Left Fur Dead Read online

  “Then what happened?”

  “Things got a bit out of control. We struggled over him opening the pen gate. By that time, he’d grown downright angry. He was shouting, people stopped to gawk, and he pushed me to the ground to gain access to the pen. That’s when the festival manager intervened.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier today?”

  “I didn’t want to become a suspect. I liked Arty, we were professional, not personal, friends. In the end, he was asked to leave and did so raving like a maniac. I packed up the bunnies and came home. A couple weeks later, the barn was broken into.”

  “You never saw Arty after that?”

  “Not that I recollect. We had done some birthday parties together before his outburst, but nothing afterward. It was as if he went on vacation or something. We had never moved in the same circles, other than those types of events.”

  Carver’s attention, seemingly centered on the various rabbits in their cages, left me to wonder if he’d even heard that last part.

  “You’ve created a great haven for these critters. I can tell you feel strongly about them and they receive good care.”

  I leaned down, picked up Bun, who had followed along behind us, and held him close. “They’re intelligent and wonderful, that’s all there is to it. People who harm animals should be put in jail.”

  “If you have this problem ever again, call the station immediately. No pitchfork, no weapons of any kind, understand?”

  “Yes, sir, I do. But understand this: I won’t tolerate having animals in my care harmed, frightened, or anything else. This place is my responsibility.”

  “I realize that.” Carver moved toward the door. He turned at the last moment. “Other than you and Jessica, who else works here?”

  “Two high school kids, Ray Blackstone and Molly Perkins, come in a couple times a week after their classes are over. They need to do a certain amount of community service hours before they graduate. Nice kids, and they’re great with the rabbits. I also have a college student, Peter Lambert, who gives me a hand a few days a week. He needs the money to help pay for his studies. These people are young, but good workers.”

  A twinkle in his blue eyes brought on my smile. “What?”

  “You can’t be more than twenty-five years old and you call your workers kids?”

  “Sometimes I feel older. After my parents moved to Georgia and gifted me this sweet little farm, I thought life would be idyllic. Instead, I’ve found a lot of hard work goes into owning any type of business. The effort is worthwhile, and I wouldn’t give it up, but one must stay focused.”

  With a nod, Carver opened the door. “Lock up and don’t worry, you’ll be safe. I’ll have a car drive by every so often to check on you.”

  “Thank you. I’ll keep you posted should any further problems arise. I appreciate you coming by. Give Meredith my regards.”

  I watched as the fiftyish, stout man walked to his vehicle, started it, and drove away. It would be foolhardy to think I’d get a wink of sleep. Bun and I went into the house after I’d checked the doors again and taken a last stroll around the barn to make sure all was secure.

  * * *

  If ever there was a time to fess up, it had been last night. A tad relieved that I’d told Jack what had happened between Arty and me, I contemplated what conclusion he’d drawn. I’d mainly confessed due to the fact an intruder had offered to place Arty’s death on my doorstep. Life was difficult enough without dealing with that.

  “I’m hungry, are you feeding me today?”

  Bunny never let mealtime pass, and rightly so. I disliked missing a meal, too. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t model thin or even slim. I enjoyed food, not junk food, just good cooking. My mother always called me stocky; I figure I’m more along the lines of fluffy.

  His dish filled with his favorite blend of oats, wheat, and barley, I replaced the remnants of the timothy hay with a new bunch of stems and left Bun to his meal.

  Bacon sizzled, eggs boiled, bread toasted, and coffee perked when Jess entered the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. “Is there enough for me? I’m late because my car wouldn’t start. I think it needs a new battery.” She poured coffee that had just finished perking and set the table for two.

  Toast popped from the toaster. Jess slid them onto a plate and brought the butter tray to the table with her.

  “We had an incident last night. A scary one. Before I explain what took place, did you leave the barn unlocked?”

  “No, I checked both sets of doors before I left. I even checked the one in the shop.”

