“Guess so,” I said, trying not to betray how worried I was. “Well, we better go.”
“Busy?”
“It’s, um…Cary Grant movie night with Koshka.”
This was a ruse. I needed to be alone to figure out what was going on with Pops. Also, anyone who knows me knows that Cary Grant movie night with Koshka is Sunday, not Friday.
“Of course. Movie night with your familiar is important.” She opened her coat and Koshka leapt out. Penny smiled kindly, but I could tell I’d hurt her feelings. “Have fun, you two crazy kids.”
Penny started to walk away, but before I could head inside, she turned back.
“Rainy?”
“Yes?”
“Dr. Fanshawe shouldn’t have said that you aren’t living up to your mother’s example. That was cruel of her.”
“She’s right—”
“You don’t know that. Perhaps your mother would’ve been very proud of you for being so kind to Elizabeth Bennet, letting her see the sunset over the Pacific like you did.”
“I’ll never know,” I said.
“And she should not have taken your umbrella,” Penny said, who could have done with an umbrella at the moment as the drizzle began to fall harder. “But if it makes you feel any better, she put me on sticker removal duty last week for being five minutes late to a meeting.”
“Brutal,” I said.
“I can smell Goo Gone in my dreams,” she said, then shook her head. “Your poor umbrella. It makes me sad thinking about it sitting in the supply closet all alone. Hope I remembered to lock the back door at the shop? I’m sure I did! Or not…”
I peered at her through the misty rain. Surely she wasn’t suggesting what I thought…no. Not Penny. Sweet, angelic, positively perfect Penny.
“Oh, I almost forgot something.” Penny took the tote bag off her shoulder and held it out to me.
“What is it?”
She smiled. “A little gift. Since you were eyeing it earlier.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
Without looking in the tote bag, I knew what it was—The Hidden Staircase.
“I used my employee discount,” she said. “A going-away gift too, I suppose.”
“Going away?”
“Going home for a visit,” she said. “But we’ll see each other soon!”
No wonder she wanted to hang out tonight. She was leaving town.
“Thanks again, Penny. For the book and, well, for everything.”
She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something else, but nothing came out.
“Good night, Rainy,” she finally said. “Until we meet again!”
“Have a nice trip home.”
Penny turned away and walked swiftly into the dark.
