Murder at the Pet Boutique

by Cindy Bell

  “Sh, it’s all right.” He wrapped his arms around her.

  The sudden sensation of his closeness did nothing to calm her down. Instead it resulted in her being more nervous, and distracted at the same time. Still, she took a moment to appreciate what it felt like to be in his arms before she pulled away.

  “I’m okay, really, I was just a little startled.” She sighed. “Like I said, it’s probably nothing.”

  “I’m sending someone over to check the shop out now.” Quinn fired off a text, then tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Listen, do you really think he saw you?”

  “I don’t know.” Nikki crossed her arms and gazed at him. “I can’t be sure. But I’m pretty sure he didn’t follow me. Which means he doesn’t know where I live.”

  “Still, if there’s any chance that you’re in danger you need to be extra-cautious. Make sure you have your phone on you at all times, no leaving it behind.” Quinn locked his eyes to hers.

  “Yes, I’ll be more careful.” She tightened her grip on her phone.

  “If anything seems off, anything at all, you don’t hesitate to call me.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and continued to gaze into her eyes. “Understand?”

  “Yes. I would have called, if I’d had my phone on me.” Nikki nodded. His touch was comforting. “Thanks, Quinn. For being here, and for bringing my phone to me. I know how busy you must be.”

  “Never too busy to check on you.” He let his hand fall back to his side. “Stay safe, okay?”

  “I will.” She nodded, then walked him to the door.

  “Make sure you lock up as soon as I leave.” He glanced back at her.

  “Thanks, Quinn.” She nodded again, then closed the door. When she didn’t hear any footsteps, she realized he was waiting for her to lock the door. She turned both locks and heard him walk off down the sidewalk.

  Nikki closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the door for a moment. She couldn’t imagine what he must think of her. He’d arrived to find her ready to defend herself, and then had to lecture her about leaving her phone behind. It was nice to know that he was concerned about her, but she couldn’t help wonder if he might view her as more of a burden than a benefit. She promised herself she would be more careful. Still, a shiver of fear crept up along her spine that wouldn’t cease until she checked all of the windows and doors again. Satisfied that they were locked, she realized that the only way that she was going to relax was to find out what really happened to Bryan.

  Nikki decided that the best place to start was finding out more about him. She settled on the couch with her computer and began to dig into his past. It didn’t take long for her to find out that he was well-known in the dog community, and a very respected designer. She found his name mentioned in several articles and on various websites. In general, every comment about him was a glowing one. However, she noticed that Bryan himself hadn’t made any recent posts. He’d gone from being a daily blogger, showing off his latest fashions, and drumming up support from his fan club, to zero posts for at least the past week.

  Once Nikki hit this dead end, she began looking into the woman that Quinn had named. Heather Cantrells. She claimed that Bryan clipped her on her motorcycle. Quinn had mentioned that a witness heard the sound of a motorcycle around the time of Bryan’s murder. It wasn’t hard to find information about her as she was very active on social media. Soon, Nikki discovered that she worked at a small gas station, located just outside of Dahlia. She also found out that she was twenty-three, and appeared to be single. As she combed through some of her posts, she discovered that Heather had been posting quite a bit lately, and many of her posts had Bryan’s name in them. She detailed how he clipped her motorcycle the night before, and then fled the scene. She threatened to have him arrested, and insisted that he needed to be prepared to hear from her lawyers. She even made a custom meme that featured Bryan’s face in the center of a ‘worst driver ever’ award. Clearly, she was not happy about the accident. However, she did reply to her friends that she was unharmed, then went on to detail what could have happened to her if she hadn’t been paying attention.

  Heather had generated a lot of support for herself, while many people were quite angry with Bryan. Not as angry as Heather, though. Nikki wiped her eyes, and glanced at the clock. Several hours had slipped by. She made herself a snack, then returned to the computer. She searched for any connection between Heather and the man she’d seen in the motorcycle jacket. However, he did not seem to be one of her friends, or business contacts.

  After hours of research on both Bryan and Heather, Nikki decided it would be worth it to pay Heather a visit. Maybe she would be willing to share something with her, as she wasn’t with the police. Plus, she wanted to see face-to-face, just how angry Heather was. Angry enough to kill?

  As Nikki glanced towards the window she realized that the sun had begun to rise. She’d been at it all night, and though she should be exhausted, she felt energized instead. After a hearty breakfast, she took a long shower to wash away her fear from the day before. She wanted to focus on solving the murder, not why she should be afraid. With Quinn as a friend, what reason did she have to be afraid? She knew that he was just a phone call away. The day before she’d been worried that someone might be lurking outside of her apartment, but now she felt more confident. Yesterday was probably just a little paranoia.

  Nikki pulled her light brown hair back into a ponytail, took a deep breath, and focused her energy on the matter at hand. She would help find out what happened to Bryan, then everything could get back to normal. As she headed out the door she greeted the early morning sun with a smile. When she turned to close her door and lock it, she was confronted by the sight of a note taped to her door. At first, she thought it might just be something that Quinn left behind. However, as she read the thick, black letters on the paper, her heart began to race.

  I know where you live.

