“Yes!” Maggie and I answered at the same time.
Claire smiled. “Just give me a couple of minutes.”
Maggie poked the tea bag with her spoon and then poured another cup. “So you figured you asking Peter to meet you at the library was going to raise his suspicions?”
I took a sip of my coffee and nodded. “I did. Plus Marcus didn’t think my getting forced off the road was an accident. If Peter was Jaeger’s killer, then it made sense he might be trying to scare me, considering I was asking questions about Jaeger and what he’d been doing.”
I took another drink. “Marcus made sure I was fitted with the wireless transmitter well in advance. Then he played along when Peter asked to meet him at the co-op before Peter was supposed to meet me at the library.” I ran my fingers over the side of my neck. “I don’t know if Peter underestimated Marcus, or if he’d gotten arrogant and careless because he’d already gotten away with so much. Anyway, Derek Craig hid in the storage closet. Peter did something to the pump. Then he locked Marcus in the basement. As soon as he left, Derek let Marcus out.”
“I told you Peter was a mechanic before he went to law school.” Maggie leaned forward. “Your neck looks better.”
“He probably had me for less than a minute. As soon as he grabbed me, Marcus stepped out and it was over.”
“How did you get Marcus to agree to this whole thing?”
I set my mug on the table. “I don’t exactly know.”
Maggie looked at me and a huge smile spread over her face. “He likes you,” she said in a singsong voice.
I made a face at her, stuck a finger in each ear, and started to hum softly. That didn’t stop Mags. She just leaned in a little closer and repeated the words.
I pretended I couldn’t hear her, but I could, and it didn’t really sound so awful.
Epilogue
The sun was warm, the sky was an endless, deep blue overhead and the faintest breeze blew through the open windows of the library on the afternoon of the building’s one-hundredth birthday celebration. Everett and I cut the ceremonial red ribbon at the front door as most of the town gathered below. Then everyone streamed into the building.
Two of Oren’s father’s sculptures commanded the computer area. Oren stood by the windows overlooking the garden—with the new gazebo he’d finished the week earlier—his face glowing with pride. I walked over to join him.
“My father would have loved this, Kathleen,” he said. “Thank you.”
I smiled back at him. “Thank you for letting me bring these pieces down here.” I looked up at the beautiful metal eagle that seemed to be poised in midflight in the room. “I’m glad he’s getting the recognition he deserves.”
Harry Junior had found a way to suspend Maggie’s collage panels from the ceiling and they followed the curve of the windows. Rebecca and Mary were standing by the panel that told the story of The Ladies Knitting Circle, smiling and answering questions. Rebecca had insisted the women’s story be told when Everett had wavered and she’d worked closely with Abigail and Maggie. When the centennial celebrations were over, the panels would be moved over to the reading area where they were staying on permanent display.
Rebecca caught sight of me, smiled and waved. The light caught the sparkling diamond on her left hand. Everett had proposed a couple of days ago and they were both as giddy as a couple of teenagers.
Roma tapped me on the shoulder. “Hi,” she said. She looked around. “This is wonderful. I don’t know where to look first.”
“Where’s Eddie?” I asked.
“In the parking lot discussing the best way to plank a salmon with Eric.”
“Oh, don’t tell me he cooks too?” I said.
She nodded and grinned.
Roma had had a very simple graveside service for her father. Putting his remains to rest seemed to have put the past to rest for her as well. Today she had the cat that swallowed the funky chicken air about her.
“What’s up with you?” I asked.
“Later,” she said. “This is your day.”
“This is the library’s day,” I said, pulling her aside. “What is it?”
“I bought Wisteria Hill.” The words came out in a rush.
I stared at her and I think my mouth fell open. “What?”
“I bought Wisteria Hill.” She said it a little more slowly this time.
“That’s…that’s wonderful!” I didn’t know what else to say so I hugged her.
I studied her face for a moment when I let go and I could see how happy she was. “How did this happen?” I asked.
“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. I love the place. And Everett doesn’t want to live out there. So I asked him.” She grinned. “He said yes.” She twisted the heavy silver ring she wore around her finger. “The place needs work, but it’s livable for now and what Eddie can’t fix I’ll get Oren to do.”
I shook my head. “He fixes things too? That boy is practically perfect.”
She nodded. “Yes he is.” She looked around. “Have you seen Maggie?”
“She’s around somewhere with a cute, stubbled bartender who is in reality only a part-time bartender and a full time PhD candidate in psychology.”
“Which she found where?”
“Remember me telling you about Maggie and me doing a little bar crawl last winter when we were trying to figure out what happened to Agatha Shepherd?”
She nodded.
“He was the bartender at Barry’s Hat. He took one look at Maggie and pretty much forgot how to tie his shoes. I guess I’m the only one still uncoupled now.”
Roma was already starting to grin. I shook a finger at her. “Don’t you start! Maggie is bad enough. I don’t need another matchmaker.”
She held up her hands as though she were surrendering. “Okay, but there’s someone tall, dark and handsome watching you from across the room.”
I could see Marcus out of the corner of my eye. “Go away,” I said. “I’m quite happy with Owen and Hercules.”
She laughed and went off to look for Maggie.
I walked around for a while myself, answering a few questions and hearing a lot of congratulations. I was proud of the library. The building was beautiful and usage was up and staying there. I saw Everett coming from the reading area where Abigail and Susan had set up a display of banned books. I walked over to him.
“Kathleen, this is a wonderful celebration,” he said. Like Roma, he seemed to be at peace now with the past.
“Thank you,” I said. “It wouldn’t be happening without you.”
“Or you,” he said.
Susan was trying to get my attention, standing by one of the magazine carrels, holding a twin by each hand. “Excuse me,” I said to Everett. “I think Susan needs me.”
He touched my arm. “Come see me tomorrow. We should talk about the future.”
“I will,” I promised.
“Can you keep an eye on things here?” Susan asked, as I walked up to her. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. It looked like she had a piece of bamboo in her topknot. “I need to take these two monkeys out to my mother.”
“Hi Kathleen,” the boys said in unison. They were the pictures of blue-eyed innocence.
“Hi guys,” I said, crossing my eyes, which always sent them into a fit of giggles. I made a shooing gesture at Susan. “Go,” I said.
She was back in a couple of minutes. “The boys are barbecuing,” she said.
“Is that bamboo in your hair?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s good luck.” She headed across the room to join Abigail.
I wandered back out into the main part of the library in time to see Harrison Taylor, aka Old Harry, come through the library entrance with his sons…and his daughter. I blinked away the prickle of tears. Harry’s daughter, the result of a relationship he’d had while his wife was dying, had been placed for adoption at birth. I’d been lucky enough to have found some papers that had helped the old man find her. It had been worth almost getting blown up.