by Diane Capri
He grabbed my arm again. I opened the top, fished out a pill, and put into his mouth. He swallowed it down, then collapsed back onto the floor. I grabbed my phone and made the call to emergency.
Mr. Hobbs seemed to be stabilizing. He wasn’t clutching his chest any longer, and his breathing seemed to be evening out. I looked around, trying to find something to make him more comfortable, when my gaze landed on an open file folder. The papers had scattered everywhere, probably when he fell. I gathered them together and noticed that it was Mrs. Walker’s will and preliminary probate papers.
Well, lookee here.
I did a cursory glance through. Mrs. Walker had left the bulk of her estate to the town and not to her great-nephew Peter. It appeared that she wanted her house and lot to be turned into a bird sanctuary of some sort. And a few other surprises I hadn’t expected. Peter and Colleen were to inherit nothing from her. So, killing her wouldn’t have been advantageous for them at all. Just as Peter had claimed.
“What are you doing?”
I looked up to see Sheriff Jackson filling the doorway.
I stood and placed the folder back on the desk. He came over to where I was and stared down at Mr. Hobbs collapsed on the floor at my feet, taking in greedy gulps of air. Then he glanced at me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“I didn’t give him a heart attack, I swear to God. The pastry probably did it.”
Chapter 22
The EMTs arrived within five minutes and had picked up Mr. Hobbs and strapped him to a gurney. He had on an oxygen mask but still tried to talk to me. I gave him a smile and patted his hand. “You’re welcome.” Not sure if he was really trying to thank me, or if it was something else.
Once he was wheeled out, Sheriff Jackson turned his steely gaze onto me. “Okay. Explain. Now.”
“Hey, I saved his life. Can’t we just leave it at that?”
“No, we can’t leave it at that.”
I flinched. “No, of course not. Okay, I knocked on his door, came in, and found him on the floor behind his desk, struggling to breathe.”
He looked around the room, then down at the desk. “You’d have to literally be standing right at his desk to have seen him on the floor, Andi.”
I sighed. “I figured he would be handling Mrs. Walker’s estate, so I came in to see if I could find out anything.”
“And did you find out anything?”
I nodded. “It seems that Mrs. Walker left everything to the town. Peter and Colleen won’t inherit.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, there goes motive, right? Why would Colleen kill her if they weren’t going to benefit?”
“What makes you think they knew about the will? Maybe they thought they would inherit.”
“Because Peter came to see me the other night and swears that Colleen didn’t do it, that she was in and out of the house in ten minutes because he was waiting for her down the street. He might not have known about the will, but I’m not sure that’s true.”
He scowled. “And when were you going to tell me this?”
“Right now?”
“Why did Peter tell you all of this?”
I shrugged. “I guess he heard that I can help people who find themselves in over their heads.”
“Did it ever occur to you that he approached you to intimidate you? You’re the key witness in his wife’s assault. You found his aunt’s body.”
“Yes, it occurred to me.” I ran a hand up and down my arm, remembering the unease I’d felt with Peter looming over me in the threshold of my suite. We had been alone. There was no one around that could’ve helped me if I had needed it. But I hadn’t needed any help. He’d left without a problem.
The sheriff was still talking. “That’s not exactly the action of an innocent man.”
I didn’t respond, because he was right. I’d put myself into a dangerous situation. Again. Although to be fair, it wasn’t like I’d invited Peter into my suite or anything. He’d shown up, uninvited. That wasn’t my fault.
“Did you not learn anything at all the last time? The only reason I threw you a few bones was to make you stay out of this. Satisfy your ridiculously curious nature and allow you to move on to concierge things or whatever else you do in your spare time.”
He was starting to piss me off. “In my defense, I did catch the right killer last time.”
“Yeah, and got hurt in the process. Plus put other people in danger.” He took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. “Or did you forget about that part?”
“No, I didn’t forget. It’s still very much in my mind.” I turned my head away from him, afraid my eyes were going to well up. I wasn’t a crier, but his constant critical barrage on top of Samuel’s constant badgering was starting to weigh on me.
He sighed. “Look, Andi. I know you’re trying to do some good here. And despite all my reservations, you do sometimes have good instincts.”
I glanced at him beneath my lashes, not quite ready to eyeball him straight on.
“But I can’t have you running around thinking you’re Magnum PI or something.”
A smile formed on my lips. I couldn’t resist. “You know that reference totally dates you. I was thinking more of the likes of Veronica Mars.”
“Regardless of who you’re trying to emulate—”
“I’m not trying to emulate anyone, Sheriff. I can’t help it if people talk to me. I’m an approachable person. You’d think you would want to use that. It would help you. Not everyone trusts the police.”
“Andi…”
I secured my purse over my shoulder and lifted my chin. “If you’ll excuse me, Sheriff, I have errands to take care of.” I marched toward the door.
“I don’t want to see you get hurt. It would make me really…unhappy.”
I stopped briefly but didn’t turn around. I didn’t know what to say to that, because I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. So, I just kept walking and left Mr. Hobbs’s office.
