I looked in on the rabbits. They were calm and quiet, nestled in their hutches. In the shop, I found a note from Molly and a list of items to buy for the next class. The girl had a head for business, and I was grateful for that.
The house was quiet, too quiet. Bun would have talked nonstop after what we had done together, what I did alone tonight. His ability to tune in to his surroundings was a blessing when we engaged in breaking the law. I heaved a deep sigh as loneliness crept over me. The old saying that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone hit home.
Withdrawing the stolen folders from my coat pocket, I spread them across the table. By midnight I knew Evelyn’s habits better than most. The picture drawn wasn’t a pretty one, no matter how it was viewed. Opinions of her were on the mark, and this paperwork proved it. I sat back in the chair. I didn’t have a clue as to what the Bun-nappers wanted in the way of a birth certificate. Three of them lay on the table in front of me. I rubbed my hands across my face, yawned, and then looked them over again. Selecting two of the three, I discarded one that belonged to a woman who had left earth in the early 1900s. I folded the other two, set them aside, and ruffled the rest of the papers into order. I put the file in my desk drawer, then stuck the certificates into my handbag.
* * *
A mist of rain fell into the light gray fog that covered the ground. As dreary as the weather, I did chores in soft conversation with the rabbits. Jessica arrived as I completed my workload.
“You look, well, uh, awful.”
“Gee, thanks, I feel awful. The house is so empty without Bun, I can’t stand it.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Fitfully.” I hung the freshly scrubbed apron on its hook and washed my hands. “Did you notice any police cars when you dropped me off last night? I didn’t.”
“Not a one. Maybe the officer assigned to you was in one of those unmarked vehicles.” Jess shrugged. “Either way, we got away with what we did, don’t you think?”
“If we hadn’t, Carver would have been on the doorstep. Just be your usual self if he shows up today. I’m certain he will, he’ll want to check in on me. Jack’s not happy when I poke my nose where I shouldn’t and he always suspects that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Her chuckle was followed with, “I wonder how he’s reached that conclusion.”
I gave her a wry glance from the corner of my eye.
“You must admit he has reason to keep an eye on you. Consider what happened this summer. If he hadn’t done so, you might not be here today. That woman had a deadly weapon and all you had was Bun.”
“I should be grateful for Jack’s behavior, it’s just that it rankles me to know he’s breathing down my neck.”
Her first appointment arrived. I mentioned the list of things Molly asked for that I would pick up as Jess walked off and left me on my own. She was unaware I would soon drive to the exhibition center to meet with two very bad men. Though Jessica’s schedule was likely filled with clinic appointments, she would want to accompany me. I purposely hadn’t given the time of the meeting and wouldn’t have told her if she had asked.
The clock ticked as I wended through traffic toward the center. Parked close to the rear of the building, I surveyed the area before locking the car. Unlike the past several days, the lot and grounds were deserted. In an instant, I crossed the parking lot and noticed the back door was open a mere crack.
I heard the faint squeak when I pulled the door open enough to slip inside in stealth mode. Every few steps, I stopped to listen. A sound echoed through the empty building. “I know you’re here. Be careful, these guys are rotten to the core. I’m in a curtained area in room four past the main lobby. Come and get me, please, Jules. I’m petrified they’ll kill us.”
Fear fought for control of my body. I was already shaky and I advanced on tiptoe once again, then skirted the lobby, and followed Bun’s directions. I’d left my handbag in the car along with my jacket to make our getaway easier. The folded papers were in the back pocket of my jeans.
Focused on the sound of Bun’s voice, I wondered if he could read my mind, a mind filled with escape methods. At the closed door, I knocked and then backed away several feet. Not taking a chance of being hauled inside and pummeled, then searched and left for dead as I had been in the past, I stepped back when the door opened and stared at Seamus.
“You’re alone?”
“I am.”
“Got what we asked for?”
“I have it.” I waved the folded wad at him.
