From the other room, I heard, “Didn’t I mention that? We’re fine the way we are, Jules. Besides, you’d miss the rabbits.”
“I would miss the rabbits and I earn more money with the farm than I would as an investigator. On top of that, Jack would have a fit.” I chuckled over what his reaction would be, as did Jess.
“That’s for sure. Jack would more likely become outraged to think you’d poke your nose into every case he has.”
Chapter 5
The table cleared, Jess, Bun, and I went into the barn and began the late-day chores. We freshened the hutches and cages, then fed and watered all the rabbits. I checked on Petra to see how she was doing and Jess met me at the cage.
She reached in to pet the rabbit. “She’s well. Her kits should arrive soon. I rechecked the dates and found I had misjudged the time frame for her delivery. As with all births, the kits will arrive when they are ready to make their debut.”
“She seems comfortable enough.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her, though. I don’t think she’ll have difficulties, but one never knows for sure.”
We scrubbed up at the sink and turned in unison when Molly burst through the door.
Her eyes wide and her face shocked, she blurted, “Have you heard that Della Meeny is dead?”
Jess nodded. “And that Jules and Bun found her?”
“Oh my goodness, you did not. How awful for you, Jules.”
“How did you find out about Della?”
“When I called my marketing instructor to get the schedule for a paper that’s due soon, he told me.”
“Your instructor is Professor Clarke?”
With a nod, Molly said, “He’s super. He’s got such a great personality, too. Under his direction, marketing seems easy. Professor Clarke handled publicity for the hop.”
“He did mention that. I’d never have thought he was a professor.”
She snickered. “Denton looks too young to be one, don’t you agree?”
I nodded and the three of us entered the shop. Neat as a pin, the spinning and weaving sections for the upcoming class were prepared and ready for the students. Twice a month, Molly offered a free class for ongoing students to work on projects they wanted to finish. Since they paid dearly for their classes, Molly insisted on giving them a freebie.
The one provision for attendance was they only use the time to complete a project, or for extra help. That had been a smart move on her part. The word had spread and we now had a waiting list for future class openings. At this rate, we would need to reorganize the room to create additional space.
“As always, you’re ready for class. Looks great, Molly.”
Jessica added, “You might consider changing things around a bit to accommodate more students.”
Molly gave the room a long look and turned to me. “You’d have to approve the idea and order equipment. I was worried about asking, since you’ve already spent a lot on the shop lately.”
She had such a hopeful expression, I said, “This end of the business is very self-sufficient. Early on, we were in the red, but your predecessor got things underway and since you’ve taken over, it has paid off. My only worry is that your studies will fall by the wayside as you become more involved here.”
“My focus is somewhat split, but still, my classes fit in with the creativity here. I’ve got it covered; you needn’t be concerned. My mother has offered to give me a hand now and then if I become overwhelmed.”
“I’ll think it over. If you come up with a better floor plan than what we now have, then it might be doable. I don’t want this to become too much for you, Molly.”
While Molly nodded, Jessica said, “Jules is right. Your education comes first and this job does offer you the opportunity to practice what you’re learning. I think it’s splendid.” She patted Molly on the shoulder. “As Jules said, the expansion idea needs some thought.”
Not to be excluded from sharing an opinion, Bun nudged my ankle. “She’s a smart one, that Molly. Give her what she wants. She can do it. I feel it in my lucky foot. Besides, you’ll make more money and might not have to do so many children’s parties. They are very exhausting for us rabbits, you know.”
I stared down at him, then scooped him off the floor. “I’m walking to the lake. Does anyone want to come along?”
Both women shook their heads and Jess said, “Take Bun, he’ll enjoy the fresh air.”
His nostrils quivered as did his whiskers. “As if I didn’t already have enough of that today.”
“I have my phone with me, should I be needed. See you two later.”
Taking our usual route, Bun and I headed for Lake Plantain. We’d reached the gated lane and swerved toward the beach. Waves gently lapped the shore, and while it was getting late in the day, the sand was still warm when we sat down.
“Do you know how we’re going to solve Della’s murder?”
“A good place to start would be to engage those who worked as volunteers. Jack is questioning those at the eggcellent station. Our group is supposed to show up tomorrow, which will be a great chance to get a feel for who had a serious enough grudge against Della to kill her.”
“We might have a tough time sorting out who would be that dangerous. Della wasn’t liked by many and didn’t even like herself. You know, Jules, you have to be happy with yourself to be happy with anyone else. Just look at us: We like ourselves, don’t we?”
“We do.” Bun’s outlook often made me smile, but he made sense.
“Sheriff Carver will need our assistance more than ever. He’s come to rely on our expertise in getting close to those who might be villains. People don’t talk to cops like they talk to us. We’re trustworthy and they know it. Cops, on the other hand. . . well, they have to live by the law.”
I looked at Bun. “We live by the law.”
His whiskers jittered and his lips pulled back a bit, showing his front teeth. As a kind of smile, it was odd, but then, I couldn’t imagine how else a rabbit would smile.
