“Oh.” Now she didn’t know what to say.
“Anyway, if you’re serious—”
Yes, she was serious. No matter what Jessie said, Tatters was coming home with her. With everything else Rick was dealing with right now, he didn’t need the emotional upheaval his dog presented. “I’ll talk to my mother tonight, and if it’s okay with you, I’ll come over and pick up Tatters in the morning.”
“Assuming your mother agrees.”
“She’ll agree,” Clara promised him, with more confidence than she felt. It was either that, or she’d find somewhere else to live.
“In that case, I’ll have Tatters’ things packed up and ready to go.” He smiled, looking boyish in his relief. “I have to admit, it would be a huge load off my mind. With all that’s going on, things are a bit uncertain. It’ll be easier to handle if I’ve only got myself to worry about.” He raised his wineglass. “Here’s to a really good friend. Thank you.”
She touched glasses with him. “You’re welcome. It’ll be fun.”
“I don’t know about that.” He took a sip of his wine. “Promise me, if he gets to be too much for you, you’ll send him back to me, okay?”
“I don’t think that will happen, but I’ll promise anyway.” She sipped her wine, her thoughts on Rick’s words. It’ll be easier to handle if I’ve only got myself to worry about. It was obvious he was worried about the outcome of the murder investigation. She could hardly blame him. Being the chief suspect had to be devastating. The Web was full of stories about people being convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. If only there was something she could do to help.
As if in answer, the Sense spoke clearly in her ear. Look for the motive.
She must have had an odd expression on her face. Rick tilted his head on one side. “Heartburn?”
“What?” She blinked at him, then shook her head. “Oh! No.” She uttered a light laugh. “I was just thinking about the murder. Once the police identify the victim, it should help take their attention off you, since you’ve never seen the guy before.”
“It should. It doesn’t mean it will. I have a feeling the mayor has already decided I’m guilty. I’m just wondering how long it will take him to convince Dan of that.”
He was echoing Roberta’s words, making Clara feel even more concerned for him. “You’re innocent,” she said softly. “Hang on to that. The truth will come out eventually.”
His smile was bleak. “I hope you’re right. So, what did you think of the farmer’s market? Is it worth a visit?”
He had deliberately changed the subject, and she was quick to respond. “It was crowded, and hot. I ended up coming home with just a bag of cherries. I guess I should have gone earlier in the morning.”
“There’s a very big farmer’s market in Mittleford.” He went on to describe it, and the conversation drifted from there to the benefits of organic produce and then to her favorite New York restaurants.
All too soon it was time to leave. As Clara led the way out to the parking lot, she rehearsed how she would tell her mother to expect an addition to the family. She could only hope that her decision to adopt Tatters wouldn’t turn into a major battle.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said as Rick paused with her at her car. “I really enjoyed it.”
She couldn’t see his face too clearly in the darkness, but he sounded a little remorseful when he answered. “Even though we spent most of it discussing my problems?”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for, aren’t they?” She opened the car door and climbed inside. “Everything’s going to turn out all right. I know it.”
He ducked his head to look at her. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. It means a lot to me. And thanks for taking on the brute. I hope he doesn’t cause you too much trouble.”
“You worry too much.” She started the engine. “We’ll be fine.”
He stood back and lifted his hand in farewell as she closed the door.
As she drove out of the parking lot, she glanced in her side mirror. He was still standing there, watching her leave as she turned the corner and drove away.
When Clara arrived home, Jessie pounced on her the moment she walked through the door. “How was your dinner? Where did you go? What did you have?”
Clara answered all her questions, waiting for the one she knew Jessie was dying to ask.
“So, who did you have dinner with tonight?” Jessie looked put out. “You never used to be so secretive. You used to tell me everything without me having to drag it out of you. I don’t know what happened to you in New York to change you so much.”
It was a complaint her mother had repeated too many times to count. As usual, Clara ignored it. “I had dinner with Rick Sanders, if you must know.”
Jessie followed her into the living room. “Rick Sanders? I thought you weren’t interested in him.”
“I’m not. Not in that way.” Clara flung herself down on the couch, resigned to the imminent confrontation. “It was more of a business meeting.”
Jessie sat down on the armchair opposite her, eyes wide with astonishment. “He offered you a job?”
Clara sighed. “No, Mother. I offered to adopt his dog.”
She paused, expecting an outburst of protest. She wasn’t disappointed.
“You what? You’re joking. You have to be. When do you have time to look after a dog? Where in the world would we put it? What kind of dog? Are you out of your mind?”
Clara waited for her mother to pause for breath before saying mildly, “Rick was going to send him to the pound. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being put down, so I sort of rescued him. His name is Tatters.” She leaned forward. “He’s adorable, Mom. You’ll love him.”
Jessie’s cheeks still burned with annoyance. “I can’t believe you promised to adopt a dog without consulting me. What in the world has gotten into you? You never used to be so impulsive and inconsiderate.”
Gritting her teeth, Clara sat up and took a deep breath. “I didn’t promise Rick anything. I said I would take Tatters if you agreed.”
