Tailing Trouble, page 23
Certainly none of their business.
“Come on, Gramps.” Ally lightly tugged on his arm. “How would you feel if you were the one on a gurney and people were standing here gawking at you?”
“If I happened to be unconscious, I wouldn’t care, would I?”
“Gramps …” Her voice trailed off as the EMTs returned with a patient strapped on the gurney.
“Hilda Green,” Gramps hissed in a low voice.
He was right. The patient was indeed Hilda Green. “Okay, now that you know, let’s go.”
Before they could move aside, Noah strode out of the building, following in the wake of the gurney. When he saw them standing there, his gaze narrowed.
“Come on, Gramps.” Ally tried to nudge her grandfather along.
The man didn’t budge. “Well, well. I wonder if Noah tried to arrest Hilda for the murders, causing her to faint?”
Ally hated to admit that Gramps’s wild theory was a distinct possibility.
Or Noah had confronted Hilda about the paisley scarf used to strangle her daughter and Jake.
Either scenario might have been too much for the woman to handle.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Call your detective,” Gramps said for the third time as they headed into the library. “We need to find out what happened.”
“He’s not going to fill us in on his investigation, Gramps.” Ally was regretting bringing Gramps into town. “Now do you want another library book or not?”
“Yes.” He looked crabby as he approached the desk.
“Hi, Oscar.” Rosie smiled. “Thanks again for lunch the other day. Are you ready for your next book?”
“Absolutely.” He pushed The Billionaire Murders across the counter. “This was a good one, Rosie. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Rosie took the book, scanned it, and set it aside to be reshelved. “The one I found for you next is called Love Lies: A True Story of Marriage and Murder in the Suburbs.”
“Sounds great,” Gramps said with enthusiasm.
Ally suppressed a shudder. No way would she read something like that. Give her a nice romance any day of the week. Since Gramps had become obsessed with true crime, she’d even found it difficult to get through her romantic suspense books.
Why couldn’t Gramps have picked a better hobby? She still thought the croquet league was a good idea. It looked like fun. Too bad Gramps wasn’t interested. Maybe Erica would like to join?
“Here you go, Oscar.” Rosie handed him the book. Because Gramps had his cane in one hand, Ally gently took it for him.
“Rosie, have you heard what happened next door?” Gramps asked.
“I haven’t heard a word, why?” Rosie’s brown eyes were wide with interest.
“Looks like Hilda Green was taken out on a stretcher after getting bad news.”
Ally winced. “Gramps, you don’t know for sure she received bad news.”
“Why else would she need medical care?” Gramps demanded. “It’s just like how she had heart trouble when she learned of Pricilla’s murder.”
That Noah had been there tipped the odds in Gramps’s favor. “But we shouldn’t spread rumors.”
“We know Hilda was taken out by ambulance,” Gramps said firmly. “And that your detective was there with her.”
His stubborn attitude was giving her a headache. “Are you ready to go?”
Gramps glanced back at Rosie. “If you hear more about what went down, let me know.”
“Of course, Oscar,” Rosie agreed. “I’m sure I’ll hear something soon.”
Ally knew Rosie was the hub of the town’s gossip. Many people came to the library to chat, use the computer, have their kids pick out books to read, or get books for themselves. Rosie was one of those women who people tended to confide in. And Gramps sure knew how to ply her for information.
“I’m hungry,” Gramps announced. “Let’s eat at the Lakeview Café.”
“Fine.” Ally had already assumed he’d want to eat there. The weather was still nice enough to sit outside, but fall was in the air, and soon it would be too cold.
Note to self: Once winter arrives in full force, I’ll need to make sure Gramps doesn’t slip and fall again.
They were seated near the front of the restaurant, probably because Ally didn’t have Roxy along. Their server was an older woman, who looked harried. Her name tag didn’t have a name but identified her as the manager.
“Where’s Darla?” Gramps asked as the manager filled their water glasses.
