Your Girl

 

Wednesday morning, Vin heard his phone ringing, pulled it out, saw his buddy Kyle—who ran the lab he’d sent everything to—was calling, but had to silence it because he was finalizing the details of a contract with a client.

The minute the meeting was over, he returned the call. “What do you have for me, Kyle?”

“Sorry it took so long. The mouse came late and I figured I’d save us both the back and forth calls with the results of everything. First off, I pulled two sets of matching prints off the bowl and the car. Nothing on the flowers, they must have had gloves. I’m assuming one set is Piper’s, the other is unknown. I ran it through every database I could and got nothing. Whoever it is, isn’t in any system.”

“So it’s all connected?”

“Definitely. Your gut was right there and it’s good you’ve got the evidence of it. I’ll send over the report for everything if you end up narrowing it down to a suspect.”

“What about any traces in the bowl?”

 “Same poison in the bowl and in the mice. Exactly what you were suspecting. Nothing commercial. Something manufactured. Amateur at best, but deadly enough in small animals and that is what it seems they were hoping for. It’d make a human really sick, but not life threatening right away. Closest thing to it is rodenticide.”

“Rat poison?” Vin asked.

“Yep,” Kyle said.

“Why make it? Why not just buy it?”

“Didn’t want it traced back to them?” Kyle said. “Or maybe there was more power behind creating it themselves. A statement. Not sure. Either way, that’s what I’ve got for you.”

“I owe you one, Kyle.”

“No worries. Just ticking the box on one of the many things I owe you. Hope you catch them soon and keep your girl safe.”

“Me too.” Vin disconnected the call and tried to think back to what he knew so far.

Anyone could buy rat poison, but not everyone could create it. Not everyone would even try.

He was a block from Piper’s shop when something popped into his head, so he called Detective Myers.

“Vin,” Myers said, sounding grouchy as always. “You were on my list to call today. What’s up?”

Vin paused. “Why were you calling me? What do you have to report?”

“The girl at the bakery. Sam? She went over the video surveillance with the owner of the wine store. Nothing could be seen going on in the parking lot. All clear there.”

“I figured,” Vin said, “but it was worth a try. I need you to look into someone for me.”

“Your reasoning?” Myers asked, and Vin could hear the impatience in his voice. Too damn bad, though.

“Those friends and money of mine, they come in handy. Lab shows the trace from a cat bowl matching the same rat poisoning used on the mice.”

“Dead mice. Rat poisoning. Not hard to figure that out.”

“Cat bowl,” Vin said, grinding his teeth.

“What about a cat bowl? I don’t have anything reporting on that.”

“Because Piper thought it was a natural death. Piper’s stray cat in the alley a few weeks ago. She always fed it. It was dead one day when she went out. I had the bowl sent for trace. Just a hunch.”

“And that hunch matched the same rat poison? Still stretching here, Vin.”

“Not if it’s a homemade poison. Same compounds. Amateur’s work.”

“That does put a new spin on it. So you’ve got a name you want me to run. Who?”

“Skip Shaffer. Christopher Shaffer, Jr. Piper’s foster brother. Last night at their house, his parents mentioned he had lab kits and started out as a science major, then changed. Just my gut saying to look into him. I’m on my way to see Piper now.”

“Funny you should say that name.”

“Why?” Vin asked, driving faster to the shop now. That gut feeling he always had—the one where it felt like spikes in the back of his neck—was jabbing at him hard.

“Sam noticed a few people she knew entering and leaving the wine store on the cameras, but nothing was time-stamped that she could make out. Two of them were Skip and his fiancée. They were going over wines, it looked like, with the owner. Nothing odd at all. I brushed it off as a coincidence they were there on the days we were looking at footage until you said the name. Funny how that name just popped up twice in one day, don’t you think?”

“You don’t hear me laughing,” Vin said, pulling in front of the shop and hopping out.

“I agree. I’ll look into this and contact Ms. Fielding for questions.”

“Don’t bother, I’m in front of her shop now. Hang on.” He pulled the phone away from his ear. “Where’s Piper?”

Sam looked up. “She left about twenty minutes ago to meet Skip and Kaylee to talk about the wedding cake.”

“Where?” Vin asked, pulling the phone away. “Did you hear that, Myers?”

“Skip’s house,” Sam said. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Do you know the address?” he asked Sam.

“No. Just that it’s out of town. In the country somewhere, about fifteen minutes from here.”

Myers rattled off the address and then said, “Wait for backup.” But Vin had disconnected the call.

He wasn’t familiar with the area, so he put the address in GPS while he ran to his car and took off in a blur.

 

***

 

“When’s Skip going to be here?” Piper asked Kaylee when she answered the door. She always thought Skip and Kaylee didn’t belong together. Kaylee was tall and almost the same size as Skip. Just manlier than she pictured with Skip, but love could be blind, she was realizing.

“In a few minutes. He’s running late.”

Piper looked around the house Skip and Kaylee owned. She’d never figured Skip for someone to live in the country, but he seemed happy enough. “How are the wedding plans coming? Not much time left now. You’ve both got to be so excited. Skip’s parents were all but bouncing in their seats over it last night.”

Kaylee smiled at her, but she could tell it was forced like it always was. “We’re getting there. I’m thinking about having the reception here. I love living here. Let’s go out back and I’ll show you.”

Piper followed her through the house and out to a deck. “Wow. The landscaping is very pretty. Do you do this all yourself?” she asked, looking around at the manicured trees and bushes, flowers, and roses climbing up a white fence.

