All Bark and No White Knight (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 4)

by Stella St. Claire

  “Only if she plays nice first!” Olivia called back, but her mind was on other things. What if the reason that Nick hadn’t found Paul yet was because the flower shop owner wasn’t living it up in some hotel?

  What if he was camping—right here in Lexingburg?

  Olivia was too busy to confirm her suspicions until the next afternoon. Goodwin was still limping a little, so she left him behind when she went to check on Trisha at the flower shop, but she was interrupted before she could make it there.

  “Olivia!”

  Turning, Olivia discovered Delilah hurrying down the street after her. The dress shop owner had Duchess tucked under one arm and a shopping bag on the other. “Delilah.”

  The pretty woman was slightly out of breath when she stopped. “So Derek came by the other day to see if I’d heard anything about your office being vandalized? I thought that it was supposed to be Jackie’s store! I had this whole conversation planned around the bookstore. How could you get that wrong?”

  “I didn’t get it wrong,” Olivia explained with a frown. “When I talked to you, Jackie’s shop had been vandalized. Afterward, someone broke into my place. What do you mean, you had a whole conversation planned around the bookstore? I’ve never even seen you in there!”

  Delilah waved her hands. “That doesn’t matter. I was going to talk about the horror of Jackie being vandalized. I wasn’t prepared to share those sentiments about you.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Clearly, Olivia was going to have to rethink this new friendship.

  “Not that it matters. I’m quick on my feet. Anyway, after a stunning display by yours truly, complete with lots of openings, Derek didn’t ask me out. I don’t understand what went wrong.”

  “Delilah, it was meant to be an opening. A conversation-starter. You didn’t expect him to ask you out while he was on the job, did you?”

  Delilah rolled her eyes. “He wasn’t really on the job. He was asking questions about you. Anyway, I need you to come toss my office so I have an excuse to see him again.”

  “I’m not going to . . .” Olivia blinked. “Wait—you think that I’m the vandal?”

  “Aren’t you? I thought you planned this whole thing so that Derek and I would get together. As a thank you for the dress.”

  “No. Free hours for Duchess was a thank you. And you haven’t dropped your dog off even once at daycare.”

  Delilah cocked her head. “I’m concerned that you aren’t managing the dogs well. When you’ve hired a proper staff, we’ll discuss things.” She frowned. “Are you telling me that you aren’t the vandal?”

  For Pete’s sake, did Delilah really think that the world revolved around her? “I’m not the vandal.”

  Her eyes widening, the dress shop owner gasped and squeezed the small poodle more tightly, making the dog squeak in protest. “You mean that there’s a real vandal going around? Oh, I do not feel safe. I must call Derek immediately. I need protection!”

  That was probably not the best way to get Derek’s attention, but before Olivia could tell her that, the woman scurried off down the street.

  “I swear there’s crazy in the water,” she grumbled to herself.

  17

  The flower shop was open, the door was unlocked, but there wasn’t a single flower on display. Olivia walked in slowly and marveled at the weird scene. Delicate petals and leaves littered the floor and shelves, but the vases were empty.

  Trisha was sprawled out on the desk with a glassy look in her eye. She held the phone up to her ear and spoke in a flat voice. “Yes, I realize that you placed an order online. That’s why I’m calling you. I can’t fill that order.” An angry voice shouted at the other end, loud enough for Olivia to hear from several steps away, but the unfortunate woman didn’t even wince. “I don’t even have flowers. I’ve already called another florist, and they’ll be happy to make up your order. I’ve refunded the money on your card. Here’s their number.”

  After rattling off the rival florist’s phone number, Trish hung up and stared at Olivia. “Welp, that’s it. I’m out of a job. No flowers. No reason for me to keep coming in.”

  “Trisha, you’re doing a great job. And you’ll definitely need to come in to answer the phone and field internet orders.” Olivia smiled sympathetically. The poor girl looked as if she’d been put through the wringer. “So no word on Paul yet?”

