Read Black Beans & Vice for Free Online Page B

assistant," he spoke to the empty
room. He paused, sharpened his pencil, and resumed. "Must be available weeknights from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. High school diploma required. Customer service and computer
experience a plus." Placing the eraser nub against his lips, James hesitated again. "How can I say that the suitable candidate should love
books, be able to tolerate even the most aggravating patrons with courtesy, and be prepared to soothe anxious toddlers and tangle with
surly teenagers? How can I say that each book must be treated like a
crown jewel and though the salary isn't very high, it is worth every
meager cent to be able to serve the public as we librarians have served
them for hundreds of years? The ad would cost a small fortune if I
could ask for what I truly wanted!" James tossed the pencil down and
sighed.

    He then picked up the phone and dialed the main number of
the Shenandoah Star Ledger. "I'd like to place a classified ad," he
told the woman on the other end of the line. When she gave him
the go-ahead, he dictated the words and then added a line saying
that any interested candidates should phone him for an interview.
    "So have you heard the big news, Professor Henry?" the young
woman asked breathlessly after their business was concluded.
    "Apparently not," James replied pleasantly.
    "Your famous ex-girlfriend is back!"
    Frown lines furrowed across his brow. "What do you mean?
Has she released another book so soon?" He struggled to recall if
the library had received a postcard similar to the one he'd been
mailed at his father's address announcing the debut of Murphy
Alistair's thrilling mystery, The Body in the Bakery.
    "Not yet. I think the sequel comes out a week before Christmas. But she'll be able to tell you all about her future bestseller in
person.
    James knew he was being baited, but he couldn't stop himself
from asking, "And why would that be the case? I thought she spent
most of her time in New York or on tour?"
    "Not anymore! She's come back to Quincy's Gap!" The girl
shouted in triumph. "In fact, she bought The Star! She's moved into one of those big old houses off Main Street and is working
on her third book. A celebrity! And now she owns the paper where
she used to work! Can you believe it?"

    The news hit James like a punch in the gut. It was bad enough
that his former flame had written a novel portraying him and the
rest of the supper club group as fat and goofy amateur sleuths,
bumbling their way through a small-town murder investigation.
Whether out of spite for having been dumped by James or merely
for the sake of comic exaggeration, his character was especially inept and spineless. Though he'd refused to read the book himself,
he'd heard more than enough about it from friends and library
patrons to be angry and embarrassed by his fictionalized persona.
    "Professor?" The young woman's voice penetrated his unpleasant reverie. "Are you there?"
    "Please place the ad as soon as possible," James answered as
though he hadn't heard the unpleasant announcement that his exgirlfriend, local reporter-turned-celebrity novelist, had returned
to stir up more strife. "Thank you and have a nice day."
    James hung up the phone and walked over to his window. He
let his eyes rest on the brilliant green hue of the spring grass bordering the tidy sidewalk and then lifted his gaze toward the parking lot, as though Murphy Alistair was sitting out there in her car,
plotting the next chapter in which she would make certain to depict him as a corpulent fool once again.
    "Why did she come back?" he asked the pink dogwood blossoms at the edge of his vision. "Half the town hates her because
of how she described them in her book." On the other hand, he
had to admit that many citizens were pleased with Murphy, citing
her novel as the reason so many tourists had flocked to Quincy's Gap over the course of the year. In fact, the number of visitors had
nearly