Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1)
Page 13
Olivia snorted. “I doubt Patrick even knows how to gamble, and their idea of debauchery is a six-pack and a Bruce Willis movie.�
“That just means that Patrick is going to feel guilty when I have to clean up after him. Date night next week is going to be extra special,� Janelle said with a wink.
“Janelle!� Jackie exclaimed as she raised her glass. “This is so long overdue. Seriously, when was the last time we all hung out together, and don’t say the town meeting. That cannot possibly count.�
“I think it was your birthday,� Olivia said with a cock of her head. “Janelle is an old married woman now. She doesn’t have time for us single women anymore.�
Jackie’s face fell. “So when you get married, you’re going to leave me too?�
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not getting married,� Olivia baited Janelle. As predicted, her older sister whirled around.
“What? But Andrew …â€� Her voice trailed off when she realized that she had given herself away.
“Andrew what?�
Janelle studied the floor and shrugged. “He’s probably going to propose eventually. You two have been together for a year. It’s the next step.�
Were those her words or his?
“Ladies, why don’t we eat, and instead of focusing on your endless problems with amazing men, we can talk about how I’m still single,� Jackie interrupted as she pulled down the plates. “And how we’re going to fix that, because my nights are filled with fictional men.�
Olivia helped her friend serve the chicken pasta. “I could always hook you up with Andrew’s friend, Brett. He’s yummy, and girl, you are right up his alley.�
“Jackie wants someone serious, not a one-night stand,� Janelle said with a roll of her eyes. “And you shouldn’t be describing other men as yummy.�
They sat at the table, and Olivia picked up her fork, took a bite, and closed her eyes in bliss. “Hey, I call it as I see it. Besides, maybe Jackie is just the kind of woman that Brett needs. Someone who doesn’t melt at his flowery words and deep-gazing eyes.� She sighed, and Jackie and Janelle stared at her. She grabbed at the wine bottle and upended it over her glass, but only a few drops came out.
“I’m sorry, are you trying to set him up with you or me?� Jackie joked.
Olivia was in the middle of opening another wine bottle as she replied. “I wouldn’t trade Andrew for the likes of Brett for anything in the world,� she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate beauty.� She filled her glass and topped off the others’ glasses for good measure as the conversation continued.
“When you’re married, you can’t say things like that,� Janelle sniffed.
Both Jackie and Olivia groaned. “Janelle, you’re married, you’re not dead. When was the last time that you had some fun?�
Stabbing at her pasta, Janelle scowled. “What are you talking about? I love my life. My job is fun. My husband is fun. My life is fun.�
“Those are the words of someone who doesn’t have fun,� Olivia observed.
“I have to agree,� Jackie said as she lifted her glass. “We should do something after dinner.�
“After dinner?� Janelle blinked at them as if she had no idea people did stuff after it got dark.
Olivia and Jackie exchanged an amused look.
“We could take Goodwin for a walk by the river,� Jackie suggested tentatively, looking from one to the other.
“I said something fun, Janelle. Not something that I do three times a day,� Olivia said dryly. “Jackie, is this the Velveeta that I bought? It’s got green things in it.�
“That would be spinach. It’s good for you.�
“Eh.� Olivia frowned and poked at it. “I don’t know.�
“You eat like you’re eight. It’s good. Eat the spinach, and we’ll let you have cookies later.�
“We could go see a movie,� Janelle suggested.
Jackie’s eyes lit up. “Yes. I haven’t seen a movie in forever! Chick flick? Romantic comedy? Horror flick? Oh, let’s watch a horror flick.�
“Not a horror film,� Janelle begged. “I’ll have nightmares for weeks.�
“Is this spinach even fresh?� Olivia muttered as she pushed it to the side.
“Why are you obsessing about the spinach?�
As her gaze darted around the table, Olivia set her fork down and smiled. Janelle was nice and relaxed, and Jackie was up for anything. It was time for some multi-tasking. Bond with her sister and get the proof that she needed to show Nick. “I know what we can do tonight.�
Her admission was met with silence. The other women stared at her, but it was Janelle who spoke first. “Well? Are you going to tell us?�
“I think it would be better if it was a surprise. Trust me, it’s something that neither of you ladies have done before. It’s time that we shook things up a bit.�
“There’s nothing in Lexingburg that we haven’t done,� Jackie pointed out.
Olivia smiled. “Do you trust me?�
“No,� Janelle and Jackie said simultaneously.
“I’m hurt,� Olivia said with a fake pout. “You’re going to be sorry that you said that. I will expect an apology before this evening is over.� She gave her friend and sister her brightest smile. “More wine?�
Two hours later, Janelle stared at the building before them. “I thought you didn’t want to take Goodwin out for a walk.�
“We’re not exactly taking him for a walk,� Olivia said vaguely.
Jackie crossed her arms. “This is Jacob’s condo, and he’s not here. What exactly are you planning?�
“Wait, how do you know that Jacob isn’t here?� Janelle asked.
