Up Shute Creek: Rose Gardner Investigation #4

by Denise Grover Swank

  I shot my best friend another inquisitive look. Dena was Joe’s new girlfriend, and she and Neely Kate didn’t care for each other. But she showed no hint of glee. She looked locked in thought.

  Carly walked in and surprise filled her eyes when she saw us. “Oh, hey.”

  “We came by to pick you up,” Neely Kate said. “You must be starvin’.”

  A hesitant look washed over Carly’s face. “It’s only 5:30. The nursery closes at 6:00.”

  “We thought you might be tired,” Neely Kate said.

  “No, not at all.” Carly glanced at Maeve. “Actually, I told Maeve I’d help her put everything away since Anna usually does it and I’m fillin’ in for her. Would it be too much of an imposition if I stay and finish?”

  “Oh.” Neely Kate’s eyes widened—and then filled with respect. “Of course. Why don’t we both do it? I’ve been learnin’ about the nursery too.” She turned to me. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  “No, of course not. I can go chat with Levi. He usually sticks around the office until six. I should be able to catch him before he leaves. Do you mind if I borrow your shiny new car?”

  “Oh! Good idea,” Neely Kate said. “I’d offer to go with you, but I still think you’re likely to find out more without me.” Her mouth twisted. “Unless it’s awkward to go alone…”

  “No,” I said. “We ended on friendly terms. You stay here and help Maeve and Carly. I’ll be back soon.”

  Neely Kate handed me her keys, and I took Muffy with me. Levi liked her and there would be all kinds of smells to keep her entertained while we chatted.

  There were only two cars and a pickup truck in the parking lot when I pulled up at 5:50. The truck was Levi’s, and I recognized one of the cars, so I steeled myself when I walked through the front door with Muffy in my arms.

  “No appointment, no service,” someone barked at me from the front desk. It looked like Levi had brought back Mary, his old receptionist. She pointed her index and middle fingers toward the floor and made a scissors movement to mimic walking. “Go on.”

  “I apologize for not makin’ an appointment,” I said. “But this is important.”

  “That’s what they all say, Missy. The soonest I can fit you in is Thursday.”

  “You don’t even know why I’m here,” I protested. “What if my dog was havin’ some kind of emergency?”

  Mary pinned her aggravated gaze on Muffy, then pointedly shifted it to me, raising her brows. I glanced down at my dog, and if dogs could smile, she was grinning from ear to ear.

  Okay, so she had a point.

  “This is important,” I said. “I need to talk to Levi about Sarah.”

  “Who?” she asked with a scrunched-up face. The exaggerated response convinced me she knew exactly whom I was talking about.

  “You know,” I countered. “The woman who took over your job.”

  A fire blazed in her eyes. “She did not take over my job. She was merely fillin’ in.”

  Mary looked ready to rip someone’s head off.

  A new theory hit me, stealing my breath. Had Mary been pissed enough to do away with her replacement?

  An exam room door opened, and a woman emerged, leading her golden retriever out with a leash. The dog wore a cone of shame around his neck and had a bandage wrapped around his back leg.

  Levi followed her out. He was a handsome man who was also kind and dedicated to animals. It was no wonder so many women were interested in him. Maybe I would have been interested too if I hadn’t already been half in love with James by the time I met him. He studied the dog’s gait. “Be sure to let me know if Rebel has any issues with his stitches.”

  “I will, Dr. Romano,” she said. “Thank you.”

  Levi realized someone else was in the waiting area and did a double take when his gaze landed on me. “Rose. Is everything okay with Muffy?”

  Muffy was squirming in my arms, dying to get down and say hello to Rebel.

  “She’s just enthusiastic to make a new friend. I’m actually here because of a case.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “An investigation?” Then a knowing look filled his eyes. “Oh… Sarah.”

  “Yeah,” I said, juggling my dog, who was getting even squirmier. “Her mother hired us.”

  With a somber look, he gestured toward the exam room he’d just vacated. “Why don’t you come in here and let Muffy sniff around while we talk.”

