Janelle shrugged. “Hattie is apparently brilliant with a computer. Maybe she felt bad about MegaStore moving in and faked some documents to try to stop the development. I don’t like the idea of MegaStore moving in, but the employees have nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs while the case is going on. Because of them, my profits are through the roof! I’m going to miss them.�
Mary snorted. “Oh you must be talking about the thin man with the snobby attitude and suits that cost more than I make in a month. He’s a real piece of work. He came in last week and complained that we weren’t using organic cream in our baking. Like he could tell the difference? I would have strangled him if we hadn’t been interrupted by that MegaStore guy who comes in all the time. Thomas something-or-other.�
“Yeah, he was the guy who was looking for a computer chick.� Olivia’s eyes widened. “He’s looking for Hattie. I’m sure of it.�
“Sounds like your suspect list went up.�
Olivia tapped her fingers on the table while she tried to think. “Maybe? It doesn’t make sense. If he was looking for Hattie about the case, why didn’t he just ask for her by name? Why hide her identity?�
“If it were me, and I was about to abduct someone, I wouldn’t want to be caught talking about them.�
“But he was asking about her after she disappeared. Like he didn’t know where she was.� Olivia’s conviction was growing as she went on. “I need to talk to him. Does he come in every day?�
Janelle glanced at the clock. “Yeah. They usually stop in around eight for breakfast and then either for lunch or after work.�
“I’ve got to pick up Clyde at eight and give him his medicine, and I don’t have Natalie trained yet. Will you text me when he comes in this afternoon?�
Her sister shook her head. “I don’t want you interrogating people in my bakery. I don’t need any excitement happening right now.�
“I’m not interrogating him! I’m just trying to fill in the pieces of Hattie’s life before she disappeared, and I think Thomas might know something. It’s just going to be a friendly conversation. Nothing to worry about. Now I’m going to steal a cup of coffee and a muffin as payment for helping you this morning and get to my job.�
Janelle grunted. “If coffee and muffins are payment for services, then you owe me lots of work. Are you going to introduce us to Natalie? I want to make sure you haven’t hired another psycho.�
Olivia tried to imagine how Janelle was going to react when she brought bubbly and happy Natalie down. “I think there might be a few loose screws—but nothing dangerous.�
Mary brought her a cup of coffee and a muffin, and Olivia gave her a big smile. “Thanks, Mary. I really am sorry about Wilbur.�
Mary waved her hands. “I’m taking myself out tonight for a nice consolation dinner and drinks, but I’m already over it.�
“Good. You can do better! Janelle,� Olivia stood and nodded her head. “Be nice, today.�
“I’ll show you nice,� Janelle grumbled, but she hugged Olivia, who awkwardly held out her coffee and muffin to avoid spilling.
“I’m a phone call away if you need me. And be nice to Natalie. I don’t want you to scare her away.� Biting into her muffin, she shot her sister one more warning look before she headed to the stairwell. Hopefully she could get a phone call in to Andrew before he started his conferences for the day.
Stopping by the office, she dropped off her coffee and muffin and headed upstairs to snag Goodwin and Fender. When she reached the third floor, she saw that she wasn’t alone.
Someone dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans was at her apartment door, hand on the doorknob.
“Hey!� Olivia yelled. “What are you doing?�
The intruder turned and took off. Without thinking, Olivia turned to chase after the figure, but she stopped sort when she realized that her door was ajar. Fearing for Goodwin and Fender, she threw open the door and raced in, yelling their names.
At first, they were nowhere to be found.
“No! Babies!� Heart in her throat, Olivia threw open the bedroom door and sighed with relief when both dogs came barreling out.
“Olivia?� Janelle yelled as she thundered up the steps. “Olivia, are you okay?�
Overcome with relief, Olivia knelt down and hugged her two dogs. “You’re okay, babies. You’re okay.�
“Olivia, are you …?â€� Janelle stopped short and gasped. “What happened?â€�
“Call Nick,� Olivia said grimly as she stepped back out into the living room. Nothing was destroyed, but someone had left scrawled a message for her on the wall in black spray paint.
This is all your fault.
12
Nick and Derek were there in twenty minutes. Janelle called Jackie, who also joined them, and suddenly, Olivia’s one-bedroom apartment seemed like a sardine tin.
