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Closer…almost there…and there it was. 920.0797 B63. It was a thick red leather tome, stamped in gold. He reached for it, with a hand that trembled—
“Can I help you with anything?”
He practically jumped out of his skin. He turned with a gasp.
Strawberry Red stood there, smiling at him. “Hi.”
He let out a shaky breath, and smiled back. “Whew. Startled me.”
“So sorry,” she said demurely. “Can I help you find anything?”
“Oh, not really. I was just, ah, poking around,” he said helplessly. “I’m a history buff.”
The wattage of her smile went up a few notches. “A history buff? That’s funny. So am I. There are some beautiful historic sites in Endicott Falls. Are you just passing through?”
“Yeah. Sort of,” he said.
“If you have the time, I could show them to you. I get off at four. You see so much more with someone who knows the place intimately.”
Sean swallowed. “Ah, wow. That’s tempting, but I’m afraid I’m busy later,” he told her. “I’m having dinner with my fiancée and her family.” He gave her a you-know-how-it-is shrug.
She took it well. There was a brief, awkward moment while her smile stiffened, and she stepped back. “Well then. Another time. I’ll just leave you to browse. Let me know if you have any questions.”
Her heels clicked across the room. The door creaked open, fell to again with a sharp little thud, and he was alone again.
He almost sagged to the ground. From the adrenaline rush, from dumb relief for having gotten rid of her so easily, but mostly from blank, jaw-dropping shock, at having actually done that to a pretty woman.
He’d never turned down a cute girl before. No matter what was going on in his life. No matter how double or triple or quadruple booked his dick was. He had always,alwaysmanaged to slot them in somehow.
Jesus. He hadn’t even gotten her phone number.
And his improvised excuse made him snicker. Dinner with his fiancée’s family, his ass. Talk about wishful thinking. They’d only shoot him on sight, and bury his carcass in the municipal dump.
He gripped the big book, lifted it out and peered into the shadows. Nothing. His heart fell. He groped. Still nothing. His heart thudded, his stomach clenched. He reached further, scrabbling with his fingers.
There was a niche in the wall. Something loose tucked into it.
He pulled out a dusty plastic case, and opened it. A small flash drive was rattling around inside it. The kind that fit into that digital video camera Kev had been playing with, fifteen years ago.
He saw Kev in his mind’s eye, clapping.About time, Einstein. Give yourself a medal, why don’t you.
August twenty-third, Kev? What in thefuck…?
No. One thing at a time. If he let himself think of Kev’s post-death appearances on earth, he’d blow a fuse. He shoved the flash drive into his pocket and pulled out the book with the fateful call number, leafing through it, just in case. It was titledThe Founders of Endicott Falls: A True and Faithful Chronicle of Those Heroic Personages Who Forged Our Fair Township from a Savage and Ferocious Wilderness. ByJoseph Ezekiel Bleeker.
Huh. Some ass-kissing scholar type, trying to score points with old Augustus. Probably wanted to marry the guy’s daughter.
He shoved the tome back into its space and beat hell out of there.
He had to call Liv, tell her he’d found the flash drive. Thank her for being a genius, a goddess. Tell her that he wasn’t worthy to lick her perfect feet, and he was sorry he’d been such a rude dickhead.
And that he loved her, madly, till the end of time. Why hadn’t he said that last night, instead of all his macho, blustering bullshit?
Strawberry Red discreetly turned her back so she wouldn’t have to see his apologetic smile. Classy chick. He appreciated her delicacy.
He had his cell out before he was out the door. Liv’s phone rang, and rang, and rang. He got into Davy’s SUV, tossed the briefcase onto Con’s lap and ignored the questions while he pulled up Tam’s number.
She picked up instantly. “Sean,” she said crisply. “Brace yourself.”