  Chewing a bite of toast, Jess listened to what had taken place. Her brown eyes widened, and shock lay on her features as I followed up with the sheriff’s visit.

  “What did you plan to do with that pitchfork?”

  “No idea. Just use it to appear fearsome, I guess. Carver wasn’t happy about it, but what was I supposed to do, huddle like the rabbits?” There’d been a time in my life when that’s exactly what I’d have done, but those days were long gone. I now stood up for myself and for my furry charges. There’d be no crippling fear in my life ever again, if I could help it. After my car accident, I’d been jumpy over the least little thing. Being forced off the road and left to die can crush all the confidence a person might have. My healing process, both mental and physical, had taken some time, but fear no longer controlled me. At times, I wondered if Rusty Cardiff would once again appear out of nowhere and try to get even for my sending him to prison for his actions.

  “You’re pensive. Are you thinking back to when you were run off the road and left for dead?”

  I shoved the memory away and forced a smile. “That was a long time ago. I refuse to allow fear to be my master, no matter the circumstances.”

  Slouched against the back of her chair, Jess nodded. “I’m glad you have the ability and fortitude to handle these situations. I can’t be here all the time to be of use should another episode take place. Any idea who broke in?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t get a look at his face. He ran out the rear door. He wore a long jacket with the hood up. I couldn’t make out if he was thin or heavy. I’m a good runner, but he was fast, so maybe he wasn’t heavy, and it was the coat that made him seem so.”

  “Write down what you saw, what you heard, and the tone of his voice, whether it was high or low, soft or lilting, you know what I mean.”

  “Good idea, I’ll do that later. Right now, we should take care of the hutches and fill feeders with fresh food and water. I think Peter is due in anytime now to give us a hand. I’m fortunate to have a great staff. Even the high school kids work hard. They’ve offered to run the shop on Saturdays, so I can take a break from doing both jobs. It’s tough to run back and forth when customers come in and the rabbits need attention.”

  “I know of someone who would be delighted to work here on Saturdays. She might fit in. Her name is Lizzy Fraser. I’ll give her a call if you’d like to set up an interview.”

  “Just for Saturdays?”

  “Yeah, her full-time job has been reduced to part-time and she’s looking for extra cash. I think she’d be perfect.”

  “Sure, go ahead and call her. I would rather not have the teenagers operating the shop. It involves a lot of responsibility and then there’s the money end of things.” The students were great with the rabbits and working in the barn, but allowing them to sell merchandise was another matter altogether. I wasn’t ready for that, and I didn’t think they were, either.

  The appointment with Lizzy was set. Jess and I watered, fed, and cleaned up after the rabbits while Bun happily hopped around. Peter arrived and gave us a hand finishing up before we took a break and went into the house.

  “Got any of my favorite apples left, Jules?” Peter asked with anticipation.

  I handed a plate of sliced fruit and cheeses to him and watched his face light up. I always bought natural peanut butter by the one-pound tub and brought that to the table as well. Jess poured ho
t water for tea, and we settled in. Like I said, I’d rather not miss a chance to eat.

  “Are you breeding rabbits this year?” Peter asked.

  “We might, but I’m not sure who will get to do the honor of bringing babies into the world. Peaches had difficulty delivering her litter of kits last time around. We should select another rabbit. Any ideas?”

  Warming to the subject, Jess offered her opinion. “Jazz would be perfect, and I think her kits would be lovely. Her long fur can be sheared and used for yarn in the shop, too. People in town have asked if we planned to have more of that type of merchandise for sale. A couple of parents want bunnies for their kids, as well. We could give another class on the care of rabbits should you sell the kits or find homes for the other rabbits we have. It was successful the last time around.”

  Interested, I noted the suggestions that flowed from the two of them. The cheese and fruit gone, our teacups empty, my two helpers went back to work while I headed into the yarn and gift shop attached to the barn.