Chapter 23
I picked up my blouse from Blossom, as promised, then made my way to Daisy’s kennels. I found her helping one of her groomers handle a particularly rambunctious shih-tzu getting a summer buzz cut. Little Lulu was happily barking at her side.
When Daisy saw me, she gave me a wave. Not wanting to disturb her, I headed toward the back to see my babies in their “suite.” Scout and Jem immediately ran up to me, greeting me with enthusiasm, trilling and wrapping around my ankles. I missed them so much. I sat on the floor so I could hug them and play with them with equal zeal.
The second I sat down, they crawled on top of me. I pulled them close and put my face into their fur, inhaling their kitty scents, which was always very calming to me. They both responded with lots of purring and butting their heads against my face. They always knew when I needed their affection.
“I miss you guys.”
Scout meowed in answer, and Jem just purred louder.
“Things aren’t too good without you.” Pet, pet, pet. Purr, purr, purr. “I’m lonely most of the time, and Samuel is running me ragged. Like, how much more do I have to do to prove myself? It’s so frustrating.”
I scratched both of them in the places they liked and dangled some feathery birds on sticks so they could chase them. My anxiety of the past few days faded away as I played with them. I didn’t realize how much their presence calmed me until now because I’d never lived without them before. I couldn’t go on much longer without having them back permanently in my home. I had to move out of the hotel. But before I did that, I had to make damn sure that my job was secure.
After I gave Scout and Jem goodbye kisses, I found Daisy at her desk. Lulu was on one of the nearby chairs, curled up into a ball and sleeping. Daisy smiled as I plopped down in one of the empty chairs and sighed.
“Tough day?” she asked.
“You wouldn’t even believe it if I told you.”
She laughed.
“How’s your day going? How’s Lulu?”
“
She’s settling in. Mr. Rainer has called me no less than ten times to check up on her.”
“Really?”
“Yup, he calls and asks how much she’s eating, how often has she gone piddle, is she playing with the other dogs….” She sighed loudly. “He sounds like a worried parent.”
“Maybe we were wrong about him. Maybe he’s not a horrible monster.”
“Maybe not. I’m starting to think that Mrs. Walker may have been the monster. I knew a lot of people didn’t like her, but I always thought that was just, you know, neighborhood rivalry.”
I nodded. “It’s hard to find out bad stuff about someone you knew and liked.”
“I take it you have experience in that.”
“Oh yeah. My old boss, Jeremy. I thought I knew him. But what I didn’t know about him could probably fill a football stadium.”
“That sucks,” she said.
“It certainly does.” Lulu perked up and looked at me. I reached over and patted her little head. She was definitely a cute dog. “Oh, hey, how did your meeting with the landlord go?”
“Okay, I think. He didn’t seem too pleased with the changes I asked for.”
“You’re within your right to ask for them, Daisy, remember that.”
“I will.”
Speaking of landlords… “Hey, do you know of any good houses for rent in the village?”
“You thinking of moving out of the hotel?”
“Yeah, I need my cats. It’s hard not being with them every day.”
“I hear that. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t live in the apartment above.”
Before I could say anything else about it, the front door swung open and Mr. Rainer rushed in. The small amount of hair he had was shooting out all over his head, and his shirt was untucked and looked unwashed. He had gray bristles on his face. It looked like he hadn’t shaved or washed in days.
“Mr. Rainer,” Daisy said, getting to her feet.
“You!” He jabbed a finger at me. “You’re the reason I lost her. You took her from me.”
My hand fluttered at my throat. He’d pointed out the very thing I’d been worrying over. “That’s not necessarily true.”
He moved forward quicker than I thought he could possibly move and swept up Lulu into his arms. I stepped in his way to block him from leaving.
“I’m taking my dog,” he said.
“Mr. Rainer, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.
“She needs me.” Lulu licked his chin.
“It’s obvious the dog loves you, but this is a complicated case. We have to operate by the rules and laws,” Daisy said as she came around the desk to stand beside me. “I can’t release her to you. I have to wait until I hear from Mrs. Walker’s lawyer.”
“But what if…what if that horrible man, Peter, takes her? He won’t love her like I do.”
“I’m sorry,” Daisy said, “but I have to do what the law says.” She slowly reached for Lulu. Mr. Rainer put up no fight as she gently took the dog from him and settled her into the crook of her arm. She hesitated briefly, then turned and walked to her desk.
Mr. Rainer slapped his hands over his face and started to sob. His whole body shook with the force of his emotion. I got a lump in my throat watching him. It was tough seeing him so broken.
I put my arm around his shoulders and led him to a chair. He sat, and I sat beside him. I reached for the Kleenex box nearby and handed a few tissues to him. He took them and wiped at his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He looked at me, still wiping his eyes. “I’m lost without Lulu. I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t get her back.”
I glanced over at Daisy to make sure she was out of earshot. She was. She was busy talking to Lulu in a soothing tone.
“I’m going to tell you something, Mr. Rainer,” I said in a low voice, “but you have to promise me you’ll never tell anyone that I told you this.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Mrs. Walker left her estate to the town. Her house and her money. Nothing is going to Peter. And that includes Lulu.”
