Lisa hesitated.
“I’m okay either way,” I said. “Whatever you feel more comfortable with.”
“Thank you,” Lisa said. “I think I’d like to talk to Deputy Berry on my own.”
“Of course.” Frankly I was a bit surprised by her choice, but I really didn’t need to hear her story again. “Why don’t you go into the living room? You’ll have privacy there.”
“Thank you,” Kanesha said. “Ms. Krause, if you’ll come with me.”
Lisa followed Kanesha out of the kitchen. Diesel started after Lisa, but I called him back. Kanesha had grown accustomed to his presence, but I didn’t think she would want him along this time.
Diesel meowed at me, as if in protest.
“I know you’d like to keep an eye on Lisa,” I told him, “but she’ll be fine without you.” At least, I hoped she would. Kanesha didn’t always cope well with weepy females.
Azalea walked in from the utility room. “That Kanesha at the door?”
“Yes, she and Lisa are in the living room, talking,” I said.
“Good. That child needs to hand her burden to somebody stronger.” She shook her head. “She just asking for trouble, being with a man got that kind of temper. I’ll be praying he don’t hurt her.”
“Me, too,” I said. “I think maybe I’ll suggest to Lisa that she might want to stay with a friend until the investigation is done.”
“That’s a good idea,” Azalea said. “That child don’t need to be on her own, just sitting there brooding on her troubles.”
The ringing of the house phone broke into our conversation. I got up from the kitchen table to answer it.
“Good afternoon, Charlie Harris speaking.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Harris. Would you hold for a moment? I have President Wyatt on the phone for you.”
“Certainly.” Why was the college president calling me?
“Charlie, how are you?” Wyatt’s bass rumbled through the line.
“I’m fine, Forrest, how are you?”
“Tolerable, Charlie, tolerable.”
He always said that, I realized.
“What can I do for you?” I asked.
“I’m glad you asked,” he said. “As I am sure you are aware, there have been some problems in the library since Vanderkeller left so abruptly. I thought we had found someone able enough to steer the ship until we found a permanent replacement, but that obviously did not work out. And now we find ourselves dealing with a murder investigation.”
I began to feel uneasy. I had an idea now why Forrest wanted to talk to me.
“Yes, the library is not a happy place right now,” I replied.
“No, it is not, and I deeply regret my error in judgment.” Forrest did not mince words. One of the things I admired about him was his willingness to own up to mistakes. He didn’t shift the blame for bad decisions onto others. Fortunately for the college, he had made few errors over the seventeen years of his tenure.
“To put it bluntly, Charlie,” he said, “I need a new interim director for the library. The search for a permanent head is ongoing, and we have some excellent early candidates. But it will be at least another four months before we can bring someone on board. If this latest development doesn’t put off potential candidates, that is.” He paused. “However, we will forge ahead. I have just come from a meeting of our board of trustees. Your name cropped up in our discussions about finding a new interim, and I know you have been a library director before.”
“Not exactly a director.” I hastened to make this clear, although I didn’t think it would make the slightest bit of difference to Forrest. “I was a branch manager in the public library system for nearly fifteen years, but I wasn’t head of the whole system.”
“The point is, you have the administrative and managerial experience we need,” Forrest went on as if I hadn’t spoken. “I am calling on you, Charlie, to act as interim director for us. I hope I can count on you and your love for your alma mater to help us out when we need a man with your abilities.”
Neatly played, I thought. If I declined now, I would feel like a jerk. I sighed. “Very well, Forrest. I will accept the job.”
“Good man.”
“There is one condition, however,” I said.
“I think I know what it is.” Forrest chuckled. “You want to bring that giant cat of yours to work with you. Well, that’s fine with me. As I remember, he’s a well-behaved boy, and I know the staff all love him.”
“Yes, that’s it.” If Forrest had been opposed to my having Diesel with me, I might have found the courage to decline the temporary position. Our canny president, however, was obviously determined to leave me no room for wiggling out of the spot I was in.
“Excellent, excellent. If possible, could you be in the office first thing tomorrow morning? There are a number of issues to address.”
“Yes, that’s fine,” I said. I’d better lay in a large stock of headache pills first, though.
“Excellent,” Forrest repeated. “I appreciate this tremendously, Charlie. I will be talking with you again soon. I would like you to take an active part in the search for a permanent director.”
“I’ll be happy to do that,” I said.
Forrest ended the conversation, and I put the phone down, still in a daze.
NINETEEN
“What’s wrong, Mr. Charlie? You look like a man that’s looking trouble right straight in the face.” Azalea regarded me with concern.
Diesel meowed and put a paw on my thigh. I patted his head and replied to Azalea, “I’m okay. That was the president of the college. He wants me to take over as director of the library until they find a person for the position.”
“Don’t see anything so terrible about that,” Azalea said. “They must think a mighty lot of you to want you to do that.” She sniffed. “Somebody there’s got some sense.”
“Thank you, Azalea, I appreciate that.” I shook my head. “I hadn’t expected this. There will be quite a few headaches with the job, even though it will be temporary.”
“How temporary, you don’t mind my asking?”
“No more than three or four months, I’m hoping. If it’s any longer than that, I may be bald by the time I’m done.” I smiled, yet I was serious. There were significant challenges ahead, and I hoped I was up to the task of leading my fellow librarians through it. Having Melba would be a huge help because she had been administrative assistant to the library director for many years. If there was anything she didn’t know about the day-to-day activities of the director’s job, it wouldn’t be something I’d have to worry over.
Provided, of course, that Melba isn’t in jail.
That unpleasant thought brought me up short. I had forgotten for the moment that Melba was in a difficult position right now. Well, Sean will just have to get her out of it.
Diesel tapped my thigh with his large paw again and meowed. “How would you like to go to the library five days a week? Think you would like that?”
The cat stared at me for a moment, as if he were considering the question. Then he warbled loudly, and I took that as an affirmative.
“What about the public library?” Azalea asked. “You going to have to give that up for a while, I reckon.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I’d better call Teresa Farmer right now and let her know I won’t be able to volunteer for several months.” I felt a sharp pang. I enjoyed my Friday volunteer shifts at the Athena Public Library, and Diesel loved going there and spending time with his friends among the staff and the patrons. There would be a lot of disappointed faces when Diesel didn’t turn up on Fridays. I doubted they would miss me nearly as much. I had to smile at that thought.
Before I could call Teresa, however, Kanesha walked into the kitchen. “I’m going to have to postpone our talk until later today,” she said after greeting her mother. “I need to act on the information Ms. Krause has given me, and that has to take priority.”