“Oh.” Jessie looked somewhat mollified. “Well, I suppose we could discuss it. I need some time to think about it first.”
“I said I’d pick him up tomorrow.” Seeing her mother’s eyebrows draw together again, she quickly added, “If you agree, that is.” She leaned forward again. “You don’t really want to be responsible for having a beautiful, loving, gentle dog put down, do you?” She shut down the vision of Tatters lunging across the road in happy pursuit of Roberta Prince.
“Of course not, but—”
“Great! Then I’ll pick him up tomorrow.” She got up from the couch, hoping to put an end to the conversation.
She was halfway across the room when her mother said, “I suppose you heard the latest news about Rick Sanders?”
Clara paused at the door. “What news is that? I’ve heard so many things that aren’t true, I’m not sure I want to hear any more.”
“Well, you might want to hear this. Betsy was here a little while ago and she told me.”
Clara rolled her eyes. Betsy lived next door and was always sharing the latest gossip with Jessie. “So, what did she have to say?”
“The man who was found dead in Rick’s truck? Well, it turns out he was in Rick’s hardware store on the day he was killed. John Halloran recognized his picture on TV and called Dan.”
Clara’s stomach did a little nosedive. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Then why did Rick say he’d never seen the man before?”
Good question. Clara shut out the voices. “He was probably somewhere else when the man came in.”
“Maybe, but you have to admit, things are really piling up against Rick. Are you sure you want to be associated with him right now?”
Clara frowned. “I’m not associated with anyone. He’s my friend and I’m simply adopting his dog, that’s all. Even if I were interested in him, which I’m not, I wouldn’t be taking any notice of all the
ugly rumors flying around that have absolutely no basis and are causing the poor man unnecessary worry and misery. People should be ashamed of themselves, spreading around such vicious idle gossip.”
Jessie raised her eyebrows. “For someone who professes to have no personal interest in the man, you are making a great deal of fuss in his defense.”
Clara let out her exasperation in an explosive grunt. “I’m going to bed. Good-night.” Stomping down the hallway to her bedroom, she tried to rationalize her ill-temper. Was she angry because Rick was being victimized without due cause? Or was she, perhaps, mad at her mother for suggesting that her interest in Rick went a little deeper than mere friendship?
If it was the latter, then she was in trouble. Because the only way that would make her mad was if there were some truth to the insinuation. And that was something she didn’t want to explore.
She awoke in the middle of the night, perspiration dampening her forehead. At first she thought she’d been dreaming, but now she was wide awake, and the vision was still clear in her mind.
She saw the shadow of a man, backing away from another figure until he was stopped by the wall behind him. It was dark, but she could make out the two men, struggling for possession of something that glinted in the lights of a passing car. One of the men broke free and tried to run, but the other was on him, pounding him with the weapon in his hand until his victim fell to the ground.
She sat up, struggling to see the faces, but it was too dark and blurry to make them out. One thing she was certain of—neither man was Rick. One was too short, the other too chubby. Then the vision vanished, leaving her shivering in the cool draft of the air-conditioning.
The following morning she got up early and was ready to leave by the time her mother came down to breakfast. She was halfway out the door when Jessie called out to her, “If you bring that dog home, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
So did she, she told herself as she climbed into her car. She really hadn’t given the whole idea enough thought. It was one thing inviting a dog into her mother’s house. Quite another when that dog was the size of a small pony. She hoped Rick would have enough dog food to keep Tatters happy until she could get to the pet store, or wherever he bought the stuff. She couldn’t remember seeing a pet store in Finn’s Harbor.
By the time she’d parked her car and walked up to Parson’s Hardware, she was having second thoughts about the whole situation. What if her powers weren’t strong enough to control the dog? What if they weren’t there when she needed them as had happened so often in the past? What if Tatters totally destroyed her mother’s home?
Closing her eyes, she made an effort to dismiss her fears. Other people had control of their dogs without the benefit of the Quinn Sense. So could she. All she needed was a little time to work with Tatters.
She reached the door of the hardware store just in time to see the big dog bounding across the shop floor, his tail sweeping a row of plastic flowerpots off the shelf. They rolled across the floor toward her as Tatters flew past her out the door.
John Halloran stumbled over to her, bellowing something she couldn’t understand. She didn’t wait to find out. Spinning around, she lunged after the dog. He darted across the street ahead of her and plunked his rear end down on the doorstep of Jordan’s Stationer’s.
Unfortunately Roberta Prince was just coming out the door. She tripped over Tatters, tottered on her high heels down the step, and ended up in a heap on the sidewalk. Her howl of outrage could be heard all the way down the hill to the harbor.
Clara reached her as she was climbing to her feet, one hand brushing dust from her pale lilac pants while shaking her fist at Tatters. “You disgusting animal! You should be locked up in a kennel. You’re a menace on the street.” She advanced on the dog. “Get off my doorstep. Shoo!”
Tatters sat panting, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth almost as if he were grinning at her.
Clara leapt forward and grabbed his collar. “Are you all right? You’re not hurt?”
“No, but it’s a miracle I’m not.” Roberta glared at the dog. “Get that beast off my property. If he comes back again, I swear I’ll call the pound and have him picked up.”
