I’d resumed my position at the table, when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Startled by it, I peered at the screen. Anxious to not be heard by anyone nearby, I left the platform and stepped near the door to answer the call.
A deep voice said, “The rabbit is fine. If you want him back, do as I say. If you don’t, the rabbit will pay the price for it.”
Now angrier than ever, I agreed to do as asked. I could hear Bun, his voice desperate and afraid, yelling to me in the background. Aware that only I could hear him, relief flooded me as a sense of joy followed behind. He was okay, scared, but okay. He must have been a good distance away from me, or he’d have been able to contact me, I was certain of it.
“These guys mean business. I’m locked in a filthy cage with no comforts whatsoever. I’m exhausted and hungry, you’ve got to rescue me right away. Colin and Seamus are the guys you should be hunting down, I don’t know how long I can survive in these circumstances.”
Willing to give the Bun-nappers a birth certificate they firmly believed I stole from Evelyn’s house, I gave in. Unwilling to argue that I didn’t have it or knowledge of where Evelyn’s house was, I agreed to make the switch-off the following day at ten in the morning here at the center.
The contest was half over when I returned to my job. A few glares came my way from other judges. I shrugged, lifted my cards, and gave the rabbit a ten for his efforts, whether the others liked it or not. I had bigger and far more urgent matters to deal with than who had performed the best. One of those was how I would find Evelyn’s house, search for a birth certificate, and not get caught. All that without Bun’s help. Crikey.
The best rabbit of the show was awarded the grand prize with much celebration of his beauty, and then the exhibition ended. Rabbits were packed and ready for travel, vendors made last-minute deals with customers, and Vera approached me with a smile on her face. For what? I couldn’t begin to guess.
“Thank you so much for standing in as a judge at the last minute, Juliette. It was wonderful of you to help us out. Can I keep you in mind for next year?”
I shook her hand and said, “It was an honor for me. Thank you for the opportunity. I’m afraid I’ve fallen behind in the work at my farm by giving up the time to be here, and my own rabbits must come first. I’m sure you understand.”
Her smile had somewhat faded. “I do, and thanks again.”
That was one issue out of my hair and my life. Now to go home and address the Bun-napping. I prayed Jessica would have ideas on how I should proceed. She drew the line at breaking and entering, so it was out of the question to even ask her. I remembered Evelyn’s address was on the application when I had entered Petra.
On my way to the farm, I stopped at a walk-in medical treatment center. The doctor looked over my injury, asked some questions, and then sent me for an X-ray. About thirty minutes later, he returned to say I would have a headache, but that my skull was fine.
Relieved at the news that my noggin was in good shape, I drove home. My brain was filled with what-ifs and how-tos. What if I convinced Jess to accompany me to Evelyn’s home, at least as my wingman? Would she agree to that? What if I was arrested? What if we were arrested? Who would care for the rabbits and handle the clinic? Then there were the how-tos. How to break and enter without being obvious or seen. How to explain my actions to Jack if I was caught. How to not let him know of the upcoming meeting to retrieve Bun. There were lots of things to consider in this instance.
As if the car knew its way home, I found I’d reached the farm entrance and flipped the signal on to make the turn. Parked next to Jessica’s car, I entered the clinic by way of the gift shop.
“Hello?” I called.
Jessica poked her head around the corner of an examination room doorway. “You’re back. I thought you’d be later than this. How did it go?”
I took a deep breath and tried to hold tears at bay. “Bun has been Bun-napped.” A tear trickled down my cheek. I swiped it from my face. “I have to meet two guys tomorrow to get him back.”
Shocked, Jessica’s mouth gaped open. She closed it, then opened it again. Questions flooded from her with no break between them. I raised my hand to halt her midstream.
“Stop talking for a minute. I’ll tell you all about it. First, what can I do to help you finish for the day?”
“Nothing.”
“Have the rabbits been seen to?”
