“Thanks for saying that. I couldn’t, and didn’t, kill Evelyn, but I have to know who did. It’s a matter of safety for me and Adrian. Our lives have only recently begun to return to normal after Paul’s sudden death in a car accident.”
“I know, and I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult time of things. It can’t be easy to handle everything by yourself.” As far as my life went, it could be harrowing at times. I couldn’t imagine having a child in the mix. But then, I had Bun, which wasn’t a light responsibility, either.
“Give my request consideration, okay?”
Knowing she had no idea what trouble I could end up in with the sheriff for saying yes to her, I reluctantly agreed to think it over.
After I hung up, it was clear that Bun had heard every word I’d said. When I glanced down, he sat next to my feet, his ears in an upright and stiff position. Yup, he’d heard all right.
I waited for him to demand we do as Carina had asked. After our last adventurous mystery, Bun had yearned for another to solve. I hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be as dangerous as the previous one had.
“You’ll agree to her request, won’t you? With my superpowers and keen senses, we could wrap this up in no time.”
Really? Superpowers? Had I created a monster rather than a hero? He went on and on for a good five minutes, until I could no longer take his nagging. Eventually, I agreed to look into Evelyn’s death to help Carina out. In his usual enthusiastic manner, Bun hopped joyfully around the kitchen.
“Calm down and tell me what you saw while you were in the rabbit pen.”
“I saw a woman sneak across the yard. She was a guest. I don’t recall what she looked like, you know, all humans look alike to us rabbits.”
“Take your time and give it some thought, her identity might be more important than you know.”
“Oh, and another woman went along the path later on. I think that was when the party went downhill because guests began leaving.”
“I won’t ask what she looked like, since most humans look alike to you rabbits. Should you remember her hair and skin color, or height, clothing and such, you might want to let me know.”
Disgusted with this game he played, I left Bun sitting in the kitchen while I went in search of Jessica.
CHAPTER TWO
Tightly wound pockets of alfalfa hay, lined with red lettuce, spring greens, and carrot tops. These treats also had bits of apples and a few raisins tucked in. These delightful goodies filled the stainless-steel wagon Jess pushed up and down the aisles. She’d stop at each hutch to insert one pocket inside.
“Let me help you with that, Jess.”
“Thanks, I wasn’t going to ask you to give me a hand. You look like you’ve had a tough day. Want to talk about it?”
“All went well until later this afternoon when Carina and I found Evelyn Montgomery dead on the path between Carina’s house and the one next door. The homes there have wooded sections between them with enough privacy to kill someone without anybody being the wiser.” I shivered at the thought.
Her eyes wide, Jessica gasped. “Oh my gosh, you just got over one mystery and now there’s another unsavory situation that you’ve been thrown into? Evelyn Montgomery, you’re sure?”
“I’m sure. When Bailey left, I should have been right behind her, but not me, I was stupid enough to take my time packing up. Carina had written the check for my services while I dawdled. That’s when things took a turn. I’d loaded the rabbits into the van, went back for Bun, and found the partygoers leaving in a hurry. Confused over what had gone awry, I became curious when Carina approached me. She dragged me onto the path, saying there was something very wrong and she couldn’t deal with it alone. Can you believe that?”
“Sounds like you need a strong cup of tea and to start at the beginning. Maybe if you talk the entire day through, you’ll come up with memories or thoughts that could help Sheriff Carver.”
“Good idea. Let’s finish this job and then we can chat. By the way, was the shop open today? I wasn’t sure if Molly was on the schedule. She’s such a great kid and has been doing well, especially since she’s had to handle a lot since we set up the spinning and weaving classes. I’m impressed with her organization skills.”
“She was here until about two o’clock, then closed up and left the deposit and income tally for you beneath the register drawer. I think she’ll shear Petra the next time she comes in. She mentioned a few of our customers wanted her to do their rabbits, too. Before she knows it, she’ll have a nice side-business going.”
“It’s a plus to have her shear and keep the shop open when I’m not able to do so.”
