All Bark and No White Knight

by Stella St. Claire

  “Jackson, the golden retriever.”

  Her heart sank. Of all the dogs to be missing. Not that it would be better if it was another dog or cat, but Jackson’s owner was the unforgiving sort. Gorgeous and doting when it came to his dog, he also had a short temper and little patience for anyone he considered beneath him. Which, as far as she could tell, was everyone.

  “Grab one of the girls from the front and do a sweep of the area—and call the local businesses. See if anyone has spotted them. I’ll call Jackson’s owner.”

  Wynona took small comfort in knowing that the duo would stick close to each other. Godiva and Jackson didn’t understand the tension between their humans. They were the best of friends and almost a little too clingy to each other.

  She prayed that they were okay, and then she prayed that Christopher, Jackson’s owner, wouldn’t kill her.

  Olivia pulled out her earbuds as she dropped the last dog off and headed back to Wagging Tails. So far, the book wasn’t bad, but then she was only about a chapter in. It wasn’t the kind of mystery that she usually craved, but maybe Jackie was right. Maybe she needed to avoid mystery books so she could avoid getting involved with Hannah’s murder.

  Nick wasn’t going to arrest Andrew. Right? She had nothing to worry about.

  “All that work, and you still lost him. I’m disappointed in you, Olivia.”

  She froze at the cold voice and turned. Delilah, her former nemesis, was walking her poodle, Duchess. Not too long ago, she and Delilah had an unfriendly rivalry going on because Delilah had wanted Andrew. The owner of Delilah’s Silks, a women’s boutique, Delilah was gorgeous but a little catty and sometimes simply downright mean, but a few months ago, she’d had a strange change of heart where she’d discounted the perfect dress so that Olivia could afford it—and win Andrew back—in exchange for some free daycare hours for Duchess.

  “I haven’t lost him.” Olivia stopped so Goodwin could sniff Duchess. They usually didn’t spend much time together since Olivia had always done her best to avoid Delilah, but based on Goodwin’s and Duchess’s wagging tails, it appeared that the dogs liked each other.

  “Really? Because I’ve heard that he was seen on a date with Jenny. You know that she’s certifiably insane, right? If you’re going to lose him, you should probably do it to someone who isn’t going to send him to the hospital.”

  Someone like you? The last she’d heard, Delilah had been working on snagging one of the town’s deputies. It would have worked out perfectly—for Olivia, at least—since Deputy Derek had been not-so-subtly hitting on Olivia whenever Andrew wasn’t around.

  She dragged her attention back to the conversation, suddenly struck by Delilah’s revelation. “Wait, what did you say? Jenny sent someone to the hospital?”

  Delilah nodded. “Right after she got into a fight with Hannah in the grocery store, of all places—so tacky—she got into a shoving match with Tommy. She pushed him so hard that he fell into the street and was hit by a car.”

  At Olivia’s look of shock, Delilah laughed and made a dismissive gesture. “He was fine, some scrapes and bruises, and they both claimed that it was an accident, but everyone knows that Jenny has a temper. I bet she did it on purpose.”

  Privately, Olivia wondered if Nick knew that. That would certainly make Jenny a prime suspect. Not only had she been at the bar that night, but she had obviously had it in for Hannah. Even if she and Tommy weren’t together anymore.

  Don’t get involved, she reminded herself. After all, it was public knowledge. Nick probably already knew, and Andrew most likely didn’t have anything to worry about.

  Goodwin shoved his nose under Duchess’s belly and pushed at her playfully. The poodle responded by nipping at him and barking shrilly. Olivia smiled and changed the subject. “When did you want to redeem that playdate?”

  “Maybe tomorrow. She’s been feeling a little anti-social lately, and I don’t want to push her into anything that might make her uncomfortable,” Delilah said airily.

  Anti-social? The dog certainly didn’t look anti-social.

  “So are you and Andrew over for sure?”