“The kids took care of them. The rabbits have eaten and are set for now. All in here is ready for work tomorrow, let’s go into the house. You must be a wreck.”
That was the least of my problems. Angry, fearful, depressed, and angry again, that’s what I was. I nodded and walked alongside her through the breezeway after giving the rabbits a quick look.
Meatloaf simmered in the Crock-Pot. A burst of goodness sprang into my nostrils when I lifted the lid. Carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, and spices blended with the ground beef and my mouth watered.
Jessica brewed individual cups of coffee and handed me one. “Tell me everything. I can’t believe this happened in such a crowded place. Were there any witnesses?”
It was a long story, and as slowly as I told it, no new details came to mind. I lifted my bangs and showed her the bump on my forehead.
“Yikes. You’re fortunate to not have broken the skin. Do you have any side effects? Like dizziness or nausea? You did lose consciousness, right?”
“Briefly. I’m okay, really, I am. I stopped to get checked out and was told I’ll be fine. All I want is to save Bun. He’s probably distraught to have had this happen. We had a run-in with Margery Shaw this week that left him rattled.”
“That woman is a nuisance. She hasn’t learned her lesson, has she? The court fined her heavily for animal abuse. You know Judge Forest is a stickler for that. He has two dogs, a duck, chickens, cows, you name it, and I tend to all of them. Brian’s an animal lover. When Margery ended up in front of him in court, he told her he would jail her if he could, but the law didn’t allow for that yet.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“From him, of course. He asked how Bun had adapted to living here. Judge Forest was pleased when I said he had you wrapped around his foot. That’s when he told me about Margery.”
“A good man in my book, then. You call him Brian?”
“Well, yeah. He insisted on it. What’s your plan for Bun? I know you have one. I certainly would.”
“How willing would you be to help me out?”
“I’m not sure, why?”
“These guys want a birth certificate that’s in Evelyn’s house. I thought I might invade her residence tonight to find it. Are you in?”
Someone knocked on the door. We both started at the same time and gawked at Sheriff Carver, who waited for me to invite him in. “Oh please, I don’t need this right now,” I uttered.
I beckoned him in while Jessica made him a cup of coffee. He took it with murmured thanks and sat across from the two of us.
He took a swig of the brew and asked, “You’ve lost your rabbit and plan to get him back, don’t you?”
Taken aback, I blurted, “How do you know what I’m going to do?”
“Have you heard from the kidnappers?”
I fiddled with my napkin.
He watched me for a second or two while I concocted a way to sidestep answering him.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“W-ell, uh, . . .”
“Don’t lie to me.” His words held an ominous tone that brought me upright in the chair.
“I was told not to contact you, or Bun would reap the consequences. I’m sorry, Jack, I won’t let them harm him.”
His attitude changed when tears sneaked from my eyes and paved their way to my chin.
“Jules, I know you’re fond of Bun, but you can’t break the law. What was the demand?”
“Evelyn has paperwork they want. I have no idea why.”
He removed his elbows from the table and stared at me, his express
ion thoughtful. It was as if his internal wheels were moving at significant speed. His eyes had gleamed when I mentioned Evelyn’s name. I glanced at Jess and saw the look of surprise on her face. This was a different Sheriff Carver than she had ever encountered.
“It’s interesting that they’re connected to or know a secret about Evelyn, don’t you think?” Jack asked. “Does Carina Richland know what the secret is, or could she be in cahoots with them? Desperate people often make serious mistakes.”
The furthest thing from my mind was the likelihood of Carina’s involvement. Wait a minute, had I lost my capacity to connect the dots in this investigation? I hoped this was a mere loss of focus on the big picture.
“I wouldn’t know and can’t venture a guess. You might talk to her about it.” If I could point him in another direction, such as Carina, it would present an opportunity to break into Evelyn’s home without his knowing it. Hmm.
“I will. In the meantime, stay away from Evelyn’s house. I’ll have a deputy watching you, should you disregard my order.”
