”
Darby glanced at Katie. “Are you staying over?”
“Sure, but Jared wants to go to all three screenings tonight. You can come too,” Katie offered.
“No thanks. I hate being the third wheel.” Darby took out her phone and nodded.
“Besides, it looks like I have plans. Malia’s coming over now and we’re ordering in pizza and having a pool party.
Holly will be there until she has to go to work, but the rest of you are invited.
I’ll set up a schedule for my babysitting while they’re at the house.
If there are any gaps, I’ll let Rarity know. ”
“You’re taking this well,” Rarity observed as Darby texted Malia back.
“I’m just glad that Drew believes me. I didn’t feel that way when I reported Roger, the guy I dated briefly in Scotland.” She looked around the group. “Who’s walking me home and staying there until Malia arrives? Katie has to go meet up with her movie man.”
Jonathon stood. “If we’re done here, I can walk you home. Rarity? Do you need to be walked home too?”
“Sam can walk with me to drop off Killer and then we’ll walk to the theater. No one’s after me, so don’t worry.”
Jonathon pulled her into a hug. “I worry about all of you. Especially when I’m home with Edith. You all need to move to Tucson so I can keep better track of you.”
“Okay, Dad. Stop hovering,” Shirley teased. “I’ll walk with the girls since I’m heading to Terrance’s. He’s making me dinner.”
With the night’s plans made, they talked about the morning and who would be where.
Jonathon and Shirley would be in the store.
And Katie, Darby, and Rarity would return to the booth with a few more books.
Then at eleven, Shirley would close the store and she and Jonathon would arrive at the booth to help tear it down and move the unsold books back to the store.
“I’m thinking about closing the store on Monday. You all deserve a day off.” Rarity leaned her head back. “I know I need one.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to open for a few hours. Kathy will be leaving to go back home, and I hate saying goodbye to that girl. She acts like she’ll never see me again.” Shirley held up her hand. “I don’t need a second.”
“But I need to write, so if you don’t mind, I’ll meet you here.” Jonathon stood. “Are you ready, Darby? I have a dog to feed.”
“You know you can bring him here,” Rarity mentioned as they were walking out the door.