and pulled out his wallet. “I should get to the station,” he said. “It was good to see you, Kathleen.”
“You too, Marcus,” I said.
He turned toward the cash register.
“Thank you for the hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls last night,” I said.
He stopped and turned halfway around, his face reddening. “You knew?”
I set my briefcase down on one of the stools at the counter. “I didn’t until just now when you said you picked Hannah up. She brought them in to us and I thought she’d just made a lucky guess.”
“It was Hannah’s idea to get you something,” he said. “I just stopped at Eric’s. I remembered how much you like his cinnamon rolls and I didn’t think you’d want coffee so late.”
“Well . . . thank you.”
His hand moved as though he was going to touch my arm and then he jammed it in his pocket instead. “I’ll, uh, I’ll see you, Kathleen,” he said.
I nodded without speaking and watched him walk over to pay Claire for his food. A moment later Eric stuck his head around the swinging door. “Hey, Kathleen,” he said. “Thank you for recommending me to Ben Saroyan to cater the opening reception for the theater festival.”
“Does that mean you got the job?”
He grinned. “Yes, it does.”
I grinned back at him and took the paper sack he held out to me. “I’m so glad,” I said. “Remember, if you need to test any recipes, all of us at the library are willing to act as your tasters.”
Eric laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said and disappeared back into the kitchen.
I walked over to Claire at the cash register.
“Detective Gordon already paid for your order,” she said.
“Oh . . . um . . . oh,” I said stupidly. It was the second time Marcus had done that recently.
Claire gave me a look of sympathy. Everyone seemed to know that whatever had been going on between Marcus and me wasn’t going on any longer. I wished her a good day and headed for the library.
Ben called just before lunch. “Good morning, Kathleen.” His big voice boomed through the receiver. “Is your wi-fi working over there?”
“I think so,” I said. “Let me check.” I reached for my laptop. “It’s working,” I said after a moment.
He exhaled loudly. “I need a favor.”
“Of course. What is it?”
“I’m at the theater and our wi-fi keeps cutting out. They’re sending someone to check it, but Hugh needs a place to work for the rest of the afternoon. Any chance you could find some space for him over there?”
I thought for a moment. The library’s workroom could be available if I moved the boxes of programs that were being stored there into my office. The room had a big table and I could give him one of the chairs from the computer area. There’d be coffee in the staff room, too. “I think we can make it work,” I said.
“Thank you.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Send him over,” I said. “We’ll get things ready.”
He thanked me again and hung up. I went downstairs and got Susan to give me a hand. We shifted the boxes into my office, cleared the table and managed to carry a chair up from downstairs.
“This should be perfect,” I said to her, smiling with satisfaction over how quickly we’d gotten the space ready.
It wasn’t.
Hugh Davis stood in the doorway of the workroom and made a face. “This won’t work,” he said, shaking his head. “I need a desk.” He looked over at me. “Don’t you have an office?”
“Yes, I do,” I said, “but I need it.”
“Well,” he said. He didn’t finish the sentence but the disparaging tone in his voice told me he didn’t like my answer.
Susan touched my arm. “Kathleen, what about the antique library desk?” She spoke in a low voice, but her eyes darted in Hugh’s direction and I knew she’d intended for him to hear what she said.
The problem was I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
“I don’t know,” I said slowly. Heaven knew, that was the
“You too, Marcus,” I said.
He turned toward the cash register.
“Thank you for the hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls last night,” I said.
He stopped and turned halfway around, his face reddening. “You knew?”
I set my briefcase down on one of the stools at the counter. “I didn’t until just now when you said you picked Hannah up. She brought them in to us and I thought she’d just made a lucky guess.”
“It was Hannah’s idea to get you something,” he said. “I just stopped at Eric’s. I remembered how much you like his cinnamon rolls and I didn’t think you’d want coffee so late.”
“Well . . . thank you.”
His hand moved as though he was going to touch my arm and then he jammed it in his pocket instead. “I’ll, uh, I’ll see you, Kathleen,” he said.
I nodded without speaking and watched him walk over to pay Claire for his food. A moment later Eric stuck his head around the swinging door. “Hey, Kathleen,” he said. “Thank you for recommending me to Ben Saroyan to cater the opening reception for the theater festival.”
“Does that mean you got the job?”
He grinned. “Yes, it does.”
I grinned back at him and took the paper sack he held out to me. “I’m so glad,” I said. “Remember, if you need to test any recipes, all of us at the library are willing to act as your tasters.”
Eric laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said and disappeared back into the kitchen.
I walked over to Claire at the cash register.
“Detective Gordon already paid for your order,” she said.
“Oh . . . um . . . oh,” I said stupidly. It was the second time Marcus had done that recently.
Claire gave me a look of sympathy. Everyone seemed to know that whatever had been going on between Marcus and me wasn’t going on any longer. I wished her a good day and headed for the library.
Ben called just before lunch. “Good morning, Kathleen.” His big voice boomed through the receiver. “Is your wi-fi working over there?”
“I think so,” I said. “Let me check.” I reached for my laptop. “It’s working,” I said after a moment.
He exhaled loudly. “I need a favor.”
“Of course. What is it?”
“I’m at the theater and our wi-fi keeps cutting out. They’re sending someone to check it, but Hugh needs a place to work for the rest of the afternoon. Any chance you could find some space for him over there?”
I thought for a moment. The library’s workroom could be available if I moved the boxes of programs that were being stored there into my office. The room had a big table and I could give him one of the chairs from the computer area. There’d be coffee in the staff room, too. “I think we can make it work,” I said.
“Thank you.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Send him over,” I said. “We’ll get things ready.”
He thanked me again and hung up. I went downstairs and got Susan to give me a hand. We shifted the boxes into my office, cleared the table and managed to carry a chair up from downstairs.
“This should be perfect,” I said to her, smiling with satisfaction over how quickly we’d gotten the space ready.
It wasn’t.
Hugh Davis stood in the doorway of the workroom and made a face. “This won’t work,” he said, shaking his head. “I need a desk.” He looked over at me. “Don’t you have an office?”
“Yes, I do,” I said, “but I need it.”
“Well,” he said. He didn’t finish the sentence but the disparaging tone in his voice told me he didn’t like my answer.
Susan touched my arm. “Kathleen, what about the antique library desk?” She spoke in a low voice, but her eyes darted in Hugh’s direction and I knew she’d intended for him to hear what she said.
The problem was I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
“I don’t know,” I said slowly. Heaven knew, that was the
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