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

  “Happy Endings? I love that place!â€�

  “That’s my sister. I own the dog-walking business upstairs. Next time you’re working, I’ll bring you a treat.â€� Olivia arched her eyebrows as she saw the appreciative smile on Jackie’s face. The bookstore owner and her boyfriend, Brett, had been on the fritz lately.

  Jackie jerked her head toward the back of the store. “Come on. I’m just finishing up my order for next week.â€�

  “Nice to meet you, Michael.â€� Olivia followed Jackie back into her small office and closed the door behind them. “Hiring eye candy now?â€�

  “He’s qualified. Literature degree and previous experience in sales.â€�

  “Uh-huh.â€� Olivia bit into her own bagel and sat down. “He also looks a little out of place at a minimum-wage job.â€�

  Sitting at her desk, Jackie shrugged and tried to look innocent. “Hey, I didn’t ask about his life history.â€�

  “Uh-huh. He just walked in and asked for a job?â€�

  “Not exactly.â€� Jackie chewed on her bottom lip and then sighed. “Okay, I went to this speed-dating event in the city on Saturday. I didn’t tell you because I knew that you would laugh at me. Anyway, he and I didn’t exactly hit it off, but afterward, he stopped me because he remembered that I’d said I owned a bookstore. He said that he was looking for a part-time job in the evenings and on the weekends.â€�

  “Oh, Jackie.â€� Olivia frowned and looked at her friend in pity. “Speed-dating? That is so not your thing.â€�

  “I know. I just wanted to do something different.â€�

  “Where was it held? I didn’t even realize that speed-dating was a thing locally.â€�

  “A bar. In Lowell. On Jackson Street.â€� Jackie cringed. Jackson Street was on the same street where Brett lived, and she knew that Olivia knew it. “I know. You don’t have to lecture me.â€�

  “Apparently, I do! Andrew told me that Brett is miserable! Come on, Jackie. The poor man was just upset that you didn’t tell him right away that someone had vandalized the bookstore. So it turned into a small argument. Arguments happen in relationships!â€�

  A couple of months ago, someone had snuck into Jackie’s bookstore and scribbled on the book covers featuring redheaded women. Olivia had promised to look into it, but she hadn’t gotten very far. In the end, she and Jackie had chalked it up to teenage vandals and left it that.

  The only thing that really bothered Olivia was the fact that her own office had been broken into, and it didn’t seem to be connected to the murder she’d been looking into at the time.

  Brett, Andrew’s womanizing best friend, had appeared to have a good thing going with Jackie up until their argument, and Jackie was obviously miserable.

  “Did you see him at the event?â€�

  “No. And I walked by several times before and after,â€� Jackie admitted. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me! This isn’t what I do!â€�

  Olivia rolled her eyes. Jackie was hardly the kind of girl to fall all over a guy, so the answer should have been obvious. “You love him. You miss him. You realize that you made a mistake.â€� She leaned forward to emphasize the next words. “Call him!â€�

  Scowling, Jackie leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. “He needs to call me first!â€�

  Jeez. Was this how she had sounded to Andrew while he patiently tried to get them back together? “He wasn’t the one who walked away.â€�

  “I’m sorry. Whose side are you on?â€�

  Yup. Same argument. Olivia tried not to wince. “I just want you to be happy, Jackie. Brett makes you happy.â€�

  “I hate you. Did you come here just to make me hate you? Or did you come to ogle Michael?â€�

  Olivia brushed the crumbs off her shirt. “I did not come to make you hate me, and I already have a man at home to ogle. At least, one in my building. Plus, I didn’t even know you had hired a man for me to ogle. I came to bring you a bagel and see if you’ve got another book for me.â€�

  Jackie smirked. “Mystery or your new love?â€�

  Avoiding her gaze, Olivia picked at the chair. “Well, I know that there isn’t a new Rose Palmer book yet, and I don’t know how I feel about investing myself with a new author right now.â€� She cleared her throat. “Is there something by that Chelsea Jane woman?â€�

  “The author you’ve been reading nonstop for the past two months? No, but I do have a book for you. Once again, I’ll need a write-up when you’re done.â€� Opening a desk drawer, Jackie pulled out a book and tossed it her way.

