“You almost die, and the only thing you’re concerned about is that you can’t finish your book?� Jackie sighed. “Whoa, hold on. Have you seen the newspaper? The headline states that ‘Mayor Almost Dies Cracking Down on Crime.’ Was he there?�
Olivia moaned. “I almost forgot. He went and adopted a dog in an attempt to get Celeste’s attention. He wants me to walk it. He was several blocks away when the car tried to run me over, and he’s certain the car was meant for him, and I was just the innocent bystander.�
“Really? That poor dog. Someone just needs to tell her. In fact, I think you should do that during your little pet psychic segment today.�
“That’s today? I almost forgot. Maybe I can convince her that I’m in too much pain.�
“She’ll just postpone it. You might as well get it over with today.�
“Olivia?� Andrew asked huskily behind her. “How is your ankle?�
“Oh—Andrew is up,� Olivia said frantically. “I’ll need you to call Nick.�
“Me?â€� Jackie gasped. “You didn’t tell Andrew? You’re the worst …â€�
Olivia hung up before Jackie could finish that accusation. Turning around, she gave Andrew a brilliant smile. “Sorry I snagged your phone. I broke mine yesterday. I wanted to let Jackie know that I can walk the dogs today. Are you going to work?�
“Coffee,� was all he rasped as he reached for the pot. Andrew wasn’t the best morning person. It was the only time he didn’t seem completely in control.
After a few sips of the elixir of life, he leaned against the counter and studied her. “You’re limping a little.�
“It just aches. Really, I’m fine.�
“Are you ready to tell me what you, Jackie, and Janelle really did that night?� Stunned, she just stared at him. Apparently watching her limp around had knocked sleep’s haze right out of him. “I know you, Olivia. You think you know who killed Yvette, and the only reason that you didn’t tell Nick yesterday was because you, Jackie, and Janelle did something that you shouldn’t have done.�
“You’re too smart for your own good,� she grumbled.
“Nick isn’t going to arrest Jackie because he’s terrified of her, and he isn’t going to arrest Janelle because he likes her cookies too much.�
“What about me?� she complained as she spread her arms out. “Do you want Nick to arrest me?�
“It would certainly keep you safe.� His gaze intensified. “Tell me the truth.�
After pouring her own cup of coffee, she hobbled over to the rug, which would be warmer under her feet than the bare wooden floor. Explaining how she had run into Jacob and Samantha, she went into details about what she and the other two had done and what they’d found. It was almost fascinating to see all the blood drain from Andrew’s face.
“You broke into Jacob’s condo?� he repeated hoarsely.
“I had a key,� she insisted. “Why does no one get that?�
“Nick is looking into Jacob, Olivia. The other night when I didn’t come over? Nick asked me to look into Yvette’s computer.�
Annoyed, she pursed her lips. “So you can help Nick, but I can’t?�
“I looked at a computer, Olivia. You broke into a man’s home.�
“I had a key! Never mind. What did you find?�
“Jacob wasn’t at Tiki’s Tacos at the time of the murder. According to Franklin, they were together discussing a business strategy. It seemed like a pretty solid alibi, except that Jacob claimed there was nothing between him and Yvette—but there were pictures of their romantic interludes from as recent as a few weeks ago, and there were some deleted files that showed that Jacob was accusing Yvette of skirting commitment.�
“Maybe she wasn’t skirting commitment. Maybe she realized that Jacob was out for vengeance, and she was biding her time. After all, he owned the truck, and she needed his investment money. Maybe she knew all along that it wasn’t real.�
“What makes you think it wasn’t real?�
“He proposed to Samantha! She said it’s supposed to be a secret, but she’s sporting a huge rock on her finger. You don’t date one woman and then propose to another less than a week after her death. Jacob isn’t that cold.�
“Really? You’re talking about a man you suspect of spending nearly a year planning his revenge. What’s to say that he didn’t propose to Samantha to throw off suspicion that he’d had a fling with Yvette? Let me see the picture of the contract.�
“I can’t. My phone is broken, remember?�
“No worries. Everything is backed up wirelessly to your computer.� He sat his cup down and went to grab her laptop off the coffee table. A few minutes later, he’d pulled up her photos.
“Do you check that often?� she asked curiously.
“Why?� he asked with a smirk. “Are you hiding something from me?�
“Just my other boyfriends. Carlos. And Ivan.�
“A Latino and a Russian?� Andrew cocked his head. “Interesting mix.�
“Don’t worry,� she teased. “You’re my favorite. It should be the last photo that I took.�
“Here we go,� he muttered as he pulled up the blurry picture. “Sweetheart, we really need to work on your photography skills.� He read silently for a few moments, his brow furrowed, then said, “Yeah, this is not a standard contract. Andrew’s lawyers made it as complicated as possible so that even if she did read it, she probably didn’t understand it. I’ll let Nick know to get in touch with the lawyers and pull up the other contracts he has with the food trucks to see if they’re similar.�
“And when he asks how you got the information?�
“He’s not going to ask because he’s not going to want the details. After that, we’re done. No more investigating for us.�
“Fine.�
“Fine?� he repeated skeptically.
