The Sierra Files Box Set: Books 1-3: Plus a bonus Christmas novella!

by Christy Barritt

  Nothing.

  It was like Sage Williams had appeared out of thin air.

  Maybe she had made up an identity. Why would someone do that? Witness protection, as those police officers had joked? Maybe. Running from the law? You never could tell. Running from someone else? A total possibility. And maybe that person she’d been running from had finally caught up with her.

  Now that I thought about it, Sage had never wanted to be interviewed for any of the campaigns we’d organized at Paws and Fur Balls. She’d always gotten Kyla to speak for her and had insisted that her picture not be taken.

  I’d assumed she was simply camera shy. But maybe there was more to it. A lot more to it.

  Besides, if she was camera shy, why was she making a video of herself on the Hessel’s Hairstreak butterfly? What sense did that make?

  Unless there was more to it.

  If I really wanted to get some answers, I’d have to find out her real name first.

  And that might be harder than getting a fast food restaurant to stop serving beef.

  Leaning back in the chair, I reviewed what I knew so far. If I were to think like Gabby for a moment, I’d have to consider who might have means, motive, and opportunity. I was just brushing the surface of this—and I’d only play detective in my head, mind you. I wasn’t going to go out searching for answers or questioning people. I wasn’t that crazy.

  Sage had been arguing with Donnie. I couldn’t imagine what it was about. Donnie seemed too laid-back; he liked everyone. I’d never even heard him raise his voice, unless he was at a protest. He mainly stuck with campaigns where he could play a quiet role.

  I could go back to my original theory. Maybe Sage had simply walked in on a drug deal gone bad. Maybe she’d been at the wrong place at the wrong time. But—then why was her apartment ransacked?

  I turned off my computer. It didn’t matter.

  Other than the fact that someone had broken into both my car and apartment, it didn’t matter, that is.

  Maybe that was unrelated to Sage.

  I had a hard time believing it. But it could be true.

  I thought of the man who’d broken into my home. Why would he have done that? And what was in his bag? I didn’t have anything of value in my apartment. Someone had obviously been to Sage’s apartment, as well. But why?

  I sighed, stood, and then began checking all of my windows—apparently, that was how the intruder had gotten in. There was evidence he’d used a crow bar and prodded his way in through one of the living room windows. Then I double-checked my locks and laid on my couch, desperate to find—no, not answers—but sleep.

  Chapter Five

  This hardly ever happened. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time it had happened. But as I tried to hand out meat-free hot dogs at a local outdoor art show, my heart wasn’t into it.

  The day was a typical August day in Virginia. Humidity and sunshine mingled, making the day feel even hotter than it actually was. This show, which was running all week, took place at a park with plenty of trees for shade, which offered a slight reprieve. Artists from all over the Mid-Atlantic region were displaying their work in little tents here. The show’s director was a friend of Rupert’s—and a vegan—and that’s how we’d gotten in.

  Usually when I was at events like this, I told myself: Just one convert. Just one person to show interest in bypassing meat products. Just one soul interested in leaving this world a better place. Then I’d be satisfied. I would have done my job and feel content.

  Right now, as sweat trickled down my back and with my water bottle empty, I thought about Chad. He called me every morning on his way to work. Except today. He hadn’t called me today.

  He really was mad about my cats. And I think that meant that we really had broken up.

  The fact that I felt sad about it was purely ridiculous. I was Sierra Nakamura. I was independent. Top of my class at Yale. A crusader for animals. Content to live—even embrace—the single life.

  What I wasn’t was a sappy, lovesick woman who depended on men.

  No, that title went to other women who had nothing better to do with their lives than make a man happy. That sounded like a miserable existence.

  Then why did I feel miserable right now?

  “Ma’am?”

  I came back to reality, realizing that a college-aged boy was standing in front of me, asking me some question. “What was that?”

  “These hot dogs are pretty good. Do all vegan products taste this good?”

  I set aside my other thoughts and tried to answer him the best I could. I handed him some literature, another hot dog, and then he walked away a happy possibility.

  “Hey, Sierra. I’m supposed to take over for you at noon. I’m a little early.”

  I looked up and saw none other than Donnie standing there.

  “Perfect,” I muttered.

  He leaned against the table with his arms crossed, looking totally at ease. He wore shorts and a T-shirt and dark curly hair protruded from every opening—his collar, his sleeves, and the bottom of his shorts. At once, I had the image of a capuchin perched in a tree, waiting for the rest of his family group to return.

  “How’s it been going today?” he asked.

  I tried to rewind my thoughts and focus on something other than Chad. “I’ve had a few people who seemed interested in some information. They took the literature and such. A couple of people have been rude, but we’re used to that, right?”

  “Unfortunately. I don’t know why people think it’s okay to discriminate against us. Intolerance . . . when will people ever modify their ways of doing things?”

  “For real.” It was only okay to discriminate against people who were overweight and animal rights activists. That’s how it felt sometimes.

  “Any idea why Rupert was at the office yesterday?” Donnie still lounged against our table, in a chatty mood today.