  The large room featured vaulted ceilings and a stretch of windows that ran around its two exterior sides. An enormous gas fireplace filled half of one wall and could heat the entire space. It blazed when I reset the thermostat, warming the room quickly. I listed merchandise to be added to the yarn stock that was left before taking inventory of rabbit toys, gifts for rabbit lovers, and rabbit paraphernalia that Bridge Farm Shop had on hand. The additional income from sales defrayed costs at the farm. Locals purchased the yarn and supplies I carried that wasn’t available anywhere else in town. Always surprised by those who could, but didn’t, order from online companies, I was happy to serve my customers and have a chance to chat with them. A personal touch is worth more than dealing with strangers on the computer. At least, that’s what I’m told.

  Sheriff Carver, accompanied by Officer Bonnie Jones, arrived as I lifted the last basket of yarn onto the counter. What now? I turned back to the yarn and kept counting, noting what was what and how much of it I had until they entered the shop.

  “Jess said we’d find you here. I take it there wasn’t any further trouble?” Carver asked, setting a loaf of bread, wrapped in a clear plastic bag, on the counter. “This is from Meredith, she knows how much you enjoy her sweet bread.”

  I worried when the law came bearing gifts. Why? I had no idea, it simply seemed that it might be used as a segue into more questions that I didn’t have answers for, or didn’t want to answer at all.

  “Very nice of her, tell her I send my thanks, Jack.” I held the bag opening to my nose and sniffed the fragrant bread. My mouth watered in anticipation of hot chocolate and toast for tonight’s snack. I imagined the addition to my waistline and set the bread on the counter.

  Bonnie withdrew an envelope from her jacket and held it out to me. “We have a suspect who might be connected to your intrusion. Would you mind giving this photo a look?”

  “Sure, but I didn’t see his face.” I studied the photograph, my hand shook slightly, and I set the picture on the countertop. Rusty Cardiff, the idiot who’d run me off the road three years before and left me for dead, stared up at me. I took a breath, let it out slowly, and then faced Bonnie and Carver.

  “He’s in jail, how could he have broken into the barn?”

  “He was released in October. You haven’t seen him then?” Carver asked as Bonnie pocketed the photo.

  With a shake of my head, I said, “He hasn’t been around, at least I haven’t seen him, and no one has mentioned him to me, either. Where does he live?”

  Bonnie opened her mouth to answer, but Carver interrupted her. “He has a place on Rockland Way, a few miles east of here. He said he’d get even with you for testifying against him. We thought he might be the one who broke in here twice.”

  “If he wanted to make me pay, why would he mess with the rabbits?”

  “They’re your concern, and you feel deeply about them. That would be enough to hurt you, Juliette,” Carver said in a gentle tone.

  “I didn’t see the man’s face, and didn’t recognize him from the way he moved as anyone I’m familiar with. As far as Rusty Cardiff goes, he hasn’t been around that I’m aware of.”

  With a warning to keep my eye out for him or strangers lurking about, Carver and Bonnie took their leave. I heaved a weary sigh as they drove off. The memory of what happened three years ago came back in vivid color.

  A party at the Coral Bar, in Windermere, had begun around nine on a Saturday night. Dancing, drinks, and lots of partygoers had filled the room. High spirits had abounded until a bar fight broke out between two guys who had decided they wanted to dance with the same woman. Namely, me.

  Try as I might, I couldn’t get between them to break up the fight and received a few punches for my effort. I’d backed off and let them go at it until sirens wailed and cops arrived to arrest those who were involved in the fray. Not wanting to be one of those people, and sporting a bloody nose, I’d known I looked like I belonged in the arrest group. I sidled out the back door of the bar with the intention of driving home.

  Out of nowhere, a man had stepped into the dim light and grabbed my arm. He dragged me toward his vehicle and tried to force me inside. I fought like a wildcat, scratching and clawing at his face while kicking out and shoving against his chest. When he tripped and fell, I ran to my car and raced off into the night, happy to have escaped.

