She chuckled. “Nothing much, just cruising around looking for bad guys.”
“I see, do we have many of those hanging about?”
“Nah, but I did get a call that someone might be at Arty’s house. I took a ride up, but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. What have you been up to?”
My dislike of lying is right up there with picking one’s nose. But surely, this could be the exception to the rule?
“I had to meet a client. She had booked a birthday party for her daughter and wanted to discuss the arrangements.”
With an even stare, Bonnie nodded and said she’d see me around sometime. I watched her cross the parking lot and enter the store. Nervously, I slipped behind the steering wheel and left for home, concerned that she’d known I lied.
Once we arrived home, I turned Bun loose in the kitchen, then replenished his food containers, before I scouted out the barn for Lizzy and Jess. I found them busily updating a shop that would, no doubt, please customers.
“Wow, you two have been busy.”
Her attention centered on me, Jess said with a grin, “Where have you been? You’re filthy.”
I rubbed my hands on my jeans and looked down. Good thing Bonnie had been a good distance away, or she’d have asked how I’d gotten so grubby. Smears of dried mud stained the front of my pant legs, my shoes were brown rather than the shiny black they had been, and my hands were dirtier than the rest of me. I could only imagine what my backside looked like. Oh, my.
“I slipped and fell while we were out. The rain melted the snow, but left mud in some places.”
“Only you would end up looking like you’ve been mud wrestling.”
“That’s what happens when there’s soft, squishy muck.” I turned to the racks and shelves. Neatly placed merchandise, organized to the nines, was delightful. Pleased with their work, I knew when customers came in to browse, they’d be drawn to the colors and feel of the yarn. How long would this tidiness last? I didn’t dare ask.
Lizzy handed me two sheets of paper. “Here’s your new inventory list. The second page contains the supplies you might want to order. We also began to clear the space Jess will use for her examination rooms. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Show me what you’ve accomplished in there so far.”
Furniture lined the barn wall waiting to be removed. Floors swept, several bins filled with debris sat near the door, and oddments my parents had left behind were packed and stored at the far end of the building.
“We didn’t know what you wanted to do with all this stuff.” Jess glanced at Lizzy, who agreed, and then she turned to the pieces. “Jules, there’s a secondhand furniture shop in Windermere that would gladly buy all this.”
“I’ll have to clear that with my parents, it belongs to them, and I can’t sell it without asking them first. I’ll call my mother this evening. You’ve gotten a good start.”
They were encouraged by my response. The next half hour was filled with suggestions and sketches that clearly showed Jess was serious about a veterinarian business. I listened in silence, didn’t add my opinion to their excited explanations, but waited for them to stop talking.
Pensive for a moment, Jess said, “You look skeptical, Jules.”
“There’s one critical thing you’ve left out.”
“What’s that?” Lizzy asked.
“How do you expect to pay for the structural work that needs doing, the filing of applications necessary for your business, and order an inventory of supplies you’ll need?”
By this time, we had entered the shop, closing the door to keep the chilly air from creeping in. I faced the two women from one side of the counter, while they stood on the other side. No way could I afford to take on the total construction expense.
“I’ve been in touch with the bank and my parents. The bank will give me a loan if my parents will guarantee it. My father wanted to know how much this endeavor would cost. I said you and I hadn’t figured it out yet.”
“Then the next step will be to contact Fred Costanza. He’s a local builder my father had hired to make changes in the barn and the house over the past fifteen years. He’s a fair man who won’t take advantage of us. Shall I add him to my call list?”
Her smile lit up the room as she jumped up and down in glee. Jess’s excitement sent Lizzy and me into a fit of laughter. “Don’t think this won’t be a lot of work, Jess, we’ve got a long way to go yet. But this is an undertaking that I look forward to.”
The grandfather clock chimed five. Lizzy said she had to leave, Jess wanted to check the rabbits, and I needed a shower in the worst way. It was nearing six o’clock by the time we sat at the kitchen table for a light supper. Soup and sandwiches were the fare of the evening.