  Eagerly, Olivia picked it up and examined it. “Romancing the PI? Jackie, what is this?â€�

  “Part romance and part mystery. Should be right up your alley.â€�

  Uncomfortably crossing her legs, Olivia tried to choose her words carefully. “The other books worked because they were dog-themed, so it made sense for me to read and give my opinion. But I’m not a romance fan.â€�

  “Right,â€� Jackie laughed. “You read the romance books for the descriptions of the dogs. Olivia, everyone in town knows that you like to snoop when it comes to mysteries. So this does work for you. Even if you still want to pretend that you aren’t reading romance. Besides, I promise you that there is a mystery in this book.â€�

  “Ugh, fine. Anyway, I actually came for more than just a book. Andrew wanted me to ask if you could get a message to your next-door neighbor for him.â€�

  “Bethany? I didn’t know that Andrew knew Bethany.â€�

  “Ah, no. That was not the name that he gave me.â€�

  “Hattie? I didn’t know that Andrew knew Hattie, either.â€� Jackie pulled her bagel out of the bag and licked her lips. “The truth is that I didn’t think anyone knew Hattie. She barely leaves the house.â€�

  “I think that she did some work on the dating app with Andrew. I think they’re supposed to be working out some bugs, and he hasn’t heard from her. He said that she spooks easily, so he didn’t want to knock on her door, but he’d like to know if she’s okay, and I guess he’s waiting on some code she was working on for him.â€� Olivia wrinkled her brow. “She’s a grown woman, but she doesn’t leave the house?â€�

  “Yeah, I think she’s got that phobia. Agoraphobia? I was surprised when she showed up at the app launch, but I think that was Andrew’s doing, too. I can stop by her place when I get home and see if she’s there.â€�

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.â€� Olivia checked her phone and stood. “Okay, I’ve got to go. I have dogs waiting on me. Want to grab some breakfast in the morning?â€�

  Jackie’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, yes, but I want you to come over for breakfast. I’ve got a new espresso machine that I haven’t hooked up yet. I’ll make us some Eggs Benedict. Can you snag a couple of croissants tonight from the bakery?â€�

  “Yum. Yes. Of course, if I don’t make it, it’s because Janelle caught me and shot me.â€�

  “Really?â€� Jackie frowned. “She’s still in a mood? I tried to get a cupcake yesterday afternoon, and she gave me an earful about eating too much sugar. She told me that it was never too late to start thinking about my health. She runs a bakery, and she’s concerned about my sugar levels. It was really odd.â€�

  “At least you just get lectures. I get insults,â€� Olivia grumbled. “Nice thing about dogs is that they don’t usually have mood swings.â€�

  “Unless they’re old basset hounds?â€� Jackie snorted. â�
��œThat dog has more mood swings than a woman going through menopause.â€�

  “Cute.â€� Olivia slipped her book in her purse and polished off her bagel. “Call Brett. Be happy. I’ll see you in the morning.â€�

  Ignoring the dirty look that Jackie shot her, she slipped out, said goodbye to Michael—Isn’t it against the law for a man to look that perfect?—and headed back to the office.

  She used the back steps. She’d had enough of Janelle’s insults to last her all day.

  2

  The next morning, Olivia drove to Jackie’s house with Goodwin and Fender. The basset hound was in high spirits despite his slow gait, and Goodwin was jumping up and down on the front porch.

  No one answered the doorbell. “Jackie?â€� Olivia, holding tight to the leashes, peered through the window and rapped at the door with her free hand. “Jackie!â€�

  A car horn surprised her, and she turned to see Jackie pulling into the driveway. She was about to ask her what she was doing, going out so early, when she caught sight of her friend’s outfit.