  I shook my water bottle, wishing I’d brought another one. I didn’t even see a fountain where I could fill it up again. “Doing his biannual check in, I guess.”

  “I heard he just flew in on Sunday night from Morocco. Must be nice, right?”

  I couldn’t even imagine having the funds to do that. I barely had the money to support my vegan lifestyle. “I guess that’s what you can do when you’re a successful entrepreneur. I believe that’s the word of the moment.”

  “How many companies has he started? Like ten? He’s never been married. He’s filthy rich.”

  I had the impression from the way Donnie spoke that he held Rupert on a pedestal. “Do we know any of that for a fact?”

  Donnie gave me a look that clearly showed he thought I was ignorant if I didn’t hold Rupert in as high esteem as he did. “That he’s rich? He owns ten companies. How can he not be rich?”

  I shrugged, not really in the mood to debate Rupert or his lifestyle. “I don’t know. He’s very mysterious. What do we really know about him?”

  “Just that he reformed himself from acts of domestic terrorism back in the 70s where he used to try to blow up companies that did animal testing. He served his time and now he’s more passionate than ever.”

  Saying it like that made Rupert seem like an urban legend of sorts, at least in my circles. “For the record, he never hurt anyone, and he’s since said he regretted his actions. He prefers the peaceful to the violent.”

  I nibbled on my bottom lip and thought about the offer Rupert had made to me yesterday. I loved the idea of being in charge, especially since I got frustrated when people weren’t on the ball with their assignments. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to embrace the politics of being in charge.

  “I heard Rupert wants to get rid of Bryan.”

  I tensed, yet tried to look chill. “Bryan has been acting off lately.”

  “I heard Kyla wants the job.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Really? I’m not sure I could see her as the head honcho, but what do I know?”

  I knew I might quit if she was in charge.
I liked her enough as a coworker, but as my boss? She was way too catty for that.

  A moment of silence fell between Donnie and me. I remembered Kyla said something about Donnie and Sage arguing. Maybe I could get the scoop on that right now, especially since the opportunity had presented itself.

  “So,” I started, trying to keep my voice casual. “What do you think about Sage?”

  “Sad. She was a nice girl.” He shook his head mournfully. “Do they think it was an accident? Like, maybe she fell or was attacked by a bear or something?”

  “I heard she might have been murdered.” Why else would the police have been at her place? I reasoned. I could use my deductive reasoning skills here and assume the obvious.

  Besides, from what I’d seen, her injuries must have been small but deadly. A gunshot wound maybe? Her body had been swollen by the time we’d found her and nature had begun feeding on her. That was to be expected. If a bear had attacked her, I would expect more blood, for her body to be ripped apart.

  “Yeah, it looks like murder to me. Scary, right?” I said.

  “Who would have done something like that to someone as sweet as Sage?”

  Sweet? That’s not exactly how I would describe her. Irresponsible? Maybe. Flighty? Yep. Unpredictable? Definitely.

  Every once in a while, I thought I’d caught a glimpse of pain in her eyes, as well. I had no idea what her past was or how she’d ended up at Paws and Fur Balls. She wasn’t exactly the most open person.

  From the way Donnie had talked about her, it made me wonder if he had a crush on her. He seemed a little more distraught right now than I expected.

  “Your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea.”

  I told myself I wasn’t going to ask questions. But when opportunities like this presented themselves, how could I say no? “I heard the two of you were arguing the other day. That seems out of character.”

  His bushy eyebrows arched upward. “You heard that?”

  I nodded. “I’m not trying to be nosy or anything. I just thought it was weird. I mean, especially because she was so . . .” I cleared my throat. “Sweet and all. And you’re so laid-back.”

  “Yeah, it was odd, to say the least. Sage got all weird on me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I went over to ask her a question. She was on the phone, but I didn’t realize that until I reached her desk—her hair had blocked the phone from my sight. Anyway, when she realized I was there, she lashed out at me. Said I’d been eavesdropping and that I should mind my own business.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Ouch is right. I’ve always tried to be nice to Sage, even when Elaina and Bryan got mad at her that time. Remember that?”

  Did I remember? Sure, I did. They thought she’d taken over their project and that she needed to stick to her assignments.

  Donnie continued. “I stuck up for her. So, when she snapped at me, I kind of lashed back. I shouldn’t have.”

  “What happened then?”

  “We went our own ways. A few hours later, Sage came over and apologized. She said she’d been tightly wound lately. Something about she had a lot going on in her life.”

  “Did she say what?”

  He shook his head. “Nope, not a word. I didn’t ask. I was happy to put the argument behind us. You know me well enough to know that I’m a make love, not war kind of guy.”

  I pushed my glasses up higher on my nose. The sun caused a very unflattering sweat to sprinkle across my nose, which made my glasses want to slide down. My parents wanted me to have surgery so I wouldn’t have to wear glasses anymore, but I still wasn’t comfortable with someone operating on my eyes simply for cosmetic reasons.

  “What about the conversation you overheard Sage having? Did she say anything weird?”

  “Just something about some money,” Donnie said. “She sounded very stressed.”

  Money? Were debtors tracking her? Did she have a secret gambling problem? Or was there something more sinister going on here?

