“Oh, good, you’re through,” Janelle said. “Neal thought you might be. Will you join us for a drink?” She nodded toward the resort bar, which was located off the other side of the lobby.
I was curious about this invite, but first glanced toward Reed. He, in turn, had looked at me, and we both smiled at one another.
“Sure,” I said, and he nodded.
But what about the other two? Were they also invited? Apparently so, since Janelle and Neal now leveled their gazes at the veterinarians.
“Sure,” Jon said at the same time Oliver said, “Why not?”
Why not indeed? If Neal and Janelle just wanted an update on what I’d learned in my informal and unprofessional investigation, they could have just asked me when we were alone. So what did they want tonight?
Reed and I stayed back and brought up the rear of the small group as we followed Janelle toward the bar. As crowded as the restaurant had been, the bar practically made it seem unoccupied. The many tables, mostly small squares of wood veneer with chairs on all sides, all had patrons sitting around them, drinks either in hand or on the tables. The stools facing the bar also had a lot of customers filling them. The TV over the counter was on and tuned to a soccer game, though I wasn’t sure where the game was being held.
Despite the crowd, the fact that Neal was Neal and also an employee of the resort resulted in a table for six being made available nearly immediately. It was near the rear door of the room, which opened onto a patio from which a stairway led down to the lake. And that meant we got a great view of the lake, although at this hour what we saw were reflections of lights from the resort below and the homes on the lake’s far side, as well as a few boats on the water here and there.
We sat down, and soon a server I didn’t know approached our table—a woman who didn’t seem a whole lot older than the legal drinking age. But she was efficient and took our orders. Those of us who’d just eaten all asked for repeats of what we’d been drinking before. Neal and Janelle both requested glasses of wine.
Then there we were, in a bar whose noise was hyped even more by the cheers for the game being played. I still didn’t know whether the teams were US or foreign, but apparently at least some of the bar patrons were enjoying the competition.
I glanced up at the game to check the team names and score, but instead saw, at the far side of the room, two people at another table whom I knew. Billi was sitting across from Shea. They were looking at each other, so I doubted they’d seen us come in.
Interesting. Of course, Shea volunteered at Mountaintop Rescue. Was that what they were talking about? Or did Billi have legal troubles, either at the shelter or at Robust Retreat, or as a city councilwoman?
Or … were they interested in one another?
Or all of the above? I didn’t know about Shea’s personal life at all, but I was aware that as interested as Billi had been in Jack Loroco, Jack hadn’t been around much over the past few months, ever since he and Billi were cleared as murder suspects. Maybe their mutual interest had lessened and Billi was receptive to seeing someone local—a lawyer, no less.
Well, I was hardly going to maneuver through the crowd to interrupt their discussion merely to satisfy my curiosity. But I made a mental note to ask Billi sometime soon, on one of my many visits to Mountaintop Rescue.
I remembered that I hadn’t mentioned Shea during our earlier conversation. He remained on my suspect list for Raela’s murder, but I still couldn’t think of any motive for him, even though he’d apparently given Raela some legal advice. Besides, she was killed by a very veterinary weapon. Not that I was eliminating the non-veterinary world from my consideration, but still …
I purposely hadn’t mentioned Arvie either, although he had access to that kind of weapon. But no way could he have done it, even if he theoretically had a motive.
Our drinks were served and I wasted no time taking a substantial slug of my beer, only then drawing my gaze back to those at my table.
I’d half-heard the conversations going on—about Neal’s job at the resort and which of the vets were working at the Knobcone Clinic, and an inconclusive discussion about the newly opened clinic.
Nothing specifically—yet—had been said about Raela’s murder. But I suspected that was what was on Neal’s mind, and possibly Janelle’s, too, given her experience as a murder suspect.
Finally, Neal caught my gaze, and I soon learned the reason behind this little get-together.