We kept the cart moving, each of us taking opposite sides of an aisle to finish the feeding job. We rounded the last corner, gave Walkabout Willy the last goody bundle and then went into the house.
I noticed Bun was fast asleep when I put the kettle on to boil. Jessica set cups, teabags, and the honeypot on a tray. She enjoyed milk and honey with her tea, I took mine strong with nothing added to the taste. I poured water into the cups and set the kettle on the stove. Jess carried the tray onto the porch, while I took gingersnap cookies from the cupboard before I joined her. We relaxed in the two hand-caned rocking chairs and were quiet for a while.
Jess munched a gingersnap and then said, “I can see you’re unwinding just by sitting there and sipping your tea. My aunt always said when tough situations arise, a cup of tea is in order. I guess she was right.”
“It is pleasant out here, isn’t it? Very calming.”
“Now, tell me what your day was like.”
I heaved a sigh, slurped another mouthful of tea, and leaned my head against the back of the chair. “It began early, before the party guests arrived. Bailey and I were in the middle of assembling our setups. I was closer to the house and garage than Bailey. She felt it would be easier to hold the children’s attention if we were separated. Nearly done with the pen and rabbits, I overheard raised voices. It wasn’t hard to figure out Carina and Evelyn were in the middle of a spat. I had seen Evelyn stride across the lawn with a determined expression on her face.”
“What would they have to argue over? I didn’t realize they even knew each other.”
“I don’t know the specifics of their friendship, or if there was one, but they had one heck of an argument. I couldn’t make out the subject of it, but when Adrian came into the yard, they both stopped talking and split up. Evelyn stayed for a while to speak with newly arrived guests. By then, I’d connected the last part of the rabbit run and she approached me.”
“What did she say?”
“Evelyn wanted to tell me how happy she was that I entered Petra into the rabbit show she had organized. She discussed how excited everyone would be since this was the first show of its kind held in Windermere. I just nodded in agreement. As she walked away, she stopped for a second, looked over her shoulder, and warned me to keep my mouth shut where she and Carina were concerned or I’d be sorry.”
Jessica’s snort over the story made me laugh. It hadn’t been funny at the time, but in retrospect, I found Evelyn’s attempt at intimidation a sad state of affairs.
“She had a nerve saying that to you, but maybe she wasn’t aware of all that you have been through. I wonder if she’s used intimidation tactics on other people?”
“My thoughts, exactly. Anyway, I stepped into her space and softly told her not to try that again. We argued a bit and she threatened to withdraw Petra as a contestant. I said if she did, I’d go over her head to make sure Petra got in anyway. Honestly, some people think they can do whatever they want.”
“Okay, focus on the party. Remember, we want a complete picture of what took place.”
“You’re right, sorry about the outburst. She pushed my buttons. I think Evelyn Montgomery had a serious mean streak. I, too, wondered if she treated others that way, especially if she thought they had crossed her.”
“While you and Petra are at the show, if it continues on, you sho
uld snoop and find out. Then report what you find to the sheriff, of course.”
I slid a sly look in her direction. “Of course. Fear not, this event won’t be canceled. Too much money has been invested in it for that to happen.”
A thump on the screen door was enough to let me know that Bun had eavesdropped, again. Undoubtedly using his superpowers. I nearly laughed at the thought and caught myself in time. I didn’t want Jessica to think I’d lost my marbles.
“Open the door for Bun, will you?”
Jess let him out and watched as he raced from one end of the porch to the other. After the third lap, he flopped down at my feet and sprawled out. “That felt so good. I didn’t get to use the run at the party today. The other rabbits enjoyed it too much to allow me a turn.”
Indeed, he was so put upon. I reached down to smooth his fur, then muttered praise for exercising. Bun perked up and seemed pleased at the acknowledgment.
Jess went inside for more hot water. While I rocked gently in the chair, my taut nerves eased, leaving a sense of calm in its wake.
