Death by Equine by Annette Dashofy (booksvooks txt) 📕

“Picky, picky, picky,” Jessie said around a mouthful of sandwich. “At least I made sure they didn’t put any hot pepper rings on it.”

Meryl grunted. “Are you gonna go out with him again?”

“I don’t know.” Jessie set her hoagie down on the waxed paper wrapping in her lap. “The worst part about getting a divorce is this dating business.”

“What d’ya mean? Daniel Shumway is hot. He drives a fast car and takes you nice places. What’s not to like?”

Jessie eyed her friend. “He wants me to stay on at the track permanently.”

Meryl grunted. “There is that.”

“And according to Sherry, he and Doc had a big argument right before Doc was killed.”

“What about?”

Jessie opened the sandwich to rearrange the slices of tomato and pickles. “She didn’t say, and I’m not about to ask Daniel.”

“Why not? I would.”

Jessie choked a laugh. “I know you would.” She reassembled her hoagie and took a bite.

For several moments, the only sound in the office was soft munching and the crinkle of waxed paper. Meryl broke the silence. “What time are you supposed to meet Greg?”

Jessie glanced at the clock on the wall, which read 1:48. “Two o’clock.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Jessie stopped mid-chew. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I want to have a chat with Mr. Bad-Ass State Trooper.”

“That’s what worries me.” Jessie swallowed. “Assaulting a police officer is frowned upon in legal circles.”

“Screw him if he can’t take a joke.”

Jessie covered her mouth, glad she’d already swallowed. Otherwise, Meryl might be doing the Heimlich maneuver on her. “That’s Vanessa’s department these days.”

Jessie had a feeling Meryl was gauging her sense of humor. Until recently, Jessie would spiral into a fit of despair and uncontrolled weeping at the mention of Greg’s extracurricular activities. But she shot her friend a grin.

Meryl smiled back. “Better her than you.”

“Amen.” Maybe Jessie really had attained acceptance.

Someone knocked at the door. “Come in,” Meryl called.

One of their receptionists, who was now pulling double duty since Vanessa’s recent firing, poked her head in. “Dr. Cameron? Your—uh—Trooper Cameron is here.”

Before Jessie could respond, Meryl flipped a dismissive hand at the bearer of bad news. “Tell him we’re busy and we’ll be there when we’re good and ready.”

The receptionist’s gaze darted between the two of them. “Okay.” She ducked out again.

Meryl insisted they weren’t “good and ready” until five after two.

“Aren’t your clients going to be mad that you’re running late?” Jessie asked as they walked down the path to the backdoor of the farmhouse.

“I don’t have anything scheduled until two thirty. I took a longer lunch break today since I’ve been working all these un-godly hours.” Meryl tipped her head toward Jessie. “Which reminds me. When did you say you’re coming back?”

“I wondered when you’d bring that up.”

“Well?”

They’d reached the door. Jessie paused, her hand on the knob. “Meryl, I really like it there.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

“Look, if what Sherry says is true, she’s going to inherit the practice anyhow, so it doesn’t matter.”

“And if she doesn’t inherit it?”

Jessie gave her an apologetic grin.

Meryl swore.

The doorknob was yanked from Jessie’s hand. She looked up into the unhappy face of her estranged husband. “Glad you decided to make it.”

Meryl pushed past Jessie and managed to ram a shoulder into Greg’s chest as she entered.

He winced. “Good to see you again, Meryl.”

She scoffed. “I bet.”

Jessie stepped into the enclosed back porch and slammed the door behind her. It bounced open. Greg raised an eyebrow. She didn’t respond to his silent question but turned and gave the door a solid shove. It closed and stayed that way.

Silence hung on the air. No cooling system hissing in the background. No loud meows from the absent housecat.

The living room was darker than usual with one of the windows covered in plywood. Fingerprinting powder coated many surfaces, but otherwise, nothing had been touched since Jessie left last night. The dining room floor remained littered with the contents of the buffet and sideboard. The living room floor glittered with glass shards, wood chips, and fragments of electronic equipment.

She planted her hands on her hips. “You could have cleaned it up a little.”

“I’ll help later, if you want,” Greg said. “Right now, I’m more interested in what’s missing.”

Jessie looked around, the immensity of the destruction pressing down on her. “Where do I start?”

He motioned to the mess on the dining room floor. “Right here’s as good a place as any.”

She ran through a mental inventory of Grandma’s linens and Great Aunt Rose’s china, all gifts from her grandparents before they died. The closest thing she had to a family history. Dropping to her knees, she sorted through the mounds of tablecloths and napkins and scattered table service for twelve. A few smashed plates suggested it might now be a service for eight. Maybe six.

An intruder had been in her house. A stranger’s hands had touched her things. Or maybe not a stranger. Which was worse?

“Nothing seems to be missing here.” She climbed to her feet. “Broken, yes. Missing, no.”

Greg turned to his notebook lying open on the table and jotted something down. “The living room’s next. Watch your step. There’s glass everywhere.”

He wasn’t kidding. Jessie preferred to wander the house barefoot but was glad she had kept her work boots on today. She doubted she’d ever get all the shards vacuumed out of the Oriental rug.

“All my CDs and DVDs are gone.”

“Do you know how many and what titles?”

“Sure,” she said. “Whatever ones you left behind.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I’ll need a list of them whenever you get around to it.”

“You two are so cute together.” Meryl crunched past Greg, but not before giving him a good shot in the arm with her fist, using too much oomph for it to be mistaken as a friendly gesture.

Greg turned his head toward her. “Is there a reason why you’re here?”

“To annoy the hell out of you.” Meryl’s laugh sounded decidedly evil. “Is it working?”

His sigh was more of a growl.

Jessie pointed out fragmented remains of the television, DVD player, and stereo.