stumbled back as her eyes landed on the windshield, which was streaked in blood-red letters that read: YOUR NOT SAFE. Her dread skyrocketed at the three words in smaller letters below: OR YOUR PETS. "No," she mumbled in disbelief, grabbing onto the back of the truck for support.
"I'll call the police," Geri yelled as she ran back into the building. Several moments later, Dave and Joan came outside, their horror-stricken eyes scanning the windshield.
"Is that blood?" Dave asked, walking over slowly. Shelley wrapped her arms around her stomach to quell her sudden queasiness. Dave reached into his lab coat and extracted a latex glove, gingerly dabbing at the red substance with a protected finger. "It has a chemical smell to it," he noted. "I think it's some kind of paint."
"I hope that's what it is," Shelley said, her voice shaking. It was too painful to even consider that a person or animal had been harmed in the process of trying to frighten her.
"The police are on their way," Geri announced as she came back outside. It seemed as though the words were barely out of her mouth before a police cruiser pulled up alongside the truck. The door swung open before the car had fully halted into park.
"Are you okay, Shelley?" Matt asked forcefully, immediately at her side.
She nodded. "I was inside when this happened. We all were."
Matt scanned the back of the small parking lot, which was only used by employees during clinic hours. "What time did you get here?"
"Just before nine."
"Who else was here?"
Shelley took a few moments to process his question. Her mind still reeled with shock, making an intelligible response near impossible. "Dave was already here," she said finally, pointing to his jeep several spaces over.
"I came in about ten minutes after Dave," Geri said. "And there definitely wasn't any writing on the truck at that point."
"And there wasn't when I got here around ten-thirty," Joan added.
"Are you certain about that?" Matt asked, his strong arms close around Shelley's waist. Perhaps it wasn't the most professional, objective stance for him to take, she thought, but he didn't seem to care. Making sure she felt safe and protected seemed to be his first priority at the moment, and Shelley had to admit to herself that it was just what she needed.
Joan nodded vigorously. "I'm positive there was no writing then because I had to walk by the truck to go inside," she explained, pointing to her car at the far end of the small parking lot.
Matt viewed the area once again, his eyes coming to rest on the stretch of woods that started where the parking lot ended. "And no one heard or saw anything unusual?"
All three heads shook negatively in unison.
"We've been busy inside all morning," Geri said. "None of us even had a break until noon, and that's when I came out to get Shelley's lunch from the truck and spotted this."
"Is there anyone else working here today?" Matt asked.
"There's a vet assistant, Karen, who was supposed to start at nine," Geri replied. "She called because her daughter's sick so she won't be in for another hour or so. And Jack, the other assistant, has the day off."
Another police cruiser pulled into the parking lot. A young, short female officer stepped out, looking like a high-school student who rented a uniform for the day and stole the police car for kicks. "Hi," she said, shaking Shelley's hand with a grip that belied her small stature. "I'm Officer Jenkins."
"Hi," Shelley replied, smiling weakly.
"Did you collect any evidence yet?" the eager rookie officer asked Matt.
"No. Why don't you take some pictures of the windshield, then get a film sample of that red stuff. I'm going to go inside for a minute with Shelley.
"Sure," Officer Jenkins replied, already digging the necessary equipment out of her car.
Once inside the clinic, Matt led Shelley into an empty exam room and closed the door. "Look at me," she said, forcing a laugh. "I'm practically shaking."
He pulled up a chair beside her and
"I'll call the police," Geri yelled as she ran back into the building. Several moments later, Dave and Joan came outside, their horror-stricken eyes scanning the windshield.
"Is that blood?" Dave asked, walking over slowly. Shelley wrapped her arms around her stomach to quell her sudden queasiness. Dave reached into his lab coat and extracted a latex glove, gingerly dabbing at the red substance with a protected finger. "It has a chemical smell to it," he noted. "I think it's some kind of paint."
"I hope that's what it is," Shelley said, her voice shaking. It was too painful to even consider that a person or animal had been harmed in the process of trying to frighten her.
"The police are on their way," Geri announced as she came back outside. It seemed as though the words were barely out of her mouth before a police cruiser pulled up alongside the truck. The door swung open before the car had fully halted into park.
"Are you okay, Shelley?" Matt asked forcefully, immediately at her side.
She nodded. "I was inside when this happened. We all were."
Matt scanned the back of the small parking lot, which was only used by employees during clinic hours. "What time did you get here?"
"Just before nine."
"Who else was here?"
Shelley took a few moments to process his question. Her mind still reeled with shock, making an intelligible response near impossible. "Dave was already here," she said finally, pointing to his jeep several spaces over.
"I came in about ten minutes after Dave," Geri said. "And there definitely wasn't any writing on the truck at that point."
"And there wasn't when I got here around ten-thirty," Joan added.
"Are you certain about that?" Matt asked, his strong arms close around Shelley's waist. Perhaps it wasn't the most professional, objective stance for him to take, she thought, but he didn't seem to care. Making sure she felt safe and protected seemed to be his first priority at the moment, and Shelley had to admit to herself that it was just what she needed.
Joan nodded vigorously. "I'm positive there was no writing then because I had to walk by the truck to go inside," she explained, pointing to her car at the far end of the small parking lot.
Matt viewed the area once again, his eyes coming to rest on the stretch of woods that started where the parking lot ended. "And no one heard or saw anything unusual?"
All three heads shook negatively in unison.
"We've been busy inside all morning," Geri said. "None of us even had a break until noon, and that's when I came out to get Shelley's lunch from the truck and spotted this."
"Is there anyone else working here today?" Matt asked.
"There's a vet assistant, Karen, who was supposed to start at nine," Geri replied. "She called because her daughter's sick so she won't be in for another hour or so. And Jack, the other assistant, has the day off."
Another police cruiser pulled into the parking lot. A young, short female officer stepped out, looking like a high-school student who rented a uniform for the day and stole the police car for kicks. "Hi," she said, shaking Shelley's hand with a grip that belied her small stature. "I'm Officer Jenkins."
"Hi," Shelley replied, smiling weakly.
"Did you collect any evidence yet?" the eager rookie officer asked Matt.
"No. Why don't you take some pictures of the windshield, then get a film sample of that red stuff. I'm going to go inside for a minute with Shelley.
"Sure," Officer Jenkins replied, already digging the necessary equipment out of her car.
Once inside the clinic, Matt led Shelley into an empty exam room and closed the door. "Look at me," she said, forcing a laugh. "I'm practically shaking."
He pulled up a chair beside her and
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