  “I’m sorry, are you doing the walk of shame?â€� Olivia smirked when Jackie got out.

  “I drove. So technically, it’s the drive of shame, and there’s nothing to feel shameful about because I spent the night with my boyfriend,â€� Jackie said, skipping up to the door and grinning at the dogs as they pulled to the ends of their leashes to greet her. “I took your advice.â€�

  “Really? My advice was for you to call him on the phone, not show up for a booty call.â€�

  Sorting through her keys, Jackie bent down to give Goodwin and Fender a kiss each. “I did call, and he said that we needed to talk in person. We both apologized and admitted that we were invested in each other …â€�

  “Loved,â€� Olivia interrupted. “Please tell me that you told him that you loved him and not that you were invested in him.â€�

  Jackie narrowed her eyes as she slid the house key into the lock and opened the door. “In any case, one thing led to another, and we had a wonderful night. I am happy, and I have you to thank for that. So I guess I owe you one. Will breakfast make us even?â€�

  “It’s a start.â€� Olivia followed her in and unclipped the dogs. “Let’s add dinner as well. I want that bacon-wrapped chicken thing with all the cheese and green things inside.â€�

  “Spinach,â€� Jackie said dryly. “How do you survive?â€�

  Reaching back to close the door, Olivia jumped as something furry streaked by. “Whoa. You got a cat?â€�

  “No.â€� With lightning reflexes that were thankfully faster than the dogs’, Jackie reached out and grabbed both collars just in time to keep the pups from going after the gray tabby. “That is not my cat.â€�

  Olivia followed the cat to the couch, where a small furry head could be seen peeking out from under. Bending down, she coaxed the cat out, picked it up, and cuddled it.

  Though Fender was frozen in place, staring at the cat, Goodwin wanted to “help.â€� Jackie kept a firm grip on both collars. “Sit. Down. Cookie.â€� At the word cookie, Goodwin slumped to the floor and looked up expectantly, tail thumping.

  Olivia shot her friend a disgusted look. “Sugar may be bad for you, but it’s really not good for dogs.â€� Looking back down at the cat in her arms, she crooned, “Let’s see who you belong to, handsome man.â€� Turning the collar around, she read the tag. “His name is GigaByte.â€�

  “Oh! That’s Hattie’s cat! I remember her mentioning him a time or two, but he’s not an outside cat. He must have gotten out. We can walk him back over, and you can introduce yourself. Obviously, I never got over there last night to deliver Andrew’s message.â€�

  “’Cause you were all busy apologizing and stuff!â€�

  “Did you ever stop to consider that we might have just stayed up talking?â€�

  “Is that what you did?â€�

  Jackie immediately turned pink. “Shut up. Let’s go check on Hattie.â€�

  “Did you see that?â€� Olivia whispered to GigaByte. “It must be love. What about you? Were you sneaking out to meet a girlfriend? You got a little thing on the side that you didn’t want to tell Hattie about?â€�

  “Since when are you a cat person?â€� Shutting Goodwin and Fender in Jackie’s house, they crossed the front yard and walked up the steps to Hattie’s front porch. Jackie pushed the doorbell and crossed her arms.

  “I’m an all-things-furry person.â€� Olivia frowned when no one answered the door. “Your agoraphobic neighbor doesn’t seem to be home.â€�

  “Yeah, her car isn’t in the driveway, either. Come on, let’s go around back.â€�

  GigaByte wiggled in her arms, so Olivia tightened her hold and followed Jackie through the wooden gate and up the back porch. The door was cracked open. “That explains how you got out, buddy.â€�

  “Weird. Hattie?â€� Jackie pushed open the door and cautiously walked inside. “It’s Jackie. We found your cat. Is everything okay?â€�

  Olivia put the cat down and closed the door. “Something must have come up.â€� She scanned the kitchen and frowned. “She didn’t finish putting away her groceries. Family emergency?â€�

