“I just don’t want to mention anything that he might not be ready for. That’s all.” Olivia quickly changed the subject. “So Andrew got an email from Hattie last night, apologizing for her absence. I guess you were happy to give GigaByte back.”
Resting one hand on the shelf for balance and turning her head to scrutinize Olivia, Jackie frowned at her. “Hattie’s back? She didn’t stop by and pick the cat up. Do you think she missed our note?”
“Even if she did, she should have noticed her cat being gone,” Olivia pointed out. “I imagine the first place she’d go is her neighbors’.”
“Crap. Maybe I should call her and let her know.” Jackie hopped down from the stool and reached for her phone. “She adores that cat. I don’t want her freaking out over it.”
Olivia shrugged. She was just happy that Hattie was back safely. Pulling out her own phone, she scrolled through her emails while Jackie called her neighbor. Both applicants had agreed to come in later this afternoon for an interview. That worked out perfectly since she’d be at the office during doggie daycare hours. She could observe how they reacted to the doggie chaos.
“Hey, Hattie, it’s Jackie. I’m not sure if you saw the note that I left, but your cat got out. I have him at my place, and he’s been a great little houseguest. I’ll be home tonight around seven, if you want to come over and pick him up. If you want to come sooner, just swing by the store and I’ll give you a key. Call me or text me and let me know!” Shrugging, Jackie hung up and slipped the phone back in her pocket. “She must be distracted by work. Who knew that Andrew was such a slave driver?”
“Please. Andrew is the most easygoing guy I know. Anyway, I’ll be free all week for dinner and drinks. I’m sure Brett is taking up most of your time,” Olivia winked. “But if you want to go out, just let me know!”
Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded. Surprised, Olivia jumped up and winced. “What is that?”
“The alarm on the back door. Someone must have tried to go out that way, even though I put a sign on the door. You’d think book shoppers would know how to read! Hang on, let me grab the key to turn it off.”
The incessant beeping continued. Jackie shouted her apologies to the couple of guests who were inside. Olivia tried to settle back down while she waited, but when the alarm fell silent, Jackie shouted her name.
There was real fear in her friend’s voice. Olivia jumped back up and vaulted through the store.
Jackie was standing next to an empty box, her eyes round with fear. “We need to vacate the store immediately and call an exterminator.”
“Why? What happened?”
With a shaky finger, Jackie pointed to the inside of the box. Leaning forward, Olivia swallowed hard. There was a note in the box. You’re such a snake, I thought I’d send one to keep you company.
“Someone set a snake loose in the bookstore?” Olivia frowned. “Why?”
“I don’t know why, but this is bad! What if the snake bites someone? I don’t know if my insurance will cover it!”
Jackie was hysterical, and Olivia remembered too late that her friend had a phobia of snakes. “Okay, there are only a couple of people in here, so we’ll usher them out and shut things down. I’ll call Nick.”
“Nick? What is Nick going to do?”
“Jackie, it seems to me this is obviously the same person who vandalized those books. It’s a step up—a dangerous step up. It’s probably nothing,â€� Olivia held up a hand to stop the protest she saw forming on Jackie’s lips, “but if it happens to be a poisonous snake, it could cause some real harm. So take a few deep breaths. Call Nick, and I’ll clear the bookstore, okay?”
Jackie nodded, her eyes wide, and Olivia went and asked the two people in the store if they minded leaving. They exited without a fuss, and Olivia narrowed her eyes. There had been four people in the store, but only two were left. What were the chances that the vandal had been in the store at the critical time? Could the vandal even be a regular visitor?
Such a long time between incidents. Why?
Checking her watch, she pressed her lips together. “Jackie, I’ve got to do a round with the dogs. Wait outside for Nick, and tell him that I’ll be back around ten thirty if he wants a statement.”
“Okay.” Jackie nodded, and Olivia saw her swallow hard. “Olivia, this is bad, isn’t it?”
“We don’t know. It could be a harmless snake, in which case it might just be a practical joke.”