“I do. I wanted to be a florist. Thought I’d try to create all these new plants by experimenting, but my father wanted me to take over the business instead,” she said, frowning. “Now I just deal with everything here on the land. Deal with all the bugs and critters trying to eat and destroy all my work.”

Piper thought that was an odd statement. They lived in the country; there were animals everywhere. “It looks lovely back here, though,” Piper said.

“Let’s go down by the back of the property. Then you can see the view of the back of the house. It’s where I was thinking of having the ceremony.”

Piper followed Kaylee the length of the yard, looking at all the flowers lining the edge. Some looked familiar to her, some uncommon. But the further away she got from the house, the more she felt a sense of unease. She wanted to swirl her head around and look for something. Anything to explain why the hair was rising on her arms.

Then she remembered Vin’s words that it was her gut telling her to be aware. That something was off and to listen to it.

She stopped at the edge of the property with Kaylee, right before the woods, and turned to look back when Kaylee did. “Shouldn’t you call Skip and let him know I’m here?”

“He’s on his way,” Kaylee said again. “What do you think? Do you like this view?”

Something didn’t feel right. It felt different. It felt wrong. And it felt scary. Those spiders that she’d felt crawling over her before. Yeah, they were there for some reason. It felt like they were spinning a fast web around her. Like the fear when she was pinned against the wall by Karl. In full force. Suddenly she thought she’d see the wolf’s eyes looking out at her from the woods.

She moved a step away from Kaylee. “It’s you,” she said.

“What are you talking about?”

“You.” She was shaking now and backing away. “You’ve been following me. Watching me. The flowers. I recognize them here. The mice. Why? How? I don’t understand.”

Kaylee smiled at her and there was evil behind her eyes. Something she’d never seen before. Never thought she’d see at all.

“I didn’t think you’d figure it out. I didn’t think you were smart enough to figure out that it was me. The mice were easy. I take care of it all here. Stupid critters always getting in the house. It’s cheaper to make it than buy it. I thought it’d freak you out to find them in your shop. That Skip would find out you couldn’t handle it and think you were weak and stop seeing you.”

“How did you get in?” Piper was trying to figure out what to do. Should she try to call someone?

“So stupid. Skip told you my father was a locksmith. He taught me everything he knew. I can pick any lock and get in anywhere I need to. Old man thought I wanted to be just like him. I’m sick of everyone thinking they can control my life. Taking away what I want and what is mine!”

“What? Why?” she asked again. She was so confused. Kaylee was moving closer to her, almost stalking her. She was the prey and she was trying to find a way out of this. So stupid to come here alone knowing what was going on in her life.

“The flowers are mine,” she said, her voice almost growling now. “But he was giving them to you. I caught him. Skip is mine. Not yours. Mine. He has a thing for you. He always has. All he talks about is you. Non-stop. How wonderful you are. How great you cook. How sweet you are. He left you flowers. I followed him. My flowers. I slave over them and I caught him leaving you roses on your doorstep the night after you had a man in the apartment with you. I hoped it wasn’t him, but then I saw the flowers when I snuck over early in the morning, and I knew for sure. You’re having an affair with him. I know it!”

She’d never seen rage in a woman’s eyes like this before. “You’re crazy. He’s my foster brother. He loves you. We’re family.”

“You’re such an idiot. I told you, he talks about you all the time. How strong you are. How great of a person you are. You don’t even see it. But I saw it. I’ve always seen it. I know everything about you because he never shuts up about you. You didn’t even realize I’ve been watching you at your apartment. That’s how I know he’s left you flowers before. He comes and goes from your place whenever he wants. I’ve got a friend in the apartment across the parking lot. I take care of her apartment when she’s out of town and I use it to spy on Skip. I follow him everywhere and he doesn’t even know, either. Neither did you. It’s easy enough—you’re around the corner from my job. I’m always watching!”

“I think you’re mistaken, Kaylee. I have no idea where any of this is coming from. I’ve never felt that way toward Skip. Ever. His parents are like my parents. You’re wrong.”

She was starting to feel ill. This couldn’t be happening. How did she never see it? How could she have not known? Kaylee had to be mistaken. Yeah, Skip had made her feel uncomfortable a lot, but she’d brushed it off. She’d dealt with Karl at her last foster home. Anything was bound to make her skittish.

But now she started to have flashbacks. When Skip winked at her. When he hugged her too tightly and too long. When he looked at her and her skin felt clammy.

She’d pushed it all off. She shouldn’t have. It was right there all along, his attraction for her. Except she’d thought she was mistaken. He was engaged to Kaylee. He was just being nice to her. Just flirting. She knew it was flirting. She knew that now. But never gave it a second thought. So stupid!

Piper kept backing up, until she hit a tree. Kaylee was on her, pinning her back. “I’m not crazy, even though I can see you think I am. Why won’t you believe me? I know what I know. Skip is mine. I realized the best way to make sure of that is to get rid of you, so I called you out here today with Skip out of town. He’ll be cleared. No one will suspect me. My father will cover for me and say I’m at work right now. He’s losing his mind, so I’ll just tell him I was there and he’ll believe it,” she said low in her throat.

“Wha…what does that mean?” Kaylee’s eyes were cold. So cold. And Piper was freezing standing in the eighty-degree weather right now.

Kaylee’s hands went up to Piper’s throat, circled and then started to push and squeeze. Kaylee was so much bigger and stronger than her that there was no way she could get her hands off.

“No one will find you on this property. No one will know. I’ll ditch your car and phone and they’ll think you went missing, but they’d never trace it back to me.”

Kaylee was squeezing the breath out of her. Her last thought was Vin. Would he find her in time? She had to believe. She believed in him. That he’d be there for her. That she wasn’t alone anymore.

But everything went dark.