  “No. The police have been here every day. I keep telling them that if Paul is involved, he’s certainly not going to come here if there’s always a sheriff’s car parked out front.” She pushed herself up and winced when the shop’s printer came to life behind her. “Another internet order. You wouldn’t happen to know how to shut down the internet, would you?”

  “The whole internet? I’m afraid not,” Olivia chuckled. “Do you know the password for logging in to the website?”

  “No,” Trisha moaned. “That was probably supposed to be on the last day of training.”

  “When your boss comes back, you should ask him for a bonus,” Olivia advised. “So listen, I actually came to ask some questions. Do you know if Paul has a dog?”

  “Uh, yeah. Some kind of huge brown dog. Paul sometimes brought him into work. Kind of lazy. Very slobbery.”

  Olivia’s pulse sped up. “A Great Dane?”

  Trisha frowned and nodded. “Yeah. I think so. Why?”

  “Would you say that Paul’s the outdoorsy type?”

  “Maybe?” Trisha shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know much about him personally. Why?”

  “I don’t think Paul shut his phone off. I think that maybe he ran out of battery. I think he’s still here in town, hiding out in the woods behind the farm where Hannah was going to build her bed and breakfast.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  Leaning on the counter, Olivia filled her in on what Dr. Roberts had said. “If I can find him, we can convince him to give up whoever he’s hiding from and come back to work. You won’t lose your job, and I can prove that Andrew is innocent, once and for all.”

  “Your boyfriend? He’s still a suspect? I thought the records that I gave the sheriff exonerated him.”

  “Sort of? I’m mostly worried that the killer is following him. Actually, I’m a little worried that the killer is following me, too.” Just to be sure, Olivia glanced behind her.

  “What?” Trisha gasped as she straightened. “Why would you come here? I don’t want to be murdered!”

  “No, Trisha. I don’t think you’re in any danger.”

  “How do you know that? You convinced me to talk to the cops. How do I know the killer isn’t watching me and waiting for Paul to return! And you keep coming in here! He’s going to think that we’re in on it together!”

  Her voice was rising in hysterics, and Olivia quickly stepped around the counter and hugged the woman tightly. “Okay, deep breaths. No panic attacks. You’ve been stressed, but it’s all going to be okay.”

  Trisha sagged against her, and Olivia inwardly sighed.

  Yup. Crazy in the water.

  Once she’d calmed Trisha down, Olivia contemplated what to do next. Nick had more manpower, so it made sense to give him a call, but he probably wasn’t going to react well when he discovered that she was looking into the investigation. On the other hand, chances were good that she’d never find Paul if she went looking for him herself.

  The sun was already dipping low as she walked backed to the brownstone. She was about to call Nick when she felt the presence of someone walking close behind her. Whirling around, she gasped when Larry nearly ran into her.

  “Olivia,” he said coldly.

  “Larry.” They were on the sidewalk in the middle of a busy street block, so there was no reason for her to be scared, but that didn’t stop her from stepping away to put more distance between them. “In a hurry to get somewhere?” she asked lightly.

  He ignored her question. “My mother told me that you stopped by. That you were planning on a romantic getaway for you and your . . . boyfriend.�
�� He smirked as if he knew the kinds of problems that she and Andrew were having.

  “Yes. I did.”

  “But you haven’t called back to make reservations.” Cocking his head, he stared at her. “I wonder why that is.”

  Olivia narrowed her eyes. “Are you harassing me because I haven’t made a reservation at your bed and breakfast?”

  “Did you go to my bed and breakfast to harass my mother?”

  “Is that what she said?” She snorted and shook her head. “Seriously? Your mother isn’t exactly the most welcoming person in the world.”

  Suddenly, the intensity deflated, and the man looked almost dejected. “I know. I really wanted to apologize. If you and Andrew want to stay with us, your first night is free, even if you only stay one night. I know my mom can be a bit intense, but I promise that she’s a wonderful cook, and you won’t regret it.”

  Wait, what? “Oh. That’s really nice of you. Thanks.”

  “Since my mother retired, she’s been itching for a job, so I’ve been letting her man the front desk, but she’s terrible at it. She keeps scaring the guests away—but what can I do? She’s my mother!”

