Don't Go Home by Carolyn Hart

provided her with five paintings based on significant scenes in five mysteries. Bookstore visitors were invited to identify the scenes by title and author. The first reader to come up with five correct answers received a free month’s worth of coffee and one free book (not a collectible). This month, at Annie’s direction, the artist included in the bottom right-hand corner the year of publication. Fair was fair. Some of the books were from long ago.
    In the first painting, a tall blond man in a blue beret fired a huge pearl-handled automatic at a coral snake as the snake leapt from a wicker basket onto the tiled floor of a restaurant. A dark-haired woman stared down in horror. A tall, angular woman clutched the arm of an unshaven middle-aged man in a crumpled gray suit and vest. (1937)
    In the second painting, a blue-eyed, brown-haired young woman in a patterned brown-and-white silk dress stood in the compartment of a moving train, a vast treeless plain visible through the window. Shestared down in horror at the body of a dark-haired young man resting on a train seat. The body was partially covered by a white sheet. (1944)
    In the third painting, a disheveled middle-aged woman in a purple dress sat on the edge of a bed in a dim room. Tortoiseshell combs were askew in her upswept hair. Lying beside her was an old handmade quilt with a log cabin pattern. Her feet rested on a rag rug. A man sat in a chair across the room. He wore a Halloween mask, which hid his face. (2010)
    In the fourth painting, a tall, attractive man with an intelligent, civilized expression stood before a mirror, appraising the effect of his costume, a wool suit in the style of the 1930s with a heavy linen shirt and a silk waistcoat, finished off by a thick cravat. A tidy black mustache that appeared artificial adorned his upper lip. A huge Maine coon cat watched. The cat appeared puzzled. (2013)
    In the fifth painting, a neglected sunken garden featured Greek statues set into alcoves. Tiny shells and fragments of colored glass paved the paths. A grand country house with crumbling cornices and a roof in disrepair was visible in the distance. An appealing young woman with thick, waist-length chestnut hair, dressed in a white shirt and jeans, looked down at a little boy wearing a World War I Biggles flying helmet and goggles. He held a toy Merrythought mouse. (2014)
    Annie relaxed against the chair, sipped coffee, and enjoyed silence. Death on Demand would open soon, customers would flock in, and it would be another busy summer day. Unpacking books, placing orders, sharing tips with customers—
Don’t miss the new Mark Pryor
 . . .
Carola Dunn’s historical mysteries are a delight
 . . .
Kerry Greenwood has a new series set in Egypt
—would make the day happy and soon the darkness from Seaside Inn would begin to recede.
    A firm knock sounded at the front door.

5
    H yla Harrison’s eyes adjusted to the dimness. The hotel meeting room on the second floor was set up for a film to be shown. Rows of chairs separated by a middle aisle stretched behind her. She was the only viewer. She half turned to watch as the manager adjusted the projector. Bud Crane was new to the island. In the future, Hyla would know him at a glance. Around six foot four with the aura of an old athlete gone a bit soft. Perhaps thirty-five or thirty-six. Reddish hair cut short, light brown eyes alert for trouble, a crooked nose, likely once broken, a smile that didn’t reach his gaze. Not a man to trifle with. Probably been around some tough blocks in his time. Right now he was eager to cooperate.
    He talked fast as an image flickered on the screen. “We run the cameras on a twenty-four-hour cycle. I’m fast-forwarding. Here we are. Tuesday morning.” Abruptly the film slowed. Images slipped across the screen with time noted below in numerals: 10:02, 10:03, 10:04 . . .
    Hyla leaned forward, held up her hand at 10:07.
    The