  “No,” Olivia said defensively. Ironic since she’d just told Jackie earlier that she thought they were over. “He’s not dating. He’s just . . . meeting new friends,” she said lamely. Despair fell over her, and her shoulders drooped. At the very least, couldn’t he have taken his dates to Lowell where it wouldn’t be the talk of the whole town?

  “Sure,” Delilah said, sounding unconvinced. “Friends. Well, if I were you, I’d pay closer attention to these friends that he’s meeting with. You wouldn’t want him to end up like poor Hannah. Come along, Duchess. Tinkle time is over.”

  Who knew that Delilah would be one of those dog owners?

  Goodwin whined as his new friend walked away, and Olivia had to practically pull him around the corner and up the stairs to the office. Lily, Snowball, and Jax would be dropped off soon to spend the afternoon in doggie daycare, so Olivia spent the remaining time refilling the water bowls and setting out the new toys that she’d picked up. The three of them, and Goodwin, got along well, but they’d have to remain indoors even though it was nice outside. Lily, a low-riding dachshund, had just recently had surgery to get a cyst removed and needed to avoid getting her stitches wet. The yard outside dipped and there was really no drainage so whenever it rained, it could hold puddles of water for days after.

  She’d also have to keep an eye on them to make sure they didn’t get too rough. Sometimes the rest of the crew forgot that Lily was much smaller than they were. Sometimes even Lily herself forgot that she was smaller.

  After loading up the treat toys, she munched on her own pretzels and tried not to obsess about what Delilah had told her.

  If Jenny was so dangerous, if her jealousy made her that violent, then maybe she was to blame. Maybe Andrew was cheating on her with a murderer.

  It didn’t make her feel better.

  Andrew tried not to glance at the clock as the pretty brunette across from him batted her eyelashes. She’d been almost twenty minutes late, and he was hoping to grab an hour at the gym before he went home tonight. These days, he needed to release that pent-up energy in order to sleep.

  He looked down at the rose on the table between them, his thoughts drifting to the night of Hannah’s death. He had caught up with her outside of End Game, offered her the rose he’d carried that night, and she’d turned him down. Where had the rose they’d found on her body come from?

  Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember what he’d done with the rose he’d carried out of End Game.

  He became aware the brunette had been talking for some time without him paying attention. He dragged his eyes back to her face from the tabletop and tried to look interested in what she was saying.

  “I know it’s shallow, but I want a man with a good job. I want someone who already has some financial stability so I don’t have to support him, you know?” Lorelai winked at him.

  “Well, that works both ways, right? Would it offend you if I asked you how much money you make in a year?” he asked as he watched her absently stroke the rose that he’d given her. A thorn punctured her finger, and she immediately stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked on it. Somehow he had the feeling she was trying to make the gesture look inviting, so he pretended to examine his thumbnail for an imaginary flaw.

  “Not at all,” she answered finally, bringing his eyes back to her face. “I’m the store manager for Seductive Secrets. I have no problem telling men that.” Her voice was practically a purr as she leaned closer to him. “Plus, the owner is looking to retire in the next couple of years, and he’s asked several times if I want to buy the store from him.”

  A business owner. Just like Olivia. He wanted to tell her that owning a business wasn’t as easy as it seemed, but he was running out of time.

  “Where’s your favorite place for a first date?”

  “Depends on the man.” She grinned. “I’m no
t very big into small talk. You either have chemistry, or you don’t. Coffee shops are for beginners. I want a man who’s serious about settling down.”

  The complete opposite of Olivia. Someone who was actually ready for commitment.

  Maybe a little too ready for commitment.

  “Time’s up,” he murmured as he reached for the check on the table. “I enjoyed meeting you, Lorelai.”

  “Do you want to do this again?”

  Not a chance. He forced himself to chuckle. “You’re a very forward woman, Lorelai. I’m sure you’ll have no problem in the online dating world.” He reached out to shake her hand. She looked a little disappointed, but she said goodbye cordially enough, picked up the rose, and sashayed out of the small café.