Jackie kept her eyes trained on the floor as she walked out. “It’s not very funny.”
“Agreed. Want me to call Brett?”
“What—no! I don’t want him to think that I’m some helpless woman who’s afraid of snakes. I’ll fill him in later.”
“Just remember what happened the last time you didn’t fill him in.â€� Olivia relented. “Okay, I’ll call you when I get back. Just don’t panic.”
“Easy for you to say. You don’t have a snake in your building.”
Olivia though about Janelle. Her sister was every bit as dangerous and unpredictable as a snake … but she wisely kept her opinions to herself. It bothered her that someone might be harassing Jackie, but this time, she’d leave it for Nick to work out. With Andrew gone, she was going to be on her best behavior.
Andrew called her just as she was about to walk out of the office. She had an hour before her afternoon doggie daycare, and she’d agreed to walk Jackie home and help her to come up with a list of people who might want to do her harm. The snake had turned out to be just a harmless corn snake, but Nick didn’t want to take any chances. A deputy had collected the box for fingerprints and they were trying to see if the snake had come from a pet shop.
“Landed?” she asked as she tossed Goodwin and Fender some treats before locking the door.
“Yeah, we just got to the hotel. I miss you already.” His voice was husky, and her heart did cartwheels. She missed him, too.
“Are you calling for your report?” she teased. “After you left, I had a second cup of coffee and walked Lulu, Jasper, and Snowball. Then I stole a muffin from Janelle. She was nowhere to be found, and I went to Jackie’s.”
“Sounds like an exciting morning,” he laughed.
“Oh, it was.” She quickly filled him in on what had happened with Jackie. “And you’ll be happy to know that I notified Nick, and I’m not going to have anything to do with it. I’m going to be on my best behavior this week while you’re gone.”
“That’s my girl. Want me to tell Brett?”
“No, I think she’s going to tell him tonight when she sees him.”
Andrew made a strange sound, and she frowned. “Why? What’s going on?”
“I guess he didn’t tell her. The guy who was supposed to go with me this trip is down with the stomach bug. I asked Brett to come along last night. He’s right here with me.”
“Oh. Yeah, that’s bad. You’d better tell him to call Jackie and have a good reason ready for why he didn’t say anything to her about it last night.”
“I will. Should I tell him how our open communication is helping?”
Olivia laughed. “Sure, although I think it’ll drive Jackie insane if he calls her every night and tells her everything he did that day.â€� She changed the subject. “Are you going to do some sightseeing today?”
“I’m probably going to sleep. Someone kept me up all night long.”
Olivia’s toes immediately curled at the memory, and she grinned. “Are you complaining?”
“Not at all. In fact, I’ve got a few ideas to help make this week go by a little more smoothly.”
Olivia had a feeling that she knew what those ideas might be. “I like where you’re going with this, but I’m going to have to call you back. I’m about to walk Jackie home. We’re going to return Hattie’s cat. Speaking of Hattie, did she turn in the information that you needed?”
“Not yet. Her email just said that she needed more time. I told her t
o let me know what she was having issues with, but I haven’t heard back from her. Maybe ask her to call me when you see her?”
“I can do that. Okay, I’ll call you tonight. Love you!”
He echoed the sentiments, and she hung up. If he was already missing her, then maybe this week really would be good. They’d be living together again in no time.
When she met up with Jackie, it was clear that Brett had called. Her friend’s lips were twisted in anger. “I can’t believe he forgot to tell me. What does that say about me and him and our relationship?â€� she complained.
It had obviously taken her mind off the snake.
“Well, you two did just get back together. I went months after my breakup with Andrew not really sure what our status together was. Maybe when he gets back, you’ll have to ask him.”
Jackie shot her a dirty look. “When did you get so wise about relationships?”
“Hey.” Her protest didn’t sound real, even to herself. Before Andrew, she hadn’t exactly been great at stable relationships, and she’d messed things up with Andrew more times than she wanted to admit.
