No Filter

by Heather Day Gilbert

  Jedi had avoided me on his latest trip to Barks & Beans, but maybe he was still smarting because I'd dropped his drumming class. I couldn't picture Jedi strangling anyone, but then again, maybe his hands were super strong from his avid drumming.

  Bo handed me a cup of Earl Gray with cream and sugar. He'd poured it into one of Auntie A's favorite china teacups—a yellow Taylor and Kent pattern with a nosegay of cheery flowers just inside the rim. As the familiar bergamot flavor burst into my mouth, it felt like a hug from Auntie A herself.

  "You're thinking about the murder, aren't you?" Bo eased onto the couch, his teacup rattling against the saucer.

  "I am. Nothing seems to add up, that's all."

  He shook his head. "That's just what I mean. You can't let your mind go there. Let the professionals look into it." He sipped his tea. "Detective Hatcher seems to be on top of things."

  "Like he was on top of Coal's dognapping?" I asked, a touch of bitterness in my voice.

  "That was different," Bo said. "We didn't have anything to go on—no ulterior motives that made sense. And we still don't know what really happened." He glanced at Coal, who had dropped his head to his paw and seemed to be drifting to sleep. "Shoot, Coal's the only one who knows who took him." Bo took the final swig of his tea and stood. "I'm going to get on home. Sorry to drop such bad news on you, but I promise I'll be right here to protect you, sis. I'm not going anywhere."

  "You mean the same way you were there for me at the end of high school?" I immediately felt remorseful for saying such an insensitive thing. What I'd meant as a playful jab had come out sounding resentful and maybe a little angry. Bo had gone into the Marines after graduation, and I couldn't blame him. Yet some part of me apparently had, because my final years of high school had been rough without him, and something inside me held him partly responsible.

  Bo looked like I'd sucker-punched him. "You never told me you felt that way."

  I tried to laugh it off. "It's fine; I made it through without you. I made salutatorian, remember?"

  No doubt seeing through my faux joviality, Bo's tone grew stern. "Remember Larry Romano in your eleventh grade class?"

  I hadn't even been aware that Bo had known the name of my junior year stalker. "Yes, I remember him," I said, trying not to picture the hulking guy with body odor who had never tired of hitting on me.

  "Remember that time he followed you to the mall and got you alone in the movie theater?" Bo asked.

  Thankfully, I didn't know what he was talking about. "No, I don't."

  Bo grinned. "That's because it didn't happen. My friends told me they'd seen Larry following you around, and it was obvious you weren't interested in him. I put the word out with my senior bros to keep Romano well away from you. My friend Joel caught sight of that punk trailing behind you in the theater line, and he realized Larry was planning to sit next to you."

  I began to smile as realization dawned. "That must've been the time Joel came in and plopped down right next to me at the movies. I went home wondering if he had a crush on me."

  Bo chuckled. "No, he was doing exactly what I'd told him to do. I tried to have a long reach, even from boot camp, sis." He leaned in and gave me a brief hug. "So trust me when I say I'm not going to let Moreau get anywhere near you."

  I appreciated Bo's intentions, but protective as my brother was, I doubted he had the power to fight an international smuggler who'd already derailed his engagement and his job.

  I sighed. My investigation into the Ivy Hill shenanigans was officially over.

  22

  Monday started out feeling very much like a Monday. Coal wouldn't get out from underfoot as I got dressed and ate a Pop-Tart for breakfast, so I put him out in the garden for a bit. Once his rowdiness toned down, I brought him back in the house before trudging over to the cafe.

  Ready for a reviving espresso, I walked straight over to Kylie and asked for one. She ran a hand though her dark bob. "Milo didn't clean the filter last night, so it'll take a few minutes. Want a cup of fresh-brewed regular in the meantime?"

  Drip coffee couldn't compare to espresso, but I was desperate. "Sure, hit me up."

  While Kylie poured me a mug, I headed over to Summer, who had just arrived. She looked a little harried.

  "How'd things go with the puppy adoptions?" I asked.

