by Cindy Bell
Princess began to wiggle and yip, letting her know that she was ready for dinner.
“All right, girl, just give me a second to get it ready.” As Nikki followed the strict instructions for the dog’s meal, she noticed a flicker of light through the kitchen window. It was so distant she would have overlooked it if it hadn’t reflected off the window glass. She kept her gaze on the window, expecting to see it again. After a few minutes passed with no sight of it, she shook her head, then delivered the dish to Princess. As she bent down to place the bowl on the floor, she caught a glimmer of the light again. She snapped back up quickly, but the light was already gone.
“What is going on out there?” She frowned.
Nikki decided that she would take a walk outside after all. She gave Princess a few extra pets, then headed out through the rear kitchen door. She’d used it before to let Princess out to use the bathroom, however this time she didn’t flip the switch on for the floodlight that covered the majority of the fenced-in yard. The property itself expanded out far beyond the fence which had been erected to give Princess a contained place to play. It also had mesh canopies across it to prevent any bird of prey from swooping down to attack Princess. This gave an extra layer of privacy to the backyard. As she stepped out through the gate a shiver of fear crept up along her spine. Only in that moment did she recall that a dangerous person had roamed not far from where she stood. Which meant that same murderer could return at any moment. Was someone out there, lurking? Was the light she saw the neighbors, or someone else?
Nikki took a deep breath, and reminded herself to be brave. She wasn’t going to let anything or anyone frighten her. As she approached the edge of the property line, she caught sight of more lights bouncing through the darkness. They certainly appeared to be flashlights. Whoever it was moved quickly and whatever they were doing, was done in silence, but for the crunching of leaves and an occasional grunt or huff. As she moved a little closer she stepped down on a dry twig. The cracking sound broke through the quiet so sharply that she gasped.
Flashlight beams swung in Nikki’s direction. She froze where she stood and expected to be exposed. There were at least three flashlights, but there might have been more people that she couldn’t see. As soon as the beams of light headed towards her, they danced away. She wasn’t sure if she’d been spotted, but it seemed those who held the flashlights were more concerned about being spotted themselves. She heard heavy footsteps as they ran away from the edge of the property. With her heart still in her throat she took a step back. Then another.
Maybe Mrs. Whitter was right. Maybe something strange was going on next door. She glanced back towards the house. She could go back inside and pretend she never saw anything. It would be the wise thing to do. She certainly didn’t need to get caught up in anything unusual when she had just lost a friend. But even as she started to turn away, her mind was drawn back to those flashlights. Who was holding them? What were they doing so far from the house? It didn’t sound as if they were just out having fun. No one spoke to each other, there was no music playing, she didn’t detect the scent of smoke in the air from a potential campfire. Maybe it was possible that whatever the people over there were involved in was something that might be connected to why Chelsea was killed. It was a stretch, but too tantalizing of a possibility to ignore.
Nikki knew there was one way she could try to find out the truth without having to put herself in harm’s way. She stepped onto the wide path that led out to the street. Across from her the park stretched out endlessly. The low hedge that wrapped around it mocked her by sparkling in the streetlight. She stared for a moment in the direction of the last place she’d seen Chelsea, then made her way towards the entrance of the neighboring mansion. As she expected the gate was locked and there was a light on in the guardhouse. She hesitated for a moment. Would he even be there? His shift might be over. She prepared herself for the possibility that someone else might be in the small building. However, as she walked up to it, she caught sight of Calvin. She recognized his profile as he stared at a screen inside the booth. Was it a monitor? Did he see them, too? She knocked lightly on the window of the guardhouse.
Calvin jumped at the sound. He spun so fast that she took a step back. His hand was on the gun in the holster on his hip. She held her breath as she hadn’t even noticed that he carried a weapon before.
“Nikki?” He stared at her for a moment, then slowly released his grasp on the weapon. As he stepped out in front of her she began to feel a little foolish.
“Hey, Calvin, sorry to bother you. I’m staying in Sonia Whitter’s house. Dog sitting.” She cleared her throat.
“Ah, for Princess?” He smiled. “She seems like a sweet pup.”
“She is.” If he noticed anything strange going on, he certainly wasn’t acting like it. “I noticed something at the back of the property over here. People with flashlights.”
“Oh?” He glanced over his shoulder at the monitor. “I didn’t catch anything on the camera. Are you sure they were on the property and not on the trail that leads out into the woods?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t know there was a trail.” Nikki frowned. “Whose property is it on?”
“It’s not. There’s actually a few feet of land between the two property lines. I’ve seen people use it as a cut through before to get into the park. It’s a long walk, but I guess some people like it.” Calvin sighed. “I’ve warned them not to use it at night, though. It’s disturbing to the property owners.”
“I imagine it is.” Nikki crossed her arms. “Sorry for the trouble. It just seemed strange to me. Isn’t the park closed at sunset?”
“Yes, it is. But you know how teenagers can be. They like to break any rule they can. Generally, they are harmless, though. What about you?” Calvin looked into her eyes. “Are you doing okay?”
