She picked another small shard out of her hand. “I think that’s it. Everything else is okay, but we should check Zeke for injuries, too. He was right next to me when the window broke. Even if he wasn’t hurt at the time, he’s probably got pieces of glass stuck in his fur. I’m not sure what would work best to get it all out.”
They both studied the dog. Trip called Zeke to his side. “Think he’d let me vacuum him?”
Now that was an image worthy of posting on social media. “I’m not sure, but we can try.”
She hobbled to the hall closet and got the small upright vacuum she kept there. “I’ll hold his head for you.”
Amazingly, Zeke sat perfectly still as Tripp quickly ran the brush over his fur. Once he’d gone over every inch, he turned off the machine and then ran his hands over the dog head-to-toe and back again. Next, he lifted Zeke’s paws to check them for damage. They were both relieved that the dog had been luckier than Abby had been.
A blast of sirens preceded a knock at the front door by a minute, tops. Great. The neighbors were going to be thrilled to have their quiet evening disturbed by the arrival of the police for the second time since Abby had moved in. Neither occasion was her fault, but she doubted that would make much of a difference. Even if she wasn’t a troublemaker, she was obviously a lightning rod for it lately.
She had started toward the living room when Tripp barked a one word order. “Shoes!”
Yep, good idea. She slipped on the pair she kept by the back door before hobbling down the hallway to let the police in. To her surprise, she found Gage standing on her front porch. “I thought you were at the mall.”
“I was, but I’ve let it be known that I wanted to be notified immediately if there was any further trouble at your house.”
She stepped back to let him in. “You were expecting something to happen?”
“Not exactly, but I thought it was a possibility.”
He looked past her to where Tripp stood holding Zeke by the collar. “I’ll want a statement from both of you after I have a chance to look around.”
For the first time since the window shattered, Abby felt safe enough to turn the lamps on in the living room. Bits and pieces of glass sparkled like frost on the carpet. There were large, jagged shards still stuck in the window frame centered around a huge opening right in the middle. The hole was roughly the same shape as the brick lying on the floor right beside the chair where she’d been sitting.
The two men flanking her stared down at the mess. Gage looked grim while Tripp was clearly furious.
“That brick could have only missed her head by inches. Do you think he knew right where she was sitting?”
She waited for Gage to deny that possibility. When he didn’t, she backed out of the room. With the window open to the night air, the threat lurking outside suddenly became more real.
“You don’t think it was a bunch of kids screwing around?” Abby crossed her fingers that Gage would say yes to the possibility. She’d be a lot happier knowing there were juvenile delinquents on the prowl in Snowberry Creek than thinking someone out there had it in specifically for her.
Gage shook his head. “Maybe, but I doubt it. Were the lights on in here when it happened?”
“No. Zeke and I were both tired and fell asleep before it got dark in here.”
“And then?”
She rubbed her arm. “Zeke must have heard something because he nipped at me to wake me up. When that didn’t work, he barked in my face. Before I could figure out what was wrong, the window shattered. I hit the deck and dragged Zeke down the hall to the kitchen. I was going to call Tripp, but he came running when he heard the window break. After he came inside, I called 9-1-1.”
“Were you hurt?”
She held up her hands and then balanced on her good foot while she took off her other shoe long enough to show him the bandage covering her heel. “Both are minor cuts, but we got the glass out. We also checked Zeke over to make sure he wasn’t hurt and to remove any glass from his fur.”
If anything, Gage only looked more grim. “So, you didn’t handle the brick?”
“No. I didn’t want to hang around in here any longer than I had to.”
She started toward it, but Gage stopped her. “No, don’t touch it. It’s doubtful we’ll get any usable prints, but it’s still worth a shot to check.”
He pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call. “Would you send a technician to meet me at Abby McCree’s place? Thanks.”
She hadn’t forgotten that Gage had had other plans for the evening. “Don’t you need to get back to Sydney?”
“Nope, I called my mom to come cover for me.” If Abby wasn’t mistaken, he looked relieved as he continued to explain. “She has more patience with teenagers than I do. I was just drinking coffee at the food court while the girls prowled through all of their favorite stores. There are only two things I’m good for on these kinds of outings: providing transportation and forking over my credit card on demand.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners, making it clear he really didn’t mind providing those services for his daughter. “I told Mom Syd’s spending limit for the evening and that I would pay her back when I see her.”
“You’re a good dad.”
She meant that even if she was a bit jealous of his relationship with his daughter. Her mother had been awarded primary custody when Abby’s parents had divorced. Although she’d spent summers with her father, they’d never regained the closeness they’d shared before he’d moved out of state to be with his new wife.
That was neither here nor there. Right now, she was cold and a whole lot scared. Tripp must have picked up on it, because he tugged her down the hall to the kitchen.
“Sit down while I fix a cup of tea for you.”
Her conscience pointed out that this was her house, and she should be the one playing hostess. The truth was, right now she simply wasn’t up to it. “Can we have mocha hot chocolate instead?”
Tripp switched gears with his usual efficiency. “Gage, how about you?”
