by Emmie Lyn
Ron ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, rose up abruptly, and walked to the picture window. Moonlight filtered through tree branches creating shadows that danced in the breeze.
“It’s not what you think,” he said.
“What am I thinking?”
“That I’m hiding evidence, I suppose. But I had nothing to do with Andy’s murder… at least not directly,” he added after a pause.
I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. The confused expressions on Tilly and Hitch’s faces must have mimicked my own.
Ron turned to us. Weariness mixed with sadness lined his face. “I’m a special agent. Andy was my partner. Together, we were working on a sensitive case. Now, everything we’ve done is undergoing a review. The knapsack was part of our work.”
I held my breath and zipped my lips to keep a million questions from falling out. Ron needed time to share his story, not interruptions.
He returned to his sofa. Jasper rested her head on his lap and Ron stroked her soft fur. The words started. “This farm and the birding group were the perfect cover for my work. Andy posed as a homeless, down-on-his luck photographer and I got him teamed up with Peter, which gave him a reason to be in Pineville. He intentionally argued with everyone hoping to force a mistake; get someone to reveal a hidden agenda.”
Hitch, who’d been listening intently, leaned forward. “Drugs?”
I know I gasped out loud.
“Drugs? In Pineville?” Tilly sputtered. “Impossible.”
Ron said nothing, which in my mind, said it all.
“Not impossible at all,” Hitch said. “Think about it. If I wanted to move quantities of drugs, Pineville is ideal. A small town, off the main thoroughfare, and most important of all, it’s nestled on Blueberry Bay with hidden spots for easy drug and money transfers. Or, I suppose they might even meet in broad daylight on the water. I see the possibility of a drug racket flourishing right under our noses.”
Tilly blinked, and her mouth opened and closed but nothing came out.
Hitch shook his head. With his background as a security guard, he knew more about the bad guys then we did.
“How did you know it was Andy’s knapsack?” Ron asked. “It has his camera with bird photos, which covered for his surveillance work. He took photos of everything and everyone to look for patterns. When I picked it up and walked to my swing after I brought the police here, sweat poured down my back. I expected Chief Bullock to question what I was doing, but I had that one lucky break this morning. I didn’t count on your eagle eyes, Sunny.”
I lifted my shoulders in a question. “It wasn’t me at all. You’ll have to thank Izzy. She pointed out the knapsack when she told me where to go in your barn to find Whisker Puff.”
Ron nodded as if that bit of information wasn’t a surprise at all. “Nothing slips by her. If I’d seen it before I got the police involved, I would have hidden it, but, well, I didn’t see it until after. You know, Andy thought Izzy was one of a kind. He never would have hurt her, but Jess didn’t understand that. Those two were this close.” He held up his intertwined fingers. “I can’t begin to imagine what she went through this morning. I’m just thankful that she hid so well or…”
I couldn’t think about that unmentionable possibility either. A lump settled in my gut. “If the killer knows that Izzy was hiding in the barn, she’s in danger. What if that’s why that person was lurking in the woods tonight? To spy on Izzy?” My voice choked as I finished that sentence.
“That’s the first thing I thought of,” Ron said. “But if I tell Jess, she’ll panic. If I don’t and something happens… I’ll never forgive myself.” Anguish filled his eyes from this unthinkable possibility.
Hitch stood up and began pacing. “There are four of us here, plus Jasper. We’ll protect her. Do you have any leads, Ron?” Hitch never paced, a sign he was as nervous as I was.
Ron sucked in a deep breath and said, “The only lead is that I’d just been informed that Andy’s identity was blown. I told him he couldn’t stay in the barn. That was our code. It meant move out immediately, he wasn’t safe. I walked the fields to see if I could see any activity on the trails, in the woods or on the water, but with only one set of eyes, whoever it was, slipped through. I expected Andy gone when I returned, not dead. And, not covered with a horse blanket. That really threw me off.”
Tilly said softly, “That’s why you said you weren’t directly responsible for his murder. You feel like it is your fault on some level,”
Ron nodded.
