by Cindy Bell
Nikki dropped the camera, and stared at him. “Calvin. I was looking for you.”
“Sorry, I had to make a quick perimeter sweep before the next guard starts. Oh, did you see my find?” Calvin smiled as he picked up the camera. “I found it on the trail. I thought maybe it belonged to your friend. I was going to give it to that detective.”
“Oh.” Her heart pounded. She didn’t believe him, not for a second.
“We’ll just leave it here while we go for dinner, then I’ll give it to him. Okay?” Calvin smiled as he tucked the camera back into its hiding place. “You didn’t look through it, did you?”
Nikki forced down her fear. She knew that if he thought she had seen the pictures, she would be in a lot of trouble.
“No, uh, not at all. We should go.” Nikki started to push past him to get out through the door, but his lean frame was stronger than she expected. He didn’t budge an inch.
“Did you look at the pictures, Nikki?” Calvin placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“No, I said I didn’t.” Nikki stared back at him, and wondered if he could tell that she was lying.
“Darn, I was hoping we could have a nice meal.” He frowned, then grabbed his radio. “Bring the truck up. We have a problem.”
“No, there’s no problem.” Nikki tried to wiggle out from under his grasp.
“I’m afraid there is.” He met her eyes. “You’ve seen too much, Nikki, just like Chelsea did. When I caught her on that trail the first time, I warned her to stay away. But she didn’t listen. Then I found her snooping and taking pictures. She was going to turn them in to the police. She had to die, Nikki. Now, unfortunately, so do you.”
“No!” She let out a shriek as he lunged towards her. A second later his hand was cupped over her mouth so tight that she couldn’t scream. The door to the guardhouse burst open, and the three men she’d seen at the Dahlia Convenience Store squeezed their way into the guardhouse. Within moments they had her tied and silenced. She was terrified as she stared into Calvin’s eyes.
“Sorry about this. But really, you brought it on yourself.” He nodded to the men. “Take her out to the bay, and dump her off. I don’t want her body to be found for days.”
“Sure, boss.”
Nikki closed her eyes as they tugged her from the guardhouse and threw her in the back of the truck. She thought she might have a chance to escape, but the biggest of the three men climbed into the truck with her. She realized that these were going to be her last moments alive. How had she been so wrong? How could she believe that Calvin was trustworthy, while Quinn was the one she questioned?
Nikki closed her eyes as the truck bumped along an unpaved road in the direction of the bay. Of all the things she was upset about, one thing stood out starkly in her mind. She’d never thanked Quinn properly for saving her earlier in the evening. She’d never thanked him for jumping into that cold water and staying with her until they were rescued. As her thoughts drifted back to all those years before, her heart filled with the desire to see Quinn just one more time. He’d been her hero once, then twice, and now she needed him to be there just one more time.
Chapter 18
Whether it was from the bump to her head, or the trauma of being abducted, Nikki drifted away from her current situation. In a dream-like state she recalled the summer before junior year. She saw Quinn, his hair shimmering in the sun, his smile so wide that it seemed to go on forever. Those dimples. She’d fallen so hard for those dimples. She’d developed such a crush on him that she’d made sure to find out where he would be that day. She’d followed him and his friends to the bay. She watched as they all raced into the water and began to splash around. She’d never been a strong swimmer. For some reason she was always a little afraid of water. But she knew that if she was ever going to get the chance to introduce herself, this would be it.
Nikki’s mother had coached her for hours about how she needed to be more extrovert, less shy. She needed to smile more, and not be afraid to dive in. So that day, she dove in. She swam out towards Quinn. There was a lifeguard, but the bay was filled with people enjoying one of the last warm days of summer. She wanted to just get close enough that he might notice her. She wasn’t going to bother him. She wasn’t going to try to get his attention. She just wanted the opportunity to be near him. But as she swam out she realized they were much farther out than she had ever gone before. Determined, she continued to swim.
