I quickly plunged into a vision.
I was standing by a row of metal cages, a few of which held dogs and a cat. A woman stood in front of me with a grim look. It struck me that she looked a lot like Levi. They had the exact same blue eyes and similarly shaped noses. Was this his sister? “I don’t like it, Levi.”
“I know, Margi, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“Just hire someone else. I know you want to wait so you don’t look suspicious, but this place is falling apart.”
There was no second vision this time. The waiting room came back into focus around me and I blurted out, “You don’t want to look suspicious.”
His head jerked as he glanced up at me with a startled look. “What?”
Why would Levi worry about looking suspicious? I knew I should answer him, but I decided to see how he’d handle the accusation.
He pulled his hand free and got to his feet, looking panicked. “Why would I look suspicious?”
Why indeed? But I had to answer him this time. “I’m not sure, but I can tell you’re worried.”
“I wasn’t until you mentioned it,” he said as he took a step back. Then his eyes flew wide. “Oh my God. You think I did something to her?”
I didn’t understand the context of the vision, but Levi wasn’t a stranger. I knew him to be a kindhearted man who went out of his way to help animals. He’d always been good to me too, and while I’d misjudged people before, I couldn’t see him as a killer. “No, of course not, Levi,” I said. “It’s just that you were likely one of the last people to see her. I’m sure it has to be a concern.”
“I thought her mother saw her on Sunday,” he said breathlessly. “She told me that Sarah left their house around noon.”
I stared at him earnestly, feeling horrible for upsetting him further. “Of course, you’re right. I’m sorry. I truly didn’t mean to upset you. I was trying to reassure you.”
He nodded but didn’t look totally convinced.
Could this conversation be why he’d appeared so anxious in the vision, or was he somehow involved in Sarah’s disappearance?
Maybe I needed to do more digging into Levi Romano.
Chapter 17
The nursery was closed by the time I got back, and Neely Kate and Carly were about finished pulling in the plants that had lined the sidewalk. I watched them for a moment, noticing that Neely Kate had set Carly at ease enough to actually carry on a conversation. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Carly looked more relaxed than she ever had in our short acquaintance.
When Muffy and I got out of the car and walked over to them, Carly glanced up and stopped talking, eyeing me with caution.
“I don’t see Maeve’s car,” I said, shielding my eyes from the sun as I looked over the parking lot.
“She had to leave,” Neely Kate said. “I told her we’d finish up. Find out anything helpful?”
“Yeah, actually. Levi said Sarah was a great employee. He’s been holding her job for her, hoping she’ll come back.”
Neely Kate frowned. “He’s been running the office by himself?”
“No, Mary came back.”
“You’re kiddin’!”
I shook my head. “She showed up the morning after Sarah disappeared, demanding her job back, and since Levi was desperate, he took her back… temporarily. But she was belligerent as all get out when we started askin’ her questions about Sarah. She and Levi got into it and he fired her again.”
“I can’t believe he took her back in the first place,” Neely Kate said. “She’s as mean as a three-legged cat.”
“He said he was gonna call a locksmith to change the locks since she took the keys. And he’s also going to advertise for a replacement.”
“Anything else?” Neely Kate asked.
“He doesn’t recall anything suspicious before her last day at the office,” I said. “And one more thing that helps us narrow down when she found the money… her last day of work, Levi told her if she had a friendly dog, she could bring it to work with her. She told him she didn’t have a dog anymore, but she hoped to get another one someday, after she saved up enough to get a new place.”
“So she didn’t have the money yet,” Neely Kate said.
“Unless she was lyin’ to Levi, but I don’t see why she would.” I moved out of the way as Neely Kate closed the greenhouse door. “That means she found the money Friday night.”
“And we have no idea what she was doin’ on Friday night.” She glanced over her shoulder at me. “We have to find out.”
“We need to talk to Nina again. I know they weren’t hangin’ out, but she might have an idea.”
