Murder at the Pet Boutique

by Cindy Bell

  “Slow down!” Nikki tightened her grasp on the leash, and took a few steps back. When she collided with someone behind her, she gasped and spun around. “I’m so sorry.” She lifted her eyes to the man’s face, and another gasp silenced her.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “I know who you are.” Nikki stumbled back and almost tripped on Coco’s leash. Her heart slammed against her chest. The man that stood before her was the very same man that she’d seen in Bryan’s shop. The one that saw her spying on him. She turned, and started to run.

  “Wait! Please!” He began to run after her.

  As Nikki tried to run even faster, her lungs began to burn. Coco panted at her side, but easily kept pace with her. Within moments the man caught up to her, and grabbed her by the shoulder.

  Chapter 7

  “Let go of me!” Nikki jerked free of his hand, and opened her mouth to scream.

  “Just wait! I only want to talk to you.” He stared hard into her eyes. “Please! I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Talk to me?” Nikki stared back at him. “I know that you left that note on my door.”

  “What note?” He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know anything about that.” He pushed his blond hair back from his eyes, then took a slow breath. “Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, or to help me. I understand that.”

  “I certainly don’t.” Nikki shifted from one foot to the other. Although she knew that she should be afraid, she sensed something within him, something desperate, but not exactly violent. Coco growled at him, picking up on Nikki’s fear. She patted his head to reassure him. “I saw you in Bryan’s store. I know you broke in there to rob a dead man.”

  “A dead man?” He coughed, then glanced away. His jaw rippled as he looked back at her. “That dead man is my brother.”

  “Your brother?” Her eyes widened. “You’re Bryan’s brother?”

  “The one and only.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as his brown eyes raked over hers. “I had a right to be in the shop. I know that you saw me, and I know what you must have thought, but I wasn’t trying to steal anything. I was just looking.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal his driver’s license. “See? Same last name.”

  “That doesn’t prove anything.” She gazed at the ID, then looked back up at him. “Tim Sashen. You sure weren’t acting like you had a right to be there. The shop was still under police investigation.” She looked into his brown eyes. Bryan had brown eyes, but she couldn’t see any other similarities that indicated they were brothers.

  “Maybe not a legal right.” He winced, then shook his head. “I just had to be there. I had to try to figure out what happened to my brother. Wouldn’t you do the same?”

  “Most likely.” Nikki frowned. “But you’d be better off just going to the police. I’m sure they would like to hear from you and to have your help to find your brother’s killer.”

  “Maybe.” He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her. “Or maybe they would just assume the same thing that you did. That I’m up to no good, that I should be feared.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.” Nikki pursed her lips.

  “A few minutes ago you were ready to scream at the top of your lungs. But you’re not afraid?” He leaned a little closer to her. “I don’t think I’m the one being dishonest.”

  “I didn’t know who you were.” Nikki stared at him. “When someone is killed, it causes everyone to be more on edge. Not only that, but someone had their home broken into today. I suppose you don’t know anything about that either?”

  “Why would I?” His eyes widened some and his lips curved into a mild smile.

  “I am sorry for your loss.” Nikki’s tone remained even as she continued to study him. “I can only imagine how upset you must be. I’m sorry for assuming the worst about you.”

  “I’m the one that’s sorry.” He lowered his eyes for a moment, then looked back up at her. “For frightening you. But you don’t have to be afraid of me. I just wanted the chance to tell you that. I saw how scared you were, and I didn’t want you to continue to think that I might be looking for you.”

  “And yet, here we are.” Nikki managed a smile, even as Coco gave a light growl.

  “Yes, we are.” His own smile spread wider. “I have a lot to deal with while I’m here. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.” He offered her his hand. “It was nice to meet you.”

  “Nikki.” She took his hand in a quick shake. She was still hesitant to give him any detailed information about herself. He claimed to be Bryan’s brother, but she couldn’t be completely sure of that, and he had still broken into the shop. “I admired your brother, he was very talented.”

  “Thanks. I wish we’d had the chance to be closer.” He frowned, then looked towards Coco, who still growled. “I don’t want to keep you. Thanks for listening.”

  “Sure.” She nodded, then waited for him to walk away. He might seem genuine enough, but she still didn’t want to turn her back on him.

  Once he’d turned the corner, she urged Coco along. As she walked, she tried to decide whether she believed Tim or not. He didn’t seem to want to hurt her, but she also knew that she couldn’t necessarily trust what he said. There was one person who could find out whether Tim told her the truth about being Bryan’s brother. After she dropped off Coco, she placed a call to Quinn. After a few rings he picked up.

  “Nikki, are you safe?”

  “Are you going to ask me that every time I call?” She couldn’t resist a smile.

  “I don’t know, will it make you call more, or less?” He laughed.

  “I’m not sure.” Nikki tipped her head back and forth. “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

  “Sure. It sounds like you are just fine. What’s up?”

  “Do you have some free time? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” Nikki continued on towards her apartment to get her car.

  “Yes, I have some time. I’m just going over some evidence. Will you be here soon?”

