5 Big Bunny Bump Off (6 page)

“Yeah, I guess
, but as soon as I’m eighteen and can get my own place, I’m getting a dog.”

“Unless the only apartment you can afford won’t let you have a dog,” Tiffany added.

“At least there are plenty here who need your love and attention, even if it’s temporary,” I said in an attempt to encourage my new assistants. “Jeremy and I will be busy all day tomorrow at the bunny adoption. I was hoping you felt ready to be in charge of the place and could cover for us,” I said, directing my comment to Tiffany.

“Really?” She grinned. “I’d love to cover for you. And don’t worry
, I know what to do. You can count on me.” She jumped up in the air and let out a little screech, as if she couldn’t contain her joy at the thought of being given the responsibility.

“I can help,” Bobby offered. “If that’s okay?”

“I think it would help Tiffany a lot if you could come in. Can you both be here at eight and plan to work until closing? Jeremy or I will be by to help you lock up at the end of the day.”

“Eight is perfect
.” Tiffany smiled.

“It should be a slow day. I have two adoptive doggy parents coming in to pick up their new family members. All of the paperwork has been completed and the dogs have been checked out by Scott and are ready to go. All you need to do is turn the dogs over to the customers and make sure they don’t have any questions.”

“Who’s going to new homes?” Bobby asked.

“Jackie and Sunset.”

“Awesome. They’ve both been waiting for quite a while.”

“It can be harder to place larger dogs
, but I think we managed to find them humans who will fit perfectly with their energy and temperament. I need to go help Jeremy with some forms for tomorrow, but stop by the desk before you leave so I can show you a few things you may need to know.”

“We will,” they both said in unison.

After I got off work
, I headed over to Salinger’s office, praying the entire way that he hadn’t left for the day. I was less certain than Zak that the man would talk to me, but I had to try, if for no other reason than to assuage my curiosity. I had to admit that even I was surprised that I’d managed to stay out of things as long as I had. I suppose at least part of my ability to adhere to Zak’s request to let Salinger handle things could be attributed to the fact that I’d been so busy that I’d barely had time to worry about a dead Jack Frost and a murderous Easter Bunny. Still, I didn’t think I’d be able to let it go entirely until I was convinced the guilty party had been brought to justice.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to drop by,” Salinger greeted
me as I was escorted into his office.

“You were expecting me?” I asked innocently.

“Since the moment I arrested Doug Barton. I imagine you think I’ve made a mistake.”

“Perhaps
, but I don’t have all the facts. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to share your reasons for arresting Doug?”

“Actually
, I do mind, but experience has taught me that if I don’t tell you, you’ll just dig around on your own, making my life miserable in the process.”

I sat back and settled in. Zak was right. All I
did
need to do was ask.

“As you know
, Doug was formerly employed by Ashton Falls Community Bank. He and Blakely had a falling out several months ago and Blakely fired him. Since then, Blakely received a series of e-mails from Doug accusing him of destroying his life. Apparently, his wife left him after he was fired, and he’d threatened retaliation of an unspecified nature on numerous occasions.”

“Just because he threatened to do it doesn’t mean he did,” I pointed out.

“True, but security cameras show Doug entering the bank shortly before closing without showing him leaving.”

“So you think he hid and waited until everyone left
, then attacked Blakely?”

“That’s
my theory. Doug would know where to hide to avoid detection by the security staff as they locked up because he’d worked at the bank for several years.”

“Speaking of camera
s, wouldn’t they show exactly who killed Blakely?” I realized.

“You’d think that would be th
e case, but unfortunately someone turned the cameras to the main part of the bank off after everyone left.”

“You think Doug knew how to
do that?”

“It would make sense that he did. He
’d worked himself into the number-two position at the bank before he was fired. The only cameras that remained on were those in the security room, which are rigged to remain on at all times. We see the cameras go off at five and then there’s nothing until we see Blakely enter the security room at five-twenty. He enters the room, then turns back toward the door. He yells something we haven’t been able to make out as of yet, and then runs back toward the entrance of the room. There’s the sound of a shot at that point. We assume he died instantly, because the body was found just outside the security-room door. It seems the only one who could have pulled this off is someone who was familiar with the layout of the bank as well as the security system.”

