by Cindy Bell
“Why should it?” He gazed at her. “It’s not as if I believe in ghosts. Do you?”
“I’m not sure, but I do know I wouldn’t be so quick to rent a place where someone had been murdered. What if the killer comes back?” Nikki held tightly to Princess’ leash as she tried to find out what he knew about the murder.
“Why would he? Bryan is dead, there’s no reason for the murderer to come back.” He peered through one of the windows. “I just hope they do a good job of cleaning it up.”
“You knew Bryan?” Nikki swallowed back a rush of disgust in reaction to his flippant attitude.
“Sure, I knew him, he stole this place right out from under me.” He glanced back at her. “Some good guy, right? Business is business. The place will be for rent, and I plan to rent it.” He crossed his arms. “Nothing is going to stop me this time.”
Nikki was startled by just how cold he was. She recalled Gina telling her about an argument between Bryan and another man, over the shop. She guessed this must be him.
“What kind of business will you have here?” She shifted her tone to one of interest.
“An electronics shop. Everything from computers to alarms.” He pulled out his wallet, then picked out a business card. As he handed it over, he smiled. “It will be a great resource for the people of this town. Far better than dog fashion.” He sneered. “Do you really think dogs care about the color of their clothes?”
“I don’t think it matters as long as the dogs are comfortable. The owners enjoy what their dogs wear, and the outfits often serve a purpose. Like to keep off the sun or to keep them warm.” Nikki shrugged.
“Sure, okay.” He rolled his eyes and turned back to the building. “Trust me, once my shop opens people around here won’t even remember Bryan.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.” She felt her heartbeat quicken as anger rocketed through her. “Bryan was a very good man, and many people in this town became friends with him, even during the short time that he was here.”
“Well, then those people are terrible judges of character.” He turned towards her, his brows knitted, and his eyes hard. “Because Bryan was a criminal, who associated with criminals, and this town is far better off without him. The only reason he was able to rent this place out from under me, is because someone strong-armed the real estate agent. Just to be clear, what I mean is, someone threatened her, until she complied.” He stared at Nikki, his eyes still fierce. “Don’t expect me to shed a tear over a man that is willing to do business that way.”
“Who threatened her?” She stared right back at him, unfazed by his attempt at intimidation.
“That’s not my business.” He shrugged, then walked along the building.
Nikki considered going after him, to question him further, but from his demeanor she could tell that he didn’t plan on saying another word to her. Plus, she didn’t want to risk him turning his temper on her. She couldn’t shake the thought of Bryan being a criminal, and being involved with criminals. Was that just a way to deflect her attention from what he was up to? She glanced down at the card in her hand.
Electronics and More. Royce Blake.
That was definitely the man Gina had mentioned being in the café having an argument with Bryan.
Nikki continued towards Mrs. Whitter’s house. Princess lunged forward as they neared her house. She began to bark and pull at the leash.
“Oh, aren’t you excited to get home?” Nikki smiled. “Maybe Mrs. Whitter is right about you, maybe you do suspect that something is going on. Are you getting excited?”
Princess hopped back and forth a bit, then lunged towards the house again. Nikki laughed at her enthusiasm. As they got closer Nikki heard an alarm. The closer she got the louder it rang. Her heart skipped a beat as she got closer to the house and she realized it was Mrs. Whitter’s alarm. Her heartbeat raced as she pulled out her keys to unlock the door. Maybe it was a false alarm. Maybe Mrs. Whitter had accidently set it off. Perhaps Mrs. Whitter had come home early, which meant she might have had good luck on her shopping trip. But why hadn’t she turned off the alarm, yet?
Before Nikki could slide the key into the lock, the door swung open on its own.
“Mrs. Whitter, are you home?” Nikki peeked her head through the door.
As she stepped further inside, her heart raced as she didn’t hear a response from Mrs. Whitter. Was there someone else in the house?
