Family Matters (A Gracie Andersen Mystery Book 1)

by Laurinda Wallace

  “Thanks. I really appreciate your help. You’ll get me a copy of the report, won’t you?” She hoped her voice was steady, unlike her hands, which were still shaking. She needed to regain some control over her emotions and the sick fear roiling in her stomach.

  “Just call and request it from Administration tomorrow, ma’am. It should be ready. You’re pretty lucky tonight. Take care now and lock your doors.” He headed for the flashing lights of his cruiser.

  The night sounds were back to normal. The peepers were singing with enthusiasm. Her shoes were squishy from the heavy dew on the grass. The three men continued talking in low tones near the police cars as she unclipped the leash and stepped back into the bright kitchen. It looked like Jim could handle the rest. Haley immediately drank deeply from her water dish. With all the commotion, Gracie was glad the nearest neighbor was a half mile away. She didn’t feel like fielding any noise complaints. Lightning flashed in the distance. It looked like a healthy thunderstorm was brewing. Maybe the rain would clear some of the humidity. She filled a small water glass at the kitchen sink and downed four ibuprofen tablets.

  Curling up on the sofa, she watched the storm move in from the west. Haley maneuvered onto the sofa and put her head on Gracie’s feet. A light knock on the kitchen door roused her. Jim stuck his head through the door.

  “Want me to sleep on the couch? Won’t be a problem.”

  “Go on home, Jim. I’m not going to sleep anyway. Haley’s on guard.”

  “OK, if you’re sure Chief. I boarded up the window and reset the alarm.”

  “Thanks, Jim. You’re the best.”

  Gracie heard the door shut and the Explorer’s disintegrating muffler start up. There was no more sleep for tonight. Dawn was just around the corner, and the workday would start. Lightning cut across the sky again, and the rumble of thunder followed as Gracie and Haley stared out the window.

  Chapter 5

  A bleary-eyed Jim sat at the restaurant counter contemplating the stack of pancakes and three sausage patties that had just been put in front of him. It was exactly what he needed. Well, that and a gallon of coffee. He drained a second cup of coffee and then went to work on Midge’s famous buckwheat pancakes with real maple syrup. The village DPW workers were lined up on red vinyl stools for their early coffee break. Several dairy farmers were also among them with varying degrees of cow fragrance. Between the manure, coffee, bacon, and hot sweet roll smells, Midge’s was a veritable buffet for the nose.

  “Hey, Jim. What’s this about the kennel getting broken into last night?” Jason, one of the village guys asked.

  “It’s true,” Jim answered, taking a bite of sausage. “Didn’t get anything that we know of. Made a mess of the front office though.”

  “There’s been a rash of break-ins. Especially around Silver Lake,” Corky Lockwood added. Corky was the manager of Raven Ridge Dairies. He was short with flaming red hair that swept around his forehead in an attempt to cover a balding head. “Saw it in the paper this morning. They’ve been takin’ computer stuff and TVs.”

  “Lots of the cottages over there are empty quite a bit of the time, so it’s probably easy pickings,” Jim replied.

  The rest of the crowd on the stools put in their two cents of how the sheriff’s department should be tracking down the crooks, while Jim finished off the pancakes. When he looked up again, Midge was filling his coffee cup. He gave her a grin.

  “Pancakes are top notch as usual.”

  Midge grinned back. “Of course. Why wouldn’t they be? Did I hear you got robbed last night?”

  “Well, they broke in. Didn’t get anything that we could see. Broke the window in the door, messed up the desk. It’s a good thing we’ve got the alarm system. Scared ‘em off before they got to the back office where the money was.”

  “That’s good then. Gracie holdin’ up OK?”

  “I guess so. It was a pretty tough day with her Aunt Shirley’s funeral and then that. We’ll see how it goes.”

  “Looks like Isabelle’s doing all right.” Midge nodded her head toward the dining room. “She’s already working on some fundraiser with Gloria.”

  Jim groaned inwardly. “I’m sure she is. She’s probably heard everything out here too.”

