Her Undercover Refuge

by Linda O. Johnston

In any case, after his investigation of the situation, Scott felt fine having Sara be the shelter’s primary cook for the residents. He knew, with her background, she would do all she could to ensure the food was safe to avoid any further suspicions against her. Plus, Telma was frequently around to supervise the kitchen.

  Scott knew Nella was eager to obtain background stories of all staff members and figured she would find Sara’s particularly interesting when she learned about it from him or from Sara herself.

  “Let’s wash up and get our breakfasts first,” Scott told Nella, who had remained near him as they entered the eating area. “I’ll eat fast, then talk to the group.”

  “Fine.” Her head turned back and forth as she surveyed the dining room. “Nice place for a large group of people,” she said. “Looks like it can accommodate a lot more than our current staff and managers.”

  Scott nodded, pleased at her perceptiveness. “That’s the whole idea,” he said. “We’ll make room for as many people as we can, just like we can also add dogs and cats and other pets to our animal areas.” They’d reached the end of the extended table covered with long beige tablecloths—washed often, and never coated with dog fur. Food was laid out on it, and Sara and Telma were in the middle helping to scoop portions for the couple of people in line in front of Nella and him. Scott picked up a plate and took some cantaloupe and grapes from a couple of the first bowls they came to.

  “I like this place,” Nella said, putting the same fruit onto her plate and adding some cherries. She picked one of the cherries and began eating it, soon depositing the pit and stem back onto her plate.

  “Glad to hear that,” Scott said. And he liked her—that was his next thought, but he kept on going in the line, not looking back at her again, getting some scrambled eggs, a pancake and wheat toast.

  He also liked how she greeted Sara by name, even though, as far as he knew, they’d barely seen one another before. But he had introduced them, and Sara, shy as always, nevertheless managed to say, “Hi, Nella. Hope you like our food.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  Scott led Nella to one of the tables that had people sitting along the sides, but spaces at the end. She said in a low voice, “Maybe I should make plans now with Sara to talk to her.”

  “Why?” Scott asked.

  “It’s not just Sara I want to talk to, of course, and I’ll probably wait till later anyway, till sometime between meals.” After putting her plate down, Nella remained standing and approached Scott so the bottom of his right shoulder touched the top of her left one—and they could keep their conversation confidential. “You’re aware that I want to get to know each of the staff members and what brought them here. Since I understand that my job is mostly to protect them, knowing their backgrounds can only help...and it might also help to figure out who sent that text. I think, under the circumstances, this is a good time to follow up on it. My being new here will be the excuse, and maybe I’ll get a sense of whether any of them feels particularly threatened by anyone from their pasts or otherwise at the moment.”

  As always, in the short while Scott had known Nella, he liked her attitude. “Good idea,” he said. He wouldn’t mind hearing how things went and could get an update from her later.

  And he still planned to head to the police station to talk to some of his contacts.

  When Nella offered to get him some coffee from a separate table at the far end of those holding food, he accepted. “Just black is fine,” he said.

  Another reason to appreciate her.

  He was finding a lot of those. Maybe too many. But he planned to take advantage of her helpfulness in as many ways as possible to help keep this place thriving.

  And perhaps to help figure out where that threat came from. But he would be the one to deal with it.

  Whatever else happened around here, Scott intended to keep everyone safe.

  And now that also included Nella.

  * * *

  Breakfast was good. Nella enjoyed it. Nothing stood out as gourmet, but there was enough food, and enough variety, that everyone should be full and happy.

  Scott sat across from her. At the far end of the table, Alice sat near the two men, Warren and Leonard. Other people Nella hadn’t yet met were at a nearby table.

  The staff member sitting beside Nella, a chair between them, was, coincidentally, her new friend Bibi.

  Which was a good thing. Nella turned to her and said, “I loved the dog walking this morning. I’d like to do even more after breakfast. I’m not sure what the protocol is around here, but would you accompany me?”

  Bibi seemed to be inserting quite a bit of food into her mouth with each bite. Today, her Chance Animal Shelter T-shirt was gray.

  Bibi responded to her question. “Oh, we’re pretty much free to go around the whole shelter whenever we want, particularly if we’re dog walking. First thing today, though, I’m lined up to visit the cat house and give the kitties a little attention. Would you like to join me there?”

  “I’d love to,” Nella replied. She wasn’t sure whether she’d get much time to speak privately with Bibi, but she’d do her best to work something out. “I know I wasn’t near you after we reached the dog shelter area, but I did see you in the distance, walking a little terrier mix, right?”

  “Yep, that was Mocha. She’s a real sweetheart, and I’m not sure why she hasn’t been adopted yet.”

  “We’ll have to work a little harder on that,” Nella said, “though I figure most of the pups here are sweet enough that they should get adopted fast.”

  “It usually takes a while.” And for the next few minutes, Bibi informed Nella about the adoption process at this shelter, including how the available animals got publicized on the internet.