“Is this minestrone soup?”
I nodded. “Straight from a can. The sandwiches are an assemble-for-yourself kind of deal.”
“Works for me.”
We ate in silence for a bit. Bun sat in the doorway waiting to be filled in on the news since Jess still bristled with excitement.
“Is Jess okay?”
In answer to his query, I asked Jessica, “You’re looking forward to opening a veterinarian business, aren’t you?”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Bun’s ears twitch.
“Indeed, I am. I’ve dreamed of this for so long, it’s the only thing that’s kept me going. My classes have been difficult at times, and more than once I wanted to quit, but I refused to give up. All I need now is to finish this clinical rotation to graduate and then take my licensing exam.”
“I’m glad you’re willing to set up in the barn.” I glanced at my watch and pulled my cell phone from my pocket. I dialed Fred’s number.
“Fred Costanza.”
“Fred, this is Juliette Bridge. Are you still in the construction business?”
“I am, what can I do for you, Juliette? How are your parents?”
“They’re fine and loving life in Georgia. I’m interested in converting space in the barn into a vet clinic and wondered if you’d come out and give me an estimate on the job?”
“I can come by at ten on Saturday morning, if you’ll be there.”
“I look forward to seeing you, thanks, Fred.” I hung up, filled Jess in, and then called my mother while Jess cleared away the remnants of supper.
Mom answered on the first ring.
I waited as she fumbled with the phone while saying, “Hello, hello?”
“Were you sitting next to the phone?”
“Juliette, it’s so good to hear your voice. I was waiting for Annie to call, she’s our neighbor. Her dog got loose and hasn’t returned home yet. She’s a nervous wreck.”
“Oh, dear. I’m sure things will be fine. Dogs have a great sense of direction. Anyway, I have a favor to ask.”
Hesitant, Mom didn’t answer immediately. “What’s the favor?”
“You sound wary, but don’t be. I plan to use the storage space in the barn and would like to know if I can get rid of the odd pieces of furniture you left in there.”
“Let me think, what did I leave behind?”
I listed the furnishings and waited.
“I can’t think of any reason why you shouldn’t do what you’d like with them. We took what we wanted and discarded the rest. Go ahead, dear, do what you think is best.”
“Thanks. I hope Annie’s dog comes home. I’ll call you soon.”
“Take care, dear.”
My mother cut off anything I might add by disconnecting the call. I smiled, gave Jess the thumbs-up sign, and tucked the phone into my pocket. “We’re good to go. After we’re finished with our chores tomorrow morning, let’s take a ride into town to the furniture store you mentioned this afternoon.”
“I can hardly wait. If Fred offers a good estimate, I can get my bank loan underway.”
“The store owner might be willing to buy the furniture. If so, I’ll add the money to the construction funds. Every little bit hel
ps.”
* * *
Not long after we’d cared for the animals, we rode into Windermere and parked outside Ferguson’s Fabulous Furnishings. The wide front windows displayed items found in brand-name stores. The difference being, the merchandise had a frayed-around-the-edges appearance. We glanced at each other, and I suggested we have Lizzy come down and shape the store up for Mel. Jess giggled and nodded in agreement.
We went inside, only to find the best furnishings were farther back in the store. Sofas, chairs, and tables were nestled in groupings, inviting lookers to seat themselves and feel the comfort. A man approached with an affable, used-car-salesman grin, and greeted us.
“Good morning, ladies, how can I, Mel Ferguson, owner and manager of this fine establishment, help you today?” If he’d been wearing suspenders, I swear he’d have snapped them.
We shook hands and I explained the situation. His brows furrowed, and his bottom lip curled outward as he listened. When I finished talking, his smile returned. “What I can do for you is to examine what you want to sell, before making an honest offer for the lot. How’s that sound?” He rocked back and forth on the soft soles of his shoes.