Chapter 6
Danger made Nikki gasp just before she noticed the broken glass from the window next to the front door. She quickly picked up Princess and held her tightly. She knew she should call the police, but first she needed to make sure Mrs. Whitter wasn’t in the house, that she wasn’t in danger.
“Mrs. Whitter? Mrs. Whitter, are you here?” Her heart pounded as she wondered whether Mrs. Whitter might be hurt. Nikki rushed through the house, but didn’t see any sign of who might have been in the house. She checked every room, but found no one.
After she entered her code into the alarm panel to turn it off, she pulled out her phone and dialed Mrs. Whitter’s cell phone. When she answered, a rush of relief threatened to knock her off her feet.
“Where are you, Mrs. Whitter?”
“I’m shopping, like I told you. Is everything all right, Nikki? You sound upset.”
“The alarm was going off, and the door was open when we got back from our walk. The window by the door was smashed. I just needed to make sure you were safe. I’m going to call the police.”
“The police? Oh dear, oh no.” She gasped. “Are you safe?”
“I think so. It’s okay, Mrs. Whitter, whoever it was must have left when they heard the alarm.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Mrs. Whitter hung up the phone.
As soon as she did, Nikki called Quinn. She held her breath as he answered.
“Nikki, I haven’t gotten any hits on the note yet, but the crime lab is still analyzing some—”
“Quinn, someone broke into Mrs. Whitter’s house. When I got here, the alarm was going off and the glass was broken, no one was inside.” She looked at the broken glass.
“I’ll be right there, stay on the phone with me.” The urgency in his voice frightened her.
“It’s okay, Quinn, I’m safe.”
“There could still be someone in the house. I’m on my way, just stay on the phone with me. I’m only a few minutes away.” She could hear traffic in the background. “Tell me what you saw when you got there.”
“The alarm was going off. I went to unlock the door, and the door was already unlocked, and open. I thought maybe Mrs. Whitter had come home early, but she hadn’t. I’ve already spoken with her. She was still out shopping, but she’s on her way home now.” Nikki paced through the house.
“Good, I’ll need to speak with her. What happened when you went inside? I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“I noticed the broken window. I looked through the house, but there was no sign of anyone.” Nikki held Princess close. “I have no idea who it was.”
“I’m here, I’ll be right in.” He hung up the phone.
Nikki kept her phone clenched in her hand as she carried Princess back to the front door. She watched as Quinn jogged up to the door. She felt so relieved to see him.
“Nikki.” Quinn continued to hold her gaze as he put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m going to take a look around, okay?” They turned to the sound of a security patrol car pulling into the driveway. “They’re a bit late.” He sighed. “Give me a minute.” He walked over to the security guard as he got out of the car. Quinn said something to him, his face was stern, but she couldn’t hear what he said. The security guard’s shoulders slumped, then he got in the car and drove off. Quinn walked back to Nikki. “There are patrol cars behind me. You and Princess stay out here in my car, until they get here. Okay?”
“It’s okay, I’m okay.” Nikki forced a smile to her lips despite the chaos.
“Good.” He smiled, then headed toward
s the house.
Before she could even get the door to Quinn’s car open, Mrs. Whitter pulled into the driveway. Her compact car skidded to a stop, and she leaped out the moment she turned the engine off.
“Oh Princess, my poor baby, you must be so scared.” She ran straight over to Nikki and gently took the dog out of her arms.
“She’s okay, Mrs. Whitter, you should have seen how brave she was. I think she knew that something was wrong before I did. She kept barking and tugging at the leash. I thought she was just excited to get home, but now I think she knew someone had been inside.” Nikki rubbed her hands along her arms and glanced towards the house. “Quinn is inside taking a look around.”
“Oh yes, wonderful, so good of him.” Mrs. Whitter winced as another police car pulled into the driveway. “Must those sirens be so loud?” She covered Princess’ ears.
“Mrs. Whitter, I’m sorry. I didn’t see who was in the house.” Nikki frowned as she studied her. “I must have been too late.”
