by V. M. Burns
Jacob groaned. “Please, help me.”
“Okay, but I don’t have a car, so you’ll have to wait until—”
David sent a text message notifying me he was waiting outside. “Never mind. David’s here. Give me thirty minutes.” I hung up.
I had no idea what I would say, or how I could help, but I could tell Jacob was on edge. Before I left, I stopped at Jacob’s desk and found several books that were probably the old Hopewell diaries Linda Kay told me about. I grabbed them and stuffed them in my bag and then hurried out.
I explained the situation to David, who found it hilarious but agreed to help with the great escape. We stopped at a nearby florist and picked up a plant. I programmed the address into my phone and prayed his parents didn’t live atop Lookout or Signal Mountain, although David was less concerned about the mountains and promised to drive carefully.
Thankfully, Jacob’s parents lived in an older neighborhood not far from downtown. The houses were smaller, working-class homes, but they were very well maintained with mature trees.
We sat for a few moments outside and tried to think up an excuse to get Jacob out of the house, but nothing came to mind that either of us thought would be believable. Eventually, we gave up and decided to wing it.
Plant in hand, I walked up to the front door and rang the bell, followed by David.
A petite woman with curly red hair opened the door. “May I help you?”
“I’m Lilly Echosby. I work at the museum with Jacob, and this is my son, David.”
She smiled and opened the door wider. “Jacob has mentioned you. You’re the accountant, right?”
I nodded.
“I’m Miriam Flemings, Jacob’s mother.”
We shook hands. “I’m sorry to bother him…it’s just that we’ve been struggling to get by without him at the office. No one else knows where anything is.”
She smiled. “My Jacob is a hardworking young man. I’m sure he can help you, but you mustn’t stay too long or let him get overtaxed.”
She hurried down the hall. I followed, shedding my coat as I walked. He wasn’t kidding about the temperature. The house felt like a tropical rain forest.
At the end of the hall, she opened the door. The room held a twin bed with posters from musicals plastered across the floral wallpapered walls. It had obviously been his childhood bedroom and still reflected the decorating taste of a teenager rather than the sophisticated artistry of a young man.
“Jacob, do you feel up to visitors?” his mother asked in the quiet voice people reserved for funerals.
He rolled his eyes. “Of course, Mom.”
I entered the room and handed him the plant. There was a seat near the bed, and I sat down. David walked in and moved to stand by the window.
“This is my son, David.”
The two men shook.
We sat in an awkward silence for a few seconds when it was obvious Mrs. Flemings intended to stay.
Jacob handed her the plant. “Can you take that? I think Lilly and David might like some coffee.”
I realize that when you’re hot, you’re supposed to drink warm beverages, but in this heat, coffee was the last thing I wanted. However, I couldn’t deny the pleading look in his eyes and nodded.
Mrs. Flemings eagerly hopped up and took the plant. “Of course.” She smiled and hurried out of the room.
I looked at David, who had also removed his jacket and was wiping his forehead.
When Mrs. Flemings was gone, Jacob used his hands to lift his leg off the pillows where it was propped, and swung it around and scooted to the edge of the bed. “Okay, what’s the plan?”
He had a large black compression boot with straps that went up to his knee. The boot had a heel that was chunky and looked heavy.
I stared at him. “What plan?”
“For getting me out of this sauna? Don’t tell me you don’t have a plan?” He looked from me to David. “Never mind.” He stood. “Quick, while she’s in the kitchen, David can start the motor and we can make a run for it.”
It would have been funny if he hadn’t been serious.
“Hold on. I didn’t come here to break you out.”
He stopped and stared at me. “What?”
“I just came by to check on you.”
His face fell, and he flopped down on the bed. “But why not?”
“First, because you have a broken ankle.” I pointed to his leg. “Second, you can’t come back to work until the doctor approves it.”
“The doctor said I can move. I can walk. I can even take the boot off to shower, but she won’t hear of it.” His eyes filled with tears. “I now know why an animal caught in a trap will gnaw off his leg to get free.”
David turned toward the window to hide the smile that I saw forming on his lips.
“I can’t take much more of this.” He opened his arms to encompass everything. “I’m this close to gnawing off my leg.” He held up fingers indicating he was about an inch from amputation.
Mrs. Flemings came back into the room with a tray. She set the tray on the dresser and turned around. She handed me a cup.
“Thank you.” I declined sugar and cream and took a sip. “This is wonderful.”
David accepted a cup, although Jacob declined.
We sipped our coffee in another strained silence.
“I’m a little surprised your doctor hasn’t adopted the newer medical techniques.” David sipped his coffee.
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Flemings perched on the edge of her chair.
“It’s just that in New York, the latest medical reports show that patients recover from injuries much faster when they get fresh air.”
“Are you a doctor?” she asked eagerly.
David chuckled and then held a finger to his lips. “Shh…if people think you’re a doctor, they ask a lot of medical questions.”
I forced myself to avoid any type of facial expressions that might give away his ruse. “That’s very true.” I nodded.