“So you think the killer knew about the cameras?”

“It would seem so. The killer didn’t seem concerned about being seen outside of the door to the security room but was careful not to cross the line where the cameras in the room took over. My money is on an employee or ex-employee, which brings us back to Doug.”

“What
about the bunny costume? Did Doug come into the bank dressed like a bunny?” I asked.

“No
, he didn’t,” Salinger said. “Is it
possible
,” he emphasized the word, “that the man you saw running away wasn’t really dressed in a costume? It was dark and snowing, and the man had his back to you and was already away in the distance, according to your statement. Perhaps he had a hood on his head or some other outerwear that created the illusion of a costume.”

“I suppose it’s possible,” I had to admit. “It was dark
, and everything you’ve said is true, but I was so certain at the time.”

“In my experience
, eyewitness accounts of an event are sketchy under the best of circumstances. If you have ten witnesses to an occurrence, you’ll most likely get ten differing accounts of what happened. I have good reason to suspect Doug and as of this point no other solid leads. If you have anything to contribute, this would be the time to do so.”

“You want my opinion?”

“I asked for it, didn’t I?”

At that
moment, I was both proud and honored that in spite of our long and rocky relationship, Salinger was actually asking me what I thought. “To be honest,” I answered, “it does sound like you have probable cause to arrest Doug, and I don’t have a better suspect in mind. If I hear anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Who would have thought that there were so many people in the market for bunnies?” I commented to Jeremy the next afternoon
, as we processed piles of adoption paperwork. My dad had managed to get us a killer deal on cages and rabbit food, so we were able to provide each adoptive family with everything they’d need to take their very own bunny home that day. We’d decided to bypass the much more complicated adoption process we normally employed in order to speed things up with the holiday just around the corner, after which there wouldn’t be a kid in town left yearning for their very own Easter pet.

“I just hope we don’t end up getting them all back the day after Easter,” Jeremy
said.

“Don’t even
think it.”

“The adoption procedure we’ve developed over the years
was the result of impulse adoptions followed by frequent returns,” Jeremy reminded me.

“True
, but bunnies are a lot lower maintenance than dogs and cats. We’re providing the cage and food to get them started. What more could a prospective family want?”

“I’m really enjoying having Squeaky for a pet. H
amsters are fun
and
easy.”

“Maybe Squeaky wants a bunny roommate?”

“Hardly. I’m pretty sure he likes being an only pet. That way he doesn’t have to share the attention.”

“Do you have any bunnies that are all white?” An adorable little girl with long blond pigtails
wearing a bright yellow dress asked.

“We might have one or two left. Are your parents here?”

“My mom is parking the car. She said she’d meet me inside.”

“Okay
.” I walked around the table I was sitting behind. “Let’s see what we can find.”

I took the girl
by the hand and led her to the area where we were keeping the bunnies that hadn’t been adopted yet.

“
I want one named Annabelle,” the girl informed me. “She’s going to stay in my room and I’m going to take care of her all by myself.”

“Do you know how to take care of a bunny?” The girl couldn’t be more than five years old.

“You have to give her water and keep the cage clean,” the girl answered.

“And don’t forget to feed her,” I added.

“Lettuce and carrots.”

“These are the bunnies we have left
.” I walked up and down the row of bunnies. Many of them were multicolored, but there was a white one with a single black spot circling one eye. “This is one of our smallest females.” I opened the cage and took the bunny out. “She’s not
all
white, but she’s mostly white. Do you want to hold her?”

The girl nervously held out her arms. I’d handled this particular rabbit on several occasions and
knew she was not only small but mellow as well.

“So what do you think?” I asked.

“Did her daddy hit her in the eye?”

“No
.” I smiled. “Her eye isn’t black because it’s hurt, it’s just a marking she was born with.”

“Is her name Annabe
lle?”

“You know
, I think it is.”

“So who do we have here?” A woman, I assume
d the girl’s mother, walked up behind us as we talked. Like her daughter, she had long blond hair and large blue eyes framed by dark lashes.