“My dear girl, you have nothing to apologize for.” Mrs. Whitter grasped one of her hands and gave it a squeeze. “I’m just so glad that you weren’t hurt. I know I can always trust you to protect my Princess.”
“I always will.” Nikki nodded as she smiled.
“Mrs. Whitter.” Quinn walked towards them from inside the house. “Could I speak to you for a moment?”
“Certainly.” She stroked the dog’s fur.
“Did you find anything?” Nikki met his eyes.
He stared at her for a second, then directed his attention to Mrs. Whitter again.
“Who was the last person to leave the house?” Quinn pulled out his tablet.
“I was.” She nodded. “I left just a few minutes after Nikki left for her walk with Princess.”
“And were you in any kind of rush? Distracted?” Quinn looked up from his tablet and into her eyes.
“I was in a bit of a rush yes, maybe a little distracted. What are you getting at?” She straightened her shoulders.
“The kitchen door was unlocked, but closed. I just wondered if perhaps you might have forgotten to lock it.” Quinn tapped the screen. “It happens to all of us.”
“Not to me it doesn’t,” Mrs. Whitter snapped. “You think just because I’m an old lady I don’t value my home or my possessions?” She shook her head. “Well, you’re wrong. I value them both. I am not foolish. I do value my things, you know?”
“I meant no offense.” Quinn held up one hand. “These are questions I have to ask to help us figure out who it was that broke into your home and what they were after. I think they might have exited through the kitchen door.”
“Sorry, some offense taken.” She held Princess out to Nikki. “Perhaps it’s time I took a look inside myself. I’d like to know if this horrible criminal left anything behind.”
“I can take you on a walk-through to check for missing valuables, but you must be careful not to touch anything. The house will be searched, and dusted for prints.”
“Oh no, it absolutely will not!” She placed her hands on her hips as she raised her voice.
“Ma’am, we must conduct an investigation.” Quinn narrowed his eyes, then glanced over at Nikki.
“Mrs. Whitter, it’s important to find out who broke into your home, isn’t it?” Nikki stroked Princess’ fur to calm her.
“Yes, of course, but it’s far more important for my home to be in tip-top shape for the party tomorrow. I can’t have people pawing through my things, and fingerprint dust everywhere. I can’t, and I won’t.” She stomped one foot against the driveway. “I won’t have it!”
“Why don’t we just start with the walk-through, then we can go from there?” Quinn flashed her a warm and reassuring smile.
Nikki was impressed with how well he remained calm. Mrs. Whitter could be quite stubborn, and when she decided she wanted things a certain way, that was the way they would be, no matter what it took. As she watched Quinn lead the way into the house, she decided she was better off remaining outside. She looked into Princess’ eyes and smiled.
“Don’t worry, Princess, everything is going to be just fine.”
The dog licked her cheek. Nikki wondered who was reassuring who.
* * *
When Quinn and Mrs. Whitter came back outside, Nikki noticed that Mrs. Whitter appeared a bit calmer.
“I know that you have a very important job to do, but this isn’t important.”
“It is important.” Quinn turned to face her. “Someone invaded your home.”
“Maybe. But whoever it was didn’t take anything, it really doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.”
“It’s still a big deal.” Nikki walked up to them both. “Mrs. Whitter, you really should let them find out what they can about who broke in.”
“Now Nikki, you know I love you.” Mrs. Whitter narrowed her eyes. “But nothing is going to interfere with this party. I’ve been planning it for so long. You know how important it is to me.”
“I do know.” Nikki frowned. “But what if whoever broke in comes back?”
“I refuse to allow that.” Mrs. Whitter held up her hands and shook her head firmly. “No one is going to make me feel unsafe in my home. The only reason someone was able to get in was because no one was here. I will upgrade my security, and I’m sure that Detective Quinn here will authorize added patrol for this neighborhood, especially during the party.” She glanced at Quinn. “Isn’t that right, Detective?”
