by Vella Day
Work the next day was a drag mostly because Tuesday was Penny’s day off, and I missed our quick chats in between serving our sections. The only other thing that might have cheered me up was if Steve or Nash had come in for a bite to eat. Only they didn’t. Not that I really expected them to, but it would have made the day more interesting.
After making certain no one at my tables needed me, I sidled over to my aunt, who was adding some gift items to the display case. I swear the woman could sell a bathing suit to someone from the North Pole.
“Has Bob stopped in today?” I asked.
“No, he’s working.”
“I forgot it’s a weekday. Didn’t you say he worked at the hospital?” I hadn’t asked Jaxson or Steve to check up on this man. I think it was because I trusted my aunt.
“Yes.”
“I’m curious to know what made you change your mind about dating?”
“Harold is tired. I think he wants to cross over.”
I still didn’t really understand how all that worked. “He told you that?”
“Not in so many words. He used to come down to the restaurant to chat every day. Then it became every other day. Eventually, his image would fade in and out. I truly believe he wanted to be here in order to provide me with comfort after he passed. Not that I don’t still miss him; he said he can sense that I’m going to be okay. He told me it’s been two years and that I need to get on with my life.” She chuckled. “I don’t know where he picked up that expression.”
“I bet from Penny.”
My aunt smiled. “I think you might be right. How is she doing by the way? You said she is maybe back with Sam?”
“Last Saturday was their first official date. I worry about her. She deserves a man who is more stable.”
“You know what I always say,” my aunt said.
“A leopard doesn’t change its spots. I know, but people can change.”
“You are right,” she said.
I couldn’t help but think of Jaxson. He had been so unsettled when he’d first arrived in Witch’s Cove. Then circumstances changed, and he became someone who was quite light-hearted and fun to be with. What I worried about was that since Jaxson grew up troubled, I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t return to his old ways. Dwelling on that, however, wouldn’t be productive.
“What are your thoughts on Dad’s friend, Hunter?” I asked.
“He is handsome,” Aunt Fern winked.
“I agree that he’s easy on the eyes, but good looks don’t make a relationship. I know he’s a forest ranger, so it makes sense he’d be teaching a course of hunting safety, but I didn’t realize they were such good friends.”
She quickly sobered. “I agree. Something is fishy. I wish I knew what’s bothering me about it.”
I waved a hand. “Let’s forget it. If Dad wants to hunt, I should be happy that he is getting out of the funeral home.”
“Your father gets away, trust me.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. “What does that mean? I realize of late I haven’t stopped by as often as I used to, but Mom would have said if Dad was merely out and about.”
Aunt Fern shrugged. “He leaves every four weeks for a day or two.”
She was keeping track? My brain jumped to a very bad conclusion. I leaned close. “Are you saying you think Dad is having an affair?”
My aunt huffed. “Oh, heavens no. He only has eyes for your mother.”
“Then what?” My parents were one of the stable things in my life—them and my aunt. I couldn’t handle it if their relationship fell apart.
“I’m not sure. I’m going to assume that your dad goes to the forest to take those hunting lessons during those times, though the timing doesn’t quite line up.” She waved a hand. “I say we shouldn’t worry about it.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, but I still don’t picture Dad ever killing a deer.”
“I agree that seems unlikely, but it’s hard for a man your dad’s age to find a sport that doesn’t require a lot of physical stamina.”
“That’s true. I don’t see him taking up jogging or joining an indoor basketball league, but what about golf?”
“I actually suggested that, but he said it was too expensive.”
If he was looking into hobbies, maybe this was the best solution. “Did mom suggest he get out of the house? I know dealing with grief all day can haunt the soul.”
“She did. Even now she’s worried about him. And so am I.”
Just then two of my tables filled up. “Gotta go. Any snooping about Dad is appreciated.”
Aunt Fern laughed and went back to arranging the display case.
The rest of the afternoon was business as usual. I was confident that Steve and Nash were working the missing dog case, but I had one more thing to check out. Tomorrow was Maude and Miriam’s big celebration. If Steve came, it might give me a chance to casually mention that Aunt Fern was dating the man who was taking the bets on the dog show. I know I said I trusted my aunt, but what if he was only after her for her money? It didn’t feel as if he should be considered a suspect in the dog case since it would be in his best interest to have all seven dogs compete, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least ask Steve about him. As a hospital administrator, he should have plenty of money. However, for all I knew, he could have three ex-wives and lots of alimony to pay.
Once I clocked out, I went upstairs to change. Iggy was on the kitchen counter eating some wilted lettuce that I apparently had forgotten to put away last night.
He looked up. “We never got to chat about Aunt Fern’s new beau. What do you think of him?”
I was surprised he didn’t rib me about Hunter. “I know nothing about him.”
“You need to ask Dolly.”
I stilled. “Why would she know?” True, Dolly and my aunt had vied for the same man in the past.
He did that leg lift thing that I believed was akin to a shrug. “She knows a lot.”
Iggy could be right. It might be worthwhile stopping in. “Aunt Fern said he worked at the hospital as an administrator. Is that consistent with what you know?”
