Chapter 4

"What is it?" Jo asked.

"I can't be certain, but it looks like Carrie sent you a photo of a tracking device," Raylene said.

"Tracking device?"

"You know, one you put on a vehicle to track its location."

"Let me call her." Jo promptly dialed her friend's cell phone number.

"Hey, Jo." A breathless Carrie picked up. "Did you get my text?"

"Yeah. Raylene seems to think the picture you sent me is a tracking device."

"It is. I already researched the name. Trekki Tracker. It's used for tracking vehicles, backpacks, anything you want to keep track of."

"Including people," Jo said. "It doesn't belong to me."

"That's odd. I found it in the driveway, in the area where you had parked earlier."

Jo suggested she check with the construction supervisor and workers to see if it belonged to one of them.

"I have," Carrie said. "You were the last person I asked. No one seems to know who it belongs to."

"And it's not yours?" Jo asked.

"Nope."

"That's weird."

"Or maybe scary." Carrie reminded her about hearing noises at night and Raylene mentioning what appeared to be pry marks on her window. "I'm starting to get creeped out."

"No kidding." Jo attempted to brush it off, but was concerned for her friend. It was possible someone had placed it on one of their vehicles. But who? And why?

Raylene tapped Jo's shoulder and silently mouthed something.

"Hang on. Raylene is here. She's trying to tell me something." Jo held the phone away.

"I would like to take a closer look at the tracker."

The way Raylene said it made Jo suspect her inkling of concern was warranted.

Through the back door, she could see the rest of the residents heading toward the house for her dress fitting, which meant she needed to get off the phone. "Why don't you bring it with you when you come by for dinner?"

"I will," Carrie promised. "Six o'clock."

"Yes. Six." Jo ended the call and waved her phone in the air. "Carrie said she'll bring the tracking device with her."

"Hey, ladies." Delta breezed back into the kitchen. "Everyone is in the living room waiting." She abruptly stopped. "What's going on?"

"Carrie found a tracking device in her driveway," Jo said. "She wanted to know if it was mine."

"A tracking device?"

"She's been hearing noises out at her farm and Raylene noticed some pry marks on one of her windows."

Delta's jaw dropped. "Someone is stalking Carrie?"

"We're not sure," Raylene said. "I know a little about them from my previous line of work and figured it wouldn't hurt to take a closer look at it."

The tinkle of laughter echoed from the living room.

"I don't want to keep Charlotte waiting." Jo, Delta and Raylene headed into the living room where her friend and residents—Carli, Courtney, Michelle and Laverne were chatting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Jo apologized.

"No worries." Charlotte sprang to her feet. "I was telling the women how much I've enjoyed shopping at Kelli's Divine Crafts. I think the name she finally settled on is perfect. Kelli is extremely talented."

"I agree. For a startup business, it's doing well."

"She's busy every time I pass by there." Charlotte patted the side of her floral patterned sewing bag. "I have everything right here to tuck, snip, clip and sew."

"The dress is hanging in my office closet." Jo hustled to her office and closed the door behind her. On her way to the closet, she peeked out the window to make sure Nash, her betrothed, wasn't lurking nearby.

Confirming the coast was clear, Jo carefully removed the dress from the hook. She ran a light hand over the delicate lace sleeves before flipping it over and unzipping the back.

Jo slipped out of her capris and pullover shirt and stepped into her dream dress. It took a little finagling to zip the back. As soon as she did, she twirled around to admire the cream-colored wedding dress.

She pressed a hand to the curved neckline, frowning at the gap that showed a little too much cleavage.

The top half of the dress, stretch crepe, fit snugly. A sliver of silver trim separated the delicate lace that hugged her hips.

Except for a few minor alterations, the dress fit perfectly. She unboxed her shoes, a pair of dressy wedged heels. They were an expensive splurge, but when she put them on, it was like walking on clouds. Still in love with the entire ensemble, Jo exited her office and glided down the hall.

Delta let out a wolf whistle. "Look at you."

"The dress is gorgeous," Charlotte breathed. "Turn around."

Jo did a slow spin.

The women oohed and aahed, complimenting her on the fit, the material, the way she absolutely glowed.