  “Probably,” Midge quipped. The woman of indeterminate age put the coffee pot on the counter. She was scrawny with a smoker’s gravelly voice.

  “Sheesh. I’d better get out of here before she sees me.” Jim slapped down a $10 bill. “Keep the change.”

  He never made it off the stool. Isabelle in a cloud of sweet perfume was on him like a duck on a June bug. Why women thought it was necessary to douse themselves in bug spray was beyond him.

  “Jim! Is it true? You and Gracie were robbed last night?”

  He sighed. “Yup. They didn’t get anything though. Made some mess, but we’re in business today.”

  “How absolutely awful! The kennel is so isolated. You’re a perfect target for something like that. You’d better get some sort of security.”

  “Well, we do have…” Jim wasn’t allowed to finish.

  “I’d better check on Gracie. She wasn’t herself yesterday anyway. She really upset my father. Plus we have some family business to discuss.” Isabelle drew herself up, her blue eyes determined.

  “I don’t think that’s necessary. She’s got her hands full with work. Gracie’s fine. We’re looking for some more kennel helpers, so…”

  “You need more people at the kennel?” Gloria Minders joined Isabelle at the counter.

  “Well, yeah. Business is growing pretty fast and one of our summer helpers quit yesterday. We need a couple of people, maybe more.”

  “That’s good to know, Jim. I might be able to help. You may not have heard, but I’m heading up a new organization called Second Chances. We’re working with parolees and probationers to find them jobs to get back into the work force and be productive again.”

  “Uh, that’s great,” Jim was unsure of how to extricate himself gracefully from two determined women. He edged nearer the door.

  “Maybe I could call Gracie later about it,” Gloria offered.

  “Maybe. You know, I really need to get going. I’d call before you come, Isabelle. Like I said, Gracie’s pretty busy.”

  Isabelle brushed some stray crumbs from her pink jacket. “Family doesn’t need to call, Jim.”

  His cellphone sang out “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog,” which got a chuckle from Corky and a glare from Isabelle. Grabbing the cell from his belt, Jim almost ran out the door. He sat in his truck and watched Isabelle drive away. He held the phone to his ear, even though the caller had apologized as a wrong number and hung up. Gloria gave him a wave as she walked across the street to the parsonage that was behind the church. The brick church with the gray steeple sat on the corner of Main and Park. Lydia Wheeler, the organist was just getting out of her car in the church parking, carrying an armload of music. Gloria stopped and chatted with the rotund Lydia before crossing the driveway into her yard. Jim started the truck and eased out onto Main Street. He thought he caught a glimpse of a man darting through the bushes that separated the church and the parsonage. That was a little strange, but maybe it was the Reverend. He didn’t think so though.

  Chapter 6

  The phone jangled incessantly, dogs were barking, people were picking up and dropping off their dogs. Gracie determined that she absolutely needed help today. There were only so many things she and Jim could do. They had certainly miscalculated at how the business would grow in three months. It was great, but it was also a disaster. Another kennel helper and a groomer were necessities. She finally made it into the office to call Marian Majewski, a retired groomer. She’d run into her a couple of weeks ago in the grocery store. When she’d asked Marian about working again, there had been some interest. She’d beg Marian on her hands and knees to help them for at least a couple of weeks until a more permanent arrangement could be made. The phone was ringing. She crossed her fingers that M
arian would answer.

  “Hi, Marian. This is Gracie Andersen at Milky Way. I’m wondering if you’re still interested in working. We could sure use you here even if it’s temporary. We’re swamped, and I know you could get the grooming schedule under control.”

  “I’ve been thinking about calling you,” Marian laughed. “Honestly, I’ve been bored out of my mind, Gracie. I don’t think I’m settling into retirement like I thought. I’d love to help out. I miss those fur balls and their sloppy kisses.”

  “Any chance you could start today?”

  “You bet. Let me tell my husband and I’ll be there in about an hour or so.”

  “Wow! Great! Thanks!” Gracie breathed a sigh of relief.

