Off The Books Novels & Stories

Daniel nudged Gina aside and pulled a few brochures from his bag like he was presenting a prize. "Here, corporate girl. I had a friend track down some wedding planning catalogs. “Take a look when you have a second." He handed them to me. I stared at the glossy photos of wedding dresses on the cover, hesitating for just a second. But Gina had already lunged forward and snatched one open. "Wow, look at this venue! Daniel, look!" Daniel leaned in. Their heads came together as they flipped through the pages, their fingers pointing back and forth.

Verity walked round the table, pulled a chair beside me and sat down, looking at me with great interest. “Inside books?” she whispered, as if we were discussing top secret information. “Before my brain short-circuits. Explain it to me.” “Ok. Listen. Wordswood had libraries everywhere, right?” I closed my book and concentrated on explaining all that Ruin showed me. “Yes.” “And what are libraries or universities running on?” “Books!”

At least for now. But beneath that controlled expression, my mind was already drifting toward what had been bothering me since last night: the odd remark my cousin had accidentally slipped during dinner, something about “balancing the offshore books.” He’d immediately changed the subject when I lifted my head, as if the words had escaped him too quickly. It wasn’t enough to accuse anyone of anything, but it was enough to make me wonder.

They brought the box to the living room. He sat on the floor. Of course. She sat beside him without comment. They put the box between them. He looked at it for a moment. At his mother’s name on the label. Sandra Reid. He opened it. Not much. Osei had been right about that. A bundle of photographs held together with a rubber band that had lost most of its elasticity. A small notebook. A ring, plain silver band, slightly worn, nothing valuable. A paperback book with a cracked spine and a page turned down about a third of the way through.