Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

right now.”
    She smiled. “Okay, catch you later.”
    I watched her walk into the room.
    “Dad, we have to talk about Mom,” she said.
    “I wish you girls would try to get along.”
    “How can I when she’s trying to kill—”
    That’s when Kiki closed the door.
    What?
    Damn! How was I supposed to eavesdrop on people if they closed the doors on me? I figured Kiki was just being an overly dramatic daughter talking about her mother, but my ears definitely perked up when I heard anyone mention the word
kill
. At this point, the ears-perking tendency had become part of my DNA.
    I sighed, then fumbled with the books in my arms butmanaged to steady them. I walked carefully through the hall and watched every step I took as I descended the grand stairway.
    I pushed the door to the library open and greeted Nathan. “Wait till you see what I found.”
    He instantly shut his laptop screen and followed me across the room to my desk. I lowered the stack of books carefully onto the surface and took a breath.
    “Wow, these are fantastic,” he said, picking up the book at the top of the pile.
    “Aren’t they? Be careful. Some of them are falling apart.”
    “I can see that.” He turned the book over, then frowned as he opened the cover. “This one’s in pretty bad shape. But still great. They don’t make them like this anymore.”
    “I know. I can’t do much except clean them up and check for any really bad tears. We should put them in archival plastic cases to protect them for the long haul.”
    “Good idea.”
    Finding the noir collection had made me wonder again if Grace might be interested in donating some of her books to the Covington. The paperbacks weren’t really good for reading anymore; they were too brittle. But the covers were fabulous representations of the jazzy pulp art of a bygone era. They would make for a fun exhibit for the library.
    Nathan grinned and held out the cover of the book he was holding. It was the terrorized redhead with her eyes bulging at the shadow of a knife above her. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
    “She really is.” I reached for the Mickey Spillane paperback. Its cover was fragile with age and barely hanging on to the yellowed text block. “I’ll order a box of archival covers while I’m here.”
    “Good idea. They won’t arrive until next week, so I’ll take care of slipping the books into them.”
    “Thanks.” I placed the Spillane back on the stack. “I’llbet there’s more of these around the house. I thought I might put together a separate catalog for them. I think they would make a fascinating exhibit for the Covington Library, if Grace agrees to it.”
    “I don’t see why she wouldn’t.” He walked back to his desk and pulled the rolltop down. I watched as he locked the desk and wondered if he wasn’t going a little overboard with the security. But I couldn’t really blame him. Like most people, he probably had his entire life on his computer.
    He turned and said, “I’m heading out. Are you ready for the séance?”
    I looked up. “What time is it?”
    “Almost six.”
    “Are you kidding?” I frowned. “I must’ve lost track of time. I have to go get dressed.”
    He looked me up and down. “You’re already dressed.”
    “I mean, for the evening. Don’t want to look like a slob.”
    He scratched his head, then shrugged, a typical guy wondering what this girl was talking about. “You look great.”
    “Well, thank you,” I said, grateful for his words, yet still unwilling to wear dusty jeans to Grace’s séance. “But I’m just going to stop by my room for a few minutes. I’ll see you up there.”
    I was running late, but made it to the Gold Salon in time for the second round of cocktails. I ordered a vodka and tonic from the bartender and took a quick sip. Gazing around at the well-dressed guests, I was thankful I’d decided to change into chocolate silk pants, black heels, and a burgundy satin blouse.
    “There you are,” Suzie said. “I thought we were going to have to send out a search party.”
    “Sorry I’m late. I was working with old books all day and wanted to freshen up before the party.”
    “No problem, kiddo,” Suzie said.
    That’s when I noticed what she was wearing. “Hey, you look really nice.” I hoped I didn’t sound too surprised. Suzie usually went for more of a butch look that often combined denim vests with motorcycle boots and chains. But tonight she wore a pretty sleeveless black top in some kind