“Because we ran into him earlier today, and he told us that he was planning a night out in the city with Samantha. Olivia thinks he killed Yvette.�
Janelle gasped. “Olivia! We can’t be here! What were you thinking?�
“I was thinking that I can’t go to Nick without proof. Jacob isn’t going to be here tonight, and we just said that we needed to do something different. This is different.�
“By breaking and entering!�
Jackie smirked. “I thought we were going to do something different.�
“Wait, you’ve broken into someone’s house before?� Olivia asked with a frown. “When? Why? And more importantly, how was I not involved?�
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that if you do this, you’re breaking your promise to Andrew not to get involved.�
A couple strolled by them, and the three women immediately shut their mouths. At least they could agree that discussing illegal activity in front of Jacob’s neighbors wasn’t a good idea. Olivia held Goodwin tightly against her leg. When the coast was clear, she relaxed.
“What’s worse? Me breaking my promise to Andrew or having a killer walk the streets of Lexingburg? Besides, it’s not breaking and entering because I have a key. And Andrew will forgive me. He doesn’t seem to give a damn what I do these days.� She said the last part almost under her breath.
“How do you have a key? Jacob doesn’t have a dog.�
“No, but when he and Yvette were together, they adopted a Beagle together. Yvette took the
dog when they split up. I think she gave it to her sister. Anyway, Jacob gave me a key because I was supposed to watch the dog when they went on their honeymoon. I bet you he hasn’t changed the locks.�
“That was months ago! You never gave him his key back?�
Olivia shrugged. “Honestly, I couldn’t figure out the best way to bring the subject up without pouring salt over the wound, and he never asked for it back.�
“Let’s say that Jacob did kill Yvette,� Janelle whispered. “What do you think is going to happen when we walks in on us?�
“He’s not. Believe me, Samantha is going to keep him out for half the night. You two wanted some excitement. It doesn’t get more exciting than this, except for maybe when Jackie was indulging in her own illegal activity. Now, we can go home like three pathetic wimps, or we can take a few minutes and see if Jacob killed Yvette.�
“I am not a wimp,� Janelle hissed as she spun on her heel and started marching to the condos.
“Andrew is going to kill you, and then he’s going to kill us because we didn’t talk you out of it,� Jackie muttered.
Olivia felt a wave of pain. “I don’t think that Andrew is going to care,� she muttered.
They took the elevator up to the third floor where Jacob lived. Jackie and Olivia lounged against one side while Janelle tapped her toe nervously and studied the man sharing the elevator with them. Her bravado when she’d entered the building was rapidly deteriorating as the seconds passed. When she turned back to Olivia, there was nothing but panic in her eyes. Olivia opened her mouth to distract her sister, but it was too late. Janelle was already talking. “We’re just going to see our friend,� Janelle said in a high pitch. “These are such nice condos. I don’t think I’ve ever been in them before. Do you like living here? Our friend is named Sandy. Do you know Sandy? I bet you and Sandy would really get along well. She’s a nurse. Nurse Sandy.�
“For the love of … Janelle,â€� Olivia hissed. Her sister had a tendency to babble when she was nervous, and she was the worst liar. The more she talked, the crazier she seemed. “Maybe you shouldn’t have had that last glass of wine.â€�
Janelle’s cheeks reddened and she waved her hand to cool herself off. “Yes. I’m drunk. Please don’t listen to anything that I say. Did I mention that we were visiting a friend?�
The stranger gave them a once-over and smiled. “Your friend is lucky.� The elevator doors opened, and he stepped out.
“Did he just hit on me? I don’t think that he realized I was married,� Janelle said with an air of outrage.
“You are so bad at this,� Jackie said, shaking her head. “It’s all coming back to me now. Every time we got in trouble as kids, it was because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.�
“I was supposed to be looking out for you,� Janelle reminded her. “Someone has to keep you two in check.�
The elevator dinged and the door opened again. Janelle peered nervously around the corner, and Olivia rolled her eyes. “You’re not being obvious at all. Come on.�
There were four condos per floor. Jacob’s was on the left, facing the courtyard. Olivia felt a thrill of satisfaction when the key slid into the hole and turned. “Bingo,� she whispered. She opened the door cautiously and turned on the light.
Yvette and Jacob had one thing in common. Jacob’s place was spotless. The two-bedroom condo was sparsely decorated. A large television screen hung on the wall, along with pictures from Jacob’s high school days. He’d been the star on their football team, and it was obvious that Jacob still relished his golden years. “Did you kill Yvette because she was standing between you and Samantha? Or did you kill her because her business plan didn’t fit with yours?�
“What are we looking for?� Jackie whispered.
“See if you can’t find the paperwork explaining Yvette’s business plan,� Olivia muttered as she glanced out the window. “Or anything that would put Jacob at the scene of the crime.�
“Jacob owns the food truck. Even if we find something from the truck here, it doesn’t prove that Jacob killed Yvette,� Jackie pointed out.
