by Ruby Loren
All that for a smile, I thought with no little amusement. Claudia was not going to be happy if she found out her plans might be scuppered.
“There was one other thing… Officer Kelly said that if we noticed anything missing from her stuff when we look through it, let them know.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what might be classed as something being ‘missing’. Vanishing stationary? I suppose you’ll only know if you don’t find it.”
Five minutes later, we were back in Jenna’s office. The things the police had taken were on her desk, but I was pleased to see that both the phone and the photographs hadn’t made a second appearance. Perhaps the police wanted to keep them as evidence. I hoped that even after the case was over, they never made their way back to her family. I had no doubt that her parents knew the sort of woman Jenna had been, but there was no reason to rub their faces in it.
I looked around the room, my eyes scanning the bare walls. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something we’d missed.
Tiff noticed the way I was scouring every inch of the small office. “Hoping she left us a note with her killer’s name written on it?”
I half-nodded. “It would be handy. Something like ‘If I die tonight, it was Jon Ridley who did it.’”
Tiff pulled a face. “He wouldn’t have had the guts. Was he involved with Jenna? He’s not conventionally attractive,” she said, referring to Jon’s rash of acne and very generous ears.
I shrugged. “It’s probably best to just assume that everyone was involved with her in one way or another.” I hesitated as a thought occurred to me.
It must have occurred to Tiff, too, because she threw me a disbelieving look. “You don’t think that includes Auryn, do you?”
“Probably not?” I said. I was pretty certain that Auryn would never have contemplated Jenna. Until our accidental kiss, and then the one he’d shared with Tiff, he hadn’t, to my knowledge, accepted any other invitations from members of staff at the zoo. And I knew he’d had a few. It would surprise me if he’d gone with Jenna.
I opened Jenna’s little silver laptop and noted that the password protect had vanished. The police must have managed to get in and change the settings. I shut the lid again and then, with a glance to check that Tiff was suitably occupied boxing up papers, I slipped the laptop into my tote bag, which contained Christmas cards for the office staff. The police may still have her phone and the photos, but I wasn’t naive enough to think that there wouldn’t be anything else, perhaps hidden away, on her laptop. Theoretically, the police would have done a better search than I could. If they’d found anything truly incriminating, the laptop wouldn’t be back here. Even so, it would be better to check that everything on the laptop conjured happy memories of the past, not nasty ones that may be formed in the wake of her death.
“I wonder who’s going to sort out the apartment where she lived,” Tiff mused.
“Maybe her parents will hire someone to help them clean?” I said and then bit my lip when I thought about the other material which could be found at the apartment, too. “Perhaps we should mention it to Auryn. We could do the first tidy up. Then a group from the zoo could come over and clean, if it’s needed.”
Tiff nodded. “It would be a nice thing to do.”
We looked at each other, the thought that it would be unfair for her parents to have to see all of the things Jenna had left behind, and then have to deal with them, passing unsaid between us.
“I think we’re pretty much done,” Tiff said, stacking the last cardboard box. We looked in silence at the three storage boxes. Jenna had worked at the zoo for years and this was the sum total of her efforts. Three storage boxes to be shipped off somewhere else, where they’d no doubt be forgotten about. It was a sad state of affairs. The only thing that could alleviate some of the awfulness would be if her killer was brought to justice. By my side, I felt my hand ball into a fist at the thought that someone had done this to her. They’d taken her life away.
And they were still walking free, pretending to be a normal person.
It wasn’t right.
“I wonder if the police are any closer to finding a suspect,” I mused out loud.
“I think they’ve barely started their interviews,” Tiff replied. “Up until now, I had no idea there were so many men between the ages of eighteen and forty five living or working close by.”
I spent the afternoon making animal-safe decorations for enclosures. It was a far cry from my usual work, doing my best to change animal lives for the better. Avery Zoo was as far forward as it could be right now, so I was reduced to using my knowledge to make sure that the decorations would not be misconstrued as animal cruelty of any shape or form.
