by Ruby Loren
“Well… I hope so anyway,” Auryn said, smiling at me now.
I was just thinking that my boyfriend seemed to have had the weight I’d noticed sitting on his shoulders these past few weeks lifted off him, when he dropped down to the ground.
A second later, I realised he was actually on one knee.
“Madi… I know we haven’t been together for long, but I’ve loved you ever since I’ve known you. I know you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.” He opened the small velvet ring box he held in his hand to reveal a sparkling ring. Once I’d blinked the sunshine from my eyes, I realised that the gems were mounted in the shape of a paw print.
Something about that made me smile and then laugh.
“What do you think?” Auryn asked, looking worried for the first time.
“You know I still want to be a consultant and help as many animals as I can, and that it means sometimes going away?”
“I do,” Auryn said, nodding. “Just as long as you always come back.”
“I will,” I promised him and then bit my lip. “And you know about…” I hesitated. “It could complicate things. I’m not sure.”
Auryn nodded again. “You’ve already trusted me with everything you can. I will always love you. Is there anything else?” he asked, cheekily.
I pretended to think. “Yes, actually… and you’re definitely not just marrying me because now that I’m a super famous author you want me to stay at the zoo and sell more tickets?”
Auryn grinned. “I swear the thought has never crossed my mind.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” I said with an answering smile.
He raised his eyebrows at me.
“Yes, I will marry you,” I told him, feeling my heart fill to the bursting with what felt like pure, bright light. Lucky wound his way around my legs and I kissed Auryn, wondering if this wonderful beautiful moment made up for all of the terrible things I’d seen over the past several months.
I thought it probably did.
A loud cheer went up when we kissed and the zoo’s entire staff flooded out of the shop, where they’d presumably been hiding.
I pretended to frown at Auryn. “Hey, what if I’d said no?”
“I was hoping that you wouldn’t,” he told me with another smile.
Tiff reached me first. “Congratulations!” she said, wrapping me in a big hug. “We closed the zoo on the premise of a deep-clean going on, so that no one would tell the press.”
“I’m not that famous,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Tiff raised her eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure you are. You don’t get out much, do you?”
“Hey!” I said, but she did have a point.
“Everyone here was told if they let on what was happening today, I would find them and fire them.” She cheerfully smiled at me, like that was perfectly reasonable.
I was about to comment that she’d done a better job of keeping it a secret than some organisations I could think of, before I remembered that she wasn’t supposed to know about that… and I still wasn’t sure if, or when, Auryn was going to be able to pass on what he knew.
“Is Darius here?” I asked.
Tiff shook her head. “I know you wanted to meet him, but he’s actually job hunting. Something really weird happened. He said your publishing company disappeared today. He went into work this morning and found the whole place empty and abandoned, and no one answering the phones. Pretty weird, huh? He hasn’t messaged me for a few hours since.” She raised her eyebrows and gave me a look that said she knew something was up and that I knew more than I was saying.
I thought things over for a second. If what Darius was saying was true, then he wasn’t involved with the crooks. Otherwise, MI5 would have swooped in and nabbed him. I suspected he was being questioned right now - probably by 'the police’ - to find out all he knew. If they let him go, then I would have to assume that Darius was either innocent, or being watched to see what he did next. I didn’t take anything on face value anymore.
“Talk to Auryn soon,” I told her with a meaningful look in return. I’d realised that the only reason Tiff hadn’t been filled in was because I’d worried she might let slip to Darius that the game was afoot. Now everything had failed anyway, I didn’t see the harm in Auryn telling her about past events. Clearly, the money laundering crew had known the truth all along.
She nodded and the smile returned to her face. “You’re going to be Mrs Avery! Just remember, you promised I can be your bridesmaid.”
“I only said that when I thought I was never ever going to be married. You’ll take all the attention away from me!” I joked. Tiff dug me in the ribs.
All around us, new friends and old alike congratulated the much-loved zoo owner and me on our engagement. Even Auryn’s fan club - although visibly put out - didn’t actually try to beat me up, or anything.
When the congratulations had dissolved and the shop staff had started wheeling out food and drink for the apparently pre-planned engagement party, I managed a moment alone with Auryn.
“You will tell Tiff, won’t you? I think it’s time she knew,” I said.
“Of course,” he reassured me. “Then we’ll always be able to help you, no matter what.”
I smiled back at him. “I’m the luckiest secret agent in the world,” I joked.
He snorted and I pretended to be furious that he didn’t think I was cut out to be a spy. To be honest, I would be thrilled if I were deemed unimportant, now my role had been played. I was definitely okay with my signing of the Official Secrets Act being the last of my dealings with the British Secret Intelligence Service. I hoped we both faded from each other’s memories.
“Is everything okay with the publishing?” Auryn asked. I realised Tiff must have told him about Darius.
“I’ll tell you about it later, but I think so,” I said, knowing it was best not to talk about even vague details out in the open.
“Auryn! You said you have an announcement to make,” Tiff called, raising a glass of fizz for him and tapping the plastic whilst shouting ‘DING DING DING!’.
I shot her a quizzical look, but she shrugged at me. Apparently, the content of the announcement was still a mystery to her.
Auryn walked out in front of the staff and cleared his throat. “First of all, I want to thank everyone for bringing Avery Zoo back from hard times and into the best times we’ve ever seen.” He started clapping and everyone joined in. Once it had faded, he carried on. “Some of you know about the plans to potentially extend the zoo out over the back fields. I’m afraid these plans won’t be going ahead.” There was a sigh of disappointment and I felt my own heart drop. What had caused him to change his mind about that? Especially without mentioning any concerns he had to me?
