Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1)
Page 8
Instead of going back upstairs, she headed for the couch. She put in her ear buds and started to open the audiobook file, but then she hesitated.
With a frown, she chose her music instead.
It took another hour before she finally drifted off to sleep.
When her phone rang the next morning, it jolted her out of a dreamless sleep and sent her sprawling on the floor. Hearing Andrew’s special ringtone, she shoved her hair from her face and went digging into the couch cushions for her phone. Her ear buds were tangled up and shoved down her shirt, so she followed the wire until she pulled it out. “Andrew,� she said breathlessly when she’d finally pulled the headphone jack out and answered the phone.
“Good morning,� he said with a sexy drawl. “I was worried that you wouldn’t wake up in time, so I thought I’d call you. You sound out of breath. Were you already awake?�
“No, your call woke me up. I just … fell off the couch,â€� she admitted. She couldn’t figure out a better way to say that. “You didn’t wake me up when you left this morning.â€�
“I figured that if you left the bed and went downstairs last night, then you must have fallen asleep late. I wanted you to sleep until the last possible minute, but you’ve got dogs to walk this morning.� Olivia held her breath and waited for him to ask why she’d slept on the couch. “So, by my count, if you get up now, you’ll have just enough time to warm up the breakfast sandwich I made for you and get to that monstrous Rottweiler that someone had the audacity to name Snowball.�
“You made me a breakfast sandwich?� she asked softly, with a smile.
“Don’t get too excited. It’s microwavable bacon.�
“You didn’t leave me enough time to shower,� she pointed out.
“I don’t think Snowball will mind.�
“True. Thank you. I love you.�
“Yes, you do. Now I have to go. The nurses were all given iPads to input their patient information, and I’m pretty sure at least a third of them are going to be broken before lunch.�
Olivia chuckled. “Good luck with that. Dinner tonight?�
“Not tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow. Have a good day.� Before Olivia could ask what he had planned for the evening, he hung up.
An unsettled feeling bloomed in the pit of her stomach. Yesterday he’d had errands that he didn’t want to talk about. Tonight he didn’t want to have dinner with her. That wasn’t like Andrew.
She heated up the sandwich, changed her clothes, and leashed Goodwin. Tossing everything she needed into her messenger bag, she shoved the sandwich in her mouth and headed to the other side of town.
Snowball was her first stop. The hundred-pound-plus male dog wore a spiked collar bought by his father and was taught to growl on command by his mother, but his true owner was the five-year-old girl who’d named him, so when Olivia unlocked the door and found the friendly beast wearing a giant pink bow, it didn’t surprise her.
“No tutu today, Snowball? That’s all right. I think the bow is fabulous.�
Snowball licked her in agreement and bounded around Goodwin. After Olivia got the dog leashed, she headed to her second stop. The dachshund and Snowball weren’t great friends, but Goodwin was a great mediator between the two and loved to act as a buffer. Finally, she made it to her unofficial stop of the morning.
“Sheriff,� she said in greeting as she took Tucker’s leash.
“Thanks for doing this, Olivia. I just have a lot on my plate with Yvette’s death,� he said, grabbed his car keys out of his pocket, and headed toward his squad car.
Olivia followed him, trailed by a parade of dogs. “You know, you’re going to have to skip lunch at End Game today if you don’t walk Tucker like you promised Mary you would,� she said with a smile.
He grunted in response. It was an argument they had every time Nick paid her to walk Tucker without Mary knowing. Mary wanted Nick to lose weight. She always complained that his blood pressure and cholesterol levels were too high, and to give Nick credit, he did try. On good days, he swapped out his normal cheeseburger for a salad and walked Tucker, but on bad days, he paid Olivia to exercise the dog and ordered an extra beer at dinner.
“How is the investigation going?� she asked quickly as he opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
“Olivia, Janelle is no longer a suspect. You don’t have to be involved with this case anymore.�
Staring down at the leashes, she shrugged. “It’s just curiosity. We’re friends.�
“Olivia,� he growled, warning in his voice. “What did I tell you?�
“Did you know about Franklin Kennedy?� she blurted out before she could stop herself. “Did you know that Yvette was suing him?�
Nick looked up, surprise in his eyes, but he covered it quickly. “Olivia, you know that if you have a tip, you call it in. You don’t need to tell me directly.�
“So you didn’t know? Are you going to investigate?�
“I won’t need you to walk Tucker tonight. Just lock up when you’re finished. Thanks again, Olivia.� He slammed the car door, started the engine, and turned away from her, looking behind him to back out of the space.
Upset, Olivia watched Nick drive away. She had seen the stress lines around his eyes, and she knew that the investigation was taking a toll on him, but he wasn’t even pleased that she’d told him about Franklin. It was a huge motive. Why wasn’t he taking it more seriously?