She grinned. “Looks like we need to have breakfast at the Sunshine Café.”
I grimaced as I recalled the concrete pie. “Maybe I’ll just have coffee.”
Neely Kate chuckled. “Find out anything else?”
“Levi thought Mary had slashed Sarah’s tires, and he paid to replace them out of guilt. I know Nina seemed positive that Digger did it, but if she was mistaken, Mary committed a crime of revenge on her replacement. What would stop her from murderin’ someone?”
Neely Kate looked worried. “Anything else?”
Hesitating, I shot a look toward Carly. “Nothin’ much.”
Carly offered me a wary smile. “How about I take Muffy over to the grass and see if she needs to pee? Come on, Muffy.”
Muffy had been sniffing around by my feet, but she took off after Carly toward the west side of the greenhouse.
“What happened?” Neely Kate asked in a quiet voice.
“I had a vision that confused me.”
Her eyes flew wide. “What did you see?”
“I asked if Sarah would come back to work for Levi, and I had a vision of him in what I think was the back of his clinic. He was talkin’ to a woman he called Margi. She told him she didn’t like what was happenin’ and suggested he hire someone else even though he was worried about lookin’ suspicious.”
“Suspicious?” she screeched.
Carly must have heard Neely Kate even though she was over twenty feet away, because her gaze jerked over to us.
Neely Kate gave her a small wave and a smile, then turned back to me and lowered her voice again. “Why would Levi worry about lookin’ suspicious?”
“I have no earthly idea,” I said. “I’d already questioned him, and he’d been open and eager to help. But after I had my vision and blurted out something about him bein’ worried about lookin’ suspicious, I left him pretty worried. Do you think that was why he was so worried in the vision?”
Her brow furrowed. “I can’t see Levi hurtin’ anyone.”
“Neither can I, and I felt terrible about upsettin’ him. He acted like it had never occurred to him to be worried before I said somethin’.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “You did the right thing havin’ a vision, Rose. Do you know who he was talkin’ to? Does he have a new girlfriend?”
“I’m pretty sure it was his sister. He called her Margi. Randy’s apparently dating her, and that’s the name he gave me. Plus she favors Levi.”
“Deputy Miller has a girlfriend,” she said with a sly grin. “Good for him.”
“Yeah.” But my vision still worried me. It had felt off somehow, like I was missing something important. “There’s one thing that has me confused.”
“What’s that?”
“When Randy told me back in July he was seein’ Margi, he mentioned she’d moved to Henryetta to help her brother with his office. Levi fired Mary, then hired Sarah, then took Mary back again. Why not just give the job to his sister?”
“Maybe they don’t get along,” Neely Kate said. “Maybe they tried it and it didn’t work out. Or…” Her eyes lit up. “Or maybe Randy meant she was helpin’ in the back of the office. You know Levi must have someone helpin’ him take care of the animals.”
I nodded. She was right, and I’d never seen anyone back there, so it was completely pos
sible that Margi did work there.
“But maybe we should look into it,” Neely Kate said carefully. “Just to be safe.”
“We could have Bruce Wayne check it out when he’s finished diggin’ into Conrad,” I said. “And maybe have him see if Mary really was in Cancun.”
Neely Kate grinned. “I can handle that one. I know someone who’s Mary’s neighbor. Velma’s a busybody who makes sure she knows everything about everyone.”
“Good idea.”
“But we can’t be dumpin’ too much on Bruce Wayne. He’s got a big landscapin’ job over the next few days, so I’m not sure how much he can find out.”
“He might surprise us,” I said. “And I also realize he wants to feel useful. He seemed eager to help when we talked to him about Conrad. When he finishes looking into him, why don’t you tell him that we need information on Margi, but there’s no hurry?”
“Good idea,” she said. “I’ll text him later.”
I turned my gaze out to the grassy area where Carly was squatting and rubbing Muffy’s head. “Looks like you two are finished closin’ up. Do you want to grab pizza to take home?”