I tied a wreath of holly on top of the cow shed and tilted my head at it. It looked okay. It was a shame there weren’t any berries, but you never knew what animals were going to pick up and eat! Plastic had been out for the very same reason. I shook my head, thinking back to a zoo in France where I’d worked. At a place like that, either problem would never have crossed the minds of the people who’d worked there. But then, they probably wouldn’t have wasted any time running around trying to decorate animal enclosures.
I added a few other bits of animal-safe greenery and reflected that I missed working as a consultant. Auryn had asked me to come back to help him through his bereavement. We’d never actually agreed how long I would come back for, but with Jenna’s murder still unsolved, I knew now wasn’t the time to be thinking about leaving the zoo.
I just wish there was something more useful I could do! I thought, glaring at the holly in frustration when it slipped free of the twine for the umpteenth time.
When I was away from the zoo, I missed my friends, but now I was back I was bored. It was nice to be with Tiff, Auryn, and the other familiar faces, but my old job wasn’t waiting for me. Whilst I was permitted by Auryn to make suggestions and changes related to any of the animals in the zoo, I didn’t have responsibility for their care. There were enough keepers to have everything handled, and I was missing the job I’d once loved.
I finally managed to tie the holly into place and figured it was time for a break. I decided to pay a visit to the cats, to see how Lucky’s siblings were doing.
When I made it out into the barn, there was the usual mad scuffle when all of the cats vanished out of sight. In spite of the rather rude welcome, I smiled. At least this was one part of the zoo that would never change.
I sat on a hay bale and waited, knowing that in time, a few of them would peep out, and I might catch sight of the younger ones. Lucky’s siblings had been caught, neutered, and released a while ago. According to the vet and their new zookeeper carer, Emily, they were in good health and ready to join the vermin hunting team who lived behind the zoo. Lucky himself was also back in action. I’d taken a couple of walks with him close to the house I rented in Gigglesfield, getting him used to the leash and also to the area. As luck would have it, there was an old, boarded up cat flap that had been there when I’d first rented the property. It had been a relatively simple task to install a fancy new flap, which only opened when Lucky’s microchip was nearby.
The first day had been the worst. I’d come back home, half-expecting to have to go and dig him out of a ditch, or worse - never find him at all.
Instead, he’d been curled up on my bed, the outside world forgotten. I supposed it was one of those things where the forbidden fruit was much more desirable than when it became a free-for-all. Plus, the weather was definitely getting colder. There were days where I felt like curling up in bed instead of braving the frosty mornings.
Something moved next to me.
I held my breath and tried not to move a muscle, knowing that any action on my part would cause the cats to run away again.
The black cat with the white paws slipped out between the bales and looked up at me. I held my breath as I got a really good look at Lucky’s mum. It was plain as day that they were doubles of each other, although I strongly s
uspected Lucky would grow to a greater size than his mum.
Lucky was the last kitten she’d ever have. As soon as it had been safe to do so, the wannabe feral cat had been caught and spayed, so she’d never have to experience another pregnancy and bring more kittens into a world that wasn’t a kind place for them.
To my surprise, the cat took a step towards me, and then another. I knew better than to make a move and waited as she hesitated before making a decision, and hopped up onto the bale next to me. I held my breath when she wandered closer, rubbing her head against my arm, before stepping onto my lap. Then she curled up in a ball and settled down for a nap.
Her behaviour wasn’t typical of a feral cat. There were many true feral cats at Avery Zoo, who were wild to the core. However, I’d always known that this little cat was likely a pet, either abandoned, or seeking a new life for her and her kittens. Even so, it was touching that she’d decided to trust me enough to sleep on. My human mind wanted me to believe it was her way of saying thanks for taking in the kitten she couldn’t care for, but my knowledge of animals… and cats…informed me that she’d just seen the opportunity for a heated sleeping mat and had taken it.