  Nella figured that had to be the only thing about the shelter to show up on the internet.

  Nella noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Scott rising. He nodded at her, then walked toward the food table but stood in front of it rather than getting anything off it and faced the crowd.

  “Hey, everyone,” he called. “Can I have your attention? Got a couple of things to talk to you about.”

  There had been an undercurrent of conversation in the air, but that sound lowered, then ended. Nella could see Scott well from where she sat, but the people on the side of the table where he was now standing all moved their chairs around so they could watch him.

  Scott soon began talking, projecting his voice. “I’ve heard from a couple of my sources that there are some new rumors flying around about the nature of our shelter, though I don’t know how public they are. I’m going to check into it and use some other resources to try to make it clear that this is an especially wonderful animal shelter that also invites homeless people to volunteer, and that’s all—although of course claiming our residents were homeless is just part of the impression we want to convey for your protection. But if you hear anything yourselves, be sure to let me know—whether it’s from a friend we allow you to access, or a media source or...well, hopefully we won’t feel threatened by any of it, but we need to know and deal with anything, if any of it’s true. Okay?”

  He began looking around the room, and Nella got the impression he met the eyes of nearly everyone he focused on.

  The last ones were Camp, in the middle of the same side where Scott had sat, and Telma, who’d moved from the serving table to Nella’s side of her table and now stood watching Scott. Sara had joined her there, too.

  Both managers just watched Scott and nodded, saying nothing. But one staff member, Warren, stood and called, “What does this mean? Are we in danger of losing our new identities? Are we in danger, period?”

  “Not if we can help it.” Nella hadn’t meant to interrupt, even in a positive way, but she recognized Warren’s fear.

  And she also was the one who’d first seen the threat that caus
ed Scott to talk to everyone—the threat he didn’t want to pass along to those being protected.

  If it had been more specific, she figured things would be different. But no one person had been mentioned.

  Just someone who’d been taken in to live here.

  Warren was a fairly short, senior man. He had a lot of gray hair, and not a lot of bulk on his body. And of course he wore one of the shelter T-shirts, a brown one.

  “But we don’t really know you,” he called out toward Nella, his hands on his hips.

  “She’s one of us.” Scott, arms crossed, glared at Warren. “Just like you became one of us in the past few weeks.”

  Then Warren wasn’t one of their longest-term staffers, Nella thought. He could be the reason for the threat, too.

  “Yes, I am one of you,” she said aloud. “But I’m new here, and though I’ve met most of you, at least to say hi, you don’t really know me. I’m a former officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, so I know how to enforce the law.” Inside, she cringed, waiting for the questions to come about why she’d left the LAPD.

  She had no intention of mentioning the task force and what had gone wrong.

  “Well, you’re in good company.” Warren’s tone was a bit gentler. “Our other three managers are with the Chance PD, or at least they used to be. So why did you leave that great, big police force to come here?”

  Nella had of course considered how to answer this, and she waved her hand toward Scott when he appeared ready to jump in again and respond. “That was part of the reason,” she said. “It was big. I learned a lot there and enjoyed it—as much as anyone can enjoy a job where you can be in danger a lot of the time. But it taught me that I really wanted to help other people in danger even more than telling citizens what to do to obey the law. One of my fellow officers heard me say that, one who knew about the Chance Animal Shelter, and he suggested I look into this. So here I am. And my continuing goal is to do everything I can to help our staff members in all ways they need help.”

  All of that was true, even if it wasn’t complete. Warren was nodding, lower lip out as if he approved what she said. Nella then glanced toward Scott. His brows were raised in what she interpreted as an expression of approval, too.

  “All right, then,” Warren said. “You seem okay.”

  “So do you.” Nella shot him a smile. “And I hope to get to know you better. Maybe we can grab some coffee here together later today or sometime soon and just talk.”

  And she hoped then she would learn the reason for Warren being here.

  Just like she wanted to know the reasons for all staff members being here.

  Plus, while they talked, she would ask some questions that she planned to sound innocent—but might tell her whether Warren was the subject of the menacing text.

  After breakfast, though, she’d already made plans to go with Bibi to the cat house, and she would definitely follow through with that.

  * * *

  Breakfast was over. Scott met quickly right outside the door with his managers, including Nella. He stood with his back to that door, watching as some staffers exited. The managers stood in front of him.

  Telma’s brown hair was longer than usual, and he wondered if she was purposely letting it grow or simply hadn’t taken the time to get it cut. Camp’s blond beard seemed more trimmed than he usually kept it.

  And Nella? She looked damned good to him, with her dark brown hair and attentive, lovely face and brown eyes.

  “Now, here’s how the rest of the morning will go,” Scott said to them. “I’m going to give Nella a more detailed rundown of what her duties here will be, then head to the Chance PD to ask some questions. Telma and Camp, you’ll follow your regular routine.”

