What could I say? It was boring.
“Do something,” Tex demanded.
I looked up again.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know, something. Isn’t it on someone’s schedule today to kidnap you and hold you hostage?”
Oh, dear Lord.
“All the bad guys are either dead or behind bars,” I told him.
“Bummer.”
Great.
The door opened and Mr. Kumar came in, behind him shuffled in scary, living-dead Mrs. Salim.
“We came to sell you back your book,” Mr. Kumar announced.
Double great. That triumph was short-lived.
“That’s cool, Mr. Kumar but I don’t buy them for as much as I sell them,” I told him.
Mr. Kumar nodded. “It’s like a rental.”
I looked at him.
I could live with that.
Mrs. Salim shuffled into the bowels of the bookstore.
“She wants another one,” Mr. Kumar said.
My day brightened.
“That’s cool too,” I told him.
“Hey, Kumar. You want coffee?” Tex called.
“Hello Tex! No, no coffee. I’ll take some tea, though.”
“No tea,” Tex said.
I turned my head and looked at the gazillion boxes of Celestial Seasonings lined up on shelves on the wall.
“We have tea,” I told Tex.
“Okay, then, I don’t make tea.”
I sighed and went behind the counter and made Mr. Kumar some tea.
I was handing him a cup when the door opened and Ally and Kitty Sue walked in.
“What’s shakin’?” Ally asked then spied Tex and Mr. Kumar. “Hey Tex. Mr. Kumar.”
“Do you want coffee?” Tex barked.
Both Ally and Kitty Sue took a step back.
“He’s replaced Rosie. He’s a java idiot savant,” I told them.
“Yeah, I’ll take a coffee,” Ally said (which was smart).
Tex lumbered behind the counter and started banging away.
“Girl’s Night Out still on for tonight?” Kitty Sue asked me.
“Yep,” I said.
“I’ll take some of that action,” Tex said.
We all looked at him.
“It’s Girl’s Night Out, Tex,” I explained.
“So? What? Are there rules?” Tex asked.
“Yes. The rule is, it’s a night out, for girls,” I answered.
“Woman, you think I’m missin’ another bar fight or quick draw, you’re crazy. I’m comin’ out with you tonight.”
Kitty Sue’s face got pale.
I figured it was best to give in before Tex gave Kitty Sue a heart attack.
“I’ll ask Tod and Stevie too, even out the numbers.”
The door opened and a short, slight, dark-haired man walked in with fashionably mussed hair and a well-tailored suit. He was carrying a bright greeny-blue Tiffany’s bag.
“Is there an India Savage here?” he asked.
My heart stopped.
It had to be a gift from Lee. He said he didn’t do hearts and flowers but that was before he told me to change my clothes in front of Eddie. This must be an apology gift and any apology gift in a Tiffany’s bag was The Apology Gift to Beat All Apology Gifts.
I didn’t know what I was all bothered about, it wasn’t like Lee hadn’t given me gifts before. Last Christmas he bought Kitty Sue, Ally and I a day at the Tall Grass Spa in Evergreen. He’d also bought me a black belt with matte silver rivets and big square buckle last year, a special gift for my thirtieth birthday. Usually, he got me select pieces of silver jewelry from Cry Baby Ranch or gift certificates from Wax Trax.
Tiffany’s didn’t seem his style but I wasn’t going to complain.
Before I could get to the Tiffany Guy, Tex was there, snatching the bag out of his hand. Tiffany Guy stayed rooted to the spot, staring at Tex in horror.
“What is it? Is it ticking?” Tex boomed.
“Tex, give that to me,” I said, rushing over.
Tex shoved the bag under his sling and pulled the tiny blue box out of the bag. He defiled all that was Tiffany and, using his teeth, he tore open the little, white, satin bow and shook out the case, snapping it open.
I skidded to a halt beside him and stared at a pair of diamond stud earrings, huge diamond stud earrings.
Wow, Lee must be really sorry.
“There’s a card,” Tiffany Guy said, gingerly taking the bag from under Tex’s sling and pulling out a little white card and handing it to me.
I slid it open, pulled out the card and saw one word scrawled on it.
It said, Terry.
I felt my stomach roll.
“Put them back,” I said to Tex.
“What?” Tex was dazzled by the diamonds.
“Put them back.” Tex didn’t move, so I shouted, “Back, back, back! Put them back!”
“Cripes, woman, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’ll put ‘em back,” Tex replied.
“I want you to take them back,” I told Tiffany Guy.
“I can’t take them back. I have express orders not to take them back,” Tiffany Guy returned.
“You have to take them back!” I shouted.
“I can’t,” Tiffany Guy said back.
I snatched the box out of Tex’s hand and pushed it toward Tiffany Guy. He put his hands up and took a step back.
“Take them!” I yelled, jerking my arm toward him.
“No, I can’t. We were told not to accept a refusal.”
“Take them!” I shrieked.
“For God sake, take ‘em, man, she’s gonna blow,” Tex boomed.
He didn’t take them so I threw the box at him. It bounced off his chest and landed on the floor. We were all staring at it when I heard the tone from my cell.
I felt something on my arm and looked down at Zombie Mrs. Salim. She was holding onto my arm and looking into my eyes. Her fingers squeezed my arm with surprising strength and I felt a weird sense of well-being steal over me.
It was then I realized I was totally freaking out and I took a deep breath, nodded to Mrs. Salim and picked up the box. I snatched the bag out of Tiffany Guy’s hand and put them back in the bag and set them on the book counter.
Whatever.
I’d give them to charity or something.
“Indy, it’s Lee,” Ally was standing by me now and she was holding out my phone.
How could I forget? The place was wired and had cameras. Command Headquarters had informed Lee of the latest delivery.
I took the phone from Ally and snapped it shut.
Ally stared at the phone, then at me.