“Hey, all of you,” he said loudly enough to be heard above the noise, “who’s going to tell me who killed that lady vet? You all knew her, right? I’ve heard about her murder from lots of sources, including gossip here at the resort and in the local media, and I want some answers.” He leaned over the table and began looking from one of the vets to the next, finally stopping his gaze on me. “I won’t ask you, since I know that if you’d figured it out, you’d have gotten the person arrested already.”
I couldn’t help laughing, even as I saw the expressions on the other men’s faces. This wasn’t too different from what we’d discussed over dinner, but it came from someone who was a stranger to them—and who’d mentioned the media.
The media. Not too long ago, I’d met with some of the local news sources about a murder case. I hadn’t watched much TV or read any papers since Raela’s murder, but I did wonder what Silas Perring, the main news anchor at KnobTV, whom I’d last thought about while publicizing the pet adoption event at the Barkery, had reported this time. Any potential suspects mentioned? I’d have to check.
Same went regarding Francine Metz at the Knobcone News. Had anything interesting been in that paper yet? It was another potential source for me, even if it was just for speculation and gossip despite the paper purporting to be a responsible journalism organization.
In any event, I wanted to know why my bro was so interested. He’d had some interest in the other recent murders, but he hadn’t seemed quite as curious as this.
Perhaps he was just helping Janelle—or someone else? Did one of them have a suspicion about someone else and want to help that person out?
Okay, this was all just speculation. I’d have to ask him. But how should I handle this discussion—for the second time—tonight?
As it turned out, Neal made that decision for me by admitting why he’d gathered us to discuss the subject. He lifted his glass in a toast and said, “Here’s to getting this latest murder figured out damned fast so I don’t have to worry about my sister.”
Really? As we all toasted and took sips from our respective drinks, I watched Neal—as he watched Reed. Stared him straight in the face, as if trying to read what was in his mind.
And then I got it. Neal actually was worried about me, more than he’d been when I’d snooped into the earlier murders.
This time, the killer might be close to me. Perhaps too close.
If it was Reed.
I believed now that Reed was at the top of Neal’s suspect list and that he wanted a good reason to move him down, or to learn something that would otherwise make him feel sure I wasn’t in any danger—especially if I continued to insert my nose where it didn’t belong and try, once more, to solve a murder.
Maybe Neal hoped to get a sense that Reed’s former coworkers had more of a motive than he did? Or just get some kind of vibe from Reed that whoever it might be, it wasn’t him? A vibe Neal could believe.
Oh, how I’d like to feel that, too.
Of course, Neal hadn’t been that worried when his own main squeeze Janelle was high on a suspect list. But then, he could just have backed away.
He probably figured I wasn’t going to just walk away with Reed in the spotlight in this murder. And he was right.
I quickly realized that I was the only one who hadn’t lifted my glass. I remedied that and we all toasted to solving the murder. Again.
And then my brother tried to move the conversation the direction he’d suggested, not too different from my initial attempts at the restaurant. “I assum
e none of you is the killer, right?” His gaze now started on Reed and moved to the other two men.
All of them were scowling now, clearly tired of the subject. I was, too. This wasn’t the way to get the answers we all wanted—or that at least some of us wanted.
“You can definitely assume that,” Oliver responded, then took another drink. That answer didn’t exactly indicate that all of them were innocent.
“Can you think of anyone else who might have wanted to harm your former coworker?” Janelle asked. “Like someone else you’ve worked with at your San Diego clinic?”
Again, nothing new here. I considered, as I had earlier, how to end this conversation and start another one, but at that point Oliver and Jon rose simultaneously, both pulling out their wallets and leaving money on the table as if they’d choreographed this reaction.
“Sorry,” Jon said. “I think it’s time for us to leave. Good night.”
We all said good night back. And that was that—almost.
“So which of them did it?” Neal asked, after they were gone, in a normal tone like he was discussing the weather. People around us wouldn’t necessarily have known what he was talking about unless they’d been eavesdropping, but it still made me uncomfortable.
