She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper. “I found this behind the display table before the event started. I didn’t think it meant anything, but now… well, I thought I should show you.” She handed the paper to Elliot, her hand trembling slightly.

Elliot unfolded the note, revealing the words, “He’s here.” The letters were scrawled hurriedly, as if written by someone in a hurry—or a state of panic.

A murmur rippled through the crowd as Elliot held up the note for others to see. Lucas frowned, crossing his arms. “And just who is ‘he’ supposed to be?” he muttered, casting a wary glance around the room. “This whole thing is starting to feel like one of your novels, Elliot.”

Jasper leaned forward to get a closer look at the note, his expression unreadable. “It seems like someone went out of their way to leave a message,” he said quietly.

Maeve narrowed her eyes. “So we’re supposed to believe someone snuck around dropping cryptic notes without anyone noticing?” She shook her head, her skepticism clear.

A prickle of discomfort crept over Elliot as he stared at the message. Something about it struck him as disturbingly personal. He looked back at the crowd, his mind racing with questions.

Before he could process further, Ruby let out a sudden gasp. Her eyes were wide with alarm. “The back door!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling. “I forgot to lock it after I brought in the last tray of pastries. What if… what if someone came in through there?”

Elliot’s pulse quickened as he exchanged tense glances with Jasper and Maeve. Lucas, who had been inching toward the back of the room, froze, his expression flashing with something unreadable.

Just then, another burst of thunder roared outside, and the back door swung open with a violent crash, slamming against the wall. The crowd let out a collective gasp as a gust of wind swept into the room, rattling the cafe. A few of the women in the book club screamed, clutching each other in shock.

Elliot’s heart raced as he stared at the open doorway, the storm raging just beyond it.

With one last cryptic note and the back door swinging open, the final clues reveal a twisted motive. Watch for part 4 of The Mystery of the Missing Bestseller to hit your inbox tomorrow!