The air was crisp and bracing, making for a pleasant walk, and as they sauntered along, they tried to brainstorm people who might have it in for Jackie. The list was pretty short. “I haven’t fired anyone recently. I haven’t pissed anyone off, at least that I know of. Well, Bethany might be a little unhappy with me, but she wanted to paint her door purple! Of course, I called the homeowner association on her. I don’t want to have to see an ugly purple door every day!”
“What? Who’s Bethany?”
“The neighbor who lives on the other side of my house. She’s a severe-looking woman with an even worse temperament. She’s always complaining about something. Lately, she’s been protesting the MegaStore opening. When she found out that Hattie was doing work for them, she flipped out.”
“Wait—Hattie was working for MegaStore?”
“Yeah. They hired her to set up their local website and social media accounts. I don’t really know what else it entailed.”
Olivia frowned. “How did Bethany even find out? She and Hattie aren’t exactly friends, are they?”
“They used to be. They had a falling out about a year ago. I don’t really know the whole story. I don’t know how Bethany found out about the MegaStore thing, but she complained about it for a week.”
As they entered Jackie’s neighborhood, Olivia tried to focus on Jackie’s problem, but it quickly became apparent that the list they were making wouldn’t do Nick much good. Her mind wandered, and she found herself thinking about Hattie. It made sense that the woman might freelance for MegaStore, but that meant that Hattie had known the store was being planned and, like Mayor Henderson, didn’t tell anyone.
That wasn’t going to make her a very popular person in town if other people found out.
Hattie’s car was parked in the driveway. Jackie went to retrieve the cat, while Olivia rang the doorbell.
There was no answer.
“Wow, she went out again?” Jackie asked when she caught up to Olivia, GigaByte draped over her shoulder. “That woman is going to turn into a regular party animal!”
“It’s the middle of the day,” Olivia laughed. “I doubt she’s out partying.â€� She sobered suddenly and added, trying to keep her voice light, “Come on. Let’s see if the back door is unlocked.”
She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as they walked around to the back of the house. “Why?” Jackie asked. “She wouldn’t leave it unlocked if she went out, would she?”
“No, but if she never returned home, it will still be unlocked.”
“But she did return home. She told Andrew that she was back.”
Reaching the door, Olivia turned the handle and swallowed hard when the door opened. “Yes, she did,” she said quietly as she stepped inside and the smell of rotting vegetables hit her. “And we have a problem.”
Jackie followed her in and made a sound of distress. “All of her groceries are still out! She’s not back, at all. She couldn’t come back, do nothing about her groceries, and then leave again!”
“No,” Olivia agreed. Grimly, she pulled out her phone. “I think it’s time to call Nick. Whoever sent that email was not Hattie, and she’s officially been gone for three days. We can file a missing persons report.”
Just then, the cat’s ears flattened, and he started to growl low in his throat. Half a second later, there was a crashing noise upstairs.
“Maybe that’s Hattie?” Jackie whispered, her eyes widening.
“I don’t think GigaByte would be growling, if that’s the case.” Olivia tensed and searched the kitchen for a weapon as footsteps thundered down the stairs. Picking up a rolling pin, she placed herself between Jackie and the door and held the rolling pin up like a weapon.
A short and stocky woman burst into the kitchen. At the sight of Olivia and Jackie, she started to shriek. GigaByte scrambled away from Jackie and streaked into another room, and Jackie stared screaming as well.
“Hey. Hey! HEY!” Olivia bellowed to get their attention. “Calm down!”
Immediately, the two women fell silent. “Jackie?” the woman asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Returning Hattie’s cat!” Jackie snapped. “Bethany, what are you doing here?”
Bethany? The woman who seemed to hate Hattie?
Nick and Andrew were going to be very pissed if this turned out to be something serious, and Olivia somehow got in the middle of it.
5
Bethany narrowed her eyes. “Why do you have Hattie’s cat? Would you please put that rolling pin down?”
