by Cindy Bell
“It wasn’t by choice!” Nikki grabbed his phone from the middle console and opened it up. “I need to call my cell phone, I need to see if I can reach her.”
“The password is 5798.” He frowned as he concentrated on the road.
“Thank you!” Nikki typed in the password then began to dial her cell phone. It went straight to voicemail without ringing. She tried again, and it went to voicemail again. Her heart sank lower and lower as she left a message for Mrs. Whitter to call her. With a trembling finger she tried Mrs. Whitter’s phone and it just rang. “My phone is going to voicemail. It must be off.” She blinked back tears. “Oh no, something terrible must have happened.”
Finally, she spilled the entire day’s events to Quinn, including the location of the emeralds.
“Oh Nikki, I’m so sorry. I wish I would have known.” He turned down the road that led to Mrs. Whitter’s house.
“I never should have left her there alone.” Nikki wiped at her eyes as her muscles ached with the desire to jump out of the car and get to the house faster.
“You did the right thing.” Quinn parked the car in front of the house, then grabbed her hand before she could leap out of the car. “Nikki, let me go in first.”
“No!” She jerked her hand out of his grasp. “I need to see if she’s okay for myself!”
As tears blurred Nikki’s vision she ran for the front door.
“Mrs. Whitter!” She pushed the door open and headed straight for the laundry room. “Mrs. Whitter?” She gasped out her name as she pushed the chair away and grabbed for the handle of the door. The first thing she heard was a bark. Princess barked louder as Nikki fiddled with the lock to get the door open. “I’m here, Princess, I’m here, sweetie.”
“Nikki, here let me.” Quinn pushed her shaking hands away from the stubborn lock. With one swift twist he had the door open. He stepped back to allow Nikki to barrel through the door.
“Mrs. Whitter!” Nikki sighed with relief as she saw Mrs. Whitter near the back of the laundry room with Princess in her arms.
“Is it safe, dear?” Mrs. Whitter patted the top of the dog’s head.
“It’s safe.” Nikki smiled as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, dear.” Mrs. Whitter smiled, glanced at Quinn, then back at her. “Nothing to be too concerned about. I would like to get out of this laundry room, though.” She held Nikki’s phone out to her. “I figured out your plan, but unfortunately there is no service in this room. I am so sorry, Nikki. I know you were counting on me to be able to get you help.”
“All I care about is that you are safe, Mrs. Whitter.” Nikki stepped aside to let her out of the laundry room.
“You too, dear.” Mrs. Whitter paused beside Nikki, then wrapped her arms around her, with Princess between them. The dog eagerly licked Nikki’s cheeks. “I was so worried about you. You were so brave to stand up for me like that. Brave, and plain stupid!”
“Mrs. Whitter!” Nikki laughed, then shook her head. “I would do it again in a second.”
“I should hope not.” Mrs. Whitter raised her eyebrows. “You are young, and vibrant, and you have an entire life ahead of you. It’s foolish to risk it for an old woman like me.”
“Mrs. Whitter, you’ll never be old, and you’re one of my very best friends.” Nikki hugged her again. “I would do absolutely anything to make sure that you’re safe.”
Princess gave a sharp bark.
“Yes, and you, too.” Nikki grinned and kissed the top of the dog’s head. “Happy birthday, Princess!”
“Well, then.” Mrs. Whitter wiped quickly at her eyes to hide the tears that threatened to fall. “I suppose we can be done with all of that unpleasantness.”
“Thanks to Quinn. If he hadn’t shown up when he did—” Nikki trailed off as fresh fear rushed through her.
“The important thing is everyone is safe.” Quinn wrapped one arm around her shoulders, then looked into her eyes.
“Yes, it is.” She cleared her throat as she recalled the confession she’d made. Would Quinn know it was about him. She still had no idea if he had heard it. Part of her wanted him to tell her if he did, but a bigger part wanted him to pretend he hadn’t heard a word.
