At the front of the store, the sleigh bells clanged. Nora guessed that Sheriff McCabe had arrived.
“Give me a minute to look up some titles,” she told Janice. “You want to cover all the grade levels, right?”
“Yep. K through five. We’d need a range of reading levels, but I’m also thinking that this would be a great topic for buddy reads.”
Nora couldn’t agree more. “Buddy reading is a win-win. The younger kid feels special and gets to practice his reading. The older kid gets a self-esteem boost and improves his social skills. And if one of the books they read together contains a subtle message about bullying, then we’re ticking several boxes at once.”
After promising to return with a list of recommendations, Nora grabbed the bag with the postcard from the ticket agent’s office and told Sheldon that he could go home whenever he was ready.
She ran into McCabe rounding the corner of the Fiction section. Seeing the bag in her hand, he instinctively reached for it.
“How’d you end up with this?” he asked, frowning at the postcard.
Nora explained the plan she and her friends had devised to help keep Soothe running as smoothly as possible.
McCabe plucked his reading glasses from his shirt pocket. “Damn it all. I need more natural light. Even with the glasses.” He sighed. “Aging isn’t for the weak. Let’s move to the front window.”
While McCabe examined the postcard, Nora took the opportunity to research a few titles for Janice. She had the chance to jot down two before McCabe approached the checkout counter.
“Did you show this to Ms. Leopold?”
“No. I stuck it in my pocket right away.”
The sleigh bells banged, and McCabe turned to watch a trio of teenage girls lurch into the shop. Their bodies were pressed so close together that they seemed attached at the shoulders and hips. With their shredded jeans, long braids, white sneakers, and earbuds, the girls were almost indistinguishable. Nora recognized the two blondes, but she’d never seen the brunette before. The blondes, who were both fifteen, were fans of YA Fantasy. They bought every book written by Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas and never needed recommendations. Both girls were members of an active Instagram YA book group and were so in touch with YA reading trends that Nora often asked them which books to preorder.
McCabe dipped his chin in greeting, which caused the three teens to blush and press forward as a single unit into the stacks. Giggles and whispers trailed after them.
Seeing McCabe’s puzzled expression, Nora said, “It’s best to avoid direct eye contact until they feel comfortable around you.”
“Duly noted.” McCabe held up the postcard. “Thanks for this. And for giving Celeste a hand. This will probably be the longest, hardest week of her life.”
Nora wasn’t ready to let him go. “Did she talk to you yesterday? I’m not asking just to be nosy. Like it or not, I’m involved in this. I found Bren’s body. That book page was left under my doormat. I think I have a right to know if this a murder investigation.”
“I wish I could give you a straight answer. Celeste said that her daughter was keeping secrets, but she won’t go into detail about these secrets. The ME hasn’t been able to pinpoint the cause of death, either. He’s waiting on more test results.”
“Maybe the answers are elsewhere,” said Nora. “Like Pine Hollow.”
At that moment, one of the moms appeared in the front with her son in tow. After waving at Nora, the pair left the bookshop. Another mom and her three kids soon followed. A third mom carrying several books approached the checkout counter. The coffee hour was over.
McCabe left, and Nora rang up the woman’s books. She then returned to the readers’ circle to share her recommendations with Janice.
Taking a seat, Nora said, “My go-to source for books on challenging topics at the grade-school level is a children’s librarian who blogs about the best books for the classroom. She’s been posting for over a decade and hasn’t steered me wrong yet. For the younger kids, the two titles I picked are The Potato Chip Champ and Enemy Pie.”
Janice’s eyes lit up. “And they address bullying?”
“The potato chip book is about kindness and what it means to have a healthy friendship. It’s a great book for the beginning of the school year. Enemy Pie focuses on dealing with conflict. The librarian said that it’s especially helpful for kids who struggle socially.”
“Potato chips and pizza. Kids love both of those things,” Janice said, scribbling in her notebook. “And if we set up the buddy read program, the older kids can read the books and share in the rewards. Do you have recommendations for them too?”