Read Online A Sinister Sense by Allison Kingsley - Free Book Online
Authors: Allison Kingsley
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her car radio. “What happened? Why now?”
John dropped his gaze and straightened his glasses. “I recognized the photo of the murder victim. I told Dan he was here in the store the morning he was killed and that Rick had served him.” He shook his head. “How was I to know that Rick had sworn he’d never seen the guy before? Dan and Deputy Tim Rossi got here soon after Rick opened this morning and took him down to the station. Rick called me to come in, and now I’m stuck here taking care of the store until he either shuts it down or gets someone in here to help.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. I don’t have time to work all day in here.”
“No, I mean about taking him down to the station. He probably just didn’t recognize the guy, that’s all. I don’t remember every stranger that comes into the bookstore.” Clara briefly closed her eyes as the vision she’d had that morning popped into her mind.
If only I could see their faces. Maybe if I really concentrated…
When she opened her eyes again, John was staring at her as if she’d said something shocking. “What?”
John shook his head. “I dunno. You had that weird look on your face, like you know something no one else does.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Maybe I do.”
“Well, if I were you, I’d be mighty careful about sharing it.” His eyes gleamed at her through his glasses. “You could end up getting into serious trouble.”
She frowned, wondering what he was insinuating. Just then Tatters barked, snatching her attention away from John. The dog sat by the counter, his tail sweeping the floor as he clenched a plastic garden frog between his teeth.
John let out a howl of protest and rushed over to him. Taking hold of the frog, he tried to drag it out of Tatters’ mouth. Tatters growled, making John let go and jump back into the shelves behind him.
Clara closed her eyes as hammers, chisels and screwdrivers crashed to the floor. Tatters whined and fled behind the counter. John swore, and began picking up the fallen tools, muttering something under his breath that mercifully Clara couldn’t hear.
“Er…do you know if Rick brought any dog supplies with him this morning?” she said, edging toward the end of the counter.
“In the back room,” John grunted. He stood up and packed some screwdrivers back on the shelf. “He said to take what you need.”
“Thanks.” Clara darted through the door that led to the back room. She saw the huge bag of dry dog food andhauled it into her arms. Spotting a paper sack on a nearby chair, she peeked inside. There were two dog bowls, a leash, a couple of packages of treats, a chewed-up tennis ball and a large rawhide bone. Everything a dog could want.
After carrying everything to the front door, she called out to John, who was still picking up and sorting the tools on the shelf. “I’m going to get my car and park it in the loading zone.”
He answered her with a wave, and she dashed out the door and down the hill. She still had an hour or so before she was due at the bookstore. Enough time to get Tatters home and settled before she had to leave him.
It occurred to her that she should have waited until her next day off before bringing the dog into his new home. It was too late now, however. Besides, if Rick did end up in jail after his questioning, there’d be no one to look after Tatters.
He doesn’t belong in jail.
Startled, she closed her mind to the voices. She didn’t need them to tell her that. Rick was innocent, and somehow she had to help him.
Right then, however, her first priority was to get Tatters home and settled. Then she’d tackle the problem of Rick’s possible arrest.
John grudgingly helped her haul the dog food and supplies into the trunk of her car, and even located the leash that Rick had shoved under the counter. Tatters seemed excited about the prospect of a car ride and bounded onto the backseat, where he sat with his nosepressed to the window while
John dropped his gaze and straightened his glasses. “I recognized the photo of the murder victim. I told Dan he was here in the store the morning he was killed and that Rick had served him.” He shook his head. “How was I to know that Rick had sworn he’d never seen the guy before? Dan and Deputy Tim Rossi got here soon after Rick opened this morning and took him down to the station. Rick called me to come in, and now I’m stuck here taking care of the store until he either shuts it down or gets someone in here to help.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. I don’t have time to work all day in here.”
“No, I mean about taking him down to the station. He probably just didn’t recognize the guy, that’s all. I don’t remember every stranger that comes into the bookstore.” Clara briefly closed her eyes as the vision she’d had that morning popped into her mind.
If only I could see their faces. Maybe if I really concentrated…
When she opened her eyes again, John was staring at her as if she’d said something shocking. “What?”
John shook his head. “I dunno. You had that weird look on your face, like you know something no one else does.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Maybe I do.”
“Well, if I were you, I’d be mighty careful about sharing it.” His eyes gleamed at her through his glasses. “You could end up getting into serious trouble.”
She frowned, wondering what he was insinuating. Just then Tatters barked, snatching her attention away from John. The dog sat by the counter, his tail sweeping the floor as he clenched a plastic garden frog between his teeth.
John let out a howl of protest and rushed over to him. Taking hold of the frog, he tried to drag it out of Tatters’ mouth. Tatters growled, making John let go and jump back into the shelves behind him.
Clara closed her eyes as hammers, chisels and screwdrivers crashed to the floor. Tatters whined and fled behind the counter. John swore, and began picking up the fallen tools, muttering something under his breath that mercifully Clara couldn’t hear.
“Er…do you know if Rick brought any dog supplies with him this morning?” she said, edging toward the end of the counter.
“In the back room,” John grunted. He stood up and packed some screwdrivers back on the shelf. “He said to take what you need.”
“Thanks.” Clara darted through the door that led to the back room. She saw the huge bag of dry dog food andhauled it into her arms. Spotting a paper sack on a nearby chair, she peeked inside. There were two dog bowls, a leash, a couple of packages of treats, a chewed-up tennis ball and a large rawhide bone. Everything a dog could want.
After carrying everything to the front door, she called out to John, who was still picking up and sorting the tools on the shelf. “I’m going to get my car and park it in the loading zone.”
He answered her with a wave, and she dashed out the door and down the hill. She still had an hour or so before she was due at the bookstore. Enough time to get Tatters home and settled before she had to leave him.
It occurred to her that she should have waited until her next day off before bringing the dog into his new home. It was too late now, however. Besides, if Rick did end up in jail after his questioning, there’d be no one to look after Tatters.
He doesn’t belong in jail.
Startled, she closed her mind to the voices. She didn’t need them to tell her that. Rick was innocent, and somehow she had to help him.
Right then, however, her first priority was to get Tatters home and settled. Then she’d tackle the problem of Rick’s possible arrest.
John grudgingly helped her haul the dog food and supplies into the trunk of her car, and even located the leash that Rick had shoved under the counter. Tatters seemed excited about the prospect of a car ride and bounded onto the backseat, where he sat with his nosepressed to the window while
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