“I think so.” Nikki tried to push down the humiliation of overreacting to a few kids with flashlights. “I guess it’s all made me a little paranoid.”
“As it should.” He glanced past her out into the street. Though it was well lit, it was also empty. With many of the mansions having long driveways and garages, there were no cars parked along it. “You shouldn’t be out wandering after dark.”
“I just wanted to check with you about what I saw.” She managed a smile. “I’m not wandering.”
“I appreciate the heads-up. And I will keep an eye on the monitor.” He shifted a little closer to her, his eyes warm as they locked to hers again. “I’m here all night. If anything at all worries you, I’ll be here.”
“Thanks, Calvin.” Nikki blushed some as he continued to hold her gaze. He was handsome, with sharp features, and a boyish smile. She was surprised she’d never noticed just how attractive he was before. But then, she tended to be more attracted to personality than looks. His offer made her feel comforted at a time when she thought that was impossible. “I appreciate it.”
“Anytime.” He cupped his hand on her shoulder and smiled again. “Of course, if you just want some company after Princess goes to bed you’re more than welcome to hang out here with me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nikki pulled away from his touch, but gave him a warm smile in return. As she walked back towards Mrs. Whitter’s home, she felt a little better. It was nice to know that Calvin was there to help keep her safe, and that she would be able to tell Mrs. Whitter who those people were that she saw at night.
When Nikki stepped back inside the house Princess was there to greet her. She spent a little time playing with her, then took her out into the backyard. This time she didn’t hear any voices, or see any lights. It was just a peaceful evening. Her thoughts wandered back to Calvin, and then drifted from him to Quinn. She’d never been someone who needed a relationship to be happy. In fact, she’d only dated a few men since high school, and in many ways they were more like friendships.
Nikki knew almost everyone in Dahlia as most had grown up there and remained or returned. However, Calvin was
a mystery to her. She didn’t think he even lived in Dahlia. Quinn was one of the people that returned. She settled in the guest room and set aside thoughts of both men. Instead, she focused on the three people she knew of in Chelsea’s life that could have the motive to kill her. Her husband, her rival for the painting job, and her long-lost father. If Rick Parker really was Chelsea’s father, she was sure that he would want to hide that. She fell asleep determined to find out the truth, right from the source.
Chapter 7
Nikki woke early the next morning. As she lay in bed she ran over in her mind what she knew about Chelsea’s murder. The urge to solve it was enough to drive her out of bed. She took Princess outside for a few minutes. In the daylight the woods looked less threatening. She wondered if Calvin was still at his post. He’d seemed so welcoming to her last night, but was that only him being nice, or could it mean something more?
After making sure Princess had her breakfast, she took her for a quick walk. After their walk Nikki settled her inside and checked her watch. It was time to take her regular dogs for a walk. Princess was too small to keep up with the big dogs. She refilled her water bowl, then headed out to pick up the dogs. As usual she walked to get them. As she waved to a few people she passed, her thoughts traveled back to Chelsea, and the decision she’d made the night before. It was time to do some investigating of her own. Quinn seemed like a capable detective, but he was new to the job and he didn’t know Chelsea like she did. He hadn’t developed a friendship with her.
As Nikki picked up each dog she thought about that terrible morning, the morning that Chelsea died. A few things had gone wrong. She’d gotten a late start, the dogs weren’t very cooperative, it was a typical Monday to begin with. But things had drastically changed. By the time she picked up her last dog, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to head in the direction of the crime scene. Did she want to see it again? She almost changed direction, but Coco tugged forward. He knew the path they usually took, and he wasn’t about to deviate from it.
“Coco, relax.” Nikki sighed and again wondered if it was a good idea. Still, one foot followed the other, and before long she was on her usual track. Maybe she would see Calvin again. She could apologize for disturbing him the night before. She allowed the dogs to lead the way down their usual route.
“Easy guys.” Nikki tugged the leashes just a bit as a couple of dogs began to lunge forward. She tried to keep them on an even walking pace so that they would walk in the same manner with their owners. Once they got into the park she would run with them for a bit to give them some solid exercise. But it was far too early for them to be taking off at a jog. “Settle down.” Nikki frowned as she tightened her grasp on the leashes. She didn’t like to run with them in highly trafficked areas. The closer she came to the crime scene, the more riled up the dogs became.
“I get it, I miss her, too.” Nikki frowned. “I bet you’re looking for your treats, aren’t you?” The memory of Chelsea handing out treats to all the dogs caused tears to sting her eyes. She paused beside the yellow tape and took a deep breath. It wasn’t that long ago that she had stood in that same spot and discussed the weather with Chelsea. The scents of the foliage had wafted between them. They’d spent a few minutes trying to guess what scent belonged to what flower. Chelsea mentioned how she often tried to capture the flow of a breeze in her paintings, but it was a challenging process to depict the leaves fluttering in just the right succession. She was an artist, a person with a special talent, who could create beauty in ways that fascinated Nikki.
