by Fiona Grace
A shiver went down Audrey’s back as the presence behind her bore down on her.
She jumped, getting into defensive posture—arms raised, legs ready to run— as a dark blur swept by her on the path.
A voice called out to her with an American accent, “Better get moving. This path gets dark when the sun goes down, and even that horse isn’t going to save you from the wild boars. They feast on human blood.”
Wild boars? She looked around, alarmed, then realized the voice sounded familiar.
“Nessa?”
Thank god. It was probably the first time Audrey’d been glad to see the woman. Of course, Nessa was always out running, morning, noon, and night. And she usually headed off this way. So it made total sense that this was the path she took during her jaunts. It was a popular route for runners.
She slowed to a stop and turned around, still jogging in place. She was wearing a barely there bra top and shorts that accentuated her tanned, fit body and rippling abs. She didn’t seem winded at all, which Audrey guessed made sense, since the girl lived to run. “Oh, and I saw a rattlesnake on that rock the other day.”
Audrey jumped to her feet as if a rocket had been launched under her butt. “I was just on my way up.”
Nessa rolled her eyes. “Sure you were. You look like you’re dying.”
And I’m sure you’d be happy about that, Audrey thought, following her. She expected that Nessa would turn around and continue her run, but instead, Nessa pulled out her earbuds and started to stretch. “So what were you trying to do? Return to the scene of the crime?”
“Ha, ha. You’re very funny. You know I had nothing to do with that murder. First of all, I just proved to you I can’t get down there without giving myself a few near coronaries.”
“I don’t know anything of the sort. This can all be an act,” she said, hitching one shoulder as she pulled her foot behind her, to her backside.
Next to her, Polpetto growled suspiciously. Good dog. Audrey had always been one to believe that dogs had a sixth sense when it came to people’s character. In mere minutes, he’d somehow caught on that Nessa wasn’t a nice person, something that would probably take most humans a lifetime to realize.
She stared at the collar in her hands, trying to think. Anyone could have killed Mimi Catalano and ripped this leash from Polpetto, she thought.
Tito. Whatever.
Suddenly, something occurred to her. Right. The murderer could be absolutely anyone.
“I was actually down there because I was thinking of taking up running,” she said. Nessa had begun walking toward her house, and even though the road was now more level, Audrey had to rush to keep up. “You think you can give me any tips?”
Nessa gave her a sideways look. “No. Well, one. Don’t go running that path. It’s much too advanced for beginners.”
“Oh. So you run down there every day?”
“Twice a day,” she said proudly. “Morning and night. I run down to the lake and do the loop. It’s about seven miles. Like I said, not for beginners.”
“Wow,” Audrey said, thinking to herself, Morning. If she’d run there in the morning, then she very well could’ve been there and seen Polpetto. Not only that, she could’ve also seen the murderer. “That’s impressive. You’re obviously very fit.”
She smiled. “Well, the camera adds ten pounds. And I need to look good for the filming,” she said, fluffing her ponytail. “It starts in two weeks. And like I said, you’re welcome to be part of episode seven. We need filler. Don’t worry about being frumpy, though …most of the time, the camera will be on me. So it doesn’t matter too much what you look like.”
Audrey stared at her, a fake smile plastered on her face. Truthfully, she’d sooner get dental work. “Um. Yeah. Maybe?”
“Come on, Audrey. Don’t be all wishy washy. I mean, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Most people would kill to be on national television, even if it will make them look fat,” she said. “I mean, that hot boy Mason jumped at the chance. As most people would. Not that that boy has any fat at all on him at all. Yum.”
She asked Mason? Audrey didn’t know why her stomach swam at the thought of the two of them talking. They were on the edge of town now, not far from their street, surrounded by scrubby bushes and the low stone wall that surrounded most of the city proper. Audrey’s legs ached to take her there, because they wanted a seat. “I’ll think about it. So… were you running on Tuesday, this week?”
“Of course. I ran every day this week.”
“In the morning?”
“Yes.”
“On the path by the lakeside?”
“Yes.” She stopped walking. “What’s this all about? I told you, that’s not a good path for a beginner… Wait.”
Audrey looked up just in time to see Nessa’s eyes widen. She’d made the connection.
“What are you thinking? That I had anything to do with that woman’s death?” She snorted.
“Well, maybe you didn’t. But maybe you saw someone there who looked suspicious?”
Nessa crossed her arms. “No, I didn’t. If you really want to know what happened to that woman, you should ask your big dog there. He probably saw more than I did.”
Suddenly, something clicked in Audrey’s brain. Something was off. “Wait. How did you know that this was the dog I found on the beach?” The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. “I don’t think I said anything about that. In fact, I know I didn’t.”
Nessa’s face, which was simply glistening with a post-run glow, began to turn bright red. Without another word, she turned toward her house and dashed away.
“Nessa!” Audrey called, rushing after her. This time, it must’ve been adrenaline, because somehow, Audrey was able to match her pace.
Nessa tried to slam the door in Audrey’s face, but Polpetto was too quick, and far too strong. He pushed open the door and pinned the waifish woman against the wall of her front hallway, drooling heavily on her abs.
