hear you."
"Death takes people that way, sometimes," he said gently. "Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course," she said and Mr. B abandoned the rushes and sniffed around the man's ankles.
"Are you okay with dogs?" Sadie asked. "I can pick him up if you like?"
"He's fine." He held out his hand to her.
"I'm Officer Ryan of the Hillside Police Department. I understand you are Sadie Barnett?" They shook hands.
"Yes, I'm Sadie." He had a good handshake, firm without being damp or painful.
"Did you know or recognize the deceased woman?" he asked.
"No." She shook her head. Truthfully she hadn't looked that closely, but she doubted closer examination would help.
"Did you have plans to come out to the lake today, or was it a spur of the moment thing?" he asked.
"We had planned to go on our usual walk along the cliffs in Seagrove." She smiled remembering Zack showing her where he wanted to get married on the cliff above the ocean.
"But it was foggy on the coast today so we decided to come inland and walk in the sunshine."
He wrote a few words in his notebook and looked up. "Is there anything else you can tell me about discovering the body?"
"I don't think so," she said. "Mr. Bradshaw," she gestured to her dog, "was barking so we hurried around the bend. Zack jumped in the lake and towed the body to shore while I called 9-1-1. Then we sat on a log and waited. That's about it."
"Thank you, Ms. Barnett, you can go now." He laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Try not to dwell on it," he said kindly. "Do something engaging to take your mind off the day."
Sadie smiled at him but secretly thought the day had been wonderful until Mr. Bradshaw had alerted them to the body. She wondered what he considered engaging, probably not what she was contemplating – solving the murder of the unknown woman. Of course, it was possible that it had been an accidental death, but she really didn’t think so.
She went to find Zack, who was deep in discussion with one of the other officers. She tried getting his attention without interrupting the conversation, but he seemed to have forgotten her. Trying to keep her impatience at bay, she walked Mr. B along the path a little further and then back again, but he was now taking notes. She walked up to him.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But, I’d really like to go home now should I just call a cab?”
He looked at her, surprised. “I thought you’d be combing for clues. I’m not ready to leave, why don’t you take the jeep and I’ll get a ride into town with one of these guys.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too. I think I’m a little done with murders. Keep your car,” she said and was surprised at how snappish she sounded.
“I can get a taxi.”
“I don’t mind you taking my car, Sadie.” He held out his keys but she waved him away.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“I’ll see you later then.” And two seconds later he was back in conversation with the other officers.
Two hours ago her wish had been his command, now he hardly knew she existed. Sadie tried not to be mad at Zack as she walked with Mr. Bradshaw back to the parking area. Crime was his thing, after all. But her snarky inner voice wouldn’t be quiet and she found herself fuming over the fact that they’d been on a date and he’d abandoned her for a case he wouldn’t even be working on. The lake was miles away from his jurisdiction. And he hadn’t even asked her how she was doing, and it hadn’t even been three weeks since she’d found a young man dead in her shop.
She tried to push away the resentment, to be reasonable, but it seemed this was one body too many. She’d lost her bounce.
She called a taxi and sat on a picnic bench near the parking lot with Mr. B in her lap, waiting. Her mind wandered and she thought of Spain. It had been a while since she’d been, and it was time she went back again. By the time the taxi arrived she’d pretty much made up her mind. It was time for a buying trip. Her shop
"Death takes people that way, sometimes," he said gently. "Can I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course," she said and Mr. B abandoned the rushes and sniffed around the man's ankles.
"Are you okay with dogs?" Sadie asked. "I can pick him up if you like?"
"He's fine." He held out his hand to her.
"I'm Officer Ryan of the Hillside Police Department. I understand you are Sadie Barnett?" They shook hands.
"Yes, I'm Sadie." He had a good handshake, firm without being damp or painful.
"Did you know or recognize the deceased woman?" he asked.
"No." She shook her head. Truthfully she hadn't looked that closely, but she doubted closer examination would help.
"Did you have plans to come out to the lake today, or was it a spur of the moment thing?" he asked.
"We had planned to go on our usual walk along the cliffs in Seagrove." She smiled remembering Zack showing her where he wanted to get married on the cliff above the ocean.
"But it was foggy on the coast today so we decided to come inland and walk in the sunshine."
He wrote a few words in his notebook and looked up. "Is there anything else you can tell me about discovering the body?"
"I don't think so," she said. "Mr. Bradshaw," she gestured to her dog, "was barking so we hurried around the bend. Zack jumped in the lake and towed the body to shore while I called 9-1-1. Then we sat on a log and waited. That's about it."
"Thank you, Ms. Barnett, you can go now." He laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Try not to dwell on it," he said kindly. "Do something engaging to take your mind off the day."
Sadie smiled at him but secretly thought the day had been wonderful until Mr. Bradshaw had alerted them to the body. She wondered what he considered engaging, probably not what she was contemplating – solving the murder of the unknown woman. Of course, it was possible that it had been an accidental death, but she really didn’t think so.
She went to find Zack, who was deep in discussion with one of the other officers. She tried getting his attention without interrupting the conversation, but he seemed to have forgotten her. Trying to keep her impatience at bay, she walked Mr. B along the path a little further and then back again, but he was now taking notes. She walked up to him.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But, I’d really like to go home now should I just call a cab?”
He looked at her, surprised. “I thought you’d be combing for clues. I’m not ready to leave, why don’t you take the jeep and I’ll get a ride into town with one of these guys.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too. I think I’m a little done with murders. Keep your car,” she said and was surprised at how snappish she sounded.
“I can get a taxi.”
“I don’t mind you taking my car, Sadie.” He held out his keys but she waved him away.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“I’ll see you later then.” And two seconds later he was back in conversation with the other officers.
Two hours ago her wish had been his command, now he hardly knew she existed. Sadie tried not to be mad at Zack as she walked with Mr. Bradshaw back to the parking area. Crime was his thing, after all. But her snarky inner voice wouldn’t be quiet and she found herself fuming over the fact that they’d been on a date and he’d abandoned her for a case he wouldn’t even be working on. The lake was miles away from his jurisdiction. And he hadn’t even asked her how she was doing, and it hadn’t even been three weeks since she’d found a young man dead in her shop.
She tried to push away the resentment, to be reasonable, but it seemed this was one body too many. She’d lost her bounce.
She called a taxi and sat on a picnic bench near the parking lot with Mr. B in her lap, waiting. Her mind wandered and she thought of Spain. It had been a while since she’d been, and it was time she went back again. By the time the taxi arrived she’d pretty much made up her mind. It was time for a buying trip. Her shop
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