“Then come closer and toss it to me.”
“I want to see the rabbit first.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“That doesn’t work for me.”
“Too bad.”
“Okay, keep the rabbit. We’re done here.” False bravado at its best, I quaked inside, fearful Seamus would call my bluff. I shook in my shoes at the probability of it, knowing that I could find myself in deep trouble here.
“Fine.” He turned and looked over his shoulder, tipped his head in my direction, and moved aside.
Held in Colin’s tight grip, Bun said, “I’m fine, but they aren’t going to give me back. We’re doomed instead.”
I gave him a slight nod, stared at him, and thought hard, hoping he knew what I wanted him to do. His ears flopped and then rose. I guessed he had gotten the message.
I turned to Seamus and said, “Let’s do this then.” I shifted my eyes to Bun. “Now.”
Colin had loosened his grip on Bun and now held him in the crook of his arm. The young man didn’t look mean and nasty, as did Seamus. Though, he had gone along with Bun-napping, and in my opinion, Colin was no better than his cohort.
In a flash, Bun leapt from him onto Seamus’s neck. His claws extended, Bun clawed his face before he bounded toward me. At his scream of pain, agony, and astonishment, these two criminals were the last I saw as Bun and I hightailed it through the building toward the exit.
Hot on our heels, their footsteps pounded across the floors. Cursing, Seamus yelled as we reached the door. Like a wicked wind, Bun and I left them behind, fists pummeling the air in threat to our well-being.
“That was close. I wasn’t sure you wanted me to try to escape, but when I saw your determination and false bravado, I knew what I had to do. Besides, you would never leave me with him. Would you?”
“Not ever. I’ve been so worried about you.” I’d have reached out to pet him if I hadn’t been driving fast and crazy. I peered into the rearview mirror to keep track of the cars behind us. So far, we weren’t being chased, but a car I’d noticed in the past had joined the line behind us.
Three of the cars in line turned into various businesses, leaving a decent view of an unmarked police car when we stopped for the red light. From my rearview mirror, I recognized the driver as an officer from the station. We were safe, for the moment, at least.
Now that I had an escort, the rest of our ride home was slower. Adam parked his car next to mine. He came over to me and said, “Where did you get the rabbit?”
“From the animal rescue people. I thought you knew that.”
“Don’t be cute, Jules. You didn’t have him when you left the house, so where did he come from?”
His no-nonsense attitude wouldn’t bode well for me if I wasn’t truthful. “Come into the house. Bun needs to eat and then I’ll check him over. You know he was taken, and I was assaulted. I’ll explain over coffee. How’s that?”
He followed me indoors. I checked Bun from end to end and was satisfied he hadn’t been harmed. I gave him an extra treat to go with his meal and filled his water container.
Jess had come into the house. Coffee perked, she stood silent for a few minutes and then remarked, “You met them alone?”
“I did. I wasn’t taking any chances of having Bun injured in any way. It wasn’t long before I realized these guys are stupid, real stupid.” I sighed and said, “I did what I thought best, take it or leave it.”
> I sounded rude, even to my own ears, but this was Bun, for crying out loud.
“I see, shrewd of you to keep me out of it. Thanks, Jules. I would have been in the way and could have caused more chaos than you probably did.” Jessica poured three cups of coffee, passed sugar and cream around the table, and took a seat.
Adam had listened to our exchange without comment. He set his half-empty cup on the table and said, “Tell me.”
I ran through what the men did, how the scene unfolded, and ended with our escape. I left out Bun’s assault on one of the men, then thought better of it. I admitted that Bun had left minor scratch marks on the man’s face in his effort to gain his freedom.
When Sheriff Carver stopped by, it occurred to me his visit wasn’t a coincidence. Without his usual knock on the door, Jack walked in. I slid a glance toward Jessica, who got a cup of coffee and handed it to Jack. She refilled Adam’s cup before going to her next appointment.
Carver slurped his coffee, sat back, and said, “I heard what happened.”