  Nikki’s eyes widened as she read it over again. Could it be a joke? Or was it left by the man in the motorcycle jacket? She quickly glanced around to see if anyone remained nearby. She recognized a few of her neighbors heading out to work, but none that would put such a note on her door. Someone wanted her to see this message, and she knew exactly what it meant. She needed to be careful, or she was going to be next.

  Chapter 5

  Nikki took a deep breath and tried to decide what to do next. Her instincts told her to rip down the note and tear it to pieces. She didn’t want to be frightened by it. But logic warned her not to touch it, and to call Quinn. He’d made her promise that she would be more careful and call him if anything came up. Although she hoped that this might just be a prank of some kind, she couldn’t take the chance of being wrong. She dialed Quinn’s number and waited for him to pick up. Only after the phone rang several times did she remember just how early it was. He likely was still asleep, or just on the road to work for the day. She didn’t want to bother him first thing in the morning. She was about to hang up, when she heard his voice on the line.

  “Nikki, you’re up early.”

  “I didn’t sleep, actually.” Nikki winced as she knew that probably wasn’t the best thing to share.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Were you too worried? I would have sent a patrol officer to watch your apartment, if you were.”

  “No, I just got caught up in some research.” She cleared her throat. “Quinn, this is probably just a joke, but as I went to leave my apartment this morning I found a note taped to my door. I haven’t touched it, I thought I should call you first.”

  “A note?” His tone sharpened with interest. “What does it say?”

  “It says, I know where you live.” Nikki frowned. “That’s it, nothing more. It’s not exactly a threat.”

  “It’s an implied threat. You were right not to touch it. Stay right where you are, I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “Are you sure, Quinn? It’s probably nothing.” Nikki gazed at the note and shuddered at the thought
of a murderer standing outside and carefully taping it to her door. How had she not heard anything? Why didn’t she sense something?

  “I’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone.

  Nikki sighed as she began to pace back and forth. By the time Quinn arrived, she was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

  “Hey.” He jogged up to her from the parking lot. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. It’s just a note. The worst thing it could give me is a paper cut.” She flashed him a smile.

  “Nikki, this is serious.” He gazed at the note, then looked over at her. “I’m going to bag it for evidence, and we’ll check it for prints. I want to know who left this here.”

  “It could have just been a prank. There are quite a few teenagers that live around here.” Nikki shrugged and shoved her hands into her pockets. “I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

  “But it is a big deal.” Quinn retrieved some gloves from his pocket, then pulled them on. “What are the chances that someone played a prank on the same night that you caught someone breaking into a crime scene?”

  “Maybe someone saw me running home, looking frightened.” Nikki bit into her bottom lip. “I’m not scared, Quinn.”

  “Why not?” He bagged the note, then turned to face her. “Whoever did this was right outside your apartment door.”

  “And all he did was leave a note.” She forced a smile to her lips and shrugged. “See? If he was really some kind of criminal, if he even was a he, then why stop at leaving a note? Why didn’t he try to hurt me?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’m grateful that he didn’t.”

  “So am I, and I’m going to take it as a good sign. Maybe there really is nothing to be concerned about. I presume you didn’t catch the man that was in Bryan’s shop?” Nikki looked at him as hope welled up within her.

  “I’m afraid not. The cameras have been disabled, and there’s no sign of a break-in. We’re really not sure how he got in. But we are still looking for him.” He met her eyes. “Why don’t you let me put a patrol car at your apartment tonight?”

  “Quinn, there’s no need for that. I’m fine. I promise. I called you, didn’t I?” Nikki raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes, you did.” He smiled for the first time. “Please, make sure that you continue to do so.”

  “I will.” Nikki thought about sharing her intentions to visit Heather, but she decided against it. He wanted her safe and as far from the investigation as she could be. Seeking out a suspect, didn’t exactly check those boxes. “Thanks, Quinn.”

  “I’ll catch up with you later.” He studied her a moment longer, then headed back to his car. She watched him go, then walked towards her own car. As she opened the car door, she checked the backseat. Yes, she was paranoid, and the only way out of it was by the case being solved. If she could speed up the process she would.

  As Nikki drove towards the gas station where Heather worked, she felt confident that Heather would be there. From her posts it appeared that she worked the morning shift. She parked in the nearly empty parking lot, then headed inside. She spotted Heather right away, behind the counter, with a cup of coffee in one hand, and a magazine in the other.

  “Good morning.” Nikki did her best to sound cheerful.

  “Morning.” Heather lowered the magazine some. “Would you like some coffee?”

  “No thanks, I’m just here to talk to you, actually.” Nikki paused in front of the counter.

  “Me?” Heather narrowed her eyes. Then they widened with recognition. “I remember you. You were in Bryan’s shop yesterday.”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “You’re the reason that the cops knew why I was there.” Heather sighed. “I guess that you relayed the way I talked to him.”

  “There was a surveillance camera.”

  “Yes, there are cameras here, too, but they don’t catch audio. So, it was you that told the police what I said, right?” Heather gazed at her from behind thick lashes, made thicker with layers of mascara.

  “Yes, I did.” Nikki cleared her throat. “But only what you said, nothing more.”