  "Oh, that was great," she said, tightening the leash attached to a highly strung little dog. "The entire litter was adopted, actually." The little dog leapt into the air—reaching Summer's waist—and she glared at it. "I'm so sorry I had to bring this one today, but I thought maybe he could run off some energy in the petting area. Once again, I'm a little understaffed." Her dark eyes met my own, pleading.

  "Of course," I said, unwrapping the leash and steering the now-yipping pooch into the petting area. I felt a sudden urge to be friendly to the beleaguered shelter owner. "How are you?"

  Summer fell into step alongside me. "Uh—well, I'm pretty busy at work. Sometimes I don't know how we're going to make ends meet."

  "I'm sorry," I said, tossing a ball to the tiny dog. He chased it down and pounced on it as Summer unleashed the other three dogs that were sitting calmly at her side. "Sometime we need to get together and talk more about your Mennonite upbringing—I find that fascinating. You certainly seem to know a lot about Angus cows."

  She shrugged. "I've kind of put that era behind me, you know? But sure, I'd love to hang out."

  I was just about to suggest we catch a movie when Bo walked in. Summer turned to see who had arrived, and her eyes lingered on my brother.

  My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw who walked in behind him.

  The woman with short dark hair gave the cafe an appraising once-over. Her high cheekbones drew attention to her luminous green eyes, and her fitted athletic wear accented muscles you could only attain through regular workouts.

  I realized it was none other than Tara Rainey, my brother's ex-fiancée. She must've flown here from California...but why?

  Tara gave Bo's arm a light touch before stepping toward the dog petting area. "How quaint!" she exclaimed. Looking over the dogs, her eyes scanned past me and landed on Summer, as if sensing the competition.

  Annoyed that she had no clue who I was, I stood and extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Macy—Bo's sister."

  My voice must've snapped Bo out of whatever spell he was under. "Oh, yeah, sorry," he said. "Tara, this is Macy. Macy, Tara Rainey."

  Tara came closer and gave my proffered hand a brief but undeniably aggressive shake. "Macy, nice to finally meet you."

  "Thanks." I gestured to Summer, who was close to my side. "And this is Summer Adkins. She's great with dogs and runs the local shelter."

  Tara nodded at Summer. "Delighted to meet you."

  An awkward silence followed until Kylie opened up the steamer and air whistled out.

  "So, you flew all the way to West Virginia? I didn't know you were coming in." I gave Bo a reproachful look.

  My irritation wasn't lost on Tara. "I didn't tell Bo I was coming," she explained. "I actually rented a car and showed up at his place this morning. I think I scared him half to death, ringing the doorbell before the sun even came up."

  Bo gave a nervous laugh. "You sure did."

  It was hard to get a fix on what Bo was thinking, but for all intents and purposes, the cat seemed to have gotten his tongue. Given Summer's restless leg-shifting, it was safe to say Tara's visit had put us all on edge.

  "So, where are you staying?" I asked.

  Tara shot Bo a quick glance. "I hadn't quite worked that out yet."

  Surely she wasn't planning to stay with Bo? Didn't she know him at all?

  While shuffling toward the door, Summer lifted a hand in an awkward wave to no one in particular. "Nice to meet you, but I'd better get back to the shelter."

  Bo didn't even respond. I could've smacked him for allowing Tara to throw him into such a trancelike state.

  It would be polite to ask Tara to stay with me, but I had
no inclination to make that offer. The woman had spurned my brother's love, and frankly, I wished she'd kept her fit little hiney back in California.

  I shot Bo one last quizzical look. "I need to get to work. Hope you have a good time in Lewisburg, Tara." Normally, I would've suggested local sightseeing destinations, but honestly I just wanted her to turn around and fly home.

  "Of course. Thanks." She turned her full attention to Bo, as if our conversation had been nothing but a blip on her radar. "How about you make me some coffee?"

  As she took Bo's arm and led him toward the coffee bar, I couldn't stop myself. "How about you make me some coffee?" I mimicked in a low whisper. The spotted dog closest to me trotted up and nuzzled at my hand. At least someone in this place was sensitive to my feelings today.

