Cat Trick

The missing DVD case was at the end of a row, three shelves above where the titles beginning with the letter P were shelved. I pulled it out and handed it to Burtis. “Thank you,” he said. “You’d think people would put things back where they found ’em.”

“Most people do,” I said.

“My mother—rest her soul—always said, ‘There’s a place for everything and everything in its place.’” He smiled again. “She had a way of looking at you that didn’t make you want to argue.”

It occurred to me that some people would say the same thing about Burtis.

We started for the front of the library. “You decided if you’re going to stay with us yet, Kathleen?” he asked.

“I’m still thinking about it,” I said.

He looked around. “All this wouldn’t have happened without you. I know it was Everett Henderson’s money, but you’re the one who made sure the work was done. You turned the library back into an important part of this town. I hope we don’t lose you.”

For a moment I was speechless. “Thank you, Burtis,” I finally managed to get out. “That means a lot.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” he said, “but you’re welcome. And don’t forget that invitation to breakfast still stands. Lot better way to start your day than finding a dead man.”

“You heard?” I said.

“I did. I get around. I hear a lot of things, like maybe that Glazer boy’s death wasn’t an accident. I hate to think him dying is going to mess up the idea of bringing some tour business into town.” Nothing in his expression gave away what he was thinking.

I gave him a long, steady look. “Burtis, you of all people ought to know that when you’re trying to get your hook into something, you need to use the right bait.”

He laughed, a deep rumble that seemed to start way down in his steel-toed work boots and roll around his barrel chest. “I’ll remember that.” His face grew serious. “It’s still the truth, though. The longer the police have Glazer’s death ‘under investigation,’ the less likely it is that anyone is going to want to start bringing tourists here. And the town really could use that money coming in.”

I pushed a strand of hair off my face. “I don’t know how Mike died,” I said. Not officially I didn’t.

Burtis studied my face. “But I’m betting you have your suspicions.” He raised a hand before I could respond. “I’m not askin’ you to tell me. All I’m saying is you seem to have a knack for getting yourself mixed up in this kind of thing and maybe this time it would be better if you took a step back. Glazer pretty much pissed off everyone he had anything to do with from the moment he came back to town. He didn’t know when to shut up. So maybe somebody showed him. And I’m not saying that was right, but it happens.”

He squeezed the brim of his Golden Gophers cap in his massive hand. “Right now Mayville Heights is your home—I hope it’ll keep on being that—and the sooner this Glazer business goes away, the better it’ll be for everybody.”

I wasn’t sure if he was giving me a warning or just making conversation. I did know it wasn’t a good idea to be on Burtis Chapman’s bad side.

He held up the movie. “Thanks for finding this. You have a nice day, Kathleen.” Then he turned and headed for the checkout desk.

I watched him hand the DVD case over to Mia, and I thought about his hand wrapped around the brim of his cap. I couldn’t help wondering: It hadn’t squeezed the life out of Mike Glazer, had it?

15

I went upstairs to my office, put my things away and then sat in my desk chair, swinging around to look out the window over the water. I didn’t really think that Burtis had had anything to do with what had happened to Mike. He was an intimidating man, yes. But kill someone? I just didn’t see Burtis doing that. I could picture his sinewy hand tightening into a fist and making contact with Mike’s face, but I couldn’t see it slowly and deliberately blocking his nose and mouth so he couldn’t breathe.

On the other hand, I didn’t really think Burtis had just been making friendly conversation with me, either. He was deeply loyal to the town and its people and I’d just been told to back off. That made it twice in one morning. In my mind I could see Marcus standing by his SUV, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched. I hated how his cases always seemed to come between us.