  Some real help was on the way and so easily too. Marian’s reputation with the dog community was impeccable. She could shampoo a dog and clip his toenails before he knew what hit him. She could put the most hyper or distressed dog at ease in minutes. She had a reputation for being the same way with people. Marian would certainly get the grooming organized.

  Gracie was turning people away because there just weren’t enough hours in the day. Having Marian around would give her some breathing room which meant she wouldn’t be doing the books late at night—maybe.

  Beth informed her she hadn’t been able to locate a friend, so the search for a kennel helper continued. Gracie had a call in to the security company to get them out to check the system. She had also spent a lot of time soothing the fears of customers who were concerned about the safety of their dogs. Word of the break-in traveled at lightning speed—in town and out of town. Her head stilled ached, but was manageable. Gracie had just finished another call, calming an anxious dog owner, when she saw Isabelle’s Lexus pull in. At least Jim had been able to give her a heads up when he’d arrived a few minutes ago.

  “OK. Here we go,” she said to a sleeping Haley. The dog opened one eye, groaned, and went back to sleep. “Thanks for the support, girl.”

  She met Isabelle in the parking lot to discourage sitting or lingering of any sort.

  “Hi, Isabelle. What brings you out so early?”

  “I heard about the break-in. I just had to see if you were all right.”

  “I’m fine, except for lack of sleep. The sheriff’s department is working on it.”

  “I don’t have a lot of confidence in them. They’re not known for their investigative skills. You should have a security system or something, you know.” Isabelle was impeccably dressed, as usual in a cropped pink jacket with delicate cream piping and black capris. Her hair and makeup were perfect. Only the hardness in her eyes belied her appearance.

  “We have a security system. That’s why they took off so fast. There have been several burglaries lately and the deputies are working on it—like I said.”

  “We’ll see. But I do need to talk to about the things Father gave you yesterday. Can we go inside?”

  Gracie’s stomach began to churn. There was no way Isabelle was getting anything from her, at least right now.

  “I really don’t have time Isabelle. I’m short staffed and…”

  “Well, this is family business. Father didn’t consult me before he gave you that bag of books and whatever else.”

  “Isabelle, it was just some old dog books…nothing exciting. I haven’t even had a chance to go through it yet.” She felt a twinge of conscience, but she wasn’t going to mention the diary.

  “I’d be glad to do that for you and then pass along the appropriate books to you.”

  “I’m sure Uncle Stan…”

  “Father is not himself and hasn’t been for years. I—”

  “Listen, Isabelle, I’ll go through them soon, and let you know. I really don’t have time to deal with this right now. I can’t believe you’re concerned about some old books. Don’t you have more important things to do, like your mother’s probate?”

  Isabelle was not mollified, but Gracie could see a hint of defeat in her cousin’s face. “You’re right, Gracie. I do have an appointment with Mother’s attorney today. There’s so much to do. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Gracie knew Isabelle wouldn’t let this little tug-of-war go. She’d just regroup. But Gracie wasn’t in the mood to be pushed around.Two could play this game.

  “I’ll look forward to it.” Gracie stood with arms folded across her chest and saw with satisfaction the flicker of uncertainty in Isabelle’s eyes.

  As the Lexus spun its way onto the highway, Jim called to Gracie from the front door of the reception area. He had just finished replacing the broken panes of glass.

  “Hey, Chief, way to handle the extremely difficult cousin.”

  “Well, maybe, but it’s not over. Isabelle won’t let this go, especially after what I found in that bag.”

  “Some dark family secret?”

  “Something interesting, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. I’ll show you later.”

  “It’s a date.” He picked up his toolbox and headed toward the storage barn. “Hey, I’m headed to Midge’s for a coffee break. With any luck I’ll snag a kennel helper. Maybe Gloria Minders can help us out.”

  “I’m not so sure about that avenue, but I hope you can find someone. I do have Marian Majewski coming today. She’ll whip the grooming into shape. Bring me back a sweet roll, if you can remember. I need a sugar boost.”

  “Not to worry, Chief. Sweet roll and a warm body. No problem.”

  His noisy Explorer headed back out to the highway.

