noticed a man with stark white hair standing behind the reception desk. He wore a pair of glasses with thick lenses and was leafing through a large reference book.
“ Excuse me, sir,” Suzie said as she walked up to the desk.
“ Yes,” he asked as he peered at her over the rim of his glasses.
“ I was wondering if you could help me with something,” she said as she laid the photo of the woman on the desk in front of him. “I'm visiting from out of town, and I found this photo.”
“ Oh, I know all about you,” he smiled, and when he did the stodgy demeanor that he first gave off faded into something much more mischievous. “Suzie Allen, niece of Harry and Beverly Allen, cousin to our beloved Jason Allen,” he smiled a little as he glanced over at Mary who was standing a few steps behind her. “And Mary Brent, you, I don't know as much about, my darling, but I am glad to meet you,” he offered her a charming smile and a wink.
Mary managed a smile and a nod, but Suzie noticed the warmth of her expression did not warm her eyes. When she looked back at the man before her he was still smiling.
“I'm Louis,” he explained as he closed the book he had been reading. “Don't worry, I'm not a stalker, I just make it my business to know everything I can about this town, and that includes long lost relatives.”
“ Well, then I think I am talking to the right person,” Suzie smiled and pushed the photo closer to him. He glanced down at the photo, then looked back up at her with an arched eyebrow.
“ You must be from out of town,” he said, his voice lowering. “Put that photograph away before you get me fired.”
“ What? Why?” Suzie asked and glanced over at Mary who seemed just as confused. She tucked the photo back into her purse.
“ Why? Because that's a photograph of Samantha, the Mayor Ralley's wife,” he lowered his voice even further so that Suzie had to lean in closer to hear what he was saying. “She ran off about three weeks ago. No one knows why. The rumor is that she was upset with his less than legal behaviors, and she demanded a divorce.”
“ Oh,” Suzie said as her heart fluttered in her chest. “And no one knows where she is?”
“ No one has heard from her. She's got a sister two towns over, hasn't heard a word. She tried to get the police to look into it, but since Mayor Ralley is, well you know, mayor, they dismissed it as a marital dispute and decided not to look into it,” he frowned as he glanced around the library to make sure no one else was listening in. “Last person I know for sure who saw her was Jason. He came in here upset after talking to her, asked me if I knew about some of the different members of the police force taking bribes from Ralley. I told him no of course, because Jason, as good of a kid as he's always been, has no clue what kind of man Ralley is, and I didn't trust that Jason wouldn't turn around and tell Ralley what I said.”
“ And you're not worried about us doing the same?” Mary asked as she rested one elbow on the desk.
“ No,” he replied with a chuckle and shook his head. “No one would believe it coming from outsiders, but if Jason said it, well Jason is known to be one of the most honest people left in this town. He's a good man, a good police officer, just a little clueless when it comes to Ralley. Can't really blame him though, Ralley's been trying to take that boy's father's place ever since he found out Samantha couldn't have kids.”
“ Wow, you really do know about everything in this town,” Suzie replied with amazement. “Is there anything you don't know?” she asked.
“ I don't know how a man as healthy as Harry drops dead of a heart attack,” Louis replied with a darkened gaze. Suzie was a little startled by his words. “Now, if you don't mind, I need to close up.”
“ Sure, thank you for your help,” Suzie said quickly as she could tell that he was worried he had said more than he should have. She wanted to
“ Excuse me, sir,” Suzie said as she walked up to the desk.
“ Yes,” he asked as he peered at her over the rim of his glasses.
“ I was wondering if you could help me with something,” she said as she laid the photo of the woman on the desk in front of him. “I'm visiting from out of town, and I found this photo.”
“ Oh, I know all about you,” he smiled, and when he did the stodgy demeanor that he first gave off faded into something much more mischievous. “Suzie Allen, niece of Harry and Beverly Allen, cousin to our beloved Jason Allen,” he smiled a little as he glanced over at Mary who was standing a few steps behind her. “And Mary Brent, you, I don't know as much about, my darling, but I am glad to meet you,” he offered her a charming smile and a wink.
Mary managed a smile and a nod, but Suzie noticed the warmth of her expression did not warm her eyes. When she looked back at the man before her he was still smiling.
“I'm Louis,” he explained as he closed the book he had been reading. “Don't worry, I'm not a stalker, I just make it my business to know everything I can about this town, and that includes long lost relatives.”
“ Well, then I think I am talking to the right person,” Suzie smiled and pushed the photo closer to him. He glanced down at the photo, then looked back up at her with an arched eyebrow.
“ You must be from out of town,” he said, his voice lowering. “Put that photograph away before you get me fired.”
“ What? Why?” Suzie asked and glanced over at Mary who seemed just as confused. She tucked the photo back into her purse.
“ Why? Because that's a photograph of Samantha, the Mayor Ralley's wife,” he lowered his voice even further so that Suzie had to lean in closer to hear what he was saying. “She ran off about three weeks ago. No one knows why. The rumor is that she was upset with his less than legal behaviors, and she demanded a divorce.”
“ Oh,” Suzie said as her heart fluttered in her chest. “And no one knows where she is?”
“ No one has heard from her. She's got a sister two towns over, hasn't heard a word. She tried to get the police to look into it, but since Mayor Ralley is, well you know, mayor, they dismissed it as a marital dispute and decided not to look into it,” he frowned as he glanced around the library to make sure no one else was listening in. “Last person I know for sure who saw her was Jason. He came in here upset after talking to her, asked me if I knew about some of the different members of the police force taking bribes from Ralley. I told him no of course, because Jason, as good of a kid as he's always been, has no clue what kind of man Ralley is, and I didn't trust that Jason wouldn't turn around and tell Ralley what I said.”
“ And you're not worried about us doing the same?” Mary asked as she rested one elbow on the desk.
“ No,” he replied with a chuckle and shook his head. “No one would believe it coming from outsiders, but if Jason said it, well Jason is known to be one of the most honest people left in this town. He's a good man, a good police officer, just a little clueless when it comes to Ralley. Can't really blame him though, Ralley's been trying to take that boy's father's place ever since he found out Samantha couldn't have kids.”
“ Wow, you really do know about everything in this town,” Suzie replied with amazement. “Is there anything you don't know?” she asked.
“ I don't know how a man as healthy as Harry drops dead of a heart attack,” Louis replied with a darkened gaze. Suzie was a little startled by his words. “Now, if you don't mind, I need to close up.”
“ Sure, thank you for your help,” Suzie said quickly as she could tell that he was worried he had said more than he should have. She wanted to
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