Imogen, however, shook her head. “You’re the one who lied, Jo. You’re the one who hid that we were going under. You didn’t tell any of us that our jobs were basically defunct. You couldn’t even give us the notice to find another job? What were you doing, hiding that from us just like any other grown-up? Maybe Eli screwed up. Maybe I saw more than I wanted to understand. But you knew what was happening and you didn’t even give us a chance to help. It took Eli’s late-night vigilantism to expose what was going on here.”

Daniella watched Imogen in awe. She didn’t know that Imogen was capable of that. That kind of intensity. Capable of anything beyond a surly expression and an eye roll. Capable of defending someone other than herself.

It was impressive.

Impressive, if you weren’t Jo, that is.

“I’m sorry, Imogen. We’re going under.” Jo pinched her nose. “Are you happy now? I was trying to save up the money to buy part of a stake in the store so I could have some say in whether or not it sold, or at least make enough money on the sale to open somewhere else. I’d been gathering my resources as quickly as I could, but that’s not happening now. I’ve got to pay back your goddamned money, Eli. Or turn you over to the cops.”

“Jo—” Daniella tried to jump in. She had to tell her own plan. It wasn’t great, and it wasn’t particularly moral. But it would at least get back those nine thousand dollars. It would at least buy them back those two weeks and keep Eli out of jail.

Jo wasn’t having any of it. She held up her hand, silencing Daniella in an instant. “Get into the office, Eli, while I figure out what to do with you. The rest of you get back to work, while you still can.”

And that’s when the landline at the register started to ring.

13

Nevermore

11:54 A.M.

Rinn

For a long beat, nobody moved.

Briiiing.

Briiiiing.

The phone rattled a bit in its cradle.

Briiiiing.

The sound of that ring, echoing throughout the enormous building—it was like the phone knew it was being intentionally ignored.

Only one person ever really called on that line.

Briiiiiiiiiiing.

Eli walked over to the receiver.

“Wait—” said Daniella.

But he didn’t listen. He picked up the phone. “Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium, this is Eli speaking, how may I help you?”

A muffled voice sounded through the receiver, but nobody could make out the words—though they were trying to desperately just judging by the fact that nobody was breathing for the moment. Or, at least, Rinn wasn’t.

“No, sir. I will not put Jo on,” said Eli.

The voice on the other end got louder, but no less easy to discern.