“This is Ann
abelle,” the girl answered. “She has a black eye, but her daddy didn’t hit her.”

The mother looked surprised at the girl’s statement. I had a feeling
the sweet child holding Annabelle might have been the victim of her dad’s temper on at least one occasion.

“She’s really beautiful
.” The mother knelt down so that she was on eye level with her daughter. “And she’s really small as well. Just your size.”

“Can I keep her?”
The girl smiled hopefully.

The m
om looked up at me. “I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of money, but my daughter really wants a pet to sleep in her room with her. We just moved to the area and Rosalie is still trying to adjust to her new circumstances. We can’t have dogs or cats in our apartment, so when I saw your sign announcing bunnies for adoption, I hoped that could be the answer I was praying for.”

“I’m sure we can work something out. How about we put Ann
abelle back in her cage so your mom can fill out the paperwork? Maybe your dad can load the cage into your car.”

“My dad
dy is in jail,” the girl stated.

“Oh
, I’m sorry.” Talk about inserting your foot in your mouth. “Maybe Jeremy can load the cage while we do the paperwork.”

I felt bad for both the mom, who hurried through the paperwork and seemed
anxious to get out of there, and the little girl, who knew that sometimes black eyes came from dads. I told the woman that she could have the bunny for free, gave her a month’s worth of food and rabbit litter, and told her that if she needed anything, she should come by the Zoo.

“Thank you
.” The woman had tears in her eyes. “Things have been hard lately, and I think this sweet bunny might really cheer Rosalie up.”

“I’m happy to know that Ann
abelle has a good home with a little girl who loves her.” I watched the woman and child walk away. The little girl was so happy that she twirled her way all the way to the car.

“Cute kid,” Jeremy commented
as he returned from loading Annabelle.

“I know you meant hot mom,” I teased. Rosalie’s mother was blond and petite, exactly Jeremy’s type.
I picked up the adoption paperwork and looked at it. “The daughter’s name is Rosalie and Mom’s name is Jessica Anderson. They just recently moved to town, and it looks like she lives in your apartment building.”

“They must be the new folks in 4B.”

“Maybe you can check to see how Annabelle is doing in a day or two,” I suggested. “I got the idea there’s been a lot of turmoil in the family as of late, and they’d probably welcome a friendly neighbor.”

“I’ll do that.
Maybe Rosalie would like to meet Squeaky.”

“I’m sure she would
, and Jessica might benefit from the single parents group. I think the dad is out of the picture.”

“You know me, always willing to do a good deed
.” Jeremy grinned.

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” I was certain his enthusiasm had more to do with Rosalie’s cute mom than anything else.

“So are we still on for tonight?” Jeremy asked.

“Six
-thirty, and don’t be late,” I confirmed.

“That’ll give me time to drop the
unadopted bunnies at the Zoo, check in with Tiffany, then head home for a quick shower. Can I bring anything?”

“No
. Zak is barbecuing, Ellie is bringing a salad, and Levi is bringing dessert. I think we have everything else we need.”

“I feel bad not contributing.”

“Don’t worry about it. The next time the gang hangs out, you can bring the dessert.”

“Deal.”

“What time did you tell Jeremy to be
here?” Ellie asked me later that evening.

“Six
-thirty,” I replied. I looked around the crowded room, realizing I had no idea Jeremy had so many friends. “I guess it’s a good thing we decided to move this to Zak’s. There’s no way all these people would have fit in my little boathouse.”

“Once I notified the people in the single parents group
about our plan to throw Jeremy a baby shower, they all had additional suggestions, and before we knew it, we had a mob. It looks like Jeremy won’t have to buy a single thing for Morgan, although he may have to move into a bigger apartment to fit in all this stuff. By the way, how did the bunny adoption go?”

“Really
well. We placed all but eight of the cute little buggers. I’m hoping we can get people to come in to adopt their own furry bundles of joy over the next few weeks.”

“They are cute. And a lot lower maintenance than a dog or cat. Jeremy should think about keeping one for Morgan.”

“Jeremy has Squeaky,” I reminded Ellie about the hamster he’d adopted in February.

“
Oh, yeah, I forgot. Is Squeaky still working out okay?”