“Fine.”
“I’m serious, Jules. Kidnappers play by a separate set of rules than most lawbreakers. Don’t push your luck, you might find yourself in unfortunate circumstances.” Jack rose from his chair, put his hat on his head, and gave us a nod before departing.
Silent the entire time Carver was present, Jessica now let out a long whistle. “He means business.”
“As do I. If you can’t bring yourself to help me, I’ll go to Evelyn’s on my own. I have to find that birth certificate.”
“Why didn’t you tell Jack what it was?”
“I didn’t want him to know. He’s been holding back information right along while expecting me to give him every bit of mine. Two can play that game.”
“But, it isn’t a game, is it?”
“You’re right, it’s a matter of life or death for Bun. I can feel it in my bones. Now, will you help me or not?”
“If a deputy has been assigned to watch you, things could get sticky if you leave the farm.”
“You head out and pick me up down the road. I’ll cut through the woods and meet you past the curve in the road.”
“That’s an idea. I’ll be the driver, you be the one who enters Evelyn’s house. I can’t be arrested if things run amuck. Someone has to care for the rabbits.”
“No problem. Let’s have dinner and wait until after dark. I think Molly is teaching a class tonight, which means there will be a lot for the deputy to keep track of. I should be able to make my way to you without him noticing.”
We set the table, ate a delightful dinner, and cleared up afterward. Twilight had set in as Molly, followed by the students, rolled into the yard and parked in front of the shop. Jessica and I walked out to greet them all and entered the shop behind them. We chatted with Molly while students settled in.
When the class began, I walked along the breezeway to enter the house. Jessica left the shop and drove off. Dressed in a dark coat with Evelyn’s address inside a pocket, black jeans, a black jersey, and a black hat, I went out the back door and ran into the woods. In my haste, I stumbled once, then twice, fell to my knees the third time, and slowed my progress. It wouldn’t do to injure myself in the woods as darkness was about to descend.
Her car idled on the side of the road. I rushed through underbrush, crossed behind the car, and slid into the passenger seat. Traffic was light, giving us a clear shot to find our way to Evelyn’s. I entered the address into Jessica’s Garmin while she drove. The directions were easier than I thought, but farther away, too. Fifteen minutes later, we reached her street. Homes were dark for the most part, a few had cars parked at the curb or in the driveways. Streetlights glowed as we searched for the house number.
I heaved a disgusted sigh. “Have I ever mentioned how difficult it is to find a house number these days?”
“Only you would know. I have no experience in this sort of thing.”
I could hear the humor in her voice and grinned. It appeared Jessica was having fun.
“Maybe I should have asked you to accompany me on these jaunts before now.”
“No, that’s quite all right. I’m fine with being a law-abiding citizen, thank you.”
I pointed to the house on our left. “That’s it. Pull over and then park down the street, okay?”
“Sure. I’ll be four houses down, in between streetlights. That way it won’t look odd to be sitting in a car in the dark.”
“You’d be great at this, you know.”
“Not me, this is a one-time deal for the sake of Bun.”
It took a few minutes to figure out how to access the house. Wishing all the while Bun was here to nose around, I entered the enormous Victorian by way of the basement. How could anyone as ruthless and nasty as Evelyn leave her bulkhead door unlocked? Or, had someone else entered the same way and waited for me inside?
My hand trembled as I closed the door behind me. I had tucked a tiny flashlight inside my pants pocket and now flashed the narrow beam of light across the floor. A set of steps were off to my right. The flashlight showed me the way as I climbed the stairs on silent, soft-soled sneakered feet. I pushed the slightly ajar door wide open.
My heart pounded hard as if trying to escape my chest. Could anyone, other than me, hear the thumps? Was anyone else present? Hesitant, I walked into a clean home, empty of people, and seemingly unlived in. The furniture looked new with no signs of wear. It struck me as odd.
