He then walked into the living room to sit at the window. Charlie looked out every day now to see if he could spot Susie.
***
Ashley gave Thompson a call and left a message on his voicemail, letting him know what she had found. She would bring it by the police department the following day. Maybe it could help find the guy who broke into her apartment.
She closed her eyes and focused on Susie, praying for her safe return.
A knock at her door broke up her thoughts.
A familiar female voice was heard coming from outside. “It’s me! Nancy!”
Ashley opened her door, and Nancy stood there with a shocked look on her face.
“Have you found your cat?” Nancy asked.
Ashley shook her head. “Not yet. The detective is working on it. My cat just found a piece of chain with an initial on it. I’m going to turn it over to the detective.”
Nancy glanced at the chain and was silent for a moment. She put her hand on Ashley’s shoulder.
“She’s alive, but she’s locked up. I have a premonition of where she is if you’d like to take a drive,” Nancy said.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Ashley asked.
“I’m off today. Do you want to go or not?”
“Let’s go,” Ashley said. “Can I take Charlie? He likes the car, and he might be able to help us.”
“Could always use help.”
***
Nancy and Ashley got in Nancy’s car. Nancy headed down the street and took a left.
“Where are we going?” Ashley asked.
“Up to the old mill. That may not be the place I see in my mind, but I think so. Let’s try it,” Nancy replied.
Charlie sat on Ashley’s lap, looking out the passenger window. He meowed from time to time but otherwise was fine. He kept looking at Ashley quizzically as if to say, “Where are we going, Mom?” then went back to gazing outside.
The road to the mill went past neat little houses with large backyards that spilled into the woods. They climbed up the hill gradually, and Nancy parked off the road slightly on the shoulder. She got out of the car and stood there gazing at the abandoned mill.
“Well?” Ashley asked. She rolled down her window, and Charlie poked his head out.
Nancy frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe this isn’t the place I saw. But it sure seems like—”
Charlie started to yowl. He was craning his neck toward the mill, and his tail puffed up. He jumped off Ashley’s lap to the backseat and kept staring out toward the building then jumped back in front and yowled at the top of his lungs.
“I think the little guy senses something,” Nancy said.
“Yes, he does,” Ashley replied. “Let’s go check.”
Ashley made sure Charlie’s halter and leash were on tightly.
The three of them slowly walked in, all the while craning their necks around them. The floorboards in the mill were rickety, and the air smelled damp and musty inside. Although the rooms were dark, slats of light came in from outside where the side boards had deteriorated. Ashley was on edge, but Nancy seemed to be okay.
“Careful,” Ashley whispered.
“Oh, I am,” Nancy replied. “Let’s go toward the back.”
As soon as they took a few more steps, Charlie started to yowl again, sniffing the air. Off in a corner, they could hear a rustling then a chorus of meows. Ashley strained her eyes and saw a small cage under a rampart. A frantic face was looking up at them.
Susie Q!
Charlie struggled to get down.
“Hang on to him!” Ashley said.
Ashley handed Charlie to Nancy then opened the cage and grabbed Susie.
For a few seconds, all Ashley did was squeeze her cat tightly and murmur, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Susie was purring in overdrive, but her eyes were as wide as saucers.
Ashley noticed some food and water in the cage, but Susie was thinner than when she was nabbed from home.
“Let’s get out of here,” Nancy said. “Now!”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The women walked out with the two cats as quickly as the old creaky boards would safely let them do so, and headed for the car. Both cats were agitated, and Ashley’s heart was racing.
Just then, they saw a car coming up fast on the road toward them.
“Get in and lie low!” Nancy yelled.
Ashley and Nancy jumped in the car with the cats.
From there, Nancy turned her car around and headed down the hill. Meanwhile, Ashley slumped down in her seat. Just as the car was about to pass them, Susie jumped from Ashley’s arms.
Ashley quickly reacted to catch her, causing her to sit up in the seat. Ashley got a glance of the driver behind the wheel of an old, dark car.
The guy had dark-red hair and a pale, twisted face. This time, she clearly saw him. But he had also gotten a good look at the both of them, too.
Nancy hit the gas and gunned the car down the hill. Ashley turned around and saw the other car behind them squeal off the side of the road and do a U-turn.
The red-haired man was coming after them.
“You’ll have to pull into the first house you see!” Ashley said. “We can’t outrun him.”
A small tan house with two cars in the driveway was coming up on their right. The car behind them was right on their tail. Nancy jerked the car into the front yard, but she kept the engine running. A man came out from the side of the house and stared at the car on his front lawn.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” the man yelled.
Ashley rolled down her window and started to explain what was happening.
Thankfully, the dark car sped by them.
Before she had a chance to catch her breath, Ashley then saw another car racing up the hill toward them. She was panicked for a moment until she saw who was driving that car. Much to her relief, it was Detective Jackson.
Ashley turned to Nancy. “Thank God. He must have been chasing the guy!”
