A Sinister Sense (6 page)

“Oh, so it wasn’t something that had been used a lot, then.”

“Exactly. When I checked the inventory, there was one missing. Whoever took it didn’t bother to pay for it. I think it was taken specifically for the purpose of committing murder.”

Clara shivered. “Even if it was, how would the killer know you would be at the bowling alley that night? Did you tell anyone you were going there?”

“Only Tatters, and I don’t think he would pass it on to anyone.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Funny. Well,
I
think your truck just happened to be in the parking lot at the time of the murder and provided the perfect hiding place to get rid of the body.”

Rick gave her a look that almost made her forget she was supposed to be off men. “Thank you. You might be the only one in town who thinks that.”

“Of course I’m not. Anyone who knows you would know you’re no killer.”

“Look around.”

Startled, she did as he asked. Glancing at the other tables, she noticed several of the other diners quickly turning their heads. “Let them look,” she muttered. “What do they know?”

“Only what they read in the paper and hear on TV.”

She shook her head. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

His smile was lopsided this time. “Yeah. Find out who killed the guy.”

She knew he was joking. He didn’t really mean for her to track down a murderer. She wasn’t surprised when the voices started whispering in her head. To get rid of them she said loudly, “I wish I could.”

“So do I.” He looked up as the server approached. “Let’s not talk about this anymore, okay?”

She was happy to drop the subject, and concentrated on the menu instead. After deliberating for a while, she finally decided on the ravioli, and agreed with enthusiasm when Rick suggested a bottle of Chianti.

“So tell me,” Rick said, as he handed her the bread plate, “what did you do with your day off?”

She took a slice of bread and reached for the olive oil. “I went to the market. I ran into Roberta there.”

Rick uttered a soft groan. “Don’t tell me. She’s already got me locked up in jail for murder, right?”

Clara grinned. “She’s very concerned about you.”

“That’s even worse. She’ll be hovering over me like a mother duck.”

“You know you enjoy that.”

“Yeah, like I enjoy a root canal.”

“She means well.”

Rick rolled his eyes. “They said that about Mussolini.”

Clara burst out laughing. “You made that up.”

“Maybe.” He dipped his bread in the pool of olive oil on his plate. “If I thought it would scare her into leaving me alone, I’d set Tatters on her.”

“I think even Tatters is afraid of her.” Clara poured a dash of balsamic vinegar into the oil on her plate and
watched it form tiny puddles. “Speaking of whom, I think I’ve come up with a solution to your problem. That’s if you’ll agree.”

Rick looked as if he were about to hug her. “You have? I’ll agree to anything if it will mean taking care of that dog.”

Clara took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I think this might work. I don’t have to be at the bookstore until noon, and my mother gets home from the library around four, so that just leaves a few hours for Tatters to be alone.”

Amazement transfixed Rick’s face. “Are you saying you want Tatters to live with you?”

Clara gulped. Now that she’d actually spoken the words, the reality was beginning to sink in. “I…er…think so. I haven’t actually discussed it with my mother yet, but she loves dogs and I’m sure—”

“No! I can’t let you do that.” Rick reached out and covered her hand with his own, making her forget everything except his gray eyes peering earnestly into hers. “You have no idea what you’d be taking on. That dog is totally unmanageable, and he’d wreck your house the first time you left him alone. Trust me.”

Whenever someone told Clara she couldn’t do something, it only made her more determined. “I’m sure I can handle him. He’d have a permanent home, and you’d be very welcome to see him whenever you like, take him for walks, or keep him overnight if you wanted.”

He studied her face for so long she became
uncomfortable. Drawing her hand from his, she said, a little stiffly, “Of course, if you don’t think he’d be happy…”

“Happy? He’d be ecstatic! So would I. I’m just wondering why you’d want to do this. Not that I’m not grateful, of course, but—”

“I love dogs, too.” She wasn’t quite sure of her motives, either, but she wasn’t about to admit that. Even to herself. That train of thought could be too dangerous. “Tatters is a sweetheart,” she added as Rick continued to look doubtful. “He just needs a little attention, that’s all. I know you do your best, but you’re so busy with the store all the time and you must be tired when you get home…”

Rick grinned. “Thanks for making excuses for me.” He sat back in his chair. “The truth is, the dog reminds me of some things I’d rather forget. I’ve tried to get past that, but it’s tough.”

“Oh.” Now she didn’t know what to say.

“Anyway, if you’re serious—”

Yes, she was serious. No matter what Jessie said, Tatters was coming home with her. With everything else Rick was dealing with right now, he didn’t need the emotional upheaval his dog presented. “I’ll talk to my mother tonight, and if it’s okay with you, I’ll come over and pick up Tatters in the morning.”

“Assuming your mother agrees.”

“She’ll agree,” Clara promised him, with more confidence than she felt. It was either that, or she’d find somewhere else to live.

“In that case, I’ll have Tatters’ things packed up and ready to go.” He smiled, looking boyish in his relief. “I have to admit, it would be a huge load off my mind. With all that’s going on, things are a bit uncertain. It’ll be easier to handle if I’ve only got myself to worry about.” He raised his wineglass. “Here’s to a really good friend. Thank you.”

She touched glasses with him. “You’re welcome. It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t know about that.” He took a sip of his wine. “Promise me, if he gets to be too much for you, you’ll send him back to me, okay?”

“I don’t think that will happen, but I’ll promise anyway.” She sipped her wine, her thoughts on Rick’s words.
It’ll be easier to handle if I’ve only got myself to worry about.
It was obvious he was worried about the outcome of the murder investigation. She could hardly blame him. Being the chief suspect had to be devastating. The Web was full of stories about people being convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. If only there was something she could do to help.

