CHAPTER 5

The next morning, daylightpoured through the two rectangular skylights over Cassie’s bed, hitting her eyes. She blinked them open, then squinted against the brightness, stretching languidly. She picked up her cell phone from the small table beside her bed and was shocked to see that it was nearly eleven o’clock. Angel was still sleeping peacefully beside her.

Cassie kicked her way out of the tangle of covers. Angel, seeing that her new mistress was up, woke quickly and jumped off the bed. She stretched too, forming a fluffy downward dog yoga pose.

Still in her pajamas, Cassie took the dog out to go to the bathroom, then brought her back inside and hopped in the shower. Afterward, she threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top, enjoying the break from wearing her uniform polo shirt and baseball cap.

After she’d returned to PCS the day before and explained everything to Tami and Howard, they had insisted that she take a couple of days off. After a brief, half-hearted argument, she’d agreed.

She combed her damp hair to remove the tangles, then left the dark red strands to air dry as she padded into her tiny kitchen area. It was simple but efficient, with minimal counter space and just enough room for the small fridge, sink, and stove. A single window framed with blue-patterned curtains gave the space a bright, cheery air.

Cassie was famished, but filled Angel’s food and water bowls before making herself a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast with raspberry jam. While she ate, she read over her notes from her last psychology class and checked to see if there were any notifications about Angel.

“Nothing yet,” she told the little dog, who now sat patiently watching her.

Cassie put her dishes and pan to soak in the sink and threw on a pair of athletic shoes.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” she said. “Be good.” She closed the door behind her, but looked back before heading down the steps. Angel now sat on the back of her loveseat, watching her from the window behind it that overlooked the driveway. For some reason, she felt a wave of guilt at leaving her behind, but shook it off as she crossed the yard to the side door of the main house. Cassie gave a rhythmic tap before swinging the door open, not waiting to be let in.

“I’m in the house!” she called out.

She stepped inside and not long afterward heard the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later, Rachel entered the kitchen, gardening gloves in her hand.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Rachel smiled warmly and crossed the room to embrace Cassie. Her short dark hair was threaded with strands of silver and was pulled back into a tiny, low ponytail. She wore old, faded jeans that were frayed at the seams and a well-worn T-shirt that sported a faded “for KING COUNTRY” concert logo. “I was just about to go work on my flowers.”

Rachel stepped around the island where Cassie now sat and moved to the countertop where the always-full coffeemaker sat. Cassie was already sipping on a steaming mug of coffee that she’d just helped herself to. Rachel was a retired high school English teacher, but still maintained her habit of drinking multiple cups each morning. She refilled her favorite mug, an artistic piece of pottery painted in swirls of rich blues and soft greens. Rachel loved that it had been made by a local artist she once met, a woman who had discovered her sculpting talent later in life. “It’s a reminder that we’re never too old to learn something new,” she’d always say.

Rachel took a deep swallow, then studied Cassie’s face. “You look tired. Did the puppy keep you up all night? Or were you up late studying?”

“Studying,” Cassie said, and took another sip. “But it was a lot more than school that affected my sleep last night.”

Rachel gave Cassie a questioning look as she took a seat on the stool beside her. She leaned against the curved backrest and listened without interruption as Cassie relayed to her all the events of the day before.

“My goodness,” Rachel said when she finished. “That sounds terrifying, Cassie. I’m so glad the thief was only interested in the package and didn’t do anything to hurt you.”

“I know I should be grateful about that. But right now, I’m just so angry,” Cassie said. “You know, years ago, I couldn’t have cared less about something like this. But now...” She watched the steam swirl up from the mug cupped in her hands. “Well, I’ve worked so hard to develop my reputation as PCS’s number one employee, Rachel. It’s driving me nuts that I couldn’t stop that guy. I want to do something. I want to figure out who did this, find the painting, and make it right.”

“I can see that,” Rachel said, nodding. “But this is really a job for the police.”

Cassie made a noncommittal sound and took a final swallow of her coffee.

“So, what are you going to do with your day off?” Rachel said, then added with a teasing gleam in her eye, “Maybe you’d like to help me weed.”

Cassie grinned at her. When she’d first come to live with them, Rachel often got Cassie to open up and work through her feelings while they worked side by side among her numerous flower beds.