  Mary shot me a dark glare that did nothing to ease my new suspicion of her, and I walked into the exam room. When Levi shut the door behind us, I put Muffy on the floor.

  He crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against the wall. “I take it that Sarah’s mother still hasn’t heard from her.”

  “No. She’s very worried.” I paused. “I hear Sarah had just started working for you.”

  He dropped his arms and stood upright. “Yeah. Mary had one of her tantrums, so I fired her. I put up an ad on one of those job websites, and Sarah was the first one to come in for an interview. I hired her on the spot.”

  “She impressed you?”

  “She did. She has a sunny disposition and said she loves animals. She was working at a dental clinic, so I figured she was at least somewhat familiar with clinics, even though it was a stretch.”

  “How did she do as a receptionist?”

  “She was great,” he said enthusiastically. “The clients loved her as well as the animals. She caught on to the paperwork aspect quickly. I never once regretted hiring her.”

  “Until she didn’t show up,” I said.

  He grimaced. “Even then I didn’t regret it. Her mother called practically the minute the clinic was supposed to open last Monday. I knew she was late, but I figured there’d been some delay on the road.”

  I nodded. “How did Mary end up workin’ here again?”

  “She stopped in that same morning. She figured I’d be begging to take her back. And since Sarah is still missing…” He shrugged. “I hoped Sarah would come back, but it’s been a week.” He studied me and the expression on his face turned fearful, as though he only now understood the implications. “Do you think something bad happened to her?”

  I couldn’t give him a complete answer. I needed to keep what we’d found so far to myself. “I’m not sure. I’m still tryin’ to piece it all together. Marsha just hired us this afternoon.”

  “Oh…” His worry increased. “She waited that long?”

  I pushed out a sigh. “I think she had trouble findin’ anyone to investigate. The Sugar Branch police wouldn’t take the case, and the sheriff’s department wouldn’t touch it for fear of upsettin’ the police. She tried to find a private investigator, but she doesn’t have any money.”

  “So you and Neely Kate are investigating pro bono?”

  I shrugged. “We can’t take cases with paying clients since we don’t have a license. Kermit gets paid for our work, but he says he’s supervisin’ our investigations, so they count toward the hours we need to put in for the exam.”

  A sad grin lit up his face. “Something tells me you’d take the case either way. You have a compassionate soul, Rose.”

  The exam room suddenly felt too small for the two of us. I needed to change the subject. “Levi, did you know anything about Sarah’s personal life?”

  He frowned. “She always changed the subject when I asked, so I quickly let it drop. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds, but contrary to the vibe Mary gives off, I like to create a warm work environment. I told Sarah if she had a friendly dog, she could bring it with her to work, and that was the most she ever talked about her home life. She said she didn’t have a dog anymore, but she planned on getting one as soon as she had enough money saved up to rent a pet-friendly apartment.”

  “I know she only worked for you for two weeks. Did she mention that toward the beginning or end of her time here?”

  “The end,” he said. “A lab mix puppy came in, and she said the dog reminded her of her dog Jack. That’s when I mentioned she
could bring him in if she wanted.”

  “Do you happen to remember what day that was?”

  He made a face. “It wasn’t Thursday, because we were slammed that day. It was Friday.”

  If Sarah was talking about saving money to rent a place with Nina, she must not have found the money yet. That definitely narrowed the window.

  Unless…

  “You haven’t had any money missin’, have you?” I couldn’t imagine a vet’s office had that much cash in the register, but I needed to ask.

  His eyes flew wide. “Are you asking if Sarah stole from me?” He adamantly shook his head. “No. Not a chance. Did you think…?’

  I offered him a smile. “No, but we’re tryin’ to look at all possibilities. I had to ask.”

  He gave a slight nod but looked slightly offended on Sarah’s behalf. “Of course.”

  “Was there any trouble at the office while she worked for you?”

  He pursed his lips together. “Someone slashed her tires in the parking lot, but we both presumed it was Mary.”

