Kept in the Bark (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 5) Read online

  “That sounds awesome. You’re the best, Mary.â€�

  Tell her she looks pretty, Olivia urged silently. Ask her out to dinner!

  “I’m just doing my job. With the MegaStore crowd coming in daily, we’re on our feet constantly. I start early on the coffee because I’m usually drinking it all day. Man, the days are busy! I’m looking forward to having this Saturday off.â€� Mary’s voice was light and teasing, and Olivia nodded her head in approval. Mary was a pro at this. She’d just given Wilbur the opening that he needed.

  “You do serve the best pastries and coffee in town,â€� Wilbur acknowledged. “I’m sure you’re very busy.â€�

  Quietly, Olivia tapped her head against the wall. Mary was a gorgeous woman. She found it hard to believe that Wilbur wasn’t interested in her, but could he really be so dense that he didn’t realize what she wanted?

  Ramp it up, Mary.

  “I actually don’t usually have Saturdays off,â€� Mary tried again. “You look like the kind of guy who likes to have fun. What do you like to do on Saturdays?â€�

  “Honestly, I haven’t really had a chance to explore.â€�

  Safely behind the wall, Olivia shook her head and glared. After seeing them together, she’d been so sure that Wilbur had been interested in Mary. Was he just really shy?

  “Oh, you’re missing out! Lexingburg is small, but we have some great attractions. I’d be more than happy to show you around!â€� Mary said cheerfully.

  Yes!

  “That’s very nice of you to offer. I have noticed that everyone here is so friendly. I’m used to the rude atmosphere of the city,â€� Wilbur said and laughed.

  Olivia’s heart plummeted. Mary was batting zero. When his laughter was met with silence, Olivia stuck her head around the corner. “Mary, coffee is ready.â€�

  Mary nodded and pushed away from the counter. Her expression was tense as she grabbed a cup and hurried to the coffee machine.

  “He’s an idiot,â€� Olivia whispered.

  Poor Mary looked miserable as she poured the cup and grabbed a lid. Forcing a smile, she headed back out to the front. “So, no pastry today? I’ve got some muffins cooling on the rack.â€�

  “Tempting, but no thanks. My ex-girlfriend and I are back together, and I’m trying to watch the carbs. I’m afraid I put on a few pounds while we were apart.â€�

  Ah, that explained so much. Wilbur wasn’t dense. He just wasn’t single. Poor Mary.

  “Well, I—I think you look great,â€� Mary stuttered. “And I’m sure that your girlfriend likes you just the way you are. Two ninety-five for the coffee.â€�

  “Thanks again, Mary. I promise I won’t ever make you do this again. I’ll see you tomorrow!â€�

  The man whistled softly as he walked out the door, and Olivia raced out to lock it behind him. “You know, I bet he’s regretting taking his ex back,â€� she said as she struggled to make Mary feel better. “After he’s seen the way that you look today.â€�

  “It’s no use. My heart is broken,â€� Mary sighed. “He was the perfect man.â€�

  “Really?â€� Olivia peered at her with interest. “What makes you say that?â€�

  “He’s quiet, cute. And he likes my coffee and baking. What else could a girl ask for?“

  Unable to help herself, Olivia chuckled. “If those are your only qualifications, I’m sure you’ll find someone to mend your broken heart in no time. Especially with this job.â€�

  The timer beeped in the back, and Mary grabbed her apron. “If I’d known that he had a girlfriend, I would have slept in instead of putting on makeup. I hope someone cute comes in so it won’t be a complete waste. Oh, well. Back to work.â€�

  Olivia was almost finished setting up the bakery for the early-morning onslaught of customers when her phone rang. It was still much too early for her dog walks, but some of her clients would call before they went to work if they needed to change their schedule.

  Pulling it out of her pocket, she realized that it wasn’t a client. It was Jackie. “Awfully early for you to be up,â€� she teased.

