Archives for October 2021

      “Jane it’s time to go. Get in the car.”  I yell back at Mom to wait a minute, I’m just finishing a chapter. I know she’ll ignore my plea.  I understand.  My little sister Lily is in the third year of her terrible twos and there seems to be no relief in sight.  I’m eight years older and never was a “wild child” like Lily.  Once she is settled in her car seat there is no time to waste.  We have only five minutes until the wailing begins.

     Starting out, while Lily is still quiet, I get the current version of Mom’s summer reading list speech, “Pick ten books, eight that are NOT mysteries and please don’t get side-tracked wandering the library aisles looking for imaginary clues. No more than two books can be Phryne Fisher mysteries.  I am happy you love Kerry Greenwood but you need to expand…” At this point I tune out.  I have heard it before.

     I always loved mysteries.  I’ve read every kid’s detective book written; The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, The West Meadows Detectives, Nate the Great and many more.  But when I found Kerry Greenwood’s novels featuring private investigator Phryne Fisher I knew my destiny was to be a detective.  I see the mystery all around me every day, but I know to be a great detective you have to have real life experience.  At my age reading is the best way to gain that experience.  I read a lot.

     We get to the library and Mom tells me we have 30 minutes tops. She and Lily will be in the preschool section and I should come there when done.  She warns me again not to get sidetracked.  I reassure her and head for the fiction aisle, A-C, my notebook ready.  As I approach the shelf there is a woman at the head of the aisle, examining the books of the A initialed authors.  I hang back allowing her space but she catches my eye and smiles, then returns to her search.  But before she turned away I clearly saw a question or message in her eyes.  She was trying to tell me something, communicate.  She needs help.

     I take a quick glance around.  There does not seem to be anyone watching us.  She is slim with shoulder length auburn hair and wears a stylish summer dress with Birkenstock sandals.  Money is not her problem.  Without looking back she replaces the book and moves down the rack where she removes, scans and then replaces another book. A quick glance back and she turns the corner.

     I quickly write down in my notebook the two books she wanted me to see. “A Death in the Family” Agee and “The Good Earth” Buck.  I try to decipher the message but have no time to think about what they might mean. I have to keep her in my sights.  I will revisit the titles when I have a moment but death and earth?  This may be much more serious than I had anticipated.  It might be my most challenging case to date.

    I quickly spot her in the D section.  Again she removes and replaces a book.  As she turns the corner I know she feels my presence and instinctively realizes I am here to help.  Checking the shelf I note “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” Doyle.  Message received, keep sending.

     Next, in the G’s, two books were slightly askew, “The Wind in the Willows” Graham and “The Fault in Our Stars” Green.  Time to piece some of this together.  She clearly wants help but is unable to communicate with me directly.  The answer comes when I next spot her at the H shelf.  There she speaks to a man.  He is about her age and well dressed.  They both have wedding rings and he softly touches her shoulder while they speak. They are married.  Both laugh as they seem to share a joke.  He is not the problem.  I glance down and holding on to her daddy’s leg is a little girl, about the same age as Lily. Daddy scoops her up in his arms, kisses his wife on the cheek and moves back the table where there are crayons and a coloring book. I get the message.  This case is not about a troubled marriage.  I have to dig deeper.

     After touching another book she moves on.  “The Old Man and the Sea” Hemingway.  Noted.  She runs her hand along the books as she walks but does not specifically touch one until she arrived at the M’s. She pulls it off the shelf and turns again to see me, speaking with her eyes saying don’t give up!  I add one more title to the growing list, “The Life of Pi” by Martel. This one puzzles me, but I’ll get there soon enough.

     She quickens her pace as if to say time is running out and I need to pass along the final clues before we are discovered.  It is all I can do to note every book she looks at or touches as she makes her way back to the table where her husband and daughter are coloring and waiting.  I write fast, “My Name is Asher Lev” Potok, “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” See, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” Twain, “Charlotte’s Web” White.

     She stops and removes one final volume.  Returning it she again glances back and smiles.  When she returns it to the shelf I make my final entry, “The Book Thief” Zusak. I step around the corner to watch her lift her daughter into her arms and kiss her cheek.  Daddy gathers the crayons.  Holding her daughter she turns and looks directly into my eyes, takes her daughters hand and pointing to me says wave bye-bye to the nice girl.  They both wave and smile, then, as dad takes mom’s hand, they all turn and walk toward the exit.

     Another mystery, why didn’t she check out a book?  Surely in all the thousands of books in the library there was one that sparked her interest.  Time to assemble the clues and solve the case.  I sit down in the same chair where dad colored with his little girl.  Opening my notebook I look at my twelve entries:

1. A Death in the Family by Agee
2. The Good Earth by Buck
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Doyle
4. The Wind in the Willows by Graham
5. The Fault in our Stars by Green
6. The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway
7. The Life of Pi by Martel
8. My Name is Asher Lev by Potok
9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by See
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain
11. Charlotte’s Web by White
12. The Book Thief by Zusak.

 

     A good detective sometimes has to take in the entire crime scene all at once to determine exactly what happened.  Clearly the mother tried to get me to help her, but why?  Examine the evidence.  The first title mentions death and a later title is about life.  Next I see many natural elements, earth, wind, willows, stars and flowers. And so many people; an old man, Sherlock, Pi, Asher, Snow Flower, Huckleberry and Charlotte.  Also the word “adventure” appears twice in the titles. The final title refers to a book thief.  That doesn’t seem to fit, maybe a clue by itself?  I will need time to read all these books.  But like my favorite sweat shirt says, “So many books…so little time.”  The titles are not enough.  To help her I need to read the books.  She does not seem to be in any immediate danger.  I will figure it out!

     “Jane” the sound of sound of my mom’s voice shakes me out of the trance I fall into when working on a case.  She has a cranky Lily dangling on one arm as she leans over me. “It’s late.  You haven’t been sitting there the whole time have you?  What about your list?”

     Mom I’ve been working on a case.  A woman needs my help. I’ll get the list together.  I try to think fast to avoid another lecture on the advantages of reading a diverse group of authors my mom lifts my notebook from the table. I watch her jaw visibly drop.

     “Jane, I don’t know what to say.  This list is wonderful.  I’ve read most of these.  It’s a long list and I see you haven’t added any Phryne Fisher mysteries yet.  But the books are amazing and beautiful and I have to admit, a bit surprising.  I know you can do whatever you set your mind to.  I really don’t know what to say except thank you and please take Lily, my arm is numb.”

      Sure mom.  I’ll even read some of these to her. I am sure she will love “Charlotte’s Web”