Page 50 of K-9 in Pursuit

“There’s not much to tell,” Chloe said. “I own this place. I moved here five years ago from Virginia.”

“Do you have a special someone in your life?” Bunny asked. “Spouse? Romantic partner?”

She immediately thought of Brian—of the kiss they had shared. A kiss that could have led to so much more. “There’s a guy I like,” she said. “But it’s complicated.”

“Why? Is he married?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Some women are into that—going after married men.”

“Not me.” Chloe placed Bunny’s hand back in the soaking solution and picked up the other.

“Me either,” Bunny said. “But I have a good friend who lost her husband that way. It was really awful.”

“I imagine it was.” Chloe was used to clients rattling on about whatever worry or obsession was on their mind, and she only half listened. The rest of her was thinking about her wrecked apartment. She needed to call the sheriff’s department sometime today and see when she could go back to her place. Then she’d have to tackle the daunting task of cleaning up.

“If another woman ever went after my man, I’d put the fear of God into her,” Bunny said.

The real anger in her voice pulled Chloe’s thoughts away from her own worries. “I guess that would be pretty upsetting,” she said.

“When I got done with her, she’d never go near him again.”

Bunny’s tone sent a chill through Chloe. “Is your husband here in SkyCrest with you?” she asked.

“No. He had to stay home to work. I met up with friends for this trip.”

“Where is home?” Chloe began pushing back Bunny’s cuticles.

“Atlanta.” She laughed. “No snow there. This is a nice change.”

The door opened, admitting Nadia and another of the stylists, Elena. Nadia raised her eyebrows at the sight of Bunny in the chair, but said only, “Good morning,” and went to her station.

Chloe finished the manicure while Bunny told the long story of all the trouble she had had switching her return flight from Atlanta to Florida so she could be with her mother. She wound up about the time her nails were dry. “That looks much better,” she said, admiring the bright pink polish.

She paid in cash, leaving a generous tip, then embraced Chloe and squeezed tightly. “You take care now,” she said, then hurried away.

“I can’t believe she had the nerve to show up here today after ghosting you yesterday,” Nadia said when Bunny had left.

“She had a good excuse for her no-show,” Chloe said. “Her mother in Florida had a heart attack, but the neighbor who called her didn’t know how serious it was or even what hospital her mother was at. Bunny spent hours tracking her mother down, then there was some confusion over her condition. It sounds like it was quite upsetting.”

“She still should have called,” Nadia said.

“She was very apologetic,” Chloe said. “And at least she had the integrity to come to me and apologize in person.”

“I guess so.” Nadia pulled up the schedule on the computer. “As long as you’re okay with it.”

“I am. I have other things to think about. While I was at work yesterday, someone broke into my place and trashed it.”

“What?”

Chloe motioned her into the back room and told her all about the break-in and the damage done. “You should have called me,” Nadia said. “You could have stayed with me.”

“I found a place to stay,” Chloe said.

“Where?”

“With a friend.”