by Cindy Bell
“Maybe he just knows that John wasn’t involved.” She stared back at him.
“There you go defending him again.” Quinn furrowed an eyebrow as he looked at her. “What is it about him that makes you think he’s so innocent?”
“I don’t necessarily think that he’s innocent, I just don’t know that he’s guilty.”
“That’s what I need to find out.” He smiled. “I guess I’d better get back to work on this.”
“Princess’ party is tomorrow, I know Mrs. Whitter would love it if you were there.” She watched him walk to the door.
“I’ll probably be too caught up in the case, but be sure to tell Princess happy birthday from me.” Quinn grinned as he started to turn away. “I don’t think I’ve ever wished a dog happy birthday before.”
“I’ll be sure to pass it along.” She smiled.
As Quinn left the café Nikki wondered if he would be too busy with the case, or he just wanted to create some distance between them. Perhaps he sensed what she felt for him and wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t interested. Or maybe, he was just doing his job, and she was reading far too much into it. Either way, she knew the most important thing was solving the case.
Chapter 11
After Nikki returned to her apartment, she spent some time looking into Royce. There was good reason to suspect him. Even though the gun he carried was not the gun that killed Bryan, he might have had access to more unregistered weapons. His anger over the way Bryan managed to steal the rental space out from under him, did seem strong enough for him to cause Bryan physical harm. But that didn’t prove he was the killer.
Nikki skimmed through several posts on a few different social media pages connected to Royce. Most of the comments were pleasant, if not a bit detached. However, when she came across comments regarding Bryan, Royce’s entire tone shifted. The comments he left were harsh and to the point. He openly accused Bryan of stealing the shop out from under him, and indicated that he had criminal connections that made it happen. While most of his comments were left unanswered, there was one particularly threatening comment that Bryan did reply to. Nikki held her breath as she read through what may have been some of the murdered man’s last words.
Royce, up to this point I have ignored your outrageous comments. However, it needs to be said that I did not do anything you are claiming. I have never and would never associate with any kind of criminal. I was told that you had backed out of your lease, perhaps you didn’t have the money to cover it, or you found another space that you preferred. I’m sorry if whatever plans you had fell through and now you are upset that you did not get the shop space, however spreading lies and terrible accusations is not the way to handle your problem. Dahlia has plenty of places to rent and set up shop. Perhaps you could look into another space and move on from this. It can’t be healthy for you to be this obsessed and untruthful. I wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Nikki stared at the screen, uncertain of how to take Bryan’s comment. It seemed to come from a place of civility, but at the same time she could detect the anger and frustration hidden beneath it. She noticed that Royce had not replied to that message. Had he seen it before killing Bryan? Had his denial been what sent Royce over the edge? She had very little knowledge of Royce, which made figuring out what his emotional reaction might have been, that much harder. She decided the best way to get to know him better was to take a look at his house. His address wasn’t far, and she was restless. Maybe she would find a car that matched the car in the surveillance video. If she did it might point Quinn in the right direction.
As Nikki drove in the direction of Royce’s house she considered what the party might be like the next day. She already knew that Mrs. Whitter would be a nervous wreck. She planned to get there early to help her set up the agility set. If she called first, she knew that Mrs. Whitter would refuse her help. But if she showed up, the stubborn woman was more likely to accept it.
Nikki was so distracted with thoughts about the party that she almost missed the house. She slowed down just before she reached it. The house number was clearly marked. She noticed a blue sedan in the driveway, as well as a red convertible. She was about to snap a picture of both license plates, when she noticed that there were two people in the driveway, nearly hidden by the shadow of a nearby tree. She sped up enough not to look conspicuous, but as she did she tried to get a good look at the two people. She recognized the man right away, it was Royce. But the woman he had his arms wrapped around was a surprise. Her eyes widened as she watched them tangle together in a passionate kiss. She nearly ran off the road but managed to straighten the car out and continue on. She hoped that neither of them noticed her presence. Yes, it was Royce in his driveway, but that was most certainly not his wife with him. In fact, it was the real estate agent, Anne.