“I heard what you two talked about. It would be a good idea when we check things out to report our findings to Sheriff Carver. He should be glad of our help, don’t you think?”
I bent near to his ears and whispered softly, “No, he’d be upset. Like I said earlier, we can give it a go and see what we find.”
Bun scrambled to his feet, hopped about a bit, and settled into a sprawl. Jess returned with two more mugs of steaming water for tea and a few bits of apple and carrots for Bun.
Watching him snack on the treats, Jess said, “I think you and Bun ought to investigate. I can handle most everything here. Now that Molly has decided to take college classes, she won’t be full-time but she has mentioned she can help us both. What do you think?”
“We should discuss it with her. She’ll need time to study, and while Ray has gone out of state for college, he was good enough to train his replacement beforehand. Jason Lang is doing quite well and appears to enjoy the job.”
“Then that settles it. You’ll be free to investigate while Petra rakes in all the prizes at the show. With her lovely fur, she’s bound to be popular with the audience. I’ve heard it’s going to be a hit with the community backing the show.”
“Are you sure the three of you can do all the work entailed? I know how busy the clinic is becoming, and Molly has been of great help.” I shook my head. “It may be too much for all of you. The kids have classes and work crazy hours that don’t always fit our schedules.” I leaned my head against the chair, rocked a few times, and said, “I’ll give it some thought and if we can work out the logistics, I’ll go ahead with the idea. If not, I won’t. It wouldn’t be fair to you, the help, or the bunnies.”
“Good enough. We’ll have a sit-down with the kids when they come in. Both of them will be here on Monday.”
“You know you want to investigate this as much as I do, so don’t play coy, Jules, it’s unbecoming.”
Annoyed, I swooped Bun up in my arms saying it was time to get back to work. After entering the house, I freed Bun and went into the barn with him walking a good distance behind. I spent a couple hours doing odds and ends that hadn’t been done in my absence. All the while considering if these jobs weren’t tended to while I looked into business that wasn’t mine to look into, then who would do them?
I stopped short while sweeping the floor. Was I ticked off at Bun for being fresh to me? Or, was I angry because he was right in saying I wanted to investigate Evelyn’s death? I heaved a sigh, chose the latter, and emptied the dustbin before telling Jessica that I would be in the house. She poked her head around the clinic door casing and gave me a thumbs-up.
Silent, Bun stood in the doorway of his room. He didn’t budge when I motioned for him to come into the kitchen.
“You were rude to handle me roughly and you didn’t talk to me while we were in the barn, either. It’s as if I was having a time-out. I’m not a child, I’m a rabbit. You need to apologize.”
Hands on my hips, I stood my ground. “You were fresh. I’m the one who should get an apology.”
Ears lowered, tips nearly touching the floor, Bun turned away, and slowly crept to his cushion where he plopped down.
“I guess you aren’t interested in what Jessica and I have decided, then.” I hadn’t moved an inch, but studied my broken, and in need of a serious manicure, fingernails. I waited, and waited, and waited some more. When Bun didn’t comment, I left him to his mood and rang Carina.
She answered immediately.
“Hi, it’s Juliette. I wanted to let you know that if I can figure out a schedule with my staff, I would be happy to help you by looking into Evelyn’s death.”
“You’d really do that for me? Oh, Jules, I would be so grateful to have you help us. The sheriff makes me nervous. I would never harm anyone, no matter what, and I have Adrian to think of. Paul’s death has been so hard on us.”
She was babbling. I held the phone away as she went on and then she suddenly stopped.
“I’m sorry, I do babble when I get excited. This is such good news, though, I can’t help myself. When will you start?”
“As soon as I meet with my staff on Monday. If they’re willing to pick up a few more hours, then I’ll begin. If not, we’ll come up with an alternate plan, okay?”
“You are wonderful, I knew it the moment we met. Feel free to call me anytime, I’ll do what I can to assist you. Not shovel rabbit poop, though, not that. Please don’t ask me to do that.”