  After paying, he headed to the gym across the street from the hospital. It was already late, and with any luck, Olivia wouldn’t be waiting for him when he got back home. He was still too livid at the idea of her going through his computer to try to talk to her right now.

  After changing his clothes, he hit the treadmill for a little warm-up. Ten minutes later, Brett joined him.

  “Hey, man.” Andrew nodded. “I’m late. I figured you’d be done by now. Not seeing Jackie tonight?”

  “No,” Brett growled as he hopped onto the treadmill next to him. “And this is actually my second trip to the gym today because Jackie canceled on me.”

  There was anger in Brett’s eyes, and it surprised Andrew. Brett was usually such an easy-going guy. “You two having a fight?”

  “Yes,” Brett snapped. “And it’s all your fault. She thinks I know the details on your relationship with Olivia.”

  Shocked, Andrew missed a step and quickly grabbed the handle. He had to hop up on the side to regain his balance. “What? She and Olivia tell each other everything. Why would she need to go and come to you for information?”

  “Are you and Olivia having problems?”

  “No. Yes.” Andrew sighed and swept his hand through his hair. “When we talked about getting back together, I knew that there might be some tension. In the beginning, things were easy, but now? I don’t know. She’s turned into someone that I don’t even recognize. It’s like she’s trying too hard.”

  “Are you going to have a talk with her about it?”

  “No. I’m just sort of waiting to see if things straighten out on their own. Sometimes talking things out with Olivia just makes things worse.”

  “I’m sure as hell not going to tell Jackie that,” Brett grumbled. “Come on. Give me something that isn’t going to send her through the roof.”

  Slowing the treadmill down, Andrew hopped back on and shook his head. “Tell her that I’m busy with work. That’s definitely not a lie. I barely even have time to fight with Olivia about our issues, let alone try to talk with her about them. But I’m wrapping things up soon.”

  “And then?”

  “And then I guess we’ll see.”

  He felt horrible about lying to Brett.

  Almost as much as he felt bad about lying to Olivia. Clenching his jaw, he picked up the speed.

  When had he become the kind of man who lied to the woman that he loved?

  7

  “You don’t get a say in how I go about finding my dog,” Christopher snapped. “You’re the one who let him out to begin with.”

  Wynona planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “You’re absolutely right. You can do whatever you want to find your dog, but Godiva’s name is on that listing as well, and I don’t have ten thousand dollars to pay out as a reward.”

  “I was going to front the money,” he snarled. “Just because the dog has the misfortune of belonging to you doesn’t mean that she doesn’t deserve a fair shot at getting home.”

  Wynona stiffened, but she reined in her temper. His arrogance had given her a migraine, and she was already beyond stressed. “I’m telling you that offering that much money is just going to cause problems. People are going to steal dogs in an attempt to collect the reward from you. Using social media is much more effective.”

  “You do whatever you have to do, and I’ll do what I have to do.” He slammed the door in her face and left Wynona shaking with rage.

  Jackson had been her responsibility, so she did deserve his anger, but he was wasting their time if he thought money was going to solve the problem.

  But it was not like he was going to listen to her. She’d have to wait for him to discover his mistake on his own.

  Her next day was jam-packed with dogs, so Olivia had to wait until after her last round of dog walks before doing any sleuthing on Jackie’s behalf. Well, rather than sleuthing, it was more confronting. As Olivia walked Goodwin by Trisha’s house, she found the woman just pulling into her driveway. Olivia pulled the dog to a stop—he was happy enough for the opportunity to sniff at some fascinating smell on the parking strip—and bent to re-tie her right shoe. Standing up again, she saw, now that Trish was out of the car, that the other woman was wearing jeans and a Blooms for You t-shirt.

  Had Trish gotten a new job at the flower shop?

  “Hey, Trish!” Olivia threw up her hand and waved merrily as she and Goodwin walked up the street. She wanted to put the woman at ease rather than just come right out and blast her for defacing Jackie’s books. After all, she thought. Guilty until proven innocent. I mean . . . the other way around.

  “Olivia.” Trish smiled wearily. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”

  She probably had noticed Goodwin panting. Trish lived across town, and like an idiot, Olivia had decided that walking would be better than driving. Now they were both exhausted.

  “Sort of miscalculated the walk,” she admitted.

  “Oh, yeah, I get that. Sometimes I get so lost in a daydream when I’m driving that before I know it, I’m completely in another city.” That wasn’t frightening at all. “Why don’t you come inside, and I’ll get you some water.”

  Yes! An invitation inside. This was going to be easier than she thought. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She followed Trish into the small ranch-style brick house. The yard was overgrown with weeds, and the inside was sparsely furnished and decorated. Olivia knew that things had been hard for Trish since the divorce, but seeing the evidence of it made her heart drop. Had working for Jackie sent the woman over the edge?

  Trish put a bowl of water down for Goodwin, who greedily lapped at it and made a huge mess.

  “Sorry. He has no manners,” Olivia grimaced. “Do you have some paper towels? I’ll clean it up.”

  “It’s just water.” With a shrug, Trish opened the fridge again and pulled out a bottle of beer. “I hope you don’t mind. I need something a little stronger.” She paused and then asked, “Do you want one?”

  “No, please. Go ahead. Is the new job tough?”

  “Not tough, but the hours are so long, and I’m on my feet all day. I was supposed to have two weeks of training because I don’t know the first thing about flowers or arrangements, but the owner just took off on a sudden vacation a few days ago and left me the keys. I have no idea what I’m doing, and he’s not answering any of my phone calls. I’m literally googling flower names.”

  Olivia narrowed her eyes. “A few days ago?”

  “Yeah. I haven’t seen him since Thursday. I’ve been opening and closing the store ever since.”

  That meant that there was no way that Trish was Jackie’s vandal. She would have been working at the flower shop during the bookstore’s open hours.

  So maybe there really was a mystery to solve. One that had nothing to do with Andrew. That would help Olivia keep her mind off things.

  “Did the owner say why the sudden need to go on vacation?” Olivia asked as she finished drinking the rest of her water. There was already a pile of dishes in the sink, so she set the empty glass on the counter next to it.

  “No. Paul just left a note saying that he’d be gone for a few days, and if I had any questions, just call him. But he’s not answering any of my
calls, so who knows what’s going on? All I know is that I should get a raise. He hired me to help him out, not run the store before my training was even complete! And I have no idea how to order flowers. We’re out of red roses, and that’s like the number one bestseller. People have been pissed that we have no red roses!”

  “Yeah. That is weird.” Olivia cast about for a lead-in to her next question, but finally ended up asking outright, “Can I ask you a question about Shelfie?”

  “The bookstore? I guess, but isn’t Jackie, like, your best friend?”

  “Yeah, but I’m looking into something for her. Did you ever notice any strange customers in the bookstore while you were there?”

  Trish instantly narrowed her eyes and studied Olivia. “I know that you fancy yourself as some sort of amateur detective. You’re not really here because you took too long of a walk, are you?”

  “No.” Olivia said with a wince. “I’m not. Jackie was the victim of a personal act of vandalism the other day, and the first suspect was . . .” Maybe not the most tactful way of putting it.

  “The person who got fired,” Trish finished for her. “No, I get it. I guess I’d suspect the same if I was in your shoes. I’m not bitter about Jackie firing me. I mean, I was, at first. Who wouldn’t be? But the truth is that I had it coming, and I knew that it was coming. I was already job hunting on the side—which was how I got this job so quickly, although now I’m regretting it.”

  “Any thoughts on who might have it in for her?”

  “Not really. Jackie is pretty fair as a boss, and I don’t remember her getting into any fights with anyone. Are you sure it wasn’t just some kids playing around?”

  “All the book covers with redheads were defaced.”

  Trish’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. That does sound pretty personal. I wish that I could help you, but I really have been stuck at Blooms. I’m sorry.”