Chapter 18
That night, Rarity dreamed of spiders. Big ones, little ones, spiders all over the bookstore; then when she tried to go out the back, she walked in on someone bending over Mason Pike. He looked at her and grinned. “One bite and I’ll be as good as I used to be. Just hold on a second.”
She started to scream as the spiders ran up Pike’s legs and the figure crouched next to him now turned into a man-sized spider. Her heart was pounding as she tore herself from the dream.
She reached for the clock and saw it was almost five. In the dim light from the window, she saw Killer awake and staring at her. She pulled him close and rubbed his ears. “Did I scare you? I scared myself enough. Sorry, buddy.”
She decided to get up and get ready for the day.
Saturdays were busy in the bookstore, especially during book club weeks.
She didn’t have to deal with Shirley’s kids, as she called the elementary school group, but she would be dealing with parents either dropping their kids off or buying books as they waited.
Some of the women met at the coffee shop after dropping the kids off to talk about all things family. At least that’s what Rarity assumed they talked about. Amy was a high schooler now, so she’d be here next week for book club. Unless her social activities or dance competitions kept her away.
Rarity needed to find another middle schooler to take over Amy’s book reviews.
She’d ask Katie if there was a bookworm in the group who needed an assignment.
Being part of the bookstore community had turned Amy from a shy reader to a social butterfly.
She gained friends at the book club; then, with her work with the backpack project, her confidence had exploded.
And she needed that kind of kid energy for the upcoming school supply drive in late summer.
Rarity wrote down her thoughts, adding to her to-do list as she ate breakfast and got ready for her day.
As she did, she remembered the spider dream.
Was she missing something that her subconscious was trying to remind her about?
At the bookstore, Shirley was getting ready for her club and Katie was manning the register.
Rarity didn’t have a lot to do so she wandered the nonfiction shelves, looking to see if they had a book on spiders and other desert creepy-crawlies.
They didn’t. She went back to the front and grabbed her laptop.
As Rarity scanned the offerings on the screen, Katie pointed to one of the books.
“Oh, I don’t think I wrote down that one.
I sold the last copy last week over at the festival booth.
We went through all the local attraction and nature books.
It was a crazy weekend. Sorry I didn’t mark it down.
” She pointed to several others that Rarity was considering ordering.
“And those two as well. I don’t think we ever stocked that last one, but it’s supposed to be good.
My roommate last year, Charity, her boyfriend Todd works at the reptile store in Flagstaff.
They sell spiders, snakes, those big lizards, all the things I never wanted as a pet.
I want something cuddly like Killer. Not something that could kill me.
Anyway, he said they stock that book and sell tons. ”
“Oh, what’s the store name?” Rarity put in an order for all the books.
Katie closed her eyes. “I know the answer to that question. Hold on a second. Duh, it’s I Like Spiders and Snakes. Like that really old song?”
“I think the song is about someone who doesn’t like those things,” Shirley added. “So they sold books in a pet store?”
“Tons, according to Todd, but that might have been five or fifty in a week. He wasn’t good at details. But he swore that one of the spiders’ bite was an aphrodisiac. At least for men. Stupid, right?”
“I read that somewhere. That there were doctors who were prescribing for someone to buy a spider out of Brazil to cure that problem. As if the medical profession doesn’t have enough quacks.
I guess going back to witch doctors makes as much sense as some of these anticancer diets they sell on the internet.
” Shirley rolled her eyes and then smiled at the little girl who’d just walked up to the register with her mom.
“What about you, dear? Do you like spiders and snakes?”
The girl’s eyes widened. “No! That’s not the program today, is it? My brother always looks for them in our backyard. He’s an idiot.”
“Now, don’t call Allen an idiot, Vanna.” Her mom nudged her to put the books on the counter. “Besides, you read the flyer, Miss Shirley’s talking about books and movies. That should be fun.”
“As long as it’s not snakes or bugs. I hate both of them.” Vanna pushed her books toward Shirley. “I got an A on my English test so Mom’s letting me get an extra two books today.”
As Vanna and Shirley discussed the books she’d chosen, Rarity pulled Katie aside. “Look, I need to run into Flagstaff to talk to someone at this store. Do you think Todd will be there?”