“Darla doesn’t work here anymore. Can I get you something else to drink?”
“Water is fine for me,” Ally said, thinking about how she’d stuffed herself with spaghetti, meatballs, and blueberry streusel.
“I’ll have lemonade,” Gramps said. “What happened to Darla? She quit?”
“I’ll get your lemonade.” The manager turned and hurried inside the café.
“Interesting,” Gramps mused, resting his elbows on the table.
“Only you would think a woman quitting her job at a café is interesting, Gramps,” Ally said dryly. “Don’t make a mystery out of nothing. Maybe she ended up getting a job at Electronics and More. It seems to be the popular place for the younger crowd to work.”
“If Darla had quit for a new job, why wouldn’t that manager woman say so?” Gramps countered. “She can’t tell us if Darla was fired; that breaks human resources privacy laws. But an employee who quits shouldn’t be a secret.”
Ally barely refrained from banging her head on the table. “I’m taking you home right after lunch, Gramps.”
“You still need to fill me in on the paisley scarf you found,” Gramps reminded her.
Ally was surprised he’d waited this long to ask. She told him about how she and Noah had taken Roxy and Domino out for walks together and how Domino had growled before she spotted the paisley scarf.
“The same one Hilda had been wearing?” Gramps asked.
“No, different colors.” Although for all she knew, the woman had a closet full of them. “Noah took it in as evidence.”
“Where were you?” Gramps asked.
She was about to respond, then thought better of it. “Behind the clinic, but I can’t remember exactly where the scarf was.”
Gramps’s clear blue gaze drilled into her. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Ally waved a hand, glad to see the manager returning with Gramps’s lemonade. “We’re not going to walk the area.”
“Are you ready to order?” The manager woman didn’t look at all happy to be relegated to a lowly server position.
“I’ll stick with my Cobb salad,” Ally said. “Gramps?”
“I’ll have a Cobb salad too.” Gramps eyed the manager as she noted their order. “Was Darla stealing from you?”
The woman was so startled by Gramps’s question that she dropped her notepad. “Who told you that?”
“Did she?” Gramps pressed.
The manager bent to pick up her pad. “I can’t talk about it. I’ll get your order placed.” She hurried away.
“Bet you a dollar Darla did steal from them,” Gramps said with a satisfied smile. “I bet it’s connected to the big-box store robberies too.”
Ally couldn’t help being secretly impressed by the way her grandfather’s convoluted mind worked. “You don’t know that for a fact, Gramps.”
He leaned forward. “You saw her reaction. Clearly I hit a nerve. And the robberies are likely related to the poker games that were being held at the Thompson farmhouse. I wonder if Darla found out Jake Hammond was cheating.”
“Again, you don’t know Jake was the one who brought the marked deck,” Ally insisted. “Could have been Pricilla or even Jake’s roommate, Colin Felton.”
“Possibly,” Gramps conceded. “But Jake and Pricilla are the ones who ended up dead.”
Ally tried to steer the conversation away from murder and mayhem. “Remember the black cat Amanda brought in? Found her owner today, and she paid for the services I provided to the kitten.”
“That’s great news.” Gramps smiled broadly. “And you’ll get paid for boarding Domino today or tomorrow too, right?”
“Yes.” At least, that was the plan. “With the couple emergency cases that came in, things are looking up.”
“You’re going to do fine,” Gramps said with a nod.
The manager brought their salads, then left without asking if they needed anything more.
“She doesn’t make a very good server,” Gramps grumbled.
Ally kept her thoughts to herself. The Cobb salad was as good as always, and when they finished eating, she insisted on paying.
“But it was my idea to come here,” Gramps protested.
“Doesn’t matter.” Ally slipped some cash into the bill folder and stood. She picked up Gramps’s library book. “Ready to go?”
“Maybe you can drive by the spot where you found the scarf,” Gramps suggested as they walked back to her Honda. “Just so I can picture it in my mind.”