“Your aunt has not breathed a word to me about him.”
Interesting. “Then I’ll check with Dolly.”
“Smart, but I want to go with you. I’m bored,” Iggy said.
“Really?”
“I promise I won’t complain. Besides, Dolly’s diner has really good lettuce.”
“Fine.” I grabbed my larger purse. Once he was settled inside, I grabbed my wallet, keys, and phone then headed out.
“I need to make one stop before going to the diner.”
Iggy poked his head out and looked around. “Where?”
“To Silas Adams’ music shop. It faces the park. If anyone has a good view of the comings and goings in recent days, it would be him.”
“Cool.”
I didn’t have high hopes of gathering pertinent information, but I had to try.
A chime sounded as I stepped into his store. Silas was around seventy, but his grizzled beard and arthritic hands made him appear older. Many years ago, I had taken music lessons from his wife, Kathy. She was so sweet—the opposite of Mr. Adams. Back then, I was afraid of him. Considering how he looked, I still might be.
“Afternoon,” he said, his tone anything but cordial.
Since I was the only customer, I would have thought he’d have been a bit more friendly. It appeared as if he didn’t recognize me. “Hi, I’m Glinda Goodall. I used to take piano classes from your wife.” I smiled.
“Is that so?” He didn’t sound impressed.
“Is everything okay?” I asked. The man seemed depressed.
“All the noise and fuss from the dog show drove away my customers.”
Considering the dog show was canceled and he had no customers now, I didn’t see how the show made a difference. “Is that so?”
“You bet. A lot of people came in asking to use the bathroom, but then no one bought anything.”
&n
bsp; I had been worried about that. Even though he was rather disgruntled, I was hoping he was the type to look out his window. “By any chance did you see that car that drove over the sidewalk onto the soggy park grass?” I stepped to the window and pointed to the area where I’d seen the tire tracks.
“I sure did. The man should be issued a ticket.”
My pulse jacked up. “I totally agree. People don’t respect boundaries. What kind of car was it?”
“It was a white van, one of those long ones without windows.”
That might have been a commercial vehicle. “How long was it parked for?”
“Ten minutes. I watched the whole thing. Nothing upsets me more than people breaking the rules. In fact, I was about to call the sheriff and complain when I saw Lassie walk right up to the mangy dude and get in the back. I figured if he had a dog, he couldn’t be all bad.”
“Lassie? You knew this dog?” Darn, and here I thought he might have provided the break in the case.
He waved a hand. “I don’t know the dog’s name, but it was the same kind of breed as Lassie.”
There used to be an old TV show by that name. “Do you mean a collie?”
“Yeah.”
This was too good to be true. “What did the man look like?”
“I didn’t pay much attention. He looked homeless to me. He probably lived out of his van.”
A customer came in, and Mr. Silas faced him. “Be right with you,” he said.
I knew when it was time to go. “Thanks.”
With this information, I had to tell Steve and Nash. Sure, Steve had ordered casts to be made of the tire tracks, but it might help if I could tell them it was a white van, and that this vehicle had most likely been responsible for taking Mittens.
Chapter Fourteen
I strode down the street to the sheriff’s office. Once more, only Nash was in the office.
“Back so soon?” he said as he stood and walked toward the front.
I explained about my discussion with Silas Adams. “He said that he saw a collie get in a white van that was parked where I, or rather we, spotted the muddy tire tracks.
His brows rose, but the rest of his face remained expressionless. “Did he get a look at the driver?”
“That was the iffy part. He just said the guy looked homeless.”
“I appreciate the heads up. I may have a chat with Mr. Silas. Good work.”
Pleasure shot through me. Nothing gave me a bigger high than finding a clue. “Thanks.”
With Iggy in tow, we headed to the Spellbound Diner. Even if the owner had no gossip for me, I was looking forward to a shake.
When I walked in, only about half of the booths were taken, and Dolly was behind the counter. When she saw me, she smiled and waved. I was happy that the competition between my aunt and her did not extend to me.
I took a seat and checked the menu, deciding to go with an old-fashioned chocolate shake. Dolly came over and, as was her usual style, she slid in across from me. She did that with many of her customers. I think that personal touch was what made people return time and time again.
“What’s up?” she asked.
I decided not to beat around the bush about my aunt. I didn’t feel the need to mention the white van and the scruffy man just yet, since it was now in the hands of Witch’s Cove finest. “Aunt Fern dropped a bomb on us last night.”
Her eyes widened. “Tell me.”
I laughed at her enthusiasm. “She has a date Saturday night.”
“Shut the front door.”
That was code for are you kidding me? I crossed my heart and held up my palm to swear it was the truth. “That’s what she said.”
“Who’s the guy?”
“Bob Hatfield. Do you know him?”
“Sure do.”
Oh, goodie. I waited for some kind of explanation, but none came. “Is he an okay guy? Or should I be worried for Aunt Fern?”
“His latest wife died about three years ago. He works at the hospital. Seems nice, not that I’ve had any long conversations with him.”
Before she could tell me anything else, the dog trainer of the recently canceled competition came through the door and checked out who was there. “Don’t turn around,” I said, “but Diana Upton just came in.”