Blowing out her breath, she shook her head. She’d told him. She’d done her job as a citizen of this town. Now it was time to focus on her job. “Come on, guys. Let’s go check out the dog park.�
A few minutes later, she was watching Tucker, Goodwin, and Snowball playing happily in the dog park while Lily ignored them and started digging random holes in the corner. Laughing, Olivia followed behind her and filled in the holes so none of the other dogs fell in and hurt themselves.
When the dogs had tired themselves out, she walked them back to their homes, dropping them off one by one, and started to head back to take a shower. When she passed Franklin’s house, she stopped at the for-sale sign and casually removed one of the flyers. It didn’t surprise her to see that Franklin was using Kristy, a local realtor. He believed in putting his money back in the community and rarely went outside town for anything.
Where on earth could he be moving? How could he be moving and not tell anyone?
Just then, the front door opened, and Franklin walked out, carrying his suitcase. He was an older man, around Nick’s age, but in great shape. He had a handsome face and a pleasant demeanor, but he commanded authority. No one second-guessed Franklin on anything.
He and Mayor Henderson were practically glued at the hip. He and Nick were friends. Was that why Nick had brushed off Olivia’s tip? He didn’t want to have to investigate his friend for murder?
Goodwin jumped and pulled at the leash. Making a split-second decision, she let the leash go and watched as the dog ran to Franklin and jumped up gleefully. The man stumbled and dropped his suitcase.
“Mr. Kennedy, I’m so sorry!� Olivia gushed as she ran forward. “Gosh, but you know Goodwin. He just loves to greet people.�
“It’s all right, Olivia. No harm done,� he chuckled as he patted the dog and then reached down to collect his things.
“You’re lucky it’s just Goodwin. I had Snowball and Lily earlier. Plus Tucker. You know how excited Tucker gets—but that’s just between us. Mary doesn’t know that I walk Tucker sometimes. Nick is ju
st so busy with this case. Can you believe that Yvette was murdered just down the street?� She was almost breathless as the words tumbled out of her mouth. Rose was so suave—she was natural at weaseling information out of people. Clearly, it wasn’t as easy as it looked.
“Shocking,� Franklin agreed. “This is a good town. It was probably a tourist or some homeless person from the city. I can’t imagine that anyone here is a murderer.�
Olivia smiled brightly. “That thought does make me feel better,� she said, as if truly thankful for Franklin’s insight. “But Yvette didn’t have a lot of friends.�
“She could be a difficult person,� he admitted with a rueful smile. “But I just can’t imagine that anyone who knew her would murder her!�
“Yeah,â€� Olivia said, nodding. Her voice rose an octave. “So …â€� She cleared her throat. “So, are you moving? I just saw the for-sale sign!â€�
“It just went up yesterday,� he said with a smile. “Donna and I are ready for something new.�
Yesterday? Did he just spontaneously decide to move after he murdered Yvette? “You’ve got the most beautiful house in town! I can’t imagine that you’ve found something better!�
He grinned. “We’re moving to Florida! I’m actually heading down today to finalize the details on a set of condos that I have my eye on. I have a little competition, but hopefully I’ll be signing the paperwork tomorrow.�
Wasn’t that convenient? Yvette had stood in his way, and now that she was dead, there was nothing stopping him. Despite his public love for this town, these condos were probably a big deal for him. It meant real money, and if that wasn’t a motive, she didn’t know what was. She needed to choose her next words carefully. “You’re leaving? I had no idea.�
“Really?� He frowned. “Janelle knew. That’s why I’m selling all of my property. Which reminds me, I haven’t heard an update from her. Have you finalized the details with the bank yet?�
“Not yet. Just so busy,� Olivia said quickly. “Are you selling your food trucks as well? That’s such a shame. I bet Yvette would have loved to own that food truck.�
“She actually didn’t want to buy,� Franklin said with a grimace. “I thought the same thing, but I ended up selling the contract to Jacob.�
“Jacob!� Startled, Olivia blinked. “I had no idea that he was interested in the food truck business.�
Franklin guffawed. “He’s interested in money, my dear. Yvette’s food tuck, and the other two that I own, are very lucrative.� His tone turned brisk. “Anyway, it was very nice to see you, Olivia. I’m going to be late if I don’t run.�
“You’re flying to Florida now?� she asked in alarm.
He gave her a strange look. “I’m going to the office now. My flight is at nine tonight.�
“Of course,� she said hastily as she pulled Goodwin out of the way. “I’ll see you when you get back.�
As she watched him hurry off, her heart sank. Things were working out rather conveniently for him now that Yvette was dead, and it was clear that Nick wasn’t treating him as a suspect if he was letting the man jet off to Florida in the middle of the investigation.
If Franklin was guilty, he could be running.
9
Rose heard the front door open, and she panicked. What was someone doing in the office at this time of night? Switching off the lamp, she hurried to the closet and closed the doors. A minute later, the door opened and a silhouette appeared in the doorway.