“Yes,� Olivia said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.
He closed the laptop and laid it aside. “Now, are you sure that you want to walk the dogs today?�
“I told you, I’m fine. Go to work.�
“I’m not going to work. I am going to stick fairly close to you today—just in case—plus, I’m dying to see what Celeste is going to say to Goodwin today.�
Olivia glared at him. “I swear, this whole town hates me.�
An hour later, she had Tucker, Lily, Snowball, Goodwin, and an ancient Basset Hound with Fender written in Sharpie across his yellow collar. “Douglas called this dog a Beagle,� Olivia said in an outraged voice. “He has no business having this dog.�
Andrew frowned as he stared at the slow-moving dog. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. The dog looks like he isn’t going to live long enough to see tomorrow, let alone live long enough for Douglas to do any damage to him.�
“Shh,� Olivia whispered. “He’ll hear you.�
He shook his head. “Nope. I don’t think that dog can hear anything.�
He wasn’t wrong. Fender ignored every command that Olivia tried, and she was pretty certain that he couldn’t see out of his right eye. Every time he turned his head, he yelped as though he was surprised to see the other dogs.
<
br /> To compensate for Fender’s age, they were walking so slowly that a snail could have passed them. Snowball whined in frustration and pulled at the leash, but the other dogs seemed happy enough to walk slowly and sniff everything. As they passed the empty spot that used to house Jump Start, Olivia gazed at it uneasily.
It seemed that the more she found out about Yvette, the less she realized she knew about the woman. There had been a time when she’d admired the woman. Yvette did what she wanted when she wanted. She didn’t need to put down roots. Even her job was mobile, but now that she was dead, Olivia realized Yvette had been nothing but a lonely woman who’d died without any friends. In fact, the one man who’d loved her ended up hating her.
What would happen if Olivia turned Andrew down? Would he grow to hate her? Would she end up like Yvette?
Fender stopped suddenly and started nosing around in the bushes. Olivia was so lost in her anxiety that she didn’t even realize what the Basset Hound was doing until he was halfway under the bush. “Fender!� she said sharply and tugged on the leash. Slowly, the dog wobbled out, his jaws working. “No, spit it out! Whatever is in your mouth, spit it out now! Drop it!�
When the dog didn’t move to obey any of her orders, she crouched down and pried the dog’s jaws open. Snagging the object that was in his mouth, she pulled it out, along with a long line of drool. “Disgusting,� she muttered as she held the ring up. The sunlight sparkled off the gem. “It’s an emerald!�
Andrew staggered suddenly, slapped his hand to his heart, and gave a loud, dramatic sigh. “Olivia! Of course I will marry you! I love you so much, although next time, maybe shoot for a diamond? I’m a pretty traditional guy.�
Unable to help herself, she laughed. “I’d have to get it resized. It’s much too small for you.� She wiped the slobber off and peered at it for closer inspection. “I recognize the design. I think this is one of Stanley Gems’ rings. I’ll take it to him and see if he can remember who he sold it to. I’m sure someone is missing it.�
“We’ll stop by after your meeting with Celeste. I think the whole town has been talking about this,� Andrew teased.
Groaning, Olivia pocketed the ring. It was time to face the music.
17
As it turned out, Andrew hadn’t been joking. There were so many people gathered around Celeste’s little shop that the lady herself had set up shop outside. There was a small table outside the building covered in a red tablecloth, with her signature crystal ball in the middle. Celeste herself wore a red dress with a variety of dogs printed on it and a scarf that matched.
Olivia noted that although Douglas was in the crowd, he wasn’t trying to draw attention to himself. The only time that the mayor was shy was around Celeste.
“Olivia!� Lady Celeste greeted, using her dramatically low-pitched stage voice. “I’m so glad that you could make it, and you brought me so many lovely dogs. I’m so excited to get to know these pooches better,� she said as she crouched down to let the dogs kiss her.
Andrew handed Olivia his leashes and stepped back into the crowd. To her horror, he pulled out his phone and trained it on her.
“You are not filming this!� she whispered in alarm.
“Relax, sweetheart. This could be your big break!�
Olivia sighed, but on further thought, couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite the ridiculous situation she was in, she was in a good mood. Soon Jacob would be in custody, and she could finally put Yvette’s murder behind her. She’d started to see Janelle as a sister again and felt more comfortable helping her out. Even she and Andrew were having a good time despite his impending proposal hanging over her head.
For the first time in a long time, she was starting to feel like herself again.
“Let’s start with Goodwin, shall we?� Celeste took Goodwin’s leash and led him back to the table. Goodwin was such a happy dog that he didn’t even think twice about Celeste putting her hands all over him. “Olivia, why don’t you tell our audience a few things about Goodwin?�
Olivia cleared her throat and glanced around nervously. She wasn’t great in large crowds. “Well, as many of you know, I adopted Goodwin a couple of years ago from the shelter. There isn’t much that we know about him, but the vet approximates that he’s about three years old and that he’s probably a mix between wolfhound, mastiff, and Lab. He prefers Andrew …â€�
“As do most of us!� someone from the crowd shouted. Everyone, including Olivia, laughed.