His eyes widened, and he suddenly gripped my hand. He squeezed it hard. I winced at the power of his grip. “How do you know?”
“I saw her will. She actually left the care of Lulu to you.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“She named you in her will to take possession of Lulu.”
“Why would she do that? We hated each other. We always fought over that dog.”
“Maybe she knew how much you actually liked the dog. Maybe she knew you’d take good care of her.”
He sagged into the chair as if the relief of the whole thing was too much to bear. I snagged him some more tissues, and he blew his nose, hard, making a harsh, honking sound.
He sniffled. “So, when can I have her back?”
I glanced over to make sure Daisy was still unaware of what we were discussing. But she was gone, probably to put Lulu in one of the dog rooms. “I’d say no more than another week. I imagine the will reading will be in the next few days. After Mr. Hobbs recuperates.”
“What happened to Mr. Hobbs?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m sure he’s fine now.”
Once Daisy returned, she came over to us. She looked from me to Mr. Rainer. “Everything okay over here?”
“Everything’s good. Mr. Rainer was just leaving, and he won’t bother you again. Right, Mr. Rainer?”
He stood and nodded dumbly. “Right.”
“So, I don’t need to call the sheriff?” Daisy asked.
“No!” We barked at the same time.
Daisy’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything as Mr. Rainer brushed past her and left the kennels. Then her gaze trained on me.
“What was that about? How did you get him to leave?”
“I just reasoned with him, that’s all.”
“The words reason and Mr. Rainer just don’t seem like they should go in the same sentence.” She snickered.
I shrugged. “He must’ve had an epiphany. Sometimes that can happen to a man.”
She looked at me like she didn’t believe a single word I said. Smart girl.
Chapter 24
When I returned to the hotel, all I could think about was grabbing a wrap from the tea shop and sitting down to eat it in relative peace and quiet, maybe outside on one of the benches in the gardens, maybe near the hedge cut to look like a swan. I hadn’t eaten since the meager banana and croissant I had for breakfast in my suite. But, Samuel, naturally, had other plans for me.
He caught me just as I was crossing the lobby with my wrap and drink in a paper bag. “I need you to go into Frontenac City to deliver some contracts to a few companies for the Flower Festival.”
“Right now?”
“No, not right now.” He frowned.
Relief surged through me for a moment.
“You can eat your lunch first, but then, yes, you need to catch the ferry over before three o’clock.”
And the relief dissipated as quickly as it came.
He handed me another thick manila envelope and a list of business addresses that I needed to visit. I took the envelope and just stared at him. He patted my shoulder—it always felt like such a condescending gesture—and marched away, back to wherever he liked to lurk to hatch new ways to torment me.
How the heck was I expected to find these places? I’d never been to Frontenac City. I didn’t know where I was going. I took out my phone and called Ginny.
“Are you busy today?”
“Yeah, I have two clients coming in to talk about events. A wedding and a doctors convention. Why?”
“Because Samuel’s asked me to go into Frontenac City to deliver some contracts. I don’t know where I’m going. I’ve never been there.”
“Ohhh, sorry. Wish I could help you out. Who else could you call? Who else knows the mainland? How about Nicole? She likes you now, since you saved her life.”
“Not su
re we are at best-friends level quite yet.”
But I did know someone who knew Frontenac City well.
I hung up with her and then called Daniel.
He answered on the third ring. “Daniel Evans.”
“Hey, it’s Andi Steele. Ah, from the Park Hotel?”
He chuckled. “You know you don’t have to explain where you’re from. You could just say, ‘Hey, it’s Andi.’ I promise I’ll know who you are.”
“Well, what if you have several Andis in your life?”
“I don’t. Only one. Only you.”
My belly did a little flip-flop at that, and my face went warm. Thank God he couldn’t see it.
“That’s, uh, good to know.”
“Are you in town?”
“I will be, and that’s why I called. I have a few businesses I need to visit for the hotel, and I have no idea where I’m going. So, I was wondering…”
“If I could be your tour guide?”
“Yes, something like that.” I chewed on my thumbnail, worried he was going to decline.
“What time will I be meeting you at the ferry?”
I smiled.
Chapter 25
I took the ferry over to the mainland, and Daniel was waiting for me by his car when I walked down the dock. With that disarming smile on his handsome face, he opened the door of his snazzy little sports car for me, and I got in.
“So, where are we off to?”
I pulled out the list of businesses I needed to visit. “Let’s see…Queen of Tarts, Full Metal Works, Frontenac Jewels and Gems, Thunderbirds Art Gallery, and Gervais Floral Boutique.”
“Well, you’re in luck. Except for Full Metal Works, they are all in the same general vicinity in the downtown area. Full Metal Works is about a fifteen-minute drive south.”
“Thank you for doing this.”
“It’s no problem. Gives me a chance to show off my town and spend time with you and visit my constituents all at once.” He started the car and pulled out of the small parking lot. “After we do our runs, I’ll take you to dinner at my favorite seafood restaurant right on the water.”