“On one side or the other, I’d say.”
Considering we illegally entered homes and sneaked around a lot, I could see what Bun meant. I rose from the beach, brushed sand off my pants, and said it was time to go. Unlike other instances when we’d been here, this one was quite pleasant, with our solitude unbroken.
On the way home, a police cruiser approached. Undoubtedly, I had been too confident over the solitude thing. We watched the car roll to a stop. Sheriff Carver summoned us to get in.
I heaved a sigh, took Bun in my arms, and got into the passenger seat. “Were you looking for us?”
“I stopped by the farm and was told you were here. Nice place for contemplation.”
“It was.” I wasn’t snarky, but Carver thought I was.
“You know, Juliette, I do have a murder on my hands and you are key to solving it. You could be less rude.”
“Geesh, I wasn’t rude. I just meant it was nice to be here alone and have a chance to think.”
“Let’s move on, then.” Jack parked the cruiser in front of the barn.
“Yes, let’s.” I led the way indoors.
His campaign hat on the table, Jack said, “Tomorrow, I want you to speak with as many of the volunteers at your station as you can. Use your rabbit to start a conversation and whatever it is that encourages people to tell you their secrets and whatnot. People talk to you, they like the rabbit, and you get more information than I ever could.”
“Sure, I can do that. I’m surprised you won’t have undercover people hanging about listening to all that’s said.”
He glanced away and then cleared his throat.
I gasped. “You will, won’t you? It would have been nice if you’d said so. Would anyone on the stash team be one of your people?”
“Unfortunately, not. If I’d thought for one second there would be a murder, I would have had half my officers volunteer for everything and anything.”
His chagrin apparent, I understood how frustrat
ing it could be. I also knew Jack was capable of sleuthing with the best of us, including Bun. While he didn’t have superpowers, like Bun’s, Jack read people better than anyone I knew.
“I’ll do my best to gather information for you if you promise to keep me posted on what you find out, too. I don’t like walking around not knowing who the players are, okay?”
“Fair enough.” Jack put his hat on and walked out the door.
I wandered out to the shop, peeked into the room, and noticed a few students had stayed longer than expected. Each hard at work, they used as much of Molly’s knowledge as they could glean from her. Patient as ever, Molly guided each of them in turn. She glanced up, smiled at me, and turned back to answer the question Meredith had posed.
The evening sky darkened. I’d missed dinner and hadn’t seen Jessica leave. Bun and I went into the barn. I closed the door behind us and took stock of the rabbits. I double-checked Petra, who was calmly settled in her hutch.
Walkabout Willy had begun to gnaw on his hutch. Rabbits do like to gnaw, but with Willy, it was a way to escape. He enjoyed going off on his own, even though he returned. I made a mental note to take care of the hutch portion he had a taste for. It just wouldn’t do for him to get loose and wander off if the barn door was open.
The rabbits had all they needed for the night, though I would make the rounds once again before going to bed. Bun and I set off for the house and some dinner.
I heated a bowl of leftover soup and made a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it. Bun had alfalfa bits of hay mixed with fruit and veggies bundled up in greens. The pocket of food wasn’t large, but enough to hold Bun over until the morning. He munched, as did I until the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Juliette. I have a question.”
I recognized Denton Clarke’s voice. “How can I help?”
“My niece Tilly will be turning four next month. I’m sure she would enjoy having you and your rabbits, along with the puppeteer, at her party. I’ve already spoken to my sister and she approves of the idea. What does your schedule look like?”
He gave me the date and I checked my calendar to see if it would work. “I can do that date, but I’ll have to contact Bailey to make sure she can. I’ll get back to you when I know. How’s that?”
“Perfect. I know Tilly will be excited over having you all there.”
“Thanks for considering us.”
He gave me his cell phone number and said, “Call me back.”
When the call ended, I dialed Bailey’s number. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Bailey. It’s Jules. I just heard from Denton Clarke, one of the volunteers from today. He’s asked if we could entertain at his niece’s birthday party next month.” I gave her the date and then explained who Denton was.
“That sounds great. I’ve got that day available, too. How old is the child?”
“She’s going to be four.”
“Okay, that gives me something to work with for the age level of the program. Thanks for the call. I’m delighted to be asked.”
“Me, too. I’ll call Denton and let him know we’re all set. Thanks, Bailey.”
After she hung up I called Denton.
He answered right away. “You’re both available, aren’t you?”
“We are. If you give me your sister’s information, I can contact her for details.”
I jotted down Belinda’s information and thanked Denton before hanging up.
“Was that an invitation to do another party?”
“It was. Once I speak with Belinda, I should have a better idea of what to expect.”
“I suppose I can put up with more kids yelling and screaming while they run around unattended. I get a lot of information by listening to the women gossip and that can come in handy, don’t you think?”
“With your excellent hearing and my being busy with the kids and rabbits, it’s a perfect setup.” I leaned down and rubbed his ears. “You are invaluable to me.”
He gave a tiny sigh. “I know. We’re lucky I’m so adept at sleuthing.”
My conversation with Belinda went well. We outlined plans and she invited me to visit her home prior to the date for a look at the yard where Bailey and I would set up.
I’d just hung up when Bailey called. Sharing the information from Belinda, a squeal of excitement crossed the line.
“This might be the start of a great partnership. Very exciting, at least for me. How far away is Belinda’s home from your farm?” Bailey asked.
“She’s on the north side of Windermere, about five miles from here. You can ride with me if you want. We’ll figure out a day to go look at the yard.”
“That’s fine. I wanted to offer my help for tomorrow’s hop. Alvin called and said he changed the time of my show to the afternoon. I can give you a hand in the morning if you need it.”
“Wonderful, I can use all the help I can get now that Della won’t be around. While I’m not in charge, I know what needs doing and hopefully, everyone will take part. They didn’t seem too organized this afternoon. They were shocked by Della’s disappearance, I guess.”
“I’m sure they were. I heard Della’s dead. Too bad. I’m sure the police will get to the bottom of that.”
“I believe an investigation is underway to determine what happened to her. Sheriff Carver isn’t saying much as yet.” Unwilling to discuss what Jack had said or done up to now, I changed the subject. “What time will you be available tomorrow?”
“I’ll be at the station bright and early. See you then.”
I put the phone in the charger and went to the shop. Students were on their way out the door when I stepped into the room. Only Meredith Carver remained. I listened as she spoke with Molly and smiled when she turned to me before leaving.
“You certainly had a busy day today, Jules. I imagine you were shocked to find Della dead and all.” With a visible shiver, she continued. “I suppose you’ll help Jack with his investigation?”
“He’s asked me to keep my ears open for mention of what he might use to move the case forward.” Unwilling to say more, since I knew Jack rarely spoke to his wife about work matters, I figured she’d gleaned that much from him before he refused to discuss it further.
She nodded. “Yes, it’s a real shame that Della is gone. She was quite knowledgeable about everything that went on in the council. While she wasn’t a sweet person, she knew how to organize.”
Molly agreed. “She certainly did.”
Meredith walked to the door. With her hand on the doorknob, she said, “I’m sure the council will be lost without her. If you have any questions about her background, let me know. Jack is deaf to my tidbits of information. He thinks they’re only gossip, but they are facts.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I know I can always count on you to point me in the right direction, Meredith.”
She left with a smile on her face, certain that I would call on her should I need some pearls of wisdom that only she could give me where Della was concerned.
Molly gave me a grin and said, “That was pretty smooth.”
“I know, huh? Meredith has been helpful before and she might be again this time around. How did things go tonight?”
“It seemed to go well. The students got what they needed and have promised to spread the word of future classes to their friends. By the way, I’ll be at the hop tomorrow. If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.”
“I will, thanks. Now go home, I’ll clear things up in here. You’ve had a long day.”
“If you insist.”
I pointed to the door. Molly laughed, then grabbed her jacket and handbag and skedaddled.
“You sure know how to get people to help. They’re practically falling over themselves to be part of our investigation. Jessica is the only one who hasn’t offered, but then, I suppose someone has to remain behind while we hunt for a killer.”
“Exactly. It isn’t as though Jess doesn’t want to help. She has
a different outlook on our sleuthing. Why don’t you turn in for the night? I’ll organize this room and be in later.”
“I’d rather stay here. Somebody might try to come in to harm you. You know how valuable I can be when you’re in trouble.”
Indeed, I did. Bun had come to my rescue a few times in the past. With what energy I had left, I straightened the room and then gave the rabbits a last look to make sure all was well as the grandfather clock struck ten.
Chapter 6
Breakfast for the rabbits served, I had all the chores finished early and then I headed for the shower. After blow-drying my hair and getting dressed, I dabbed a touch of lipstick to my lips. With a swish of mascara to my eyelashes, I was ready to leave. Bun waited at the bedroom door.
“Are you finally ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. Let’s go.” In the kitchen, I grabbed a slice of toast from the toaster when it popped. I slathered it with butter before opening the door for Bun to go out first.
Jessica waited by my car. Surprised to see her, I said, “What are you doing here today?”
“I decided you could use some help since Della won’t be at the hop.”
“Great, get in, I want to be early. The programs end around three o’clock. The rabbits will be fine until we get back, I’m sure. Besides, Jason offered to pop in for a while to check on them.”
We arrived at the park by eight-thirty. With the event organized from the start, attendants guided drivers to parking spaces. Volunteers had a separate section. I put the window down and got directions on where to go.
“They are organized.”
“The whole event should run like clockwork—if no one else gets murdered, that is.”
Jess frowned and then asked, “Will you be on the path or at the station?”
“I’m not sure yet. I might be on the path to make sure no one has any problems. Some of us were assigned to various parts of the park.”
“It sure looks like a lot has been done to make the day a success. I’d be happy to work the path if you want to stay on the grounds. That way, you’ll know everything will run smoothly.”
Hop 'Til You Drop Page 5