“As much as I would adore to help you weed, I have other plans for this unexpected day off.” Cassie hopped down from her stool and took the two empty mugs over to the large farmhouse sink to rinse them. Then she placed them inside the dishwasher.

“Like what?” Rachel asked, slipping on her gardening gloves.

Cassie faced Rachel across the island. “Like for starters, I’m going to call the police to see where they’re at on their investigation.”

“Oh, Cassie, do you really want to bother them already?” Rachel said. “It’s been less than twenty-four hours!”

“Yes!” Cassie said, pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket. “I want to keep the fire lit under their butts. Because the odds of them catching this guy will be a lot greater the faster they move.”

Rachel threw up her gloved hands in resignation. “Okay, okay. You’re an adult now. I know when to back off.” She got down from her own stool and with another quick hug, she went out the side door leaving Cassie alone in the kitchen.

Cassie sat back down at the island and dialed the number she’d put in her phone the day before from the business card Officer Garcia had given her. She bounced the heel of one foot on the footrest of her stool, impatient as she waited while the phone rang.

“Officer Riley, may I help you,” the deep voice of Wade Riley filled her ear.

“Oh!” Cassie said, confused, her foot paused in mid-bounce. “I thought I was calling Officer Garcia.”

“No, this is Officer Riley. We share this line. May I help you?”

“Yes, this is Cassie Sherwin, regarding the art theft from my van yesterday evening,” she said.

“Oh yes. Did you remember something you wanted to add to our report?”

“No,” she said. “I just wanted to find out where you are on the case. Have you found any clues? Do you have any suspects?”

There was a long pause and then he said, “Well, Ms. Sherwin,” Cassie rolled her eyes in annoyance at the formality, “Officer Garcia and I are actually not on duty yet.” He paused as though to let that information sink in before continuing. “I just happened to be here a little early today to finish some paperwork. However, last night, we did view available street camera footage. Unfortunately, we didn’t find anything helpful. When we start our shift today at three o’clock, we’ll begin canvassing the area where the incident occurred and checking with Ms. Kozlovski’s neighbors to see if there were any witnesses.”

“Would you like some help?” Cassie asked. “I’ve met a few of Olga’s neighbors.”

She could hear him sigh deeply on the other end of the line. “No, thank you, Ms. Sherwin. We can handle it. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” And with that, the line went dead.

Rude! Cassie thought. She sat there for a few moments, staring into space and drumming her fingers on the countertop as she tried to decide what to do next. Suddenly, a thought came to her. She remembered exactly where the van had broken down. It was directly across the street from Lakeside Latté. And she recalled that the shop owner there had a camera aimed at their front door and parking area.

She hurried out of the kitchen and raced back up to her apartment to grab her car keys. She headed back toward the door, but caught Angel looking at her, dark eyes serious in her fluffy little face.

Oh, what the heck.“Do you want to go for a ride?” she asked.

Angel barked and started prancing around in excited circles. “Okay, I guess you do.” She grabbed the pink leash she’d bought yesterday and swooped the dog up into her arms. As an afterthought, she snatched up the small stack of flyers she’d made about the dog, shoving them into her backpack. Within minutes, they were on their way.

Cassie pulled into a parking space near the front door of the coffee shop and got out. It was a breezy summer day and golden sunshine warmed the cloudless, cerulean sky. Lakeside Latté was dog friendly. So, Cassie hooked Angel onto her leash and the dog padded confidently along beside her toward the door, like she was a regular and knew just where to go. Hand on the door, Cassie glanced up to confirm there actually was a camera overhead before stepping into the cozy shop. Once inside, she inhaled deeply and sighed. The nutty aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and caramelized sugar mingled with the scents of cinnamon, vanilla, and yeast that wafted from the warm baked goods cooling on racks, creating a fragrant and inviting atmosphere.

The shop had a distinctive industrial vibe, with exposed brick walls and steel piping overhead. Wooden floors gleamed beneath groupings of overstuffed chairs and low tables, and pendant lighting hung above rectangular high-top tables that lined both walls. Several chairs and tables were taken up by people, sipping beverages and chatting or working on laptops. Cassie walked toward the cashier at the back of the shop, passing by glass cases filled with a tempting array of pastries.

“Hi, Olivia,” she said.

