Chapter 14
“There you are. Let me know how he likes them. Actually, feel free to also leave a review for us online.” Carol attached her business card to the bag of treats and handed it over.
There were so many little things she needed to do to promote the bakery, and sometimes, a few of them slipped through the cracks.
The treat bags had the store's name on them, but Stacey had told her all about how important it was to make sure customers had her social media handles and were invited to leave reviews.
“Not all of them will, but the ones that do could make a big difference for you,” she’d lectured.
Carol smiled as her latest customer walked out. She was lucky to have someone who knew so much and was so invested in helping her.
“Looks like you’re running low on inventory,” Lorelei commented, looking at the trays inside the case.
“I can’t complain about that,” Carol chirped.
“In fact, when I’d first opened, I’d worried a lot about not selling what I made.
Dog treats aren’t like doughnuts, so it’s not like I have to pitch them if they don’t sell on the first day.
Still, I want to give my customers the freshest treats I can.
Otherwise, they could just go to the discount store and buy a box of whatever. ”
Lorelei followed her into the kitchen. She sighed happily as she lowered herself onto a stool. “Can you believe how well the Plaza Party went? That was just incredible. So many people gathered together, enjoying good music.”
“And plenty of good sales,” Carol added.
She’d already mixed up the dough for her next batch of treats.
These ones were flavored with sweet potato, and they smelled terrific as she rolled them out and began cutting them.
In the short time she’d had the bakery open, Carol had learned it benefited her to use several different shaped cutters for each batch.
Some dogs didn’t care what shape their cookies were as long as they got to eat them.
Others were picky or had small mouths, so with a variety of cutters, she could make something for everyone.
Selling them by the pound meant she wasn’t losing out on any profits by using more or less dough, and the only challenge was making sure they baked evenly.
“Well, I guess that, too,” Lorelei said flippantly.
“Very much that. I sold out before I could even get through the night. I’ll have to remember for next year.
Wendy said she did well, too. She’s got enough books that she’d never sell out in one night, but she was impressed by how well she did.
” Carol transferred the treats to a baking sheet, truly happy both for herself and her friend.
She’d have to check in with the other business owners in the plaza.
It interested her to know what kinds of sales they ran, and it would be a good way to get to know them a little more.
“I’m much more interested in the music and the people. That’s more of my thing,” Lorelei said defensively.
Carol didn’t know how she’d managed to offend Lorelei so easily. The girl wasn’t usually so high-strung. Maybe the party had been a bigger strain on her than Carol had realized, playing in front of so many people like that. “Of course it is. I’m glad you got the chance to play on stage like that.”
Lorelei’s mouth was a hard line, and she narrowed her eyes. She always looked so gracious, but right now, she looked bitter and angry. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
After transferring a sweet potato-flavored bone to the baking sheet, Carol turned. “It doesn’t mean anything other than what I said. I’m glad you got to play. That was a good opportunity for you. That’s all.”
“Hmph.” Lorelei obviously didn’t believe her.
Fortunately, any further argument was staved off by the bell over the front door.
“Would you be so kind as to tell them I’ll be right there?
” Carol asked, uncertain whether Lorelei would be willing to comply.
She’d helped her a little around the shop before, but right now, she didn’t seem to be in the mood.
“Yeah. Sure.” Lorelei headed out to the front.
Carol looked at Barney, who was in his bed in the corner. He was sitting up, watching Lorelei with caution. “Are you trying to say something about it, too?” Carol asked him.
He looked at her and then at the door leading to the front, but he couldn’t tell her more than that.
Before Carol could get the tray into the oven, Lorelei returned through the swinging door. Her chin was tipped up, and she almost looked smug. “There are two police officers here. They’d like to talk to you.”
“I’ve always loved a man in uniform,” Carol replied with a smug look of her own. Just who did this girl think she was? And why would Carol be worried about police officers? She didn’t even hurry. “I’ll be right there.”
When she stepped into the front of the store, the officers were busy fawning over Lorelei.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m going to check into that case as soon as we get back to the station.
I’ll be sure to let you know what progress has been made over it.