  “Maybe? I don’t think that any of her family is local.â€� Jackie peered in the bags, bearing the logo of a local grocery store that delivered. “Milk.â€� She put her hand on it. “Ew. Not cold anymore. It looks like she left a while ago—long enough for her cold items to warm up, anyhow.â€� She wrinkled her nose and reached into the bag. Olivia was about to scold her for messing with someone else’s stuff when Jackie said, “Eew. There’s slimy asparagus in here—it’s got to have been sitting for at least a couple days to get that way. So she just left her groceries and walked out of here a couple days ago …?â€�

  And didn’t make arrangements for the cat? Olivia thought, seeing the empty food and water dishes. She’d bet good money that the cat’s litter box needed attention, too. If Hattie really didn’t leave the house much, that cat was probably her best friend. There was no way that she would just leave her cat behind without finding someone to take care of him.

  “Must be a really bad emergency,â€� Olivia murmured to herself. She really needed to stop looking for a mystery when there wasn’t one. “Do you know of anyone who can take care of the cat until she returns?â€�

  “I can do it. What, I just need to feed and water it, right?â€�

  Olivia looked at Jackie skeptically. For as long as she’d known Jackie, her friend had never had a pet. “Clean out his litter box. Play with him.â€�

  “Relax. It’s just a cat. It’s not like I can kill him in the next few days. I’m sure Hattie will be back soon. I’ll just leave a note on the counter.â€� Jackie paused. “Where would she keep the cat food?â€�

  After a quick search, they found the food in the pantry and the litter box and extra litter in the bathroom. Olivia itched to search the bedroom and see if there was any luggage missing, but she had to remind herself that this wasn’t a mystery. Plus, she didn’t know Hattie. Maybe the woman didn’t even have any luggage.

  “Food. Check. Litter. Check. Toys? Do cats play with toys?â€�

  Olivia collected a few things that she found on the floor. Balls with bells in them. Small toys that looked like they might have once had catnip. It was obvious that Hattie loved GigaByte.

  Why didn’t she take him with her?

  “Olivia? Are you ready? Should we take care of the gross groceries?â€�

  Biting her
lower lip, Olivia glanced around one last time. Everything looked in place. There was nothing to indicate that anything bad had happened here. “Yeah. I’m ready. I think that we should leave everything in place. Just in case we need to call Nick. Let’s get the cat. Come here, GigaByte!�

  Hearing Olivia shaking the food container, the cat came racing across the kitchen. Olivia scooped him up. Jackie frowned. “He has pink claws. Why does he have pink claws?â€�

  “They’re coverings for his claws. They’re called soft paws.â€�

  “Oh. So he won’t be clawing at my furniture. I think this is going to work out very well.â€�

  “Excellent. You still owe me breakfast. And an espresso. And a very detailed conversation about how your night went last night.â€�

  Jackie raised her eyebrows. “Feeling deprived?â€�

  “I hardly see my boyfriend, and he’s going out of town next week. We’re supposed to be working on our communication, so I spend most of the time telling him every single bit of my day. I’ve also realized how boring my day is. And then he tells me every second of his day. And it’s also very boring. Then we’re tired, and it’s off to bed. We don’t even have time to make things exciting. I couldn’t even make it to the altar with the guy, and we’re already acting like an old married couple.â€�

  “Wow.â€� They were headed back to Jackie’s house. “Cracking jokes about your failed wedding. Things are getting weird for you.â€�

  “Yup.â€� Olivia set Gigabyte down, and the cat immediately took off to explore the house. Olivia hurried to let Goodwin and Fender out in the backyard, but she wasn’t quick enough. Goodwin immediately caught sent of GigaByte’s scent and tried to turn around, but Olivia grabbed his collar. “Out,â€� she ordered. “Now.â€�

  He whined, and when she got the door closed, he immediately shoved his nose against the glass like a kid outside a candy store.