Even so, I looked at Reed. If either of us could answer, it would be him.
“Let’s hope that neither did,” he said.
“Even if it would clear you?” Neal asked bluntly.
“Well, if that was the case, then sure, feel free to pin it on one of them.” Reed’s grin seemed full of irony as he rose. “I’ll be right back. I want to say good night to them.”
Which he’d already done along with the rest of us. I wondered what he would really say to them, but I figured I’d better stay with Janelle and my brother.
When Reed had left, I looked at Neal. “You didn’t really think any of them would admit to it, even if they were guilty, did you?”
“No. And I also figured you’d have asked them the same question, maybe even tonight.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, you know me so well, bro.”
My gaze met his, then Janelle’s. “So do you think they’re all innocent?” she asked.
“You know who I want to be innocent,” I replied. “But it’s still too soon for me to reach any kind of conclusion.”
“Well, sis”—Neal raised his glass to me once more—“one of the reasons we’re here is so I could find a way to let you know the other little bit of information I got today that might help your investigation—or hurt it.”
I felt my eyes widen in surprise. “What’s that?”
“It helps to work at the reservation desk,” was his initial cryptic response, but he quickly explained. “I booked a reservation starting tomorrow for a guy named Dr. Mickey Krohan. Since the contact info he provided indicated he was from San Diego, I couldn’t help being a bit curious. I checked out his ID and Googled him, just for my own information. Turns out he’s the head veterinarian at the San Diego Pet Care Center.”
Eighteen
Very interesting. Did Dr. Krohan’s coming here mean anything more than that he was trying to figure out what was going on with his current, former, and potentially-current-and-former-at-the-same-time staff members?
I’d have to find a way to meet him and hopefully discuss the situation with him—and get his opinion on whether any of his veterinary employees could have killed his other former veterinary employee. I told Neal and Janelle this. “I have to assume he’ll be speaking with the cops and possibly visiting the animal hospital that Raela just opened. He’ll surely also come to our clinic. Not sure if I have a shift there tomorrow but I’ll have to work one out. I—”
I shut up, then, since Reed had returned from seeing the others off. He sat down and picked up his glass, taking the last swig of his drink.
“So did you say good night to your friends?” I prompted, hoping he’d tell me more.
“Yes. But before you ask, we didn’t make any arrangements about when to get together again, though I’m sure we will. I’ll at least see Jon at the clinic tomorrow. Did I hear that you want a shift there, too?”
I wondered how much he’d heard. I nodded. Heck, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to know that his former boss would be visiting Knobcone Heights—would it?
I decided to consider the information a bit more before revealing it. “Yes,” I said, “I do. Partly just to keep up my sleuthing—for your sake.” That was enough of an explanation for now.
“I’ll work it out. We can talk about it in the morning.”
So were we now parting for the night? I could get a ride home from Neal, but I wanted more time with Reed, possibly alone time. But I didn’t exactly want to say so, here—not without some bland explanation like we needed to talk about what we’d learned.
Which, as far as I knew, we didn’t.
“In the meantime,” Reed said, “I think it’s time to get going. Don’t you?”
I would have, if Billi hadn’t come over to our table just then with Shea following her. “Hi,” she said. “I saw you here earlier but you looked occupied, and I was having a conversation with Shea, too, that I wanted to finish. But can we join you now for a drink?”
I’d drunk enough for the evening, but I liked the idea of meeting up with my friend for at least a short while—and maybe finding out the reason she and Shea were together. “Sure,” I said without checking with any of my companions. Reed sat back down next to me.
“Sorry, but we’ve got to leave,” Neal said, giving no explanation. I figured he and Janelle also wanted time to themselves this evening.
“Have a nice night,” Reed said, and I shot a smile at him. Of course, this latest disruption made it even more likely that he and I wouldn’t get any alone time together.
