Page 28 of The Shop on Hidden Lane

“A farmer probably caught him stealing chickens. The vet who removed the bullet suggested I take him to a shelter, but that didn’t seem like a good idea to Bruce or to me. So here we are, three months later.”

They watched Bruce stop abruptly and sit down, golden eyes intent on Luke. The dog grinned a canine grin that revealed his impressive fangs.

“Looks like he found something,” Sophy said.

Luke went forward, crouched, and pointed to a half-smoked cigarette. He rubbed Bruce’s neck. “Nice work. Thanks, pal.”

Sophy could have sworn Bruce looked smug. She could imagine him thinking the canine equivalent ofYou think finding that was hard? I could have done it with my eyes closed.Which, given that he was a dog and therefore relied heavily on his nose, was probably true.

Luke used a fallen leaf to scoop up what was left of the cigarette and transfer it to the baggie. He stood up.

“Same brand as the ones in the cabin,” he said.

“A stranger is murdered by another stranger in Deke’s cabin and Deke and Bea are apparently on the run. I still can’t get past the idea that those two were—are—having an affair. It feels so…so un-Aunt-Bea-like.”

Luke snorted. “And here my grandmother was convinced that Deke would never be able to overcome the loss of his wife.”

“Your uncle’s wife died a few years ago, didn’t she?”

“She was murdered.”

“I see. I hadn’t realized. Was the killer caught?”

“He died of natural causes before an arrest could be made.”

“Natural causes?”

“That’s what the authorities put down on the death certificate.”

So maybe the causes had not been entirely natural, she thought. Deke was a Wells, after all. There was probably more than one CIA assassin in the family. She cleared her throat. “Whatever. The situation must have been very traumatic for your uncle.”

“It was.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Maybe he’s using my aunt as a convenient distraction. If he’s taking advantage of Bea in an attempt to help him forget his wife’s death—”

“What if your aunt is the one who’s using my uncle?”

“No.”

“Hell, maybe they’re using each other.” Luke gestured toward the woods and the lake in the distance. “It’s not as if a single person has a lot of options in a town this small.”

“Now just one damn minute. My aunt has lived here for years. She seemed perfectly happy as a single woman. When she wasn’t busy with her consulting work, she took trips to visit interesting private libraries around the world. She collected books for her own library. She cruised the Mediterranean and the South Pacific. Now, out of the clear blue sky, your uncle shows up and seduces her. The question is, why?”

“Are you always this suspicious?” Luke held up a hand. “Don’t answer that. Of course you’re suspicious of a Wells. You’re a Harper.”

“Are you going to tell me the feeling is not mutual?”

“This discussion is getting us nowhere. I’ll give my grandparents a call when we’re on the road. Maybe they’ll have some idea of what’s going on here.”

“The road to where?”

“Down off this mountain to the airport in Santa Rosa, where the company jet will be waiting.” Luke raised his brows. “I assume you’re still planning to head for that art colony in Fool’s Gold Canyon?”

“Absolutely.”

“Might as well go together.”

“Translated, that means you’re afraid that I’ll screw up your investigation if I try to find Aunt Bea on my own.”