Страница 63 из 64
“That’s sweet,” I said, hoping she could hear a trace of sincerity in my voice as I parked my rolling suitcase near the foot of the bed. “You know how much I love books.”
“You and me both,” she said, laughing as she glanced around. “I guess that’s pretty clear.”
I did a slow turn and gazed at the four walls, which were covered with nothing but full bookshelves. The occasional window interrupted the shelves, and, of course, there were necessary pieces of furniture planted here and there: an elegant dresser; a small but comfortable love seat that faced two matching chairs at one end of the long room; the bed, with its ornate, paneled headboard filled with—you guessed it—books. Other than those spots, bookshelves filled every inch of wall space. Even the dresser held a row of books.
“I had no idea you had so many,” I said.
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I can’t seem to quit collecting.”
Duh, I thought to myself as I continued to survey the room. I knew Grace was a book lover. That was how we’d met. About a year ago, Grace had mentioned to Suzie that she wanted some of her favorite books rebound, so Suzie had recommended me. Since then, Grace and I had done business several times. I’d visited her home once before and we’d had afternoon tea in her grand salon.
I liked her. She was down-to-earth and fun. Except for this massive home perched on the shores of Lake Tahoe, you’d never know the woman was a self-made billionaire who had earned her fortune in the fast-paced computer games industry. Her personality was the oddest blend of laid-back sixties cool, nerdy earnestness, and old-world elegance. Her quirky sensibilities—such as putting a suit of armor in the bathroom or serving bite-sized Twinkies next to the cucumber sandwiches at afternoon tea—made me smile.
Plus, she’d given me quite a bit of business lately. I liked that about her, too.
Vi
When Grace called to invite me to her birthday party, she’d asked if I wouldn’t mind doing some work while I was here. I had immediately agreed and had packed my travel set of tools and repair supplies. I was always happier when I was busy with books. Grace not only wanted some repairs made but she also requested that I oversee the archivist she’d hired to catalog her extensive library.
Glancing around now, I realized what a huge job it would be. Heck, it would take more than a week to catalog this one bedroom alone. The archivist and I had our work cut out for us.
Grace was watching me, so I smiled and gave the walls one more glance. “Thank you so much. I know I’ll enjoy my time here.”
She seemed pleased as she nudged her glasses higher on her nose. “The library is at the end of this hall, so you can come and go without disturbing anyone else in the house. That’s another reason I thought this room would be perfect for you.”
I smiled, determined to ease her mind. “It couldn’t be better. You know me. Can’t get enough books, right?”
She laughed. It was a sweet trill, completely incongruous with her geeky personality, but charming. “I’ll let you get settled, and I’ll tell you what I’ve told everyone else: I want you to feel free to explore the whole house. I know you’ve been here before, but you’ve hardly seen any of the rooms. There are many surprises.”
“I can’t wait. I’ve heard about some of them,” I said with amusement. Vi
“Oh, good.” She rubbed her hands together gleefully. “I would start with the conservatory. I have a nice collection of exotic flora and it’s such a soothing, pretty space. But when you get tired of all that peace and quiet, the game room is not to be missed.”
“That’s what Suzie said.”
“And the music room is pretty special if you’re into musical instruments. We have a three-hundred-year-old harpsichord that still sounds beautiful. And we can supply a complete wind and brass section for anyone who’s in the mood to jam. Or you can just have a seat and watch things happen. I’ve rigged some puppets to play saxophone and guitar. It’s totally awesome.”
I laughed as she morphed into an excited young gamer. “It sounds fascinating, Grace. I can’t wait to do some exploring.”
“It’s an adventure for sure.” She took a breath and seemed to remember she was a grown-up. Then she patted my hand and held it as we strolled to the door. “Now, don’t forget, we’re meeting for cocktails at five o’clock in the gold salon. That’s up the stairs to the left and halfway down the hall. It’s on the north side of the house, overlooking the lake. I can’t wait for all my favorite people to meet and mingle.”
“I’ll be there,” I assured her as we waved good-bye to each other. I stood at the doorway and watched her walk down the wide, wood-paneled hall and turn a corner. She didn’t know me very well, but suffice it to say I wouldn’t miss a cocktail party for the world. I decided I would scout out the gold salon on my tour that afternoon. I didn’t want to be late for cocktails. That would be rude.
Twenty minutes later, my suitcase was emptied and stowed in a corner of the walk-in closet. I had hung up my dressy clothes and folded everything else and put them in the dresser drawers. All my toiletries were arranged along the counter in my private bathroom and I’d placed the books I’d brought with me on the table next to the love seat under the bay window. As it turned out, bringing a few books along wasn’t quite as necessary as I’d thought it would be when I’d packed them. But how was I to know Grace Crawford owned every book ever written?
“Are you all settled?”
I glanced up and saw my friend Vi
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Holy shawarma, Brooklyn,” Vi
“I’m not sure that’s a word, babe,” Suzie said.
“It should be,” Vi
“I think this is cool,” Suzie said, walking into my room and looking around. “Besides, Brooklyn knows Aunt Grace is a book nut. And she’s been here before.”
“But I never saw this room,” I muttered, then chuckled. “If Derek were here, he’d laugh his ass off. Me, entrapped by books. Obviously, my book-lover karma has come back to bite me on the butt.”
“Wow, two butt references in less than ten seconds.” Suzie studied me. “You must miss him a lot.”
“Derek does have a very attractive bottom,” Vi
“I do miss him,” I said. “But I’m happy to be with you guys. And Derek’s very happy that I decided to come out here for the week. He figures there’s a lot less chance of my getting into trouble if I’m with you two.”
“Not that I believe there will be any trouble,” Vi
“Good thinking,” I said, touching the wood frame of the bathroom door. I could use all the good-luck rituals and charms I could get.
It had been only a few months since I’d found myself at the mercy of someone who wanted to kill me. And that hadn’t been the first time it had happened. I’d tried to make light of it, but the jokes were losing steam. The fact was, I had an alarming tendency to find dead people, followed by an ineffable need to carry out justice on their behalf. Invariably, I would end up in a face-to-face confrontation with the dead person’s killer.