“Not until you explain what you’re doing here,” Olivia said quietly. Jackie stepped up next to her and crossed her arms over her chest. They weren’t the most intimidating duo, but Olivia figured they were making it work.
“I let Hattie borrow my roll of duct tape, and I needed it back,” the neighbor said as her eyes darted around the kitchen. “I don’t suppose that you’ve seen it?”
Tightening her grip on the wooden handle of her makeshift weapon, Olivia studied the woman in front of her. She didn’t look like the type to pose any threat. “And you didn’t think that it was odd that the back door was unlocked?”
Bethany rolled her eyes. “Hattie was an odd duck. I just assumed that she was ignoring me when I knocked. Now I can see that she’s not here. Although, come to think of it, that is kind of odd.”
Olivia relaxed her arm, letting the rolling pin fall to her side, and shook her head. “When did you loan Hattie the duct tape?�
“Saturday, and she promised that she’d bring it right back,� the neighbor complained. “Honestly, she had some nerve asking me for anything, but she caught me at a weird time, and she seemed a little panicky.�
“You two don’t get along?�
Jackie suddenly cleared her throat. Olivia was annoyed that her friend had interrupted her, but Jackie was giving her such an odd look. Olivia realized that she sounded like an interrogator. “Bethany, I think something might have happened to Hattie. No one has seen her in days.�
“But she did get in touch with Andrew,� Jackie reminded her. “Maybe she’s on her way back, and she just hasn’t gotten home yet?�
“I doubt that.� Olivia took a deep breath and glanced around the kitchen. “I think it’s time that we go to the sheriff’s station. I want to report Hattie missing.�
“What about not getting involved while Andrew is gone?� Jackie reminded her quietly.
“I’m not getting involved. Nick is more than capable of finding her.� Olivia flashed her a smile. “I’m just doing my civic duty.�
“Yeah, I don’t really believe that,� Jackie grumbled.
Bethany threw her hands up in the air. “Look, I don’t kno
w what you two are talking about, but I’m just looking for my duct tape. When you do find Hattie, you should tell her that it’s rude to borrow things and not return them. After what she’s done to me, the least she could do is return my tape!� Spinning on her heels, she marched out.
Olivia stared at her. “Wow. Yeah. She seems like a great neighbor. Come on. I’ll get GigaByte back to my place, and then I’ll drive you back.�
“What about the dogs?�
It would really be nice if she had an assistant. “They can wait a few minutes. I think Hattie has waited long enough.�
“What do you mean, I can’t file a missing persons report? You said three days. It’s been three days,� Olivia protested as she leaned forward in the visitor’s chair, gripping the arms.
Nick sat across his desk from her and eyed her tiredly. “You said that she emailed Andrew yesterday,� the sheriff sighed. He had a stack of paperwork on his desk, and he pushed at it absently. The last three murders had gained some notoriety from the press coverage, and Nick kept getting invitations from documentary filmmakers and the press to talk about the crimes in the small town. He kept turning them down. Olivia knew that Nick wasn’t the type who liked the spotlight. “That means that she got in touch with someone. If you have some other reason to suspect foul play, then we can talk.�
“Her groceries are still sitting on her counter, unpacked. The milk is curdled and the veggies are rotting! I’m sure you can call the delivery company and figure out when they were delivered, but the back door was left open three days ago.�
“All that says is that she left in a hurry, before her grocery delivery arrived, and didn’t come back to put the food away. I’m sorry, Olivia. There’s nothing that I can do.�
Shaking her head, Olivia bit her lower lip. “Nick, I know that you don’t like me getting involved, but I’m sure you must appreciate my help. My instincts are telling me that there is something wrong.�
“I’ll send a deputy by at random intervals over the next couple of days and see if anything pops up. Olivia, I know that you’re frustrated, but my hands are tied. I don’t have a reason to investigate except for your gut instinct.� A shadow crossed his face, and Olivia knew that there was something that Nick wasn’t telling her.
Kept in the Bark (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 5) Page 4