Bookmarked for Blood

BOOKMARKED FOR BLOOD A Bookish Cafe Mystery Book 5 HARPER LIN This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Bookmarked for Blood Copyright © 2023 by Harper Lin. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author. www.harperlin.com Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 About the Author A Note From Harper Excerpt from “Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse” Chapter 1 Two women loitered at the register, chattering away at a rate of at least three hundred words a minute. At least, that was what Maggie Bell thought as she hid behind the tall bookshelves in the children’s corner of the Bookish Café. On and on the women nattered about how wonderful they looked and how they hadn’t changed a bit and had they heard about so-and-so and whatever happened to such-and-such and remember the blah-blah-blah during homecoming and wasn’t that just so much fun. Maggie took a deep breath as she peeked around the shelf. Her eye just happened to fall on an old copy of Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Slinking Shadow. The irony made her pinch her lips together before carefully peeking at the women again. It was as if she’d been hiding for hours. Why didn’t they at least go to the café and take a seat instead of rambling on about their days in high school by the bookshelves? “What are you doing?” The deep male voice shocked Maggie, almost making her yelp. She clapped her hand over her own mouth before any sound came out and turned to face her boss. She put a finger to her lips. “Maggie, are you aware that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we don’t have our window display up yet?” whispered Joshua Whitfield, the owner of the Bookish Café. “Yes,” Maggie whispered back. “As soon as those women leave, I’ll get started on it.” “Why are you waiting for those women to leave?” “Because I don’t want to talk to them,” she replied. “Why not?” Joshua crouched slightly, like Maggie was doing, trying to remain unseen. “I went to high school with them. They are in town for the reunion. A reunion, can you believe that? The whole thing makes me feel itchy.” “Is that all?” Joshua finally straightened up and looked down a couple inches at Maggie. She straightened too, and she could tell by Joshua’s smirk that he didn’t understand her angst at all. But there was absolutely no need for him to look so handsome while missing her point completely. “Is that all? It’s too much. For the past week, I’ve been shucking and jiving in and out of doorways, behind bushes, and under tables just to avoid the invasion of classmates who have been popping up all over town.” She shuddered. “Why? You visit with so many of them every day. Didn’t you and Gary go to school together?” Joshua replied. His inquiry annoyed Maggie because he was totally right. “I don’t visit with them. I tolerate them.” As she was trying to explain her discomfort with strolling down memory lane without going into great detail about her awkward and embarrassing high school experience, her two classmates left the bookstore. She looked to the door as the jingling bell indicated movement and finally let out a long sigh. “You can’t hide from every customer that comes in. I don’t know why you’d want to. You practically run this bookstore. Our window displays win almost every competition Fair Haven has because they are so beautiful and creative. And you look like you could still be in high school. Isn’t that what you girls are always worried about? Who got fat? Who went bald? You did neither,” Joshua said with that adorable smirk that made Maggie want to melt. She frowned and rolled her eyes. “Very funny.” “I’m being serious,” Joshua said. For a second, they stood there in awkward silence. Had this been a movie or romance novel, Maggie was sure he would have scooped her into his arms and they would have shared a beautiful first kiss. But this was real life, and instead, Maggie backed into the bookshelf, making Horton Hears a Who and Red Fish, Blue Fish fall to the floor. With both of them scrambling to pick up the books, a headbutt was inevitable. They stood, Maggie rubbing her left eyebrow as Joshua tenderly touched the right side of his forehead. “Could you get away from me now?” Maggie huffed. “Yes. I will. You’re dangerous to be around, Maggie Bell,” Joshua said. “And I’m waiting to see the window display. Valentine’s Day is coming whether you like it or not. You’re running out of time. Here.” He reached around to retrieve his wallet. Maggie, still rubbing her forehead, waited as he counted out one hundred dollars. “What’s this for? Settling out of court?” she smirked. “Go buy whatever you need for the window. Maybe pick up a couple of things for the café too. I know Babs has some ideas, so maybe ask her if there is anything she might be looking for.” Joshua nodded before heading back into the storeroom. Maggie blushed. She looked around the bookstore and realized that a lot had changed since Alexander Whitfield, Joshua’s grandfather, had run the place. She had worked for him for years, and there were times, like now, she really wished he were there to talk to. When he’d died, it was as if Maggie had lost her favorite warm sweater to a thief who