by Theresa Weir
A large grove of evergreen trees lay up ahead. She wandered over, looking for a place to sit. The dogs ran to her, then ran away again, delighted with their outdoor playtime. She wished she’d brought her camera. Her aunt would never believe she had been here walking all these dogs.
She sat down to rest for a minute, and glimpsed a bright blue item deeper in the shade. She stood up and walked closer. The color intrigued her. There was a familiar look to it. She had to work her way under the low-lying boughs to grab it. Crawling back out again, she straightened with it in her hand. Turning the square item over, she froze.
It was a picture frame from her house. Her name was written in the space where the picture went. She’d written it herself. The frame had held a photo taken last year when she’d celebrated the purchase of her first house.
The picture was missing. Even worse, she hadn’t noticed that this picture had disappeared. When had she noticed it last? Yesterday morning. She was sure because she’d put her book down beside it.
So. Someone had broken into her house and stolen this. Her mind stalled on that idea.
Someone? It had to have been last night’s intruder. Nothing else made sense.
Oh shit. The intruder might have her picture. That thought creeped her out. Holding the empty frame in her hand, she didn’t dare contemplate what could happen if he returned –and she was home.
She swallowed hard. Her stomach revolted at the thought and she started to shake.
“Hey what’s wrong?” An older couple stood off to one side, staring at her with concern. “Are you okay?”
Ninna tried hard to smile. “Yes, thank you. I’m suddenly not feeling well.” She turned to look for the dogs. She needed to go back. Not home. Back to Stuart’s. She needed to leave the park—now.
“Mosey, come on, boy. Let’s go. Goober. Brie. It’s time to go.” She whistled hard. Giving the older couple an apologetic smile, she headed back the way they’d come, the dogs running to catch up. She didn’t know why Mosey wasn’t talking to her. Usually his sarcasm underlined everything she said or did. Today, right now, it seemed he was actually being considerate. Or maybe it was because there were other people around. Not likely, though. Clipping the leashes back on the other two dogs, she called the remaining ones into line and picked up the pace as her nerves started to get to her.
All she could think about was getting inside. Safe. She felt vulnerable outside.
She felt violated.
And didn’t know what to do about it.
* * *
There she was. Troy stopped and stared.
While heading to the corner store for smokes, he’d cut across the park, taking the same route he’d taken the night before, only in reverse—and he’d almost missed her. The sun beamed high above him, making him squint.
Where’d the dogs come from? There’d been no sign of any pets in her house. And what was she holding in her other hand? The frame… Damn. He lost sight of her through the trees. In a panic, he ran to catch up.
He had to be cautious. She couldn’t be allowed to see him. Too bad she’d found the frame. Another careless mistake. Her fault again. He frowned trying to figure it all out.
Maybe she’d been house-sitting for a neighbour. He patted his back pocket, where her picture was folded and tucked in his wallet. His mood lightened. What a perfect opportunity to find out what was going on.
Following at a safe distance behind, he watched as she went inside a huge house just across and slightly down the street from hers.
Interesting.
He’d have to check that out a little closer.
* * *
“How do you know it’s yours?” Jane asked in her most reasonable tone. This time, she’d picked up two sub sandwiches and both girls sat in Stuart’s kitchen for a late lunch. The dogs, ever eager to help, sprawled on the floor in a large circle, all eyes tracking the food as they ate. Even Tiny’s miniature mouth opened every time Ninna opened hers. She didn’t know if human food was good or bad for a kitten, but she couldn’t imagine it would be ideal.
“I wrote the date and location inside the frame where the photo goes.”
“It’s kind of creepy.”
“Kind of? It’s way creepy.” Ninna opened her mouth to take a bite as Tiny mimicked her with an open mouth of his own. Groaning, Ninna turned to face Jane, who appeared oblivious to all the animals’ silent pleas. Jane had the shortest attention span of anyone she knew, and if issues didn’t revolve around her, they were dropped into that vast space of ‘not important.’