Anyone would feel that way.
I looked over at Hitch. Losing a partner? I couldn’t imagine it. What a terrible burden to carry. We had to do everything possible to keep his load from getting heavier.
Now it was up to us to protect Izzy and Jess. There was no other option.
22
Early Sunday morning, Hitch, Tilly, and I sat at my kitchen table. I rested my chin on my hand while my bleary eyes focused on the pot of coffee in front of me.
Hitch, all bright eyed and raring to go, had something up his sleeve. He opened a bag and waved it under my nose. “I got lucky this morning. Ruby was in her shop early making fresh donuts,” he said. I sniffed and perked up a little. “Want one, Sunshine?”
The aroma of cinnamon and sugar filled my senses. I reached for the bag, but he moved it out of my reach.
“Don’t be a tease.” I was not in the mood for any games. “You know how much I love those donut holes. Please?” I gave him what I hoped were my best puppy dog eyes.
Hitch laughed and set the bag down. “I brought you a glazed donut, Tilly, so don’t say I only ever think about Sunny.” He winked at me. I shook my head at his not so subtle reminder that I was always on his mind. I couldn’t be even a little mad at him.
“Only ninety percent of the time,” she mumbled around a mouthful of donut.
“Okay,” Hitch said. “Now that I have your attention, and the shot of sugar is bringing you both back to life, here’s the plan for today.”
With the first bite of sweetness, fireworks sparked memories from the night before—Izzy and Jess in danger and how we’d promised to protect them without spilling Ron’s secret. Nothing like being stuck in a difficult spot.
“First thing,” Hitch said, “Jess will drop Izzy off at Shakes and Cakes. Fortunately, with no dog walking clients this morning she’ll head right back to A Donut A Day and work with Ruby. That covers both of them.”
Hitch was excited and speaking quickly so I had to keep up. “Ron said he’ll stay with Izzy in the Kitty Castle. How does that sound?”
I washed the donut down with a mouthful of coffee. “Ouch!” I said as I fanned my mouth. “Big mistake.”
Hitch shook his head. “When will you learn? You do that way too often, Sunshine. Maybe I’ll start bringing you iced coffee instead. Are you on board with Izzy and Ron at the Kitty Castle?”
I nodded. “And Jasper. But who is watching Little Blue?”
“Stacy will check in on her today. But Ron made it crystal clear that he’s more concerned and focused on keeping Izzy safe. He trusts that Little Blue is secure in his state of the art bird room. He has his cameras reactivated and can monitor everything from his phone.”
“Cameras?” I asked as a spark of hope ignited. Of course, he’d have security cameras. Why hadn’t I thought of that before? I sat up straight and scooched to the edge of my chair. “Did he see anything on the cameras to help uncover who murdered Andy?”
Hitch grimaced at my question. “Unfortunately, no. Someone hacked into his system and inserted a loop that showed the normal scenery with nothing happening. When he checked his cameras after we left last night, he realized that something was wrong. He says it’s been fixed now.”
“He only noticed this problem last night?” I asked. “I mean, come on, Hitch. Plenty of people went in and out of his barn yesterday. He didn’t think it was odd that we weren’t on the security camera?”
Hitch packed up
the remaining donuts. “He had the cameras focused on his house, the bird room, and along the edge of his property to monitor anyone coming in through the woods. He checked the cameras after we left, and noticed we weren’t on the footage from his bird room. That’s what alerted him to the problem.”
“Wow. He’s dealing with some real professionals. Isn’t Ron worried about his own safety?” Tilly asked.
“He is. He’s going to take extra precautions now that he knows how close the danger is. He’ll also work overtime to monitor and locate the drug dealers, even though technically the case is in a holding pattern. But he says the drug dealers won’t stop. Now, it’s his personal mission to get Andy’s killer, and he knows time is running out.”