“Ugh!” she cried, heaving great big breaths as she tried to flatten herself and hold up her hands to protect herself. “Down, boy! Ew, drool! Audrey! Call off your freakishly mammoth-sized mutant hellhound!”
“One second,” Audrey gasped, doubling over, trying to catch her breath.
It kind of sucked that Nessa, after seven miles, wasn’t even winded, and Audrey felt like she was about to die.
Finally, she managed to gasp out, “Not until you let me know what you’re hiding.”
Wincing, Nessa began to sob. “Okay! Okay, fine! Just stop it from slobbering all over me!”
Audrey didn’t get what the big deal was. Nessa had been running, so she was covered in sweat as it was. Wasn’t her first order of business a shower anyway? She tugged on Polpetto’s leash. “Okay, that’s enough, boy,” she said to him, and obediently, he followed her commands, retreating behind her legs.
Nessa scowled at her. “You’re lucky I don’t call the police on you. That’s harassment. Or… something. You could go to jail for that.”
“If you have anything to do with Mimi Catalano’s death, you’d be pretty silly to want to involve the police,” Audrey warned.
“I don’t,” she snapped, grabbing a towel off a hook in the entryway. She carefully swabbed up the drool, still grimacing. “But your horse and I have been acquainted.”
“Really? How?”
Nessa peered outside. An old lady was pushing a squeaky-wheeled cart down the street, but Nessa eyed her as if she was a government spy. “Oh. Stop hovering in the doorway like some dowdy vampire and just come in,” she muttered.
Audrey stepped farther into the house. She’d never been invited into Nessa’s place, but knowing all the work she’d had done, and the fact that Nessa was an interior designer “of great renown,” Audrey expected the place to be a showroom. And she was right. The walls were painted a pale terra-cotta color, and the furnishings looked like a cover of Better Homes and Gardens. It had that distinctly unlived-in feeling, of a p
iece of real estate that was set up to be attractive to a buyer. Nevertheless, Audrey sighed a little, wistfully. Her house was a complete shambles compared to this.
Nessa might have had the perfect house for hostessing, but she was not in any way, shape, or form a hostess. When Audrey and Polpetto were finally inside, she slammed the door and said, “Yes, I saw that animal—” She looked down at it and clenched her teeth. “God! Is that normal for that thing to drool that much?”
She threw her towel on the travertine tile floor and moved it under the flow of Polpetto’s drool with one sneakered foot.
Satisfied, she said, “Yes, I saw that animal. He was on the beach, and he was making such a racket, howling like crazy, I thought he might be injured. So I called you.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in, for Audrey to understand what she was saying. That phone call… Nessa had made it? Nessa, who loved nothing more than herself, was concerned about an animal? Audrey didn’t buy it.
“You called me?” Audrey said, mouth hanging slightly open. “You were the one who disguised your voice? Why?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t want you to know it was me. Duh.”
“Why?”
“Because then you would’ve asked me to stay on the premises and wait for you to arrive and I have better things to do.”
That was true. She would have. “But …did you see Mimi?”
“Actually, I did. I passed her on my way down to the lake loop. She was going really slow because she was wearing heels. That’s why I remember her. I thought that was a dumb choice for that hill.” She went to a floating shelf and arranged a little potted plant there. “Then I ran the loop, and I didn’t see anyone else. When I was about to come back up, that’s when I saw the dog. Stupid thing attacked me.”
“And?”
“And then it ran off. I heard it let out a whine, which made me think it’d gotten hurt. That’s when I called you.”
“So you didn’t see anyone else down there? Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she snapped, giving Audrey a hard stare. “Well, I saw one guy, but I only got a glimpse of him. He was tall. But not Mason-tall. This guy was big and bulky. He was wearing like a hat, I think. He was down by the water, so I thought he was fishing, but probably not, because I didn’t see a pole.”
Audrey gnawed on her lip. That description would fit half the men in Mussomeli. “Is that all you remember? Think, Nessa.”
“Yeah. Sorry. That’s it. Like I said, I only got a glimpse of him. What are you, Nancy Drew? Why are you asking all these questions?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because… for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on… the police somehow think I did it? It may have something to do with you shouting it from the highest peak in Mussomeli?”
She laughed bitterly. “Hmm. Did you?”
Audrey sighed and turned to leave. “You know, you’re the only witness. If your story is true, you should go to the police.”
“What do you mean, if? Of course it’s true. And I was going to. When I had time.”
“Right. I know, you have such a busy schedule, getting all those runs in,” Audrey muttered as she reached for the doorknob.
“Like I said, got to look good for my public. We’re talking national television, Audrey. It’s that important.” She drew her bottom lip under her teeth and gave Audrey a guilty look. “And… if I’m the only one who witnessed it, that puts me pretty close to the murder. I don’t want them to god forbid, suspect me, or anything.”
“Yeah. The horror,” Audrey said, nudging Polpetto’s leash. She stepped outside and closed the door, thinking.
Now we just need to look for a tall, bulky man in a hat. Sure. That’ll be easy-peasy.