  “Families working in the same business can be rough,” Olivia agreed. “I know I’d never want to work in my sister’s bakery!” She smiled and infused enthusiasm into the next words. “I will definitely let Andrew know about your kind offer. Thanks.”

  “No problem. Thank you for letting me make it up to you. I hope to see you soon.”

  Perplexed, Olivia watched as Larry strolled away. Was he trying to throw her off her game? Make her think that he wasn’t the killer by being nice?

  Was he innocent?

  “Suddenly turning nice doesn’t make him innocent,” she reminded herself. In fact, if anything, the encounter had only strengthened her convictions. Maybe this was his way of letting her know that he was aware of what she was trying to do.

  Dialing Nick, she made sure that she kept a safe distance between her and Larry as she made it back to Main Street.

  “Olivia,” Nick growled. “This had better be dog-related.”

  “Yes,” Olivia said slowly. “Dog-related. Did you know that Paul has a Great Dane?”

  “Damn it, Olivia.”

  “Just hear me out, okay? Dr. Roberts was treating Goodwin the other day and mentioned the owner of a Great Dane getting his dog up-to-date on his rabies shot.”

  “Dog owners do that. It’s the law.”

  “Yeah, but the dog wasn’t due for his rabies shot. Not yet. And there was that rabid raccoon reported out behind Hannah’s property.”

  There was a moment of silence, and Olivia could practically see the older man in her mind’s eye, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Is that all you have?”

  “Come on, Nick. Paul isn’t some mastermind criminal. There has to be a reason that you can’t find him. Maybe he’s camping out in the woods.”

  “Olivia, how many Great Danes do you suppose are in this town?”

  Off the top of her head, Olivia could think of five, but she kept her mouth shut.

  Nick’s voice crackled over the line. “And how many of those have responsible, law-abiding owners who would get them up-to-date on their shots?”

  “But he was early!”

  “And just like you pointed out, there was a report of a rabid raccoon. I’ll bet if you speak to Dr. Roberts again, she’ll tell you that plenty of dogs have been in to get their shots.”

  “Okay, but this dog-owner—”

  “Olivia,” Nick snapped. “You have got to stop looking for trouble—because trouble always finds you! Andrew is not a suspect. You don’t have to worry about me arresting him.”

  “Fine.” Olivia pressed her lips in a tight line and hung up before Nick could say goodbye. She wasn’t sure if it was because Nick thought she was wrong or if it was because she didn’t really have anyone else to talk to about this, but Olivia knew that she wasn’t going to drop it. If she had to go out there by herself, she was going to find Paul.

  And she was going to solve this case.

  18

  Not wanting to head out to the woods on her own without telling someone, Olivia stopped by Shelfie before they closed, only to find Jackie wasn’t working. There was still a small group of stragglers in the bakery, and Olivia wasn’t surprised to see Rafe among them.

  She greeted him with a tired smile. “Hey. Any luck with the eggs?”

  He nodded eagerly. “I’ve got a couple of diners on board. Fresh eggs really are amazing.”

  “Yeah, that’s what my mom said. She actually wants to know if they’re going to be available for individual sale.”

  “Yes! Of course! I want to cater to the whole town. Families and businesses. Local grown and local sold.”

  “She’ll be happy to hear that. So your chickens are actually on the land, right? You’ve been checking up on them?”

  “Checking up on my chickens?” There was a confused look on his face. “Yeah, I mean, they lay eggs every day. Plus, I’ve got to check the coops. Wouldn’t want any coyotes getting in.”

  Olivia shuddered. “Coyotes? There are coyotes in the woods?”

  “Used to be.” Rafe smiled sadly. “I used to tease Hannah when we were young and tell her that the coyotes were going to eat her. She’d get so scared whenever she heard them howl.” He scratched his head, thoughtful. “Wow, I haven’t thought about that in ages.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Olivia reached out and touched his arm. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

  “Not painful. Good memories. Ah, there’s your sister now. Excuse me. I’m gonna grab her while I can. She’s very elusive.”