“I didn’t leave Goodwin and Fender closed up in the bedroom,� Olivia said and swallowed hard. “Whoever was here put them there. I guess I should be thankful. Goodwin can be a little too friendly, and the intruder could have done them real harm.�
“This is all your fault,� Derek read out loud. “Who have you pissed off now?�
“Deputy Jameson,� Nick said sternly. “We do not blame the victims in situations like this. Keep that in mind.�
“But it’s Olivia,� Derek pointed out, although not unkindly. “She has a way of getting involved with things that she shouldn’t.�
“Like you and your girlfriend?� Jackie snapped. “Besides, all she’s done is try to prove that something happened to Hattie. This has to prove that she’s on the right track. We spoke to that lawyer this morning, and he looked real suspicious.�
“Matthias?� Nick asked sharply. “You were talking to him? You need to stay away from him, Olivia. He’s dangerous.�
“Like break-into-my-apartment-and-write-on-my-wall kind of dangerous?� Olivia shook her head. “He doesn’t seem the type to get his hands dirty.�
“He’s not.� A disgusted look crossed the sheriff’s face. “He’s the type to pay someone else to do it for him. He has a reputation for winning, no matter what it takes. He’s not above hiring people to intimidate witnesses to keep them quiet. Chances are good that Hattie really did take off on her own because Matthias did something to scare her off.�
“Aha!� Olivia brightened and pointed at him. “So you are willing to admit that something is wrong?�
“Olivia, Hattie is an adult. I can’t do anything if she took off on her own. If she had come to me about harassment, then maybe I could have done something. If the prosecutor suspects that something happened to her, then I can look into it, but so far, I haven’t heard anything.�
“Because someone is emailing from Hattie’s computer to talk to people and make it seem like everything is okay. Matthias said that he could have Hattie arrested for ignoring the subpoena. Hattie might not like people, but I can’t imagine that she wants to be arrested.�
“Well, if we happen to issue a warrant for her arrest, then we’ll look for her,� Derek volunteered.
Olivia shot him a dirty look. “What is wrong with you? I get you a girlfriend, and now you’re playing against me?�
“I got my girlfriend all on my own,� the deputy said with a puzzled look on his face. “Didn’t I?�
“Ok
ay, I’m supposed to meet with Mayor Henderson tomorrow after his meeting with the prosecutor. I might go earlier to speak with them as well.� Olivia didn’t want to tell Nick that she was going to ask Andrew to hack into Hattie’s emails for her.
“That’s not going to be necessary,� Nick said in a grave voice. “Because of all this, we’re going to have to look into her disappearance as well. This is officially a Lexingburg Sheriff’s Department case. We’re taking over.�
“Yeah. Please. Investigate all you want, but I’m not going to stop. This is personal, Nick. They were in my home. They touched my dogs, and they ruined my paint job.� Olivia folded her arms and silently dared Nick to argue with her.
He shook his head. “We’re going to be processing the scene today and maybe even tomorrow. Can you stay somewhere tonight?�
“She can stay with me,� Jackie piped up.
“Thanks, Jackie.� Olivia turned her head and stared at the graffiti again. “It doesn’t make any sense. Why would they blame me? I barely knew Hattie before all of this.�
“Maybe they’re blaming you for bringing it to the police’s attention,� Janelle said in a small voice.
Olivia gestured to the message. “Nick just said that they have to get involved because of this. It’s their own fault!� She rubbed her temples. “All right, I don’t really have time for this. I have to pick Clyde up. Jackie, do you have a minute to pack a few things for me? I only have to be out for a couple of days, right?�
“Yeah. You said the intruder was wearing gloves, but we’ll still process for prints. Plus hair and fibers. Maybe we’ll get lucky. If Matthias did hire someone, then they’ll probably have a record and will be in the system.�
“Will you be able to trace it back to Matthias?�
“Money trails and confessions might do it. If Matthias has a relationship with them through his court cases, we can follow that path, but we can’t say for sure that he’s behind it.�
“I spoke to him this morning,� Olivia insisted. “And less than two hours later, someone is in my home.�
Nick nodded. “And that’s not a lot of time to plan all of this,â€� he said in a low voice. “We’re going to look at all the angles. I’ll talk to Andrew tonight about him installing some security cameras. If you’re going to continue to take these cases …â€�
“Whoa!� Olivia held up her hands. “First of all, this is my apartment, so you should be talking to me about security cameras. Secondly, no one is telling Andrew anything. We’re going to cover this up with paint before he gets back, and he’s never going to know.�
Jackie cleared her throat and stepped forward. “That sounds an awful lot like the old Olivia. The one who does not communicate very well. You’re not that woman anymore, right?�
Dang it. Jackie was right. “The first point is still valid. I’ll think about the second point.�
“Olivia!� Janelle hissed.
“What? I wanted to ask Andrew to move in with me when he gets back. Do you think he’s going to want to live here, knowing that it’s been violated?�
Her sister looked like she was in pain. “I’m both very happy with you and very disappointed in you,� she admitted. “Of course, that’s pretty much how I always feel about you.�
“Lovely,� Olivia muttered before turning her attention back to Nick. The sheriff also looked like he was in pain. “Nick. I know that you and Andrew are best buds now, but you’ve known me longer. Isn’t there some sort of confidentiality rule between sheriff and victim?�
“No,� he said, shook his head, and chuckled. “Look, I won’t tell Andrew, but I’m with Janelle and Jackie on this one. You need to tell him. Communication is key. Look at my marriage?�
“Andrew and I aren’t married, and you don’t tell your wife that you hire me to walk your dog or about that end-of-shift beer that you like to enjoy at End Game.�
“Little white lies are also important in a marriage.� Nick straightened and changed the subject. “Don’t you have some dogs to take care of?�
Olivia shook her head. “Yes. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.�
“I’ll pack a few things,� Jackie reached over and hugged Olivia. “In fact, maybe you should stay with me until we figure out what happened to Hattie. Olivia, Hattie could be dead. We could be dealing with a murderer.�
“We’ve dealt with that before,� Olivia reminded her.
