Page 31 of Wounded Fox
"Not that she's told me about," I answered honestly.
"No disgruntled customers?"
"Most of her customers are here in Willow Creek and I would've heard if someone had a problem with her." That was one of the good things about practically stalking the woman before she would give me the time of day. I knew almost everything about her life since I’d left.
"What about her online business?"
I shook my head. "She hasn't said anything other than things are going great. So much so that she's considering opening up another store in the city."
"Maybe someone isn't happy that she's expanding?" Maverick didn't sound convinced and, truthfully, neither was I. The people of Willow Creek seemed supportive of everything others did in the community. I couldn't see anyone in town being mad about something like that.
"A dead rat doesn't feel like something you send someone for opening a new store."
"I have to agree," Sheriff Bobby Andrews walked through the door and said immediately. "Sorry I only heard the tail end of what you were talking about but a dead rat seems a bit extreme."
Pleasantries were done before anyone spoke again on the matter.
"Two dead rats, huh?" Sheriff Andrews was the youngest elected sheriff in the state. At only thirty-four years old, it was a surprise that the county elected him. Normally, it was a political game of who-knows-who the best, but from the little I’d heard about the man, he was new to the area by only a year before he got elected.
The sheriff used a pen to look at the address label. "Sophisticated Sheen's address? Doesn't everyone love Ms. Valerie?"
Pride swelled at the question because it was true. Everyone in town loved Valerie and what she brought to the town.
"They do. That's why it doesn't make sense." Maverick sounded as frustrated as I felt.
"What about Vanessa?" Andrews asked.
"Her employee?" Now I was completely confused. "What about her?"
"Could this have been meant for her?"
I took a few moments to actually think about what he was asking and then it hit me. "Son of a bitch."
"What?" Maverick and Lex went on high alert.
"I never thought to check her background."
"Whose?" The poor sheriff looked confused as he probably tried to follow along with the conversation.
"Vanessa's. In all the research I did on Valerie while I was away, I never once thought to check out Vanessa's background."
Such a stupid and rookie mistake on my part. One I was going to fix just as soon as I made sure everything was okay over at the store.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Valerie
"Nolen, have you seen Vanessa?" I asked as soon as I walked out to the front of the store where Nolen was keeping guard.
"Not today."
"Huh." I plopped my fists on my hips. "Normally she would be here by now. I thought maybe she got caught up with a customer while I was in the office placing an order."
"Nope." Nolen shook his head. "No one has come in since we've been here."
Deep down I knew that because otherwise I would've heard the bell chime on the door.
"Maybe she's in the back and I just missed her."