I glanced out the window at the house across the street. No cars in the yard, no lights on, and no garage. Did anyone live there? The neighborhood was strange, or was to me and for some reason I couldn’t quite get a handle on why.
Wandering the rooms, I gave them a cursory look before I climbed to the second floor. It too was clean, neat, and appeared unlived in. Nothing was out of place, the closets were empty, except for one, which must have been Evelyn’s room. I remembered Bun’s remark about Evelyn’s dowdy clothes and her terrible manicure. My own attire and horrendous manicure came to mind. I shook my head. Leave it to Bun to notice that sort of thing. Evelyn’s bedroom yelled dowdy, right down to the ugliest coverlet I’d ever seen. I admit I was no interior designer. My taste was simply better.
I peered inside boxes, bins, and then rifled dresser drawers in each room. Nothing.
Like the first floor, the six second-floor rooms and furnishings had no personality and no secrets to reveal, at least that I could find. Plain, drab, and boring would be Bun’s assessment. I stood still at the edge of the staircase. Not a sound filtered through the house. Creepy.
Sure-footed, I went to the first floor again. Not having searched it as well as I had the upstairs, I had no option but to do so. It was unlikely that I’d find what I needed but gave it a go anyway.
A door at the far end of Evelyn’s office was closed. A key hanging at an angle from the lock begged to be opened. I swung the door wide, flashed light inside, and found three cardboard containers of documents. I shuffled through them like a madwoman in hope of finding the birth certificate. The worst part was I didn’t know whose certificate I was supposed to hunt down.
The boxes didn’t hold much of importance, not for me, anyway. My heart sank, and disappointment took over. I shoved it to the back of my mind and growled, “Focus, just focus. It’s here, I know it is.”
I had passed the desk to search the closet and turned to it now. It held an assortment of show applications and a small notebook filled with remarks written on each applicant. Fixated on what she’d learned or assumed about them, I read on. Halfway through the book, I found rows of figures and initials with dates listed beside each one. Was this blackmail money Evelyn had received? Astonished that Evelyn kept a running tab on people she blackmailed, along with their secrets, I snapped the book closed and stuck it into my jacket pocket.
The top drawer of the desk was locked. I grabbed the knifelike letter opener and made quick work of the lock. It was hard to believe no one else had tried to b
reak into this house to do what I was doing now. Breaking the law, that’s what I was doing now. Again, I banished the thought, just like my disappointment.
A thin file held a bunch of documents pertaining to the house, Evelyn’s car, and an assortment of other things that didn’t appear important yet might be. I folded them in half and checked the time on my watch. A half hour had flown by and to Jessica it would be seem like forever. She probably had the jitters by now.
I sneaked out of the house the way I had entered it and jogged along the sidewalk as if I belonged on this street. No cars passed me, no lights glowed in the homes, and no people walked the sidewalks. Weird, just weird. It was the kind of development built by developers but left empty to entice buyers. Yards were manicured to a fault, some of the homes would be furnished, yet not a sole resided there and the houses would be used as models.
Relieved when I got into the car, Jessica said, “It’s about time, you were in there for hours.”
“I was only gone for half an hour. I know you’re nervous, don’t be, please. I think I may have found what I was looking for. Drop me off at the same place and I’ll find my way home. It shouldn’t be a problem, all the interior and exterior lights are on in the house.”
“Good idea. It would look weird if I arrived at your house this late.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tripping and stumbling through the woods was prevented when I took to the edge of them instead of breaking my neck in the dark. Rather than call attention to my return, I kept the flashlight turned off. I’d lived in the area for so long, I knew my way.
The moon disappeared behind a cloud as I drew close to the house. The light from the rear windows welcomed me back. Dropping my coat and cap on a chair, I walked through the first floor to glance out the windows. I hadn’t noticed a police car in the area, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t being watched. But then, the sheriff might have called it quits for the night if he thought I would go to bed early after the emotional day I’d had.
Who's Dead, Doc? Page 10