If Not for the Mystery Book

001

Sasha walked into the book store, a rush of warm air puffing into her face. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold outdoors, the autumn weather cooler than anticipated. She breathed in the shop's smell, practically feeling the book in her hands already. Walking forward, she headed toward the mystery section. She was looking for a specific book, though she knew there was little hope in actually finding it. It was far from a well known book she had read ages ago, but she had found interest in discovering it again. Arriving to the aisle, she began her search.

She picked up book after book, reading descriptions and titles that would immediately pass through her mind. Countless people passed her, giving strange looks as she would sigh and replace yet another book onto the shelving. She had gotten about halfway through the titles when she heard someone clear their throat. It took her a moment to realize that that someone was trying to address her. Looking over to the origin of the voice, she spotted a man standing with his hands behind his back.

Sasha did her best to smile, even though she had no idea why this person had tried to get her attention. If it weren't for the fact that they were the only ones in the area, she would have assumed he was attempting to speak with someone else.

"Hello," she said in her warmest voice, after a slight hesitation.

Clearing his throat again, the man finally said something. "D-did you perhaps need help finding something, ma'am?" he asked, revealing an English accent. Sasha hadn't realized the shop's tag pinned to his shirt until that moment, though she was actually quite glad he had come.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, she said, "That would actually be wonderful." She chewed on her lip for a second before hesitantly continuing. "I actually don't remember what the book is called," she admitted with a little shame. Her eyes flickered to the ground for a moment, but looked back up when he started to speak again. A faint smile had appeared on his face.

"Well it looks w-we've got ourselves a dilemma," he said, leaning on his toes for a second. "If you remember what it's about, I think I-I might be able to help you."

Sasha's eyes brightened, face lighting up in excitement. "Really?" she asked optimistically. It was clear her excitement had increased, but she didn't care if this man was judging her. She had a book to find.

A small chuckle escaped his lips, head bowing for a second. Pulling his arms from behind his back, he gestured in front of him. "If y-you'll follow me, I can look it up for you." Glancing at her, he started in the direction.

The man silently guided Sasha across the store to a back room that held a desk and a computer. He took his place behind the desk, and she on the opposite side. She watched him for a little bit as he clicked around on the computer. After a few minutes of silence, he looked back up at her. Sasha placed another vivid smile on her face, feeling slightly awkward. She got the feeling he wasn't a huge conversationalist.

Swallowing, he continued. "So w-what did you say the book was about?" he asked, eyes glued to his hands.

Lighting up again, Sasha happily explained. "So it's a mystery book," she began, already getting excited. "It's about a woman whose husband is tried for a murder, but even though all the clues point to him, everyone is convinced he's innocent." She paused for a moment, listening to the clicking as he typed. "But for some reason, the wife is the only person who believes it right that he was accused. They end up finding that is was actually the lady who killed the person, and she had planted all the evidence, and bribed the investigators so they would keep hush about all the evidence that they had found pointed at her."

Finishing up his typing, he looked back up at her. "Anything else you remember? C-character names? An author?"

"Oh, sure! The two main characters were Elizabeth and Alex. I'm afraid that's all I remember, though..." she said, biting her lip again. Nodding, he finished his typing.

After a couple more minutes of awkward silence, he returned his gaze to her. "I-I'm afraid nothing showed up," he said apologetically. Before she could even show her disappointment, he bounced in with another option. "B-but if I could get a way to contact you," he looked nervous all the sudden, eyes returning to his hands, "I could do some more research. I-I could ask around, see if anyone has heard of it. P-perhaps I could find it." His voice had gotten quiet toward the end, further showing his nervousness.

Sasha couldn't help but get a little excited again. Would he really do such a thing for her? He didn't even know her. Slowly nodding her head, trying not to feel guilty, she replied. "That would be great," she said, voice filled with gratitude. "But if you can't find anything, please don't worry about it. It's an old book anyway."

"Well," he began, eyes flickering back up to her for only a moment, "c-could you just write down how I can get a h-hold of you?" He pulled out a pen and a piece of paper, placing it on the desk.

Sasha wrote down her phone number, along with her name. Setting the pen down with a satisfied smile, she returned her eyes to the guy. "Thank you so much," she said, really meaning it. "Please don't worry about it though if you can't find anything."

Nodding, he took the paper in his hands. "I'll do m-my best," he said, eyeing her handwriting. Backing away from the room, she couldn't help but feel a little glad she had come across him. She probably never would have gotten such help if it weren't for... Stopping, she re-entered the room.

"I'm sorry, but what was your name?" she asked, noticing him jump slightly as she spoke.

"A-Anthony," he stuttered. "It's Anthony."

"Well, thanks Anthony. I guess I'll see you later, then." she turned back around and left for good.

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Thank you so much, beautiful reader, for giving this book a chance! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Have a fabulous day!