date before her bedtime.”
He turned to face her, and a look she didn’t
understand shadowed his eyes.
“Just keep that pepper spray handy, Madeline.
I hope you never need it.”
Chapter Five
Madeline unlocked the door to Woofy Cuts,
stifling a yawn. The cheery bell Lindsey placed above the door
greeted her as she entered. Early morning sunlight barely
penetrated the gloom of the shop. She rushed to the alarm to turn
it off.
That’s strange. The alarm wasn’t
beeping, and the green light shone steadily. Lindsey said she would
check on Brutus and walk him around eleven o’clock last night.
Madeline had a hard time believing she didn’t set the alarm.
Then again, Lindsey used her birthday as the
code—not exactly hard to crack. Madeline shuddered, wondering if
Donovan was right to worry about her safety.
A shuffling sound from the right-hand side of
the store caught her attention. Madeline cocked her head to the
side, holding her breath as she listened intently. Silence.
It’s just my imagination running wild
because of what Donovan said...I hope.
She gripped the pepper spray attached to her
car keys, pressing her back against the wall before flipping on the
light switch. When no one jumped out of the shadows, she allowed
herself to breathe again. Still, perhaps he wanted the element of
surprise and hid, waiting to attack her once she let her guard
down.
As quietly as possible, she crept past the
customer seating area toward the shelves holding pet supplies. The
middle row was the only place to hide. Madeline’s heart hammered in
her chest and her hands shook.
She tried to calm her erratic breathing. If
someone waited on the other side of the shelf, he likely heard her
ragged breaths. She’d have to surprise him by doing the
unexpected.
Madeline sent up a quick prayer she wouldn’t
drop the keychain and leapt forward to the row of shelves,
discharging a preemptive strike with the pepper spray. The foamy
substance flew through the air to land in the empty aisle.
“Great shot, Rambo.” She let out a shaky
laugh. “You killed the doggie treats.”
Madeline picked up the ruined package before
it could contaminate anything else. She took shallow breaths so the
pepper spray didn’t get in her lungs. It would be hard to explain
that to medical personnel. It’s no big deal, a phantom killer
attacked me so I pepper sprayed myself.
Yeah right.
She threw the package in the trash bin and
walked toward the back room. “Brutus, time to get up,” she
called.
Madeline reached the doors but took one last
look around the shop, trying to shake the feeling that something
was wrong. Lindsey forgot to set the alarm, and her and
Donovan’s paranoia is rubbing off on me, that’s all. Everything’s
fine.
She shook her head and walked through the
doorway, laughing at her own silliness. The only killer in the
building lived in her imagination.
The smell hit her first. Besides the
ever-present stench of wet dog, there was a coppery, hot odor. It
clung to the back of Madeline’s tongue, tainting the air. She
couldn’t quite place it.
“Brutus?”
She flipped on the light switch, at the same
time hearing the bell sound over the front door. Madeline started
to turn back to the front of the store to see who entered, but a
figure on the floor caught her attention.
“Shit!”
Madeline rushed to Brutus’ side, slipping in
the blood pooling around his body. A yellow and blue nylon rope
tied around his throat cut off his air, and Brutus struggled
weakly, thrashing his head from side to side. Blood oozed from a
gaping wound in the Great Dane’s side.
She kneeled next to him, trying to untie the
knot holding the rope in place. Brutus’ attempts to free himself
knocked Madeline’s hands away.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ll help you.” She tried
to keep her voice soothing, although fear threatened to overcome
her.
She finally worked the rope free, tossing it
away. Brutus heaved a huge sigh and laid his head on the
He turned to face her, and a look she didn’t
understand shadowed his eyes.
“Just keep that pepper spray handy, Madeline.
I hope you never need it.”
Chapter Five
Madeline unlocked the door to Woofy Cuts,
stifling a yawn. The cheery bell Lindsey placed above the door
greeted her as she entered. Early morning sunlight barely
penetrated the gloom of the shop. She rushed to the alarm to turn
it off.
That’s strange. The alarm wasn’t
beeping, and the green light shone steadily. Lindsey said she would
check on Brutus and walk him around eleven o’clock last night.
Madeline had a hard time believing she didn’t set the alarm.
Then again, Lindsey used her birthday as the
code—not exactly hard to crack. Madeline shuddered, wondering if
Donovan was right to worry about her safety.
A shuffling sound from the right-hand side of
the store caught her attention. Madeline cocked her head to the
side, holding her breath as she listened intently. Silence.
It’s just my imagination running wild
because of what Donovan said...I hope.
She gripped the pepper spray attached to her
car keys, pressing her back against the wall before flipping on the
light switch. When no one jumped out of the shadows, she allowed
herself to breathe again. Still, perhaps he wanted the element of
surprise and hid, waiting to attack her once she let her guard
down.
As quietly as possible, she crept past the
customer seating area toward the shelves holding pet supplies. The
middle row was the only place to hide. Madeline’s heart hammered in
her chest and her hands shook.
She tried to calm her erratic breathing. If
someone waited on the other side of the shelf, he likely heard her
ragged breaths. She’d have to surprise him by doing the
unexpected.
Madeline sent up a quick prayer she wouldn’t
drop the keychain and leapt forward to the row of shelves,
discharging a preemptive strike with the pepper spray. The foamy
substance flew through the air to land in the empty aisle.
“Great shot, Rambo.” She let out a shaky
laugh. “You killed the doggie treats.”
Madeline picked up the ruined package before
it could contaminate anything else. She took shallow breaths so the
pepper spray didn’t get in her lungs. It would be hard to explain
that to medical personnel. It’s no big deal, a phantom killer
attacked me so I pepper sprayed myself.
Yeah right.
She threw the package in the trash bin and
walked toward the back room. “Brutus, time to get up,” she
called.
Madeline reached the doors but took one last
look around the shop, trying to shake the feeling that something
was wrong. Lindsey forgot to set the alarm, and her and
Donovan’s paranoia is rubbing off on me, that’s all. Everything’s
fine.
She shook her head and walked through the
doorway, laughing at her own silliness. The only killer in the
building lived in her imagination.
The smell hit her first. Besides the
ever-present stench of wet dog, there was a coppery, hot odor. It
clung to the back of Madeline’s tongue, tainting the air. She
couldn’t quite place it.
“Brutus?”
She flipped on the light switch, at the same
time hearing the bell sound over the front door. Madeline started
to turn back to the front of the store to see who entered, but a
figure on the floor caught her attention.
“Shit!”
Madeline rushed to Brutus’ side, slipping in
the blood pooling around his body. A yellow and blue nylon rope
tied around his throat cut off his air, and Brutus struggled
weakly, thrashing his head from side to side. Blood oozed from a
gaping wound in the Great Dane’s side.
She kneeled next to him, trying to untie the
knot holding the rope in place. Brutus’ attempts to free himself
knocked Madeline’s hands away.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ll help you.” She tried
to keep her voice soothing, although fear threatened to overcome
her.
She finally worked the rope free, tossing it
away. Brutus heaved a huge sigh and laid his head on the
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