“Oh, Chelsea what happened?” Nikki looked towards the mansion that Chelsea intended to paint. She was so excited about the project, and never had the chance to finish it. As Nikki stared she felt a sense of sadness. What if Chelsea’s murder was never solved? She couldn’t allow that to happen. As she turned her attention back to the crime scene, Coco lunged so suddenly that she nearly lost her balance. It only took a few barks from Coco to get the rest of the dogs barking as well.
“Calm down, sh, you’re going to get us in trouble!” Nikki demanded as Coco pulled again. He was headed for a small trail that shot off past the hedge in the direction of a thicket of trees. It wasn’t quite wide enough to really be called a trail. It was more like a footpath that seemed to disappear in some spots where the foliage grew thick and right across it. As Coco continued to tug she struggled to keep him in check. He wasn’t usually so unruly, and she had underestimated his strength.
“Coco, steady!” Nikki sharpened her tone so that he would know it was his final warning. The leash went slack for a moment as he obeyed and drew back a few steps. Then he sniffed the ground. As soon as he got a whiff of whatever it was he wanted, he lunged forward again. The sudden force made her stumble a few steps. The other dogs decided to follow Coco’s lead as they realized that she didn’t have complete control. She felt a hint of panic as she knew that letting the dogs take over could get her into a lot of trouble. As she caught her balance, she tightened her grasp on the leashes, and spoke sharply again.
“Coco, enough!” He looked up at her with such sad eyes that she couldn’t ignore them. Clearly, whatever it was that he was after was the most important thing in the world to him. What harm would it do to let him sniff it out? She glanced at her watch. It was still early. There was time to let them explore a bit before she had to take them back home. “All right fine. But we go at my pace.” She allowed Coco and the other dogs to begin walking down the narrow path. A few steps in she began to think it was a bad idea. The trail was so narrow that the dogs had to walk single file, with Coco in the lead. It seemed to her that he was less excited, and more determined. A sinking sensation filled her as he forced his way through a few bushes and began to bark. It wasn’t his normal bark. It was a high-pitched yelp. She hadn’t heard that sound from him before. Her heart began to race.
“What is it, Coco?” Nikki narrowed her eyes as she pushed aside the bushes that he’d plowed through. The muscles in his shoulders rippled, and she knew that it would be nearly impossible to tug him away from whatever he had found. She braced herself for whatever gross pile of mush he might be fascinated by, then leaned down to take a closer look. The moment she saw the pattern on the purse she knew that it was Chelsea’s. It was splashed with color in a scattered pattern of shapes. She always had it with her. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that Coco had caught the scent of the treats in the purse and had led her to it.
“Good boy, Coco, good boy.” Nikki stroked her hand down along his back. “You have to come away from that now, buddy.” She pulled some treats out of her pocket and scattered them away from Chelsea’s purse. She knew that if the dogs continued to sniff and dig at the purse they might ruin any evidence that was still on it. She wanted to pick it up and look through it. She wanted to know how it ended up there. But she resisted reaching for it. Instead, she pulled out her phone and dialed Quinn’s number. As it rang she hoped that he would be able to find the answers that she needed.
“Nikki? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry to call you out of the blue. It’s just that I found something, something important. You need to come and see it.” Nikki’s heart fluttered as she considered the ways that the purse might have ended up in the woods.
“What is it? Where are you?” Concern grew in his voice. “I’ll be there as soon as you tell me.”
“I’m at the park, down the trail from where Chelsea’s body was found. I found her purse. Well, actually Coco did. But that’s not the point, the point is her purse is here. Which means that she was probably here, doesn’t it?”
“Stay right where you are. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t touch anything.”
“I’ll try not to.” She frowned as she hung up the phone. The urgency in his tone echoed in her mind. Again, she was tempted to reach for Chelsea’s purse. Was her phone in there? Was there some clue as to who did this to her?
Coco growled, and soon the other dogs joined in. She realized sh
e needed to give them something more to distract them from the purse. She reached into her pocket and scattered some treats a few feet away, then a few more feet away, until they were a safe distance from the purse. Her stomach lurched again as she tried to figure out how the purse had ended up in the woods. She’d never seen Chelsea wander into them. She thought it would be quite unusual for her friend to come this far out into the woods. Was it possible that she was chasing something? An animal? She was quite fond of animals. She often painted them. She loved to spend time with the dogs that Nikki walked. But she had a job to do, and she wouldn’t have abandoned that just to go after an animal. No, it had to be something else that drew her down that path. Nikki’s best guess was that she was being chased. Or maybe, something very unusual had caught her eye and she was chasing after it. Either way, something had happened at this point in the trail. Something that made her drop her purse. It wasn’t something she would have left behind willingly.
Chapter 8
Nikki’s stomach twisted as she tried to process what might have happened right there in front of her. Each thought that crossed her mind only made her heart pound harder. Did Chelsea struggle? She recalled the deep scratch on Betty’s face. It might have been the last day that Chelsea intended to take pictures of the mansion. Maybe Betty thought that if she eliminated the competition she would be able to take over the job. She might have seized that day as the last opportunity for her to stop Chelsea from completing the painting. But why would she have gone into the woods with Betty? She had to know that Betty was upset with her.