  “Olivia. Yesterday, this guy was hanging around Hattie’s house.â€� Jackie’s voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Okay. Why are you whispering?â€�

  “Because he’s back! He’s here right now! He knocked on the door, and he’s peering in the windows!â€�

  Olivia frowned. “Are you standing right next to him?â€�

  “What? No. Oh.â€� Jackie cleared her throat and spoke in her regular voice. “Sorry. I just felt like a spy, and spies usually whisper, right? Anyway, I didn’t think about the guy last night because he just knocked on her door and looked impatient, but now he looks suspicious. Should I call Nick?â€�

  Hesitating, Olivia bit her lower lip. It made sense to call Nick, but a guy trying to get a hold of Hattie wasn’t suspicious. Was he? “I can be there in less than ten minutes. Do you think he’s dangerous?â€�

  “He’s wearing an expensive suit and driving an Aston Martin. I don’t think he’s the murdering type. I’ll see if I can distract him until you get here.â€�

  “Jackie, make sure you keep him outside. Jackie?â€� Before Olivia could get her friend’s confirmation, the line went dead. “Mary, I’ve got to go!â€� she said hurriedly. “I’ll be back in a little bit.â€�

  Hoping that her friend wasn’t going to get in trouble, Olivia grabbed her keys and raced to her car.

  11

  The sleek silver Aston Martin did look out of place in the neighborhood of small houses. It gleamed under the early sun, but it didn’t distract from the two figures arguing outside on the front lawn. Olivia couldn’t help but laugh. Jackie had positioned herself between the mysterious stranger and his car. Her arms were spread wide, and it looked like she was in the middle of a full-on temper tantrum.

  Parking alongside the curb, Olivia quietly stepped down from her Wrangler and listened.

  “Blood money! That’s what paid for your expensive suit. You revel in ruining small towns like Lexingburg! Do you know what I do for a living? I own a small bookstore. It’s the quintessential small-town bookstore. Guests come and sit in my big comfy chairs and read books. They drink wine around the fireplace while they talk about books. Okay, maybe not that because I don’t think that fireplace has been cleaned out in years, and I’m pretty sure there’s a colony of bats nesting in there, and I like bats, and I don’t want to destroy their habitat, but if I had a clear fireplace, that’s what people would do! What happens when your precious MegaStore starts selling books? Then it becomes more about convenience than supporting local business. You support a company that ruins lives!â€�

  Uh-oh. It sounded like Jackie wasn’t stalling for more time as much as she was ranting. Expensive Threads worked for MegaStore?

  “Hi, Jackie,â€� Olivia said cautiously as she intervened. “I’m here to do that thing that we talked about.â€�

  Oops. She should definitely have tried to come up with a better cover story.

  “Olivia, I would like you to meet Matthias Bernard. He’s MegaStore’s lawyer!â€�

  “Ah. Now I can see why you’re so angry,â€� Olivia muttered. “Mr. Bernard. What are you doing at Hattie’s house?â€�

  Matthias looked down his long and slightly crooked nose and sniffed. With his slender frame and slicked-back hair, he looked like some villain straight out of a cartoon. “That is none of your business.â€�

&n
bsp; Narrowing her eyes, Olivia folded her arms. She wasn’t about to let someone like Matthias intimidate her. “It is—unless you want me to call the sheriff’s office and let him know that you were peeping in at Hattie’s windows. She’s an attractive woman and lives alone. We don’t look too favorably on stalkers around here.�

  “I’m not a peeping tom,â€� Matthias hissed. “And Hattie is in contempt of court. I could have her fined or arrested!â€�

  “Contempt of court?â€� Jackie exchanged an uneasy look with Olivia. “For what?â€�

  “I subpoenaed her three days ago! By mail and email! She was supposed to meet me yesterday at the courthouse and surrender some documents pertaining to the MegaStore case, but she didn’t show up. Where is she?â€�

  Olivia tried to hide her dismay. “You talked to Hattie within the last three days?â€�

  “Yes. She emailed me after receiving the subpoena.â€� The lawyer set his jaw in a grim line, and his eyes glinted dangerously. “She has to realize that not turning in those documents isn’t going to save her. If she doesn’t show up for court, the whole case gets dismissed. Either way, it’s a win for me, but I don’t like ending things that way. I want to prove to everyone that Hattie is a liar and faked those documents. Do you know where she is?â€�

  “What?â€� Olivia gasped. “Hattie would never fake documents. What’s your proof?â€�

  Matthias sniffed and rolled his eyes. “I can’t discuss the particulars of the case. Do you know where she is or not? My time is very expensive and very valuable.â€�

  “No, we don’t know where she is,â€� Jackie said crossly. “But Hattie is not running away or hiding from you. We’re thinking that something happened to her.â€�

  “Convenient. I’ve heard that tale a thousand times. When you do see her, have her call me, because if she tries to go to court without turning over those documents, I’ll have her arrested.â€� Fishing out a business card, he held it out to Jackie. When she refused to take it, he let it flutter to the ground and marched to his car.

  “Olivia,â€� Jackie said in a shaky voice. “You don’t think that Hattie is running away, do you?â€�

  “No, but a lot of people are going to see it that way,â€� Olivia moaned. “This is a nightmare. That’s twice now that Hattie has sent someone an email that sounds suspect. I mean, seriously? Who responds to a subpoena through email? You’d call, right?â€�

  “I would, but I’m not Hattie,â€� Jackie pointed out. “She didn’t like talking to people.â€�

  “But she’ll leave her house for days on end? Something’s not right.â€� Olivia shook her head and balled her fists in frustration. “Jackie, something has happened to Hattie. Someone is trying to cover it up, but why can’t I prove it?â€�

  Wrapping her arms around herself, Jackie bit her lower lip. “It’s ironic. In isolating herself and avoiding connections, she’s made it that much easier for someone to hurt her. No one knows much about Hattie, so no one can say that something is wrong.â€�

  “I need a cup of coffee,â€� Olivia complained as she rubbed her temples. “And I’ve got to get back to the bakery. I don’t know if Janelle is there yet, and it’s opening soon.â€�

  “Janelle is playing hooky?â€�

  The last thing Olivia wanted to do was lie to Jackie, so she tried to stick as close to the truth as possible. “She had an upset stomach this morning, so I volunteered to help open the bakery.â€�

  “Oh, God.â€� Jackie’s eyes widened in horror. “Please tell me that you didn’t bake anything. I was going to grab breakfast there.â€�

  “What’s wrong with my baking?â€� Olivia protested. “I can follow a recipe, but it’s not my fault if the recipe is written in poor handwriting. You know,â€� she said, interrupting herself, “that isn’t important. Mary did the baking, so you’ll be fine. What is important is that city-slick lawyer just made the top of my suspect list.â€�

  “Suspect list?â€� Jackie arched her eyebrows. “I thought we were only trying to prove that Hattie is missing.â€�

  “It looks like that isn’t going to do the trick anymore,â€� Olivia said grimly. “And Mr. Matthias Bernard already admitted it himself. The case will be dismissed if Hattie doesn’t show up, and I find it hard to believe that he has proof that Hattie forged those documents. I have a feeling that with that suit and car, Matthias is the kind of man who would do anything to appear successful.â€�

  “What are you going to do now?â€�

  “Call Andrew. He’s not going to be happy about it, but I need him to forward me Hattie’s emails. We need to try to trace her steps the last few weeks leading up to her disappearance, and she does most of her communications through email.â€�

  “Isn’t that illegal?â€�

  Olivia shrugged. “Yeah, but if Hattie is in trouble, I don’t think she’s going to mind. You going in to work? I can give you a ride.â€�

  “No, I need to walk. With Brett gone, I’ve got some pent-up energy that I need to release.â€�

  Olivia snorted. “You two got back together three days before he headed out to the conference. You’re fine.â€�

  “Aw.â€� Jackie cooed and placed her hand over her heart. “You miss Andrew, don’t you? That’s so sweet. Brett and I are trying to keep things spicy while he’s away. I could give you some tips.â€�

  As her friend waggled her eyebrows, Olivia shook her head and backed away. “You know what? You do need to walk to work, and I definitely don’t need to hear about the details of your spicy relationship.â€�

  “Coffee this afternoon?â€� Jackie called after her.