“Hey, Carly,” Neely Kate called out. “Are you okay with pizza?”
She walked over to us with Muffy trotting behind her. Carly looked surprised to be included in our dinner discussion. “Uh… yeah…” she said when she reached us. “Whatever you guys want.”
“Do you have a favorite kind?” Neely Kate asked.
A guilty look crossed her eyes. “I’m a vegetarian.”
“Oh.”
“But it’s not like I’m kosher or anything,” Carly said with a tiny wave of dismissal. “I can pick the meat off.”
“Why don’t we get two pizzas?” I asked. “I’m sure Jed’s gonna eat with us, and he can practically devour an entire pizza on his own. I’ll get a meat lovers and a veggie pizza. Sound good?”
Both women agreed, so I called in the order to a pizza place we passed on our way up to the farm.
Carly was quiet during the drive home, and the tension in the car ratcheted up higher and higher the closer we got. She sat in the back with the pizzas on the seat next to her, her gaze on the passing landscape as she absently petted Muffy’s head. Muffy had insisted on sitting with Carly, which I took as a promising sign since my little dog was typically a good judge of character.
“Do you have a dog?” I asked, shifting in my seat so I could watch her in the rearview mirror.
“No,” she said. “My hours are too crazy. It would be difficult to get home to take care of one.”
I shot a glance to Neely Kate, who had also noticed Carly had volunteered some personal information.
“What do you do?” I asked.
She jerked upright with a startled look. “I’m…” She hesitated. “A nurse.”
I didn’t believe her. Just like I didn’t believe her name was Carly. No one hesitates when giving her name or her profession. She clearly wasn’t going to offer any information willingly, so maybe we’d do best to ask. I turned in my seat and looked her in the eye.
“Carly, you remember what we talked about earlier? Neely Kate and I do PI work on the side. We’re workin’ on a case right now, tryin’ to find out what happened to a nineteen-year-old girl who disappeared. If you’re in trouble, we can help you too.”
Her large blue eyes held mine, and I worried that she was about to open the back door and jump out, despite the fact Neely Kate was pushing sixty-five on the 55 mph county road.
I reached out and put a hand on her knee. “Your life is your business, and whatever’s going on with you, we’ll help you as best we can, whether it’s giving you a place to stay or keepin’ you safe. Just tell us what you need from us when you feel ready to ask.”
She didn’t answer, and I started to worry I’d pressed her too soon, but after a few seconds she gave a slight nod. I cast a quick glance at Neely Kate to see if she was upset with me, but she gave me a reassuring smile.
I’d let her take point on this one for now.
Jed was already at the farm, sitting on one of the wicker chairs on the front porch, when Neely Kate pulled up in front of the house.
Neely Kate got the pizzas out of the back and headed up the porch steps. Jed greeted her at the top and gave her a warm kiss. “Everything go okay for the rest of your afternoon?”
“Fine and dandy,” she said. “Are you hungry?”
He grinned, and it gave him a boyish look. Not only was Jed good for my best friend, but she was good for him too. A sharp spike of unexpected jealousy stole my breath. Neely Kate and Jed had something I’d never have with James, and while I’d gone into our relationship with eyes wide open, I had to admit I missed coming home to a man who loved me.
Carly walked up next to me, and emotion washed over her face again as she watched them. This time I recognized it as sorrow and not jealousy. Carly had experienced a heartache of her own. Was that why she was running?
Neely Kate laughed. “Let’s go inside and eat.”
“Neely Kate,” I said, “pop the trunk so I can get Carly’s bags.”
“Oh, I can get them,” Carly said. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Don’t be silly,” I said. “We need to cart them upstairs, so I’ll carry one up while I show you where you’ll be sleepin’.”
I heard the trunk pop open, and I walked around to the back of the car. Carly reached for the bigger bag and tote bag while I grabbed the slightly smaller one and heaved it out of the trunk.
We lugged them inside and up the stairs. Carly kept darting glances toward the kitchen door, where we could hear Neely Kate and Jed’s voices as they grabbed plates and drinks.