Olivia shut the curtain and walked into the second bedroom. Jacob had converted it into an office. She shuffled through the papers on the desk and frowned. There was nothing personal in the room, nor was there any evidence of a woman’s touch. “Hey, Jackie. Check the bathroom. See if Samantha might be living here, too.�
“Does that matter?�
“Call it curiosity,� Olivia murmured. Rumors ran rampant in small-town communities, but Kristy had seemed like she’d believed what she was saying. Yvette might not have been the best person, but she wouldn’t have done anything with Jacob if she’d known he was with Samantha.
Would she?
“Nothing. No lipstick. No bobby pins. Not even a picture of her,� Jackie called back. “That’s really strange.�
Olivia found the file folder labeled Jump Start Coffee. According to the contents, Yvette and Jacob had planned to expand to three trucks. They were going to celebrate the expansion with a food truck festival in Lowell. Pulling out her phone, she looked up the festival. It wasn’t until next month, but Yvette’s trucks were still slated to attend. “That’s a huge expansion,� Olivia whispered to herself. Yvette was all about making money, but she really wasn’t into putting in the work. What if she hadn’t been on board?
“I think I found something,� Janelle said hesitantly. “It’s Jacob’s tablet. If he has a calendar on his phone, won’t it sync to the tablet?�
“Good thinking,� Olivia said excitedly as she put the folder back and shut the drawer. “You’re good at this, Janelle.�
Olivia opened the magnetic flap and smirked when she saw the tablet wasn’t password-protected. Opening the calendar app, she scrolled through his appointments. “Wow, Jacob has been a busy boy. Tiki’s Tacos and Submarine, those are the other two food trucks that Franklin had, right? He’s had a lot of appointments with them. If he’s being this aggressive with Jump Start, he might be planning on expanding these as well.�
“Makes sense,� Janelle said with a shrug. “Franklin doesn’t always have great things to say about Jacob. He’s probably trying to prove that he’s as business savvy as his father.�
“T.T. It looks like he was meeting with Tiki’s Tacos the morning that Yvette was killed.� Olivia’s shoulders slumped. “That’s a pretty solid alibi. It might be why Nick’s not investigating him.�
“I’d say that someone should double-check that alibi,� Jackie said as she emerged from the bedroom. “Look what I found in his underwear drawer.�
“What were you doing in his underwear drawer?� Janelle gasped.
“Looking for clues.� Jackie waggled her eyebrows. “He’s a boxers kind of guy, if you’re interested.�
Olivia closed the tablet and handed it back to Janelle. “Okay, you seriously need a boyfriend. What did you find?�
“It’s a copy of Jacob’s contract with Yvette. He said that he invested in her business, but according to this, if she didn’t pay him back within six months, he could take control of her business. There isn’t any way that she could have paid him back in time. There’s no way that Yvette read this before she signed it. No one would have agreed to this.�
“And he’s obviously trying to hide it,� Olivia m
urmured as she glanced over it. “If Yvette discovered this, she would have freaked out.�
“It could have been a crime of passion, but what are the chances that Jacob’s act of vengeance was long-term? She left him at the altar, so he took the only thing that she cared about. All that talk of expanding her business was just a lure to con her into signing it over to him,� Olivia murmured.
“But he has an alibi,� Jackie pointed out.
“He has an appointment. That’s hardly concrete.� Olivia pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the contract.
“How are you going to explain to Nick how you got this?� Jackie asked with a frown.
“Anonymous tip,� Olivia said with a smile. “He never has to know that it was me.�
“You’re not going to tell Andrew, are you?� Janelle accused.
“You tell Patrick where you were tonight, and I’ll tell Andrew,� Olivia said with a sly smile.
Janelle sighed in displeasure. “You so owe me for this.�
Olivia smiled. “Maybe I’ll buy you some new pipes.�
15
Rose fingered the key in her hands and stared at the box. All the documents, all the files—nothing but a wild goose chase. Was it possible that the necklace had been here the whole time? The gold-painted design was faded. She ran her fingers over it and smiled. It was the same design as the one doodled on the letter her grandmother had written to her grandfather, leading the reader to believe that she’d gotten a safety deposit box.
Clever old woman. She’d known that the neighbors were sniffing around.
Turning the box over, Rose ran her fingers over the edge until she found the groove. Sliding the small wood panel aside, she inserted the key into the hidden lock.
The top popped open, and the soft melody of a lullaby filled the air. Slowly lifting the top, she held her breath, seeing the navy blue leather pouch revealed inside. As she pulled it out, her mind flashed back to the only memory she’d ever had of the necklace. Her grandmother and her father had been arguing over it. Her father wanted it sold to pay for something that he wanted, but her grandmother had insisted that it was Rose’s legacy.