I snickered. “You needn’t worry about the rabbit poop, it’s under control. I will keep you posted as I gather information. Take care, Carina.”
“Thanks.” The line went dead. I hung up and started supper. Bun had entered the kitchen. Still solemn, he watched me prepare veggies.
“I didn’t mean to be what you call fresh. I know I’m outspoken at times, but I’m never mean.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Bun.” I reached down and smoothed the fur on his head, ran my hands over his long ears, and tapped him on the nose with my fingertip. “I would be lost without you.”
“I know. You’re the best friend a rabbit could have.” Lighthearted again, he hopped across the kitchen, checked out the newspaper rolled up in the basket, sniffed the flowerpot leaves, sneezed, and then said, “We’ll get to the bottom of Evelyn’s murder. Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ve got this.”
Supper was a simple affair. Veggies, burgers, and blueberry pie for dessert. Jessica cleared the table when we’d finished eating, and loaded the dishwasher before she left for the night. She’d moved back into her own apartment after we’d solved the last mystery. There was no need for me to have a live-in for safety in numbers any longer.
I bid her good-bye and watched as she drove away. There was still enough daylight left for a brief walk. I slipped Bun’s sling over my body and leaned down for him to settle inside.
“Let’s go to Lake Plantain.”
“I’m not sure we have enough daylight left to go that far. We’ll give it a try, I know how much you like it there, and the lake is beautiful at this time of year.”
Snuggled in the sling, Bun poked his head out to enjoy the ride. Thankfully, Bun didn’t weigh much and the sling wasn’t cumbersome, which made a good stride easy. We, or rather, I, walked every day, weather permitting. Bun usually enjoyed the trip to and from the farm as much as I did.
We sat near the edge of the lake for a while and then began our homeward jaunt. About a half mile from the house, Sheriff Carver’s cruiser slowed to a crawl beside us.
“Everything all right, Juliette?”
“Sure, Jack. How about you?” What this was about, I could only guess. I’d play along until he made his purpose clear. I had no doubt he’d once again warn me not to become involved with Evelyn’s murder investigation.
His car slowly idled alongside us until I came to a stop. He shifted the car into park and told me to get in.
“I’m not finished exercising yet.”
“It’s getting dark and you won’t arrive home before it is, so please, get in the car. Besides, I need a cup of coffee and you can make it for me, if you would.” His attitude light, I wasn’t fooled for a minute when I looked into his eyes. The man meant business.
Bun and I slid onto the front side passenger seat. I buckled in and enjoyed our ride back to the farm. Jack said little, except that his wife was waiting for another yarn sale and was wondering when that was going to happen. She’d also decided to take a spinning class.
“I’ll let Molly know when she comes in on Monday. The classes have been successful and she will check to see if there’s an opening for Meredith.”
Parked at the front walk, we went up the stairs and I unlocked the door. Bun hopped out of the sling when I leaned down and headed to his room. He stopped just inside the doorway and squatted down. He wasn’t about to miss a thing.
While the coffee perked, I handed Jack the cups and put the sugar and cream on the counter. “You don’t mind sitting on the porch, do you?” I asked.
“Not at all. Meredith and I enjoy ours. So often you see people with huge porches added to their homes and never once do they use them. Such a shame, really.”
The coffee finished perking and I took the loaded tray outside, set it on the small table between the rocking chairs, and took a seat. Jack did the same.
Thoughtful for a moment, he sipped his brew and then said, “I know you won’t be able to help yourself where Evelyn’s death is concerned. I also know I can warn, threaten, cajole, and beg you not to get involved, but it won’t do me a bit of good, so I have an offer for you.”
Astonished by his admission, I sat in wary silence and drank my coffee. What kind of offer? He had me dead to rights about Evelyn and what had happened to her. I couldn’t deny that. I turned to look at him. He stared back, his expression intense.
CHAPTER THREE
I set my cup on the wooden tray. Something was up. But what? With anticipation, I asked, “What offer?”
Who's Dead, Doc? Page 2