“The reason for the cancellation of this project is because of a new development. Yesterday, I received a phone call from the group of investors responsible for the building of Mellon Zoo…” There were boos when he mentioned the name of the animal park everyone at Avery knew was going to be their rival. Auryn made soothing movements with his hands. A few things clicked into place in my head. Did he mean…? “In this phone call, I discovered that the investors have decided not to continue to fund the zoo. Due to this decision, a quick sale is needed to ensure that the animals continue to receive the best care possible. Because of the short notice and the lack of suitable candidates to take over, I was offered the first option to buy the zoo at a very reasonable price. Fortunately… it was one I was able to afford.” He waited for the news to sink in.
“You’ve bought Mellon Zoo?” someone shouted out.
Auryn grinned. “Yes, I have. Avery Zoo will now consist of the original smaller animal zoo here, and a larger animal zoo, with a special focus on low environmental impact, at the other currently nameless zoo. So, in essence, we are going to be expanding… but by adding an entirely new premises.”
A cheer went up and applause rippled through the stunned audience. In one fell swoop, Ave
ry Zoo had lost its number one rival and managed to expand - just as Auryn had wanted.
As soon as he was free of further congratulating members of staff, my new fiancé came over to me. “It’s funny that on the same day Tiff tells me your entire publishing company seems to have disappeared into thin air, a brand new, soon to be opened zoo comes on the market at a jaw-droppingly low price.” Auryn raised an eyebrow at me.
“I’m glad they offered it to you and didn’t just ship the animals off to any old place,” I said, wondering who had made the decision. Someone in the service had actually made a thoughtful choice, rather than a convenient one.
“It’s lucky that old Lawrence’s windfall has just come through. The zoo was cheap, not free.”
“Do you think it will work having two zoos?” I asked.
“I think that together, we can make anything work. We can do a deal - visit both zoos and get one admittance half price, or something. And think of all the different events we can hold, now that we have two zoos.”
“We?” I said with a small smile.
Auryn raised a hand to his forehead. “I can’t believe I didn’t say! I bought the zoo for you. You’re the one who made it into what it is, so I figured you're the one who should have to account for your actions.” He winked at me. “It’s all in your name. I thought it would be a good engagement present.”
“Is this just your way of trying to persuade me to stay around here?” I asked with a grin.
“No! I wouldn’t expect you to give up your consulting. I know you want to make a difference.” Auryn looked genuinely distressed.
I rested a hand on his shoulder and then moved it up to his face. “I can’t even find the words to thank you. I… I’m a little scared by it, if I’m honest. A whole zoo to run! It needs some changes before it opens. We’ll have to push the opening date back and think of a new name. The old one…” I shivered knowing the memories it would bring. “There are definitely changes that need to be made,” I repeated, my mouth setting in a line when I thought about the now-obsolete ghost tour.
“I’ll be there to help you. Just as you were there for me.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “Thanks! Just so long as my zoo is more successful than yours,” I said with a twinkle in my eyes.
“Hey! We’re supposed to be working together.”
“Sure… but what’s life without a little friendly competition?” I was still laughing when he kissed me again.
My head felt like a spinning top when I returned home the next morning with Lucky and found my house exactly as it was when I’d left in such a hurry. The publishing rights were on my kitchen table and the emails from publishers were in my inbox. I had so much to do and a zoo had just been thrown into the mix. It was a crazy, crazy life… but it wasn’t one I would change for the world.
I was still smiling and looking at the brand new ring on my finger when my phone rang. An unknown number flashed up on the screen. I toyed with not answering it, in case someone from the press had found my number and this was just the beginning of being hounded, but some sixth sense told me to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Hi Madi,” a voice I’d never expected to hear again said.
“Jordan?!” I said, like a complete idiot. I opened my mouth to say ‘Don’t you know they're probably still listening to this?’ but realised that would probably be seen as aiding a criminal organisation.
Even though I liked them better.
“I just wanted to check you were all right. You never know with them.”
I swallowed nervously. It sounded like he knew a lot more than I did about the people I’d inadvertently been working for.
“Good luck with the comic. I’ll see you soon,” he said and hung up.
Something about the way he’d said ‘I’ll see you soon’ bothered me. It hadn’t been a threat, or anything like that, but I didn’t think it had simply been an alternative to saying ‘goodbye’.
He’d sounded like he was smiling when he’d said it.
As if he really was going to see me soon.
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Books in the Series
Penguins and Mortal Peril
The Silence of the Snakes
Murder is a Monkey’s Game
Lions and the Living Dead
The Peacock’s Poison
A Memory for Murder
Whales and a Watery Grave
Chameleons and a Corpse
Foxes and Fatal Attraction
Monday’s Murderer
Prequel: Parrots and Payback
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Ruby Loren
Also by Ruby Loren
HOLLY WINTER MYSTERIES
Snowed in with Death
A Fatal Frost
Murder Beneath the Mistletoe
Winter’s Last Victim
EMILY HAVERSSON OLD HOUSE MYSTERIES
The Lavender of Larch Hall
The Leaves of Llewellyn Keep
The Snow of Severly Castle
The Frost of Friston Manor
The Heart of Heathley House
HAYLEY ARGENT HORSE MYSTERIES
The Swallow’s Storm
The Starling’s Summer
The Falcon’s Frost
The Waxwing’s Winter
JANUARY CHEVALIER SUPERNATURAL MYSTERIES
Death’s Dark Horse
Death’s Hexed Hobnobs
Death’s Endless Enchanter
Death’s Ethereal Enemy
Death’s Last Laugh
Prequel: Death’s Reckless Reaper
BLOOMING SERIES
Blooming
Abscission
Frost-Bitten
Blossoming
Flowering
Fruition
