Elizabeth C. Main - Jane Serrano 01 - Murder of the Month by Elizabeth C. Main Page A

you. Meanwhile, if you’d just tell people that the reunion—”
    Harley’s expression changed from friendly to guarded the moment he saw the beefy man barrel through the still-open door. This place was Grand Central Station tonight.
    “Is my son here, Jane?” Kurt Wendorf’s eyes were wide and his face red, as though he’d been running.
    “Well, no, I haven’t—”
    “Tyler then?”
    “Upstairs. I don’t think he’s seen Max this afternoon, Kurt. Is something wrong?”
    Kurt’s expression darkened as he finally registered Harley’s presence. He pointed a thick finger in his direction. “Now don’t you go running to Gil, making something out of nothing, Harley. Max is probably home, but—”
    “But what, Kurt?” Harley asked. “Is there some problem … again?”
    “There wouldn’t have been one in the first place, if people’d kept their heads and—”
    “And ignored the fact that Max tried to burn down a school?”
    “No!” Kurt thundered. “And let kids be kids!”
    “A bomb isn’t kid stuff,” Harley countered. “What’d you expect? Gil’s the district attorney. He did his best, but—”
    “His best? God, you never were a kid, were you, Harley? Ah, forget it—” Kurt made a dismissive motion and turned back to me. “Jane, if you see Max … ”
    “I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.”
    “Thanks.” He lumbered back out the door.
    Harley said, “That’s one classmate I don’t think will make it to the reunion. Kurt never was famous for his brains, but this has really brought out the Neanderthal in him.”
    “The urge to protect your child doesn’t always square with reason,” I said, thinking about my own situation with Bianca.
    “I guess,” Harley said. “Well, I’d better get back and run interference for Gil, in case Kurt decides to pay him a visit. Want me to close the door?”
    “Just leave it. We can use the breeze. Tell Gil … well, you know what to say.”
    After Harley left, I turned to the mundane business of counting the money in the register, sighing at the meager total for the day.
    “Long day?” The voice came from the shadows.
    I jerked upright, momentarily disoriented. “Nick! I’d forgotten all about you.”
    “Obviously.” He tossed two books onto the counter, along with a Visa card. “Am I too late to buy these?”
    “No, of course not.” I started ringing them up. “I hadn’t finished closing out yet and every little bit helps. Interesting combination you have here, Reptiles of the Northwest and Lincoln’s Greatest Speech .”
Nick shrugged. “I like to read. Not that it’s any of my business, but were you sighing over business, your friends’ argument, or your date for the class reunion? Sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing. This place isn’t that big.”
    “At least you’re honest about the eavesdropping. I guess the answer is yes to all of the above. It’s just been a really bad day.”
    “I’m a good listener.”
    I ticked off the topics on my fingers. “Well, the problem with business can be summed up in two words: Megabooks Plus! No surprise there. It’s the classic big impersonal store versus the friendly little one.”
    “Don’t worry. There are plenty of people like me who want to talk to real people in a friendly little bookstore.”
    “I just hope there are enough of you.”
    “If there aren’t, I’ll buy more books. Problem solved. Next?”
    “Have you been reading the local papers? Do you know what Harley and Kurt were talking about?”
    “Harley’s the stuffed shirt and Kurt’s the hothead with the delinquent son?”
    “Well, I wouldn’t describe them that—”
“Close enough. This is about a smoke bomb at a school?”
    “Right, at Juniper High School. And the indictment just came out, so Kurt’s got a lot on his mind right now. He’s usually a very nice guy.”
    “And the district attorney, the one who prosecuted the kid, he’s the one whose wife fell off the cliff