Ninna couldn’t help grinning at her friend. Jane might be shallow, but she was loyal.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I guess I need to call the police but I’m not sure it would help. Fill out a police report so it’s on record, but then what?” Ninna shrugged. “I’m hoping that having gone through my place once, the person figured out I didn’t have anything worth stealing and won’t bother coming back.”
She took another bite of her sandwich, and almost choked on the hot peppers. Jane loved everything super spicy.
“Or he’s decided he likes the way you look and now wants to meet you in person—at night.”
The heat of the peppers combined with her stomach acids and threatened to shoot the meal back up. Sourly, she said, “Thanks for that. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about.”
“It would be foolish not to consider it. Why else would he have kept the picture?”
“Maybe whoever it was tossed the picture first, thinking to keep the frame and then decided the frame wasn’t worth keeping, either. Personally, I like the sound of that option much better than yours.” She popped the last of her sandwich into her mouth and washed it down with a large drink of water.
Naive.
Ninna stiffened. It was one thing for Mosey to talk, but it was another thing for him to have that kind of vocabulary.
“What I don’t want you to do, is talk yourself down so much that you relax about the intruder. If he’s a bad ass, then we have to do something to keep you safe. Surely, when Stuart comes back you could borrow…a dog.” She motioned at the mess of canines lying on the floor, and added, “Just in case.”
Ninna thought about that and her mood brightened. That was a great idea. “I hadn’t considered that. I wonder how he’d feel about it?”
“These guys aren’t his, right? So it would be the same as if you fostered the animal for the Center. You’d just be fostering one or two of these dogs.”
Me, pick me.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Mosey swinging his big head, his ears slapping up against his head. How did he do that?
“That lab is gentle, but I bet he’s a great watchdog. Then that little white dog probably would never shut up. They’d be great together.” Jane considered the animals around them, her gaze sharp and assessing.
Ninna had to admit the weekend had opened her eyes to the benefits of having a pet. She just didn’t know if she was up to a full-time commitment. That was a responsibility she had yet to take on. Even her past relationships had stalled at the commitment point.
“Of course, it will also keep you nicely connected to Stuart. He looks like a nice man. A slow, steady kind of guy.”
Slow? Stuart? Hell no. Especially not after the morning phone conversation. She had to admit staying connected to him sounded pretty damn good. She stayed silent while Jane continued on with her assessment of Stuart.
“He’s going to take some time before he puts the moves on you. You want to be ready when he does.”
Heat crept up Ninna’s face. She got up to refill her water glass, trying to stop the blush from totally taking over her face. Jane would jump on her in an instant if she noticed.
“Of course, if you aren’t interested, let me know. Because I just might have to mine that ground myself.”
Ninna spun around to stare at her friend. Jane could sometimes be so dense as to be unbelievable.
>
“Ha, gotcha!” Jane jumped up, triumphant.
The flush returned tenfold. “Oh, you.”
“Do you really think I didn’t notice how interested you are? Girl, credit me with some smarts. That’s the only reason I stayed after you left that first night. I wanted to check out what he was like. Make sure he was good enough for you.”
Ninna stared at her over her glass of water. “Really?”
“Really.” She grinned. “Admit it. You thought I was putting the moves on him, didn’t you?”
Ninna stepped over the lab and flopped back on her kitchen chair. “Yeah, kinda.”
“Look, if and when I put the moves on a guy, that guy gets moved my way, if you know what I mean. No, I wanted to make sure he was decent. You’ve had a rough year. You need to have someone put some fun back in your life. You need to live a little. Now this Stuart, he’s got a nice bit of cash, he’s decent, single and he looks after his own.” She motioned at Tiny, still huddled on the table. “You can always tell what a guy is like by checking out how he cares for his animals.”
“He does look after them, doesn’t he?” Surveying the spotless kitchen, Ninna realized the animals hadn’t made much of a mess. What had she been worried about?
