Read Online Laid to Rest (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 18) by K.J. Emrick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: K.J. Emrick
Ads: Link
her. They hadn’t wanted to leave it out of their sight anymore. It was just luck that Darcy had brought it with her to the bookstore this morning instead of leaving it at home.
Of course, she’d read the whole thing now and it wasn’t like the blotchy pages had offered up any big secrets. Too bad her aunt wasn’t being much help. She’d already told Darcy? Told her what? What was that supposed to mean? The only thing her aunt had done so far was nearly drop a book on her head…
Back at the Sweet Read Bookstore. In the office.
The book on the history of Misty Hollow. The list of family names.
Of course.
At the time it hadn’t seemed important. Obviously Millie had wanted her to see it for some reason but family names from 1913 hadn’t felt like a very helpful clue.
Unless the name of the kidnapper was on those pages.
“Jon, we need to go back to the bookstore. Right now.”
“Um. Why? It’s getting later, and we’re home. You should try to get some real rest. I don’t know what else we can do.”
“I do. Truthfully Jon I don’t know if I can get back to sleep and I can’t just sit here. There’s something I need to see back at the store. Another clue. Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I’m just so…ungh!”
Jon nodded, taking her hand in his. He didn’t need her to translate that. He usually understood what she meant, no matter what she actually said. Like now, when he understood that no matter what time it was, or what else they might need to do, she wouldn’t have asked to go back into town if it wasn’t important.
Millie had told her that she wasn’t alone. She had her friends to support her. She had Millie, still, at least in spirit. And, maybe most importantly, she had Jon.
She loved her husband.
“I’m sorry that I yelled at you earlier,” she said in a quiet voice.
He didn’t say anything. He just leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Then he pulled back out of the driveway and turned toward town.
***
Main Street was peaceful at this time of day. Misty Hollow generally rolled its streets up early and went to bed long before the sun went down. The people who lived here might stay up a bit later, on occasion, to take an evening stroll in the moonlight or sit on their front porches to talk about their day. Even the police force only had two officers on the nightshift.
No one was around tonight. They passed a single patrol car cruising down the street, and Jon exchanged the typical “flashing headlights” greeting with his officer, but that was all there was for traffic.
“I rearranged the schedule, put some extra patrols on during the night shift,” Jon explained. “The library’s already being watched by officers in civilian clothes. Grace is out there, too. Linda agreed to come in and open the building for us soon, so we can put the journal there like the note instructed. If we need to.”
That was good, Darcy thought, but she doubted they would find their man that easily. Linda Becht was a good friend, and a smart woman, and being the town’s librarian meant she would know the building inside and out, but even that might not be enough to get this guy. He had something planned, or else he wouldn’t have told them to put the book in the library. Maybe they could catch him when he went for the journal.
Then again, maybe not.
She needed to see what Aunt Millie had wanted to show her. Picking up the journal from the back seat, she got out of the car with Jon.
Inside her bookstore she snapped on the lights and then stood there, for just a moment, extending her senses outward. She was hoping for some indication that Millie was here. That she was waiting here to explain the importance of that book dropping on her desk. Holding her hand out, she reached with everything she had, extending herself out…
“Is she here?” Jon asked.
Darcy tried again. “I don’t feel
Of course, she’d read the whole thing now and it wasn’t like the blotchy pages had offered up any big secrets. Too bad her aunt wasn’t being much help. She’d already told Darcy? Told her what? What was that supposed to mean? The only thing her aunt had done so far was nearly drop a book on her head…
Back at the Sweet Read Bookstore. In the office.
The book on the history of Misty Hollow. The list of family names.
Of course.
At the time it hadn’t seemed important. Obviously Millie had wanted her to see it for some reason but family names from 1913 hadn’t felt like a very helpful clue.
Unless the name of the kidnapper was on those pages.
“Jon, we need to go back to the bookstore. Right now.”
“Um. Why? It’s getting later, and we’re home. You should try to get some real rest. I don’t know what else we can do.”
“I do. Truthfully Jon I don’t know if I can get back to sleep and I can’t just sit here. There’s something I need to see back at the store. Another clue. Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I’m just so…ungh!”
Jon nodded, taking her hand in his. He didn’t need her to translate that. He usually understood what she meant, no matter what she actually said. Like now, when he understood that no matter what time it was, or what else they might need to do, she wouldn’t have asked to go back into town if it wasn’t important.
Millie had told her that she wasn’t alone. She had her friends to support her. She had Millie, still, at least in spirit. And, maybe most importantly, she had Jon.
She loved her husband.
“I’m sorry that I yelled at you earlier,” she said in a quiet voice.
He didn’t say anything. He just leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Then he pulled back out of the driveway and turned toward town.
***
Main Street was peaceful at this time of day. Misty Hollow generally rolled its streets up early and went to bed long before the sun went down. The people who lived here might stay up a bit later, on occasion, to take an evening stroll in the moonlight or sit on their front porches to talk about their day. Even the police force only had two officers on the nightshift.
No one was around tonight. They passed a single patrol car cruising down the street, and Jon exchanged the typical “flashing headlights” greeting with his officer, but that was all there was for traffic.
“I rearranged the schedule, put some extra patrols on during the night shift,” Jon explained. “The library’s already being watched by officers in civilian clothes. Grace is out there, too. Linda agreed to come in and open the building for us soon, so we can put the journal there like the note instructed. If we need to.”
That was good, Darcy thought, but she doubted they would find their man that easily. Linda Becht was a good friend, and a smart woman, and being the town’s librarian meant she would know the building inside and out, but even that might not be enough to get this guy. He had something planned, or else he wouldn’t have told them to put the book in the library. Maybe they could catch him when he went for the journal.
Then again, maybe not.
She needed to see what Aunt Millie had wanted to show her. Picking up the journal from the back seat, she got out of the car with Jon.
Inside her bookstore she snapped on the lights and then stood there, for just a moment, extending her senses outward. She was hoping for some indication that Millie was here. That she was waiting here to explain the importance of that book dropping on her desk. Holding her hand out, she reached with everything she had, extending herself out…
“Is she here?” Jon asked.
Darcy tried again. “I don’t feel
Similar Books
