“You’re starting to scare me,” Abby said.
But she looked irritated and maybe a little apprehensive, Sam thought, not frightened.
“Relax.” Dawson flashed a closer’s smile. “I want to hire you.”
Abby stiffened. “What are you talking about? You don’t collect books of any kind, let alone the type I handle.”
“Let me explain,” Dawson said. He grew serious again. “I’m in the middle of some very high-level negotiations with a potential investor. This guy is hugely important to me and to my firm. Needless to say, I’ve got some competition. Evidently, the man has a thing for old books.”
“Oh, crap,” Abby said very softly.
She looked at Sam. He knew what she was thinking, because he was thinking the same thing. There are no coincidences.
Oblivious, Dawson pressed on, very intent now. “It has been made clear to me that I can improve the odds of bringing this very heavy hitter on board if I can produce a certain book that is rumored to be coming up for sale in the paranormal books market. That’s your market, Abby.”
Icy fingers brushed the back of Sam’s neck. He was suddenly jacked, all senses on alert. He knew that Abby was running a little hot as well.
“What old book would that be?” she asked, without any inflection.
“Not what I’d call a real antiquarian book,” Dawson said. “It’s only about forty years old. Hang on, I’ll get the details.” He got off the stool and hoisted the briefcase onto the counter. Opening the case, he took out a sheet of paper. “Let’s see. It’s a laboratory-style notebook containing the handwritten record of experiments that were conducted on various specimens of ore and crystals taken out of a mine in the Southwest. Exact location of the mine is unknown. Whoever kept the notebook evidently believed that the crystals possessed paranormal powers.” Dawson grimaced. “In other words, he was some kind of nut job.”
Abby raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Why me?”
Dawson put the paper back into the briefcase. “Because you’re the only expert on rare books dealing with the occult that I know.”
Anger flashed across Abby’s face. “I do not deal in the occult. I’ve explained that.”
“Paranormal, the woo-woo thing, whatever,” Dawson said quickly. “You’re not just the only paranormal–rare-books expert I know, you’re the only rare-books dealer I know. Naturally, I came to you.”
“Sounds like the man you’re negotiating with is aware that you have a connection in the paranormal-books market,” Sam said.
“Sure,” Dawson said. “Probably why I was invited to the negotiating table. In my world, you use whatever edge you’ve got.”
“So you decided to use me?” Abby asked.
Dawson had the grace to redden. “Sorry. That didn’t come out right. I’m not trying to take advantage of you, Abby. I’ll pay you for your time. In fact, I’ll give you a very hefty bonus if you can turn up that lab book before my competitors get hold of it.”
“Any idea how many other people are looking for the book?” Sam asked.
“No,” Dawson said. “But I have to assume that at least a couple of the other players who want the account have hired their own experts. What do you say, Abby? There’s a lot of money at stake, and a big chunk of it can be yours if you find that book for me. I’m on a deadline, by the way. I need to get it as soon as possible.”
Abby shook her head. “I’m sorry. I realize the account is important to you, but you don’t know much about my world. Some books are dangerous. Some collectors are ruthless. Your investor may be one of the bad guys.”
“The bad guys in my world are focused on the money. They operate Ponzi schemes. They don’t set up elaborate scenarios just to acquire old lab books.”
“The fact that your investor knows enough about you to figure out that you’re connected to me is not a good sign,” she said. “That means he knows he can’t approach me directly, because he can’t get a referral.”
“He needs a referral to get you to broker a deal for an old book?” Dawson asked, incredulous.
“Yes,” Abby said. “That’s how I work.”
“That’s crazy.”
Abby said nothing. She just looked at him. But there was suddenly energy in the atmosphere. Sam heard a low growl and looked over the counter. Newton was on his feet now, very still, very focused. His whole attention was fixed on Dawson.
Dawson flushed. “I didn’t mean anything personal. Just an expression. Come on, Abby, it’s just an old lab notebook. I know it’s valuable to this particular collector, but we’re not talking illicit drugs or the arms trade here. People don’t kill each other over forty-year-old notebooks.”
“Actually, they do from time to time,” Abby said. “Which is why I try to stay out of that end of the market.”
Dawson’s face was a study in outraged disbelief. “You expect me to believe that this book is that valuable?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I do know that it is associated with the paranormal, and collectors in that market are often eccentric and unpredictable.”
“Abby, this is supposed to be your specialty. You find weird books for weird people who believe in the paranormal, right?”
She smiled faintly. “Something like that. It’s nice to know you have so much respect for my professional expertise.”
Dawson grimaced. “Come on, I know you’re holding a grudge because of the past. And let’s face it, you did have some serious issues when you were in your teens. Remember the time you came home with that old book you picked up at a yard sale? That night you set fire to it in the bathtub.”
Abby’s shoulders were rigid. “That was sort of an accident. But no one believed me.”
“Because you scared the hell out of everyone and set off the alarm,” Dawson shot back. “We ended up with a house full of firefighters and a lot of water on the floor. Mom was furious. You embarrassed her in front of the neighbors. That was when Grandmother said you should be put into an institution.”
“I’m well aware of your grandmother’s opinion of me,” Abby said.
“It’s not like that was the only scary incident. You exhibited some very bizarre behavior when you were in your teens. Mom had every reason to worry about the twins.”
“No, she didn’t. I would never have hurt anyone.”
“What about the time you disappeared for nearly two whole days? Mom and your father were frantic. The police wouldn’t look for you, because they said you were probably just a runaway. Then we got that call from the cops saying you’d been found at the scene of a fire that had started in a bookstore. The dealer was injured and had to be taken to the hospital. The only reason you didn’t end up in juvenile detention was because your father got you a good lawyer who got the charges dropped.”
“Got news for you, Dawson,” Abby said. “The Summerlight Academy was only about half a step up from jail. The doors and windows were locked. There were forced therapy sessions. There were counselors who wanted to test me and my friends, over and over again.”
“What was the family supposed to do? They couldn’t risk keeping you at home. The shrinks told us that you really believed you had paranormal powers.”
Abby’s smile was edgy and cold. “I do believe that. Which is why I’m in a position to warn you that the lab notebook is dangerous.”
“It’s just a damn book.” Dawson’s voice hardened. “I need to find it. I’m not fooling around here.”
“I realize that the account is worth a lot to your firm, but there are other gazillionaires out there,” Abby said. Her voice softened. “Let this one go. Find another.”
“Damn it, this is business. I’m not asking for a favor. I told you, I’ll make it worth your while.”