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and saw that Beth was efficiently locking the sessions in order to get the people moving. Several of their regulars had already gone into the story room to await further instructions.
    Ms. Cole and Ann Marie Martin, the part-time circulation clerk, were also helping to guide people in the direction of the story room. Not for the first time, Lindsey was grateful that she had such a crackerjack staff who did as she asked without question.
    â€œMy taxes pay your salary!” Mr. Schwartz rose out of his seat and stood up on his tiptoes, trying to intimidate Officer Kirkland.
    â€œExcellent.” Kirkland leaned forward, forcing Mr. Schwartz backward just a little. “Then while we’re in the back room there, we can have a long discussion about why I deserve a raise.”
    Mr. Schwartz looked as if he was going to choke on his own spit. Lindsey stepped forward before he stroked out on the spot, not wanting to add another body to her quota for the day.
    The next time someone made the observation that working in a library must be lovely because it was so quiet, she didn’t think she’d be able to hold back her laughter.

“I f you’ll follow me, Mr. Schwartz,” Lindsey said. “I know that having a senior member of the community present will be very helpful in our current crisis.”
    â€œCrisis?” Mr. Schwartz asked. He puffed himself up and walked beside her toward the back room. He shot Officer Kirkland a nasty look. “Well, anything I can do to help the police with their job.”
    Lindsey glanced over her shoulder at Kirkland. He gave her a small smile, and she wondered if they had a course about dealing with difficult people at the police academy, and then she wondered if she could audit it.
    *   *   *
    O nce they were gathered in the room, Lindsey let Officer Wilcox take over mediating the situation. She assumed there was a police protocol that he would follow to let the people know what was happening without causing them to panic.
    Meanwhile, she huddled in the corner with her staff.
    â€œAll right, Lindsey, spill it,” Beth said. “What’s going on?”
    Ms. Cole and Ann Marie completed their circle, and Lindsey gestured for them to shuffle to the side out of earshot of the rest of the people.
    â€œAfter our crafternoon meeting today, I went into the back room, where we usually meet,” Lindsey began. She closed her eyes to steady herself as she recalled the horror of what she’d found. With a sharp exhale, she finished by saying, “When I opened the door, I found the window open and a dead body facedown on the floor.”
    â€œWhat?” squawked Beth. “You found a body in the library?”
    â€œ
Shh
,” Ms. Cole hushed her and then glanced around to make sure no one had heard.
    Beth gave her an annoyed look, but lowered her voice. “I just don’t understand how it’s possible. That door is always locked unless there is a meeting under way.”
    â€œWho was it? Was it a patron?” Ann Marie put her hand to her throat as if to steady herself.
    â€œNo, it was a stranger,” Lindsey said. “I didn’t recognize him nor did Chief Plewicki.”
    The other three visibly relaxed. And Lindsey understood that in a community this small there was a sense of looking out for each other, even for pesky people like Peter Schwartz.
    â€œWhat’s going to happen now?” Beth asked. “And why do they want us all in this room?”
    â€œI think the chief wants to make sure no one knew the man,” Lindsey said. “Also she probably wants to know if anyone saw anything suspicious.”
    The others nodded. Officer Kirkland was taking down the names of all the other people in the room. He had just finished when the doors opened and Chief Plewicki walked in.
    The room immediately erupted with questions, but she held up her hands, motioning for everyone to be quiet.
    â€œThank you