“He won’t be back.” Clara patted his silky head. “I’m taking him home with me.”
Roberta stared at her. “Does Rick know that?”
“Of course he does.” Clara glanced across the street. “We arranged it last night.”
“Last night?” Roberta’s face turned a light pink. “I didn’t know you were on those kind of terms with Rick.”
Clara rolled her eyes. Why was everyone so quick to link her with Rick Sanders? “I’m not on any terms with Rick. This is a business arrangement, that’s all.”
“Oh, he’s paying you to take care of the dog.”
Her demeaning tone set Clara’s teeth on edge. Deciding to let it go, she muttered, “I have to get him back to the store.” She tugged the dog’s collar. “Come on, Tatters. Good boy.”
I’m not going back there.
Clara jerked her hand from the collar. She’d never felt comfortable on the rare occasion she’d read someone’s thoughts, and although she’d suspected for some time that dogs understood what she said, this was the first time that she’d ever read a dog’s mind. She glanced at Roberta, but the other woman was gazing down the street with her usual bored expression.
Clara scowled at Tatters. Just great. Now the dog was speaking in her head. That’s all she needed. She took hold of the collar again. “You’re going back there whether you like it or not.”
Tatters yawned, and stayed where he was.
“I suppose Rick had to do something about that beast,” Roberta said, “now that he won’t be around to take care of things himself.”
Still shaken by what had just happened, Clara stared at her. “What do you mean by that?”
Roberta shrugged. “It’s all over the news. He’s been arrested.” She started down the street calling over her shoulder, “I thought you would have known that, considering your business arrangement.”
Clara didn’t even bother to answer her. She laid her hand on the back of Tatters’ neck. “Let’s go,” she said firmly. “Now.”
Tatters shifted away from her, turned his head and licked her hand.
Clara bent down and looked him in the eye. “Listen, Buster, if you don’t come with me this instant, I will take you to the pound. Do you know what happens to dogs who are left at the pound?”
Tatters whined, got up and started across the street.
If she hadn’t been so anxious about Rick, she would have been pleased with her small victory. Rushing behind Tatters into the store, she almost collided with John, who had apparently been watching her from the doorway.
“Thank God,” he muttered as the dog fled past him. “Rick would have killed me if anything had happened to that stupid animal.”
Clara glared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me Rick had been arrested?”
“You didn’t exactly give me time. Besides, he hasn’t been arrested. He’s being held for questioning. It was all on the news. I thought you would have heard it by now.”
Clara made a mental note to change the channel on her car radio. “What happened? Why now?”
John dropped his gaze and straightened his glasses. “I recognized the photo of the murder victim. I told Dan he was here in the store the morning he was killed and that Rick had served him.” He shook his head. “How was I to know that Rick had sworn he’d never seen the guy before? Dan and Deputy Tim Rossi got here soon after Rick opened this morning and took him down to the station. Rick called me to come in, and now I’m stuck here taking care of the store until he either shuts it down or gets someone in here to help.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. I don’t have time to work all day in here.”
“No, I mean about taking him down to the station. He probably just didn’t recognize the guy, that’s all. I
don’t remember every stranger that comes into the bookstore.” Clara briefly closed her eyes as the vision she’d had that morning popped into her mind. If only I could see their faces. Maybe if I really concentrated… When she opened her eyes again, John was staring at her as if she’d said something shocking. “What?”
John shook his head. “I dunno. You had that weird look on your face, like you know something no one else does.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Maybe I do.”
“Well, if I were you, I’d be mighty careful about sharing it.” His eyes gleamed at her through his glasses. “You could end up getting into serious trouble.”
She frowned, wondering what he was insinuating. Just then Tatters barked, snatching her attention away from John. The dog sat by the counter, his tail sweeping the floor as he clenched a plastic garden frog between his teeth.
John let out a howl of protest and rushed over to him. Taking hold of the frog, he tried to drag it out of Tatters’ mouth. Tatters growled, making John let go and jump back into the shelves behind him.
Clara closed her eyes as hammers, chisels and screwdrivers crashed to the floor. Tatters whined and fled behind the counter. John swore, and began picking up the fallen tools, muttering something under his breath that mercifully Clara couldn’t hear.
“Er…do you know if Rick brought any dog supplies with him this morning?” she said, edging toward the end of the counter.
“In the back room,” John grunted. He stood up and packed some screwdrivers back on the shelf. “He said to take what you need.”
“Thanks.” Clara darted through the door that led to the back room. She saw the huge bag of dry dog food and hauled it into her arms. Spotting a paper sack on a nearby chair, she peeked inside. There were two dog bowls, a leash, a couple of packages of treats, a chewed-up tennis ball and a large rawhide bone. Everything a dog could want.
After carrying everything to the front door, she called out to John, who was still picking up and sorting the tools on the shelf. “I’m going to get my car and park it in the loading zone.”
He answered her with a wave, and she dashed out the door and down the hill. She still had an hour or so before she was due at the bookstore. Enough time to get Tatters home and settled before she had to leave him.
A Sinister Sense Page 5
