Proof of Murder (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #4) - Lauren Elliott Page 0,21
dislodge a lump forming in the back of her throat and scowled at the chairs Marc had indicated. This was humiliating and far too reminiscent of when she was a child, and her grandmother would send her to the corner for a time out.
Without even as much as another glance in her direction, Marc waved his arm toward the door. “Mr. Edwards, now that we’re in the room and not in the hallway, run me through again exactly what transpired when you and Miss Greyborne first entered?”
Addie marched over to where Marc stood speaking with Jerry and Blake, his back turned to her. “Excuse me, Chief, but I have new evidence to add to the investigation of this scene.”
Marc’s shoulders sagged. “I’m certain you do, Miss Greyborne, and when I’m ready for your statement, I will call on you. Now please sit down.”
Addie opened her mouth to retort but then snapped it shut. What’s the point? Nothing so far about his reaction to seeing her for the first time in three months, since late February, was how she had envisioned it would be. The fact that he was back in town and hadn’t even contacted her probably meant things were in far more of a mess than she realized.
Her heart felt as if it would explode like the lamp shade. He probably wouldn’t even care enough to pick up the shattered pieces. They as a couple and, apparently, as friends were too broken by their last conversation.
Addie flopped into her time-out chair. Her eyes held steadfast on Marc as Blake walked him through the movements leading up to when he and Addie found Charlotte dead. Addie kept her ears perked for the slightest variation in the story, but Blake did well. She shifted in her seat. She hated feeling useless. Finally, by the table, they were close enough for her to hear more clearly what was being said about the missing books.
“Sorry, I can’t help with that one,” Blake said. “I never saw the originals. They were something that Addie and her cousin Kalea came across yesterday when they were cataloguing the books we found earlier this week in the attic.”
“So then you can’t verify the original books actually existed?”
How dare he dispute my claim! Addie narrowed her gaze, hoping that every last imaginary dart she could conjure in her mind found its way to Marc’s cold, cold heart. Blake glanced over at Addie, a look of helplessness in his eyes. “No, I can’t, but they would have been put into Charlotte’s cataloguing system after they were appraised.”
“And where might I find this system?”
“It would be in her computer files on her laptop.”
“Do you know where her laptop is?”
Blake glanced over to the desk and shrugged.
“Where was Charlotte staying while she was in town?”
“The Grey Gull Inn.”
“Is that where her assistant,” Marc said, flipping back through his notes, “Robert Peters, is also staying?”
“Yes, we all are.”
“Have you seen Mr. Peters today?”
“No. His car is here on the front street, but I haven’t seen him around.”
“Could it be possible that he has Charlotte’s laptop?”
“I suppose so.” Tiny beads of perspiration formed on Blake’s brow. “But it’s hard to say. I don’t recall him ever working on it before. He generally did his work on his own and then would e-mail his reports to Charlotte. She never really trusted him with her personal laptop.”
“Do you know why? He was her assistant, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, but Charlotte was like that. I was surprised to hear that she gave Addie access to it yesterday, but maybe she felt she didn’t have a choice, given the rush job to get this room ready for today’s auction.”
Marc’s eyes narrowed in on Blake’s face. Droplets of perspiration now dripped from Blake’s brow. He took a hankie out of his breast pocket, dabbed his forehead, and stuffed it back into his pocket.
“Mr. Edwards, why do I have the feeling you’re not telling me everything?”
Blake glanced around the room and leaned closer to Marc. “It’s just that,” his voice dropped, “if there are books missing, it’s not the first time things have disappeared from this house.”
“Have you reported this to the police?”
“No.” Blake plucked his hankie from his pocket and wiped under his collar.
Addie nearly slipped off the edge of her chair as she leaned closer to the two men. This was news to her, and she didn’t want to miss a word.
“May I ask why you haven’t reported these thefts?”
Blake’s knuckles shone white from the death grip he had