Mrs. Flemings’s eyes stared at David with a new respect. “I understand completely, doctor. Do you want to examine him?” She quickly turned to Jacob. “Let the doctor look at your leg. Pull down your pants.”
“Mom!”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” David placed his cup and saucer on the dresser. “He can just remove the compression boot.”
Jacob’s eyes narrowed, but he unbuckled the straps on his boot.
David made a pretense of examining his ankle.
Mrs. Flemings looked over his shoulder. After he poked Jacob’s leg, he turned away and winked. “Ah, yes, well, it appears to be healing very well…except—”
“Except?” Mrs. Flemings wrung her hands. “I knew it. He’s trying to do too much, isn’t he? I warned him.”
“On the contrary. I’m not sure he’s doing enough.”
Her eyes were big, and her mouth hung open. “Not doing enough?”
“Yes. You don’t want to coddle him. His muscles will start to atrophy, and that could end up causing more damage.” He paced around the small room with his hands behind his back. “No, I recommend more exercise. He needs to move around.”
“That’s what the surgeon said too, but I thought it’s too soon.” She stared at Jacob’s leg.
“My dear lady, he needs fresh air and he needs to walk. You can’t make him too comfortable or he may never want to leave.”
Jacob snorted.
“I recommend he get some exercise, and don’t you let him get away with taking advantage of you.” David smiled at Mrs. Flemings. “I can tell you’re a sensitive woman. You can’t let him manipulate you into fetching and carrying for him.”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes, doctor.”
After a few minutes, David had convinced Mrs. Flemings to lower the heat and open
the window, professing there was nothing like fresh mountain air to help in the healing process.
Before we left, Mrs. Flemings asked David to review the medicines that had been prescribed to make sure they were the same ones he would have ordered for his New York patients. She practically dragged him down the hall.
Jacob and I sat in the room in silence for several moments.
Eventually, he sighed. “He’s a darned good actor.”
“He is.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled. “You know, she’s only doing it because she loves you.”
“I know.”
I stood up. “I almost forgot. I brought you some reading material.” I pulled the diaries out of my purse and handed them to him.
He looked at the books. “Thank you.” He looked at me. “I wanted to read more about Ruby Hopewell.” He smiled.
David assured Mrs. Flemings those were the exact same medicines he would have prescribed, and I hurried him out of the house before she asked him any more medical questions or, heaven forbid, wanted him to examine her.
We laughed about the subterfuge on the drive to Pet Haven.
“You almost had me convinced you were a doctor.” I laughed.
David smiled. “All part of acting. You have to behave with confidence. You have to commit. Generally, if you speak or act confident, people believe you are who you say you are.”
“That’s amazing. I’m sure she absolutely believes you’re a doctor.” I thought for a few moments. “I feel bad about deceiving Mrs. Flemings. She’s just a concerned mother, and she really has Jacob’s best interest at heart.”
David shrugged. “I know, which is why I didn’t say anything contrary to the doctor’s orders.”
We talked about David and Mrs. Flemings until we arrived at the gate. Security had been given our names, and we were immediately buzzed in. David drove to the same parking space we had used the previous day.
Inside, we were greeted by the same girl from the previous day, Madison. Given the large smile she gave David, I wondered whether it was a coincidence or whether she’d arranged to be here at the same time. David seemed equally pleased, but it might be part of his technique for getting into character.
I was shown to a small office with a computer. There were two accounting ledgers on the desk. I suppressed a sigh while I sat behind the desk.
“Mr. Simpson had to step out to take care of some personal matters, but he said if you needed anything, I was to help you.” Madison smiled.
She and David turned to leave.
“Excuse me. I was wondering if Heather was here.” I smiled.
Madison shook her head. “Sorry, she had a family emergency.”
“I hope it’s nothing too serious.”
She shrugged. “I really don’t know. I didn’t talk to her, but it can’t be too bad. She left her dog here.”
“Is that common?” I tried to make sure my voice sounded casual and nonchalant rather than inquisitive.
“Not really…not for Heather anyway, but her dog is rather unique.”
“How so?”
“She has a pit bull/Lab mix…a mutt basically. It’s a rescue and is normally really calm, almost timid. Lately, she’s been really aggressive. She actually tried to bite Mr. Simpson, which was weird, and she barks nonstop.” She shrugged. “It’s not normal for Heather to leave her here.”
“Maybe her family doesn’t like dogs or has allergies,” David said.
“I didn’t really know that Heather had any family. She certainly never spoke of them if she did.” She shook her head. “However, there are a lot of places that don’t like pits, and so it’s possible her options were limited, especially at the last minute. Plus, it can be expensive.”
“Ah…is free boarding one of the perks of working here?” I asked.
She nodded. “That and free dog treats. My dogs love the homemade biscuits.”
“So does mine.” I smiled, thinking about how much Aggie loved her dog bone treat.
“I think we saw the chef yesterday…Justin?” I put my purse on the desk.
