The Murders in the Reed Moore Library by Ryan M. Welch Read Free Book Online

On top of the hill, right above the green
swath of lawn where C. Dupin liked to nap in the sun and watch the
humans walk past, sprawled the Reed Moore library. Named, of
course, after Reed Moore, the founder of the logging company Moore
Wood, who built the long-house library for the town. The library
sported massive logs that gleamed golden in the sunshine and a
green metal roof. Soaking in the sunshine, the library looked like
it enjoyed the warmth as much as a cat. Dupin stretched out a leg
and took a long lazy lick off the long white fur on the back of his
leg. He rubbed his leg across his face, then repeated the process
on the other side.
    There. Ready to go inside, just as soon as
the librarian, Penny Copper caught up and opened the doors.
    As she always did on sunny mornings, Penny
had stopped at the fountain to read and eat an apple while Dupin
lounged nearby. Sometimes she forgot all about opening the library
and Dupin had to rub against her legs to remind her.
    Today she remembered on her own and Dupin ran
on ahead.
    "Slow down!" Penny complained, but
laughed.
    Dupin sat down. It wasn't as if he hurried.
She walked towards him up the concrete sidewalk, a typical enough
human although more slender than most, with short blond fur on her
head. The rest of her was so bare that, like many humans, she wore
clothing. In this case a dark blue skirt, white shirt and a blazer
that matched the skirt. As humans went she looked as neat as a cat,
which was saying a great deal. Dupin closed his eyes. He stayed
that way until his whiskers picked up the breeze of her passing and
the faint scent of apple tickled his nose. Then he opened his eyes
and followed along behind.
    At the library doors Penny pulled out her
brass key ring and stopped. "Would you look at that!"
    Dupin curled around her legs and leaned
against the back of her calves. It was time to get inside where she
kept a can of tuna. Anything else could wait.
    Instead Penny actually walked away from him
towards the book drop that crouched beside the doors like a big
green toad. Books stuck out of the drop's mouth and a few had
fallen to the ground.
    Dupin sat down. The end of his tail
twitched.
    Penny picked up the fallen books and pulled
more out of the mouth of the drop. "If the drop is full, why not
bring them back when we're open?"
    Dupin closed his eyes. He knew the answer,
just as he knew all the answers, but if Penny really wanted to know
she'd have to figure it out herself.
    Except when he closed his eyes Dupin smelled
something almost as interesting as tuna. He opened his mouth
slightly and breathed in. Yes, nearby. It smelled almost like a
freshly killed field mouse but stronger and greasier. Dupin stood
up and followed the scent. It was coming from the book drop where
Penny was still pulling out books.
    Dupin crouched right beside the metal door in
the side. Yes, indeed. Right there, just a small pool of blood had
oozed out from inside the drop. Dupin opened his mouth wider and
breathed in deep. It made his fur stand on end. This wasn't a field
mouse, gopher or bird. It smelled like a person. All sweat and
chemicals with an under-scent of fire and smoke.
    He backed away from the drop and a growl
rumbled through his throat.
    "Dupin? What's wrong, silly cat?"
    Penny bent down to stroke him, tucking the
books she had gathered into one arm, but Dupin flattened his ears
and didn't look away from the blood. Finally she looked at the
metal drop and saw the blood herself. Her hand went to her
mouth.
    "Oh!"
    She stood up and hurried towards the doors,
the keys jangled on the brass key ring and her shoes made sharp
knocking noises against the flagstones.
    Dupin followed right on her heels.
    Penny unlocked the door and, as soon as it
opened a few inches, Dupin darted inside. He immediately felt safer
surrounded by the rich smell of the library. He padded quickly
across the lobby to the polished cedar service desk, crouched, and
sprang right up on top. He turned in a circle