“I don’t care who her friends are,� a low voice growled. “She’s getting too close to the truth, and I want her eliminated!�
Rose felt her heart skip a beat. Someone knew that she was close to the truth, which meant that someone was watching her. She hadn’t told anyone.
Except David. Was he betraying her?
The man in the office rifled through the desk before he pulled out a folder and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. Rose narrowed her eyes. She’d bet anything that it was the document she was here for.
Great. Another roadblock. Now what would she do?
When the shower didn’t help her clear her mind, Olivia tried to lose herself in the mystery, but she couldn’t get Franklin out of her head. What if he was lying? Ripping out her ear buds in frustration, she grabbed her keys and headed to the police station. The only person who could stop Franklin was Nick, and she needed to make sure that he understood the gravity of the situation.
“Olivia!� Deputy Derek Jameson greeted her with a big smile. “I haven’t seen you in ages.� He swept a hand through his thick hair and gave her an obvious once-over. It was all she could do not to point out how ridiculous he was being. They’d gone to high school together, and he never even gave her the time of day, but when she’d started dating the most-wanted man in town, suddenly Derek decided she was worth pursuing.
“I’ve seen you,� she said and leaned on the front desk. “I even said hi to you last week at End Game, but you were upset about a bet that you’d just lost and were a little too deep in your cups.�
Derek winced. “Yeah, I remember that bet, but I don’t remember much of the night. I’m sorry I missed you. I don’t suppose you’re ready to leave that boyfriend of yours and marry me?�
“That boyfriend of mine made me a breakfast sandwich this morning and knew that I might sleep in, so he called me to make sure that I would wake up in time. He’s kind of perfect,� she admitted with a smile.
Derek grinned. “If you were my girl, I’d make you a three-course meal for breakfast and let you sleep in all day. Come on—he’s not even local. I remember when you bleached your hair in high school, and it was orange for a week. That alone should earn me a date!�
She cringed. “And that is why I prefer my perfect, non-local boyfriend. Besides, if you were really in love with me, you wouldn’t bring that story up. Ever. Is Nick in?�
“Yeah, I think he just got back from lunch. Want me to let him know that you’re here?�
And give Nick a chance to duck her? Not a chance. “No. I’ll just head back there. I just need to return the key to his house. It’ll only take a second.� Giving Derek a quick wink, she strolled down the hall to Nick’s office and knocked on the door.
“Olivia, is something wrong with Tucker?� he asked on opening the door. Just as she’d expected, he didn’t look very pleased. He made the mistake of stepping back, and she slipped into the office. It was sparsely decorated with a fake tree in the corner and several pictures on the desk. Nick and Mary had never had kids, but they both had nieces and nephews they were simply crazy about. The window overlooked the parking lot—Olivia was surprised that Nick hadn’t run as soon as he’d seen her green Wrangler pull up.
“No, it’s fine. You didn’t leave instructions about the key.� She gave him a bright smile as she held the key up and then waved it in front of him.
Nick gave her a pointed look. “You’ve been walking my dog for a year, Olivia. You know where to put the key.�
“True, and I really meant to say something to you earlier, but since I’m thinking of putting down roots, I realized that I need contracts. Without contracts, I shouldn’t assume that you want me to put the key in your ceramic frog key holder in the back yard. For all I know, you’re being extra-vigilant since this horrible crime has been committed. So I’m here officially to ask about the key.�<
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“Did you come with a contract?� he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Crap. “No,� she admitted.
“So every time that you walk my dog, I’m supposed to give you instructions about the key? Olivia, you’re a horrible liar. What do you want?�
She took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. “Franklin Kennedy is leaving town. Tonight.�
A shadow passed over his face. “Olivia, I told you to leave this alone. A lot of people didn’t get along with Yvette, and I’m not about to accuse the wealthiest, most influential and well-loved man in town of murdering Yvette Dunn. Now, unless you came here with proof, Franklin will go to Florida tonight, and he’ll return in three days.�
In three days? So Nick did know! Her shoulders slumped. “No, I don’t have proof.�
“Then you can return my key to the frog. Thank you, Olivia.�
“Nick,� she whispered. “What is going on with you?�
He leaned against the wall. “I had to do a press release, Olivia. I’m using the facilities at the state police to process a crime. I’m fielding phone calls from the press about updates. There was a murder in our town, Olivia. A murder. That’s what’s going on with me.�
“Right. Of course. I’m sorry, Nick. I really am.� Ashamed for thinking that Nick was letting Franklin slide because of their friendship, she placed the key on his desk.
And saw Yvette’s open file on his desk.
Don’t look, Olivia. Just walk away. Be the good girlfriend. Ignore it.
“Okay, well, I’m going to go. Sorry for bothering you, Nick,� she said, and bolted from the office.
“Olivia!� Derek called out as she hurried by. “We could have drinks tonight.�
“Busy, gotta go,� she said as she raised her hand absently. Derek Jameson was the farthest thing from her mind as she fumbled with her keys and slid into her vehicle.