As the pair disappeared inside the house, Nikki pulled her car to a stop in front of the next house on the street. Clearly, they were involved in an affair, but she was curious about whether they were also partners in crime. She opened her car door as quietly as she could, then closed it just as softly. She edged her way back towards Royce’s house, then crept up the driveway, and along the side of the house. Once she reached the house she followed the sound of their voices towards the room they were in. It wasn’t hard, as they weren’t quiet. In fact, it sounded as if they were arguing. She leaned close to the window in an attempt to hear their exact words, but their voices were still too muffled for her to hear clearly. While she was focused on listening to their argument, she didn’t notice the sound of another engine in the driveway, until it turned off.
The sudden lack of noise alerted Nikki to the presence of someone else. She held her breath and edged towards the rear of the house. Had she been seen? Who had pulled in? She wasn’t daring enough to try to get a look at the car. As she looked for a way to escape without being seen, she heard the back door swing open. Anne ran across the backyard, with her high heels grasped in one hand and her purse in the other. All at once Nikki put together what must have happened, Royce’s wife had come home. She knew she was in just as much danger of being caught. Instead of running after Anne, she ran into the next- door neighbor’s yard. She managed to get back out to the street without being spotted. As she raced in the direction of her car, she realized that maybe Quinn was right. Maybe she did take more risks than she should. Royce was a potential murderer, and more likely guilty now that she realized how much he had to hide.
Once in her car, Nikki started the engine and drove off. Whether or not she was spotted, or heard, she had no idea. A glance over her shoulder revealed that no one was following her, but that did nothing to slow down her racing heartbeat. As she turned down the next street she had to pull off to the side of the road in order to catch her breath. Royce and Anne were having an affair? She knew that could change everything. Anne had given no indication of being in a relationship with him when she spoke to her. Then again, most people didn’t advertise that they were sleeping with another woman’s husband. She couldn’t help but wonder if they might have worked together to get rid of a man who was a thorn in both of their sides. Maybe they had concocted a plan to put an end to Bryan, so that they could get the rental space back. Perhaps Royce snapped when he read the post in which Bryan denied any association with criminals. But would Anne really help him take care of the problem? She wasn’t sure.
Nikki pulled out her phone and typed out a text to Quinn about what she’d found. Just after she hit send, her phone rang. She jumped at the sound, and quickly looked out the window to see if it had drawn anyone’s attention. As she answered the phone she turned the car back on.
“Hi Quinn.”
“Hard at work again I see. Do I want to know how you found this information out?”
“Probably not.” Nikki wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead. “Goodnight, Quinn.”
“Goodnight.” He sighed as he hung up the phone.
* * *
Once Nikki’s head hit he
r pillow, she fell asleep fairly quickly. She jolted awake at the sound of her alarm the next morning. After a few seconds of fog, she realized it was the day of Princess’ party. She jumped out of bed and hurried to wrap Princess’ gift. Then she grabbed a banana and headed out the door. If she knew Mrs. Whitter as well as she thought she did, she guessed that the woman had already been up for a few hours to prepare for the party. She had a little time before the dogs were due for their morning walks, so she headed straight for Mrs. Whitter’s. When she pulled into the driveway she noticed that it, and the front walkway had been neatly swept. All of the bushes and flower beds which were normally spotless, had been tidied up even further. She knew this was all Mrs. Whitter’s handiwork as the gardener had already been at the house earlier in the week.
When Nikki knocked on the door, she prepared to face a fight about her offer of help. She heard Princess bark on the other side of the door. Then the door swung open to reveal Mrs. Whitter’s slight frame.
“Oh, Nikki!” She clasped the younger woman’s cheeks with her hands and gazed into her eyes. “You’re just who I needed to see.”