“Madi! I have something amazing to tell you,” Tiff said, catching me on my way out of the zoo at the end of the day. She seized my arm and skipped a few steps holding it.
“What is it?” I asked, pleased by the idea of some good news for a change.
“It’s Auryn! I never did thank you for talking to him for me, but thank you so much. You won’t believe what happened. He apologised for acting so strangely. It was because he was worried about his grandad, and then when he passed away, well…” Tiff shook her head sadly. “I told him that it was all water under the bridge and that I completely understood. Wrong place, wrong time and all that, but then he asked me out to dinner with him.” Her blue eyes were wide when she said it. “I’m not going to make the same mistake I did last time. For Auryn, it probably is just dinner and not a proper date. But it’s something, right, Madi?”
I nodded and smiled, finding it easier to ignore the lead weight in my stomach whenever Tiff talked about her feelings for Auryn. She was a far better choice for the young zoo owner, no matter what I may or may not feel. Tiff was happy in her career at the zoo. I had some seriously itchy feet. Either Lucky and I would have to hit the road to work on some new animal cases, or I’d have to get a job at a zoo where we could stay in one place and I could do the job I’d once done. There simply wasn’t room for me at Avery.
You never know, one of the zookeepers might have killed Jenna, my thoughts tastelessly supplied. I frowned at them. Perhaps I was letting a little jealousy colour me after all.
“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” Tiff said, misreading my expression.
“No, it’s great! I was just thinking. You’re right to play it cool. Have dinner, and have a good time. You both need it. I’m sure that whatever happens, you’ll have a much clearer picture after the night’s over. When are you going out with him?”
“Tomorrow!” Tiff said, buzzing with excitement. “I haven’t felt like this about a guy since I was a teenager. He turned out to be an idiot, but this time, I know it’s different.”
I hid a smile. All of Tiff’s past boyfriends had turned out to be idiots. Auryn was the first one I actually approved of, which was all the more reason to encourage the pair to get to know each other a little better.
“Has Lowell contacted you?” Tiff asked, as gently as she could. I knew she was returning the favour for the support I’d just offered her over her plans with Auryn. Unfortunately, my love life wasn’t nearly so bright and cheery looking as hers was right now.
“No, he hasn’t. I suppose I haven’t contacted him either,” I allowed. “I was the one who suggested we take a break. He never actually replied. I don’t know if we’ve broken up, or if… I just don’t know,” I said, feeling the same old confusion come rushing back in. If Lowell really cared for me, surely he’d have at least tried to talk to me? I hadn’t heard from him since I’d left him at the cottage we’d rented in Cornwall. He was supposed to be moving in with me, and now it had been a full month since we’d even spoken.
I wondered if he’d already forgotten about me.
I wondered if something terrible had happened to him.
“Maybe I should contact him,” I said to Tiff, who looked uncertain.
“I don’t know all the details, and I know there’s probably a really good reason for that, but the thing to remember is ‘does he make you happy?’. If you’re spending more time upset and worried, then he's not the one for you, so it’s better to move on. I saw you chatting with Barnaby the other day. How about adding him to your Christmas list this year?” she said with her trademark sparkle.
I managed a weak smile in return. “He is a very nice man.”
Tiff made a noise of disbelief. “You’d better make your mind up soon, Madi. There’s not long to go until Christmas. I’m sure that would be a better present than socks and underwear.”
I snorted. “You wouldn’t say that if you saw the Harry Potter knickers I’ve put on my Christmas list!”
Tiff laughed. “Oh, Madi… you are such a dweeb.”
8
The Conservatives Hit Their Targets
A few days later, Jenna’s parents made the journey down to Gigglesfield. Everyone at the zoo was briefed that they would be visiting and were accordingly polite. No one would have ever deliberately been disrespectful, but Auryn was well aware about the zoo’s predilection for gossip. Some words in the earshot of the wrong people could be deeply upsetting.