Adam lifted his phone. He had dialed the sheriff and left the call open while I gave a rundown of my adventure, including descriptions of both men. “Sorry,” he said.
I shrugged. “No, you’re not, but I would expect that from any lawman.”
Carver cut any further remarks short. “Now we have evidence to go on.”
“That being?”
“The rabbit scratched the man, that’s what.”
“Oh, right. Glad he could be of help since there wasn’t much forthcoming from you people.” It was snarky and insolent of me, but once again, I’d taken action when no one else would. They didn’t care about Bun the way I did.
On that note, Adam said he’d be on his way and asked Jack if surveillance was over.
“Not yet. Juliette isn’t safe, though she thinks her issues with these guys are over.” His expression stern when he turned to me, he remarked, “You won’t be safe until we have them in custody. My advice, should you care to take it, would be to allow Adam to keep his eye on you.”
“Does that mean he’ll shadow me like a wraith for the time being?”
“It does.”
I said it was fine by me. The idea of having this cop on my trail didn’t thrill me in the least, but I was smart enough to let Jack think I agreed.
Before Jack closed the door on his way out, I asked, “Have you spoken to Carina as yet?”
“She’s on my list. You don’t make my job any easier by going off on these tangents. You could have found yourself in danger. Let me handle this, Jules. I have years of experience in the field of investigation.”
“True, you do. Thanks for the reminder.” I closed the door as he went down the front steps.
Bun hovered in the doorway.
“You certainly held your tongue while I was put through that. Thanks for not interrupting, it isn’t always helpful. I like to answer you, but can’t always.”
“He wasn’t happy with you, that’s for sure. And how about the way Adam set you up? I would have been annoyed over that.”
“Adam did his duty. It also saved me from having to repeat myself. How about a visit with your furry friends?”
Ears up, Bun hopped toward the front door. “Let’s go this way. I could use the fresh air.”
I pushed the screen door open. “You bet. Lead the way.” I watched him race across the yard before he hopped onto the step at the shop door. Lightness filled my heart at the sight of his joy. Sooner or later he would tell me of being held against his will, but right now, he wasn’t ready to share.
He joined the rabbits in the play area, said he was fine if I had other things to do, and turned to his friends. Brushed off so sweetly, I wandered into the shop, gazed at rows of colorful yarn and piled globs of roving that waited to be spun. Meredith opened the door and asked if she could come in.
“I saw you through the window. I hope I’m not interrupting you,” Meredith said.
“Come on in, it’s great to see you. How are your classes going?”
“Molly is patient with all of us. Worth her weight in gold.” She held up a mass of yarn for my inspection.
“This is yours?” I asked, running my hands over the bundle.
“I couldn’t have managed without help. It’s one of the reasons I came to see you.”
I handed her the yarn. “Great job, and Molly is a sweetheart. Now tell me why you’re here.”
She withdrew a folded envelope from her pocket, smoothed it, and handed it to me. I took it, saw the company name in the top corner, and looked at Meredith again.
“What’s this?” Not waiting for an answer, I tore the envelope open and withdrew a letter.
“Jim asked if I would drop this off to you. I met him by chance today. Were you awarded grant money?”
I turned the letter toward her. “Jim’s company has decided against my grant application. He doesn’t give a reason.”
She gave me a hug. “I’m sorry. I wanted you to get a grant from his company. The board is usually generous to those they feel have earned it, and I think you definitely have. The work you do here and the care you give your animals is well thought of in Windermere and beyond.”
I held the letter up and said, “I guess they don’t share that opinion.”
The clinic door opened, and Jessica walked in. She greeted Meredith and reached for the letter in my hand.
“Wow, that’s disappointing.”
Meredith jumped into the conversation. “I agree. Jim said he’ll call you this afternoon around four so make yourself available.”