  “Only after you get rid of your pent-up energy,â€� Olivia laughed as she jogged back to her car. She had a bakery to open, a new assistant to meet, and a mysterious disappearance to solve.

  Janelle was already there when Olivia arrived, looking a little green around the gills. “You burned the first batch of cookies,â€� she accused as soon as Olivia walked in.

  “I got up at four o’clock in the morning for you, and those are the first words out of your mouth?â€� Olivia immediately regretted the snarky comment. “I’m sorry. I forgot that your condition might make you moody.â€�

  “Hey!â€� her sister hissed. “Watch it! I already think that Mary suspects, and I’ll be mortified if she accidentally tells my husband.â€�

  Olivia shot her a pointed look. “If you told Patrick, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. And I think that keeping the secret is giving you hives. You’re a terrible liar.â€�

  Janelle immediately scratched at her neck. “It’s not a lie. It’s an omission. They’re two different things, and I’m not going to argue this with you anymore. I’m already stressed enough, and I would kill for a steak.â€�

  “A steak?â€� Olivia glanced at the clock. “It’s six thirty in the morning, and you want a steak?â€�

  “What can I say? The baby wants what the baby wants! When does End Game open? I really want a sirloin.â€�

  “They open at eleven, so you’re going to have to tell Baby that he or she has to wait four and a half hours.â€�

  Janelle looked around suspiciously before grabbing Olivia’s arm and pulling her to the side. “Listen, I need another favor.â€�

  “Sure. What do you need?â€�

  Janelle lowered her voice. “I ordered a few things, and I was hoping to st
ash them in your apartment until I can tell Patrick. I promise, it won’t be too much longer.�

  Olivia really wanted to say no. Her apartment was barely big enough for herself and two dogs. “How many things, Janelle? I don’t have a lot of room.â€�

  “Just a few things. Small,â€� Janelle said vaguely. “You’ll never even know that it’s there. I promise.â€�

  “Fine,â€� Olivia sighed. “What are you doing, shopping for the baby, anyway? Isn’t that something that you’re supposed to share with Patrick? Argue about brands and colors and safety issues?â€�

  Her sister’s face immediately brightened. “Oh, but I’m going to use the items to let Patrick know that I’m pregnant. I’ve got it all planned out. It’s gonna be great. Like a surprise baby announcement for the husband.â€�

  Olivia furrowed her brow and held up her finger. “Your husband isn’t really great with big surprises. Are you sure this is the best way to tell him?â€�

  Janelle scratched again. Her neck was growing bright red. “I feel a little bad about hiding the pregnancy from Patrick, so I want the announcement to be memorable.â€�

  “You mean, you want to tell Patrick that the reason you didn’t tell him right away was because you were planning some ridiculous baby surprise announcement. You can’t fool me, Janelle. I’ve know you since I was a baby myself.â€�

  Mary walked out from the back of the kitchen and smiled. “Hi, Olivia. Everything okay? You ran out of here like you were on fire.â€�

  “Yes. No. Maybe? I don’t know.â€� Olivia pulled out a chair and slumped into it. “Do either of you know this lawyer who’s defending MegaStore? Matthias Bernard? He was snooping around Hattie’s house this morning. Apparently, he served her a subpoena for documents, but she didn’t show up to their meeting. He claims that he can prove that she faked the documents.â€