  “I’m just getting my car now, and I’ll head straight over.” Nikki hung up as she reached her driveway.

  On the way to the police station Nikki’s mind swirled, she couldn’t figure out Tim’s intentions. She headed into the police station, hoping that Quinn would be able to help her sort it all out. She found him at a desk, focused on a monitor in front of him.

  “Hi Quinn.”

  He looked away from the screen and smiled as she settled in the chair beside him.

  “I’ll just be a second. There’s something that caught my eye in this video. I’m trying to verify it.” Quinn looked back at the screen and pressed a key on the keyboard. The still image came to life. As she watched, she could see a car driving erratically, as well as a motorcycle two lanes over. She realized it must be surveillance video of the night Bryan clipped Heather’s motorcycle. What she assumed to be Bryan’s car veered to the right, towards the motorcycle, but the vehicles moved out of range of the camera before the actual collision. Quinn paused the video as another car came into view.

  “There it is,” he mumbled to himself as he made a note on his tablet.

  “There what is?” Nikki leaned forward as she attempted to spot what had drawn his attention.

  “I noticed that Bryan’s car wasn’t so much driving erratically, as evasively.” Quinn tapped the screen. “This car is always behind his, and seems to be gaining on Bryan’s car.”

  “You think he was being chased?” Her eyes widened at the thought.

  “I think it’s possible. I’ve been checking every resource we have to see if I can get a clear view of the license plate on this car, or the driver, unfortunately it’s all too blurry. I’m hoping the crime lab can clean it up, but I doubt it.” He sighed as he tossed his pen down beside his tablet.

  “But if Bryan was being chased, why didn’t he just say that?” Nikki frowned as she continued to stare at the screen.
“Why didn’t he call the police?”

  “Very good questions.” Quinn turned in his chair to face her. “Unfortunately, they are not easily answered.”

  “I spoke to a man named Royce Blake earlier this morning, when I took Princess for her walk. Apparently, he’s the one who was in competition with Bryan to get the lease on that shop. He insisted that Bryan was involved with some pretty shady people.” She frowned as she looked over at him. “I just dismissed it as nonsense, but maybe he was in some kind of trouble.”

  “Maybe. I’ll have to speak with Royce about it.” Quinn made another note. Then looked up at her. “Now, what did you want to discuss?”

  “I ran into someone else just now. The man who I saw sneaking around Bryan’s shop.” Nikki locked her eyes to his. “He claims to be Bryan’s brother.”

  “Wait a minute.” Quinn stared back into her eyes. “Are you saying you were just with the man who threatened you? Who broke into a crime scene? And you didn’t think to call me?”

  “Quinn.” She narrowed her eyes some as she sensed anger in his tone. “We don’t know if he left the note. He didn’t hurt me. He apologized for scaring me. He said he had a right to be in the shop, because he was trying to find out what happened to his brother, and find anything that he might have left behind.”

  “Nikki.” He ran his hand across his face, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long, slow breath. “Are you kidding me?”

  “I can’t call you every single time—”

  “No, just the one time that you’re with a criminal who threatened you.” Quinn lowered his hand and gazed at her. “Is that so much to ask?”

  “Quinn, you’re not listening to me.” Nikki gritted her teeth, then sighed. “I didn’t even know that Bryan had a brother. Besides, he said he didn’t leave that note on my door. I told you it was probably just a prank. He was kind to me, and said he saw how scared I was yesterday, and just wanted to make sure that I knew I had no reason to be afraid. How is that a bad thing?”

  “And you believe him?” Quinn’s eyes widened a little as his expression shifted from frustration, to wonder. “Why?”

  “That’s why I’m here.” Nikki frowned. “I thought if anyone would know if Bryan had a brother, if this man was telling the truth, it would be you.”

  “I do know.” Quinn nodded and grabbed his tablet. “Bryan has one brother. His name is Tim Sashen.” He hit a few keys on the keyboard and pulled up a picture. “Is this the man you spoke to?”

  “Yes, that’s him.” Her heart skipped a beat. “I guess he was telling the truth.”

  “He might have been telling the truth about who he was, but you still had reason to be frightened. He has quite a criminal history, everything from break-ins to assault.” Quinn shook his head. “It’s not a good idea to be alone with him. Most of his offenses are from a few years ago, but in my experience many criminals don’t stop committing crimes, they just might go some time without getting caught.”

  “No matter his past, Bryan really is his brother, which means that he is grieving.” Nikki sighed and folded her arms across her stomach as she gazed at the image on the screen. “He needs our help.”

  “You have such a good heart, Nikki.” Quinn cleared his throat. “But we don’t know that he’s grieving.”

  Nikki sought his eyes, but he kept them fixated on the screen.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you told me that you saw Tim at the café, before Bryan was killed. Which means Tim didn’t just show up in town to grieve his brother, he was already here.” Quinn added a note to his tablet.

  “You think he’s a suspect? That he killed his own brother?” Nikki shivered at the idea.