  “Did you call the sheriff?” I asked.

  “No. Sarah wouldn’t let me. I insisted on calling a tow service and replacing all her tires. Sarah tried to stop me, but I insisted. If it was Mary, it was completely my fault. There was no reason Sarah should be penalized for that. She was strapped for cash as it was.”

  “You didn’t think you should call the sheriff?” I asked. “If it was Mary, you should have let them investigate. What if she escalated?” Nina had suspected Digger, but what if she was wrong? And why had Levi let Mary come back to work if he suspected her of such a thing?

  “I wanted to, Rose, and in hindsight, it seems like a very poor decision,” he insisted. “But Sarah begged me not to. She was concerned Mary would be even more upset with her. The poor girl had just had her car vandalized. I figured the least I could do was respect her wishes.” His eyes widened. “Oh my God. Do you think that Mary had something to do with her disappearance?”

  How much should I tell him? I decided to share the truth. “At the very least, we should talk to Mary about what she knows, but I’m not convinced she was the one who slashed the tires. Sarah’s best friend is positive Sarah’s ex-boyfriend did it.”

  “What?”

  “Did she ever mention her boyfriend?”

  “Not much, but I could tell she wasn’t happy with him.”

  “Did she ever come to work with bruises?”

  His brow rose sharply as he realized what I was asking. “You think he hit her?”

  “We’re not sure,” I said. “We’re very early in our investigation, but her coworkers at her old office said she came to work with bruises on Fridays. Flowers would be delivered the same day with a card that simply said, ‘Sorry.’” I tilted my head slightly. “Did Sarah ever get flowers here?”

  Levi looked lost in worry. “No.”

  “Did her boyfriend ever come into the office?”

  “No.”

  “Did you see anyone come in and act strange around her?”

  Confusion washed over his face. “Strange? You mean like threatening?”

  “Or maybe just someone who took an odd interest in her?”

  He shook his head again. “No. Not that I noticed, but I’m usually in the back with the animals.”

  “Can you think of anything else that might be helpful?”

  He rubbed his chin, looking at me. “No. I wish I could.”

  “If something comes to you, will you let me know?”

  “Definitely,” he said. “I hate to think something bad might have happened to her.” He started to speak, stopped, and then started again. “I know your investigation is probably confidential, but could you let me know if you find out anything?” His voice broke. “Sarah’s a good kid. I just hope she’s okay.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I said. “Thank you.”

  He squatted and picked up Muffy. She licked his chin as he stood, and he grinned at her—the kind of grin that had the ladies of Fenton County lining up out the door.

  “How’ve you been, Rose?” he asked.

  His interest made me nervous. Especially since I couldn’t tell him the truth about James. If I told him I had a secret boyfriend, he’d probably assume I was making him up.

  “Good. You?”

  His smile spread. “Good. Keeping busy with the practice. Business has doubled since I took over for Dr. Ritchie.”

  I laughed. “It’s no wonder with all the women in the county and beyond bringin’ their pets to you. Dr. Ritchie didn’t have the people skills you do. Or the looks.”

  His grin lit up his eyes and made him even more handsome. “If that’s your polite way of saying he was crabby, you’re probably right. But business has grown so much I’ve considered getting a partner.”

  “Wow. That’s great, Levi.”

  He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he opened the door and walked out into the waiting room. “I think it’s time to confront my receptionist.”

  I suspected this wouldn’t go well.

  “Mary,” he said, walking over to her desk. “Has anyone called asking for Sarah?”

  “Who?” she asked in a shrill voice.

  He groaned. “Sarah. The girl who replaced you.”

  Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Why would anybody be asking for her?”

  “Mary,” I said. “This is important. We’re worried about her safety.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Pleaaase. She’s nothing but a flighty girl who doesn’t take her job seriously, just like all those other centurions.”

  “Who?” I asked in confusion.

  Levi shook his head in frustration. “Millennials, Mary. For the hundredth time, they’re millennials.”

