BLUE WEDDING (Melody The Librarian Mysteries Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

hear it,” I said, shaking off the nagging voice of my mother echoing in my head.
    “And Melody, I know we never discussed it, but I do plan on showing my appreciation for your efforts. The ‘Accordion Extravaganza’ promotion could not have been more successful. I’ve had to invest the money from our sales into more product, but once those come in….”
    “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Van Dyke. It was my pleasure. And, yes, I did get a copy of the Caller’s review. I think Mom bought out the newsstand at the drug store!”
    “Well, just know that I haven’t forgotten you, Melody. And by the way, at least eight of the ten sales we made will require some level of instruction, so I hope you can find time to share your skills with them…soon.”
    “Sure,” I replied, considering my schedule. “Now that school’s out, the library will be closed on Mondays, so I’ll work Tuesday through Friday and a half a day on Saturday. I don’t have a problem with Sunday lessons. I just don’t know how Mom would feel about being subjected to it.”
    “You’re welcome to use the rehearsal room at the store anytime, including evenings or weekends. If you’d like, I’ll get you a key. That might be better in the long run:  it would be less intrusive for both you and the student. You let me know your availability and I’ll contact the customers and set things up. I’ll try to keep the schedule as tight as possible so you’re not getting whiplashed running back and forth.”
    “Thanks, Mr. Van Dyke. I will. May I ask you a question?”
    “Sure, sweetie. What is it?”
    “Could I call you something less formal than Mr. Van Dyke? I don’t know…how about Mr. VD? Or Van Dyke the Elder?”
    He chuckled. “Can’t say I care for either of those, my dear. Why don’t we just settle on Zak? It might feel awkward for a little while – it took Gary days before he could call me by my name without stuttering – but before you know it, it’ll flow easily from the tongue.”
    “I’m sure it will, Zak,” I agreed. Well, that was a relief.
    Zak frowned. “I just wish you guys would let me go out on the road with you sometime. I could play bass, or keyboards, whatever you need. Maybe I could meet a woman with a fetish for older musicians!”
    “That’s my dad,” Gary smiled proudly. “But who’d mind the store if we were all out touring together?”
    “I know, I know,” Zak muttered. “It’s just not fair, being stuck behind a counter all day. Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to that guy who wanted to devote himself to playing music and just having fun. Where did that guy go?”
    I stared at him until the lines in his forehead disappeared. “He’s still there, Zak. I can see him.”

Chapter 5
     
    Monday at work, I felt more upbeat than usual, knowing it would be my last Monday at the library till the school year cranked up again. The morning flew by and I was surprised when Margaret showed up to relieve me for lunch. I grabbed a quick bite at Mom’s and when I returned, I heard a series of sneezes as I walked up the steps to the main room.
    Margaret sat at my desk; her eyes were watering as she blew her nose. She pointed at a bouquet of flowers on the desk. “Those…those are for you. Ah-choo! ”
    “Margaret, are those flowers making you sneeze? Well, get up and get away from them, you poor thing.” Bless her heart, Margaret was as dedicated as they come, but there’s dedication and then there’s masochism.
    The bouquet was mostly composed of Forget-Me-Nots. I looked for a card, but there was none. “Who brought these by, Margaret?”
    “A delivery man,” she sniffled. “He didn’t give me his name.”
    “Actually, I was more interested in who sent them rather than who delivered them. I don’t see a card.”
    “Maybe you could call the flower shop. It was Jameson’s…or was it Clare’s? Ah-choo! I’m sorry, I’m not that familiar with them because of my… ah-choo! ...allergies. But looks