“I am?” Nikki smiled, a little nervous about Mrs. Whitter’s reaction.
“Honestly, I need your help. I only have a few hours left to prepare for the party and nothing is going smoothly this morning.” Mrs. Whitter thrust her thumb into the air. “I cut myself with the hedge trimmers, and I almost burned the cookies I baked for all of Princess’ friends.”
“I’m so sorry, but I am here to help. You just tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.” Nikki felt some relief at not having to battle Mrs. Whitter.
“If you could start with the agility set I bought for Princess, that would be great. I want it to be set up in the backyard so that all of the guests will be able to use it, but I’d like to add bows to each portion of it so that Princess will know that it’s her birthday present.” Mrs. Whitter pointed down the hall. “It’s in the laundry room, you can take it right out through the kitchen door.”
“Sure, no problem.” Nikki smiled. If it were another dog, she might point out that a dog would have no idea what bows meant. However, she knew Princess’ reaction when she saw bows. Mrs. Whitter had given her so many gifts that now she knew if there was a bow on a box, it was for her, and there was something wonderful inside. Nikki presumed that Princess must be having her breakfast because she hadn’t greeted her at the door.
As Nikki walked towards the laundry room, she caught sight of Princess’ bed. Its fluffy edges were tattered, as if she had been chewing on them. That wasn’t something that Princess usually did. She was quite dainty when it came to the things she loved. She thought about mentioning it to Mrs. Whitter, but decided against it. She didn’t want to upset her on such a special day. However, she also knew that Mrs. Whitter would not want any of her guests to see her precious pup’s bed in tatters. She knew there was an extra bed in the laundry room, she would just switch them around.
Nikki grabbed the agility set, which was in a large and fairly heavy cardboard box, and the extra bed, then headed back out into the living room. She set down the agility set and the replacement bed, then reached for the old one. As she picked up the old bed, her hand closed around something lumpy inside of the material. It wasn’t just in one spot, but spanned the entire ring of the bed. Curious, she began to dig into one of the holes that Princess had chewed. After a few seconds of trying she managed to get one of the lumps free from the hole. A green jewel rolled into the palm of her hand. As she stared at it stunned, and perplexed at why it would be hidden inside of the bed, Mrs. Whitter walked into the room.
“Nikki, what’s that?” She walked towards her, her eyes wide.
“I don’t know. I noticed that Princess had been chewing on her bed, so I thought it would be best to switch it around for her extra bed before the guests arrive. When I picked it up, I felt lumps inside of it. I dug into it, and this is what came out.” Nikki held her palm out for Mrs. Whitter to see. “It must be fake. But why would anyone put that inside of a bed? Where did you get the bed from?”
“I bought it from a boutique in Maines.” Mrs. Whitter narrowed her eyes as she looked over the bed. “But something isn’t right.” She rolled the material between two fingertips. “No this isn’t right at all!”
“What is it, Mrs. Whitter?” Nikki watched as confusion spread across the woman’s face.
“This isn’t the bed I bought. This material is too rough for Princess. I would never let her near a bed like this. Are you playing some kind of joke on me, Nikki? Today is not the day for that!” Mrs. Whitter frowned and drew her hand away from the bed.
“No, not at all, Mrs. Whitter. This is the bed that was here when I arrived today. Like I said, when I saw it chewed up, I knew you wouldn’t want your guests seeing that.” She stared at the bed, and shook her head slowly. “Is it possible that you’re mistaken?”
“Absolutely not.” Mrs. Whitter flipped the bed over in her hands and found the tag on the bottom of it. “You see, this is from Bryan’s boutique. I never bought a bed from Bryan. You know how Princess only sleeps in plush fabric. I even took in the old bed to Bryan to see if he had one with similar material, but he didn’t so I never bought one.” She pursed her lips as her eyes narrowed. “To think that my poor Princess has been sleeping in this heap of trash for who knows how long. How awful. No wonder she chewed it up.”
