Chapter 9

9

S tepping into the warmth and comfort of Mrs. Pauly’s home was a far cry from wading through the filth of Keith’s trailer. The stench of the double-wide clung to Elsie’s skin, and she wanted nothing more than to wash away the entire encounter.

But that’d have to wait.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to talk to us again,” she said and perched onto the edge of the loveseat in the cramped living room.

Dean sat beside her, dwarfing the furniture with his size. “Yes, we don’t want to put you out.”

Mrs. Pauly settled in her wine-colored recliner with a black cat on her lap. She swatted her hand through the air before swiping it along the top of her furry animal. “I hate to hear Mila is still missing. The reason for your company is a real tragedy but I love having someone to talk to besides Sprinkles here.”

“I’m sure Sprinkles is a wonderful companion,” Dean said. “Although I bet your grandson is a little better at having a conversation.”

“Pfft. That rascal? He never has time for me. Especially lately. I told him that he could stay here if he helped me out. Ran my errands, prepared meals, cleaned the house. All things I’ve been paying other folks to do. But once he moved in, I couldn’t get him to do a darn thing.”

Elsie frowned. Not only did Justin Pauly sound like an ungrateful snot, but Mrs. Pauly’s description of the young man gave a much different impression than the other day. “You mentioned yesterday he was the reason you parted ways with Hometown Healers. I’d hate to think your health was in jeopardy because he wasn’t holding up his end of the bargain. Is that why Mila still stopped by from time to time? Because she knew Justin wasn’t taking his responsibilities seriously?”

Mrs. Pauly sighed, her puff of breath lifting a swirl of loose black hair from Sprinkles. “Mila came by one evening to say hello and noticed things weren’t being done properly. I never spoke an unkind word about Justin, but she just knew. She didn’t press or ask questions. She’d simply show up and do what she could for me without taking one cent.”

The older woman’s obvious adoration for her friend misted Elsie’s eyes. She smiled through her tears, a genuine smile for the first time in days. Mila had cast such a bright light for so many. “That sounds like her.”

Dean shifted beside her. “Mrs. Pauly, if your grandson hasn’t been pulling his weight around the house, do you know how he spends his time? Where he works? Friends he may have?”

“He doesn’t tell me anything. He stops in when he needs sleep or food. A few times he’s needed to store things in his room. I couldn’t tell you more than that.” Sprinkles leapt from Mrs. Pauly’s lap, and she swiped the leftover fur off her pants. “Why are you so curious about Justin?”

Unsure of how much she was supposed to say, Elsie glanced at Dean, giving him the space to continue.

“As you know, Mila’s scarf was found in your bushes yesterday morning. We understand you didn’t see her the night she went missing, but we’re wondering if your grandson did.”

Mrs. Pauly pursed her lips. Her eyes narrowed. “You think my grandson hurt that sweet girl? No. I can’t believe that. Justin might not be the most responsible young man, but he’d never hurt a fly. And what for? Because she stopped by to help me? Nope. Doesn’t make sense.”

Unease skittered up Elsie’s arms at Mrs. Pauly’s change of attitude. The woman had shown nothing but concern and compassion for Mila, but maybe she was willing to keep a few secrets in order to protect her family. “We’re not saying Justin hurt her, just that he may have seen her. We’d love to ask him. To see if he witnessed anything that could help us find Mila.”

The scowl melted off Mrs. Pauly’s face. She fidgeted with her glasses. “I can tell him to call you the next time I see him, but I’m not even sure where he is or when he’ll be back. Heck, I don’t even have the boy’s phone number to pass along.”

“You mentioned he stored stuff here. Can we take a look at his room?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice growing unsteady.

Sensing they were losing Mrs. Pauly’s hospitality, Elsie scooted to the edge of the cushion and scooped the old woman’s hands in hers. She prayed Mrs. Pauly would sense her urgency. “Please. I know this is intrusive and maybe insensitive, but I don’t know what else to do. If there’s even a small chance we could find something to help us, I need to take it. Even a number for Justin, a receipt or check stub to tell us where he’s working. Something to find him to ask about Mila. If he hasn’t been here since the night Mila disappeared, and we know Mila was here, Justin may be in trouble too.”

Mrs. Pauly’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought about that. I figured he’s been out and about the way he always is.”

“Then let us see his room,” Dean pressed. “Let us find him and make sure he’s okay.”

Slowly, Mrs. Pauly nodded. “Okay. Go on down the hall. First door on the left.”

Elsie followed Dean down the hall. Holding her breath, she stepped into the room, only to be greeted by stale air and dusty furniture. “What are we looking for?”

“Anything out of the ordinary or that points to how we can find Justin. You had an impressive list of ideas for Mrs. Pauly. Ever think of being a PI?” He tossed a grin over his shoulder before opening the top drawer of a nightstand.

His praise heated her cheeks. “I think I’ll stick to retail, thanks. Find anything?”

He pulled out a handful of crumpled papers. “Hard to tell. The room may be neat, but this drawer is jammed full of crap.” Smoothing the first sheet, he laid it on the bed. “Nothing on this one but doesn’t mean the rest won’t have anything useful.”

While he analyzed what he’d found, she studied the small room. Only a tall dresser, nightstand, and full-sized bed occupied the space. The thought of rummaging through a strange man’s personal items gave her the ick, so she slid open the closet door instead. A few button-down shirts hung on the silver rod and a pair of nice shoes were tossed on the floor. “Not much in here.”