  Doing his part to add to the doldrums of my Monday, the frisky little dog moved over toward a smiling customer's feet and promptly relieved himself, as if he hadn't just been out on a five minute walk. Apologizing profusely as I cleaned and disinfected the smelly mess, I wondered if this day could possibly get any stranger.

  Of course, it could.

  I clipped the leash on the errant doggie and led him outside, just to make sure he'd taken care of all his business. Familiar voices sounded on the sidewalk, so I moved toward the front fence, where I could see who was walking by.

  Katie and Jedi were striding along, arm in arm. Katie held a takeout container, so apparently they'd gotten lunch in town. She stopped abruptly to adjust her shoe, so I ducked down behind the wooden fence slats. The dog gave a little yip and I shot it a furious glare.

  "Have you talked to the doctor yet?" Jedi asked. "I don't think he's going to mind."

  Katie groaned. "Of course he'll mind. You know he's going to want to take over."

  "We'll just vote on it...you know, the democratic way." Jedi gave a not-so-pleasant laugh. "I'll talk to the new golf kid—he'll be easy enough to sway."

  "I don't know. The cops will be watching our every move."

  "Who cares? Let 'em watch. They aren't going to stick us with anything."

  These two were thick as thieves. And it sounded like they were thieves, scheming to take over Alice's fencing operation. At least Doc Schneider didn't seem privy to the inner workings, as well as the dense new golf instructor.

  Katie sighed. "I wish I'd gotten my hands on Gerard's dog. That could've been lucrative."

  My mouth gaped open. So Katie admitted she'd tried to get Coal, but she hadn't managed to. She hadn't been the dognapper.

  Pulling at my arm, the dog gave another yip. I tugged him closer and unhooked his leash so he could run. He tore off like a live firecracker had exploded behind him.

  As Katie and Jedi started walking, I heard Katie mention my name, but I couldn't tell what she'd said. Then Jedi seemed to change the subject, sharing that Glen Rhodes was in custody now, although that was all I could catch.

  Were they in league with Glen Rhodes?

  Maybe I should call Detective Hatcher and let him know about the conversation, but it seemed there really wasn't anything solid to share. Glen Rhodes was clearly involved in the fencing operation up to his eyeballs, and he must be the main suspect in Alice's death, if they'd finally taken him into custody.

  The dog finally skittered to a stop at my feet, his tongue hanging out as he panted. "You pooped yet?" I asked, clipping the leash onto his collar. I'd been outside too long and I needed to get back to work.

  I was cleaning my hands at the sink Bo had thoughtfully installed in the dog petting area when someone walked up behind me. I whirled to see Tara, who was watching me steadily. Her unswerving, unapologetic gaze reminded me of a large cat...like a mountain lion.

  "Macy," she said, offering me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Bo wanted me to see how you were doing over here."

  Really? My brother sent his ex-fiancée to check up on my work?

  "I'm just fine," I said. I was adeptly managing the fractious dogs, just like I had since the very first day Barks & Beans had opened.

  "I can see that." Tara seemed oblivious to my irritated tone. "He wanted me to ask if you'd join us at his place after work. He's going to order Chinese."

  The way she phrased things made it clear it wasn't her idea that I join them. Was she always this rude? I had no desire to spend any time with her while she was in town, but maybe Bo wanted me around so he wasn't alone with her? Or maybe he still carried some hope that I'd develop a friendship with his ex?

  That was about as likely as Bo developing a liking for my ex. Tara had dropped my brother like a hot potato, without bothering to hear his side of things. Still, I owed it to Bo to eat supper with them and run interference, so he wouldn't wind up harking to Tara's beck and call.

  Why had she really flown to West Virginia? I had a sinking feeling she was going to tell Bo how much he was needed at Coffee Mass and sweet-talk him into moving back to the West Coast.

  I channeled all my Southern politeness, giving her a warm smile. "Of course I'd love to have Chinese with you all. I'll come over at six." That would give them very little time together.

  "See you then." She turned and strode toward the coffee bar, where Bo was adding flavoring to a coffee drink. The moment she walked behind the counter, he froze, as if he'd forgotten the next step in the coffee-making process.