  “Millennials. Centurions. What difference does it make what they’re called? What matters is that they’re all flighty.” She looked down her nose at me, making it obvious she lumped me into the same group.

  “Did you meet her?” I asked.

  “Who?” Mary asked.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Mary.” Levi groaned again, sounding more irritated than I’d ever heard him. “Sarah.”

  Her upper lip curled. “I never met the girl.”

  “You never came in while she was workin’?” I asked.

  “Why would I?” she asked. “I was takin’ my two weeks of vacation.”

  “You were fired, Mary,” Levi ground out.

  Muffy glanced up at him in surprise.

  Mary shrugged. “I left on a Wednesday, then I came back just over two weeks later. Sure enough, you needed me.”

  “You just happened to come in on the Monday she didn’t show up?” I asked.

  Her mouth quirked to the side. “Like I said…”

  “You were back from vacation,” I grumbled. “What were you doin’ on your vacation?”

  “I went down to Cancun.”

  I shot Levi a questioning look. “Had she planned to take a vacation before you fired her?”

  He frowned. “No.”

  “Did you really go to Cancun?” I asked.

  “I don’t have to answer that,” Mary said in a belligerent tone.

  Levi’d had enough. “Answer the question, Mary, or don’t come back tomorrow.”

  Her eyes shot daggers at him, but she said, “Yes. I went to Cancun.”

  “For two weeks?” I asked.

  Her forehead wrinkled as she frowned. “Fine. I went for one week on one of those all-inclusive things. While I was lyin’ on the beach with my mai tai, I decided to go in and reclaim my job when I got back.” One of her shoulders lifted into a tiny shrug. “So I came in bright and early last Monday mornin’, plannin’ on demandin’ my job back.” She sat back in her chair, her expression that of a cat who’d gotten the cream. “Call it surreptitious.”

  “What?” Levi asked, then narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you mean serendipitous?”

  “Same difference…”

  “Only it’s
not,” Levi countered.

  “When did you come home from Cancun?” I asked.

  “Late Sunday afternoon, the day before I got my job back.”

  “Who went to Cancun with you?” I asked.

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Mary,” Levi ground out.

  “Fine,” she said, “I went with my boyfriend.”

  “You have a boyfriend?” Levi asked in disbelief.

  “You think I’m too old to have a boyfriend?” she demanded.

  “No,” he said dryly. “I think you’re too mean.”

  I watched in disbelief as they launched into a fiery argument, all while Levi still cradled an observant Muffy in his arms. Who would’ve thought Levi had it in him? He’d never shown any anger or recrimination in the short time we were dating, but Mary had clearly driven him to the brink.

  “That’s it,” Levi said at last. “I can’t take it anymore. You’re fired. Again.”

  “Well, I never,” she said, clucking her tongue as she grabbed her purse out of her drawer. “I won’t be back this time.”

  “One can only hope,” Levi muttered.

  “You’ll regret this!” Mary said, pointing her finger in his face.

  “Somehow I’ll learn to live with it,” Levi said.

  We both watched her stomp out the front door. After it slammed shut behind her, we were quiet for a couple of seconds. Then I turned to Levi, wide-eyed. “I’m so sorry if I stirred things up.”

  He set Muffy down on the floor and walked around the desk. “I should never have let her come back in the first place. I wasn’t thinking straight when I heard Sarah was missing.”

  “What are you gonna do?”

  He sat in her chair, then looked up at me like a lost little boy. “First I’m going to call a locksmith and have the locks changed. Mary just left with the keys. Then I’ll repost the job listing, I guess.” He pushed out a huge sigh. “I’d hoped to hold the job for Sarah…” His worried eyes held mine. “But she’s not coming back, is she?”

  Offering him a soft smile, I walked toward him and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling guilty about my real reason for touching him. “I honestly don’t know, Levi. I’m so sorry.”

  He reached up and covered my hand with his own, but I didn’t have time to give it much thought because I was already closing my eyes and asking, Will Sarah come back to work for Levi?