Ashley got out to wave to Detective Jackson, but he made a U-turn in the road and quickly took off back down the hill after the dark car.
Meanwhile, the homeowner was still yelling and pointing at Nancy and Ashley. Finally, Nancy got out of the car to talk to him.
After Nancy spoke with him a little, the homeowner seemed to calm down. Then she walked back to the car. By then, Ashley had her hands full trying to calm down the cats.
Nancy put her car in reverse and drove off the guy’s lawn.
“Close call. Thanks for helping me,” Ashley said.
“No problem. Glad you got her back safe and sound. Although Susie looks like she could use some fattening up,” Nancy replied.
“I’ll call the detective when I get back to town,” Ashley said. “Hopefully, he’ll catch that creep.” She looked at Nancy. “That’s the guy you saw at my apartment that night, right?”
Nancy had a strange look on her face. She stared ahead and kept driving back down the hill.
“Nancy?”
“He looks like him, but I’m not sure,” Nancy replied.
“What do you mean?” Ashley asked.
Nancy knitted her brow. “I don’t know. Something isn’t clear.”
“But you said the guy had red hair. And Susie Q was taken that night. Now we find her up here, and a red-haired guy started to chase us. He must have known that we found the cat. That must be him.”
Nancy didn’t answer. She just kept driving for a while. After letting her thoughts fully process, she spoke up. “Remember, I told you I didn’t get a good look at his face that night. I’ve got to think. Anyway, I’m really glad that we found little Susie.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Nancy dropped Ashley off at their apartment building and helped her take in the cats.
“Bye. I’ll see you later,” Nancy said.
“Don’t you want to sit down and have some tea and relax for a while?” Ashley asked.
“No, I’m going to see M
ary and get her advice. I’ll call you later,” Nancy said.
“Thanks again. It means more than I can say,” Ashley replied.
“I know. Take care. Stay vigilant.”
Nancy left abruptly.
What did Nancy sense or “see” that she wasn’t telling Ashley?
Ashley would relay what had happened to Detective Thompson, but she was confident that it wouldn’t make the detective feel any better about her friend that “saw” things.
Back inside her apartment, Ashley gently cradled Susie again and kept telling her everything was okay. She fed both cats some of their favorite food. Susie gobbled it down and even ate the rest of Charlie’s food, too.
Charlie kept licking his pal and looked up at Ashley as if to say, “Glad she’s back. Even if she’s stealing my food.”
Ashley gazed at her pets. One thought weighed heavily on her mind—what would stop that guy from coming in here again and taking them?
Hopefully, Jackson was able to apprehend the man and that would be the end of that.
***
Ashley picked up her cell and rang the detective’s number.
“Jackson,” the detective answered.
“Detective? Ashley Crane. I’m so glad you went after that guy! He was in the process of trying to run my friend and me off the road, or who knows what? I’m sure he was the one who stole my cat. She was in a cage up in that old mill. When he saw us leaving the mill, he must’ve realized we found her and started to come after us. Did you catch him? And have you talked to Thompson about everything that’s been going on with that guy—”
Detective Jackson cut her off. “Yeah, I got him. Glad you got your cat back. Sorry, but I’m in the middle of something important with the case and have to go.”
Ashley jumped in. “Can I see you tomorrow to talk about this?”
“Yeah, later. Gotta go. Even though we got the guy, be careful. Who knows what other creep is out there.”
Detective Jackson hung up quickly.
All Ashley could think of was that with Jackson and Thompson on this case, it would certainly be solved soon. She could hardly wait for it to be over.
“I’ve got to lie down.”
Ashley walked into the bedroom, and both cats jumped up on the bed with her. Susie cuddled especially close and purred loudly. She called Sean and left a message on his voicemail.
“We’ve got our little girl back. She was in the old mill. I’ll explain when I see you,” Ashley said.
She lay on her back, petting Susie and Charlie and looking at the ceiling. What a day. She wanted to think about how everything was tying together, but her eyelids started to flutter, and she felt exhausted. How peaceful everything was now, cuddled up with her pets. But how strange and foreboding the world felt outside. A quote from Cymbeline came to her mind.
Nothing routs us but the villainy of our fears, she thought.
Just then, her cell rang.
Chapter Thirty
Ashley mumbled “Hello” and sighed.
“Ashley? What’s up? You said to call tonight,” Lara said.
“Oh, Lara. Hi. It’s all so crazy” Ashley replied.
Her friend was confused. “What’s crazy?”
“You know, I’m honestly too exhausted to talk now. Can I call you tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Lara said. “But I’m worried. Did you find out who that guy was I told you about in the hardware store asking for you?”
“I think so. At least, he’s one of the guys that I’ve unfortunately run into in the last two days,” Ashley replied.
“What do you mean?” Lara asked.
“Let me call you back tomorrow. I’m so tired. I’ll fill you in, I promise.”
“Okay. But I need to know soon, Ash.”
“Right. Soon.”
Ashley let out a deep yawn.