“I’m good.” Gage joined Abby at the table. Just that quickly, she was flashing back to the morning when the goats had discovered the dead body.
She shivered. “Do you think this has something to do with Dolly’s murder?”
“It’s too soon to jump to that conclusion.” He pulled out the same little notebook he’d used the last time the three of them had gathered around this table to discuss a crime. “Once you’ve got something hot to sip, we’ll go over everything again.”
Recounting the events that had occurred since he’d left didn’t take all that long. Although Gage remained calm, cool, and collected, the same couldn’t be said for Tripp. She kept expecting him to explode, but at least he waited until she reached the part where he’d come charging up to her back door.
She knew full well how gentle his hands could be, but right now they were clenched in tight fists and ready to do battle. When he finally spoke, his deep voice sounded more like one of Zeke’s growls. “When I find out who did this—”
Gage slowly set his pen down and pegged him with a hard look. “You won’t do anything, Tripp. I’ll handle it.”
“You’d better, or I will.”
“Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I won’t throw your ass in jail. Remember that.”
The two men glared at each other, neither one willing to back down. Maybe she could distract them long enough for their tempers to cool off a bit.
She set down her empty mug. “How will you figure out who it was if there aren’t fingerprints on the brick? Or if you only get a couple of partials? Even if there are usable prints, what are the chances they’re in the system?”
Gage’s mouth quirked up in a small grin. “I take it you’re a fan of crime shows.”
Not since she’d uncovered a murder victim in her own backyard, but at least she’d gotten his attention off of Tripp. “I’ve watched my fair share.”
“I’ll adm
it getting anything useful is a long shot, but you never know.”
He flipped to a new page in his notebook. “Next, I need a list of people you’ve talked to in the past week or so, especially anyone you might have had words with or who might have ties to Dolly Cayhill.”
This time it was Tripp who looked amused. “Yeah, Abby. How many people have you pissed off lately?”
Jerk.
When she didn’t immediately respond, Gage tapped his pen on the paper. “Why don’t I start with the ones I know about and then you can fill in any gaps. There’s Frank Jeffries, Troy Tolbert, and that group of ladies out in front of Dolly Cayhill’s house. Did I miss anyone?”
Tripp let out a low whistle. “Wow, I’m impressed, Abby. That’s quite a tally for just one week. Personally, I don’t normally piss off that many people in an entire month. You must have a real talent for it.”
Gage fought to hold back a grin but failed miserably. “Actually, that’s just today’s list.”
Enough was enough.
“All right, you two. Do I need to remind you that I’m the victim here?”
“No, but clearly you need to be more careful about who you talk to these days.” Then Tripp frowned and pointed toward the list. “Who’s this Troy Tolbert? And what did she do to make a bunch of women so mad at her?”
She waved her hand in front of Tripp’s face to remind him she was sitting right there and could answer any questions for herself. “The ladies were friends of Dolly’s. They’re convinced my aunt had something to do with her death. Not to mention they still think you were part of the conspiracy.” Glancing at Gage, she said, “I’m guessing they’re the ones who told you about the bad crab dip episode in the first place, trying to cast blame on Aunt Sybil. It’s not the first time they’ve taken their anger out on me. I’d never even met them before when they gave me the cold shoulder at the coffee shop the other day. Ask Bridey. She’ll tell you I didn’t do anything to them at all.”
Gage wrote down something in his notebook. “I will talk to her and them, as well. However, somehow I don’t remember any of them looking strong enough to toss a brick through a window that size.”
She tried to imagine that happening but couldn’t picture it. “I haven’t seen Frank Jeffries since that day in the store. One thing, though, is he doesn’t strike me as someone who would do something sneaky like breaking windows if he was mad. He certainly didn’t hesitate to confront me in public.”
“Maybe, but you never know. Is there anyone else you can think of who had connections to Mrs. Cayhill?”
“After you left me this afternoon, Allison Samuels invited me into Dolly’s house. Evidently, her aunt left the quilting guild both her fabric stash and a sizeable cash donation. Mrs. Cayhill also left a quilt to Aunt Sybil, but Allison hasn’t been able to find it. I suspect it was the one that was supposed to be in the calendar.”
While Gage took notes, she wondered if she could avoid bringing up the conversation she’d had with JB Burton on the day of the garage sale. The last thing she wanted to do was cause the boy any problems. Whatever trouble he’d had with Dolly had been resolved months ago.
Unfortunately, Gage picked up on her hesitation. “Abby, don’t hold back on me now.”
“Fine, but if I give you the name, promise you won’t bother him.”
Gage looked as if he’d just sucked on a lemon, but it was Tripp who didn’t appreciate her putting conditions on her willingness to cooperate. “You know it doesn’t work like that, Abby. You can’t tie his hands so that he can’t do his job.”
Tripp was right. That didn’t mean she had to like it. “Fine, but it’s really nothing. JB Burton Jr. was one of the teenagers you recommended to help us set up the garage sale. He asked me about finding the body.”
Tripp looked puzzled. “What’s his connection to Dolly Cayhill?”
