Spirited Tail by Leighann Dobbs

Author:Leighann Dobbs [Dobbs, Leighann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leighann Dobbs
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Gladys Primble lived in a modest house off Forest Road. I didn't know what to expect as I pulled into her driveway, but I certainly wasn't expecting to see the seventy-year-old woman chopping a pile of wood in the backyard.

I approached warily, watching her muscled arms flex under her plain, gray tee shirt. She was pretty buff for an old lady.

Gladys noticed me and turned, a frown creasing her face. "Help you?"

I pasted on a friendly smile. "Hi. I'm Willa Chance … Owner of Chance Books."

"Mew." I looked down at the most unusual cat I'd ever seen. It was a bright ginger color with long wavy fur. I'd never seen fur like that on a cat. It looked more like lamb’s wool than cat hair.

"Oh, that’s Euphoria, she's a Selkirk Rex." Gladys bent down and the cat trotted over to her, submitting to a few scratches behind the ear before she feigned disinterest, turning her attention to the logs of wood.

Gladys stood and brushed cat hair off her white painter's pants. "Anyway, what can I help you with?"

"Well, I've been commissioned to catalogue the library of Charles Van Dorn and was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. I heard you used to be his housekeeper." My cheeks burned and my mouth felt dry. I was never good at telling lies. Of course, I wasn't actually lying; what I'd said was true. I just neglected to add in the part about how Steve was in jail and I probably had no business with the Van Dorn library anymore.

Her eyes sparked at the mention of Charles Van Dorn and she narrowed them at me. "Cataloguing his library? … I thought the contents of the house were held up in some issue with his brother or something."

"Oh, it was, but the brother died and the estate passed to Charles' nephew."

Her eyes widened. "You don't say! When did this happen? I'm afraid I don't get TV or newspapers here and I don't go into town much. We're pretty self-sufficient."

"The new owner flew in a couple of days ago and opened the house. He's already sold some of the contents."

Gladys cheek ticked. She took a red and black bandana out of her back pocket and wiped her brow with shaky hands.

"I guess you and Mr. Van Dorn must have been very close."

Her brow creased. "Why do you say that?"

"I found a photo album and you look quite friendly in the pictures. Actually, he had quite a lot of pictures of you in there, which is pretty unusual. I mean, people don't usually have a lot of photos of their housekeepers in the family photo albums, do they?" I shrugged. "That’s why I figured you guys were so close."

More sweat beaded on her brow and she swiped at it with the hanky. Her eyes darted around the yard.

"Yes, I guess you could say we were close. Now if you'll excuse me, I just realized I'm late for an appointm—."

"Hey, Ma—" A tall, thin man with graying hair came careening around the corner, looking from Gladys to me inquisitively.

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