tumbleweed tan and mouse-droppings brown.
Someone, presumably Judy, had attempted to brighten the space by adding lacy green plants to the tops of the shelves and hanging colorful mobiles from the ceiling. But they just added to the clutter and highlighted the shabbiness.
Skye and Wally met back at the entrance, and he said, “No sign of her among the shelves.”
“She wasn’t in her office either.” Skye felt a prickle of concern. “I hope nothing’s happened to her. If she had some knowledge of the crime, and the criminal found out, maybe he kidnap—”
“We don’t even know what she wanted to tell me,” Wally cut her off. “Let’s not borrow trouble.”
“I’m not.” Skye’s voice had an edge to it. “But she specifically said she would wait for you here, so where is she?”
Wally stepped into the hallway and yelled, “Hey, anyone around?”
He had just taken a deep breath to call out again when Judy came rushing up the stairs, still drying her hands on a paper towel. She wore her shiny brown hair to her shoulders and had a light dusting of freckles across her button nose. Her wholesome good looks reminded Skye of the old TV show character Gidget. And the pink and black polka-dotted skirt and pink cotton T-shirt she wore reinforced that girl-next-door image.
Skye stepped out from behind Wally and raised her hand in a small wave. “Hi, Judy.”
“Hi, Skye.” After ditching the paper towel in the trash can, Judy apologized. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Chief Boyd. I was in the bathroom. It sure would be nice if there was one up here. Oh, well. As my grandma used to say, if wishes were horses, we’d all be in the Kentucky Derby.” She smiled at them both. “I’m so glad to see you two.”
“What’s up?” Wally took his notepad from his pocket. “Officer Martinez said you had something urgent to discuss with me.”
“I do.” Judy fished a key ring from her pocket, then walked around Wally and Skye. “Let me lock up and I’ll show you. It’s easier than trying to explain.”
“Sure.” Skye glanced at Wally. What did she need to show them?
After Judy secured the library’s entrance, she motioned for them to follow her. “They’re in my office.” Once they had squeezed into the tiny space, she pointed to a pile of books. A paper grocery bag was pushed down around them. “These do not belong to the library.”
“Oh?” Wally’s voice was neutral. “Then how did they get here?”
“They were deposited into our remote box sometime between four p.m. on Saturday and noon Sunday,” Judy explained. “You know, the one in the parking lot that people can drive up to and return books without getting out of their car.”
“Right.” Wally nodded. “When did you realize these weren’t library books?”
Skye guessed these were the stolen books, but she couldn’t tell what Wally was thinking.
“I didn’t have a chance to go through the returns until this afternoon,” Judy said. “I’m on my own on Sunday, and my part-timer doesn’t come in until one on Monday. But as soon as I saw them, I knew.” She pointed to a small volume on top of the pile. “This is a first edition of
“What did you know?” Skye asked. Why was Judy taking so long to get to the point?
“My first thought was to return it to the owner. Then I saw the other titles”—Judy’s voice held a note of excitement—“and figured that they must be the rare books stolen from Tales and Treats this past weekend.”
“Let’s see.” Wally flipped a page in his notepad and without touching the books compared them to what he had written there. “Yep, these are the ones.” He made a checkmark next to each item on the list. “They’re all here.”
“Which makes you wonder.” Skye tapped her chin. “Why bother to steal a bunch of valuable books, then dump them in the library return bin within twelve hours of taking them? It’s not as if the thief had a chance to find out he couldn’t sell the books.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Judy gave her a beaming smile. “Our usual donations are worn-out paperbacks, encyclopedias, and
“So you don’t think our thief was altruistic?” Skye’s lips curled upward.
“I seriously doubt they were meant as a donation.” Judy grinned back.
“Did you touch the books?” Wally asked.
“No.” Judy shook her head. “I pushed the sack down, and the top book tipped me off.”
“How did you hear about them?” Wally frowned. “I left orders that the details be kept quiet. The list was only to go to other dealers.”
“Oh.” Judy’s cheeks turned red, and she studied her pink ballet flats. “I’d rather not say.”
Skye put her hand on the other woman’s arm. “You’re dating Anthony, aren’t you?” She figured pillow talk was responsible for the leak.
“Yes,” Judy whispered. “But it’s not his fault. I saw his notebook and kind of . . . uh . . . took a peek. I was curious about the new bookstore.” She glanced quickly at Skye, then away. “I was a little afraid that people would sell Rise and Orlando their used books instead of donating to our sale. Or that our readers would buy from them rather than borrowing from us.”
“And if your circulation goes down, so does your budget,” Skye guessed.
Judy nodded. “I just wanted to see what kind of books they were interested in.”
“Anthony shouldn’t have left his notes lying around.” Wally scowled.
“True,” Skye agreed. “And I’m sure if you explain that to him, he won’t do it again.”
“Maybe.” Wally’s frown didn’t lessen. “But I should suspend him.”
“No!” Judy cried. “He’s such a sweet guy, and it was my fault.”
“Besides”—Skye shot Wally a pleading look—“his goof actually ended up being helpful.”
“Well . . .” Wally hesitated.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Skye cajoled. “Even a police officer.”
“Okay.” Wally stared sternly at Judy. “But no more snooping.”
“Cross my heart,” the librarian promised, making an emphatic
“Good.” Wally ended the matter. “You both stay here while I run next door and get Martinez.”
The two women made small talk until Wally returned with the officer and an evidence collection kit. He put on rubber gloves, inserted the paper sack along with the books into a plastic bag, then tied it off. After sticking a signed evidence tag on the outside, he handed it to Zelda and instructed her to take it to the county crime lab for testing.
After saying good-bye to Judy, Wally and Skye headed toward the parking lot. When they reached her car, she said, “I suppose you have to go back to the station. With this new lead and all, you probably have to work.”
“There’s nothing to work on until we get the lab results.” Wally brushed a curl out of her eyes. “Did you have something in mind?”
“Actually, I had a surprise planned.” Skye took his hand and kissed the palm. “For being such a good sport about the annulment.”
“I’m glad to get it if it makes you happy.” Wally traced her lips with his fingertip, then trailed it down her neck. “You know I’d do anything for you.” He grinned. “But a surprise sounds nice.”
“Good.” Skye opened the door of the Bel Air. “Get in and leave everything to me.”
“Lead on.” He unbuckled his utility belt and took off his tie, throwing both in the backseat before sliding into the passenger seat. “You’re full of surprises lately, but I’m ready for anything you got.”
Skye smiled mysteriously, jumped into the car, and started the engine. She refused to answer his questions as she drove, but when he guessed correctly, she finally admitted they were going to the Scumble River Recreation Club. It had been such a mild fall, the board had decided to leave the club open for the month of September. It was usually closed after Labor Day to everyone but hunters and people wanting to go sledding.
Skye tuned the radio to 94.7 FM, her favorite oldies station. She would always be a country music fan, but lately she had been in the mood for something different, and WLS played the best variety.
Although when “Right Back Where We Started From” poured out of the speakers, the irony wasn’t lost on her. Judy’s news had put them back to square one in the investigation. Skye opened her mouth to comment but
