by Cindy Bell
Nikki returned to his social media profiles and began to search through the history of his posts. Finally, she came across one that was connected with a particular dating app. She found the app, and selected download. She stared at her screen as the app loaded onto her phone. She hadn’t dated much, she’d never joined an online dating service or app. At twenty-four she still liked the idea of meeting people the old-fashioned way. Online profiles and chats felt so sterile and distant to her. But many of her friends had made lasting connections on them.
“All right, Daniel, let’s see what you were up to on this app.” Nikki began to search it, then cringed as she realized she had to set up an account to view anything. Each step of setting up her profile was more irritating than the last. She had to describe herself, select her interests, choose the type of person she might be interested in meeting, and even give an example of a perfect date. By the time she got through the process, her skin crawled with the strangeness of it. When the site requested a picture, her heart skipped a beat. Did she really want to put a picture of herself on some random dating site?
“It’s only for long enough to get information about Daniel.” Nikki sighed. Then she smiled to herself as she selected a photograph. She chose her favorite picture on her phone of Princess, and set it as her profile picture. Perhaps the site would reject it, but for the moment it was enough to get her through to the profiles of other members.
Nikki began searching for Daniel. It took her a few minutes to find him as he hadn’t created a profile under his name, but under Barclay Smith. “Got yourself into so much trouble you had to go by a different name, huh?” Nikki shook her head as she skimmed through his profile. He boasted about his business successes, his athletic activities, and his favorite sports teams. His profile picture appeared to be dated by about ten years, and his perfect date involved a helicopter and a private beach. “No wonder you got so much attention.” Nikki laughed to herself. Then she noticed a star rating beside his name. He had three and a half out of five gold stars. “What does that mean?” She clicked on the stars. Her eyes widened as a list of reviews popped up in front of her. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She shook her head as she read through some of the reviews. They ranged from ‘Player stay away’ to ‘Gentleman, he spoiled me like I deserve’. However, one review in particular held her attention.
‘Daniel, I’ve tried to reach you many times. You can’t keep avoiding me. Please contact me. I just want a chance with you. That’s all I’m asking.’ Nikki read it over again, then clicked on the name associated with the review. ‘Ava Dunn.’
Nikki read over the woman’s profile. She listed herself as a thirty-five year old woman, and went on to include her interests. In her hobbies, she included playing tennis at the local country club. “Interesting.” She jotted down the name, and other information, including an e-mail address. It seemed like an obsessive thing to post on a dating site, but then she didn’t have a lot of experience with using them. As Nikki tried to investigate further, the words on the screen blurred. She blinked, then they blurred again. Then she yawned.
Exhausted, she set her phone down and sprawled out on the couch. Maybe some rest would help loosen up the memories of the day and give her some insight into who the killer might be.
Chapter 7
After Nikki left, Sonia tried to relax, but she just couldn’t. She needed to do something to help find Daniel’s murderer. She thought about calling Nikki to join her, but she knew she was busy and didn’t want to bother her. Sonia called Princess over and clipped on her leash.
“Yes, you’re ready for a walk aren’t you, baby?” She smiled at her.
Princess gazed up at her with wide eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Sonia clucked her tongue. “I can walk you without Nikki.” She led the dog out through the front door, down the long driveway, and along the sidewalk. Princess bounded forward, pleased to be outside. But Sonia’s focus remained on a particular neighbor’s house. Would he be home? She hoped so. He often worked from home and she knew from experience that he routinely watered his plants twice a day, around the same time, in the morning and evening. As she hoped, she found Geoff in front of his garden, with hose in hand.
“Geoff.” Sonia tightened her grip on Princess’ leash as she walked across his well-manicured grass to reach him.
“Mrs. Whitter?” Geoff glanced over at her.
“Oh Geoff, I wanted to check on you. You must be heartbroken.” Sonia studied his face as he glanced at her again. In his late forties, Geoff actually looked quite a few years younger. He had a babyface that was enhanced by the bright blue eyes that stared at her.
“It’s a tragedy.” Geoff nodded, then looked back at his flowers. “So unexpected.”
“Was it?” Sonia inched a little closer to him. “I mean, did he have any reason to fear for his life?”
“I have no idea.” Geoff aimed the hose at the plants and continued to water them. “I wouldn’t think so. Although, as you know from personal experience, he had many enemies from his past that might want him dead.”
“What?” Sonia took a slight step back. “What do you mean by that?”
“I know he was in business with your husband before he passed. I wasn’t his lawyer then, but I was part of his circle, and I remember the way the business partnership ended.” Geoff met her eyes. “Have you told the police about that?”
“They know about it, but it has no bearing on what’s happened now.” Sonia shook her head, annoyed. She cleared her throat as she did her best to calm down the frustration that his comment stirred. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past, now was the time to catch a killer. She knew the best way to do that was while everyone’s knowledge of Daniel was fresh in their minds. “Geoff, you knew him best.” Sonia crossed her arms as she looked into the lawyer’s eyes when he glanced at her again. “I know that you were friends for a long time. You must be aware of any issues he might have been having with his current investors and business partners.”
