Someone poisoned Dewk.” Sondra repeated.
“Who would do such a thing?” Granny asked simultaneously with Zack’s “Why?”
Sondra slumped. “I have no idea. Nikki has already contacted the police.”
“Who is Nikki?” Granny looked lost.
“She’s Sondra’s sister and was watching Dewk for her.” Zack answered.
“Oh.” Granny reached forward to touch Sondra while Zack turned on the car and headed back to her home. “Was she watching him at her house?”
“No.” Sondra took a calming breath. “He was at my house.”
“So it might be someone you know?” Granny sat back, horrified.
“Possibly, but it could’ve been someone wanting free access to the house.” Sondra paused and stared out the window for a moment, not seeing the stately homes they were passing. “But I have a security system in place outside of Dewk, so that wouldn’t give anyone free access, anyway.”
“Do you have security cameras?” Zack asked.
Sondra shook her head. “I don’t like my own life being filmed. It’s too easy for the system to be hacked and have the film going when you don’t want it on. I have movement sensors for when I’m gone, but I don’t have any in the yard. Dewk is―was,” she corrected herself, “always moving around, so it wouldn’t have worked having any sensors there.”
Zack nodded. “That makes sense. So would there be a record if anyone tried to get in your house?”
“Yes. I can call the security company. They would have the information.” Sondra flipped open her phone and dialed. After a short conversation, she shut the phone.
“Any news?” Zack asked.
Sondra shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Nothing since we left.”
“So that could mean a couple of things. Either the person was scared off by the alarm system or they had a vendetta against you and your dog.” Zack turned to catch Sondra’s eyes and then turned his attention back to the road.
She tried to puzzle out what his quick look meant and then hid her gasp with a cough. The broken dinnerware had been a clear warning. Is Dewk’s death tied to that? What did the note say? I am shattered. You will be too. What better way to shatter my life than to take Dewk out of it. Is this the end of it? Or will whoever is behind both continue to stalk me?
Sondra trembled, and Zack reached over to touch her hand. “It will be okay. Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”
Sondra wanted to believe him, but when the result of the threat was the death of her beloved pet, it was hard to see how everything would be okay.
* * *
Even Granny seemed subdued the rest of the day. After dinner at another restaurant, they settled in to watch another one of Granny’s reruns. This time, Granny seemed too distracted to concentrate. When she walked out of the room for the second time, Sondra leaned over to whisper, “Do you think you can talk Granny into leaving the heat up tonight? I just can’t face another frigid night. I haven’t ever been so cold, not even during our recent trip to DC.”
“That’s because you served your mission in Hawaii.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“If you’d served somewhere else, you’d know what it was like to tract in the cold.”
“Well, I never planned on freezing to death visiting a relative. Can you please talk to her about keeping the heat up? It’s just one night. I’m willing to pay for the entire month of heating. I just can’t do another frozen night.” She shuddered.
“I’ll talk to her, but no promises. She swears the cold night air is good for her lungs.”
“It seems to have done her a world of good. She looks amazing. I’d never guess she’s eighty-three.” Sondra paused. “But can you please ask her for just one warm night?”
“It’s awfully hard to get Granny to change anything, even for one night, but I’ll talk to her.”
“Thanks.”
Zack stepped out of the room and returned a few minutes later.
“Well?” Sondra asked.
“Granny has turned in for the night. She said she has a headache. She also said she’d keep the heat turned up just for tonight, but she won’t be responsible for the outcome.”
“What did she mean by that?” Sondra’s brows grew together in a puzzled frown.
“Hopefully, we’ll never know.” From the look on his face, that was all the information he was willing to give.
* * *
“Since Granny has agreed to keep the heat on, I’d like to soak for a bit, if that’s okay with you.” Sondra headed into the bathroom with her change of clothes, not waiting for Zack’s reply.
She settled into a mountain of sandalwood bubbles, closed her eyes, and let her mind go blank. She could feel the release of stress. Breathing deeply, she settled deeper into the suds.
Her eyes flew open at a scratchy sound. A small beady-eyed creature with long whiskers was staring at her from the edge of the tub. As it cleaned a drop of water off its face, Sondra launched herself out of the tub and onto the closed toilet while emitting a continuous sound the same decibel of a fire alarm. “EEEEEEEEAYAAAAA.”
The door flew open and Zack stared at her a moment, taking in the bubbles that just barely covered what was necessary. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Mouse. There’s a mouse. Get it. NOW.”
Zack handed her the robe and then searched around and under the tub. “I think you scared every mouse for the next mile into outer darkness. I don’t see anything.”
“I don’t care what you see. I know what I saw.” She tied the robe securely and made it to the bed in three long leaps. “I’m not getting down until I know that mouse is gone.” She settled into the middle of the bed and frantically pulled the covers up off the floor. “Mice can’t climb wood, can they?”
From Zack’s shaking shoulders, she could see he was having a hard time taking her seriously. He shook his head. “You probably gave that mouse a heart attack.”
“Where did it come from? I haven’t heard any mice until tonight.”
He scratched his chin, trying valiantly to hide his amusement. “Granny swore the mice come in if she keeps the heat on at night. This is a bad time to prove her right.”
