"That's what I said. I told him I would treat the people on the list with the utmost respect and he didn't believe me."
"No, I bet he didn't." She laughs in her delightful, girlish, giggly way and leans against the counter. Folding her arms, she says, "So. What are you going to do with your list if you do get a letter, I wonder?"
"Interrogate them under pain of torture until they tell me why they sent the letter and who the gorgeous man who wrote them was."
The smile falls from Jeanette's face. "I know you think you're joking, but I'm not going to laugh, because a big part of me is not so sure."
"Fair enough."
Someone approaches the library entrance.
I raise the binoculars and find a face I know, but I can't pull a name from my brain to match it.
"Quick, what's his name?" I pass the binoculars to Jeanette.
"No idea, my love. Never seen him before." She passes them back.
I let out a growl of frustration. "This isn't going to work if I don't know who the actual people are."
"Good." She pushes away from the counter and places her hands on her hips before dropping them again. "It shouldn't be working anyway, I don't think. It looks dodgy, Bess. Save the spyware for the roof."
"Is that...a clue?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you trying to tell me I'll find what I'm looking for by using the binoculars on the roof?" I give her a wink for good measure.
She tilts her head to one side and offers me both a frown and a smile in typical Jeanette fashion. "No. I'm telling you not to start a binoculars habit in your place of business. Not if you want people to come back. Yes?" She turns and heads towards the tea shoppe.
She's probably right about the binoculars, but I won't strike her off the list yet. I turn to the page ofPossible Letter Senders, which lists everyone I know in Port Derrum, because until proven otherwise, I can't rule anyone out. Crossing out her name, I write it under theLikely not but still under considerationheading.
"Oh," I call after her. "You've sold out of buttock butter dishes again. You need to make more."
Jeanette pivots, her face lit up. "I'm thinking of doing a boob range as well. With little nipples on them."
"Do it. I have no doubt they'll look incredible."
I turn my attention back to the library. It's no use. It was a good idea, but without customer data, I won't know who everyone is. Plus, I actually have a job. One I need to start seriously hauling arse over if I'm to ship the last twenty-four hours of online purchases in a timely manner.
I check the computer for the next order I haven't fulfilled yet. A pair of stone carved earrings and one of Lutek's crocheted cup warmers. I collect them, wrap and bag them, then take the parcel and my list of library visitors through to the café front counter.
"Lutek, do you think it's illegal to set up a camera in a public place for private use? I'm thinking it's a grey area as long as I'm not filming people getting naked and stuff."
"Oh, um." Lutek finishes making a latte. "What are you filming?"
As soon as I've said it, I realise that even if it weren't a legal question, it still doesn't help with the Knowing Who People Are factor. "Never mind. I'll ask Carlos for ideas."
Carlos is sitting facing the street, tea in hand. He has cream on his moustache and his other hand resting on a piece of paper.
"Darling girl," he says when he sees me.
I pull out a chair and point out the wayward cream, which he dabs off with a paper napkin.
"Are you writing poetry?"
"I could be." He looks out the café window, squints over the top of his reading glasses, looks at his watch, then writes something down.
I lean over the remains of his scone to peer at the writing. It's a list. A list that looks remarkably similar to mine. Except next to every time entry is an actual name.