Once again, I found I was proud of Auryn for thinking just the way an owner of a zoo should.
Auryn had been concerned that Jenna’s funeral would come very close to Christmas, and he’d be forced to shut the zoo on one of the busier days. I knew that he would have done it, and without complaint, but it came as a huge relief that the Leary family wanted to have the funeral as soon as possible, as they couldn’t stay down in Sussex for long without help. As a result, the funeral was scheduled for Friday, and the zoo was going to be shut for the morning.
I’d heard on the grapevine that Barnaby had suggested that the Winter Wonderland remain open and that his team could handle all zoo visitors. He’d justified it by pointing out they were the ones running the events and handling all bookings for the zoo during the festive period. Even people who arrived at the zoo not expecting anything more than the usual visit were up-sold on the doorstep by a small army of events staff and newly briefed reception workers. While I normally didn’t approve of pressurised sales, I’d seen how easily they managed to persuade people to upgrade their zoo entry to the wonderland as well. After walking round it myself, I had to admit that it was worth it. Paying the extra got them entry into the attraction, the opportunity to pet a reindeer or a donkey, and a meeting with Father Christmas himself. Sure, it was gimmicky, but the way the events company had done it wasn’t tacky, and what was Christmas, if not the season of excess? I smiled a little ruefully at that thought. Hopefully, for the parents taking their children to the Winter Wonderland, it was also an opportunity to give them a happy memory that they would remember for Christmases to come. That was the important part.
I pulled some more straw loose from one of the bales that were kept in a separate barn from the one where the cats lived. I knew it was more cost effective to buy straw in bales, but pulling them apart so that you had useable straw was not an easy job. The temperature may be in the single figures, but I was already sweating through my zoo uniform. The good thing about getting on with some mindless but tough work was that it gave my mind some time to wander. It was with an almost meditative quality that I was able to look back over the events of the past couple of days.
Tiff and Auryn’s dinner out had gone well. Tiff and I had Facebook messaged each other after she'd arrived home, and I’d been given a blow by blow. Unlike their planning meeting, which had ended in disaster when they’d
kissed, this time around, the pair had kept their hands to themselves. In spite of a distinct lack of action, Tiff had thought it had gone really well. She still wasn’t sure if there was anything between them, but it was a step towards finding out, was what she’d said to me.
I assumed she must have downplayed the dinner to avoid making a mistake, like last time. In the days that followed, Tiff and Auryn seemed to be inseparable. Tiff claimed he’d decided they should take a more active role in planning the arts and crafts day, but I thought their motivation for spending time together could be more than just business related.
I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed their newfound closeness, either. Rumours had spread around the zoo about Auryn’s potential relationship with the head of commerce, and a lot of the female staff weren’t thrilled. I’d heard and had put a stop to quite a few malicious comments directed at Tiff.
They made me want to despair. Why was it always the woman’s fault if she managed to snag an attractive man who’d been in demand, but previously unavailable? I had no illusions that if I’d been the one to make a move with Auryn, the exact same bashing would have happened to me. I saw no reason why Tiff should be blamed for managing to forge a friendship, and possibly something more, with Auryn. I told anyone I found saying mean things behind her back my thoughts on the matter.
Part of me wondered if I was overcompensating, trying to cover up my own jealous pangs. I told myself it was silly and that I’d only ever had a little crush on Auryn. Seeing my best friends happy with each other would be the perfect present for me this Christmas.
However, I hoped they wouldn’t get together too soon. The idea of a joint present from them horrified me. I grinned and pulled out more straw. I still had to plan their gifts and decide what I was doing for Christmas Day. I sighed, but refused to let myself be pulled into another moping session. Lucky and I would do just fine on our own, same as I always did. My parents lived on the other side of the planet, in America, and the rest of my extended family were scattered to the winds. Even so, Christmas had never been a lonely time for me. I’d always filled the days around Christmas with events with friends, and I’d never felt like I was missing out on anything.