Read Online To Love and Protect by Tamra Rose - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tamra Rose
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home, Matt. It's bad enough that my pets have to leave."
"Shelley, I'd really feel better if you stayed with someone else."
"If I start to feel scared, I'll move in with Diana, or even my mother, for that matter. She only lives forty-five minutes away."
Matt shook his head and sighed with a hint of grudging amusement. "You go out of your way to make sure your pets − including three dogs with very big teeth − are kept safe, but you won't take the same precautions for yourself."
Suddenly, Shelley felt the intensity of the situation. "Do you really think I'm in danger? I mean, is this some nutcase who could actually take things a step further and try to hurt me? I don't want to sound naive, but I've just figured that someone's trying to play mind games with me by leaving these messages. I haven't really thought that he − or she − would act any of this stuff out."
"It depends. A lot of times in cases like this, the perpetrator is just trying to scare the person, like you said. But there are always those cases where things escalate. And that's what you have to be careful for. The thing is, there are no obvious suspects in this case yet. It's not like you have a jealous ex-boyfriend or something." He stopped for a moment. "Right?"
"No, it's more like five jealous exes," Shelley replied, adding, "Just kidding," as Matt's eyes bulged. "And I don't know that Marge Henderson is a likely suspect anymore. I have a hard time picturing her coming out her on her bike to leave message on my truck."
"Maybe," Matt said, not sounding fully convinced. "The way the parking lot is situated near the woods, anyone could have pulled their car off the road at another spot and snuck up through the back."
"Sounds like someone's going through a lot of trouble to scare me."
Matt leaned back in his chair, his eyes cast upwards in thought. "I know this might sound crazy," he started slowly, "especially since everyone knows what a great veterinarian you are. But is there anyone who might be angry at you because of an animal you've treated here? Or for that matter, could there be someone you got in trouble because they were abusing or neglecting their pet?"
Shelley thought for a moment. She was, in fact, active in several animal advocate organizations, but so were a lot of people. "Wait − there was an incident when I was called out to a kennel in Middleton after it had been raided by the police." She closed her eyes as she recalled the deplorable conditions she had encountered.
"When was this?"
"About a year ago. And it was the next town over."
"Hmm … doesn't sound likely, but we shouldn't rule out anything at this point." He pulled a small note pad out of his shirt pocket and scribbled down the pertinent information that Shelley relayed to him about the case. There was a knock at the door just as he closed the note pad. "Come in," he said.
Officer Jenkins entered the room. "I've collected all the evidence."
"Good. Why don't you bring it back to the station now. We'll probably have to send the film of the writing material to the state lab for analysis."
"Got ya."
Matt turned back to Shelley. "Do you want me to come get the dogs tonight?"
"I'd rather bring them over myself if that's okay. I want to make sure they get settled in and everything."
Matt smirked. "You don't fool me. You just want to check out my place and make sure it's suitable enough for them."
Shelley laughed. "Knock it off. I've seen you with Carly. I know my dogs are in good hands."
Make that very good hands, she thought as she recalled how it felt to be touched by them.
"I'll be home after six-thirty, so just come by anytime after that."
"Sounds good−"
"And Shelley?"
"Yes?"
Matt's eyes grew dark. "I really think you should consider staying somewhere else, or at least having someone stay with you."
"I'll consider it."
Matt studied her with frustrated admiration. "Anyone ever tell you you're stubborn as a mule?"
"Not in at least at week."
"I should've
"Shelley, I'd really feel better if you stayed with someone else."
"If I start to feel scared, I'll move in with Diana, or even my mother, for that matter. She only lives forty-five minutes away."
Matt shook his head and sighed with a hint of grudging amusement. "You go out of your way to make sure your pets − including three dogs with very big teeth − are kept safe, but you won't take the same precautions for yourself."
Suddenly, Shelley felt the intensity of the situation. "Do you really think I'm in danger? I mean, is this some nutcase who could actually take things a step further and try to hurt me? I don't want to sound naive, but I've just figured that someone's trying to play mind games with me by leaving these messages. I haven't really thought that he − or she − would act any of this stuff out."
"It depends. A lot of times in cases like this, the perpetrator is just trying to scare the person, like you said. But there are always those cases where things escalate. And that's what you have to be careful for. The thing is, there are no obvious suspects in this case yet. It's not like you have a jealous ex-boyfriend or something." He stopped for a moment. "Right?"
"No, it's more like five jealous exes," Shelley replied, adding, "Just kidding," as Matt's eyes bulged. "And I don't know that Marge Henderson is a likely suspect anymore. I have a hard time picturing her coming out her on her bike to leave message on my truck."
"Maybe," Matt said, not sounding fully convinced. "The way the parking lot is situated near the woods, anyone could have pulled their car off the road at another spot and snuck up through the back."
"Sounds like someone's going through a lot of trouble to scare me."
Matt leaned back in his chair, his eyes cast upwards in thought. "I know this might sound crazy," he started slowly, "especially since everyone knows what a great veterinarian you are. But is there anyone who might be angry at you because of an animal you've treated here? Or for that matter, could there be someone you got in trouble because they were abusing or neglecting their pet?"
Shelley thought for a moment. She was, in fact, active in several animal advocate organizations, but so were a lot of people. "Wait − there was an incident when I was called out to a kennel in Middleton after it had been raided by the police." She closed her eyes as she recalled the deplorable conditions she had encountered.
"When was this?"
"About a year ago. And it was the next town over."
"Hmm … doesn't sound likely, but we shouldn't rule out anything at this point." He pulled a small note pad out of his shirt pocket and scribbled down the pertinent information that Shelley relayed to him about the case. There was a knock at the door just as he closed the note pad. "Come in," he said.
Officer Jenkins entered the room. "I've collected all the evidence."
"Good. Why don't you bring it back to the station now. We'll probably have to send the film of the writing material to the state lab for analysis."
"Got ya."
Matt turned back to Shelley. "Do you want me to come get the dogs tonight?"
"I'd rather bring them over myself if that's okay. I want to make sure they get settled in and everything."
Matt smirked. "You don't fool me. You just want to check out my place and make sure it's suitable enough for them."
Shelley laughed. "Knock it off. I've seen you with Carly. I know my dogs are in good hands."
Make that very good hands, she thought as she recalled how it felt to be touched by them.
"I'll be home after six-thirty, so just come by anytime after that."
"Sounds good−"
"And Shelley?"
"Yes?"
Matt's eyes grew dark. "I really think you should consider staying somewhere else, or at least having someone stay with you."
"I'll consider it."
Matt studied her with frustrated admiration. "Anyone ever tell you you're stubborn as a mule?"
"Not in at least at week."
"I should've
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