“I don’t think she chewed it because of the material, Mrs. Whitter, I think she was trying to get to these gems.” Nikki frowned as she felt the ring of the bed again. “There are lots more inside. Why would anyone put them inside of a dog bed?”
“I have no idea.” Mrs. Whitter crossed her arms. “But I certainly don’t have time for this today.”
“Unless.” Nikki’s eyes widened as she gazed down at the green stone in her hand. “Mrs. Whitter, what if they’re real?”
“Real?” She stared back at her with disbelief. “They couldn’t possibly be, could they?”
“Why else would someone go to all of the trouble of hiding them inside a dog bed?” Nikki raised an eyebrow as her thoughts began to churn. She recalled how Bryan refused to sell her the key rings with the green gems in them. “Oh no, Mrs. Whitter, I’m afraid this could be quite serious.”
“What do you mean, Nikki?” She pressed her hand against her chest. “I can’t take any trouble today. You know how important it is to me.”
“I do know that, and I’m sorry, Mrs. Whitter. But I think these gems are real, and I think Bryan has been smuggling them. As long as they are here, you won’t be safe, and neither will your guests.” She gripped the bed tightly. “We need to get the police involved right away.”
“Real?” Mrs. Whitter stammered as she continued. “You think Bryan had something to do with this?”
“The other day, when he was here, did you leave him alone at all?” Nikki slid the emerald back into the bed with the others, placed the bed on the floor and began to pace slowly back and forth.
“Yes, I did, for a few minutes. But he wouldn’t do something like this, Bryan was a good man, and—”
“And he insisted that you return the collar with the gems in it, remember?” Nikki snapped her fingers. “He must have known it had real jewels in it.”
“If he did, then why would he leave the bed here? Why would he want to hide the jewels in my home?” Mrs. Whitter’s voice shook. “None of this makes any sense.”
“You’re right, Mrs. Whitter, but I know one thing for certain. We need to call Quinn.” Nikki reached for her phone, but realized she’d put it down on the dryer when she was in the laundry room. She’d left it behind as she carried the agility set and bed out of the laundry room. “Let me just get my phone.”
Nikki turned back towards the hallway to get it, and came face to face with John, the conman who had strong-armed Anne into giving Bryan the lease for the shop.
Chapter 12
The moment Nikki saw John, her heart jumped into her throat. She fou
nd it hard to swallow, or take a full breath. She stared straight into his eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” He smiled as he looked from her to Mrs. Whitter. “I’m here to get back what belongs to me.”
“Nothing here could possibly belong to you.” Mrs. Whitter crossed her arms, her voice strong as she spoke.
“Oh, I disagree.” John rested his hand on his hip, just above a gun tucked into his belt. “You see, I thought perhaps my merchandise was at the shop. But it wasn’t. Then I began to trace the movements Bryan made before his unfortunate demise. I noticed that he made a stop at this house. But why? No one around town indicated that you were friends. Bryan had no reason to be here.” He looked between the two women again. Just then, Princess bolted in from the other room, and began to bark.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nikki’s heart raced. She could guess what he was looking for, but she knew that if she gave him the jewels, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them both.
“Jewels. Emeralds, to be exact.” He eyed the dog as she barked and bounced back and forth on her feet. “Shut that thing up.”
“Don’t talk to her that way.” Mrs. Whitter gasped and scooped Princess up into her arms.
“We don’t have any emeralds.” Nikki stepped between him and Mrs. Whitter. “You’re mistaken. If you leave now, we won’t call the police. We’ll just consider it a misjudgment.”
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.” John pulled his gun from his waistband. “And if you don’t shut that dog up, I’ll shut her up!”
“No!” Mrs. Whitter shrieked.
“Stop, please!” Nikki used her body to block Mrs. Whitter and Princess. “Please, just calm down. If you calm down, she’ll calm down. She’s just trying to protect her.”