“He’s right. I am hungry.”
Jake was soangry he could spit fire. Someone was trying to frighten Branna and doing a good job.
“What the hell’s going on, Jake? This is Howling, not downtown L.A. This kind of crap doesn’t happen here,” Buster said.
Opening the shed, Jake entered with his friend on his heels. “It’s got to have something to do with this place, Buster, because she wasn’t here long enough to make enemies, and it’s unlikely someone this nasty would have held a grudge for ten years.”
“You think whoever’s doing this is trying to scare her out of the house?”
“Just a hunch, but it makes more sense than anything else I’ve thought up,” Jake added.
Buster whistled through his teeth, which was his answer for most things when he had no words.
They walked around the barn, but came up with nothing obviously out of place and no sign of forced entry. They were heading back to the house as Cubby pulled up in his cruiser.
“What’s happened now?”
Jake pointed to the cat’s tail and pool of fake blood as the sheriff approached. “Branna found this about thirty minutes ago. She’d been working inside with her headphones on for most of the day, so never heard anything.”
“This is just getting plain weird, Cubby. You got any answers?” Buster watched the sheriff go back to his vehicle and pull out his camera and a bag.
“Coming around to a few, and they’re not happy ones, I have to say, but the evidence is building.” He snapped the pictures and then bagged the tail.
Jake unwound the hose and sprayed the deck to get rid of the mess, so Branna didn’t have to see it when she came out the door again.
“So, you want to share these conclusions?” Jake said, when he’d put the hose away.
The sheriff gave him a steady look, which Jake ignored.
“She’s freaking out, Cubby. Branna came here to make a home, and someone’s trying to scare her away.” Running a hand through his hair, Jake sucked in a breath. “We need to stop this before whoever is doing it decides to push her harder.”
“I have to say, it’s nice to see you lively again, Jake, even for this reason.”
“He played ball today, Cub. The man is making strides, I’m telling you.”
Jake snorted. “Shut up, Buster. In case it slipped your mind, my girl is under attack here.”
Two sets of eyes swung to him.
“She’s your girl now, big boy?” Buster said.
“Fuck you both!” Snarling something else under his breath, he made for the house.
“Sorry, it was hard to resist.” Buster drew alongside him.
“It’s only ‘cuz we care, Jakey boy,” Cubby added, sounding like his mother. “Seriously,” he added, “I know you want this thing sorted, and I’m onto something, Jake, but I need to do this by the book, because if I’m right, then it’s going to have repercussions.”
Jake stopped before entering the house to look at Cubby.
“Is she in danger?”
“That I don’t know, but I need to you to keep a real close eye on her now, Jake. Real close.”
“Do you think this all has to do with Branna now being the owner of this house, Cubby?”
“I believe so.”
“Ethan and I can help, and we know others who can dig deep and find whatever you need about anyone,” Jake said.