“Yes, but with MegaStore here and all of these strangers staying in town, it just feels more dangerous.�
Jackie had a point, but Olivia was not about to let someone run her out of her own home. “We’ll talk about it later. I’m running late.�
She could tell that they all waited until after she’d closed the door to start talking about her. They were all worried about her, and she could appreciate that, but she couldn’t think with them all talking at the same time. She knew that it didn’t have to make sense, but she didn’t understand why someone would blame her for something Hattie had done, or for something that someone had done to Hattie.
If the intruder wanted to distract and confuse her, they had done a good job.
Still a little freaked out and not wanting to leave Goodwin and Fender alone, she loaded them into the Wrangler. Normally she would have walked to Clyde’s house to get him, but the arthritic pug was too slow, and they’d never make it back to the office to meet Natalie on time. She had Clyde until four today, so he’d get plenty of exercise growling and nipping at Goodwin all day.
Natalie, all decked out in yellow, was waiting for her at the office when Olivia returned with the dogs. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Goodwin and Fender. “Who are my handsome boys? And who is this gorgeous fellow?� Gathering Clyde in her arms, she started smothering the grumpy old pug in kisses.
Olivia was impressed. Not only did Clyde tolerate the stranger, but he actually snuggled and smiled in her arms. Or maybe that was gas. “This is Clyde. He’s a regular, and he’s enjoying a free daycare session today to help train you. Clyde is diabetic and arthritic and allergic to pretty much everything, so he’s kind of our special-needs pup.�
“And you want to see how I do with him?� Natalie smiled and hugged the dog tight. “Well I think Clyde is the cutest guinea pig! I’m sure we’ll get along great. Is everything okay? I saw the police cars out front.�
“Yeah, they’re processing a …â€� Olivia stopped and reconsidered her words. “I mean, they’re visiting my apartment.â€�
“Oh my God. Did something happen in your apartment?� Natalie’s eyes widened in fright. “Did someone try to hurt your dogs? Because I will totally testify on your behalf if someone tried to hurt your dogs and you killed them.�
“Oh. That’s nice. Also a little terrifying. And no, there were no dead bodies involved. Just a boring break in and vandalism.� Olivia frowned. “And there’s nothing else to say about that. Do you want some coffee? My sister wants to meet you, and we have some time before our first round of walks.�
“Yes! I just love babies!�
“Babies! What?� Olivia straightened in surprise. “What babies? There are no babies in connection with Janelle.�
Natalie put down Clyde and scratched Fender’s ears while Goodwin crowded against her knees. “So your sister’s not pregnant?�
&
nbsp; “No, and how could you possibly know that?�
“Oh.� The bubbly woman nodded solemnly. “I get it. It’s a secret. When I left, the last time that I was here, I stopped in the bathroom of the bakery, and your sister was throwing up. She said that she had the flu, but when my mother was pregnant, she had that same glow that your sister has.� Her eyes danced, and she zipped her finger and thumb across her lips. “Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.�
“Your mother? Was she pregnant recently?�
Natalie nodded her head enthusiastically. “She was a teen mom when she had me. It was such a sad story. She focused all of her love and attention on me, growing up, and when I turned eighteen, she finally met the love of her life. They married two years later, and she’s finally getting her fairy tale ending.� She sighed.
“Wow, that is a happy story. But yes, if you did not tell anyone, including Janelle, that you know, I would appreciate it. She’s very sensitive about it and not ready to tell her husband.�
Natalie gasped. “Oh, no! She can’t have secrets from her husband! Do they not want a child? That is the sign of troubles in the marriage—but babies can be a blessing! I know the name of a great marriage counselor.�
She pulled out her phone, and Olivia quickly intervened. “That won’t be necessary. Janelle isn’t keeping a secret because she doesn’t want to be pregnant. She just wants to finish a few things first before Patrick makes her slow down. Again, that’s something that you need to keep to yourself.�
Olivia was worried that her brand-new assistant knew her sister’s secret, but it was also nice to share the burden with someone. She only hoped that Natalie could be trusted.
It looked like today the young woman would be tested in more ways than one.
The bakery was hopping when they went down. Janelle and Mary both had their hands full, but Janelle jerked her head when Olivia slipped behind the counter to pour some coffee. Olivia assumed that Janelle was asking about Natalie, but when her older sister started deliberately glaring into the bakery’s seating area, Olivia followed her eyes and saw the MegaStore guy.
Kept in the Bark (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 5) Page 11