“Sheriff Limperos trumps security,� Andrew said with a chuckle. “But thanks for looking out for me.�
Opening the door, he waved the sheriff inside. Nick cleared his throat and grimaced. “I don’t mean to interrupt you while you’re at work, Andrew, but I was hoping to speak to you without Olivia around.�
Gesturing for Nick to sit down, Andrew slid his hands nervously over his shirt. “What did she do now? She promised that she’d stay away from the case.�
“No, it’s nothing like that. I just didn’t want her to know that I need your help.�
“My help? What’s going on?�
“We have Yvette’s computer, and it wasn’t hard to discover her password, but no one in the department is a whiz at computers, and I’m afraid if I ask the state police for more help, they’ll take over the whole investigation.�
Understanding dawned on Andrew. “You want me to look it over?�
“If you wouldn’t mind. Do you have a second?�
“I don’t, but if you want to stop by my apartment tonight, we can look it over then.� Andrew saw Nick’s hesitation and smiled knowingly. “Don’t worry. Olivia and I don’t have any plans tonight, and I want to keep her as far away from this as possible. She has a way of finding trouble, and she doesn’t seem to realize that she could be putting herself in danger.�
“She doesn’t give up easily,� Nick agreed. “I can be at your place around seven. How does Chinese food sound?�
“Sounds perfect.�
“Thanks again, Andrew. I need a break in this case. I feel like the whole town is breathing down my neck.�
Andrew pitied the man. There were dark circles under his eyes, as though he hadn’t slept for months. “You’ll catch them, Nick. I’ve got faith in you.�
Nick just grunted in return before shuffling out the office. Andrew could tell that the case was weighing heavily on his shoulders. Nick wasn’t the kind of man who worked well under pressure, and he was probably getting it on all sides. Andrew was more than happy to help.
So long as Olivia didn’t find out.
That night, after ducking Olivia’s apology phone call and texting her a vague message about hanging out with a friend tonight, he opened a couple of beers with Nick and sat down at the breakfast bar after plugging in and opening Yvette’s computer. “All right. Let’s see what this bad boy has. Password?�
“Coffee4all79. All lowercase letters. The ‘for’ is a number,� Nick said as he flipped through the pages of his notebook. “The deputies just found her financials on QuickBooks and a bunch of photos. She was making enough money to live off of, but not enough to kill her for. No photos of friends or family. Most of them are of her and Jacob when they were dating.�
Nick wasn’t wrong. There were no documents or games on the computer, but Yvette had used it to back up her phone. Andrew opened up the photo files and frowned as he flipped through them. “Olivia told me that Jacob and Samantha were dating. We saw them at L’Amore the other night.�
The sheriff pulled the boxes of Chinese food from the bag and slid one across the counter. “When I talked to Jacob, he said that he wasn’t seeing anyone. He and Yvette were business partners, and he and Samantha were just good friends. According to him, he and Yvette were on good terms. They’d put that whole wedding business behind them.�
“That’s probably true, because these photos of Yvette with Jacob are recent. Most of these were taken in the city of Lowell. See this deli? It’s right across from the hospital. Look at the sign.�
Andrew turned the laptop around, and Nick put on his glasses and leaned over the counter. The photo was a selfie of Yvette and Jacob kissing. “It says that hospital employees get thirty percent off six-inch subs. Nice discount.�
“It is a nice discount,� Andrew agreed. “And it just started three weeks ago.�
“Jacob has an alibi for the morning of Yvette’s murder. He was with Franklin,� Nick said with a sigh. “If I bring him in for questioning, Franklin will throw a fit.�
“You’re worried about Franklin?�
“No, I’m worried about his girlfriend, the mayor,� Nick said with a rueful smile. “He found out that Olivia was asking questions about his intentions, and I got yelled at for an hour for letting a civilian get in the way. Even though he’s in Florida, Franklin still protects his good name.�
“Photos don’t mean anything,� Andrew said with a shrug. “They could just be celebrating their new partnership. Did you guys get into her emails?�
“Yeah, but it was business stuff.�
Andrew opened his box of sesame chicken and dug in with a plastic fork. Bringing up the browser, he found the bookmark for email. “She probably has a separate account for her personal and business email, but if she used Gmail for both, they’re probably linked.� Clicking on the small icon in the corner, he smiled when another email dropped down. “Here we go.�
After opening Yvette’s personal email, he slid the laptop back over to Nick. A few minutes later, Nick frowned. “Most of it is spam. She exchanged a few emails with a friend, but it’s nothing to break the case open.� He returned the computer to Andrew.
“Not everyone uses email today. Especially with texting,� Andrew explained with a shrug. An idea occurred to him, and he opened the command center to the computer. “Most people back their photos up to the cloud, so if something is deleted from the phone, it’s not necessarily deleted from the computer. Here we go. Yvette took a bunch of screenshots from her phone a few days before she was killed. They’re texts from Jacob, and they’re not nice. Did you see anything like that on her phone?�
“No. There was nothing to connect Jacob and Yvette on her phone. She didn’t even have his number stored. Let me see?�
“It looks like Jacob wanted more than Yvette was willing to give,� Andrew said softly. For a minute, he actually felt bad for the poor guy.
Nick looked over Andrew’s shoulder and whistled low between his teeth. “‘Not nice’ is an understatement. It looks like Jacob thought Yvette was just using him. Why would she take a picture of the texts? Why would she delete them?�
“I don’t know, but that sounds like motive to me.�
The sheriff sighed and shook his head. “You were supposed to make my life easier, Andrew. Not harder. How’s your proposal going?�
In the middle of taking a swig of beer, Andrew choked on it and glared. “How do you know about that?�
“Janelle babbles when she’s nervous. When I interrogated her, I learned more than I wanted to know about her husband, and she spoke at length about how she’d orchestrated a romantic evening so you could propose to Olivia. I haven’t seen a ring on her finger.�
Andrew smiled and reached into his pocket to pull out the ring. Opening the small box, he revealed the round-cut one-and-a-half carat diamond in its platinum setting.
“Wow,� Nick whistled. “That is some ring.�
“Thanks. I’ve had it for a while. It’s perfect for Olivia. Unfortunately, all of my attempts at proposing have failed. I’ve trying to wait for the right moment, rather than forcing it.�
“I’m pretty sure everyone is taking bets. It’s even worse than when Yvette and Jacob were engaged.�
Andrew gritted his teeth. Living in a small town had its drawbacks. “Bets? That’s jus
t fantastic. This proposal is going to have to be a surgical strike, and half the town is betting against me, I’m sure. I don’t know, Nick. I’ve started to ask her a couple of times, but something isn’t right. I thought it was just the sale of the brownstone bothering her, but now I’m afraid it’s something more. I know she’s a difficult woman, but I was so sure that she’d be ready. What if I’ve misread everything?�
Nick reached over and clasped him on the shoulder. “The town isn’t betting against you, Andrew. Well, I take that back. I’m pretty sure most of the females are hoping she turns you down, but this town loves Olivia. They want to see her happy, and she does love you. Believe me, I’ve never seen her like this with anyone, ever before.�
“Thanks for that. I haven’t given up. I figure, instead of trying to plan the perfect moment, I’ll just wait for the perfect moment to come to us.�
“That’s a good idea. I’ve known Olivia since she was just a little girl. She’s cautious by nature.�
“Not cautious enough,� Andrew said with a sigh. “Let’s see what else we can find, shall we? The sooner you close the case, the sooner I can have my girlfriend’s attention again.�
“Do you think he was hanging out with Brett?� Olivia asked Jackie anxiously. “Brett has the single life down. He’s probably trying to convince Andrew not to ask me to marry him.�
After Andrew’s vague text the night before, that he was hanging out with friends, Olivia hadn’t been able to stop obsessing about it. Impending proposal aside, Andrew had been acting strange lately.
“Would you prefer that? Snowball, don’t eat that!� Jackie snapped. She tugged at the dog’s leash, but the Rottweiler, dressed in a purple tutu, paid no attention to her.
Olivia snapped her fingers and used her hip to push the dog away from the glass bottle on the sidewalk. Picking it up, she tossed it in the nearby trashcan and kept walking. “Brett wants Andrew to be single so he can be the perfect wingman. That I definitely don’t want. I took your advice and asked Janelle to have dinner with me tonight.�
“In public? So you two can have a civil conversation without fighting?�
“We’re not going to fight. We’re not even going to talk about the sale. I’m going to cook dinner, and we’re just going to hang out.�
They walked by the condos on Fourth Street, and Jackie threw back her head and laughed. “You told her that you were cooking, and she still agreed to come over?�
“I can cook,� Olivia said defensively. “Velveeta cheese shells. I was thinking that maybe you should come over and join us. You know, act as a buffer.�
“Fine, I’ll come by, but only if I can cook. You just provide the wine.�
Everything was working out just the way Olivia had planned. “I can handle that,� she said with a devious grin.
“You did that on purpose,� Jackie accused.
“Maybe,� Olivia murmured, but something else had caught her eye. “Isn’t that Samantha over there?� The woman standing on the sidewalk was dressed in cream pants and a gorgeous pink blouse. Her hair curled around her shoulders, and even behind her large sunglasses, it was impossible to miss that signature pout.
“Probably. Jacob lives in one of these condos.�
“Samantha!� Olivia called out and quickened her pace. Goodwin gave a bound of glee and then, at a tug of the leash, trotted next to her.
