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CHAPTER14
Kane may have had contacts to pump for information, but I had books. Just because the Internet didn’t include information about The Corporation didn’t mean they’d managed to keep themselves out of print.
One phone call to Hailey at the library and I had the address of the best antique bookstore in the area, which was owned by Jessie Talbot, one of the oldest people in Fairhaven. Alicia had mentioned chatting to the elderly woman at a bookstore. It had to be the same one.
Leather Bound was tucked away on a downtown side street not far from Hewitt’s. Arguably, no store in town was far from any other.
I sneezed as I entered the dimly lit shop, immediately drawing the attention of the old woman behind the counter, Jessie Talbot.
“Welcome,” she said. “You’re the lady who bought the Castle.”
“Lorelei Clay,” I reminded her. “We met at Hewitt’s.”
“Yes, you bought a hose. I encouraged you to buy a wreath.”
Sharp memory for a woman her age.
“I’m looking for books with information about ancient organizations.”
Jessie studied me with eyes that seemed to buckle under the weight of her wrinkled eyelids. “That’s just about the vaguest request I’ve ever heard. You might as well ask for references to fruit.”
“What about mythological creatures that guard treasure?” Maybe I could get one step ahead of the next guardian, assuming a third one was assigned to the house. It was hard to guess how The Corporation would handle the situation at this point.
Jessie held up an arthritic finger. “Now there’s an interesting request.” With a shaky finger, she pointed to the stacks directly behind me. “Middle shelf. Two-inch spine. The cover looks blank, but it’s just old.”
A thick layer of dust told me no one had disturbed this area in quite some time. I sneezed again as I located the two-inch tome and carried it to a well-worn leather chair in the corner.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Jessie offered. “My hands can’t manage it, but Helen will make one for you.”
“Who’s Helen?”
“My assistant. She’s in the back room, cataloging inventory.”
“No need to disrupt her but thank you.”
The book was so worn that the ink had faded on many of the pages, making them difficult to read. I turned my attention to the index. I checked for references to organizations, gold, and guardians, and finally settled on treasure.
I flipped to the first page of the section and scanned the contents. The options were plentiful when it came to guardians of treasure. I read more slowly when I reached the description of the fuzanglong, a Chinese dragon that guarded hidden, underground treasures. That sounded like Bruce. According to the book, the dragon was powerful enough to create volcanoes and its most treasured possession was a magic pearl.
I stared at the page. Was a magic pearl buried in that mountain of gold? Was that the reason Bruce had stayed all those years? Or maybe The Corporation had possession of the pearl and refused to return it until Bruce fulfilled his obligation as guardian?
“Did you find anything helpful, dear?” Jessie called from behind the counter.
“I did.” It was enlightening, although I wasn’t entirely sure how it helped me now that Bruce was dead.
I read until my eyes burned and the words on the pages began to blur. Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything else that gave me insight into the current situation.
As I returned the book to the shelf, Jessie called, “This isn’t a library, you know. Those books are for sale.”
“Yes, but they’re for sale at antique prices.”
Jessie smiled. “Not that one. It’s been on my shelf longer than I can remember, and I remember a helluva lot. I’ll give you a good deal.”
I clutched the heavy book to my chest. It would be helpful to have more time to peruse it. Maybe Ray could pitch in when I was asleep.
“Name your price,” I told her.
As I crossed over the anemic moat with the tome tucked under my arm, I spotted a hulking figure in the cemetery. At first glance I thought a ghoul had broken ranks and wandered in during daylight hours. He loped toward the house with an odd sort of grace. His body appeared strangely lumpy, like a hunchback whose humps multiplied and spread.