Tilly stood up and gathered the empty coffee cups, carrying them to the sink. “I think it’s a smart move for Ron to be away from his farm today. The bad guys will think they have a free run to do whatever they’ve got planned. As long as his cameras don’t get hacked again, Ron has a good chance to catch someone in the act. This is going to be a busy day. Let’s get a move on, you two."
Hitch dabbed his finger on the corner of my mouth. “You missed that bit of sugar, Sunshine. Ready to go?”
“Yes. Ready. I just wish I knew what was coming.” I stood up, determined to stay alert, especially concerning Izzy’s safety.
Jasper, with her big brown eyes fixed on me, filled with trust and love, let me know she was a hundred percent on board, too. No matter what. And that gave me hope. Hope that we’d figure this out and keep Izzy safe from the danger that lurked in the shadows. “Come on Jasper. You’ve got some extra work on your plate today.” We all did.
“I’ll meet you at Shakes and Cakes,” Tilly said. She walked to the kitchen door. “I’ve got a couple of things to take care of.” And she left without further explanation.
I looked at Hitch. “What was that all about?”
“It’s Tilly. What else can I say? He shrugged but his expression said I love her anyway. “You know her as well as I do. She could be planning anything. Tilly on her own is like a two-year-old with a squirt gun. She might hit her target but more than likely, the water will shoot off in the least expected direction. We’d all better watch out.”
Tilly’s heart was as good as gold, but Hitch had a point. Her unconventional ideas didn’t always hit the intended mark. “The one thing we can count on is that we’ll find out what her plan is... sometime.”
After a long pause, a deep rumble erupted from both of us at the exact same moment. We shared a deep unconditional fondness and long relationship with Tilly. That being said, it put us in a unique position to understand her quirks, always well-intentioned but many times misunderstood.
The unknown in this equation was whether Tilly’s plan turned out to be helpful or if it ended up making matters worse. It could go either way judging from her past ideas.
Hitch, Jasper, and I walked out the front door to his truck. To a day filled with uncertainty. But also, a day filled with determination because the stakes were enormous.
Jasper jumped into the back, and I slid onto the passenger seat.
Hitch closed my door just as Chief Bullock pulled in and blocked us with his cruiser.
He climbed out, shoulders slumped like an old man in pain, and limped toward Hitch.
My heart pounded a couple of extra beats.
What now?
23
Chief Bullock stood next to Hitch. He tipped his hat and nodded at me through the windshield. “Looks like it’s gonna be a nice day.”
“Maybe weather-wise,” I mumbled to myself. I rolled the window down and leaned out. “Chief? We were just leaving to get ready for business at Shakes and Cakes. You’re kind of blocking us in.” Did I sound annoyed? Sure, but I didn’t need this interruption right now.
“Yeah,” he said. He may have added, too bad, for all the concern he showed for our problems. “I’m looking for Ron. Stacy, his housekeeper, said he was meeting with you folks.” The Chief did his best to appear casual as he scanned my driveway and yard. “Is he inside?”
“Ron? Why would he be in my house when I’m out here? I haven’t seen him today. As a matter of fact, I’ve only barely dragged myself out of bed,” I said truthfully. I drummed my fingers on my thigh and hoped that the Chief got the message and moved on.
Hitch gave the Chief a friendly guy pat and moved closer to the driver’s side door. “If we see him, we’ll be sure to tell him you’re looking for him. What do you need him for, anyways?”
“Glad you asked.”
I groaned. Apparently, that was the opening he was looking for.
“Officer Walker thinks we should take another look at those security cameras of his. He thinks Ron deleted some images to protect himself. Now, I don’t know much about that security stuff, but you know a thing or two about that sort of thing, right Hitch? What do you think?”
“Well,” Hitch tilted his head and took some time to think about the question. Like there was anything to think about. “I think there’s a good chance that Officer Walker is fishing around for something to hang his hat on, if you know what I mean. The thing is, Chief, I believe Ron. And, by the way, did you know that Officer Walker was wandering around on Ron’s property last night? Something about a complaint from a neighbor?”
