Part 5 (2/2)

I paid for breakfast and collected my two cups of coffee. Claire had put a couple of sugar packets, a creamer, and a stir stick into a little waxed-paper bag and rolled down the top. She handed me everything. There was a P on one of the lids.

”That one is just coffee,” she said. ”P for 'plain.' ”

I thanked her and walked back to the table. Maggie held the cups while I shrugged into my coat and pulled on my hat and mittens. After I slid the strap of my briefcase over my head, she gave me both coffees. Their warmth seeped into my fingers.

As we stepped outside a man cut across the street, dodging cars. ”Ruby,” he called. She turned in his direction and her face lit up. When he reached us, he put an arm around Ruby and gave her a quick hug. This has to be the new boyfriend, I thought, which Ruby confirmed when she turned back to us.

”Kathleen, this is Justin,” she said.

”You're the librarian,” he said.

I nodded. ”I am.”

He stuffed the knitted hat he was holding into his pocket and offered his hand, and I held up the two coffee cups to show I couldn't shake his.

He gave me an easy smile and said, ”Nice to meet you.”

He was about average height, with longish dark hair slicked back from a widow's peak and angular features. He smelled like hair gel.

”You remember Maggie,” Ruby said.

Justin turned to Maggie. ”I do,” he said. ”Hi, Maggie.”

”Hi,” she said.

”I'm so glad I caught you,” he said. ”I found those lights you were looking for.”

He patted the black nylon bag on his hip. He had a couple of elastics around one wrist and a silver skull bracelet on the other.

Ruby pressed a hand to her head. ”I forgot all about them. They're for Maggie.”

He opened the flap of his carryall and handed Maggie a plastic bag.

”Thanks,” she said.

Ruby glanced down the street and gave an involuntary s.h.i.+ver.

Justin followed her gaze. ”What's going on down there?” he asked.

Ruby closed her eyes for a second and took a couple of deep breaths. ”It's . . . it's . . . Remember I introduced you to Agatha Shepherd?”

Justin nodded slowly, his eyes narrowed. ”Yeah.”

”She's, uh, dead,” Ruby said.

”Hey, I'm so sorry.” He caught one of her hands and gave it a squeeze. Then he looked from me to Maggie. ”What happened?”

Maggie shrugged. ”Stroke, maybe. She was old.”

Ruby swallowed hard. ”I was cutting through the alley, and she was lying . . .” She didn't finish.

Justin folded her into a hug. ”That's horrible. What can I do?”

Ruby broke out of the embrace and pushed stray bits of hair out of her face.

”Nothing really,” she said. ”I'm . . . all right.”

The coffee was going to get cold if I stood there any longer. ”Guys, I'd better get going,” I said.

Ruby turned to me and touched my arm. ”Thank you, Kathleen,” she said.

”You're welcome.” I smiled at Justin. ”Nice to meet you.”

”Yeah, you, too,” he said.

I caught Maggie's eye. ”I'll see you at cla.s.s tonight.”

She nodded.

I started down the sidewalk while the others headed in the opposite direction, toward the artists' co-op. Officer Craig was standing at the mouth of the alley, which was already taped off and partly blocked with a couple of town sawhorses. There were a few people hanging around watching, but not that many. I eased my way over to the young police officer and handed him the coffee cup and the little bag of sugar and cream. ”I thought you might be getting cold,” I said.

”Thank you,” he said, taking the cup.

”There's cream and sugar in the bag.” I held out the other cup. ”Would you give this to Detective Gordon, please?”

There was a brief flash of surprise on his face, but it quickly disappeared. ”Yes, ma'am, I will.”

”Stay warm,” I said. It was what everyone said in Mayville Heights in the winter.

I skirted out around the police van, still angled near the curb, and took the opportunity to have a look down the alley. I couldn't see much, just Marcus and a couple of other people standing over Agatha Shepherd's body, which was still lying on the snowy ground. A s.h.i.+ver crept up the back of my neck. Maggie and Ruby seemed convinced that the old woman had had a second stroke. I hadn't wanted to upset Ruby by disagreeing.

I'd seen blood on Agatha's coat and on the pavement. And her arm was twisted at an unnatural angle.

I didn't know what had happened to her, but I was pretty sure it had been violent.

5.

Abigail came up the steps just as I was unlocking the wrought-iron security gate at the main entrance of the library. The gate was mostly decorative now that the building had a proper security system. I punched in the code on the keypad and waited for the light to turn green before I opened the doors.

Behind me Abigail turned on the lights. ”It looks good, doesn't it?” she said, pus.h.i.+ng the scarf off her head. Her hair, a beautiful mix of red and silver, was pulled back in its usual braid. She smiled at me. ”I know, I know. I keep saying that, but I can't get over how amazing this place looks now.” She gestured to the mosaic tile floor. ”Every once in a while I flash back to that bilious turquoise indoor-outdoor carpet that was on the floors.”

I rolled my eyes at the memory. ”That was pretty bad.”

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