But if that’s what it took to find the killer, she was game. She was ready to scour the entire town if she had to.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was well after dark when Audrey finally returned to the clinic to drop off Polpetto. As he neared the doorway, he whined a little, tugging at her heartstrings.
She crouched down in front of him. “Look, boy. I know you want your owner. I know you miss him. You want to belong with someone. But the signs are up. Hopefully, you won’t have to wait too long.”
As she brought him inside, she entertained the idea of bringing him into her own home, in the event his owner was never found. That was the danger in being a vet. Back at her Boston apartment, there had been a strict no-pets rule, which she abided by, as much as it killed her, because her finances wouldn’t permit otherwise. But here, with the opportunity to take in any stray that caught her fancy, there was a definite chance of having her place overrun by animals… and quickly. Her bleeding heart was just too soft, and she had a hard time looking into the eyes of those needy animals and saying no.
But Nick hadn’t exactly gotten along with Polpetto when they were introduced. That was a problem.
Besides, she’d been making a little money, now, to pay back some of her debts, but she really couldn’t afford another mouth to feed just yet. Especially one that ate as much as Polpetto did.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” she said, as much to herself as to the dog as she brought Polpetto in and let him off the leash. She looked at the collar in her hands. It was heavy. Expensive. Definitely the mark of someone who cared for their pets. “I bet someone is missing you, too.”
The clinic had only been open a few days, and she already had twelve strays. She hadn’t even looked that much, really. She’d been planning to organize a community-wide pet adoption day, especially for when space was at a premium, and now that was looking like it would have to happen sooner rather than later.
As she finished taking care of the rest of the animals, she tried to focus on the pet adoption day. On a weekend, probably. She’d waive the application fee for applicants with good homes. All the standard things. That was about as far as she got before someone started rapping on her door. Even though the sign on the door said the clinic was closed, someone had likely seen her moving through the big storefront window.
Hands buried to the elbow in rubber gloves for cleaning the kennels, she went to the window and found Orlando Falco. She held up a finger and peeled them off, then twisted the lock and opened it for him.
“I’m sorry to bother you again after hours, but after hours is all I seem to get. You are a very busy person, too, I see,” he remarked, holding out a bottle of red wine. “A gift for you.”
“Oh, thank you! There’s always something to do here at Hotel Smart,” she said with a smile, studying the label, which was in Italian, circa 2017. “How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you,” he said, but she could tell from the three very pronounced wrinkles on his forehead that something was wrong. “May I come in and speak with you a moment?”
“Sure.” She pushed aside the door to allow him to pass through. The reception area was a little messy, with magazines and adoption brochures scattered about, so she started to gather them together while he looked around the place. “What can I help you with?”
“It looks good in here. You have been doing a wonderful job.”
She stopped and looked at him. Why did she get the feeling he was stalling to avoid telling her some bad news? “Thanks …” She sensed a but, even though she didn’t say it.
“Anyway.” He clutched his briefcase in front of him with both hands. “I’ve just gotten done speaking to a few of the other councilmen about our meeting tomorrow. First on the docket is the tax on strays that Mimi Catalano was pushing.”
“Right, but you said that you thought it might be dead?”
“Well, it appears I could be wrong.” He pressed his lips together hard, as if trying to think of the best way to phrase his next words. “Several of the other council people think it’s a good idea that has merit.”
“What? Are you kidding me?” She tossed the magazines down on the coffee table and dragged both hands down her face. “I thought we had a good chance
.”
“I thought so, too. Of course, I’m going to argue on your behalf. But the best I can do is state our case, and hope that they see our side.” He shrugged. “I wish I could do more. I’m sure the news won’t help you rest easy, but I thought you should know.”
“No, I’m glad you did. And I don’t think there’s anything more you could do,” Audrey said, slinking down into one of the chairs in the waiting room. “I’ll just have to get more paying clients in. The kennels are already filling up. I was planning a pet adoption day for one of the weekends coming up, but is it even worthwhile? I’m assuming the tax is going to be passed on to anyone who adopts one of these strays. It’s going to make adoption out of reach for people, I’m afraid.”
He shook his head. “We might be surprised. I think you should go along with the plans. And I’ll see what I can do to drum up support among the local businesses and homes, even if it isn’t monetary in nature. What else do you need?”
“Old blankets and towels would be very helpful. If anyone has any pet food or supplies left over, I’ll take it. Newspapers. Whatever.” She was babbling now, so tired she could barely think. But she got the feeling she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all tonight. Not with the threat of that tax coming. “I’ll just try to make do as best as I can. I appreciate all your help.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, moving for the door. He opened it and nodded at her. “Buona notte.”
“Good night,” she called after him, but it felt like anything but. She placed a hand over her chest. It felt like her heart was on the verge of breaking. It was one thing to fail on her own. But all those poor rescues would be out on the street again, fending for their lives, if she didn’t find some way to make this work.
The only problem was, she couldn’t think of anything more she could do to scrimp and save. If that tax went through, she couldn’t see any way that the clinic would succeed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
When Audrey got home, she expected to find Nick waiting for her, as he usually was. The fox followed her around everywhere, but he always knew that at a certain point in the night, Audrey would return home and give him his dinner, and a few apples as a treat.