Deflated, she faced the bed. If she had something to hide, it wouldn’t be sitting in the closet or even placed in a drawer. She’d want it out of sight and somewhere an eighty-something-year-old woman wouldn’t accidently discover it.

She approached the bed and dropped to her knees. Lifting the green blanket, she peered underneath. A black duffle bag was wedged against the wall. She snagged a strap and yanked the bag loose, falling back on her behind. Wads of cash spilled from the opened top. “Umm, Dean. You might want to see this.”

Dean rounded the bed to stand behind her and whistled. “Well, that’s not what I was expecting to find.”

She peered up at him, eyes wide. “What does it mean?”

“Nothing good. But maybe we can find Justin at The Town Tavern and ask him.”

Frowning, she tried to follow his logic. “Isn’t that the bar over in Water’s Edge? Why would we find him there?”

“Because if all the wadded-up receipts I found are any indicator, that’s where he spends a lot of his time.”

Her phone rang in her pocket, and she hurried to grab it. “Hello?”

“Elsie, it’s Sadie.”

Her heart seized in her chest. “Did you find Mila?”

“No, but I need you to meet me at your store. There’s been an incident.”

Dean didn’t register the cold air as he stood in front of Sweet Repeats. Not when anger boiled his blood. He wanted to scream his frustration into the cold, dreary air but he bit the insides of his mouth to keep himself in check.

The front window of Elsie’s shop was shattered. Glass sparkled on the ground like the devil’s confetti. Bits of broken decorations from the display Elsie had lovingly put together lay discarded on the floor inside.

Passersby loitered on the sidewalk. They talked in hushed tones with their heads together or stared open-mouthed at the vandalism. Tommy spoke with a woman outside the bakery next door while Sadie stretched bright yellow crime scene tape across the scene.

Elsie shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand. “I don’t understand. Who would do this?”

Dean wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. A fierce protectiveness swept over him. “I don’t know but I’m sure as hell going to find out.”

Sadie finished attaching the tape to the busted window then approached them. “I’m sorry about this. You already have so much on your plate, but I thought you’d want to know about this right away.”

“Yes, of course,” Elsie said. “Thank God the store was closed. I’d hate it if someone was hurt. Have you been inside?”

Sadie cringed. “Yes. Looks like someone went through the alley behind the building and broke in from the back entrance. The inside didn’t fare much better than the window.”

A strangled sob came from Elsie’s mouth, and she turned into Dean’s embrace, burying her head in his chest. “It’s too much. Mila missing and now this. I feel like I must have pissed off some unknown deity who’s wreaking my life.”

He held her tight and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll figure this all out. I promise. Sadie, can we see the extent of the damage?”

She nodded and opened the front door.

He slid his hand up to cradle the back of Elsie’s head. “You up for going inside?” he whispered against her ear. “We can see if anything was taken and what we need to do to put everything back together.”

There he was, throwing around the we word again. Funny how he’d been hellbent on keeping distance between him and Elsie for so long and now he couldn’t imagine not being part of her team.

She drew in a shuddering breath, wiped the tears from her face, and glanced up at him under long, black lashes. “How do you always know exactly what to say to get my head back on straight?”

He lifted the side of his mouth. “Sorry, I’ll work on keeping you in a panic if you like that better.”

His teasing words coaxed a hint of a smile from her before she stepped away and headed into the store.

He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times to expel his flurry of unspent energy and followed Elsie. Upturned clothing racks and a smashed glass counter greeted him. A fresh wave of anger crashed against him. Someone hadn’t just broken in and vandalized Elsie’s store, they’d destroyed it.

“We’ve already cleared the space,” Sadie said. “I can walk you through everything, or you can take your time and go at your own pace.”

Elsie stood as if paralyzed, taking in the mess. “I hate that I’m upset about my shop. Mila’s disappearance is so much more important, so much more pressing, but this store…this is my baby. What’s the point of doing this?”

Tommy stepped through the doorway and flipped his small notebook into the breast pocket of his jacket. “In my experience, this type of vandalism is usually meant to send a message. Someone’s angry, bitter, or fearful and wants to make sure you’re paying attention to those emotions.”

Dean scrubbed a palm over his face. “I agree, but who would feel those things toward Elsie?”

“I need to take pictures and make a list of everything that’s damaged for insurance. Doesn’t look like anything was stolen, but not sure how I could tell.” Elsie’s words came out clipped.

As much as Dean hated seeing her upset, he’d rather her be pissed than panicked or sad. Channeling her fury would help push past her fear. “I can start taking pictures with my phone. Do you have some paper to make a list?”

Elsie looked around, lifting her hands in the air for a beat before dropping them back to her side. “I used to keep some supplies under the counter but I’m guessing I can’t use those now. Has anyone seen my office?”

Tommy nodded. “Looks about the same as here but without quite so much stuff.”

“Come on,” Dean said, sensing she needed a second to herself. “I’ll walk back with you. Then we can talk things over with Tommy and Sadie.”

Ushering her down the hall and into her office, he closed the door and took in the mess. Bolts of fabric were unwound and strewn around the room, paperwork scattered on the floor and the upholstery had been ripped on a chair in the corner.

Elsie whirled to face him. Fire lit her eyes for a second before they flew wide, and fear pushed out the fury. She lifted her finger and pointed over his shoulder.

He turned around and found large, messy writing scrawled across her door.

Mind Your Business.