The teens gathered there were splashing and joking around. Nikki was almost to their group when someone sent a huge splash in her direction. She doubted that they even saw her, but the splash caused her to get a mouthful of water. That was when it began. The exhaustion from swimming so far out, her fear of the water, and disappointment at going unnoticed, all combined to cause that mouthful of water to make her panic. She choked on it, and her head slid under the water. She managed to bob back up, but opened her mouth too soon and drank down another mouthful of water. Panicked, she sank back down under the water. She always pictured drowning to be something like it was in the movies, a lot of thrashing, and shouts for help. But she couldn’t make a sound, and her arms and legs were too busy trying to keep her afloat to get anyone’s attention. As she swallowed water again she felt a sense of fatigue and lethargy kick in. She no longer felt the urge to swim for the surface. As she sank further down, she became aware that she might not ever make it out of the water.
That was when a hand plunged through the water, and grabbed her under the arm.
The truck hit a large dip, and her body bounced up into the air. Her eyes flung open and briefly she saw the stars above her. It took her a second to remember where she was.
No! She tried to force herself to remain aware. This couldn’t happen again, she wasn’t going to let it. As she squirmed in the ropes that held her, she noticed the man in the truck with her was distracted by the passing scenery. He thought she was still passed out. She had a chance if she could just manage to get her hands free. Suddenly, the dimly lit road lit up with flashing police lights. Relief coursed through her as she believed that maybe she had been saved. However, they continued to drive right past those police lights. No one stopped them. No one knew she was there. Defeated, she slumped back against the bed of the truck.
When the truck came to a stop, Nikki knew that she was about to die. There was no one to stop these men from doing what Calvin had instructed them to do. With her heart in her throat she listened to them planning how to do it. Then she saw her only chance. There was a large cooler with a loose lid at the end of the bed of the truck. If the cooler contained ice and wasn’t properly sealed, she presumed that some of it would have melted from the hot weather. It was her only chance. She waited until one of the men unlatched the back, then slammed her feet hard into that cooler. As the men thought she was still out cold, none expected that to happen. As she’d hoped, they all stumbled back and cursed in reaction to the splash of water. With one swift move she shoved her body up over the side of the truck, and tumbled down onto the ground on the other side. Sand billowed up around her, just as it had the day that Quinn tossed her onto it, fresh out of the bay, still struggling to breathe. He’d looked into her eyes then, his own filled with fear and determination.
“Breathe! Just breathe for me!” Then he’d leaned in, and placed his lips to hers, and for a moment they shared breath. The lifeguard pushed him aside, but it was that one breath that she needed. She coughed up the water that had been blocking her lungs. In the chaos that followed, Quinn was swept away from her.
As searing pain washed over her body from the collision with the ground, she felt her consciousness threaten to fade. Breathe, she thought to herself, just breathe. The more she struggled the less energy she had. But she crawled, as best she could with hands and feet bound, she crawled for the woods instead of the water.
“Get her!” The biggest man shouted.
Nikki felt burly hands grab her from behind, there was no escape, she knew that
, but she had to try. She kicked her feet swift and hard against the hands that grabbed her. She was so focused on trying to get away that she didn’t recognize the sound of another car driving up until she heard the squeal of the brakes.
“Where is she?”
Nikki heard Quinn’s voice. Was that a dream? Was it real? She couldn’t tell anymore.
“He’s got Calvin!” The biggest man hissed. “Let’s get out of here!”
The three men were suddenly gone, at least it seemed like they were. When she felt another pair of hands grab her feet she panicked and kicked again.
“It’s okay, Nikki, it’s me.” Quinn rubbed his hands along her ankles. “Stay still so that I can cut this rope.”
She wept against the ground as she felt the rope come loose from both her feet and hands. He ripped the gag from her mouth, then eased her up into his arms.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He ran his hands the length of her arms and looked into her eyes.
“Quinn.” Nikki tried to breathe deeply to calm down.