  Scott had Nella follow him to his office, where he described that routine to Nella as part of his ongoing description of her job. “First and foremost,” he told her as she sat facing him across his desk, “you need to stay aware of who is where, and what’s going on—and if anything appears dangerous, especially now, after that text. Otherwise, the managers like Telma and Camp, and now you, mostly walk around the shelter observing staff members as they provide attention to the animal residents, including more dog walking. And talking to them. Getting a sense of their states of mind that day. Before that, though, one of you will go into the reception building and exchange the dogs housed there for others within the shelter, so our canine residents always have new things to see and learn—and so do the staff members. I’ll teach you some more as time goes on about how we help to find those pets new homes, or you may just see it in action. Also, please spend at least an hour or so every day in your office at the computer, familiarizing yourself with what’s going on in this area and if the cops are involved with anything they’ve made public.”

  “Sounds good.” Nella asked him a few questions, mostly about how to choose which staff members to work with—which he indicated usually was random—and when they should contact him if they thought they saw a problem.

  “Anytime, of course,” he told Nella, “and right away. And all I’ve described to you is flexible. For example, I know you have other plans today—talking individually to some of our staff members.” He added that to inform the other managers. He was aware that Nella had made other arrangements since she wanted to spend at least a few minutes with each of those staff members to get to know their backgrounds. He was fine with that. It was a good idea for the residents to get to know the new manager a bit by talking with her. And it didn’t hurt for them to retell their stories, not only to inform her of why they were there, but also to talk about it more with someone who would care what they said and knew they were here with new identities.

  Most important to him and the shelter, though, Nella might get some idea of whether any staff members were feeling threatened, or had been in touch with people they shouldn’t have contact with, or any other bit of knowledge that might help them figure out why that threat had come in, and which resident it referred to.

  “In the future, after you’ve talked with everyone a bit, we’ll want you to do as Telma and Camp do—which is more general, and more protective of the whole facility.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Nella said.

  “Great. Now, go to it, all of you. I’ll see you later.”

  Chapter 10

  Nella watched Scott walk quickly along the pathway, toward the front of the building. She assumed he was going to his office.

  Telma and Camp remained facing her as they still stood near the doorway from which staffers exited in groups.

  “I’ll be interested in joining you to work with the staffers the way you do,” Nella told them. Which was true. She’d caught glimpses of what they did before, but wanted to understand it in more depth, including any moves to protect them.

  “And I’ll be interested in hearing what you get our staff members to tell you—and why you’re doing it.” Camp’s light eyebrows that matched his beard rose over his hazel eyes as if he would be skeptical about whatever she said. The young man had his arms crossed over his thin chest.

  “I can tell you why right now.” Nella might not like his attitude, but they had to remain friendly coworkers. “That threat. I want to talk to the staff members to try to figure out who it was talking about. Plus, I’m interested. I know people get into terrible situations they have to flee, and I’m here because I really like the idea of a place that can help them regroup, change their lives. Remain safe. But to help them, it’s a good idea to know what happened to them before.”

  “Yeah, but we already know that.”

  “You already know that,” Nella contradicted. “And I could dig into the computer files if Scott lets me.” Although she hadn’t yet even had time to review the file that contained her job description. Even so, she had a good idea of what she was supposed to do, thanks to their discussions so far. “But I think it’s a better
idea to hear it firsthand—and also to let the people who tell me know that I give a damn and will do all I can to make sure their horrible pasts will no longer affect them.”

  And to figure out whose horrible past might already be poised to bite them again. But these two knew about the threat now. They must also know the value of figuring out who the threat was aimed at.

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Telma finally chimed in. Her arms were crossed, too, but her posture was more relaxed than Camp’s. The expression on her attractive face seemed in sympathy with Nella. “Let’s discuss them later, though, to learn if any of them adds something to their story we should know about.”

  “Exactly,” Nella agreed. “That’s what I have in mind. We managers are all working together here, right?”

  “Of course,” Telma said.

  Camp nodded. “I just wanted to make sure you understand and agree with that.” His gaze appeared to bore into her, as if he wanted to read her mind.

  “Well, now you know. And right now, I’m going to the cat house, since I’ve already asked Bibi if we can get together this morning, and that was where she said she’d be after breakfast.”

  With a smile and a wave, Nella started walking along the pathway between buildings, hearing some dog barks and again seeing a few staff members out walking dogs.

  She liked this place and how the animals were treated. She would like it even if it didn’t also exist to help people in need. But this way... Well, she was happy in many ways to be working here.

  She would be much happier, though, when she figured out that threatening message and made sure no one was harmed by whoever had sent it.

  As she walked toward the end of the path, she saw Bibi ahead of her, talking with Alice. Bibi waved, and Nella joined them.

  “How are you doing this morning, Alice?” Nella asked. “Bibi’s going to introduce me to some of the cats. Are you joining us?” She hoped not. That would prevent her from asking Bibi the questions she intended.