“Oh my, the guests will be here any minute!” Mrs. Whitter set Princess down on the floor. “And that rotten criminal has made a mess of this place.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Whitter, we’ll get it shaped up in no time.” Nikki tipped her head in Quinn’s direction. “Right, Quinn?”
“Well, I’m afraid this area will have to be investigated as a crime scene. We’ll need to take custody of the emeralds as well.” Quinn frowned. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Whitter, the party may have to be delayed.”
“Nonsense!” Mrs. Whitter gasped. “It’s Princess’ birthday. The party must go on!”
“What if everyone stays outside?” Nikki looked over at Quinn. “That would work, wouldn’t it?”
“I suppose.” Quinn rubbed the back of his neck, then smiled. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”
“Great!” Nikki looped her arm around Mrs. Whitter’s. “Let’s get everything set up.”
As Nikki headed out the door with the agility set under one arm and Mrs. Whitter’s arm wrapped around the other, she paused and glanced back at Quinn. He stared in her direction, as if he’d yet to take his eyes off her. As she met his gaze, her heartbeat quickened. He smiled, and for an instant she was certain that he’d heard every word of her confession.
“Nikki, if we hurry we can still pick up Princess’ balloons.” Mrs. Whitter gave her arm a light tug.
“Oh yes, I can do that.” Nikki looked away from Quinn, as her heart continued to race. “I need to check in on my other dogs, too, and at least give them potty breaks. Don’t worry, Princess is going to have the best birthday party ever.” She pushed the door closed behind her. Whether or not Quinn had heard her, the party had to go on.
The End
***
Thank you very much for reading Murder at the Pet Boutique. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can sign up for my cozy mystery newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at http://www.cindybellbooks.com
A Merry Murder at St. Bernard Cabins
A Wagging Tail Cozy Mystery
Chapter 1
Nikki Green tucked a folded sweater into her suitcase and smiled to herself as her fingertips coasted across the soft material. There weren’t many occasions to wear it, as the weather near the bay was generally mild. There were some chillier days, but certainly no snow. The idea of being able to make snowmen, and get in a snowball fight thrilled her. The snowball fight would undoubtedly happen, since she would be spending time with her brother Kyle. Kyle was a couple of years younger than Nikki. He prioritized travel in his life, and in order to support his desire to wander, he took jobs along the way. His current gig had him stationed at St. Bernard Cabins, a high-end ski resort. Due to some under-booking over the holidays, the resort had a few empty cabins and asked the staff if they had any friends or family that would like to book them at a cut-rate price.
“It’s good to be my sister, Nikki.” Kyle laughed as he spoke to her on the phone earlier in the week. “The benefits are endless, aren’t they?”
Both Nikki and her parents had decided to book a cabin. It had been quite some time since they all had Christmas together. She felt a buzz of excitement as she added the last few garments to her suitcase. She zipped it shut, then glanced around her room one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She’d already arranged for another dog walker to cover her usual rounds, everything was in place.
The sound of her phone ringing jolted her out of the mental checklist she’d been running through. She checked the ID and saw that it was Mrs. Whitter calling.
“Hi Mrs. Whitter.”
“Oh Nikki, it’s a total disaster.” She sighed.
“What i
s?” Nikki braced herself. Mrs. Whitter could be a bit overly dramatic about things. The disaster might be a leak in the kitchen, or it might be that her Chihuahua, Princess lost her favorite toy.
“I had everything arranged, absolutely everything, and would you believe now they tell me they don’t allow dogs?” Mrs. Whitter huffed. “A tiny little pup isn’t going to cause any harm to anything at all!”
“Wait, who doesn’t allow dogs? I thought you were going to visit your niece?” Nikki frowned as she sat down on the edge of her bed. “Tell me everything from the beginning.”
“Yes, I’m going to visit my niece. She is fine with Princess coming. But I hired a car service to drive me there, and I asked the woman on the phone specifically if they allowed pets, and she assured me that they do. Well, I called to confirm everything today, and surprise! No, they don’t allow dogs. I even offered to pay an extra fee. I’ve called all the other services and they’re all booked up. I can’t drive my little car up there, besides if I’m driving no one can cuddle Princess and make sure she’s safe and happy. I’ve promised to make my plum pudding for my niece and her family, and I won’t be able to do it. I’ll be stuck here for the holidays.”