” This came from a tall, slim man with ‘Roberson’ on his nametag.
“Absolutely,” Officer Yang agreed, nodding emphatically. “In the meantime, we can have an additional patrol come through here on a regular basis.”
Lorelei blushed. “Oh, that’s so very sweet of you!
But I’d hate to take up any more of your precious time than I already have.
We need heroes like you out on the streets, and if those men can be found somewhere in the area, that’s much more important.
Someone needs to stop them before they do this again. ”
Carol cleared her throat. “Did you want to speak to me?”
Yang startled, as though he hadn’t realized she was even there. “You’re the business owner?”
“I’m the crazy lady who bakes dog treats, yes,” she said lightheartedly. “I’m Carol Donovan.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Yang glanced aside at his partner, who was busy drooling over Lorelei. “We’re working on a missing persons case and checking for leads. Have you seen this man?”
Carol took the photo he held out, and her ears started ringing as soon as she laid eyes on it.
She knew him, all right. There was something familiar about the dark brown hair and the way it was kind of fuzzy in the front where he’d let it grow a little longer.
“I feel like I have, but I can’t quite place him. ”
“Nick Adkins,” Yang provided. “He worked at the gas station just down the block. Did he ever come in here?”
“Oh, right.” Understanding dawned on her. She’d called him by name and surprised him, even though it was embroidered right there on his shirt. “Yes, he came in here once.”
“Was he with anyone?”
“No, he was alone.”
Yang nodded. “And did he say anything to indicate where he might be going, who he might be meeting? Anything that would give us information about his whereabouts would be helpful.”
“Let me think.” Plenty of people came in and out, and she didn’t know them all by name yet.
Some stood out, like the lady who dyed her and her dog’s hair the same color on a regular basis.
That was hard to forget. What was it about Nick?
“Oh, right. Usually, of course, my customers are dog owners. They often bring their pets in with them, but not always. Anyway, Nick didn’t own a dog at all. ”
“Did you hear that?” Yang turned to Roberson, who was staring at Lorelei as if he were in a dream.
“Hm? Oh. Right. No dog, you say?”
No wonder Lorelei had such an easy time getting any man she wanted. “That’s right. He said he was going to buy the treats for his neighbor’s dog. That’s about all we talked about. He might even have come in more than once, but I can’t be completely sure about that.”
“What about you, miss?” Yang held the photo out to Lorelei. “Do you remember anything about this man?”
She glanced at the photo and shrugged. “Nope. I’ve never seen him before. But I don’t work here. I’m just here every now and then.”
“Thank you.” Yang tucked the photo back into a manila envelope. “I’m afraid this isn’t the only missing persons case we’re working on. There’s another man, Toby Chapman, who was reported missing as well. We don’t have a photo of him yet, but do you mind if we come back in when we do?”
“Certainly. Wait. Could you tell me where he works?”
“I believe it was at Sumner Heating and Air,” Roberson provided.
“I see.” She barely got the words out. Carol’s mouth had gone completely dry as the officers finished up and she saw them out the door. She managed to paste a smile on her face but dropped it the moment they were gone.
Carol came back around the counter and braced herself against it, but she didn’t see the shiny trays of dog treats or the bright little signs that advertised the flavors and specials.
She thought about Nick coming in to buy treats for a dog he didn’t own.
Then she thought about his shirt, upstairs in Lorelei’s apartment.
The keyring from Sumner Heating and Air.
The man’s wedding band. The dismal sense of something being wrong, something she couldn’t identify, like a mist that surrounded her and everyone else in the community.
“You good?” Lorelei asked, though the tone of her voice suggested she didn’t care.
Carol didn’t need her concern. “You knew about Nick.”
“Who?”
Carol brought her head up, her eyes sharp. “The man they were looking for. He’s missing, and you lied to those police officers about seeing him. He’s been in here at least a few times, and he only came in because of you.”
“Oh, please.” Lorelei flipped her hand in the air. “There are lots of customers who come in because of me. It’s not like I’m going to remember all of them. I thought you’d be more grateful.”