  “Thanks for that, I guess.” Heather pursed her lips, then blew a breath through her nose. “If you knew what he did to me, you wouldn’t blame me for saying those things.”

  “What did he do to you?” Nikki studied her.

  “He was driving like a maniac. He was going much faster than the speed limit and kept weaving all over the road. I saw him coming, so I tried to stay to the side, but it was impossible to avoid him. If I hadn’t been paying attention, he would have killed me.”

  “I’m so sorry, that must have been so frightening.” Nikki frowned as she leaned against the counter.

  “It was. I thought I was going to die. But I managed to save myself. Then he didn’t even bother to stop, to apologize, to admit that he was wrong. I thought maybe he would continue on and kill someone else. That’s why I called the police to make a report.” Heather sighed and lowered her eyes. “I didn’t expect any of this to happen. Of course, I wouldn’t have made all of those threats if I had known.”

  “You had good reason to be upset and angry.” Nikki straightened up and began to look around the store. “He could have killed you.”

  “Yes, I was, and I still am. But that doesn’t make me a killer. So, next time you talk to the cops, why don’t you try telling them that?” Heather set her cup of coffee down on the counter.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Nikki turned back to face her.

  “You just wanted to know if I’m a murderer?” Heather rolled her eyes, then turned to the register. “I have things to do.”

  “I understand.” Nikki started to say more, but decided against it. Heather had made up her mind about her, and nothing she said was going to change that. At least, not at the moment.

  As Nikki left the shop she wondered if Heather might be capable of murder. She certainly seemed angry, but she was right, being angry didn’t make her a killer.

  * * *

  Nikki drove back towards Dahlia with thoughts of Heather and Bryan on her mind. How would she feel if it had been her that Bryan almost killed? Would she want some kind of revenge? She doubted it, she wasn’t a vengeful person by nature. But she’d also never been in that situation. As she entered Dahlia she tried to push the thoughts from her mind. It was almost time for Princess’ walk, and she wanted to be able to greet Mrs. Whitter with a positive attitude. She knew that the woman was likely quite stressed, and she didn’t want to add to that stress.

  When she drove down the long driveway to the vast house, she took some time to appreciate all that Mrs. Whitter did for her dog. She loved Princess like her own child, and as silly as it might seem for her to be so concerned over a birthday party, she knew that it meant a lot more to Mrs. Whitter than just that.

  With a light knock on the door she alerted Mrs. Whitter to her presence. It was Princess who responded however, with excited yips at the door, and a bit of scratching from the other side.

  “Hi Princess.” Nikki clucked her tongue and smiled. A moment later, Mrs. Whitter opened the door.

  “Oh. Nikki, thank goodness you’re here, and a little early, too. I’m so glad. I am just beside myself.” Mrs. Whitter pressed her hands against her cheeks. “Just one day left and I still haven’t found a gift for Princess.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Whitter, I know you’ll find something absolutely perfect.” Nikki smiled at her and set aside her concerns about Heather.

  “Thank you, I needed to hear that. I’m going to spend the day shopping, so if I’m not here when you’re done with your walk, please just make sure Princess has everything she needs. And text me once you drop her off, okay?” Mrs. Whitter met her eyes, her own tight and anxious.

  “Yes, of course. I’ll spend some extra time with her, too.” Nikki scooped up Princess and smiled as the dog licked her cheek. “We can hang out a bit, can’t we, Princess?”

  The dog gave a light yip and wiggl
ed in her arms.

  “I think that’s a yes.” Mrs. Whitter laughed, then gave Nikki a pat on the shoulder. “I don’t know what we would do without you, Nikki.” She hurried off to retrieve her purse. “I just hope I can find something.”

  “I’m sure you will. Good luck!” Nikki waved to Mrs. Whitter as she left the house with Princess at her side.

  Nikki walked Princess through the park first, but was drawn towards Bryan’s shop. She hoped that being near it again might help her to remember something from the day before that would give her more clarity on what the man was doing inside the shop. As she neared it she noticed a man who had crossed the yellow tape. He paused beside each window and peered inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered for a second if it might be the same man that she’d seen inside the shop the day before. Had he left the note? As the man turned, she realized that he was much taller, and thicker around the middle, than the man she’d seen inside the shop. Instead, she realized, he was the man she had followed the day before. The one who had disappeared inside the real estate agency.

  Nikki walked towards him as curiosity overwhelmed her. This was the second time she’d caught him so interested in the shop. But why? Maybe she could get his name this time.

  “Excuse me, are you supposed to be past that tape?” Nikki paused just outside of it.

  “It’s all right, I’m not hurting anything.” He glanced back at her. “The officer that was here said they’ve done the search inside, and will be taking down the tape later today.”

  “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you so interested in the shop?”

  “Ah, you must be a local.” He arched an eyebrow. “Nosy.”

  “I am a local.” Nikki smiled and lowered her eyes. “I’m not nosy, just curious. You seem so interested in what’s inside.”

  “I plan to rent it, that’s why. I want to be sure nothing has changed too much.” He looked through the front window.

  “The owner of the shop was killed here, doesn’t that bother you?” Nikki looked into his eyes.