“So when will he be back?”
“Maybe tonight. He wasn’t sure when he called this morning.”
“Cool. Stay here and you’ll be at the right place at the right time.” Jane waggled her eyebrows in a way that always made Ninna laugh.
“We’re hardly to that stage.”
“Honey, you can jump into that stage any time. And it moves everything else forward at top speed.”
Ninna shook her head. “So not happening. I probably will sleep here, because Stuart might not come back tonight. I’d worry about the animals.”
“Whatever reason you tell yourself, is fine with me.” Jane smirked, snatched up the paper wrappings from the subs and tossed them into the garbage. “Dishes done. So now what?”
“No idea. You?”
“Let’s do a girl’s afternoon and go to the mall?”
Ninna groaned. “You and your shopping trips. I don’t have any money to shop with, remember?”
“You’re working now, remember?” Jane sauntered into the living room. “First, though, I’m going to explore.” She ran upstairs, with several of the dogs scrambling to keep up with her.
Ninna contemplated following, then decided against it. Jane didn’t need any encouragement. Instead, Ninna busied herself washing the animals’ food dishes and wiping up the table and counters.
A scream ripped through the house.
Jane flew down the hallway toward Ninna, her face white, her hands flapping in front of her. “Oh, my God, he’s got a snake. There’s a damn snake in the house.”
Ninna grinned, started to laugh, then bent over howling. “You should see your face. It serves you right for snooping. Yes, he’s got a snake, but thankfully, the snake has been fed, so I don’t have to do the honors. But if you’d like you cou––”
Jane’s gaze widened with horror. “Feed it? Oh, gross!”
“Yeah, I told him I wasn’t having anything to do with this zoo if it meant dropping a live mouse in there.”
Jane’s face paled even further. “Live mouse? Oh, my God. Isn’t there a law against that?”
“I doubt it. Snakes are entitled to live too, you know.”
Jane reared back and stared at her. “Is this you speaking?” She shook her head. “There’s no way in hell a snake should be given life at the cost of a little mouse.”
Ninna laughed. “I’m not going to argue that point.”
A loud roar of a vehicle sounded. The dogs went crazy. Ninna raised her eyebrows and walked over to the front window. “It’s not Stuart.” As she approached the front door, it opened in front of her. The dogs swarmed the stranger, overwhelming him with their joy.
A tall broad-shouldered man walked in and stopped when he caught sight of the two women. “Uhm, hi?”
“Hi back.” Ninna studied the red hair and lanky build and remembered what Stuart had said. “I don’t suppose you’re Stuart’s brother, by any chance?”
His grin flashed sheer devilment across the room. Ninna blinked. Jane shifted into action. She slid closer. “Hi, I’m Jane.”
Male appreciation lit the deep blue eyes. “Hi. I’m Ian. Stuart is my older brother.”
Jane lit up brighter, if that were possible. Such information was gold to her ears. Ninna stepped forward. “I’m Ninna. I don’t know if Stuart told you, but I’m looking after the animals while he’s gone.”
Surprise washed over his face. “Then I didn’t need to rush over here. We’ve been playing phone tag all week. I was supposed to look after these guys, but wasn’t sure I could make it to town in time. He mentioned that he had lined up someone to help out but that they might not sleep over, so I stopped in to check.”
Walking to the big bay window, Ninna pointed out her small house. “I live just across the street, so it seemed like an easy solution.”
“And I live just a couple of blocks away.” Jane stepped between them. “Are you a vet, too?”
Ian laughed. “Not likely. I’m in construction. I like these animals just fine, but there’s no way I could deal with all the hurt and dying ones.” He reached down to greet each dog. “These dogs are special. They’ve all got a story of some kind to tell.”
“In construction?” Jane wouldn’t be sidetracked. She was also busy feasting her eyes on him.
Ninna had to laugh at her friend. “I understand from Stuart that you’re building a house for him on an acreage close by?”