“Oh Mrs. Whitter, I’m so sorry. That must be so frustrating.” Nikki felt terrible at the thought of Mrs. Whitter, who had become a good friend of hers, being alone for the holidays. “Where does your niece live again?”
“In Haggerty. It’s too late to even book a flight, though I would hate to take Princess on a plane.” Mrs. Whitter sniffed. “But no matter, there’s no point in dwelling on things that can’t be changed.”
“Maybe it still can be.” Nikki glanced at her watch. “Would you be able to leave in a few hours?”
“I had planned on leaving in the morning, but yes, everything is already packed up. Why?”
“I’m driving to Lowlar, it’s not far from Haggerty, I can drop you and Princess off there on my way. What do you think?” Nikki smiled at the thought of being able to brighten her day.
“Are you sure about that, Nikki? I wouldn’t want to put you out.” Mrs. Whitter hesitated.
“I’m sure, in fact, I insist. I wasn’t looking forward to driving all alone anyway. It will be great to have some company.” Nikki stood up and began to go over her mental checklist again. “We’ll leave around one, if that’s okay with you?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll call my niece and let her know. Thank you so much, Nikki.” Mrs. Whitter’s tone brightened.
“I’m so happy I could help. I’ll pick you up at one, Mrs. Whitter.” As soon as Nikki hung up her phone, it began to ring again. She answered quickly and laughed. “Mrs. Whitter, I insist.”
“I’m afraid this isn’t Mrs. Whitter,” a man replied.
“Jake!” Nikki laughed. “I’m sorry, I was just on the phone with another client and I thought she’d called back.”
“That’s all right. But I have a big problem.” Jake cleared his throat.
“You do? Is Coco okay?” Nikki thought about the last time she’d walked Coco, a German Shepherd. He’d been fine when she’d dropped him off at home that morning.
“Yes, he’s fine. But I have to work out of town for the holidays now, work just told me. Someone got sick and I have to cover them. I know it’s very last minute, and you weren’t going to work for the week, but I would be willing to pay extra if you would pet sit Coco.” Jake groaned. “I’m really over a barrel here. All of the kennels are booked already, and there’s no way I can take him with me. So, can you do it?”
“Oh wow, Jake, I’d love to. I really would. But I’m leaving town in a few hours. I’m so sorry. Is there anyone else you can leave him with?” Nikki began to run through possibilities of people she knew that might be able to take him, but they were all busy with the holidays.
“No, no one. Not going is really going to upset my boss. I just don’t know what else to do. Thanks anyway, Nikki. Merry Christmas.”
“You too, Jake.” Nikki frowned as she started to hang up the phone. Then an idea popped into her mind. “Wait, Jake, are you still there?”
“Yes, what is it?” A twinge of hope lightened his voice.
“What if I take Coco with me? I’ll be gone for just about a week, too, and if you’re not back when I get back, I can always stay at your place until you are. I know it’s a little odd, but it could work, couldn’t it?” Nikki smiled at the thought. Coco was a great companion, and she was sure he would love the snow. Coco and Princess got along well with other dogs, and they had met each other before. Even though they hadn’t spent much time together, Nikki knew that it wouldn’t be a problem for them to travel together.
“I guess that could work. You wouldn’t mind? I’m sure you have lots of plans.”
“No, I wouldn’t mind at all. I’ll give you all of the information for the resort, and we’ll video chat with you whenever you’d like so you can check on him. But if I’m going to take him, I’d have to pick him up soon. I really want to make it to the resort before it gets too dark.” She began to reorganize her checklist in her mind. Adding a canine companion to her travels would require a few more things.
“Sure, oh Nikki you’re a lifesaver. Thanks so much! I’m sure Coco will have a great time with you. I’ll have him ready.” Jake laughed. “You have no idea how relieved I am.”