“We have to stop meeting like this.” He raised an eyebrow and offered a wide smile that revealed he still had those dimples.
“Thank you.” Nikki sighed as her entire body trembled with the force of what had just happened. “How did you find me?”
“It’s okay, relax.” Quinn rubbed his hands along her shoulders. “Help is on the way. When I got your text, I put two and two together. I remembered seeing tire tracks along the path that bordered the Barrandoahs’ property, and Mrs. Whitter’s. It led me back to Calvin. When I found him at the guardhouse without you, I knew something was wrong. He tried to convince me that you canceled the date, but I could tell he was lying.” He tipped his head towards his car, where Calvin sat in the backseat, clearly restrained. “Eventually, he confessed everything.” He swept a hand across her cheek and eased it back along the curve of her neck in the most soothing gesture she had ever experienced. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”
“You were here just in time. Just like always.” She looked into his dark blue eyes, and remembered the breath they’d shared. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who I was. It’s just that I didn’t think you ever knew who I was, or cared to know.”
“Why, because you were a skinny, little girl who didn’t know how to swim?” Quinn grinned, flashing those dimples again. “I remembered her, but I didn’t realize that she’d turned into a beautiful woman.”
“You remembered me?” Nikki’s eyes widened. “But you never said a word at high school, nothing.”
“I didn’t want to embarrass you. My mom told me I should keep it out of the papers, not take any praise, because you should be allowed to go on with your life. I didn’t want anyone calling me a hero.”
“But you are.” She cupped his cheek. “You really are.”
“Because of you.” Quinn lowered his eyes as his cheeks burned. “The truth is, I didn’t want you to know.”
“Know what?” Nikki gazed at him.
“I’m the one that splashed you.” Quinn frowned. “I didn’t mean to, but I did. I saw you go down, and I thought you were just playing. But then I realized you weren’t. I should have gotten to you sooner, I thought I had killed you.” He clenched his jaw. “You should be angry at me.”
“I’m not.” Nikki laughed. “Not at all. You were just having fun, you had no way of knowing.”
“After that day everything changed. I knew I wanted to be in the business of protecting people. I always hoped I’d run into you, but I get so caught up in these cases, I get so determined to solve them, that I don’t always pay attention to other things around me. I’m sorry it took so long for me to recognize you, Nikki.”
“It’s okay, Quinn.” Nikki smiled as she hugged him. Now that her friend’s murder was solved, and she was beginning a new friendship with a man she never thought she’d have the chance to know, she was ready to see where life would take her.
The End
***
Thank you very much for reading Murder at Pooch Park, the first book in the Wagging Tail Cozy Mystery Series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next book in the series Murder at the Pet Boutique is available now. You can sign up for my cozy mystery newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at
http://www.cindybellbooks.com
Murder at the Pet Boutique
Wagging Tail Cozy Mystery Series
Chapter 1
It was just after nine in the morning, and the town of Dahlia was bustling. Nikki had found her way to the newest shop in town, Dahlia’s Pet Boutique, a pet supplies and gift shop. There were still ‘Grand Opening’ signs in the window, but the shop had been open for almost a month. As a dog walker, pet sitter, and general lover of animals, Nikki was drawn to the new shop. But she wasn’t there just to check it out. She was on a mission. One of her favorite clients, Mrs. Whitter, had decided to throw a birthday party for her Chihuahua, Princess. With the party planned for Saturday, Nikki simply had to find the perfect gift. Mrs. Whitter was one of the wealthiest people in town, and although Nikki knew she would appreciate any gift, she wanted to try and impress her.
There were ample clothing choices. All of them served a purpose of either protecting the animals from the sun or keeping them warm. Nikki noticed that several of the pieces had fake gems sewn into them, but only in places that the dog wouldn’t be able to get to them and chew them free. She liked that the designer was safety-minded. She moved on from the clothing, past the toys and bedding, to the ‘Puppy and Me’ section. It contained items for dogs that matched with items that could be worn by their owners.
