His expression remained unchanged. “I do. But they’re broken.”
“Convenient . . .” Max muttered.
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Old, not convenient. It’s not like I’m getting rich out here. If I have to choose between a new camera or my mortgage, I pick my mortgage.”
Sheriff Sutherland edged closer. “Which way did the truck go?”
The man tilted his head toward the far side of the building. “Toward the national forest.”
Max’s gaze shifted past the edge of the lot, past the road as it stretched out and narrowed.
There were miles of nothing out there.
In other words, it was the perfect place to disappear.
CHAPTER 10
As soon asSpicy K was gone, Hadley slipped into her office between appointments.
What had Yolanda been talking about? When had all these bad reviews of her clinic popped up online?
Hadley did a quick internet search for Blue Ridge Hollow Veterinary Clinic.
She flinched when the one-star ratings appeared on the screen.
“Everything okay?” Susie stuck her head in the office. “You look like you just marveled over an adorable cat video only to realize it was AI. Been there, done that.”
Hadley barely heard her. Instead, she stared at the reviews and shook her head. “I don’t know what to think right now. Come look at this.”
Susie crossed to the other side of the desk, peered at the laptop screen, and gasped. “What in the world . . . ?”
“That’s what I want to know. When did all these terrible reviews pop up? And why?”
Susie took over the screen and began scrolling. “None of these are even legit. I mean, they were all posted yesterday,and none of the names sound real. BRH182. CatGirl70. 33MumboJumbo33. Probably fake accounts.”
That made sense. But it still didn’t make Hadley feel better.
She scanned the reviews again, flinching at each one.
~I brought my dog in for a routine checkup and left feeling completely uneasy. Dr. Chase seemed distracted and rushed, like she had somewhere else to be. She barely looked at my dog before recommending expensive tests that didn’t seem necessary. I won’t be going back.
~We were overcharged for what should have been a simple visit. When I questioned the bill, I didn’t get a clear answer, only vague explanations. It felt dishonest.
~Something about this place just feels off. I can’t put my finger on it, but I didn’t trust Dr. Chase’s judgment. If you care about your pet, I’d suggest going somewhere else, even if you have to drive thirty miles.
“These all sound like they were written by the same person.” Susie straightened and shook her head. “I don’t get it.”
Hadley leaned back in her seat. “I don’t either. Have we had any disgruntled clients lately?”
Susie shook her head. “No, everyone has seemed really happy. I mean, there was an older gentleman last week who balked at the bill. But then he said something about everything being expensive. He paid it without raising a fuss.”
Hadley continued to stare at the reviews, a sick feeling beginning to swirl in her stomach. “It’s almost like someone has a vendetta against me.”
“Who would that be?”
“I don’t know,” Hadley said. “I haven’t been in town long enough to make enemies.”
“Are you going to report this to the sheriff?”