As if in answer, the Sense spoke clearly in her ear.
Look for the motive.

She must have had an odd expression on her face. Rick tilted his head on one side. “Heartburn?”

“What?” She blinked at him, then shook her head. “Oh! No.” She uttered a light laugh. “I was just thinking about the murder. Once the police identify the victim, it should help take their attention off you, since you’ve never seen the guy before.”

“It should. It doesn’t mean it will. I have a feeling the mayor has already decided I’m guilty. I’m just wondering how long it will take him to convince Dan of that.”

He was echoing Roberta’s words, making Clara feel even more concerned for him. “You’re innocent,” she said softly. “Hang on to that. The truth will come out eventually.”

His smile was bleak. “I hope you’re right. So, what did you think of the farmer’s market? Is it worth a visit?”

He had deliberately changed the subject, and she was quick to respond. “It was crowded, and hot. I ended up coming home with just a bag of cherries. I guess I should have gone earlier in the morning.”

“There’s a very big farmer’s market in Mittleford.” He went on to describe it, and the conversation drifted from there to the benefits of organic produce and then to her favorite New York restaurants.

All too soon it was time to leave. As Clara led the way out to the parking lot, she rehearsed how she would tell her mother to expect an addition to the family. She could only hope that her decision to adopt Tatters wouldn’t turn into a major battle.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said as Rick paused with her at her car. “I really enjoyed it.”

She couldn’t see his face too clearly in the darkness, but he sounded a little remorseful when he answered. “Even though we spent most of it discussing my problems?”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for, aren’t they?” She opened the car door and climbed inside. “Everything’s going to turn out all right. I know it.”

He ducked his head to look at her. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. It means a lot to me. And thanks for taking on the brute. I hope he doesn’t cause you too much trouble.”

“You worry too much.” She started the engine. “We’ll be fine.”

He stood back and lifted his hand in farewell as she closed the door.

As she drove out of the parking lot, she glanced in her side mirror. He was still standing there, watching her leave as she turned the corner and drove away.

When Clara arrived home, Jessie pounced on her the moment she walked through the door. “How was your dinner? Where did you go? What did you have?”

Clara answered all her questions, waiting for the one she knew Jessie was dying to ask.

“So, who did you have dinner with tonight?” Jessie looked put out. “You never used to be so secretive. You used to tell me everything without me having to drag it out of you. I don’t know what happened to you in New York to change you so much.”

It was a complaint her mother had repeated too many times to count. As usual, Clara ignored it. “I had dinner with Rick Sanders, if you must know.”

Jessie followed her into the living room. “Rick Sanders? I thought you weren’t interested in him.”

“I’m not. Not in that way.” Clara flung herself down on the couch, resigned to the imminent confrontation. “It was more of a business meeting.”

Jessie sat down on the armchair opposite her, eyes wide with astonishment. “He offered you a
job
?”

Clara sighed. “No, Mother. I offered to adopt his dog.”

She paused, expecting an outburst of protest. She wasn’t disappointed.

“You
what
? You’re joking. You have to be. When do you have time to look after a dog? Where in the world would we put it? What kind of dog? Are you out of your
mind
?”

Clara waited for her mother to pause for breath before saying mildly, “Rick was going to send him to the pound. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being put down, so I sort of rescued him. His name is Tatters.” She leaned forward. “He’s adorable, Mom. You’ll love him.”

Jessie’s cheeks still burned with annoyance. “I can’t believe you promised to adopt a
dog
without consulting me. What in the world has gotten into you? You never used to be so impulsive and inconsiderate.”

Gritting her teeth, Clara sat up and took a deep breath. “I didn’t promise Rick anything. I said I would take Tatters if you agreed.”

“Oh.” Jessie looked somewhat mollified. “Well, I suppose we could discuss it. I need some time to think about it first.”

“I said I’d pick him up tomorrow.” Seeing her mother’s eyebrows draw together again, she quickly added, “If you agree, that is.” She leaned forward again. “You don’t really
want to be responsible for having a beautiful, loving, gentle dog put down, do you?” She shut down the vision of Tatters lunging across the road in happy pursuit of Roberta Prince.

“Of course not, but—”

“Great! Then I’ll pick him up tomorrow.” She got up from the couch, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

She was halfway across the room when her mother said, “I suppose you heard the latest news about Rick Sanders?”

Clara paused at the door. “What news is that? I’ve heard so many things that aren’t true, I’m not sure I want to hear any more.”

“Well, you might want to hear this. Betsy was here a little while ago and she told me.”

Clara rolled her eyes. Betsy lived next door and was always sharing the latest gossip with Jessie. “So, what did she have to say?”

“The man who was found dead in Rick’s truck? Well, it turns out he was in Rick’s hardware store on the day he was killed. John Halloran recognized his picture on TV and called Dan.”

Clara’s stomach did a little nosedive. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Then why did Rick say he’d never seen the man before?”

Good question.
Clara shut out the voices. “He was probably somewhere else when the man came in.”

“Maybe, but you have to admit, things are really piling
up against Rick. Are you sure you want to be associated with him right now?”

Clara frowned. “I’m not
associated
with anyone. He’s my friend and I’m simply adopting his dog, that’s all. Even if I were interested in him, which I’m not, I wouldn’t be taking any notice of all the ugly rumors flying around that have absolutely no basis and are causing the poor man unnecessary worry and misery. People should be ashamed of themselves, spreading around such vicious idle gossip.”

Jessie raised her eyebrows. “For someone who professes to have no personal interest in the man, you are making a great deal of fuss in his defense.”