“… and he’s quite the thief when it comes to food. He’s fond of sausage pizza and scrambled eggs, and he thinks that cats are out to take over the world.â€�
“Yes,� Celeste murmured. “Now, as you probably realize, dogs don’t think like we do, but they recognize certain words. I could feel Goodwin’s displeasure when he heard his mistress mention the word cat. Ah, there it is again. I feel that there was an unpleasant experience in his past with a cat, but Goodwin has a loving soul, and I’m sure he could learn to at least tolerate another cat so long as he felt that his mistress and his master still loved and protected him. Yes, you love your Olivia and Andrew, don’t you?�
To Olivia’s surprise, Goodwin put his paw up on Celeste’s knee as though he understood her. Celeste probably had some treats hidden in her pockets. That was how he acted when he wanted treats.
“Do you have a specific question that you want me to ask him?� Celeste asked with a smile.
“I guess I’d like to know where he keeps hiding my socks. I swear he steals a pair a week.� The crowd tittered with laughter, and even Celeste laughed. She slowly massaged the dog’s head and whispered to him. After a few minutes, she lifted her head. “Does Goodwin have a crate with a gray bed inside it?�
Stunned, Olivia slowly nodded her head. Celeste smiled with satisfaction. “I believe you’ll find your socks under his bed.�
“Wow. I will definitely check,� Olivia muttered as she stepped forward and grabbed Goodwin’s leash. She was thoroughly impressed, but that didn’t mean that Celeste hadn’t asked around for personal details about Olivia and Goodwin. She was about to hand over Tucker’s leash when there was the loud sound of throat-clearing. Rolling her eyes, Olivia separated Fender’s leash instead. “Lady Celeste, this is Fender. Fender is the very brand-spanking-new member of Mayor Henderson’s family. I would suggest that you ask Fender why Mayor Henderson felt like he needed to get a dog.�
If Celeste understand what Olivia was insinuating, she ignored it. “Oh, Fender,� she gushed. “You are a gorgeous animal, and you’ve lived a full life, haven’t you?� To Olivia, she said, “I can tell that things are a bit muted and a little fuzzy for him. He’s deaf, yes? And his vision is impaired?�
“Based on the half an hour that I’ve spent with him this morning, I suspect that he’s blind in one eye and hard of hearing. He also seems to be attracted to sparkling things.�
“Yes,â€� Celeste whispered as she laid a hand over the dog’s eye. “I can see that. Fender has been very loved—and experienced a recent and devastating loss. I believe his previous owner passed away, poor fellow. But his life has been full of salty air, warm sand, hikes in the mountains, and …â€� Her voice trailed off, and then she nodded and added, “boating. I believe Fender is a well-traveled pup. What a lucky boy he is! Mayor Henderson, do you have a specific question that you’d like me to ask him?â€�
“Whatever you want to ask him is fine,� Douglas spluttered nervously.
“I have a ques
tion for him. Perhaps you could ask what commands he knows, because he doesn’t seem to understand sit, stay, lay down, or drop,� Olivia volunteered. “Maybe he speaks a different language.�
The crowd laughed softly, but Celeste was already concentrating on Fender. “Hmm, it would seem that he does understand drop, but he liked the ring because it tasted like coffee. It seems that Fender is very fond of coffee.�
Coffee? “Wait, what did you just say?� Olivia demanded.
“Okay,� Andrew said as he stepped forward. “Lady Celeste, that is an amazing demonstration, but I’m sure some of these other lovely people are eager for your assistance. We’ll bring Tucker, Lily, and Snowball back another time. I would love to discover how Snowball feels about his little costumes.� He took Fender’s leash and handed it to Douglas.
“Andrew,� she whispered urgently. “Did you hear Celeste?�
“I did, and before that overactive imagination of yours gets you in trouble, remember that before that very second, you believed Celeste was a fraud,� he reminded her as he led her away from the crowd.
“Okay, but Goodwin does have a crate with a gray bed.�
“Yes, I know, darling. I also know that you’ve posted about a million photos of Goodwin in his crate on social media.�
“Okay, but how would she know about the ring?�
“I’m sure someone saw us.�
Blowing out her breath in frustration, Olivia reached up and grabbed his arm. “Andrew, stop. Can’t we at least go to Stanley’s now and show him the ring? If it does end up belonging to Yvette, we’ll hand it over to Nick.�
He studied her for a long a moment, and Olivia was sure that he was finally about to put his foot down. Instead, he just pursed his lips and shook his head. “We’ll drop off the dogs, and then we’ll go,� he said with a sigh. “But if it turns out to be nothing, I want you to drop it. Promise?�
Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1) Page 15