  Chapter 7

  Gracie was navigating a sparkling Westie named Jasper in the holding area, when Jim strode in with a thin gray-haired man, in worn jeans and a gray T-shirt. He slouched a little and kept his eyes on the ground.

  “You’ll never guess who I ran into, Chief.” Jim was grinning from ear to ear and looking pleased with himself.

  “I have no idea, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.” Gracie’s first impression of Jim’s companion didn’t warrant a smile.

  “This is Joe Youngers. You know, from high school. He was a year ahead of us. You remember him on the wrestling team.”

  Gracie looked closely at the man. He did look vaguely familiar.

  “Joe. Really? How are you?” From what she could remember, Joe had been a troublemaker in high school and had continued his bad behavior into adulthood.

  “Hey, I’m doin’ OK. I’ve had some tough times, but I’m gettin’ myself straightened around.”

  “Glad to hear that. So where are you living these days?”

  “I’m staying with my grandmother, Bea Youngers. She’s helpin’ me get back on my feet.”

  “Mrs. Youngers. Oh, right. She was at my Aunt Shirley’s funeral. She’s such a nice lady.” Her near collision with the white-haired matron ran through Gracie’s mind.

  “Yeah, well…” he looked down at the ground again, shifting his feet and looking more uncomfortable.

  “Joe’s looking for work and he can start today. He’s willing to do whatever we need. I ran into Gloria Minders and she got me hooked up with her new program, Second Chances. Joe, here, was at the top of the list for employment when she called over to Warsaw.”

  “I thought you were...” Gracie caught herself; the stubborn look on Jim’s face warned her that he’d already made up his mind about Joe. Clearing her throat and attempting to adjust her attitude, she said, “Well, why don’t we let him fill out the paperwork first? I’ve got a couple of things to talk to you about and then we can see.”

  They needed help, but Gracie’s gut told her that Joe wasn’t the kind of help they needed. Jim avoided her eyes and put his arm around Joe’s shoulder, steering him to Gracie’s office.

  “Sure. Hey, Joe, come into the office, and I’ll get you set up. Regulations, you know.”

  “No problem. I know all about ‘em.”

  Jim pulled the employment packet out of the second file drawer and got Joe settled at the Gracie’s desk. Joe began studying the application.

  “Take your time, J
oe. I’ll be right back.”

  “Hey, thanks Jim. I don’t think it’ll take too long.” Joe began to scribble in his information.

  Jim stepped around the corner to the grooming room, where Gracie stood with her hands on her hips.

  “What are you doing?” she hissed, trying to be quiet enough so Joe wouldn’t hear. “He’s been in a lot of trouble hasn’t he? He was always in trouble in school. He got kicked off the wrestling team if you remember.”

  “Yeah, well, some, but he’s trying to get his life on track. He needs a break. He’s been picking up odd jobs at dairy farms. This would give him a real second chance. You know, like this program is all about. Your pastor’s wife recommended him. What more do you want?” She wasn’t sure what more she did want, if Gloria was sure of him.

  “Do you know what kind of trouble he was in?”

  “Yes. He said something about a couple of burglaries and reckless driving. DWI, I think. Gracie, sometimes you’ve gotta take a chance on somebody. My opinion counts here too. We’re partners, 50-50. Remember?”

  “Yeah, well we were just robbed. I’m not feeling too generous toward thieves.” Her volume was steadily going up.

  “Calm down, Chief. Your red hair is showing. As I remember, you hired the last two.”

  Gracie frowned, but slowly nodded her head. He was right. She’d made a bad hiring decision on Alison.

  “I’ll watch him like a hawk. We’ll give him a week. If you still feel the same way, I’ll tell him it’s not working out. Remember, we need the help.”

  “All right. I’m not in favor of this, but…” Gracie saw Joe round the corner into the grooming room.

  “Hey, I don’t want to cause any trouble. If you don’t think…”

  “No problem, Joe,” Jim reassured him. “Gracie and I’ve got it worked out.”

  “Thanks. I really need the job and I won’t disappoint you. I love dogs, so I think this will work.”