Page 51 of K-9 in Pursuit

“Who?”

“Um, I’d rather not say.”

“It’s a guy, right? I can tell by the way you’re blushing.”

Chloe didn’t answer, but something in her face must have registered. Nadia grinned. “Good for you, girl.”

Was it? She really liked Brian, but was their relationship a smart idea? His lawyer had warned him against associating with her, and the cops found the two of them suspicious. With both their lives in such a mess, did they have any business trying to sort out a romance?

“You’ll need help cleaning up after the break-in,” Nadia said.

“The sheriff’s deputy told me I should hire someone,” Chloe said.

“I’ll help,” Nadia said. “I’m sure some of the other stylists will, too.”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Why not? It’s what friends are for.” She grinned. “Besides, I want to meet this new man of yours and he’s bound to want to help, right?”

The arrival of a customer ended the conversation. Grateful for the distraction of work, Chloe told herself she would deal with her messy personal life later.

By the end of the day, she was tired but looking forward to another evening with Brian. Someone from the sheriff’s department had finally gotten back to her late afternoon to tell her she could have access to the place again. She needed to call a locksmith about changing the locks and figure out whether to tackle cleaning the place herself or to hire someone. Her shrinking bank account told her she should do the job herself, and Nadia had offered to help, but the size of the task and the prospect of friends sorting through the wreckage made her want to curl into a ball and weep, though she didn’t have time for that, either.

One by one the other stylists said good night. Chloe swept the floors and wiped down the counters, emptied the trash cans and called it done. She turned down the heat and went to retrieve her purse from the drawer up front.

The drawer was empty. The purse—along with her wallet, keys, and the picture of Cameron Douglas and his family—had disappeared.

Chapter Fifteen

Chloe stared at the space where her purse should have been. She always put it here. Had she been so distracted by Bunny’s arrival this morning that she had stored her purse somewhere else?

She retraced her steps that morning—to the back to turn up the heat and start coffee. Then to the front once more to take care of Bunny. She checked the storage closet and the filing cabinet where she stored invoices and receipts. No purse. She opened the drawer again, knowing the purse wasn’t there. But she had a distinct memory of putting it there.

While Bunny stood beside her, watching. A chill engulfed her. Had Bunny taken the purse? Why?

But why had someone trashed her apartment? Had she been right that Bunny was connected to that as well? What was she looking for?

She pulled out her phone, intending to call the sheriff, but hesitated. She pictured the deputy taking the report. Are you sure you didn’t leave your purse at your boyfriend’s house? Or you have customers in here all day—any one of them could have taken it. Why are you so sure this particular woman took it? She didn’t want to risk them refusing to listen to her.

She went through a mental inventory of items in the purse. Her wallet with a single credit card and a few dollars in cash, as well as her driver’s license. The keys to her car, and to the shop and her apartment. She gripped the edge of the counter, trying to steady herself. Had Bunny stolen the purse to get the keys, intending to come back here and trash the spa, the same way she or her accomplice had wrecked the apartment? Chloe couldn’t walk out of here and let that happen. She’d have to risk the embarrassment of reporting the theft and her suspicions.

But she didn’t have to do it alone. She hit the button to make a call. A familiar voice answered on the second ring. “Hey, Chloe. I was just going to call you. What would you like for dinner? I’ll pick something up.”

“I can’t come to your place right now,” she said. “Something came up at the shop.”

“Oh? What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here. That is, if you could stop by.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He had given the same response last time, when she called him about her apartment. No questions. No hesitation. Did he have any idea how much comfort she took from those four simple words?

BRIAN LISTENED WHILE Chloe told him about her second encounter with Bunny and her missing purse. “It does sound like she had the opportunity to take it,” he said. “But where did she hide it to get it out of here?”

“She was wearing a full-length fur coat,” Chloe said. “She could have hidden ten purses under that thing.”

“You need to let the sheriff know,” he said. “They should be able to track her down and at least question her.”