“I’m surprised at the refusal. He and his board members meet midweek and the show only ended yesterday. Maybe he thought better of it after what happened to me and Bun at the show. It wouldn’t be good publicity for his company because I find myself in difficult positions with criminals and Jack.”
With a pat on my shoulder, Jessica said, “That could be the reason. It makes sense.”
Without a word, Meredith walked over to the yarn rack. She touched skein after skein, snuggled inside the diamond-shaped cubbyholes, as she always did. Meredith had once explained her method of choosing yarn when I had asked why she would shake or nod her head while she viewed and handled each type.
Jessica and I waited until she stepped back, shook her head, and said, “If I buy one more skein, I’ll have the wrath of Jack upon my shoulders.”
With a grin, I agreed. “I’m sure you will. No yarn for you today. If you have a favorite, let me know so I can hold it aside, in case you change your mind.”
“I had better not. Nice of you to offer, though. I’ll be on my way, oh wait, there’s one more thing I wanted to say about Molly. Jim Brody supports kids in college. You might let her know she can apply for grant money to help with her studies. She’s a top student, and an avid animal lover.”
I walked her to the door. “I’ll let her know. Thanks for coming by, Meredith.”
When she’d gone, I sought out Bun. Jason arrived as we were leaving.
As another dog and its owner arrived, Bun and I went off to find the goods Molly had requested. I’d left a list of work for Jason and knew he was competent enough to get it done without me around.
Adam, in his unmarked car, followed us. It had finally sunk into my weary brain that Jack was right to assign an officer to me. Seamus and Colin had yet to be captured.
My phone rang while I waited at a red light.
“Hello?” I asked without giving the screen a look to see the caller’s name.
“What you dropped in your rush to leave today wasn’t the right certificate. It’s stupid to play us for fools. We want the right one, and you’re gonna give it to us.”
I recognized the gruff voice. “Neither of them were what you wanted?”
“You know which one we meant.”
“Fine.” No sense insisting it wasn’t in my possession, Seamus would think I lied. There was no reasoning with thugs like him.
His voice changed, beca
me short and strained. “I’ll be in touch.” The line went dead, the traffic light turned green, and I went shopping.
“Don’t tell me, my fan club called.”
“The certificates I took from Evelyn’s were the wrong ones. I’ll have to search again.”
“We can go together. My superpowers are functioning on high now that I’m free.”
So be it. My partner in crime was back full tilt. I knew my way around Evelyn’s home, which was a plus. Bun would be the lookout while I searched. What was so important about this birth certificate? What did it have to do with Evelyn’s death? Something, for sure. Had she been murdered because of it? Was her death due to the secrets she kept? Had Evelyn blackmailed the wrong person? So many questions with no concrete answers. Yet.
I kept an eye on Adam knowing he would do the same to us. When we parked at the police station, Bun edged into the sling buckled across my body.
In a spur of the moment decision, I had decided to ask Sheriff Carver a few questions. Adam didn’t follow me in, but remained in his car at the curb.
“Do you plan to slay the dragon before he comes to visit you?”
“I want to know where he is in his quest to find our assailants.”
“Good luck.”
An officer at the front desk took down my name and asked my business. He knew who I was from previous visits but asked anyway. He rang the sheriff’s office while I waited on a nearby bench. It wasn’t long before I was told Jack was in his office and I could go in.
He teetered back and forth in his chair, a gleam in his eyes as I entered the room. Oh my, had I been foolish to come here? I sat in the seat across from him.
“What brings you by?”
“Have you come across those men?”
“Not yet. I got a lead this morning. A couple of my officers have gone to see if it will turn up something useful. Why?”
“I’m jittery over them being at large. They know where I live, Jack. I think Seamus is out for blood and won’t stop until he gets it. What if Adam can’t deal with them alone?”
“He knows what he’s doing. I have you covered. Go about your work at the farm and leave this to me.” He peered at Bun, who had stuck his head out of the sling. “How’s the rabbit?”
Who's Dead, Doc? Page 11