“That would make sense.” Geoff nodded, then turned his attention back to his flower garden. “But unfortunately, we hadn’t been as close lately as we used to be.” He aimed the hose at the soil beneath the bright yellow daffodils. “The truth is, he’d been acting more secretive. I used to be the only person he trusted, but over the past few weeks, he stopped confiding in me. I tried to get him to talk to me about what was wrong, but he just dismissed me, and claimed that I had nothing to be concerned about.” He narrowed his eyes. “I guess he really was hiding something.”
“And you never even got a sense of what it might be?” Sonia pointed to his hand that held the hose. “I think you’re overdoing it there, Geoff.”
“What do you mean?” Geoff jerked his hand away and frowned.
“The flowers.” Sonia gestured to the river of water that flooded the soil.
“Oh.” Geoff blinked as he turned the hose away from the flowers, then twisted the nozzle to stop the flow. “I’m sorry, I’ve found it hard to concentrate ever since the auction.” He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again to look at Sonia. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you either, you were right there with him.”
“I was.” Sonia nodded.
“And yet, you have no idea who shot him?” Geoff raised an eyebrow as he turned to face her. A few droplets of water slid from the metal ring of the hose and dripped onto Sonia’s shoe.
Sonia drew her foot back and frowned.
“I didn’t see the murderer, no. If I had, I would have told the police what I saw.”
“Shame.” Geoff shook his head. “You would have been a perfect eye-witness.”
“I was a little distracted. I was looking at the beautiful vase that Daniel had put up for auction, and I just—” Sonia pressed her hand against her chest. “I never would have imagined that someone could be in that banquet room with murderous intentions.”
“I’d be surprised if just about everyone in that room didn’t harbor some
kind of desire to see Daniel dead.” Geoff lowered his voice. “Mrs. Whitter, like you said, I’ve worked for him for a long time. He’s crossed many people in that time. He was ruthless when it came to business. He never hesitated to crush someone when he saw the opportunity arise.”
“I know that Daniel could be cold, and his work was his number one priority, but I’m sure he didn’t do anything that would cause someone to wish death on him.” Sonia narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think he did?”
“Maybe all the threats he told me about.” Geoff shrugged.
“I thought you said you didn’t know much about who might be upset with him?” Sonia studied his expression as he rolled his eyes.
“I said I didn’t know much about any recent issues. But over the years, sure I’ve dealt with a lot of threats against him.”
“Did you tell the police about those old threats?” Sonia scooped Princess up into her arms to keep her from traipsing through the mud.
“I’m a lawyer, remember?” Geoff smirked. “I told the police what I had to, and nothing more. Whoever pulled that trigger wasn’t some angry business associate. It was someone who had a personal vendetta against Daniel, I guarantee it. As I’m sure you’re aware, he didn’t exactly leave any hearts intact.”
“You think it was a spurned lover?” Sonia’s eyes widened.
“I think it’s very possible, yes. I warned him more than once about his behavior. I told him that one day, he was going to cross the wrong woman, and she was going to make him pay for his dalliances.” Geoff tightened his lips. “He just laughed at me, told me I was jealous. Honestly, Mrs. Whitter.” He looked over at her. “I thought the way he treated the women in his life was cruel.”
“Had he been seeing someone lately?” Sonia asked.
“Like I said, he’d been secretive. Whatever was going on in his life, I wasn’t part of it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do have an appointment to get to.” Geoff coiled the hose back up and hung it on a stand near his front door. As he disappeared inside, Sonia stared after him. If he really thought it was someone that Daniel was dating, then she guessed he wasn’t as out of the loop as he claimed. As far as what Geoff knew about his business dealings with James, she couldn’t help but wonder what Daniel might have revealed to him.
“It doesn’t matter now, Sonia,” she said to herself as she walked with Princess in her arms across the grass to the sidewalk. “The past should stay in the past.”
Chapter 8
When Nikki woke up the next morning, for a split second she was back in the banquet room, surrounded by people she didn’t know, with the sound of the gavel banging through her mind, her heart racing. She blinked, and she was back on the couch. After a few more deep breaths, her heart beat slowed and she sat up. She wiped at her eyes and tried to push the memories away. No, she hadn’t remembered anything new, but the memory had made waking up difficult.
Nikki picked up her phone, hoping there might be a text from Quinn on it. Instead there were only news stories about what had occurred the day before.
Nikki closed her eyes and set her phone down. She needed some peace and she also needed some toast. Reluctantly, she climbed off the couch and began her morning routine. She hoped that when she walked the dogs, she would be able to calm down. Instead she continued to check her phone repeatedly, hoping for news. She returned the dogs to their homes and promised to be more enthusiastic the next time. Their wagging tails and eager licks had managed to brighten her mood some, and she hoped that her walk with Sonia and Princess would brighten it even more. But she still had some time before she was due to be there, and she needed to drop her car off at the shop.
Nikki decided to stop by the animal shelter on her way to the shop and see how Petra was holding up after the incident the day before. As she drove in the direction of the animal shelter she thought about the events of the previous day. She recalled the blue coupe in the parking lot, and the man, Miller, on the phone who seemed quite upset. She had no idea if either of them was related to the murder, but her interactions with them stuck out in her mind. Out of all the people she encountered the day before, she felt the most uncomfortable recalling the stranger in the blue coupe, and the man on the phone. Of course, that didn’t mean much of anything.
