Veils and Vengeance

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  “Now, how about a description of this guy?” Tony asked.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the memory of the man standing in front of the store. “He was short. I think shorter than me.” I held out my hand to indicate about how tall I thought the man was.

  “So probably about five-six or five-seven?” Tony looked at Necia, and she nodded.

  “And he had bushy, dark brown hair,” Necia said.

  “Receding hairline?” Tony asked.

  “No, a full head of hair, but no facial hair,” I answered. “And he had on a white T-shirt with some kind of green picture or logo on the front. I didn’t recognize it. Oh, and he spoke a foreign language. Not Spanish. Maybe German?”

  “Do you speak German?”

  “No, but I’ve heard it plenty of times and it reminded me of those sounds.”

  He was about to ask another question, but stopped when a second police car pulled into the parking lot. “That’ll be Hamilton. He’ll have you fill out a statement.”

  I held in my groan when I saw the police officer get out of his cruiser with a clipboard. I’d gone my whole life without so much as a speeding ticket, but in the last few years I’d had so many dealings with law enforcement, I knew just what to expect. Officer Hamilton would repeat most of the same questions and get us talking in the hopes that we’d remember something significant, some clue that maybe we didn’t already mention. And then we’d have to fill out the witness statement and possibly answer a few more questions.

  “Let me make a phone call and reschedule an appointment,” I said. “Then I’ll get that filled out.”

  I dialed Lily’s number and rescheduled our meeting for Thursday—another two days to wait. “I’m really sorry about this, Lily, but I have an appointment for my cat next. I’ve already had to reschedule the appointment twice. Do you mind?” I would be taking my cat, Tux, to the vet, who happened to be Lily’s fiancé. I’d probably be fifteen minutes late after running home to get Tux, but I was banking on typical waiting room delays to make up for the detour in my plans.

  “No problem. I understand,” she replied. “It’ll give me some time to talk to my stepdad about our plans.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Maybe I can ask Tim what he thinks about the wedding colors.” I laughed at my own little joke.

  “Tim is actually pretty good with details,” Lily replied. Her voice wasn’t as chipper as usual, and she didn’t even chuckle when I mentioned Tim and the wedding colors.

  “I could possibly go over some things with you in the morning before work since you’re right next door,” I offered. Lily Rowan had been my neighbor since I’d moved back to Idaho from San Francisco, and we often chatted in between our comings and goings from work and life.

  “Okay. That might work,” Lily said.

  “I’m looking forward to showing you some of the designs we have in this season. And Lorea has three new gowns that just came in.” I infused extra brightness into my voice, hoping it would lift her spirits and have her more eager to meet with me.

  “Thanks, Adri. That’ll be fun. I’ll talk to you later.” She still didn’t sound super excited, but at least we had an appointment.

  With a frown, I ended the call and submitted myself to another round of questions. While Necia and I related most of the same information, the Blaine County sheriff pulled up in a black Ford pickup. He talked to Tony and then headed our way. He asked us a few questions about the description of the rifle, and we did our best to answer.

  I took the clipboard from Officer Hamilton and hurriedly wrote down every detail that I could remember. I included all of my contact information, even though I wanted to write You know where to find me! on the dotted line.

  I filled up the page and handed it back to Hamilton before Necia finished writing details in her neat and tiny script. Hamilton took the form over to the sheriff and Tony walked back toward us.

  Hopefully I could leave now. I glanced at my watch. It was nearly three thirty; if I didn’t hurry, I’d be late to the vet. I was disappointed that Lily hadn’t been able to reschedule for later today, because she hadn’t seemed herself over the phone. I wanted to talk to her to see if I could reassure her about planning her upcoming wedding. Maybe Lorea could help me think of a way to cheer Lily up.

  “Is that frown work-related?” Tony asked.

  I rubbed my hand over my frown. “Yes, your paperwork made me miss an appointment and I had to reschedule.”

  “Sorry about that. I know summer is a busy time for you wedding gals.”

  I laughed. “Yes, and you seem to be taking up quite a bit of time lately for one talented seamstress I know.”

  Tony grinned, and it was the kind that had the edges of my mouth pulling up in a smile to join the happiness in his face. Man, he had it bad for Lorea, and that was a good thing. “We’ve been dating for five months now. I surprised Lorea when I remembered that.”

  “She told me. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was in Kauai.” Beautiful beaches graced by rugged mountains and the smell of plumeria had my toes itching for the Hawaiian sand, where I had planned a destination wedding earlier in the year. Those thoughts led to Luke, and my heart did that silly little stutter again.

  “Hello?” Tony waved his hand in front of my face, jolting me back to the present. “I can see those wheels turning in your mind. Don’t be planning my wedding already.”

  This time I did smack him. “Not thinking about you.”

  “Oh? Who’s on your mind?”

  “Never mind. Are we done here?” I interrupted him before he could follow that line of questioning.