“That would be good of you.” I gave him the address to Fur Bridge Farm and made an appointment for the following day.
We left the store and walked to the corner coffee shop. We were discussing the possibilities of getting a fair deal from good old Mel when Sheriff Carver stepped up to the table and invited himself to take a seat.
“Glad to see you girls,” he said as he peered under the table. “You left the rabbit home, huh?”
“I did.”
“I heard you might have been up at Arty’s house.”
Not one to bluster very often, I calmly asked, “Where would you ever get that idea?”
“It wasn’t mine, Bonnie thought you may have been out that way. Now why would you be poking around out there, I wonder?”
I shook my head and sighed. “Jump to conclusions much?”
“Not ever, so why don’t you explain why you were out that way?”
“First off, I was fueling my car when Bonnie stopped to get gas. I have no idea why she’d think I was at Arty’s house.”
“She might be wrong, but I’ve never known that to happen. I do hope you’re not probing Arty’s death on your own, or with the rabbit in tow. Fat chance he could help if you ran into the killer, who, by the way, happens to still be on the loose.”
“Don’t you think I know that? I’ve been busy running my farm. Fred Costanza is coming to estimate a construction job for the barn, and then there’s my shop to keep up with. How many things do you think I can handle on my own?”
“You do have staff to help you, which allows you to poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.” He shifted in the chair and said to Jess, “Keep an eye on her, will you? I can’t watch her and find a killer at the same time.”
Her eyes fixed on her coffee cup, Jess muttered, “Yes, sir, I will.”
“Good, glad we’ve had this talk.” The sheriff rose and meandered out the door.
I’d never seen him enter the room and wondered if he’d been here when we arrived. “Did you notice him when we came in?”
Jess shook her head. “Maybe he saw us and decided it was a good opportunity to have a few words. You haven’t been poking around, have you?”
Like I said before, lies aren’t my forte. I leaned forward and whispered, “I kind of went to see what Arty was about. His place is tiny, his yard neat, and yes, I almost got caught by Bonnie. If I hadn’t parked behind his house and she’d seen my car, she’d have searched for me and Bun, and arrested us on the spot for trespassing.”
Her elbows perched on the table, Jess rolled her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Don’t say anything else. I don’t want to know what you were doing besides prowling Arty’s property. Be careful, okay?”
With two fingers, I crossed my heart and then pretended to zip my lips. It was too much for her to deal with. “Yeah, right. Finish your coffee and let’s get back to the farm.”
The last vestiges of my coffee gone, I pushed back from the table. “Yes, let’s. The students should be arriving in an hour or two. I don’t know what I’ll do once they’ve graduated. They’re terrific with the rabbits and aren’t afraid of hard work, either. Molly adores Petra. She grooms her long angora fur as if she’s preparing Petra for a date.” I stopped for a second to fasten my jacket and then joined Jess at the door. “Molly and Ray had a hay fight the other day. I guess their exams went well and they were in high spirits.”
“Did you scold them?”
“Not really, I told them to clean up after themselves, which they did.”
We’d reached the car and buckled in. Jess remarked on how soft I was on the help.
“I haven’t any reason to be otherwise. The staff works as hard as I do, they’re willing to take on extra duties if necessary, and I consider myself fortunate. What kind of boss would you have me be?”
“True. You do have great helpers, who carry their weight without question. Sometimes I worry about you being too easygoing with them. They aren’t your friends, they’re your employees.”
“I realize that. Is all this because they had a hay throwing match? It was just a bit of fun, for goodness’ sake.”
“What if one of them was the culprit who broke into the barn? What then?”
I hit the brakes, pulled to the curb, and asked, “Is there something you’re not telling me? You’d better speak up, if there is. Should I be worried about my help?”
“There’s nothing to tell, I’m simply saying we never truly know the people we work with or employ as well as we think. Tell me, what do you know about your employees? Are they churchgoers, white knights in shining armor, school bullies, troublemakers, honest to the bone?”