“No problem. I always look forward to spending time with Coco. I’ll be there a little after twelve.” Nikki hung up the phone and laughed to herself. Her quiet getaway had turned into a group excursion.
By twelve, Nikki was exhausted. Between phone calls, rearranging space in the SUV she rented for the trip, and adding a few last-minute items to her luggage, she’d been going nonstop since she’d hung up the phone with Jake. As she spread out blankets on the backseat of the SUV, she smiled to herself. Maybe it was a little chaotic, but she looked forward to the drive, and to having Coco as her companion for the week. Although, she didn’t have enough space in her apartment to have a dog of her own, she often thought of the dogs she walked as her own, and that was especially true with Coco. She’d been walking him for a long time, and since his owner often traveled for business she would dog sit, or take him for special outings on the weekends now and then. It was an honor to her that Jake trusted her so much with his dog.
After one last check to make sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything, Nikki climbed into the driver’s seat of the SUV. The road that led to Coco’s house ran right in front of the police department. Her heart skipped a beat as she passed it. Yes, she would love to spend the holidays with Quinn, but he had a very busy life. She resisted the urge to stop in and wish him a Merry Christmas. She’d already sent him a card, and left cookies at his door. If she did anything more, he’d either think she was obsessed with Christmas or obsessed with him. She stepped on the gas until she was a good distance from the police station. They had become good friends, and although Nikki hoped for something more, it hadn’t progressed any further than friendship.
Nikki parked in the driveway of Coco’s house and stepped out. After a quick glance at her watch she hoped that Jake would have Coco ready to go. By the time she got to Mrs. Whitter’s and packed her things in the SUV, they would already be running a little behind schedule.
The front door swung open and Coco bounded out.
“Hi buddy.” Nikki smiled as he jumped up to greet her.
“Coco, down! You know better.” Jake huffed as he stepped out of the house.
“Don’t worry, Jake. He’s usually very well-mannered. He just knows I love his hugs.” Nikki scratched the top of Coco’s head as he dropped back down on to all four paws.
“I really appreciate you doing this. I put some things together for him.” Jake handed her a small bag. “He’s really good in the car, so I don’t think the trip should be too bad.”
“Great. I’ll make sure he has plenty of chances to stretch his legs.” Nikki pulled out a small card that she’d written all of the resort information on. “Here
’s where we’ll be, and of course feel free to call or text anytime you’d like.”
“Thanks.” Jake met her eyes. “I mean it.” He handed her an envelope. “I don’t want to hear a word about the extra, there’s some for taking him for the week, and a Christmas bonus. I want you to have a great vacation.”
“Thanks Jake!” Nikki tucked the envelope into her purse. “I’ll do my best not to argue.”
“Good.” Jake turned away as his cell phone rang. “Ugh, I’ve really got to run. Sorry Nikki.”
“It’s no problem. Coco and I are going to have a great time.” Nikki opened the back door of the SUV and Coco jumped in.
Chapter 2
After the short drive to Mrs. Whitter’s mansion, Nikki took a moment to check the weather. Despite the rather mild weather that surrounded her at the moment, she knew that just a few hours away winter was in full swing. As she checked the weather along the route to the resort, she was relieved to see that everything looked pretty clear. She might be able to make up some time along the way.
When Nikki walked up to the front door, Coco stuck his head out through the rear window and whimpered.
“Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll be right back.” Nikki knocked lightly on the door.
“Come in, Nikki! Come in!” Mrs. Whitter’s voice rang out from a distance.
Nikki tried the door, then pushed it open. Princess trotted up to her, took one sniff of her hand, then began to bounce back and forth in front of her.
“Oh, you smell Coco, don’t you?” Nikki scooped the tiny dog up into her arms. “That’s right, you’re going to have a friend for the drive.”
“I’ll be right there, Nikki, I’m just grabbing a few last-minute things.” Mrs. Whitter passed through the hallway and hurried towards her bedroom.