  “We’re taking this seriously.” Tony took the clipboard that Necia handed him. “I don’t know what that guy thought he was doing, but discharging a gun within city limits is a misdemeanor at best. Since he fled the scene, he’s looking at a few more charges. We’ll be in touch, but let us know if you think of anything else.” He handed Necia his card. “There’ll be some officers coming and going today, keeping an eye on your store.”

  “I appreciate that,” Necia said. “Maybe you can come by tomorrow, Adri?”

  “I’d like to. I’ll have to see what my schedule looks like. See you two later.”

  I gripped my keys and waved with two fingers. My car had been baking in the sun for over an hour, and heat emanated from the interior when I opened the door. I started it and cranked the air conditioner to full blast. My phone chimed with an incoming text just before I put the car in drive, so I slid my finger across the screen and saw Luke Stetson’s smiling face.

  Luke: Want to meet me for dinner?

  Me: What? The mighty attorney has time for dinner?

  Luke: :) Yes, and I want to see you.

  Me: Would love to.

  Luke: Rocky Mountain Pizza?

  Me: Sounds delicious!

  Luke: Pick you up at 6:30?

  Me: I’ll be hungry.

  Luke: :)

  I suppressed the girlish squeal I wanted to let out. Okay, maybe I did squeal a little and immediately forgave Luke for being so busy the past few weeks. When he’d canceled our lunch date earlier, I’d been annoyed and sort of depressed, but now even the sun seemed to shine brighter. I reminded myself not to get my hopes up—after all, it was still a date with a divorce attorney. Hunger and a rapidly increasing pulse did funny things to my brain.

  With the upcoming date on my mind, I forgot all about the gunman in front of Everybody’s Closet and drove to my house to pick up Tux.

  Chapter 2

  Paper & Lace Heart Bunting for Guest Book Table

  Cut out 15-20 hearts in varying sizes from papers matching your wedding décor. Glue or mod podge lace on every other heart. Hang the hearts from twine, ribbon, or cording. Attach to the guest book table. You could easily create the bunting with other shapes to highlight your wedding colors.

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  The veterinary clinic in
Hailey smelled like dog food and antiseptic spray, but it couldn’t overpower the smile that kept coming back whenever I thought of a date with Luke. A rumbling purr and a nudge from Tux brought me back to the present. I was sitting in the vet office, holding my cat and dreaming about Luke, instead of working on the new weddings I had booked for the fall. Maybe I shouldn’t let myself get too excited. Luke’s capacity for a relationship was still questionable.

  Tux meowed and stretched his little white paws forward, a contrast to the sleek black fur covering his entire body, except for the V-shaped patch of white on his chest that looked like a tuxedo cravat. He pushed his black head against my hand. Cats were simple and so easy to love. Maybe I should get Luke a cat—it’d be a good place to start for someone who made a living helping people tear apart their love stories.

  The bell above the door jangled, and Tux hissed at the chocolate Labrador that had just entered. The dog’s tongue lolled to the side in the summer heat. He looked like he hadn’t even noticed my cat.

  “Hush, Tux, or I’ll have to put you back in the carrier.” I held firmly to the scruff of Tux’s neck until he settled back onto my lap. The dog snuffled at the floor, straining against his leash.

  The vet assistant swung a door open and checked her clipboard. “Tux?” she asked, looking toward me.

  “That’s us.” I stood carefully, cradling Tux and keeping his face away from the dog.

  “You’re late. Follow me,” she said in a curt tone.

  I hurried after the short-haired blond assistant—her name tag said “Vickie”—into a small room scrubbed clean, with lingering scents of the various animals who filed through every day. “I’d recommend putting your cat in the carrier on your way out,” she said. “You were lucky he didn’t get mauled by that dog.”

  “I’ll do that,” I responded. “I’m very sorry about being late.” I’d waited for about ten minutes despite being twenty minutes late, so I wasn’t sure why it bothered her.

  Vickie seemed especially grumpy, so I pasted on a smile to combat her negative wavelengths. She didn’t smile as she entered in the information I’d given her on Tux. Looking her over, I noticed that her nails were neatly trimmed and painted bright purple.

  “I like your nails.” Maybe a compliment would soften her. I really did like her nails, because purple was one of my favorite colors.

  “Thanks.” She looked up and glanced at me, and then at my cat. “It makes me smile on those days when I don’t want to.” She finally smiled, but it looked kind of grim. I wondered how many animals she’d worked with today, and what she seemed to have against me or my cat.

  I held Tux and spoke to him in soft tones while Vickie took his vitals. I think we both took a deep breath when she left the room.

  “I wonder what was eating her,” I whispered to Tux. He didn’t have a chance to answer with his usual plaintive meow before the vet, Dr. Tim Esplin, entered the room. He was just barely taller than my own five feet ten inches, and he had a full head of wavy brown hair with neatly trimmed sideburns. Tim didn’t wear scrubs; instead, he wore a classic snap-closure cowboy shirt, Wranglers, and boots. He fit the part of a down-home country vet, and his upper-class fiancée, Lily, didn’t want him to change one bit.