Nikki turned into the parking lot of the animal shelter and noticed that there were quite a few more cars there than usual. She made her way through the main entrance of the shelter, where a gathering of people clustered near the front desk.
“Don’t worry, everyone, we have plenty of animals for you to look at.” Amanda, a volunteer, smiled at them, then waved to Nikki. “Petra is in the grooming room.”
“Thanks.” Nikki waved back to her as an excited flutter carried through her heart. It had been a long time since she saw so many people so eager to adopt. She guessed that it had to do with the fundraiser the day before.
Nikki continued down a hallway to an open room that contained a few large sinks. She spotted Petra hunched over one, with Bassie perched inside.
“Bath time, huh?” Nikki grinned as she stepped inside.
“Not sure if it’s my bath time, or Bassie’s.” Petra laughed as the dog splashed her tail through the water.
“How are you doing, Petra?” Nikki paused beside the sink. “I know yesterday had to be pretty upsetting for you.”
“It was.” Petra nodded, then glanced up at her. “I didn’t expect anything like that to happen. It was a huge shock.”
“Yes, it was.” Nikki watched as Bassie sloshed around in the water. “But I noticed that there are quite a few potential adopters out there.”
“Oh yes, and even more people have called in to ask about animals they’ve seen on our website. It’s fantastic.” Petra poured some water over Bassie. “I’ve got a few people interested in Bassie, actually.”
“Aw, I’m so happy for her, but I’m going to miss her, too.” Nikki gave the dog’s wet back a light pat.
“Me too.” Petra sighed.
“I’m glad to hear that the fundraiser helped, though.” Nikki leaned against the side of the sink.
“It helped so much. Now we have more than enough to keep the shelter running. I think we actually got more donations than were offered, after the fact.” Petra shook her head. “I guess tragedy encourages people to open their wallets.”
Petra sighed as she sunk her hands into the soapy water and grabbed one of Bassie’s paws.
“I have given her too many baths, her skin is going to dry out, but every time I think I got it all, her feet are all gummed up with dirt again.”
“Has she been getting into something outside?” Nikki watched as Petra raised Bassie’s paw out of the water and scrubbed at the bottom of it.
“No, she got into something at the fundraiser. I’m pretty sure it’s sap.” Petra frowned as she released the first paw, then picked up the next. “That stuff is really hard to get out.”
“I’m sure it is.” Nikki narrowed her eyes. “How would she get that on her paws? There aren’t any pine trees around here, and certainly not at the country club.”
“I have no idea. I thought maybe it was syrup or honey at first, but it certainly smelled like pine sap.” Petra held up Bassie’s paw and sniffed. “You can’t really smell it at all anymore, but it definitely smelled like sap.”
“How strange. And you’re sure she got into it at the fundraiser?” Nikki asked.
“I’m sure.” Petra nodded. “When I got the dogs home, I found smears of it all over my back seat. Bassie hates to be in a crate in the car, so on the way back I let her sit back there with Spots. It was a pain to get it out of my seat, too. I checked Spots’ paws, but he didn’t have any on him.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t make any sense, I know.”
“Poor Bassie.” Nikki stroked the dog’s damp fur. “Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll be sticky-free soon enough.”
“I hope so.” Petra sighed, then wiped her hand across her forehead. She looked over at Nikki as suds dripped
from the tight curls that framed her hairline. “I can’t thank you enough, Nikki. I know that things turned out terribly, but if it weren’t for you doing this, we probably wouldn’t be open at the end of the month. With the donations we received, we will be able to operate for years to come.”
“That is such a relief.” Nikki smiled. “And hearing that Bassie will have a new home, makes me even happier. I’m so glad I stopped by to talk with you. How is Spots doing?”
“Spots has been acting a little strangely, actually.” Petra squeezed some of the excess water out of the fur on Bassie’s back. “He’s been pacing his kennel, and barking. He just won’t settle down.”
“Maybe I should take him out for a quick jog?” Nikki glanced at her watch. “I have plenty of time.”
“Sure, that would be great. It’s going to take me some time to get Bassie dried off. Go ahead and take him out. Grant is back there.” Petra laughed as Bassie splashed her with her tail again. “I know that was on purpose.”
Nikki grinned as she headed out of the grooming room and continued in the direction of the kennels. She was greeted by one of Grant’s favorite songs playing full blast. He always listened to music while cleaning the kennels.
“Hey Grant?” Nikki shouted as loud as she could. “Grant? I’m taking Spots out!”
Nikki didn’t hear a response and assumed that he was busy on the other end of the kennels. She walked up to Spots and smiled as he trotted up to the gate. “Hey there, buddy. I hear you’re a little restless. Why don’t we go for a walk?” She opened the gate and clipped his leash onto his collar. She guided him through the rear door and out into the exercise area. As she did, she almost walked right into Grant.
“Get out of here.” Grant shouted at a man, who appeared to be twice his size and about ten years older than the slim twenty-five year old. “I told you not to come here.”