Free By the Book (A Gracie Andersen Mystery 2) by Laurinda Wallace

if she has any leads.”
    “Great, Mom,” Gracie said with more than a touch of insincerity. With Isabelle involved, there was sure to be more drama than necessary in a simple hunt for a rental.
    She earned a motherly look of reproof for her effort. Gracie sat in her vehicle, waiting for it to warm up, and watched Alice Harris stomp out to her car with manila folders in her hand. The woman was definitely not happy. Gracie pretended to adjust her rearview mirror in case the woman glanced her way. She pulled out of her parents’ driveway, well behind the black sedan that fishtailed slightly on the snowy street.
     
    Terry’s car was parked in the side parking lot of the library when Gracie cruised down Main Street. Impulsively she turned in to see how Terry was managing the cousins. It was almost closing time anyway.
    She pushed open the heavy door and inhaled the welcoming scent of books. Patti looked up from her computer screen, which displayed a game of Solitaire.
    “Hey, Gracie. We haven’t seen you around lately.”
    “No time to read unfortunately. Is Terry upstairs?”
    “I guess so.” Patti turned back to her game.
    Feeling a little important to climb the winding stairs, since they’d always been off limits, Gracie heard Terry speaking in low tones. Maybe she had someone in her office.
    “Hi, Terry,” she called.
    Sable and Max appeared with wagging tails.
    “Hey, guys! You must be well-behaved to go to the library.” She rubbed their ears and rumps as she entered the office.
    Terry put the phone in its base and smiled.
    “Hi there! Stopping by to check out a book?”
    “I wish. Just thought I’d see how you were settling in.”
    “Well … it’s interesting. Have a seat.” Terry picked up a stack of publications from the chair next to the desk, plopping them on the credenza behind her.
    “The cousins a little uncooperative?” Gracie asked, settling into the chair.
    “Yes, but not unexpected. I have a much stickier issue to deal with. Have you got a minute?”
    “Sure.” Gracie pulled the chair closer to the desk. “What’s up?”
    “It’s my landlady, I guess, former landlady. She seems to be charging a lot of accounting services to the library and she’s the treasurer.”
    “Really? That sounds like a conflict of interest to me.”
    “Me too. But it’s been going on awhile. I was just talking to Will Dover, the president of the board, but he seems a little funny about it. I’m too new to press it. Sybil brought it to my attention.”
    “Maybe Sybil just has some sour grapes over Alice. Will’s a good guy. He’s been a friend of my Dad's for years. It’s probably a misunderstanding of some sort.”
    “Maybe. I’ll let it lie for now.”
    “So, you brought the dogs to work?” She scratched behind Max’s ears.
    “I did. I don’t like working here at night by myself, so they’re good company. Plus, the janitor is Sybil’s husband, and he gives me the creeps.”
    “Jack? I didn’t know he worked here too. I thought he had plenty to do at the hardware.”
    “I don’t know the situation, but he comes in to clean every night, and he plows the parking lot. He doesn’t like dogs, and he doesn’t like me.”
    “Give him time. He and Sybil are two peas in a pod though.” Gracie shook her head and smiled. “You do have your work cut out for you.”
    “Oh, yes, and there’s a fundraiser next month. Wouldn’t you like to volunteer to help with the St. Paddy’s Day party, The Givin’ o’ the Green?”
    “Yikes! Let me think about it. I’d better get home. I have a ton of accounting to do myself. It’s payroll this week.”
    As Gracie pulled out onto Main Street, she noticed Jack Greene throwing garbage bags into the dumpster. On his way back to the library, he knelt in the snow and picked up something that she couldn’t make out. He stuffed it in his coat pocket and went back inside.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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