Grand Prize: Murder!. Vivian Conroy

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СКАЧАТЬ gestured with her delicate hands. “Once Paul is here, you can meet him. Brilliant ideas, but a bit of a…big ego.”

      Vicky just nodded. Her mind was not on big egos, but on the easy solution this scavenger hunt idea provided for Marge and her. They need not come up with something fast. And it would really make her contribution the highlight of the One-Mile Book Market. After that, the name Country Gift Shop would be seared into people’s memories. Even the normally slow winter season would be good.

      Bella said, “There is one little legal thing. Because your store sponsors my book signing, people associated with the store can’t participate in the scavenger hunt. Not only them, but also their family members. So I’m afraid you two can’t try and win your way to London.”

      “That’s a bit of a downer,” Marge agreed. “But it will be amazing publicity for the Country Gift Shop.”

      A snazzy tune resounded, and Bella grabbed her purse. She pulled out a sleek silver phone with a pendant studded with colorful gemstones and accepted the call. She listened for a few moments, her fine brows drawing together.

      Then Bella said, “Look, I flew out here today, because I wanted to. You people can’t tell me what to do or not. I pay you. You don’t own me.” And she disconnected.

      She gave Vicky an apologetic smile. “My PR people think they can tell me what flight to take and in what hotel to stay. But I like to take care of such things myself. Thanks again for getting me the apartment. I really appreciate the privacy it affords to work on my plot problems.”

      “Of course.” Vicky nodded with a smile. “We’d better be getting down again. There are people at the store.”

      “Of course. I’m sorry I intruded. Thank you again for setting me up here so quickly. I’ll get my things unpacked.”

      Bella waved them off, and Vicky raced down the stairs, followed by Marge holding the ARC she had put back in the brown paper.

      Marge whispered, “She is wonderful.”

      Vicky nodded. Wonderful, but also determined and used to getting what she wanted. Some people might read that as being stuck-up, self-centered, even domineering. They’d better make sure everything moved along smoothly so there was no reason for confrontation.

      She closed the apartment’s door and went into the gift shop to mingle with the guests still present. The mayor and most shopkeepers had already left again to see to their own business, leaving a bouquet or other small gift on the counter. Claire pointed out at once which gift was from whom. “Typical of the baker to give you a pot of honey. He can never keep his hobby out of it.”

      “I’m glad they were all here. And thanks for covering for me, Mom, while I was up with Bella. She’s all settled in now.”

      Marge had immediately descended on Ms. Tennings and her bridge friends to whisper to them about the scavenger hunt. “It will be announced Saturday after the book signing. I think we need posters or something to advertise it. I can design something. If we print it off and multiply it at the Joneses where they have this big machine, it need not cost a ton either.”

      Trust Marge to start organizing at once, Vicky thought with a smile.

      Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned round. Diane smiled at her. “The kids are gone already, and Alain and I are going too.”

      Vicky studied Diane’s expression. “Are you all right?”

      “Yes. I can understand though that Michael didn’t want to come. It’s odd to…be in the center of attention like this. All the while the mayor was talking I was wondering what Celine would have thought of this. She never could stand pompous people, you know.”

      Diane’s voice trembled a bit. “Alain insisted that I come, also for…closure as he calls it. But I don’t know if anything like it even exists.”

      Vicky squeezed her arm in silent sympathy.

      Diane said with a sigh, “I can’t explain it, but now that we know for sure that Celine did die, it’s like she’s more alive than ever. I remember all the things we used to do and how much fun we used to have. There is a memory around every corner here in Glen Cove.” She blinked.

      Vicky didn’t know what to say. Maybe the same reason had prompted Michael to leave for Copenhagen? He had claimed to her it was a sort of paid vacation, but his expression had told her something else. He had to get away again, run from the hurting, like he had always done. It was his way of survival. That didn’t change overnight.

      Maybe in a way it was even worse now that he had found the answers he had been hunting for so long. There was nothing left to do now. Just an emptiness in which he felt the loss all the deeper.

      She said to Diane, “Look, if you need distraction, you can always stop by at the store and lend a hand. It will be busy with Bella around for the book signing and the scavenger hunt. It’ll last through next week.”

      Diane smiled thinly. “Thanks. And you have to come to dinner at my place sometime so we really have time to catch up. I want to show you the books for the architecture classes I’m taking. It’s an online course, ideal to put some time into whenever you want. Early in the morning or at night. I think you’ll really like it.”

      “Sure, I’ll give you a call to determine the night.” With her hand on Diane’s shoulder Vicky accompanied the couple out of the store.

      To her surprise the man who had been looking up at the apartment from across the street was now in front of the apartment’s door, peering in through the glass pane. The For Rent poster obstructed most of his view so he was tilting his head in every possible angle to see something.

      With a frown Vicky stepped up to him and asked, “Excuse me? Can I help you?”

      A normal person would have felt some kind of shock or shame at being caught red-handed like that, but the man simply faced her and asked, “Is Bella Brookes staying here?”

      He waved up at the upstairs windows. “I rang the bell a couple of times, but she doesn’t come to the door.”

      Ignoring his demanding tone, Vicky asked, “And you are?”

      “Giverny. Haven Herald. I’d love an interview with her about her books.”

      “Then you have to contact her PR people. They are in charge of the entire book tour. They know her schedule and can determine if they can fit you in.”

      Vicky tried to stay polite and accommodating, although she thought the man was being quite pushy in an off-putting way. Did he really expect Bella would just invite him in for a chat?

      He also had a three-day stubble and a huge mustache that looked like it came from an amateur theater kit.

      Giverny said, “I only want to know if she’s staying here. I saw her lugging a big suitcase in.”

      “You have to call the PR people,” Vicky insisted. If she confirmed to this guy Bella was indeed staying here, he might keep ringing the bell until Bella opened the door out of sheer annoyance at the noise. “They can tell you much more than I can, I’m sure. Good day, Mr. Giverny.” She stared at him, forcing him to back away from the door and cross the street again.

      Diane СКАЧАТЬ