Vanilla Beaned (24 page)

“About seventy-three dollars per year, which would be fourteen hundred sixty dollars,” Mary said.

They all looked at her.

“What?” she asked. “I'm good with numbers.”

“Impressive,” Nancy said.

“Ignominious,” Violet joked.

“Good thing you're having an amnesty,” Charlene said. “Can you imagine paying that fine?”

“We'd never charge more than the cost of the book, but you're right that it's steep, although not as bad as Keith Richards's library fines I'll bet,” Lindsey said.

“Keith Richards the rock star?” Violet asked.

“That's the one,” Lindsey said. “Apparently, he was quite the library lover in his youth. In his autobiography, he said the library was the only place he would willingly obey the laws, like silence. And he admitted he was a bookworm who checked out books but never returned them. He has something like fifty years in fines racked up in Dartford, Kent.”

“Ha! Can you imagine Ms. Cole taking on Keith Richards?” Nancy asked. “I'd pay to see that.”

“Me, too,” Violet snorted.

“Who do you suppose had this book checked out for twenty years?” Charlene asked. “And why return it now?”

“I'll bet the lemon knows,” Beth said. “She never forgets an overdue book.”

“She can't have kept the records that far back, can she?” Lindsey asked.

Beth pointed her scepter at her. “Only one way to find out.”

Lindsey shrugged. Holding the book close, she went to find Ms. Cole.

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