Jed made her nervous.
When we reached the top of the stairs, I led her halfway down the hall to the first bedroom on the left. “You can stay in this room. I’m at the very end on this side, and Neely Kate is just to the right of the stairs.” I set her suitcase on the floor in the corner of the room. “The bathroom is across from you, but you’ll have to share it with Neely Kate. I have my own bathroom, but if you’re in a hurry, you’re more than welcome to use mine. Just go through my room.”
She set her suitcase next to her other one and searched my face with a wary look. “Why are you doin’ this?”
“What? Helpin’ you?”
She nodded.
“Honestly, for a few reasons. One, we’re kind of known for helpin’ people. That’s why people come to us when they are in trouble.”
Little did she know a young man with a gunshot wound had come to us weeks ago and had stayed in the very bed I was giving her now.
“And two…” I hesitated, wondering if I had any right to share this, but I figured Carly needed to know. If she didn’t understand why we were helping, she’d be suspicious of us, and there was no need for that. “Neely Kate was in a very difficult situation a few years ago and she needed help. I think she kind of vowed to herself she’d always help a woman who was in trouble, like she wished someone had helped her.”
Tears stung my eyes as the weight of my friend’s earlier confession hit me full force. I’d had to hide my true feelings before, and I needed to stuff them back down now before I lost it in front of Carly.
“Neely Kate is a good person,” she said. “And so are you. Thank you.” She glanced down. “I’m embarrassed to be in this situation.” She looked back up at me with tears of her own. “If you’d asked me a week ago where I’d be today, I would have told you I’d be in Hawaii on my honeymoon.”
That explained her soulful glances at Jed and Neely Kate. “Did he dump you at the altar?”
She paused as though weighing her words, then said, “No, I dumped him the night before the wedding. Friday night. He has no idea where I am and neither does my father. I’d really like to keep it that way, but my father… he’s bound to be looking for me. That’s why I need to keep a low profile.”
“Did he hurt you?” Neely Kate asked from the open doorw
ay, catching us both off guard.
Carly turned to face her. “Not in the way you’re probably thinking. Let’s just say I trusted Jake to be careful with my heart and he betrayed my trust. And my father knew all along and thought it was a great idea.” She paused. “I would have expected it from my father, but Jake…” Tears filled her eyes.
I had a million questions after that admission, and I could see Neely Kate did too, but Carly didn’t volunteer any more information. “I’m glad you felt comfortable telling us,” I said after letting a moment of silence linger. “We’ll keep your secrets and protect you as best we can.”
She shook her head. “I still don’t understand why you would help me. You don’t even know me. Maybe I’m a bad person.”
“Nah,” Neely Kate said with a soft smile. “Muffy likes you and she always picks out people who are threats.”
Carly blinked. “Really?”
“Yeah, really,” Neely Kate said. “Rose and I’ll tell you a few stories over dinner. Let’s go downstairs and eat.”
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom and wash up,” Carly said.
“We’ll meet you in the kitchen,” Neely Kate said. “It’s at the back of the house.”
We headed downstairs, remaining silent until we reached the bottom. “She is running away,” I said. “But it doesn’t sound like she’s in real trouble. She just canceled her wedding over her boyfriend and father betrayin’ her.”
“That seems pretty drastic though, don’t you think?” Neely Kate asked. “And where’s her mother in all of this?”
“Maybe she doesn’t have one,” I suggested. “Where’s her best friend?”
A knowing look filled Neely Kate’s eyes. “Exactly.”
“We’ll help her, Neely Kate,” I said. “From here on out, she tells us what she wants to share, when she wants to share it. And if she wants to stay in Fenton County, she can stay as long as she needs.”
Chapter 18
Carly opened up more as we ate, telling us about her day with Violet and Maeve, but she still seemed nervous around Jed.
Up Shute Creek: Rose Gardner Investigation #4 Page 19