“Olivia!� Jackie hissed. “What are you doing?�
“I told you what Kristy said yesterday,� Olivia whispered back. “Samantha!�
Samantha turned around with a tight smile. “Olivia. Jackie. How are you?�
“Good. Good. Just out walking Goodwin and Snowball.�
Samantha frowned. “Is that dog wearing a tutu?�
“Yeah, Snowball likes to show off his feminine side. I saw you in the bakery yesterday, and I feel absolutely terrible about not saying hello to you. We were in the middle of a meeting with Kristy, and then my mom walked in, but I didn’t want you to think that I was ignoring you.�
Samantha’s confused look wasn’t surprising, since they weren’t exactly friends. “No worries. I didn’t even see you, but I’d been craving one of your sister’s cupcakes all day.�
“They are amazing.� A glint of sunlight caught her eye, and Olivia reached down and grabbed Samantha’s hand. “Is that a diamond ring?�
Samantha raised her hand to show it off. “Isn’t it gorgeous?� she gushed. “Jacob proposed last night!�
Proposed? So she and Jacob were together. Maybe Kristy had no idea what she was talking about it. “Congratulations! It is a gorgeous ring. Jacob did an excellent job.�
“I know,� Samantha said, staring down at it. “We wanted to keep things private, especially with Yvette’s passing being so recent, but I just can’t hide it.�
Olivia saw the opening and took it. “I heard that Jacob and Yvette had just gone into business together. That’s got to be tough.�
“The woman couldn’t even be bothered to show up to her own wedding. How reliable of an employee could she be?� Samantha snapped.
Surprised, Olivia blinked and stared. She was just about to point out that one didn’t have anything to do with the other when Samantha’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not right to speak ill of the dead, I’ve just been anxious. Everyone knows about Jacob and Yvette’s past, and I’m afraid it will cloud the town’s perception when we announce our engagement. I just want everything to be perfect.�
Goodwin’s ears went up, and he stared at Samantha just as Snowball tried to dart past them and nearly dragged Jackie to the ground. Samantha stiffened and took a step back. Too late, Olivia realized that Samantha had a fear of dogs. “Snowball,� Olivia snapped. “Behave.�
Rather than do as asked, Snowball simply turned and bounded in the opposite direction. Jackie barely managed to hang on as the giant dog jumped up against a newcomer and proceeded to give him sloppy kisses.
“Hey, Snowball.� Jacob laughed. “Olivia. Jackie. Out walking the pups?�
“More like they’re walking us,� Jackie said dryly.
“What are you ladies talking about?�
Olivia was about to congratulate him on the engagement when Samantha jumped in. “Nothing,� she lied. “Just talking about the dogs.�
Glancing over her shoulder, Olivia saw Samantha tuck the engagement ring in her pocket. Wow. Jacob really had asked her to keep it a secret. Exactly what was he hiding?
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,� Jacob said quietly. “I know you found Yvette. That had to be horrible.�
“It was shocking. I know that you two were close.�
A shadow passed over his face. “We had a good, solid plan for the future. Yvette was already doing great business, but we were going to take it to the next level. I’m only sorry that she won’t be around to see it.�
“What do you mean? Are you keeping Jump Start open? I thought Yvette was just renting the truck from you.�
“She wanted to expand, so she needed an investor. I was that investor. I know that she would want her dream realized, so once a respectable amount of time has passed, I’ll start hiring to help carry out our big ideas.�
A shadow passed over his face, and Samantha reached out and too
k his hand. “I’m sure she would have liked that,� she said encouragingly.
Goodwin strained at the leash toward Samantha again, and the woman stepped back with a yelp.
Jacob immediately moved between them. “Sorry, Olivia. Samantha was bitten when she was younger and doesn’t love being around dogs. Anyway, we should get going. We’ve got a big night in the city planned.�
“Sure,� Olivia murmured, and firmly pulled Goodwin aside. Jacob took Samantha’s hand and led her away. Waiting until they were out of earshot, Olivia glanced over at Jackie. “Tell me that didn’t seem weird to you.�
“It is suspicious, but all you can do is take your suspicions to Nick.�
“Right,� Olivia said with a sigh. “Because I am not getting involved.�
“Keep saying it enough times, and maybe you’ll actually start to listen to yourself.� Jackie handed Olivia Snowball’s leash. “I’ve got to stop by the bookstore for a couple of hours, but I’ll be at your place tonight, okay? You better have wine.�
“A bottle for each of us,� Olivia confirmed, but her mind was already racing. If she went to Nick with this information, she knew what he would say. Right now all she had was a strange feeling. That was hardly worth passing on to Nick. She needed something more concrete.
Proof.
So how exactly was she going to get it?
14
Jackie had just finished grilling the chicken for the pasta when Janelle showed up with a dozen fresh-baked cookies. Olivia answered the door with a glass of wine. “I’ll trade you,� she said immediately, snagging a cookie.
“I’d remind you that we’re about to eat dinner, but you could eat all of these cookies and still have room for dinner. Seriously, I have no idea where you put it,� Janelle said critically as she grabbed the glass of wine.
Shoving a cookie in her mouth, Olivia grinned. “It’ll catch up to me eventually.�
“I see you conned Jackie into cooking. At least I know the dinner won’t kill me. Patrick is ecstatic that he has the night to himself. I believe he mentioned gambling and debauchery with Andrew.�
Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1) Page 12