“The dog trainer?”
“The one and only.” I’d checked her out, as well as the other dog owners, after Steve gave me the list of names. Diana was still wearing her pink and white bandana around her neck, which, if I had to guess, was her signature piece. “Steve said he had asked all of the people involved with the show to stick around for a few days if they didn’t live in or near Witch’s Cove.”
“Good to know. Let me see what she wants.” Dolly smiled. “But first, what do you want?”
“A chocolate shake. Oh yeah, and some lettuce for Iggy.” I nodded to my purse.
“You got it.”
Diana slid into a booth near the entrance. While it was at the other end of the diner from where I was seated, I could easily keep an eye on her. I wondered if she was meeting anyone or if she was there to eat alone? I don’t know what it was about finding something new that got my blood pumping. I think I might have been born a sleuth.
“What is she doing?” Iggy asked.
The booth right in front of hers was empty. “I’d love to know. Do you want to do some spying?”
That was a dumb question, but I had to ask.
“Do you like pink?”
I chuckled. “Okay, when Dolly returns, I’ll have her carry my purse over to the booth in front of Diana’s. Do not show yourself. Just listen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Iggy knew I didn’t like that moniker, but I’d let it go this time. In the meantime, I studied Diana. She pulled out a tissue from her purse and swiped it under her eyes. Don’t ask me why, but I didn’t think she was crying over the missing dogs. No one had even mentioned that she’d searched for them. With all of her contacts, I would have thought she’d have some idea who might have taken them, especially if any dogs had gone missing in other shows.
Now more than ever, I wish I could find out what Nash had learned about the list I gave him, but since this was an ongoing investigation, he wouldn’t tell me.
Dolly slid in across from Diana and pulled out her pad. I couldn’t hear what they said, but I was sure Dolly would repeat it word for word when she returned.
I was glad the news about Bob Hatfield had been neutral. I would hate to have to tell my aunt she might be making a mistake.
Dolly was taking quite a long time chatting with the trainer. Hurry up! When the owner returned to the counter, Dolly made my order. With my drink in hand, along with a piece of lettuce, she came over and set it in front of me.
“So?” I whispered.
“She doesn’t know anything about the missing dogs. She’s sad and anxious about them. I don’t blame her for thinking this might cause other vendors to stop supporting these shows.”
I guess I had been wrong about her. “That’s a good point. If the shows go away, so does her job.”
Dolly nodded. “To make matters worse, Diana has another competition to go to across the state. Naturally, she wants Steve to solve the case, so she can return to work.”
“That makes sense. Thanks for asking.” I lifted my purse. “Can you do me a favor?”
I explained about wanting Iggy to have a chance to spy on Diana should she call someone.
“No problem, but it might not be a phone call. She said she was waiting for someone,” Dolly said.
“That’s even better.”
After giving him his leaf, Dolly took my purse, and to her credit, she was quite stealthy about placing it on the seat in front of Diana’s booth. Iggy had to be really excited.
I took my time sipping my drink, enjoying the rich flavor, waiting for the mystery guest to arrive. Less than five minutes later, a man with disheveled brown hair, wearing rather dirty jeans slid across from her. Unfortunately, his
back was to me, so I couldn’t study his face. I was really tempted to text Steve to let him know there was a slim chance the van owner was at the diner, but without proof on my part, he’d dismiss me.
I couldn’t hear the conversation, but Diana Upton did not seem happy. She was pointing a finger at the man with her brows pinched. He leaned forward and said something. I really hoped Iggy was hearing all of this. Diana opened her purse, threw down some money, even though she hadn’t ordered anything, and left.
Okay. I hadn’t expected that. The man slid out of the booth and rushed after her. Something had just gone down, and it took a few minutes for my heart to slow. Since Diana had left and didn’t appear to be returning, I retrieved Iggy. I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say. Talking to my purse might rouse some suspicions, so I quickly finished off my drink, paid, and rushed down the street to find Drake and Jaxson. I wanted them to hear Iggy’s news.
Tuesday was usually a slow day for the shop, and today wasn’t an exception. Good for me but not for him.
Drake greeted me with a smile. “Hey, how did your dad’s birthday party go?” he asked.
“It was complicated. And you?” Instead of rushing into my news, I waited for him to tell me how his day had gone.
“I have just the thing to cheer you up. This morning, I received a shipment of some blue cheese I’ve been dying to try. Care to join me?”
I loved blue cheese, and Drake knew it. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d just eaten something. “Sure.”
He sliced a few pieces and placed them on a plate along with some crackers. “Dig in.”
The smell was heavenly, and it tasted even better. “I needed this.”
“Tell me what’s on your mind,” Drake said, despite me asking about his day.
I didn’t ask if Jaxson was there, because in all honesty, I enjoyed being with my best friend again. It was the way it used to be.
Iggy popped his head up. “What are you doing? I need to tell you two something. And it’s really important.”
“Okay, okay.” I explained as quickly as possible about visiting Silas Adams and his description of the van. “After I told Nash about it, I stopped in at the diner. Diana Upton showed up.”