  Again, I had no idea. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t care.

  Then I remembered seeing her dead body in the swamp. I remembered her poor cat that had no one now. Well, no one except for me.

  I glanced at my watch and saw the time. “Okay, listen, I should run. I’ve got paperwork to do. I’m trying to finish up this puppy mill story.”

  “All right. I’ll catch you back at the office.”

  As I walked back toward my car, I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation. Money . . . money could bring about all kinds of trouble.

  What kind of trouble had it brought Sage?

  “We’ve got to figure out how to handle this,” Bryan started. He leaned against the table on his fists. His eyes were wide and intense as his gaze met each of ours. The man could at best be described as passionate, and at worst as temperamental and hot headed. “We can’t handle bad publicity.”

  We all sat around in the conference room, discussing the effect of Sage’s death on the nonprofit. Kyla, our public relations girl, took notes.

  “The media hasn’t released Sage’s name yet, so we’re in the clear now,” I said. I tapped my pen against my notepad, hating these weekly meetings. We spent too much time on useless things like finances and not enough time trying to figure out solutions to the problems of animal suffering at the hands of humans.

  “It’s only a matter of time,” Bryan insisted.

  “I don’t see how this will be bad PR for us,” I continued. “Our company has nothing to do with her death. It’s tragic. If the news media comes around, we should all say kind things about her and talk about how she’ll be missed. But unless Paws and Fur Balls directly has a link with her death, I think that all of this fuss is about nothing.”

  Bryan ignored me and turned to Kyla. “Kyla, I want you to have some press releases written up. I want them ready for when Sage’s name is released.”

  “Got it,” she responded.

  “And if, by some crazy chance, Sage was killed because she was an animal rights activist, we’ve got to milk it for all it’s worth.”

  “Must you use ‘milk it’?” I started. “That expression stands for everything we’re against.”

  “It’s an expression!” Bryan insisted, throwing his hands up. “Anyway, I just want to stay on top of this. No one talks to the media without going through me first, understand?”

  Everyone nodded. Except me. My brain was too busy going at full speed.

  Bryan seemed to notice because his laser vision focused solely on me. “And Sierra, whatever you do, don’t leak the video. You can’t see Sage on it, can you?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t looked at it.”

  Everyone was so concerned with that video. I needed to ask Chad for a copy, just in case. But that would require talking to Chad again. I wasn’t sure I was up for that.

  I was ready to change the subject. “Where’s Rupert? Why isn’t he in on this discussion?” I asked. I would think the company CEO would want to stick around to help handle this situation.

  “He had to fly out to Chicago about another one of his companies,” Kyla said.

  He hadn’t stuck around for long. He’d been in town for a little more than twenty-four hours. Of course, that sounded like Rupert.

  “In other business,” Bryan turned toward me again. “How’s the puppy mill story?”

  “Wrapping it up now,” I responded. “I’ve got everything I need and I can turn this information over to animal control.”

  “Perfect.” He tossed me something.

  I caught it in one hand and stared at a . . . collar. “What’s this?”

  “Your next assignment. It’s a shock collar. It’s a cruel and unusual punishment that masks itself as a dog training method. I need you to do your research on this specific company. I’ve heard their collars are even more effective than the competitors, but I’ve also heard it’s because the shock is more powerful. I need you to work on it.”

>   I nodded and put the collar in my purse. “Got it. Anyone know what Sage was working on? Besides the Hessel’s Hairstreak butterfly?”

  Bryan looked at a sheet in his hands. “No, I’m not sure. She’d told me there was some kind of top-secret investigation. She was really excited about it and asked me to trust her.”

  Since when had Bryan ever trusted anyone? I kept the question silent and instead asked, “Has anyone searched her desk or computer for information?”

  “The police came in and took everything like that,” Donnie added. “So that leaves us right back where we were. We don’t know exactly what she was doing.”

  Interesting. Why was she keeping one of her assignments a secret? I mean, Sage liked to be private. But I’d assumed that Bryan, at least, would know some details.

  “We have other things to worry about for the time being,” Bryan insisted. “Our funding is down and if we don’t get more donors, we’re all going to be taking a pay cut. That just won’t work for me. I’m already giving too much money to my soon-to-be ex-wife as part of this divorce.”

  So Bryan was getting divorced. That would explain some of his behavior recently. Did he have any clue that he could lose his job? Then what would he do to support his wife? I hoped he had a Plan B because even if I didn’t take the job, someone else might. I’d hate to see him fall on hard times even more than he was experiencing now.

  As the meeting continued, I sat back and observed everyone. There was Bryan. He was in his mid-thirties. Cranky lately. On the brink of doing himself in.

  Then there was Donnie. Mr. Laid-back. Did he have a secret crush on Sage? Maybe.

  Kyla, the gossip queen, was sharp. She didn’t let much get by her. She could handle herself like a pro in front of reporters.

  It was an interesting group of coworkers. What would it be like to take over this company and lead this group as Executive Director?

  I could be to animal activism what monks and priests were to religion. I could dedicate my life to it. I could be married to the cause.