Gage didn’t seem inclined to answer, so she did. “JB and his buddies were celebrating him getting appointed to West Point. They were parked someplace near Dolly’s yard. When she threatened to call the cops on them, the kid who was driving panicked. Evidently his tire blew out, and he drove into her prize roses. The boys involved were given community service rather than being officially charged, which she didn’t think was punishment enough. From what I heard, JB’s dad didn’t take it well when she threatened to notify the academy and tell them why JB didn’t deserve to go there.”
“I can see why he’d feel that way. What happened then?”
“Besides his assigned community service, JB also offered to do a bunch of work for Dolly herself, several hours a week for a month or so.”
Gage looked up from his notes. “I didn’t know he did that.”
“Yeah, he said they’d end up looking at her photo albums, and she even baked cookies for him. It doesn’t seem likely that she would’ve carried through on her threat to write a letter to the academy. It was clear he was genuinely upset about her dying that way.”
Tripp asked, “How did his father feel about it, though?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met the man.”
Gage didn’t answer right away. Finally, he sighed and put his notebook away. “My best guess would be that JB Sr. would’ve been proud of his son for spending time with Mrs. Cayhill. That kid has always been mature for his age.”
“So, you see why I don’t want to stir up any unnecessary trouble for him.”
For the first time in a while, Gage grinned. “And I was so looking forward to kicking in their front door and dragging the whole family out in chains. I was even going to invite Tripp along. It’s been a while since he’s helped clear a house.”
“Yeah, but all my combat gear is in storage.” He gave Abby a sly look. “Except for my hand grenades. I keep those handy because I never know when my landlady will need me to run off a reporter or something.”
Both men cracked up big time, clearly enjoying themselves.
“All right, you two have had enough fun at my expense.”
Gage quickly sobered. “Sorry, Abby. Don’t think I’m taking this situation lightly.”
“I know that, but where does this leave us?”
“The only one we didn’t talk about is Troy, but I know it wasn’t him. He told me he was leaving on a four-day run this afternoon. I saw him driving his rig out of town about an hour before I stopped by to see you earlier.”
When the doorbell chimed, Gage said, “I’ll get it. It should be our tech.”
After he disappeared down the hallway, Tripp asked, “You want a refill on the hot chocolate?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks again for coming to my rescue.” Her smile felt a little wobbly as she gave voice to her fear. “God, I’m scared, Tripp. First, someone buries a dead body in my yard, and now this. I can’t imagine being able to sleep in this house tonight.”
“I promise no one will get to you, Abby. They’d have to go through me first, and that’s not happening.”
Her sometimes affable, sometimes grumpy tenant disappeared in a heartbeat. In his place sat a battle-hardened warrior, a man she hardly recognized. For the first time, she noticed he hadn’t shaved, and the shadow of his beard only emphasized his capacity for violence if the occasion called for it.
He must have picked up on her reaction, because he quickly banked the fires and looked away. No longer able to sit still, she stood up to put her empty mug in the sink. That’s when she saw the gun lying on the counter. She had no experience with weapons of any kind and had no desire to start now. Regardless, some part of her was relieved to know Tripp had come prepared for anything.
Once again, he saw too much. “It won’t bite. The safety is on.”
“I figured as much.”
She meant that. He wasn’t the kind of man who would be careless with his weapons. He picked the gun up and stuck it in the back of his waistband. “While Gage is still here, I’m going out to the garage to see if any of the old lumber out there is big enough to cover the window.”
�
��Good idea. I’ll call the glass company first thing in the morning.”
He started to walk away but then turned back and yanked her into his arms for a quick hug. “Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone. You’ve caused enough excitement for one night.”
She was still sputtering when he disappeared into the darkness.
Chapter Sixteen
Sharing breakfast with a man made for a strange start to her day. In fact, Abby couldn’t remember the last time she’d made pancakes, bacon, and eggs for anyone other than herself. Looking back, Chad avoiding meals at home had been one of the first indications that all was not well with her marriage. If she’d been more perceptive, maybe she would’ve picked up on the fact that although he claimed to be trying to drop a few pounds by skipping breakfast and sometimes dinner, he never lost any weight.
That was then, and Tripp was nothing like her ex-husband. From the way he was chowing down on the pancakes, he wasn’t worried about his boyish figure. Oddly enough, she liked that about him. Of course, he’d probably go out and bench press his truck to work off the extra calories.
“Did I thank you for sleeping over last night?”
Tripp nodded. “Yes, twice, and you’re welcome.”
After he and Gage had done a patchwork job of covering the broken window with old plywood, he’d refused to leave her alone in the house. Pointing out that she had Zeke for company hadn’t gotten her very far. Both men insisted she needed someone to keep an eye on things. Her choices were a deputy parked out front all night or Tripp sacked out on her couch. In the end, it was no contest.
“More coffee?”
“No, I’m good.” He pushed his plate back. “That was great. Thanks for cooking.”
She put the butter and eggs back in the refrigerator. “It was the least I could do.”
“Are you going to be okay by yourself today? I’ve got classes, but I can skip them if you want me to stick around.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. Besides, I won’t be alone all day. The window guy promised to be out here before ten to take measurements. After that, Glenda is coming by.”
Death by Committee Page 17