  “It’s not pleasant to consider, but yes.” Quinn glanced over at her. “He would have to be pretty ruthless to do it, which is why you need to tell me if he ever approaches you again. He may have just been trying to protect himself, since he knew that you had seen him in the shop. I’m going to do my best to pick him up and have a conversation with him. But if you see him again, you need to let me know.” He paused then rubbed his hand along the curve of his cheek. “I should say, I would like it if you would contact me, right away.”

  “I will, Quinn.” She smiled some at his effort to be less demanding. She sensed that he was still trying to find his footing as a detective. “Thanks for your help.”

  “Thank you for yours.” He tapped his tablet. “You gave me a lot to work with.”

  “Good luck finding that car.” Nikki stood up and gave him an awkward pat on his shoulder. He held her gaze as her hand lingered.

  “Thanks.”

  Nikki wanted to say more. Instead, she drew her hand away, and headed out of the police station.

  Once inside her car Nikki took a few minutes to think about what her next step might be. Quinn was right, Tim could easily be a suspect in his own brother’s murder. She didn’t want to think it, but she had no reason to eliminate him as a possibility. Then of course there was Heather, who might have been so angry from the accident that she decided to teach Bryan a lesson. Maybe things got out of hand, maybe she just wanted to threaten him not kill him. She rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She also couldn’t ignore the cold way that Royce spoke about Bryan. Could losing out on a lease really drive someone to kill? She considered it for a few moments, then recalled his insistence that the real estate agent had been forced into leasing the shop to Bryan. If she was to take anything that Royce said seriously, then the agent was someone she needed to speak to. Maybe she would know more about Bryan’s possible secret life. She guessed that the real estate agency Royce had disappeared into was where she would find the agent she needed to speak to.

  Chapter 8

  As Nikki drove towards the real estate agency she hoped that she would be able to find some answers. She parked about halfway down the street, as all of the other spaces were taken. When she opened the door to the office, she found four people in the waiting room. A young man behind the front desk had a phone cradled between his ear and shoulder, while he typed frantically on a keyboard.

  “That’s right, the new apartments are up for lease, but you do have to sign an agreement ten days before the end of the month in order to lease it the following month. All of our agreements for those apartments must be signed ten days before.”

  Nikki edged her way to an empty chair and sat down. A quick glance around the room revealed anxious faces. She guessed that whatever apartments were available were in high demand. A door swung open and a woman dressed in a lime green pants suit stepped out. Her crimson hair was cut short at the height of her cheekbones, and she wore a bright shade of pink lipstick.

  “Hi everyone, thank you for your patience. We’re just so busy today.” She looked over the sign-in sheet on the front desk.

  Nikki stood up. She knew if she didn’t get the woman’s attention now she might have to wait hours before she had a chance to speak with her.

  “Excuse me, I just need a minute of your time.”

  “Do you have an appointment?” She glanced over the list in front of her.

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m not here for an appointment. I just wanted to ask you a quick question.” Nikki glanced at the other people waiting. “I promise I won’t take up too much of your time.”

  “You look familiar.” She narrowed her eyes as she looked her over. “Do I know you?

  “I don’t think so. My name is Nikki.” She thrust out her hand.

  “Little Nikki?” She squealed, then smiled. “I do know you!”

  “You do?” Bewildered, Nikki stared at the woman.

  “Well, I knew you when you were just a little thing that is. I’m Anne. I helped your parents buy their home. I was surprised to hear that they sold it.” She gestured for her to follow her into her office. “Come in, we’ll have to make it quick, though.”

  “Absolutely, no problem. Yes, they decided to head south for the warmer weather.” Nikki grinned. “Th
ey are enjoying it.” She followed her into the office.

  “I’m so glad to hear it.” Anne settled at her desk. “So, how can I help you? Are you looking to buy a place?”

  “No, I’m happy with the apartment I’m in. It’s tiny but it’s mine.” Nikki smiled. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about something that’s been going around town as gossip. I thought the best way to fight it, is to consult the source.”

  “I’m the source of gossip?” Anne flushed and shook her head. “I doubt that.”

  “Me too, that’s why I’m checking with you. Some people have been whispering since Bryan’s death, that the only reason he got the shop instead of Royce was because you took a bribe from Bryan.” Nikki looked into the woman’s eyes. “Is it true?”

  “Wow!” Anne’s eyes widened. “Of course not! I would never take a bribe.” She sighed. “I knew that this deal was going to cause me misery. The truth is, the rental should have gone to Royce, but then this man showed up at my office with mounds of legal paperwork. He insisted that if I didn’t lease the place to Bryan he would ruin my entire business. Honestly, I love my work, but I don’t know that much about the law, and I certainly don’t have the money for a fancy lawyer. I just thought it would be easier to rent the place to Bryan and be done with it. So, that’s what I did.”

  “What kind of paperwork?” Nikki felt her curiosity grow.

  “I have copies of it.” Anne stood up and walked over to her filing cabinet. As she pulled out a folder, she looked back at Nikki. “Do you think I could be in some kind of trouble with all of this? I’ve seen you with that detective. Has he mentioned me?”