  “Tell me about it,” Olivia muttered as Rafe walked away.

  Janelle looked almost resigned as she listened to what Rafe had to say, and she kept darting her eyes back at Olivia.

  Finally, Rafe left, his body language saying he was feeling dejected, and Janelle cautiously approached her. “Still mad at me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Olivia, you have to trust me.”

  “I do, but sometimes you do things because you think they’re best for me without discussing it with me first. I’m just afraid that this is one of those times. I’m confused, Janelle, and it would be nice if I had your support. Instead, I feel like you and Andrew are ganging up on me.”

  To her surprise, Janelle reached over and gave her a hug. “Just be patient, little sister. I promise that everything is going to be fine.”

  “Yeah, that’s what everyone keeps saying.”

  “That’s because it’s true. Want a muffin?”

  “Yes.” Olivia crossed her arms. “But that does not mean I’ve forgiven you. It just means that I’m hungry. I’m getting ready to go check out the farm, and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  “Rafe’s farm? Why?”

  “I think Paul’s hiding out there, and he’s the key to finding Hannah’s killer. I tried to tell Nick, but he won’t even consider it.”

  Janelle’s eyes widened. “You’re going alone? Take Andrew, at least.”

  “Yeah, because he’s so reliable. I’m going to take Goodwin, and I’m not going to be there long. The sun is going to be setting soon, and I don’t really want to be out there after dark. I’m just gonna take a quick look around. His car is gone, so if he’s there, then so’s his car. If I find it, I can convince Nick to do a search.”

  Her sister chewed on her bottom lip for a minute. “Okay. Grab Goodwin, and I’ll pack some muffins for you.”

  Relieved that her sister wasn’t going to try to stop her, Olivia collected Goodwin, but when she came back downstairs, she realized that Janelle had shed her chef’s coat.

  “Goodwin!” her big sister cooed. “What happened? Why does he have a bandage?”

  “He broke a nail,” Olivia murmured as she narrowed her eyes and studied her sister. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m coming with you,” Janelle announced.
/>   “No. Absolutely not. Your husband would kill me.”

  “Take your pick. You either let me go with you, or I call Andrew and let him know what you’re up to.”

  Clenching her teeth, Olivia tried to stare her sister down, but Janelle looked completely calm. “Fine,” she finally conceded. “On the way there, you can tell me what Andrew is hiding from me.”

  She snagged the box of muffins and headed to the Jeep. Janelle followed merrily behind. “You’re welcome to ask all the questions that you want, but my lips are sealed.”

  “I know all your secrets. I am considering blackmail.”

  Janelle laughed. “And who are you planning on telling? Patrick? Believe me, he knows all my secrets, too.”

  “Really?” Olivia opened the door for Goodwin and climbed in behind him. He immediately pressed his nose against the window and started drooling on the door. “See?” she told the dog. “This is why I can’t have nice things.” To Janelle, she said, “Does Patrick know about the time that you cried for days because you thought your stuffed animals were going to come to life at night?”

  “No, but I am not embarrassed by that story. You, however, should be. You were supposed to be an annoying little sister, not a mean one. I can’t believe some of the stories that you told me!”

  “Me!” Olivia snorted as she started the car. “What about you? You made me think that there were escaped convicts living in our backyard. I was four! I was supposed to be scared of the boogeyman, not serial killers!”

  They argued all the way to the ranch, and it was almost therapeutic. Olivia forgot how many times she and her sister had fought, but they always made up again.

  Maybe Janelle was right. Maybe she just needed to be patient with Andrew, and everything would turn out fine.

  The sun was low in the sky when they reached the turnoff. Despite her urgency—she didn’t want to be caught out here when darkness fell—Olivia drove slowly, guiding the Wrangler around the worst of the potholes. She didn’t want to shake Goodwin up too much. The small dirt road leading to the farm was empty. Olivia’d had high hopes that Paul’s truck would be parked on the side somewhere in plain view, but it appeared that things weren’t going to be easy.