The dusty shop hadn't seen a customer in weeks... and it wasn't about to.

I was catching up with a few old friends in the paper's obituary section when I saw the light shine through the open door. And when I heard his voice I knew the shop bell had rung with the gentle chime of death.

The only question was whose.

"How can I help you, sir?"

The accent was perfection. On a good day I could even fool myself.

"If you're a collector by any chance, we've got a remarkable set of encyclopaedias in the back; all first editions, excellent condition."