Grand Prize: Murder!. Vivian Conroy

cringed. “Then I’d rather do the hen party order. Each to his own, right? What on earth are you doing anyway?”

      “I’m using Bella’s cover with the London skyline because it’s so familiar. Then all I need is some catchy text. For the posters, to advertise the scavenger hunt.”

      Vicky and Ms. Tennings came to stand by Marge’s side as she put pictures in place and added text.

      SEE BRITAIN AND DIE author Bella Brookes

      signs at the Glen Cove Community Center.

      Be there for a chance to win a trip for two

      to that capital of crime

      LONDON!

      “How’s that?” she asked, staring at the screen in concentration.

      Vicky whistled. “Where did you learn to make things like that?”

      “The library needed promotional material last year, and I offered to make it. You can hire someone for it, but you know how we are budget-wise. So I taught myself all I know. I’m not too hot on courses either where the computer whiz makes you feel like you can’t keep up. Now I can make as many mistakes as I like and repair them without anyone looking over my shoulder.”

      Marge grinned at Ms. Tennings, then turned to Vicky again. “Anything you don’t like about this design? I can still change the font size for instance.”

      “Yes, maybe we should put the date and time in a different font. Or maybe even in a different place on the poster? To draw attention? If people walk past it, they don’t have much time to grab the essentials.”

      “Right. Where would you like it? How big?”

      Vicky leaned over and pointed out a few more things that Marge changed with a mouse click or two.

      After all changes were done and the end product fully approved, Marge printed off one full-color version on the store’s printer and handed it to her with a bow. “Your master copy, ma’am. Multiply it at the Joneses and we can spread it around town.”

      Claire sat up already, eager to do her part. “I’ll take some posters along for Marjorie’s B&B and the fishmonger. I’m picking up dinner there anyway.” She brushed the head of Mr. Pug, who looked alert and ready to jump into action as well. “We don’t have much time to get people talking about this.”

      At Jones General across the road, Vicky was met by Mrs. Jones’ cousin, Bob, a nice-looking guy in his mid-thirties who was a favorite with the senior citizens to whom he delivered groceries. Bob was always eager to help change a lightbulb or look at a leaking faucet. He drove little old ladies out to their bridge nights or to the bank. He taught them how to use email so they could contact their grandchildren with ease or how to make a digital photo album of their family snapshots. There wasn’t a whole lot that Bob couldn’t do.

      Now, with a wide smile, he asked Vicky if he could show her how the copying machine worked.

      Acknowledging the possibility that she’d accidentally run off faulty copies she couldn’t use but would have to pay for, Vicky gave him the master copy.

      “Hey.” Bob’s tanned index finger circled the name Bella Brookes. “I thought she was hiding away from the public. Bit of an eccentric recluse.”

      Vicky was surprised. Bella might be eccentric, but a recluse? “Where did you get that idea?”

      He shrugged. “Must be mistaking her for somebody else. A trip to London, huh?” He whistled. “That’s some prize. I bet Aunt Em would love to see Buckingham Palace, take tea in some fancy tea parlor there. What kind of contest is it? Geocaching? I’ve always wanted to do that. Wouldn’t she be surprised if I took her to London for her birthday in October.”

      Vicky smiled at his enthusiasm. “It could be geocaching for all I know. Bella Brookes hasn’t revealed all the details yet, but she will do so at the book signing on Saturday afternoon. We did announce the signing in advance of course under regional activities, but the chance to win tickets to London is a later addition, so some extra posters seemed like a good idea.”

      “For sure.” Bob put the master copy in place and pushed buttons on the control panel. “This is for the paper size. Letter. Here we have black and white or full-color. Full-color it is. That should do it. Just one at first to see how it looks, hey.”

      The machine began to hum. Bob smiled at her. “You think I could participate in this hunt?”

      “Everybody can who is not involved with my store. Because we’re organizing it, we’re legally excluded from participation.”

      “Ah. That’s too bad. But then again you lived there for years so you know it all, I bet.”

      “Right.” Back in the UK, when traveling around and seeing lots of people, it had always been Vicky’s favorite game to guess what people did for a living. There was always something that gave them away. Bob here for example looked like an athlete with a broad chest and muscled arms, but he also liked to explain things. He was patient and enthusiastic. Coupled with a long summer vacation, it was a no-brainer.

      He had to be a teacher. Phys ed.

      Bob said, “Why don’t I give you a hand getting these spread around?”

      Without waiting for a response, he walked away and stuck his head round the door leading into the back area. “Aunt Em, I’m off. Will be back in an hour.”

      A voice said something in reply that Vicky couldn’t make out. Bob waved a hand. “Later, OK?”

      He turned to her. “I’ll do the stores in town and then take my car to the north, put them up at restaurants, gas stations, hotels and campsites. You take the south, OK?”

      Vicky smiled again. He was thinking up places to put the posters that she hadn’t even considered herself. And with his natural charm he’d talk anybody into allowing a poster to be put up on the announcement board or the front window. “Great. Thanks for your help.”

      “No problem.” He held her gaze a moment longer, his eyes lighting with a special warmth.

      Vicky knew that a lot of little old ladies were a little enamored with Bob, who was always so nice. She supposed it was just his way of handling people and it didn’t mean anything. He probably had no idea how many hearts he had already broken with that winning smile.

      Armed with her stack of posters, Vicky returned to the Country Gift Shop to find a familiar customer browsing the rack that held silk scarves from an artist on Jersey. Coco had come over and was sniffing around the customer’s exclusive stiletto heels.

      Even in a simple summer dress Lilian Rowland exuded class and money. She had styled her platinum blonde bob with a light wave to look like a twenties’ hairdo. The only things missing were a string of pearls and a headband with a feather. Obviously Lilian was already in the roaring twenties mood for her upcoming party on Friday night.

      Lilian smiled and returned the scarf with the magnolias she had been examining to the rack. “Congratulations on your new sign. It looks very stylish. Sorry that I couldn’t be here when it was offered. I intended to, but my appointment with the architect about some changes to our home ran a little late.”

      Vicky glanced at Marge, who was fighting laughter, it seemed. Lilian already had a house to drool over, but she kept hiring people to change things about it, to the frustration of her husband, Deke, who thought it all a waste of money.

      Lilian said, “But I did want to drop by and give you this.” She opened her purse and pulled something out. Coco stared up at her in concentration, expecting a treat.

      Lilian handed Vicky a baby blue envelope with golden decoration along the edges, then turned to Marge to hand her an identical one. She then held a third in the air. “I’d like to invite you both to my roaring twenties’ party if you can bring Bella Brookes along. I know it’s short notice, but Bella will love my theme. The twenties were also