  It wasn’t long before headlights drew closer and closer. The horn of the vehicle behind me had sounded. I’d increased my speed and the car shot forward, momentarily leaving him behind. He pulled up close and slammed into the rear bumper, sending my car careening over an embankment. The car flipped over and that was the last thing I remembered.

  Sheriff Carver had filled me in on the accident that should have killed me, but didn’t. The driver had left me for dead. His footprints had been embedded in the hillside when he’d come to see if I was among the living. Jack had said I was so bloody they couldn’t tell where it stemmed from. In my haste to get away, I hadn’t secured my seat belt tightly, the airbags hadn’t deployed, and I was injured badly because of it.

  Eventually allowed home from the hospital, I had started my recuperation. Rusty Cardiff was arrested for assault and a slew of other things, and I testified against him. The skin under my fingernails had proven to hold his DNA. It took months before I went out on my own. My parents worried every time I’d done so, and I think my father had followed me once or twice just to be sure I was all right.

  I leaned against the counter. I was no longer that person. Instead, when I’d gotten well enough, I took a women’s safety class held at the Windermere YMCA. I’d proven to be the best student and maintained my skills.

  The door opened, and Jess marched in with Bun right behind. I gave a start at the angry look on her face.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Bonnie said Rusty’s living in Windermere. How could he have gotten out of jail so soon? He was sentenced to six years, for God’s sake.”

  “It may have been due to good behavior or overcrowding at the prison.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m moving in.”

  I snorted. “You’re not serious?”

  “I am. I’ll move in this afternoon. I’m not on the clinical schedule tonight or tomorrow, so I’ll have time to pack my stuff and bring it here. You don’t mind, right?”

  I shook my head. First Bun went into protection mode and now Jess had joined him. A caring duo was forming, and it warmed my heart.

  Left to inventory the rest of the merchandise, Jessica went about her chores. Finished for the day, she headed off to pack some clothes, while I organized a bedroom for her. Later in the afternoon, we hauled boxes and bins of her belongings into the house and up the stairs. It took some time to get her settled into the room facing the front of the property.

  “This is great. The view is wonderful, and I can nearly see the entire barn from here. Whose room was this, anyway?”

  “It has been a guest room for as lo
ng as I can remember. My aunt Ginny used it when she visited my parents. She lives in Maryland now and hasn’t visited since my parents moved to Georgia.”

  “Nice digs, thanks for letting me stay, even if it’s temporary.”

  I nodded, wondered how good an idea it had been, and then realized it would all work out, especially since my intruder had become brazen enough to threaten me. It seemed he had an agenda of his own, and I didn’t believe it was simply because he was following through on Arty’s plan. No, this guy had a reason for his actions, and I intended to find out what it was.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The interview with Lizzy Fraser went well. Her positive attitude and sweet disposition were exactly what I was in search of. I had no doubt she’d be great with customers, and her knowledge of knitting and supplies needed for any yarn work fit my needs to a T.

  “Finish filling out the paperwork, and I’ll be right back,” I said, and left her to it. I roamed the barn in search of Jess and found her giving Walkabout Willy his usual injection. Poor Willy hadn’t been his chipper self lately. When Jess and I had checked the inoculation charts and found he needed his yearly shots to help him stay healthy, I’d also changed his food to a higher vitamin level to see if he’d perk up.

  “Is Willy any better?”

  She looked up, a sparkle in her brown eyes. “He’s coming along nicely. I think he needs to go into the exercise pen, though. He hasn’t been out of his hutch for a long period of time lately. What do you think?”

  “You’re right, he’s probably anxious for a walkabout,” I snickered, as did she.

  Moments later, Walkabout Willy joined a few of the other bunnies in the exercise pen. Jess said she’d watch them, lest Willy become frisky with the females. I nodded and returned to the shop.