The curvy brunette barista and shop owner had her back to Cassie, but at the sound of her name, she turned around and smiled. “Oh, hey, Cassie! How’s it goin’? You want the usual?”

“Not today,” Cassie said. “I actually need your help with something.”

“Shoot!” Olivia said, leaning onto the countertop and tipping her head expectantly.

Cassie explained about the broken down van and the theft from the prior day.

“Wow! That stinks,” Olivia said, looking at Cassie with sympathy. “But how can I help?”

“You guys have a camera out front, right?”

“We do,” Olivia said.

“Is there any chance you keep the footage from it?”

“Sure, we keep it for ninety days.”

Cassie explained how the thief had run through the Lakeside Latté parking lot before escaping in his truck. “I’m just wondering if you caught him on camera. Maybe if I get a better look at him, I might spot a clue that can help.”

“Well, that’s easy enough to do,” Olivia said. She turned to the butcher-block counter behind her and picked up her cell phone. She made a few taps on the screen, then beckoned Cassie to come closer. “What time was it?” Olivia asked.

Cassie told her and Olivia scrolled through a series of videos. “Okay...should be about here.” Olivia tapped the play arrow and together they watched the screen.

Within moments, the PCS van rolled into view. They watched as Cassie parked it on the shoulder and got out to look beneath the hood. They watched as the black-clad figure suddenly came into view and crept around behind the back of the van. At this point, the distance was too far to see any clear details. The figure slowly opened the doors and pulled out the wooden crate.

They watched as Cassie suddenly spotted the thief and gave chase. He bolted straight through the parking lot and out of view. As he ran, Cassie focused hard on the video, and her eye caught a flash of red on his shoes. “Wait! Can you rewind it?”

“Sure!” Olivia scrolled back, then moved the video forward, frame by frame.

“Stop there!” Cassie said. She studied the image, staring at the shoes. “Can you zoom in?”

Olivia did. The shoes were black with the telltale Nike Swoosh logo in red at the side. But the shoes were unique in that they sported a distinctive column-style structure to the heel. Cassie swore she’d seen shoes like them before but couldn’t remember where.

“This might really help. Thanks so much, Olivia,” she said. “I just wish I could have gotten a better view of his truck.”

“Wait!” Olivia said, “We have a camera on the side of our building, too.”

“Really?” Cassie was excited. “Can I see that footage?”

“No problem.”

Olivia made a few more taps on her screen, and in seconds, they were looking at video from the adjacent street. The camera primarily covered the exterior of the coffee shop, but you could also see part of the road. They could see the bottom half of the truck as it rolled slowly into view, coming to a stop at an angle on the road. Cassie now realized he was probably planning ahead for his quick getaway. Because of the angled stop, however, the lower back end of the truck was clearly visible.

“Let’s see if we can get the license plate once he takes off,” Cassie said.

As the truck peeled away, Olivia stopped the video and zoomed in. There was a lot of mud on the back of the truck and some of it covered the plate. But “GW3” was clearly visible on the right side of the plate.

Cassie pulled out her own phone and made a note of it. She thanked Olivia and stepped back from the counter. Suddenly, Angel bounced into the air to peek over the countertop.

“Oh!” Olivia said in surprise, then leaned over the counter for a closer look. “I didn’t know you had a dog, Cassie.”

“I don’t,” Cassie said, and explained how she’d come to be Angel’s caretaker.

“Oh, wow, well, I hope you find the owner. I bet someone is missing you plenty, you sweet, little thing.”

Cassie pulled out one of the missing dog flyers from her backpack and Olivia agreed to hang it on the shop’s community message board. Then she came from behind the counter to pet Angel’s head. The dog sniffed in appreciation at all the delicious smells on Olivia’s fingers.

“Oh, hang on just a sec!” Olivia moved back behind the counter and disappeared for a moment, returning with a tiny dog biscuit. “I get these from the organic dog treat shop in town,” she said. “Only the best for you, princess.” She held the biscuit flat in her palm and offered it to Angel.

Angel took it carefully between her sharp, white teeth and dropped it to the floor. She sniffed at it, deemed it worthy to eat, then gobbled it up.

“What are you going to do now?” Olivia asked, returning her attention to Cassie.

Cassie grinned. “First, I’m going to order a treat for myself—one of your delicious frozen caramel macchiatos, please. Then I’m going to go help the police do their job.”