“I can check.” She pulled out her phone and texted someone. “Charity says Todd’s working today until two. You need to leave soon to make sure you don’t miss him. If it gets slow, he’ll volunteer to go home. He barely gets thirty hours.”
“Can you guys handle the club and the store?” Rarity looked around. Most of the kids were gathered around the fireplace.
“If it gets crazy, we’ll call Darby in,” Katie said, bringing Shirley into the conversation since she was free. “Right, Shirley?”
“As long as you’re back by four. I need to leave then to get ready for the event tonight,” Shirley said.
“The event is at seven.” Rarity reached for her open planner. “Or I thought so.…”
Shirley nodded. “It’s at seven. Terrance is taking me to Flagstaff to a steakhouse he likes before the closing ceremony.”
“Oh, sorry. Yes, I’ll be back by four.”
“Where are you going?” Jonathon asked as he sat his laptop bag down on the counter.
Rarity had a choice. She could lie, but if she found something, she might need Jonathon’s help. “To a pet store. Do you want to come along? Did you bring Romeo?”
“He stayed home. Drew’s off today and said he’d take him for a walk later.” Jonathon picked up his tote. “I can drive. My truck’s out front.”
“You don’t have to go. I know you have writing you want to do.” Rarity grabbed her tote. Now she was glad she’d left Killer at home. He hated book club Saturday.
“Sometimes you need a break from the writing to think about the plot. I won’t say I have writer’s block, because I don’t believe in it, but I am a little stuck on this. Maybe I’ll see something on the way that will refresh my hero’s outlook.” He held up his keys. “Ready?”
Rarity nodded, giving in. “Fine, but I’m buying you lunch and gas.”
“That sounds like a bad combination, but then again, my thoughts run the gamut of a typical twelve-year-old boy at times.” He followed her out, remotely unlocking his truck and then holding the door open for her when they reached it. “Here you go.”
“I swear you’re the last of the gentlemen.” Rarity slipped in, then put on her seat belt as Jonathon closed the door, then came around and got in the driver’s side.
“I hope not. I trained my son better. So where are we going?” he asked when he started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Let’s see…565 South Pine in Flagstaff. It’s a specialty pet store.” Rarity had written the address down on a slip of paper after deciding to visit Todd.
“Are you getting another pet?”
“Are you kidding? Killer wouldn’t stand for it.
That Yorkie rules the house. He should have been named King Fluffy or something royal.
It’s his way or you hear about it. I’ve changed his food three times because he decided he didn’t like it after I bought a month’s supply.
” Rarity rubbed her face. “I bet Romeo eats everything you put in front of him.”
“And a few things we didn’t.” Jonathon started telling stories about Romeo and how he stole the raw chicken on the counter that Edith was planning on putting in a marinade for the grill.
She left the room to answer the doorbell for a delivery and when she came back, the chicken was gone.
Jonathon told Romeo stories all the way into Flagstaff.
When they got there, he looked at the sign. “I loved that song. Mostly because I was the one who didn’t like the creepy-crawlies. Edith doesn’t mind them. She dealt with the frog and turtle phase, but then the next pet the kids asked for was warm blooded and fuzzy. Like they should be.”
Rarity smiled, agreeing with Jonathon’s definition of a pet. Then they went into the store. Classic rock played on the overhead speakers, and as they came inside, a young man dressed all in black greeted them.
“Welcome. What can I help you with today? I have to tell you up front, we’re out of feeding mice. The next shipment is supposed to be here on Tuesday.”
Rarity wanted to ask if she and Jonathon looked like snake owners, but then again, she didn’t want to know. “Are you Todd?”
“Nope. I’m Jax. Todd’s in the back with the spiders. Head to the left.”
She followed Jax’s directions and found a young man wearing round glasses and looking like the really tall elf from those Santa movies. He wasn’t Bernard, what was his name? “Todd?”
“Hi, you must be Katie’s friends. She said you might be coming by.
Well, she actually told me to wait for you or she would hurt me.
” Todd looked at Rarity and then Jonathon.
“I take it you’re here for a Brazilian wandering spider.
We aren’t allowed to sell those anymore.
I can get you a nice tarantula if you want.
But it won’t help, you know, down there. ”
Rarity blushed. She didn’t have to see her face in the mirror to feel the heat on her skin. “No, we aren’t, I mean, we aren’t together. We just need some information about any venomous spider that could kill someone. How would that work?”