Hitch shook his head as if he thought there was about as much truth in that excuse as you’d find under a clump of seaweed on the beach.
The Chief worked his jaw muscles, opened his mouth, and then shut it tight.
Hitch nodded. “I’ll take your silence to mean you don’t know anything about what Officer Walker was up to last night. I wonder, and take this from someone who’s looked at a lot of security films. Is it possible that Officer Walker wants to look at the footage to double check whether he’s on there? I suspect he was trespassing and made up a lie to cover whatever he was snooping around for. But, that’s just my opinion, Chief.”
Hitch turned his back on the Chief, climbed in his truck, and slammed the door with a loud bang. Together, we watched the Chief limp back to his cruiser and drive off.
Hitch stared straight ahead. “If Officer Walker crossed a line last night, if he trespassed based on a lie, I hope he gets disciplined. I’m sick and tired of his shenanigans.”
I was too. Officer Mick Walker despised Hitch and would stop at nothing to make his life miserable. But breaking the law?
“Hitch?”
He turned toward me, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, Sunshine?”
“Are you okay?” I knew Hitch and his simmering anger mixed with a steadfast determination was a powerfully motivating combination.
He reached across the center console and with a touch so tender, he took my hand in his. “As long as you’re next to me, I’m better than okay.”
And that was exactly what I needed to hear. His eyes searched my face with an ache I’d never seen before. Or maybe I’d just never noticed. In that moment, with that look filled with passion, I finally understood that Ty Hitchner hadn’t left me for his job in New York City those few years ago. He’d followed his dream. I’d been too selfish to appreciate it. I’d never forgiven him for not putting me first. Until now. Now, I got it. Sometimes life forced you to make difficult choices and going to New York was something Hitch had to do, had to get out of his system, before we could move forward. But, he did come back. To Pineville. To me.
I squeezed his hand and smiled. A strength connected us in a new and unexpected way. On impulse, I pulled Hitch’s hand, forcing him closer to me. I leaned over and kissed his cheek.
His eyes popped open wide. “What was that for? Are you okay?”
“With you here next to me, I’m better than okay.” Actually, I was floating in the clouds.
He cleared his throat. Jasper hung her head between us and whined begging for attention. I scratched under her ear. “Too much waiting around, Jasper? Let’s get going.”
“Before we go, can I ask you a question?”
&nb
sp; “Anything.” I wiped a bead of sweat off my upper lip.
“Would you like to go out to dinner with me? Someplace fancy, quiet, and romantic?”
“I’d love that, Hitch,” I said with no hesitation.
He smiled like a little kid who’d just been handed the best gift ever. He started his truck and after at least a half-hour delay, we were finally on our way to Shakes and Cakes. Together. Besides work, we’d committed to protect Izzy. That in itself might get us right in the thick of Andy Schultz’s killer. I’d prefer to avoid that confrontation, but I wasn’t so naïve to think it wasn’t a strong and dangerous possibility.
I saw we had company when we pulled into our parking lot. Tilly’s VW bug with pink flamingoes poking out one window, Ron’s silver pickup truck, and Jess’s old Subaru took up all the shade at Shakes and Cakes. And Officer Walker’s SUV took center stage, right in the middle of the parking lot, where everyone would see it.
When I saw Mick stride toward Ron, my walking on air mood from moments earlier, sank into the muck.
What trouble was he about to start?
24
Time to head off a confrontation. I jumped out of Hitch’s truck. I clenched my fists, made a beeline toward Officer Walker, and thought fast to come up with a distraction.
“Mick?” I called. “Can I have a word, please?” I crossed my fingers, hoping he’d listen to what I had to say.
He stopped and turned around. His toothpick stilled. Since I couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, I guessed that I had a minute, at the most, of his precious time.
“Kinda busy, Sunny.”
“I can see that, but I thought you should know that Chief Bullock is looking for you.” That was a teeny tiny lie. Okay, it was a whopper, but it was my best shot to throw him off his game plan.
