Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“Oh no, another mystery you are going to want to solve.” Amy shook her head as another book was added to her personal pile of books. “I would forget about this one, Pepper. The odds of solving such an old mystery are not good.”
“I suppose, but it’s got me curious as to why her cause of death was never mentioned. It couldn’t have been any type of contagious disease or there would be a record of it. If it was an accident that left her ill, it would have been talked about it, but nothing is written that leads to that possibility.”
“It could have been any number of diseases that are curable today,” Amy suggested.
“True enough,” I agreed, my eyes glued to the pages of the book.
“You never agree that fast. What’s caught your interest?”
“The distance the mausoleum is from the house. If Ignatius Willow was that devastated over his daughter’s death, why bury her so far from the house?”
“Who wants to live close to a mausoleum?” Amy shuddered.
“Parents who mourn their only child’s death,” I said, “though from what I’m reading he was a practical businessman. He had built Main Street, owned every shop there, not that it was designated as Main Street back then. He established the first bank in Willow. The mercantile was the first building to be built and other buildings followed quickly afterwards.”
“Are there any pictures in there of the inside of the mausoleum that might help you?” Amy asked, her personal pile of books growing.
“Not much—oh, wait a minute,” I said, a section catching my interest. “It says here that a rumor circulated that Ignatius buried a diamond and pearl necklace that had been in his family for generations and that Verbena would receive and wear it on her wedding day. But there is no proof of that. Oh,” I said, reading on and summarizing it for Amy. “The rumor started because Ignatius had his daughter’s tomb permanently sealed, never able to be opened again.”
“That definitely would cause gossip to spread quick enough, though it could be that a wise father continued to protect his daughter even in death.”
“A good point, but it sure makes one wonder what part of the past holds the truth and what is nothing more than gossip,” I said, my stomach gurgling loudly.
Amy chuckled. “I’m starving too.”
I helped Amy carry her stack of six books downstairs to the register.
“Everything is separated into piles and the piles are labeled,” Amy said. “And thank you for giving me dibs on the box.”
“It’s the least I can do since you sorted them for me. It saves me a mountain of time,” Kate said.
I handed Kate the History of Willow Lake book.
Kate glanced over the book before handing it back to me while Amy slipped her pile of books into one of her many foldable cloth bags she carried in her gigantic purse.
“I sell a couple of these every few months, but this is the third one I sold in the last couple of days. Go figure,” Kate said with a shrug.
Hearing that, I was quick to ask, “Who bought them?”
“Besides you, a guy maybe late twenties or early thirties and a big burly, biker type guy, who came in only to purchase the book.”
“Not interested in browsing or buying?” I asked, wondering if the twenty to thirty-year-old guy could be the guy Ian and I found.
“Not the least. Both asked where I kept the History of Willow Lake book, they grabbed a copy, paid, and were gone. Neither of them glanced around at anything else. And the odd thing was that they came in within a couple of hours of each other.
“Did you talk with either of them?” I asked.
“We barely exchanged words. Both appeared in a hurry, and I didn’t get the feeling they’d be returning customers, so I didn’t waste my time.”
“Do you recall what they looked like?” I asked.
“Nothing memorable about either since I barely can recall them, except they both were wearing dark hoodies, and one had some scruff on his face, the other a salt and pepper beard.”
“Could you help me when you get the chance?” a woman asked from behind her and Amy. “There are a few pieces of furniture I am interested in discussing with you.”
“I will be with you in a second,” Kate said, and the woman smiled and returned to whatever furniture had caught her interest.
“Sounds like a sizeable sale. I have to go,” Kate said, handing Amy her change.
“Seeing my brother tonight?” I asked.
“We might grab supper, but we haven’t confirmed it yet.”
“You might want to put it off for another day. He had an encounter with some skunk spray,” I said with a grin.
Kate wrinkled her nose. “Thanks for letting me know. I just might have to work late.”
“Your brother is going to kill you,” Amy warned when we stepped outside.