  As if on cue, the little dog barked and jumped on the spotted dog, tearing into its side with his sharp little teeth. I raced over and pulled him off, leading him directly into the kennel.

  Taking a deep breath, I examined the spotted dog. Although he had a few spots of blood on his coat, I was relieved to see he'd only gotten a little scratch and wasn't seriously injured.

  I pulled out my phone and called Summer. "Hey, gal, I think we have a problem."

  Something told me that as far as problems went, the terrorist dog was only the tip of the iceberg.

  23

  I showed up at Bo's house at six on the dot and gave my brother a hug. He was wearing a Henley shirt that sadly made his muscles all the more noticeable. He also had that kind of rumpled, little-boy-lost look about him tonight, which I was sure Tara found irresistible.

  "Help yourself, sis," Bo said, gesturing to Auntie A's red Fiestaware plates and the Chinese food set out on the island.

  As I picked up one of the familiar plates from our childhood, I wondered what Auntie A would've said about Tara. I haphazardly piled vegetable Lo Mein and General Tso's chicken into the middle of my dish, not caring if I looked like a hungry piglet. I was gearing up for a battle of sorts—the battle of keeping my brother's head screwed on straight.

  Tara surprised me by piling her own plate equally high—and with beef and broccoli. I'd figured she was a vegetarian, but apparently not.

  I settled at the table and Tara joined me, but I didn't meet her eyes. I was fairly certain my negative emotions would be written on my face.

  Bo filled his plate and sat down. He murmured a brief prayer and we began to eat.

  I looked at Bo and held his gaze. It was clear he had something he needed to tell me, but he didn't seem inclined to share yet.

  Hoping he wasn't going to make an announcement about bailing on Barks & Beans and moving away, I tried to make small talk. "So, where are you staying, Tara?"

  She balanced her chopsticks on her plate and took a drink of water. "I'm over at that bed and breakfast a couple of streets up."

  How convenient. She was within walking distance of wrecking my brother's heart.

  "And do you know how long you'll be staying?" I pressed.

  Bo cleared his throat. "Tara came here to tell me something," he said.

  I was sure she had, but I tried to stay cool as I looked at Bo. "You don't say."

  He seemed to wait for Tara to pipe up, but she didn't. Finally, Bo said, "Tara got a note at work. She wanted to show it to me."

  I'd finally reached my limit. "She flew across the country to hand-deliver a note?" My lips and face felt tight as I shot Tara a look
.

  "It was a threat," she said. She took another bite of beef like she was disinterested in my reaction.

  "From Leo Moreau," Bo added. He shot a brief look at Tara, then focused on me. "He said congratulations on the opening of my new coffee shop."

  Numbness seemed to travel up my arms. "He knows where you are," I breathed.

  "That's not all," Tara said, her voice unnaturally light.

  Did she think this was a joke?

  I beamed a huge smile at her and leaned in. "Please enlighten me as to the extent of our impending doom."

  Bo seemed to snap to attention as he noticed my near-volatile reaction. "Moreau threatened to take away everything I hold dear if I ever got involved in his business again. I have to believe he's found out about you, Macy."

  Tara leaned back. "I flew here to warn you to be careful, because I figured he was somehow monitoring my calls and email."

  I jumped from my chair, unable to sit still. "So you just decided to fly here and lead him straight to us?"

  Bo stood and placed a calming hand on my arm. "He obviously already knew where we were, sis. Tara's warning note included a printed copy of the news article on our grand opening. Tara was trying to protect us."

  Tara dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, and again I was reminded of a cat...a cat licking its paws.

  "Why do you trust her?" I blurted. "Shoot, she could've concocted that note herself."

  "How would I have known Moreau's name?" she asked calmly.

  I jabbed a finger at her. "Because you're working with him!"

  Tara's stare didn't waver, and she didn't even flinch.

  Bo came closer and wrapped me in a hug, which effectively turned me into a blubbering pile of mush. "Let's not make hasty accusations," he said.

  I knew I'd been quick to point the finger at Tara, but I felt like I had no compunctions left. "I want to go home," I sobbed into Bo's chest. Maybe if I got away from Tara, I could pretend we weren't being targeted by a psycho smuggler.