“I’m sure that we can arrange that.” Quinn slid his hands into his pockets. “I certainly can’t force you to allow us to dust for prints, it’s your choice. But I must warn you, there is a good chance that the person who was in your house was looking for something in particular. I can only assume that is why they didn’t take anything. Now, either they took something that you’re not aware of, or they were startled by the alarm going off or Nikki coming back, which means that they might actually return.”
“I’m not stupid, Detective, I know the reasons that someone might have broken in. I also know that there is very little chance that the person will return after the alarm went off and they were almost caught. I will get the window fixed, today.” Mrs. Whitter clapped her hands together. “No, the party must go on, and I won’t have my guests frightened off by any of this.” She held her arms out for Princess. “Now, Nikki I know you have things to do.”
“I do have other dogs to walk.” She handed Princess over to Mrs. Whitter.
“Before you take off, I’d like to talk to you.” Quinn caught Nikki’s eye, then turned his attention back to Mrs. Whitter. “If anything changes, if you feel uncomfortable about anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” Mrs. Whitter held up Princess so that she could lick his cheek. “Isn’t he sweet, Princess? Don’t worry, we’ll be just fine.” She waved to them both, then stepped back inside the house.
Quinn opened his mouth as if he might say something more, but Mrs. Whitter firmly shut the door.
“She’s impossible.” He shook his head as he turned back to Nikki.
“Oh, that’s nothing.” Nikki smiled. “She was being nice to you.”
“Nice? You should have heard her put me in my place while we were inside.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’s nothing I can do, though, my hands are tied on all of this.”
“It’s okay, Quinn. I know that you did what you could. Maybe Mrs. Whitter is right, and there’s nothing to be concerned about.” Nikki crossed her arms then took a deep breath. “All of this seems so much worse because of what happened to Bryan. We’re on high alert.”
“As you should be.” He met her eyes. “It’s very important to take the proper precautions right now. Especially after the note you found on your door this morning.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” She waved her hand and started to walk down the driveway.
“Excuse me.” Quinn caught her arm gently by the elbow. “It is not nothing. Wh
y aren’t you taking this seriously?”
“I am taking it seriously. I just don’t want to get too paranoid.” Nikki sighed as she looked back at the house. “Look at Mrs. Whitter, someone broke into her house, and she’s not willing to be the slightest bit afraid, and me? Yesterday I thought that someone saw me through a window, and I was scared. That’s silly. I hope that you are able to get this solved, of course, but I don’t really need to be worried. The note was probably just a prank.”
“That’s what has me concerned. I’m not asking you to be scared, Nikki, but I do hope that you can take this seriously.”
“I am.” She met his eyes briefly, then looked down at her shoes. “I’ll be cautious. But I do have to get going. I have dogs waiting for me.”
“That does sound important.” Quinn nodded. “But maybe I should have an officer go with you.”
“Quinn.” She crossed her arms as she studied him. “I get it. I understand that you are concerned about me, and I even appreciate it. But I can handle things on my own.”
“Just be careful, please?” His voice softened as he took a step closer to her. She saw him transition from a detective, to a friend, and felt herself relax.
“I will be. Thank you, Quinn.”
As Nikki walked off down the driveway, she suspected that he continued to watch her. She was tempted to look back over her shoulder to confirm that, but she resisted. Already, she had a hard time maintaining her cool around him, she didn’t need to make it even clearer that she still fought a puppy dog crush on him.
As Nikki collected each dog she did her best to focus only on the animal, and give each one the time and attention that she always did. Still, she found herself walking a bit more briskly than usual. As she strolled through the park, the familiar surroundings allowed her to relax. She drank in the sight of the green leaves that fluttered in the sunlight, and the wide-open, blue sky.
By the time Nikki began to return the dogs to their houses, she felt more secure and had convinced herself that she was right. She’d let herself get too worked up over the sight of the man in Bryan’s shop, and then the note that was left on her door. The truth was, most people were good people, and there wasn’t anyone out to get her. With only Coco left to take home, she slowed her pace and enjoyed a few extra minutes with him. When a squirrel bolted across the street, he lunged after it.