Madison nodded. “Justin hasn’t been here long, and I’m not sure he’s a real chef. I think he’s a friend of…of the family.” She looked down and colored. “Mrs. Simpson hired him.”
“How nice. Did she run into him at one of the dog shows?”
Madison looked uncomfortable and avoided making eye contact.
“I went to my first dog show just the other day and was amazed at how many people specialize in making food, clothes, and jewelry for dogs.”
Madison smiled. “I think it’s a big business. Well…” She waved her hand around to encompass Pet Haven. “This business certainly seems to be doing well.”
David surprised me by coming over and giving me a kiss on the cheek. He was affectionate, but the gesture seemed out of place. As he drew away he whispered, “Cameras.”
My eyes discreetly scanned the room. At the top of the bookshelf, I saw a small object I’d assumed was a paperweight but realized was a hidden camera.
Madison and David left me alone with the ledgers and the camera.
I tried to ignore the camera but knew my gaze was drawn to it. It took several minutes before I could focus on the numbers before me. Eventually, I put the camera out of my mind and set to work.
Two hours later, I had a crick in my neck and the beginning of a headache. The computer on the desk was an ancient relic that had, undoubtedly, been set up purely for my benefit. It had a stand-alone copy of a cheap accounting software program, and the machine wasn’t connected to a network or the Internet.
I stood and stretched. I was in need of the facilities, and it took everything in me not to announce to the camera that I needed the restroom.
I walked out and retraced my steps to the front desk, where I found David and Madison, heads together, sitting and going through photos. “I’m sorry, but can you show me where the bathroom is?”
“Of course.” She hopped up and turned to David. “I’ll be right back.”
Madison led me down a hallway, where I found the door I needed and took care of business. On the way back, I deliberately took a wrong turn and wandered around. I walked down a corridor I didn’t remember seeing on my first visit. I heard the faint sound of a dog barking. I followed the sound until I came to a door where the barking was much louder. There was definitely an unhappy dog behind the door. I couldn’t tell if the dog was in pain or not, but he was definitely in distress. I tried the knob, but the door was locked. There was a pad to the side for a thumbprint scan.
I was curious what a dog kennel would store that would need to be secured with a thumbprint scanner. Surely a thumbprint scanner would only be needed to secure government secrets or dangerous chemicals, but before I could come up with too many answers, a security guard came up to me.
“Can I help you?” He was an older man with white hair, glasses, and a small frame. He was thin and somewhat frail and reminded me of Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show. I recognized him from the night Red and I arrived to pick up Aggie.
“I’m lost. I was hoping to find a vending machine or a break room where I could get a beverage.” I smiled the friendliest smile I had.
He turned. “Follow me.”
I had no choice but to obey.
He led me back the way I’d come. The door near the ladies’ room led to a break room complete with a refrigerator, microwave, and vending machines.
I smiled, but Barney Fife gave a barely perceptible nod, turned, and walked out.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t thought to bring my purse, so I didn’t have money to get anything out of the vending machines. Ever conscious of the cameras, which I now saw were placed throughout the building, I patted my pockets. At the risk of looking like a pantomime, I gave myself the Yo
u Could Have Had a V8 head smack and walked out.
Back in my makeshift office, I returned to the ledgers and struggled to make sense of what I was looking at. I tried not to make a mental judgment of Dallas and Keri Lynn based on the condition of their books. No matter how many times I’d heard people say they did their own accounting, I was still amazed. I knew people thought accounting was nothing more than debits and credits. They assumed if they could balance their checkbook, they could handle the accounting of their business in much the same way. However, most people didn’t depreciate their household assets for tax purposes. There were laws about employee wages, unemployment, and Social Security. Unless I was mistaken, it didn’t appear the Simpsons were taking out nearly enough taxes.
“Mom.” David shook my arm, and I nearly jumped out of my chair.
“You scared the daylights out of me.” I patted my heart to slow its thumping.
“Sorry, but I called you three times.” He smiled. “Those figures must be engrossing. It’s nearly five.”
I took a few deep breaths. “It can’t be.” I looked at my watch. He was right. “Where on earth did the time go?” I collected my purse. I picked up the ledger, but Dallas Simpson had made arrangements.
Madison frowned. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Simpson gave strict instructions that none of the books are to leave the property.”
“No problem.” I returned the book to the desk and smiled. “I’ll come back over the weekend, if that’s okay.”
She nodded. “I’ll be working tomorrow. I’m sure that will be fine.” She looked eagerly at David.
We walked out together and waved at Madison. Neither one of us spoke until we’d driven through the gate and were completely off Pet Haven property.
“How’d it go?” I glanced at David.
He smiled, but there was a glint in his eyes that made me doubt if it was related to discovering if Dallas Simpson murdered his wife or if it was more to do with a certain bright-eyed, dark-haired kennel assistant. “I find it interesting that the man, who agreed to our coming so I could observe him, didn’t show up.”
“Agreed. I mean, how many family emergencies can one family have?”