We said good night to Neal and Janelle, and Billi and Shea sat down in two of the four now-empty seats at the table. The server must have been watching, for she came over immediately.
Ah, what the heck? I ordered another one, and so did Reed. I knew he could handle it even better than me, but he was driving. Good guy that he was, he also ordered some chips and salsa for us to share at the table. Food should help all of us stay sober, I figured. Plus, the drinks had been imbibed over a couple of hours now. Should be no problem. And I would only nurse mine.
I didn’t know how much Billi and Shea had had, but both of them ordered soft drinks. Smarter maybe.
Or maybe they needed to keep their minds alert just to interact with one another.
“So … is everything okay at Mountaintop Rescue?” That was an interest I knew they had in common, at least somewhat.
“Oh, there are a couple of things regarding our adoption contract and ability to check on our former inhabitants that I wanted to talk to Shea about,” Billi said. She shot him a glance that suggested to me that she’d had additional reasons to be in contact with him, but that was their business. She wore a pretty but not especially elegant charcoal dress that went well with her loose, dark hair with its golden highlights. She wasn’t in city councilwoman mode, I figured, but wanted to look good with this handsome attorney.
Shea wasn’t professionally dressed, either, but his blue button-down shirt still gave him the appearance of being partially in lawyer mode. His medium brown hair was brushed more over his forehead than I’d noticed before, and he had more than a slight beard shadow that evening.
“I had a couple of suggestions,” Shea said, “but for the most part it sounds as if all is going great at the shelter. I certainly enjoy volunteering there. And that adoption event at your store, Carrie—well, it worked the way all those kinds of events should, or at least it looked that way to me.”
I grinned at him. “I agree. Now, if we could do it every week, we’d get a lot of orphaned animals new homes—and I could hopefully sell a whole lot of Barkery and Icing goods, too.”
“Everybody wins,” Reed said, and he reached over and clasped my hand where it rested on the table b
eside my glass.
I liked the feel of his hand on mine, but I wondered why he was doing this. Did he feel threatened somehow by Shea and the way he looked at me? It was friendly, sure, but that was all.
And I felt sure of this when Shea leveled a much more interested gaze back on Billi.
Neal wasn’t home when we got there. I figured Reed would just drop me off anyway—I needed to walk Biscuit, and he had to go to his place to take care of Hugo. But he parked along the street and came inside with me.
Biscuit greeted both of us. First thing, I decided I needed to share Neal’s information with Reed about the impending visit of his former boss. Reed seemed surprised and pleased, although he did express concern over what his former boss might want—especially with all that had been going on with some of the vets who’d worked for him.
Then we had a nice discussion, a somewhat frank one, about how what was going on was affecting both of us—the time it was taking, the stress it imposed on our lives. Reed thanked me for looking into the murder but also emphasized, for my safety’s sake, that no matter what he’d said before, maybe I should just back away and not get any more involved in attempting to solve this murder, not even to help him.
Or hurt him, I couldn’t help thinking, even as I told myself that that was enough. I had to make myself assume Reed was innocent until I found something that proved him guilty. That was how things were supposed to go even with real suspects, right?
But, oh, did I want to absolve him, particularly in my own mind, as we ended that evening. Reed joined Biscuit and me on our walk, then came back inside.
After I’d unleashed Biscuit in the hallway at the entry, I turned to find Reed standing close enough to heat my side nearest to him, but not touching me. Yet.
He looked down at me, his dark eyes sad, his mouth pursed before he began talking. “I can’t stay, Carrie, and not just because of Hugo.” He reached out and grasped both of my upper arms. “I’d love to just drag you into bed till we both forgot all that’s going on, but the way things are, that might mean we’d never get out of that bed.” He shot me a wry smile. “I wish I’d never even thought about getting one of my former colleagues to move here and take Angela’s place, but I guess we all can come up with lots of stuff in our lives that we wish had never happened.”
Pick and Chews Page 14