"This is my favorite part." Jo unhooked one of the Chantilly lace sleeves and slipped it off. "Detachable sleeves in case I overheat."

"They thought of everything, didn't they?" Delta asked.

"It's almost perfect." Jo touched the neckline. "My main concern is this." She dipped forward, revealing the gap.

"We can fix this up, no problem." Charlotte unzipped her sewing bag, grabbed a small kit, and began pinning the front. Within minutes, she'd successfully addressed the cleavage issue. "How does it feel?"

"Perfect." Jo leaned forward to test it out.

"This shouldn't take long. I'll send you a text when it's ready to be picked up."

"Wonderful. I want to pay you."

Her friend lifted her hand, cutting her off. "Nope. This is my wedding gift to you." Charlotte's expression softened. "You look beautiful, Jo. You are the epitome of a glowing bride."

"Thanks." Jo could feel tears well up. "I feel like Cinderella, marrying her Prince Charming in the prime of her life."

"I can't wait for the big day. Let me help you with the zipper. I bet the back was a bugger to get zipped."

"It was." After Charlotte helped her unzip, Jo held the neckline and made her way back to the office. She swapped out her fairytale dress for her work clothes, hung the dress back on the hanger, covered it with the protective plastic cover, and carried it back into the living room.

"The party is over." Raylene polished off the rest of her peach cobbler and stood. "Time for me to get to work. I'm sure Nash is ready to hightail it out of the bakery."

"It kept him occupied and unable to sneak a peek," Jo joked.

"I should head back to the mercantile." Michelle hugged Jo on her way out. "The dress is gorgeous."

"I agree." Courtney said. "I can't wait to see the look on Nash's face."

"He's gonna wonder what took him so long to propose," Delta said.

The others left, and Jo accompanied Charlotte to her vehicle. She hung the dress on the hook and waited for her friend to climb in. They made small talk, with Charlotte promising to send a text as soon as the alterations were complete. Waving goodbye, she drove off.

Jo turned to find Delta standing on the porch with Duke, her hound dog, sitting next to her.

"What time is Carrie coming by?" Delta asked.

"Six."

"Sounds good. I got a big pot of chicken and dumplings I'm fixing to get started on." Delta slipped her arm through Jo's and they meandered back into the house. "You didn't sample my peach cobbler."

"I was afraid of messing up my dress." Jo grabbed her bowl of cobbler off the fireplace mantle and followed her friend to the kitchen. "Raylene and I stopped by Sherry and Kelli's new place. They got a puppy."

"A dog?"

"They named her Shelli."

"Good for them." Delta scooped out a serving of the peach cobbler for herself, set it on the table and poured two cups of coffee. "And your latest investment, Carrie's animal sanctuary, is moving right along?"

Jo's brows knitted. "Yes. Although I am concerned about the tracking device."

Delta reached for her spoon. "Maybe her boyfriend, Charlie, should spend a night or two to keep an eye on the place."

"Ex-boyfriend," Jo corrected.

"They broke up?"

Jo gave her a thumbs down. "It sounds like it might be for good this time. Carrie claims Charlie wasn't happy about her buying the property. He told her it was a terrible investment."

"Knowing how much she loves animals, I'm sure it didn't go over well."

"Like a lead balloon." Jo took a big bite of cobbler, her tastebuds singing as she savored the fresh peaches with a hint of cinnamon. "This is delicious."

"I'm thinking about entering it in the upcoming baking contest."

"To give your nemesis, Amelia Willis, another run for her money?" Jo teased.

"You know it," Delta declared. "I got the perfect spot to put my trophy and have already spent the cash prize on a new tabletop mixer."

"This is a serious contender." Jo polished off the rest of her sweet treat and stood. "I have some paperwork to catch up on. Do you need my help?"

"No, ma'am." Delta told her Carli would be popping back in to help start dinner.

Jo meandered to her office. She settled in behind the computer and opened her email account. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a new message from the Kansas Department of Corrections. "What's this?"

She clicked on the message and found an attachment—an official-looking letter addressed to her.

Jo's heart skipped a beat when she noticed the subject line and what the letter was about.

Re: Former Central State Women's Penitentiary Inmate: Raylene Baxter.

712 D Road, Divine, Kansas.