“Turn the heat down, then. I’d rather freeze to death than face another one of those.” She shuddered.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded vigorously. “And can you hand me my clothes? I’m not stepping back onto that floor.”
“Do you want me to carry you back to the bathroom?”
Sondra’s eyes went big. “I’m not ever going back in that room.”
“You might change your mind by morning.”
“I doubt it.”
“Would you feel better if I ran out and bought some traps?”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
He handed her the stack of clothes she’d left next to the empty sink and headed out the door. She hoped the room was icy post haste. Staring a mouse in the face had nearly done her in.
She pulled on her clothes as quickly as she could, given she was dressing in the middle of the bed. Her hair was still wet, and she desperately wanted to dry it so she would have some chance at being warm in the soon-to-be frigid room.
She scooted to the edge of the bed and peered under it, scared she’d see another pair of beady eyes. The only thing under the bed were some undisturbed dust bunnies. She scooted back to the center of the bed and wrapped her arms around her legs. Maybe Granny would have an extension cord so she could dry her hair right where she was.
When Zack returned about half an hour later, Sondra was still seated in the middle of the bed, knees to her chin, her arms securely wrapped around her ankles. He stopped and stared a moment. “I would have never guessed you are scared of mice.”
She looked up from her intense stare at the bathroom door. “Terrified. I’m terrified of them,” she corrected.
“I stand corrected.” The corner of his mouth twitched. She appreciated the effort to control his humor, even if it wasn’t entirely successful.
He pulled out three gray rectangular boxes. They had an opening on one side.
Curious despite her fear, she asked, “What are those?”
“These are mouse traps.”
“They don’t look anything like the traps I’ve seen. Are they environmentally friendly or something?”
He grinned. “You could say that. They are live traps.”
“Live traps? What are you going to do, release them in the yard?”
“I was thinking a mile or so down the road. Maybe the farm where Granny gets her syrup.”
“As long as they’re far enough away not to make their way back.”
“My guess is the farmer has a few cats.”
Sondra shook her head. “So we catch some live mice to feed the neighborhood cats? I don’t get it.”
Zack gave her a hard look. “Given all the… events… we’ve been through lately, I didn’t want to add to any numbers, and I didn’t think you would, either.”
She rocked back and stared at Zack a moment. “You’re right, of course.” Then she giggled.
He tilted his head to the side. “Okay. I’ll bite. What’s so funny?”
“I don’t know why, but this reminded me of that time several years ago after an oil spill when several thousand had been spent to rehabilitate a seal. When the seal was released to the sea, a killer whale jumped up and ate the seal.” She laughed again. “After all that effort, the whale had a good meal. I guess a cat will have one tomorrow.”
Zack shook his head, convinced that Sondra had gone over the edge. “I think you scared every mouse in the area earlier. I doubt we’ll catch anything, but I’ll set the traps.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks.” Then her brows drew together in a frown. “Ummm. Do you think you can borrow an extension cord from Granny?”
“She was heading to bed last time we talked. I doubt I can rouse her. What do you need it for?”
Sondra swung her still-wet hair back and forth. “I’d like dry hair for the night. If it’s going to be cold, I want to start out warm.”
“I’m sure the bathroom is safe…”
“Not on your life.” Sondra was mulish.
“I’ll go hunt down an extension cord.”
“Thanks.”
The room was icy by the time Zack returned with an orange cord.
Sondra spent a few minutes blowing through her hair. She was dressed as warmly as she had been the night before. When Zack moved to the bed, he stared at Sondra a moment, who looked like she had no intention of moving from the center of the bed. He flashed his dimple. “I think the idea was for both of us to sleep here.”
She indicated the side closest to the bathroom. “Go ahead. There’s plenty of room.”
He stared at the small space on the side. His reply was dubious. “If you say so.”
“I had that much room on Monday. Trust me, you’ll fit.”
He cleared his throat. “Our sizes are just a bit—”
“I’m NOT moving.”
“Okay. Okay.” He rolled into the narrow spot and was promptly accosted by Sondra. He rolled over with some difficulty to take in her form plastered next to his. “Is this really necessary?”
She nodded vigorously. “If there’s a mouse anywhere near here, I want it to get you first.”
“I don’t think there will be a problem with that.” He squirmed. “Can you move over just a bit? I’m going to fall on the floor. I won’t be much of a protection down there.”
A flash of fear ran across her face, and she scooted to the center of the bed. Zack reached over to touch her cheek. “You know,” his tone was conversational, “I don’t remember you being this scared when those guys were after you or even when we were stranded on the street.”
She shuddered. “I know… there’s just something about a mouse… and he was staring right at me.”
He chuckled. “I have to confess, I don’t miss the sheepskin.”
Sondra giggled. “It’s wound around my feet.”
“Armor against a mouse?”
“Something like that.”
Zack wrapped his arms around her and let her settle into his chest. She sighed happily. After a few minutes, he could feel her relaxing. When her breathing indicated she had fallen asleep, he whispered against her hair, “Remind me to buy some mice…”
Sondra started awake. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” He grinned against her hair.
“Hmmm.” She snuggled back against him and resumed her rhythmic breathing.