agreement. “It would help if we knew why or how Ana was in the stockroom in the first place.”
“Good point. I guess it wouldn’t be that hard to lure her in there. It seems that just about everyone knew she wanted to shut down the bookstore. All the murderer would have to do is tell Ana there was something in the stockroom that would help her do that, and she’d follow him right in.” Clara turned her head as the bell jangled. “There’s a customer. I’d better get back to the counter.”
Molly got up from her chair. “Well, I’m going home.” She looked down at Clara. “Sure you’ll be okay here on your own? I mean, you’re not nervous or anything?”
“I think I know enough to manage.” Clara glanced at Stephanie. “I can always call my cousin if I’m not sure about anything, right?”
Stephanie didn’t answer her. She was peering toward the front of the store, a strange expression on her face.
Molly turned her head to see what she was looking at and drew a sharp breath. “It’s John Halloran,” she said, in a low whisper. “Now’s your chance to question our first suspect, Clara. Get what you can out of him.”
Clara had a sudden urge to hide. “I have no idea what to ask him.”
“Think fast.” Stephanie gave her a little push. “Use your talents. You’ll come up with something.” She ducked her head, avoiding Clara’s glare, and slipped past her. “I have to get home to my kids,” she said, following Molly, who was headed for the door. “Call me if you have any problems.”
Clara watched them leave, the sinking feeling in her stomach growing worse by the minute. She’d been abandoned, left alone in the store with a possible murderer.
Very slowly, she walked up to the counter, conscious of her heels clicking on the polished floorboards. John Halloran was nowhere to be seen, though she could hear shuffling footsteps at the lower end of one of the aisles. He was awfully near the stockroom. Was he waiting for a chance to slip inside there to make sure he’d left no incriminating evidence behind?
Scolding herself, she moved behind the counter. She was being ridiculous. Even if the killer had left some kind of evidence behind, Dan would surely have found it by now. Even so, she strained her ears, listening for the possible closing of the stockroom door.
“It’s nice to see you again, Clara.”
The soft voice spoke from just a yard or so away, making her jump so violently her teeth clicked. She’d been so intent on listening, staring down at the counter, she hadn’t seen him emerge from the aisle.
“Oh! Mr. Halloran!” Her voice sounded squeaky, and she coughed. “It’s nice to see you, too.”
He walked toward her, carrying two books under his arm. “I heard that you were working for your cousin. How nice that the two of you can enjoy this together.” He waved a hand at the aisles. “Stephanie has done a good job with the store. Very impressive.”
Clara cleared her throat. “Thank you. I’ll tell her you said that.”
“Oh, please do.” He turned his head to look up at the crystals, revealing a large bald patch in the center of his light brown hair. “Nice touch.”
“We like them.” She kept staring at the bald patch, wondering how on earth she was going to find out where he was and what he was doing on the night of the murder. She couldn’t just come out and ask him.
He turned toward her, and she quickly forced a smile. “I see you’ve found a couple of books. Can I ring those up for you?”
“Sure.” Instead of handing them to her, however, he stared at her through the lenses of his black-rimmed glasses. “It must have been quite a shock for you young ladies to find Ana Jordan’s body like that.”
Clara swallowed hard. “Yes, it was.” She could feel the pulse in her throat throbbing and swallowed again. “Quite a shock.”
“Not the sort of thing you imagined coming home to find.”
“No, not at all.”
“Do the police have any
“Good point. I guess it wouldn’t be that hard to lure her in there. It seems that just about everyone knew she wanted to shut down the bookstore. All the murderer would have to do is tell Ana there was something in the stockroom that would help her do that, and she’d follow him right in.” Clara turned her head as the bell jangled. “There’s a customer. I’d better get back to the counter.”
Molly got up from her chair. “Well, I’m going home.” She looked down at Clara. “Sure you’ll be okay here on your own? I mean, you’re not nervous or anything?”
“I think I know enough to manage.” Clara glanced at Stephanie. “I can always call my cousin if I’m not sure about anything, right?”
Stephanie didn’t answer her. She was peering toward the front of the store, a strange expression on her face.
Molly turned her head to see what she was looking at and drew a sharp breath. “It’s John Halloran,” she said, in a low whisper. “Now’s your chance to question our first suspect, Clara. Get what you can out of him.”
Clara had a sudden urge to hide. “I have no idea what to ask him.”
“Think fast.” Stephanie gave her a little push. “Use your talents. You’ll come up with something.” She ducked her head, avoiding Clara’s glare, and slipped past her. “I have to get home to my kids,” she said, following Molly, who was headed for the door. “Call me if you have any problems.”
Clara watched them leave, the sinking feeling in her stomach growing worse by the minute. She’d been abandoned, left alone in the store with a possible murderer.
Very slowly, she walked up to the counter, conscious of her heels clicking on the polished floorboards. John Halloran was nowhere to be seen, though she could hear shuffling footsteps at the lower end of one of the aisles. He was awfully near the stockroom. Was he waiting for a chance to slip inside there to make sure he’d left no incriminating evidence behind?
Scolding herself, she moved behind the counter. She was being ridiculous. Even if the killer had left some kind of evidence behind, Dan would surely have found it by now. Even so, she strained her ears, listening for the possible closing of the stockroom door.
“It’s nice to see you again, Clara.”
The soft voice spoke from just a yard or so away, making her jump so violently her teeth clicked. She’d been so intent on listening, staring down at the counter, she hadn’t seen him emerge from the aisle.
“Oh! Mr. Halloran!” Her voice sounded squeaky, and she coughed. “It’s nice to see you, too.”
He walked toward her, carrying two books under his arm. “I heard that you were working for your cousin. How nice that the two of you can enjoy this together.” He waved a hand at the aisles. “Stephanie has done a good job with the store. Very impressive.”
Clara cleared her throat. “Thank you. I’ll tell her you said that.”
“Oh, please do.” He turned his head to look up at the crystals, revealing a large bald patch in the center of his light brown hair. “Nice touch.”
“We like them.” She kept staring at the bald patch, wondering how on earth she was going to find out where he was and what he was doing on the night of the murder. She couldn’t just come out and ask him.
He turned toward her, and she quickly forced a smile. “I see you’ve found a couple of books. Can I ring those up for you?”
“Sure.” Instead of handing them to her, however, he stared at her through the lenses of his black-rimmed glasses. “It must have been quite a shock for you young ladies to find Ana Jordan’s body like that.”
Clara swallowed hard. “Yes, it was.” She could feel the pulse in her throat throbbing and swallowed again. “Quite a shock.”
“Not the sort of thing you imagined coming home to find.”
“No, not at all.”
“Do the police have any
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