As Nikki sorted through the collars, she noticed that some were sold in sets with matching key rings. The collars were a solid color, with decorative designs swirled through them. The key rings were silver paw prints, with a jewel the same color as the collar in the center. Clearly the jewel was fake, but it was still pretty. She knew that Mrs. Whitter’s favorite color was green. She decided to search for a green set.
Then Mrs. Whitter and Princess can match. Nikki smiled to herself at the thought. She was sure that Mrs. Whitter would like that idea.
As Nikki brushed back her wavy, light brown hair, she peered at each collar on the rack. She found a green collar that was perfect for Princess’ tiny size, but there was no matching green key ring. There were blue key rings, and yellow ones, even pink ones, but no green. Determined to get the special gift she turned her attention to the front counter.
Behind it the owner of the shop appeared to be busy packing items into boxes.
“Hi Bryan.” Nikki smiled as she walked up to the counter with the green collar in her hand. “Do you have the matching key ring that goes with this set? I’d really like to buy it.”
“No, I’m sorry. We’re out of the green.” He turned back towards the boxes that lined a shelf behind the counter.
As she watched, he dropped a key ring with a green gem into the box.
“Well, what about that one?” Nikki smiled as she pointed it out. “That looks like it would match. I’ll take it.”
“No, I’m sorry, these aren’t for sale.” Bryan closed the lid of the box.
“Even if I paid a little extra?” She frowned as she reached into her purse for her wallet.
“No.” His tone became firmer as he turned around to face her. He met her eyes. “Like I said, these aren’t available for purchase.”
“Okay.” Nikki took a step back from the counter, annoyed. She’d finally found the perfect gift for Princess, and Bryan couldn’t be bothered to let her have just one key ring. She decided that she would shop elsewhere. Normally, Bryan was such a friendly and funny man. He always wore a bright smile and was eager to talk about his latest creations. But today it seemed as if he couldn’t get her out of the shop fast enough. Maybe he was just having a rough day, but it bothered her. She didn’t want to give her business to someone that didn
’t appreciate it.
With one more look in the direction of the perfect green collar, Nikki walked towards the door. Before she could reach it, it swung open. A woman who looked to be in her twenties pushed her way past her. The collision was harmless, but the attitude of the woman made Nikki pause and watch her.
“You!” The woman shouted and pointed at Bryan. “You almost killed me! Are you insane?”
Drawn in by the intensity of the moment, Nikki continued to linger near the door. She watched as Bryan turned to face the woman. His cheeks burned crimson in reaction to the woman’s accusation.
“I didn’t kill you, did I?”
“And I’m supposed to feel grateful for that?” She snapped at him. “You were driving like a mad man! You should lose your license before you do kill someone!”
“It was a mistake, you’re fine, I think it’s best if we just move on.” Bryan crossed his arms as he studied her. “Are you going to leave my shop, or do I need to call the police?”
“Oh, go ahead and call them. I’m sure they would love to hear all about you hitting me, and then taking off.”
“You were fine!” He shouted, then started to step around the counter. “I didn’t see the need to call the police over something as trivial as a fender bender.”
“A fender bender that could have taken my life.” She shook her head as she glared at him. “One day soon, buddy someone is going to show you what it’s like to face your own death, and then you will have an idea of what you put me through. Very soon!” She turned and pushed past Nikki again to get back out of the shop.
Nikki stared after her, curious about the details of the woman’s encounter with Bryan. When she glanced back at him, he had already stepped back behind the counter. His back was to her, as he continued to pack boxes. Whatever had happened between him and the woman, he didn’t seem terribly concerned about it. However, the woman’s words echoed through Nikki’s mind. Clearly, she had been traumatized by the accident, and she had a lot of anger towards Bryan. But that didn’t give her the right to threaten him. Nikki stepped out through the door of the shop and did her best to shake off the experience. She didn’t want it to ruin the rest of her day.
