Angelina Bonaparte Mysteries Box Set Nanci Rathbun (i love reading books txt) đ
- Author: Nanci Rathbun
Book online «Angelina Bonaparte Mysteries Box Set Nanci Rathbun (i love reading books txt) đ». Author Nanci Rathbun
At six-thirty, sharp, I tapped on the door of AAAA Auctioneers, Starbucks carrier in one hand and my briefcase and purse in the other. Iâd deliberately dressed down this morning, hoping to appeal to the no-nonsense tone that Larry projected on yesterdayâs call. My black jeans, white tee and running shoes were aimed at making Larry think of me as a real working person, not a glamour girl. The roller shade on the door flapped up and I heard the door lock click open.
âYou better be Angelina, âcause I want my coffee,â he growled, motioning me in.
âThatâs me. Call me Angie,â I answered as I looked him over. He was tall, really tallâat least six-foot-sixâand skinny, really skinnyâabout one-eighty. I was about eye-height to his belt buckle and didnât want to appear to stare at his crotch, so I craned my neck back to look him in the eyes. âIs there someplace we can sit and talk, Larry?â
He grabbed the coffee carrier and walked to the back of the shop, calling, âThis way. Watch where you walk.â
The place was a mess. I had to scoot sideways through narrow aisles of boxes, display cases and tables loaded with goods. It reminded me of rainy summer days as a child spent exploring Papaâs attic, dusty and mysterious, with treasures just waiting to be discovered. It also made me feel itchy and dirty. I would have to shower again before attending Elisaâs funeral.
Larry set the coffees on a small card table in the back room of the shop and motioned me to a folding chair. At least when we were both seated, I didnât feel like a midget. I uncapped my coffee and took a sip as I looked him over. He wore khaki pants and a short-sleeved plaid sport shirt, with a paisley tie open at the neck. Did the man dress in the dark, or simply put on whatever was next in the closet?
I raised my eyes to his face to avoid the plaid-paisley combo and was pleasantly surprised. Dark brown hair, a little sparse, but he made no attempt at comb-over camouflage; green eyes, with crinkles radiating from the corners in an upward pattern, indicating good humor; unremarkable mouth, enclosed within those parentheses that some call dimples but which donât really dent the cheeks so much as crease them. About forty-five. Not bad, I thought, except for the clothes.
âFinished?â he asked me.
I laughed, trying not to spray coffee. âSorry, itâs an occupational hazard.â
âI donât have a lot of time. The shopâs a mess since my assistantâwho was also my wifeâwalked out on me three months ago. Iâm trying to see clients, price and arrange stock and keep the shop open single-handed. So if weâre gonna do this, we better get to it.â
I laid the printout from the web on the table between us, and told Larry about Marcy and Hank Wagner. Larryâs recent break-up made me wonder if his sympathies would lie with Hank. I neednât have worried.
âSo the rat cleaned out their accounts and left, and sheâs trying to raise the kids alone?â he asked.
âThatâs about the size of it. If I could just get a handle on where heâs at, thereâs a chance that I can recover some of their assets. Iâm hoping I can flush him out of hiding with the Mego game. But I need to know how to auction it so that he has to reveal himself. A PayPal account or a cashierâs check wonât do it. I need an address, a phone number, something that will lead me to him. Any ideas?â
âWell, an auctioneer wants to know if the bidder will keep the item for himself or wants it for resale. That determines the value. Someone who wants the item for himself sets a private value on it. Someone who wants to eventually sell it sets a common value on it. Sounds like you think this Hank will want to collect it and wonât be as concerned about the common value.â
âThatâs right.â
âSo you want to advertise this item, which you donât really possess, collect bids and investigate the bidders, just to see if one of them is Hank?â I nodded. âSure hope youâre never after me, Angie.â He slurped his coffee and thought for a moment as he swallowed, his Adamâs apple prominent in his thin neck. âThe thing is, no reputable auctioneer is going to advertise something that doesnât exist. It would be unethical. But I guess you could place ads yourself. I donât deal in this stuff, but there must be magazines that cater to the Trekkies. And they have conventions.â
He continued to ponder the options. âOr you can put it on sale through eBay. Iâd use a Trading Assistant, a local company that offers to do all the work for you. They can collect all the info on the bids for you to investigate. Maybe even trace the bidders through their internet logins or servers. Or go down the list of bidders one by one, pretending that each one was the winner. Guess youâll have to come up with a reason why you canât deliver the goods, though. Seems like a lot of work for what might not turn out to be any gain.â His green eyes stared at me, waiting.
âIt does. I need to rethink my strategy, Larry. But I appreciate your help and your time.â As I turned to leave, a thought struck me. âYouâre looking for help in the shop?â He nodded. âDoes it have to be someone with auction experience?â
âRight now, Iâd hire Attila the Hun if he could ring up sales and straighten up this mess.â
âI might have a candidate. Marcy Wagner. I know sheâs got office experience and sheâs worked
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