“Trust me, I’m staying as far away from him as I can.” I heard the sound of a car in the distance. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call Max later to check in.” Then he hung up.

I knew I needed to get back to work, but first I looked up the number for Drum Veterinary Clinic and called Abby.

“Dr. Donahey,” she said after Sasha transferred the call.

“Abby, it’s Carly,” I said. “I have another couple of questions for you.”

“Ask away,” she said, “although there’s no guarantee I’ll know the answer.”

“You said that Mitzi told you Heather was going to Tulsa. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Did you ask Mitzi?”

“She wouldn’t see me.”

“What?”

“I guess it would be more accurate to say her husband wouldn’t let me see her.”

She was silent for a moment. “Paul is a controlling asshole.”

“I was surprised he was home.”

“He works nights for the sheriff’s department. He’s a deputy sheriff.”

I gasped. “You’re kidding. What’s his last name?”

“Conrad. Paul Conrad. Trust me, if he knows about this, you’ll never get to talk to her.”

I let that soak in for a moment—both that he was a sheriff deputy and that Abby was sure he wouldn’t let me talk to his wife. What he hiding something? “Do you happen to know who Heather’s boyfriend was? The one she was seeing right before she left town?”

“She had another boyfriend? That’s news to me.”

“I think she was meeting him at the Mountain View Lodge. They spent a night there the week before she left. I have the receipt.”

Abby was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke again, she sounded more subdued. “Wow. I didn’t know. Mitzi would know better than I would.”

Or maybe Dick or May, but I didn’t need to mention that. “And Paul won’t let me talk to her.”

She paused again. “Maybe you should just let it go, Carly. I worry this is dredgin’ up a lot of memories she would rather forget. Just let the sheriff’s department do their job and leave it at that.”

“But they’re pinnin’ this on an innocent man,” I said.

“Can’t Wyatt come up with an alibi?” she said, her voice strained. “I just know Mitzi didn’t sound good on the phone. This is really upsettin’ her.” Then she said, “Hey. A client showed up. I’ve gotta go.”

She hung up and I thought about what she’d said about Mitzi and Paul. I didn’t want to cause her grief, but I suspected she had more answers than anyone. I wanted to talk to her more now than I had before.

I just needed the element of surprise.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I headed out to the dining room and found absolute chaos. A large group of construction workers had come in and filled every single chair at the bar. Ginger was handling the rush as best she could during her first hour of waitressing, and Molly looked furious.

“Where the hell have you been?” she barked as I tried to figure out where to start first. Marco had taken some of the drink orders for my new customers, so I started taking food orders and getting them in so the laborers could get back to work on time. I was dying to talk to Marco, but I knew it would have to wait.

It was nearly one thirty before we had everything under control. Molly had survived the rush, even if she’d fallen behind for a bit, and Ginger had jumped right in and handled all of the customers at the bar—with a little help from Max and Marco.

When we got a breather, Molly cornered me at the server counter. “What makes you think you’re special enough to walk off the floor for nearly ten minutes?”

I gaped at her in disbelief. “And just how long have you worked here?”

She lifted her chin in defiance. “That’s irrelevant.”

“Did you have to cover my section?” I demanded.

“No, but—”

“Are you my boss?”

“No—”

“Did my absence hurt you in any way?”

“People were complainin’.”

“To you?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Let’s get one thing straight, Molly,” I said with a cold tone I rarely used. “You worry about you and let me take care of me. Max was fully aware that I had something I needed to deal with, but instead of taking off the entire shift and letting you deal with it all, I took off a few minutes to handle it. With his permission. I’ve worked here for months, while you are still on probation.”

She stared at me in shock.

“I suggest you spend more time handling your own customers and less time supervising me.”

“Order up, Molly,” Tiny said with plenty of judgment in his voice.

Molly gave him a hateful look, grabbed her plates, and stomped off to the dining room.

“You gonna tell Max about that hissy fit?” Tiny asked, leaning in the window.

“Tiny…”

“That’s a fat no.” He sucked in a deep breath, then said, “I know the dining room is none of my business, but she’s never gonna work out here. She’s got a mile-long grudge against Ruth, and now she’s buildin’ one against you. I know y’all need the help, but I don’t trust her.”

“I’m not gonna be responsible for getting someone fired, Tiny.”

“You think I don’t know that? That’s why I’ll be tellin’ Max every bit of nonsense I’ve heard that woman spout.” Then he turned back to deal with his own employee, who, for all her incompetence, was at least respectful.

Tiny placed my order on the counter, and I delivered it to my customers before checking in with Ginger. I’d thought she might be flustered, but her eyes were glowing with excitement.

“Is it like this every day?” she asked.

“Not quite this crazy,” I said, “but it’s been hopping lately with the construction crew.”

“I can’t wait to come back tomorrow.”

I hoped what I was about to tell her didn’t make her change her mind. “I really hate to do this, but I’m going to need to take off early, and I’d like you to cover my section too.”

Her smile fell, and I was sure she was about to blast me too, but instead she lowered her voice and asked, “Are you leaving to help clear Wyatt’s name?”

I hesitated, not sure how much she knew.

She leaned closer and whispered, “Junior’s covering the garage so Wyatt can tail you, although now I hear he’s hidin’ from the sheriff. You’re helpin’ him, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Taking a step back, she said, “Then what are you doin’ here? We’ll handle this. You go save our boy.”

Our boy. Wyatt wasn’t my boy, and the look on her face said she realized her mistake.

“Carly, I’m sorry. I know you two broke up, but since you’re helpin’ him, I thought…”

I shook my head. “We’re not getting back together. That man has too many secrets. Too much baggage. I’m only helping him out as a friend.”