“You’ve got to report this.”
“That’s what I was getting ready to do when you snuck up behind me.”
“I wasn’t sneaking. At least, not on purpose.”
When she finished placing the 911 call, Shane was frowning, lines of worry etched into his face. “This is serious, Jess.”
“I am taking it seriously.”
“Somehow that’s not comforting. My definition of taking it seriously is getting yourself out of harm’s way. Your definition is gearing up for battle.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “I’m not running away, if that’s what you have in mind. That’s exactly what they want me to do.”
He heaved an exasperated sigh. “If you refuse to leave, will you at least try to lie low?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t charge around town asking questions. Try to quietly observe.”
She gave him a crooked grin. “Are you saying I’m not stealthy?”
He smiled back at her. “No, I don’t think you’ve mastered stealth yet.”
“Okay, I’ll try to be less obvious in my quest for the truth.”
“Good.”
While waiting for the police to arrive, she carried her purse and lunch back into the house, and Shane took a seat on the couch. When she’d finished calling BethAnn, she joined him. The doorbell rang a minute later.
“How much you wanna bet it’s Branch?”
She swung open the door. Yep, she’d been right. Shane stepped outside with her, and they left a barking Buttons inside. As she presented the note and told the chief about the severed brake line, Branch’s face remained impassive. At least he was keeping the usual condescension he had for her in check. She probably had Shane’s presence to thank for that.
Branch slipped the note into a plastic bag. “I’ll keep this for evidence, see if we can lift any prints. I’ll dust your driver’s side window and the area where your brakes were tampered with, too.”
When Branch climbed back into his vehicle, Buttons was still carrying on, ferocious barks with some growls interspersed. Shane followed her inside, and she picked him up. “What’s wrong with you?”
Shane scratched the back of the dog’s neck. “I’d say he doesn’t like Branch.”
“That makes two of us.”
“No, three.” He dropped his hand. “What are you going to do about your car?”
“CJ’s Garage. I’ll call them from work. He’ll probably come out and fix it right here. Otherwise, he’ll tow it to the shop.” And hopefully let her pay for it after she got her first check.
She put the dog back on the floor and checked the time on her phone. “Speaking of work, I’d better get going. Even though BethAnn knows I’m going to be late, I don’t want to take advantage of her generosity.”
She slipped her purse over her shoulder and her lunch bag over her opposite wrist. Buttons followed her to the door. That was a regular occurrence now. Every time she tried to walk out without him, he’d go to the door and stare up at her with those big, sad eyes. How could the silly dog lay a guilt trip on her just by looking at her?
She squatted and held Buttons’s face between her hands. “Shane will be back in a few hours to take you out and feed you. In the meantime, take a nap or something. It’ll make the morning go faster.”
She straightened and stepped out, closing the door on the lonely dog. She really needed to get him settled in a permanent loving home. Maybe Shane could help her make up a flyer to put in the store. That was what she should have done days ago. She just hadn’t gotten around to it. The delay wasn’t because she was thinking of keeping him. Her life was too unsettled to consider taking on the responsibility of anything more care-intensive than a goldfish.
Shane moved down the sidewalk next to her, and when they reached the store, Jessica turned to face him. “Thanks for seeing me here safely.”
“No problem. And I’d like to come back at six to walk you home, if that’s okay.”
“I’m starting to feel like I have my own personal bodyguard.” Normally it would annoy her. For some reason, it didn’t.
He grinned. “My kind of job. Meanwhile I think I’m going to see if Driggers has any openings.”
“You’re going to get a job there?”
“I’m going to try. What better way to keep an eye on Hammy and Spike?”
“Driggers is a pretty big operation, at least for Harmony Grove. I think they run about thirty employees, so you’ve got a chance.”
“Only if Hammy and Spike aren’t in charge of hiring.”
“Well, good luck.” She stepped inside and, after stashing her purse and greeting BethAnn, headed toward the back of the store. Shane’s idea about going to work for Driggers Porcelain was a good one. If anyone could pick up secrets there, it would be Shane. He had stealth down to a science.
She slid her sandwich and fruit into the fridge, then grabbed the broom and dustpan from the closet. The store had gotten busy at the end of the prior day. Nothing overwhelming, just steady traffic throughout the afternoon, which kept her from her end-of-the-day task of tidying up.
When she reached the front of the store, broom and dustpan in hand, BethAnn smiled. “You’re jumping right in.”
“Since I didn’t get to it yesterday, I figured I’d try to get the floor swept before anyone arrives.”
She worked her way across the front, swinging the broom with long, smooth strokes. When she reached the small housewares section, something shot across the floor and hit the opposite display with a ting. She bent to pick up the object lying there, a piece of porcelain. It had evidently been hidden in the toe space under the bottom shelf.
She turned it over in her hand. It measured about one fourth by three fourths of an inch, its glazed surface a rich, deep blue. It didn’t come from any of the candle holders, vases or picture frames on the shelf. Maybe the figurines.
BethAnn approached. “Is everything all right?”
“This was on the floor under the toe space here.” She held