“I know that each one is a good person, not some idiot trying to ruin my life and business. I’m even beginning to think this intruder has been using Arty and his death as a way to taunt me, rather than his performing Arty’s last wishes. Where is all this coming from, anyway?”
“I’ve been thinking of all the possibilities, including how trustful you are. I mean no criticism, honest.”
Mulling over the points she’d made, I pulled into traffic and drove away from the busy streets toward the farm.
“What if this concerns Rusty Cardiff? Maybe he’s using someone to harass you instead of him doing it. So what if he had an alibi for the last break-in? He’s covered his tracks by using someone else to do his dirty work. You can’t discount him. Since I moved in, we haven’t had one incident, what does that say?”
“Maybe you’re right. It’s possible the intruder knows it’s now two against one, or maybe we’re making silly assumptions. Any way you look at it, I must find out all I can about Arty. I’m sure that’s where the connections and answers will be found.”
I parked in my usual spot, got out of the car, and went into the barn with Jess close behind. At the door, I said, “We won’t discuss this in front of anyone, understand?”
Jessica agreed as Lizzy pranced into view, her steps light and airy. All she needed was a tutu and ballet slippers to complete the picture.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“You’re happy today. What’s up?” I asked Lizzy, who acted like she had something to share but wanted us to ask about it first.
“You’ll never guess who came by.”
“I probably won’t guess correctly, so tell me,” I said encouragingly.
“Sheriff Carver’s wife. She bought all the yarn that was on sale. Imagine? Her friend Carolyn was with her, and she bought a slew of supplies for her bunny, and then asked if we did shearing. I didn’t know, so I took her number for you.” She handed me a slip of paper.
“I guess I’d better add to the yarn order, then?”
“The best thing we did was put the old stock on sale. Mrs. Carver was funny, she kept touching the yarn, saying how soft and cuddly it was. I almo
st laughed, but knew better. Customers are interestingly odd where their hobby supplies are concerned.”
I nodded and read Carolyn’s phone number. “Does Carolyn have any other rabbits or just the one?”
“I didn’t think to ask.”
“No problem.”
Proud of her knack for merchandise display and sales ability, Lizzy showed me the changes she’d made to the stack. What yarn was left had been rearranged to fill the gaps from what had sold. Knitting needles and such were still neatly arranged on pegs by needle sizes and styles.
Her excitement brimming over, she said, “I’m sure an open house would go over well, maybe when the new merchandise arrives. I’d be happy to handle the advertising for it, if you’d like. You could give a bunny tour and have your petting thingy set up for people to interact with the lovely furry creatures, especially those angora ones you have.”
Apparent as it was that Lizzy knew less than anything about rabbits and their care, I mentioned we’d educate her on those subjects. I explained it would enable her to make better sales and suggestions to customers. Her head bobbed up and down like an apple in a water bucket the entire time I spoke.
“Great job, Lizzy. You’re a blessing to the business.” When the clock chimed the hour, I gave her a pat on the shoulder. “You’ve been here much longer than I expected. Get going, and enjoy the rest of the day.”
Hurrying out the door, she turned and waved, got into her car, and drove off.
Jess watched her leave. “Have you ever seen such enthusiasm? I hoped she’d be beneficial to the farm.”
“It’s a relief to have her. Lizzy’s talented and outgoing, I’m certain the customers will like her. I know I do.”
Leaving the shop, Jess and I began the task of freshening up the cages, adding timothy hay and food pellets for the rabbits to eat. We were half finished with the task when Ray and Molly entered the barn. Hurriedly, they hung their coats, donned overalls, and took over the remaining workload.
Molly pointed to Petra’s cage. “I’ll take care of Petra. Her fur needs grooming and shearing as well. Do you have shears? I can trim her if you’d like.”
Left Fur Dead Page 6