“Okay, I’ll expect a call,” Lara replied. “Okay, Ash?”
No answer.
Lara could hear Ashley breathing quietly. “Night, Ash.”
Ashley had struggled to wait up for Sean. It was no use. Charlie put his paw on her arm as she drifted off with her phone in her hand.
***
“Ashley. Ashley. Wake up,” Sean said.
Ashley’s eyes shot open.
Sean was standing over her, holding Susie Q against his chest. The morning light was streaming in the through the curtains.
“Oh no. Are you going already?” Ashley asked. “I was so tired last night. Let me get some coffee in me, and I’ll tell you what happened.”
“There’s no time. I have to go. Lots of large orders for today. Can it wait until this afternoon? I should be home by three,” Sean said.
Ashley groaned. “Sean, it was very scary yesterday. Aren’t you concerned about what happened?”
“I am, Ash. You know I am. It’s just that you were deep asleep last night, and now I have to go.” He held her face in his hands. “You know I love you and I care about all of this, but I have to work. I’ll be home before too long, and I want to have time to hear all about it—not just the shortened version.”
“Okay, I understand. See you later.”
“In the meantime, I want you to go to your parents’. Right away. Do you promise?”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
Sean ran out the door. “Love you!”
“Love you too,” she responded.
But he was already gone.
As soon as the door shut, Ashley shot up in bed. There was a lot to do.
***
Coffee came first, then she had to do her menu. Her next catering job was coming up soon, and with all that had been going on, she hadn’t given it the time and preparation she should have.
Charlie followed Ashley into the kitchen, with Susie Q close behind. He gave Ashley a look as if to say, “Isn’t it great to all be together again?” and Susie agreed by twirling and purring around him.
Ashley then thought of what Sean said before he left. She dialed her parents’ home number. Before anyone answered the phone, she heard a knock at the door.
That’s probably Nancy, checking up on me before she goes to work, Ashley thought.
She still looked out the peephole first.
It was Detective Josh Jackson.
Ashley opened the door for him. “Hi. What a surprise. What brings you here?”
“Do you have a minute to talk?” Detective Jackson asked.
“Yes, but I thought I’d come to the station later and talk. I’ve got work to do right now.”
Ignoring what she said, the detective walked right in and scanned her apartment. “I’ll be fast. Besides, you shouldn’t be alone. By the way, I ran into your boyfriend, and he said you were going to your parents’.” He kept looking around the apartment. “Where’s the cat that was taken?”
“Here.” Ashley picked up Susie Q. “Thank God she’s okay.”
“Yeah. I don’t know what I’d do if someone took Jake.”
“Where is Jake, by the way?”
“In the car. I didn’t think you’d want him up here with your little creatures.”
“Thanks. That wouldn’t have gone down so well,” she said. “Coffee?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
A flurry of questions came to Ashley’s mind. “So you got the guy yesterday that had been chasing my friend and me? What do you know about him? Is he involved in the cold case? It would make sense after what he’s been up to.”
“Nothing makes sense in this case,” Detective Jackson replied. “What I want to know is what your parents and uncle had to say to you about the case. Any information would be helpful as we are trying to round up the players.”
“You know, I never got a chance to talk to my uncle about it. I was on the way to his house to do just that when I found him outside. You heard what happened. Besides, my parents told me basically everything they knew, which was confirmed by the newspaper clippings in their attic. Like you said, the only thing they hadn’t told me was that my un
cle had been a suspect years ago. They had wanted to protect me, so I understand.”
“Were they upset that I spilled the beans about him?”
“Not really. They were more upset that it had happened in the first place, and now they’re very upset that he almost got killed,” she said.
“Do you think your uncle knows something that your parents don’t?” Jackson asked.
Ashley shrugged. “I don’t know since we were never able to talk about it. Based on my instincts, I believe that my uncle told my parents everything that he knew.”
“What’s the prognosis on him at the hospital?”
“He’s going to be there for a while. At his age, it takes longer to heal. He has to be very stable before they let him go.”
“Understood,” Jackson said. “That’s important. And I need you to be very careful after what happened yesterday.”
“I will. But now that you have that guy, he’s in custody, right?”
Detective Jackson nodded. “He is. But we still don’t know who he was working with or how long we can hold him based on the evidence we have. So watch yourself. And the minute you hear anything from your uncle, let me know. I want to wrap this all up before too long.”
“Will do. More coffee?” Ashley asked.
“No, thanks. I have to go. We’ll talk. Can I use your bathroom?”
“Sure. It’s the door down on the left.”
The cats had finished their food and were up on the couch, grooming themselves.
Ashley’s cell phone rang. It was April.
“Hi, Mom. Can’t talk. Can I call you back in about five minutes?” Ashley asked.
“Please do. Sean called and said you were coming over. I also have an update on George,” April said.
“Okay, I’ll call you right back,” Ashley replied.
Detective Jackson came out of the bathroom a short time later. “Thanks again for the coffee. Take care.”
Ashley Crane Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 43