“You’re killing me, Gramps.”
“It’s practically on the way!” Gramps looked put out. “I’m not asking for much.”
“Fine.” She opened the passenger door and helped him in. After handing over the cane and the library book, she went around to the driver’s side. “One quick drive-by, that’s all.”
“Fine.”
Suppressing a sigh, she pulled out of the parking lot and turned down the street she and Noah had taken the night before. When she came across the spot where they’d found the paisley scarf, she slowed down. “See that bush? The scarf must have snagged on it and fallen to the ground.”
“Or the killer was hiding behind the bush,” Gramps murmured, mostly to himself. “Do you know who lives in either of those houses?”
The bush appeared to be near the property line between two homes. “No, and it doesn’t matter, because there’s no evidence that the homeowners are involved.” She glanced at him. “You’re looking at a bunch of kids, remember?”
“Or Hilda Green,” Gramps pointed out.
She thought about the poor woman being carted out of the municipal building on a gurney. What had happened? She couldn’t imagine Noah would have confronted the woman right there in her office when the police station was located in the same building.
Each had their own entrance, though, and Hilda had been brought out through the municipal building doorway.
Maybe Noah had intended to arrest her. And if so, the danger was likely over.
Which would be a welcome relief. She was more than ready for life in Willow Bluff to return to normal.
* * *
Despite Gramps’s objections, Ally drove him back to the Legacy House.
“It’s still my turn to help answer phones,” he muttered once she had him seated in the living room.
“Things have been relatively quiet, Gramps. We can reassess on Friday.”
“I can take Tillie’s turn on Friday,” Lydia offered.
She hesitated. Between the break-in and the near miss with the car, she wanted the WBWs to be safe. Yet with Hilda being taken away, it was possible the danger was over. “Okay, that should be fine, thanks.”
“Looking forward to it, dear.” Lydia beamed.
Ally made a mental note to wear the blue sweater on Friday. According to the weather app on her phone, there was a cold front moving in from the northeast over Lake Michigan.
“Bah,” Gramps grumbled. “I should be doing the work until we know for sure Noah has the murderer behind bars.”
“I’ll call Noah to check in later,” Ally promised. Noah had agreed to let her know if and when he found the person responsible for the break-in. “Take care, Gramps.”
He waved her off, still looking disgruntled. Ally decided not to take his bad mood personally. If there was one thing Gramps hated, it was being left out of the action.
Thankfully, the action was over. Or so she hoped.
Ally headed back to the clinic, determined to spend more time with Roxy and Domino. Of course, she’d rather have more appointments, but so far they were few and far between.
As the dogs played, knocking over her plastic lobby chairs for what seemed the tenth time, she went through her list of immunization reminders. There were three more clients to bother, so she quickly made those calls, leaving voice mail messages for all of them.
So far, her grooming updates on her website hadn’t garnered any new business, and that was a bummer. Those first few months her income had been bolstered by offering grooming services. She remembered with a smile that her clients had included Domino.
Now her grooming suite was practically gathering dust.
Wait a minute. She straightened in her chair and brought up a search engine. What if someone else had started offering grooming services too?
A quick search brought up Gail’s Grooming, newly opened on September 1. Ally sat back in her chair, scowling at the website. It wasn’t nearly as nice as hers, but at least this explained the lack of customers.
She tapped her fingers, trying to think of a way to recoup some of her lost business. Maybe a package deal? Get your immunizations and a grooming at half price?
Couldn’t hurt. She went to work updating her website and social media, adding the new information. Ally decided to add email addresses to her client list so she could send notifications that way rather than leaving messages.
The dogs wore themselves out playing and stretched out on the floor beside each other. Ally grinned and took a picture with her phone. Looking at the photo gave her another idea.
A pet board!
Ally leaped to her feet and scanned the lobby. The wall right between the first and second exam rooms would work perfectly. After measuring the space, she found a bulletin board online and ordered it.
She was so excited about the idea that she called Erica.
“Hi, Ally, how are you?” Erica greeted her warmly.
“Good, except I didn’t realize someone named Gail opened up a grooming salon.”
“Gail Winston. She’s not that good, Ally. She’s been offering rock-bottom prices, but I doubt she’ll be able to compete with you.”
Erica’s loyalty warmed her heart. “Thanks, but I’m going to offer some specials of my own, so I’ll get some of those customers back.” And if that meant Gail’s Grooming had to close down, so be it. She’d had her grooming services open first. “I called because I need a picture of Tink for my new pet board.”
“Ooooh, that’s a great idea. Shh, Tommy, I’m on the phone.” Ally could hear Erica’s toddler babbling in the background. “I’ll get one for you right away. I have dozens on my phone; just need to print one out.”
“Great, thanks. Oh, and spread the word. The board is on order, but I’d like to get several pictures posted as soon as possible.”
“I will. Just a minute, Tommy.” Erica sighed. “He just woke up from his nap, so he’s a bit clingy, but I wanted to ask how things are going with Noah.”
“Oh, well, nothing really new there.” Ally lightly touched the scratches he’d kissed last night. “But now that his murder case is wrapping up, I’m hoping we’ll finally have our dinner date.”
“The murder case is wrapping up?” Erica sounded surprised. “That’s wonderful.”
“Oh, well, I guess I don’t know that for sure, but I think so.” Ally raked her hand through her curls. “I’m hoping to learn more about that soon.”
“Two more murders in Willow Bluff,” Erica said in a wry tone. “Who would have thought there’d be so much excitement in one small town?”
“Right?” Ally totally agreed with her friend’s sentiment. “I’ll let you go take care of Tommy; just try to get me a pet picture as soon as you can. Or better yet, just text it to me and I’ll print it here.”
“Will do. Bye, Ally.”
Minutes later, her phone dinged with an incoming text message. Tink looked adorable with a bow in her silver-gray hair. Ally sent it to her email so she could print it out.
The pet board seemed like a good idea, but Ally realized that most people don’t print photos from their phone. Rummaging through the cabinets behind the desk, she found a small stack of old photo paper.
Good enough. She started by printing the picture of Tink, then quickly took some of Roxy and Domino so she could print those as well. No reason she couldn’t print photos of people’s pets as they came in to see her. Maybe it would be a conversation piece and spur grooming services as people compared their pets to others’.
She wasn’t above a little competition.
Her phone rang, and she nearly tripped over her own feet in her haste to answer it. “Furry Friends Veterinary Clinic. This is Dr. Winter.”
“You left me a message about my dog’s immunizations?” a woman’s voice asked.
“Yes, what was your name?” Ally glanced down at her notes. There were two pets with female owners.
“My name is Willow Kramer, and Poe is my Yorkshire terrier.”
“As in Edger Allan Poe?” Ally was always amazed at how people chose their pets’ names.
“Of course,” Willow said with a laugh.
“When would you like to bring Poe in?” Ally asked. “Oh, and I’m running a special if you’re interested; all pets getting immunizations can have a grooming at half price.”
“Really? That’s wonderful. I’d love to have Poe groomed. How about tomorrow morning?”
“Nine thirty?” Ally made a quick note to book extra time for the grooming.
“Perfect. See you then.”
Ally did a little jig, excited to have another appointment. She forgot to mention the pet board, but she could do that in the morning. Yorkies were adorable, and if she gave Poe a bow or a kerchief, the picture would be a great addition to her pet board.
Her phone rang again, and this time her heart raced because the caller was Noah. “Hi, Noah.”
“Hey, Ally. How are things at the clinic? Do you have appointments scheduled yet for this afternoon?”
“No, but there’s always a chance for an urgent or emergency visit.” She glanced over at the dogs. “Tell me you have good news.”