“Jeremy seems to
love
him,” I confirmed. “I have the feeling that little guy has a big heart to go with his playful and mischievous nature. He’s the perfect pet for both Jeremy and Morgan.”

“It was nice of Zak to buy all the food for the party. The steaks alone probably cost more than I make in a month.”

“You know Zak. He’s always happy to help out, and I think he’s enjoying playing host. He even opened the roof of the pool area. Luckily, he has a bunch of swim trunks to lend. There are about twenty guys involved in a very serious water polo game.”

Ellie looked out
of the window. “It’s Jeremy. Tell everyone to come into the living room.”

I went to fetch the masses while Ellie went out to the drive
way to stall Jeremy. We’d parked the majority of the cars at the boathouse and shuttled people over so as not to tip off the expectant father. When Jeremy walked through the front door and everyone yelled surprise, I really thought he was going to cry. Perhaps a surprise party hadn’t been the best idea after all.

“Scotch,” I
said, handing Jeremy a drink.

“I can’t believe you did all this.” He hugged Ellie and me.

“We all pitched in,” I told him.

“This is so
. . . it’s just that I never expected . . . there must be fifty people here.”

“Probably more than that
; I was unsuccessful in getting the gang in the pool out to greet you.”

“And the gifts
.” He looked toward the side of the room where I’d set everything out rather than asking him to open them. “I bet I won’t have to buy a single thing.”

“That’s the plan.”

Jeremy hugged me again. “How can I ever thank you?”

“Trust me
, you thank me every day. I couldn’t do what I do at the Zoo without you and was happy for the chance to repay you. Now go. Mingle. There are appetizers on the table, Zak has steaks on the grill, and there’s a bar set up near the pool.”

“Poor Jeremy
. I think he was on the verge of tears,” Ellie commented after he’d wandered away.

“Yeah, he was really surprised.”

“Jeremy is a good guy. He’s going to make a great dad.”

“I haven’t seen Rob.”

“He’ll be a little late,” Ellie informed me. “Hannah had a gymnastics class. They’re coming by after.”

“Gymnastics? Isn’t she like one?”

“She just turned two, but I guess they start them young. At this point they really just let the kids play, but there are some kids in her group who are three and four and already on the balance beam.”

“You’re kidding.”

“The beam is basically on the floor, but kids are very coordinated. I usually don’t take kids into my dance classes until they’re in kindergarten, but after attending Hannah’s gym classes, I’m seriously thinking about adding something for three- and four-year-olds.”

“Sounds like a nightmare
.” I cringed.

Ellie laughed. “Why? Kids are cute.”

“And loud and messy, with the attention spans of gnats.”

“Unlike animals
, who are never loud and messy,” Ellie pointed out.

“Good point. Still
, I have a hard time imagining myself trying to teach a roomful of kids anything. In fact, I have a hard time imagining a roomful of kids. If I’m totally honest, I have a hard time imagining myself with one kid.”

“You don’t want kids?” Ellie asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe someday, in the very distant future.”

“Personally
, I can’t wait to have kids. Dating Rob and being with Hannah as she goes through the motions of her life has been wonderful.”

“Sounds serious.”

Ellie paused. “I guess. I know I’m serious about Hannah, but . . .”

“Just a bit less serious about Rob?” I guessed.

“I like Rob. He’s kind and responsible. He loves Hannah and is such a good dad. We have common interests and have fun together.”

“No fireworks?”

“Not even a sparkler.”

“If you don’t think you can love Rob
, you should be careful about becoming too much of a mom to Hannah,” I warned her. “You could both end up getting hurt.”

“Yeah
.” Ellie sighed. “I’ve thought about that. I keep hoping the sparks will come once we get to know each other better, but so far not even a twinkle. Do you think sparks are really all that important in a long-term, committed relationship?” Ellie asked.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I just wish I could find a guy who causes the sparks Levi does but is mature and committed, the way Rob is. Most days I can see myself having a very happy life with Rob, but then Hannah goes to bed and we settle in with a glass of wine in front of the fire and I find myself longing to go home to my own comfy bed. I guess the time has come to give this some serious thought.”