Ian grinned. “Yes.” He walked down the hallway, spied Tiny on the table and snagged him up for a big hug. “These guys are going to love the new place. Over ten acres, fenced, with a big yard, runs, and a huge space that will eventually become a place where Stuart can look after the injured animals. The yard is designed to maximize the space for Stuart’s never-ending stream of ‘pets in need,’ as he calls them. We both own the lot beside his house, so if need be, we can expand.”
“Wow.” Jane said it softly, her admiration obvious. Ninna watched her friend with raised brow. Jane didn’t seem to be acting this time. Interesting. Maybe her friend had hidden depths after all.
“He’s got some plans.” Ninna wasn’t sure it was sensible to build with the idea to expand later. Why not just build what you need in the first place? Then again, the budget might only go so far.
It’s got nothing to do with money. Stuart’s loaded.
Ninna almost answered but caught herself at the last moment. She shot a glare at Mosey, hoping he’d shut up again.
Not likely. Can’t wait to get to the new house. Then we can spend more time outside. It’s time for another walk, you know.
“So, does this mean I’m off the hook?” Ninna couldn’t quell the sense of disappointment. She’d been looking forward to seeing Stuart and maybe having a quiet evening with him. Ian looked like a lot of fun, but he was almost too energetic for her taste.
“No way. If you’re here, then I’m free to go to town and enjoy myself.”
Jane laughed. “Wow, that sounds like fun. It is Saturday, after all.”
“It is, and I have tickets to tonight’s concert. Wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it. Now, however, I can go.” He grinned. “Can’t say thanks enough to you for staying here. I have a place to crash in town, so no need to worry.”
Jane’s shoulders deflated.
“I have two tickets, if someone wants to come along…” He stared directly at Jane, easily cutting Ninna out of that loop.
Ninna hadn’t expected the relief she felt not to be included. Jane, on the other hand, lit up like a sparkler and said, “I do. We can leave Ninna here to look after the animals.”
Ninna rolled her eyes. “Sure, leave the babysitter home, while the children go off and play.”
Jane was immediately contrite. “I’m sorry. You don’t re
ally mind, do you? I know you’re a little freaked over that whole intruder thing, but you’ll be safe here with the dogs.”
“Intruder?” Ian frowned, walking over to the fridge and pouring himself a glass of milk. “Stuart mentioned something about a mess of break-ins.”
“I called the cops last night.”
“And…” Jane filled him in on the picture frame.
Ian leaned back against the sink, his arms folded across his chest. “I definitely don’t like the sound of that. Please stay here until Stuart gets home. Talk to the police about the picture frame you found and maybe talk to Stuart about a watchdog. I’m not sure you should be alone after that, either.”
“What am I supposed to do over the long term? That’s my home. I can’t stay away.” Ninna tried to sound reasonable. She wasn’t like Ian and Stuart. She didn’t have hefty bank accounts to stay somewhere else until this guy was caught.
“Can you beef up your security system? A good system is a great deterrent.” He filled his glass with water and left it in the sink. “Obviously, whatever you have right now isn’t enough. It also worries me that this guy entered and left, yet you didn’t know. What’s the chance he’s done it before?”
Shivers raced down her spine. “I have no idea. I don’t even want to think about that possibility.”
“But you said yourself, there’d been a couple of evenings when you wondered if someone was outside. Maybe someone is stalking you. A Peeping Tom?”
“Okay, now you’re scaring me. That’s not helping, you know. I can’t just stay with Stuart all the time.”
“Still, you might consider that option for the time being. Stuart wouldn’t mind. And there’s lots of room here.” Ian checked his watch. “The concert starts in a couple of hours. I could use a meal before then.” He lifted his head, eyed Jane up and down once, and added, “I suppose you want to change?”
Jane widened her eyes. “Hell, yeah. I have wheels parked at Ninna’s place, too.”
“Why don’t I follow you to your place and we’ll drive from there. You can change, then we’ll head out for dinner and the concert.”