  “Good afternoon, Tux,” Tim said as he approached my cat. “Adri, it’s nice to see you. I wasn’t sure how much you got away from all those gowns and doilies.”

  I laughed. “I manage to sneak away once in a while. Just running errands today.” I placed Tux on the table. “He sure has grown since I found him last year.”

  Tim nodded. “You’ve done well with him. Most strays aren’t this lucky. I just had to put one down yesterday that someone brought in.”

  I grimaced. “That’s true. I’m lucky to have Tux too,” I said. “We watch out for each other.”

  “Pets are the best for that.” Tim examined Tux carefully, and my cat purred.

  I thought of how he’d mentioned putting down a stray, and frowned. “Do you have to do many euthanizations?”

  “Usually only a couple per month,” Tim replied. “It never gets easier.”

  “Does it hurt the animal?”

  “No. It’s just like a shot, and they go to sleep. We make them as comfortable as possible.” Tim carefully administered a shot to Tux, who mewed in protest but then quieted.

  “That’s a hard decision to make.” I rubbed under Tux’s chin as he purred.

  “We do all we can before we go to that point, but if we can’t find a home for them, we’re required to euthanize. In the case of a sick animal that’s suffering, it’s what we do to provide peace.”

  “My uncle used to say that’d be the way to go,” I said.

  Tim arched an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, some people agree with him, and it’s become a problem in recent years.”

  He refocused on Tux, but I felt like I’d put my foot in my mouth somehow. So I decided to change the subject to something less grim. “I’m meeting with your sweetheart to talk shop and get some things on the calendar this week.”

  Tim smiled, but something around his eyes hinted at an underlying concern.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  Tim shook his head. “Not with us, but ... well, sort of. Lily is so upset about this whole divorce mess with Rose. Has she said anything to you?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t know what to do. She’s talking about postponing the wedding because she doesn’t want to get married on the heels of Rose’s divorce. I don’t want her to feel pressured, but I do love her.” Tim hesitated, and then let out a breath. “I want Lily to be my wife. I can’t lose her.” He handed Tux to me, and I moved my cat into his carrier and shut the door. “I’m heading out early today to spend some time with Lily to get her mind off Rose.”

  “I didn’t realize she was that close to her sister.”

  “Actually, she’s not.” He threw away some paper towels from the exam table and washed his hands. “Lily is the one who told me Rose was an unfit parent for Jasmine.”

  “Oh?” I wasn’t sure how much I should pry, but since they were my clients I decided to venture. “How old is Jasmine?”

  “She’s six, and Rose is a terrible mother. She has never put her daughter first in anything. That poor little girl has had to ride the parade of Rose’s boyfriends while she and Javier have been separated, and then Rose is busy slinging mud at him and turning Jasmine against her father.”

  “Oh dear. I’m sorry. I can see why Lily is concerned. Divorces are always difficult.”

  Tim put a hand on the back of his neck. “That Luke Stetson is a cutthroat attorney. Javier definitely picked a good one. He’s fighting for full custody of Jasmine, and he just might get it.”

  I cringed, and then coughed to hide my surprise at hearing Luke’s name with the term cutthroat. He was good at his job, but I hadn’t heard him described that way before. “What makes you say that about Luke?”

  “He works overtime to find the nitty-gritty details. Just yesterday, I heard—”

  Vickie knocked on the door and opened it. “We have a dog that just came in—needs stitches, heavy bleeding.”

  Tim straightened and headed after Vickie. “Sorry to run, Adri.”

  “No problem. We’re done here anyway. Good luck.” But I wished we hadn’t been interrupted. I would have liked to know what he was about to say concerning Luke.

  Pick up your copy today to read the rest of Proposals and Poison!

  About the Author

  Rachelle is a mother of five who writes mystery/suspense, nonfiction, and women’s fiction. She solves the case of the missing shoe on a daily basis. She enjoys raising chickens and laughing with her husband. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a minor in music.

  Rachelle is the award-winning author of ten books, including The Soldier’s Bride (a Kindle Scout Selection), Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things, What Every 6th Grader Needs to Know, and Christmas Kisses: An
Echo Ridge Anthology. Her novella, “Silver Cascade Secrets,” was included in the Rone Award–winning Timeless Romance Anthology, Fall Collection.

  Join Rachelle’s VIP mailing list to learn more about upcoming books & get your free book at http://www.rachellechristensen.com/

  Other Works by Rachelle

  Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things (Wedding Planner Mysteries #1)

  Proposals and Poison (#3)

  The Soldier’s Bride

  Wrong Number

  Caller ID

  Novellas:

  Silver Cascade Secrets

  Hope for Christmas: An Echo Ridge Romance

  Double Take

  Nonfiction:

  What Every 6th Grader Needs to Know: 10

  Secrets to Connect Moms & Daughters

  Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage