Don't Moose With Her (Bearbank Book 1) Page 2

  “Yeah,” Ethan said, scrubbing at his face again. At least they didn’t have to be the ones to break the news. Not this time.

  “I think we should talk to the sisters first,” Leo suggested. “They are more likely to be aware of any men in her life.”

  Ethan agreed. Chucking the remains of his doughnut in the bin, he grabbed his jacket and headed out.

  Chapter 3

  “I asked for carrot cake, not coffee cake.”

  Dana sighed. This was the tenth order she’d screwed up today. Apologizing profusely, she corrected the order and tried to pull her scattered thoughts together. Her brain kept returning to this morning and a certain dark-eyed wolf. Ethan. She had never had such a strong reaction to a man before. She didn't even know him. Was this what people talked about when they spoke of mates? She had heard about it, of course. The overwhelming attraction. The obsession. Like you were standing there, minding your own business, and wham… struck by lightning, turning you into a drooling idiot for the foreseeable future. Without the physical burns.

  That was certainly how Dana felt today. Except, if Ethan was her mate, shouldn’t he have felt it too? He had managed to walk away and Dana had no idea if she’d ever see him again. He hadn't even looked back. She fought down the panic that arose at that thought and sternly ordered her brain to get a grip. From what she understood, if he was truly her mate, it would probably happen, no matter what either of them did. If not, then it would pass and she’d get her brain back. In the meantime, she just had to wait it out and try to behave like a semi-normal person.

  Looking up, she caught Fiona’s smirk and scowled at her, making her giggle.

  “You really have it bad,” Fiona laughed, leaning against the counter.

  “Have not.” She only just resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and cross her eyes.

  “Have so,” Fiona insisted. “You’ve been away with the pixies since Mr Dark and Handsome dropped in and made you forget your name.”

  Not her finest moment. The man was her possible mate and she had been standing there in the worst uniform of all time and barely able to speak. What a fabulous first impression. No wonder he hadn’t stuck around. He probably thought she was an idiot and he was running for the hills.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Fiona nudged her arm. “Your face just went all sad. You know I’m teasing, right?”

  “I know,” she answered quietly. “It’s just… I think he’s my mate.” Fiona was one of the few humans who was aware of the shifters. Her stepfather was a wolf shifter, so both she and her human mother were a part of their world. Most of the town considered them to be shifters who just couldn’t shift.

  Fiona’s eyes widened. “No shit?”

  “I don’t know. It’s confusing,” Dana heard the whine in her own voice. “There’s definitely something going on and I’m pretty sure that’s it. It feels like he’s my mate but he didn’t seem affected by it.”

  Fiona snorted. “Are you blind, woman? The man was staring at you like he wanted to throw you over his shoulder and run off with you. He was definitely affected.”

  “He still just left,” she pointed out. Without throwing her over any part of him.

  “Yeah,” Fiona shrugged. “He probably had to work. Plus, he does know where you work, so he can find you again whenever he likes.”

  There was that. She might not know where to track him down but he knew where she would be.

  “It’ll be okay,” Tara said, making Dana jump. She hadn’t heard the woman come up behind her. There was a reason why people said ‘As quiet as a mouse.’

  “Thanks, guys,” Dana smiled, giving them both an impromptu hug. Her friends were awesome. “It’s just the not knowing.” Patience was a virtue. It just wasn't one of her virtues.

  “Even I saw the way he looked at you.” Tara smiled at her. “I was peeking through the kitchen door. I’d definitely say he felt something.”

  “Have you seen him before?” Fiona asked. “Bearbank is a small town and I don’t recognize him.”

  Tara nodded. “He only moved here about six months ago and he keeps to himself. He’s a cop, a detective. Leo’s new partner.”

  “I’m always amazed at how much you know,” Dana said.

  Tara shrugged. “People forget I’m there. They say all kinds of interesting things when they think nobody else can hear them.”

  Smiling, Dana got on with her work, only occasionally screwing up orders. Her mind was still never far from her mysterious wolf.

  Chapter 4

  He put his newspaper down and looked at Dana. She was pretty today, even in that hideous outfit. Once they were together, she wouldn't have to work here and he'd personally burn the uniform. She wouldn't mind, he knew she hated it. She seemed a little distracted today and he wondered what was bothering her. Whatever it was, he'd deal with it for her and make it okay. When he'd ordered his coffee, she had smiled at him as usual. She smiled at all her customers but he was sure that the smiles she gave him were more genuine. Just for him.

  It was time to give her another gift. He'd been leaving tokens of affection on her doorstep for a while now. He'd found her address by following her home from work one day. He wasn't ready to approach her directly. Not yet. She needed to know the depth of his affection for her first. He'd shower her with gifts as proof of his devotion, sweep her off her feet, and then he'd reveal himself to her. By then, she'd be putty in his hands.

  He knew that she was a shifter. He had shifter friends and had overheard various conversations. He knew a lot about the pretty woman. It helped him to choose his gifts for her, making sure they meant something. He had another gift ready and had been waiting for the right time to deliver it. Perhaps after this gift, it might be time to speak with her. At least on the phone. He'd finally acquired her number and calling her would allow them to speak without him having to reveal himself unless he wanted to.

  He checked his watch. Yes, plenty of time to retrieve the gift, leave it on her doorstep, and watch to make sure she received it. He stood and walked to the door. Dana smiled at him and he smiled back. Yes, things were going well.

  Chapter 5

  The two sisters sat facing Ethan and Leo. They clutched each other’s hands, their faces tear stained and pale with shock. All three sisters had lived at this house. Apparently they were a close family. Must be nice. Ethan was pretty much a lone wolf. His mother had died years ago and the only family he had left was cousin Kane and a half-brother. He rarely saw either of them.

  “I’m sorry to intrude,” Ethan said gently. “I know this is a difficult time but we need to catch the person who did this. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  The sisters nodded. The older one, Lisa, spoke up. “What do you want to know?”

  “Did your sister have a boyfriend? Someone relatively new?” Ethan asked. Girls talked to each other, right?

  The women exchanged glances. The youngest, Sadie, answered. “She wasn’t seeing anyone but she did have a secret admirer. She didn’t know who it was but she was quite excited about it.”

  The elder sister nodded. “He would send her things. Presents would arrive at her home and her work. She never knew who was sending them. We told her to be careful, that it could be anyone.” Her voice broke. “She promised that she wouldn’t agree to meet anyone but she was so excited and wanted to know who it was.”

  “Do you have any of the things he sent?” Leo asked.

  “Yes,” Sadie said. “They’re in a box in the other room. I can show you, if you like?”

  “That would be great.” Leo stood and followed her from the room.

  “Right before she disappeared, did she seem different? Worried, maybe?” Ethan asked.

  “No,” Lisa shook her head. “Nothing was different. She went to work as usual that morning but she never came home. I checked with her boss, Darren, and he said that she’d been there until closing. She called a taxi and then she was gone.
Darren assumed she came home.” She wiped at her eyes.

  “Has anyone talked to the taxi company?” Ethan asked, checking his notebook.

  “Yes,” Lisa said, sniffing. “They said that the driver picked up Becca and took her home.”

  “You were here that night?” he asked.

  “All night,” Lisa confirmed. Her hands shredded a tissue as she spoke. “So was Sadie. She had an exam to study for and I wasn’t feeling well, so we were both here. No taxi turned up and Becca never came home. I don’t know where the driver took her but it wasn’t here.”

  Tears were streaming down her face again. Her sister returned and sat beside her, hugging her fiercely. Leo walked in, holding a large box.

  Ethan stood. “Okay. I think we have enough for now. We’ll be in touch if we have more questions. If you can think of anything else, give us a call. Thanks for your help. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.”

  He left the house and got into his car. Leo placed the box in the back seat before getting in.

  “Learn anything?” Leo asked.

  Ethan grimaced. “She seems to have disappeared between work and home. We need to talk to the taxi driver who picked her up. Anything interesting in that box?”

  “Various things,” Leo answered. “There was too much to go through so I brought the whole thing. Seems to be various letters and gifts. Probably the same sort of things as before.”

  The killer tended to shower his victims with love letters and tokens of affection. Often teddy bears, chocolates, flowers. Sometimes jewellery or ornaments. Often it was something the victim liked, demonstrating how well he stalked and learned about his victims. Snow globes for the woman who collected them, an elephant stuffed toy for the woman who loved elephants. Eventually, the gifts would turn darker in nature. The flowers would be rotting, ornaments would be broken, the letters more threatening. They didn’t know what prompted the change, only that it inevitably happened and then the victim was running out of time. The final stage was the abduction and murder.

  “What worries me most,” Leo stated. “Is that if Becca was killed several months ago, then he may have already picked out the next woman. We have less time that we thought. He’s likely already stalking her and she’ll be the last one in this area.”

  “I know,” Ethan growled with frustration. “And we have no idea who.”

  Chapter 6

  Dana almost tripped over the box on her doorstep. Catching herself at the last moment, she stooped down to pick it up. The label was simple, just her name written on it. She smiled to herself as she opened the door and carried it in. She had received several such gifts in the last couple of months and she still had no idea who they were from. For a moment, she wished they were from Ethan. It didn’t seem likely though. For one thing, he hadn’t known her name earlier, he’d had to ask. The gifts all came with her name on it. A secret admirer then? Awesome.

  Opening the box, she found a box of fancy chocolates and a smaller box containing a beautiful necklace, silver and sapphire. Probably not what she would have chosen for herself but she couldn’t deny that it was lovely. Now she was a little freaked out. Sure, it was exciting to have a secret admirer but it was also somewhat creepy. A secret admirer who was now sending her expensive presents. A secret admirer who knew her name and where she lived. That was worrying. She set the box carefully aside.

  She had agreed to meet with Fiona and another friend, Katie, at the pub later. Maybe she’d talk to them about it, see what they thought. After changing out of her uniform, she made herself dinner and sat in front of the TV for a while, barely registering what she watched. Her brain buzzed with thoughts of her admirer and also Ethan. Life would be much simpler if they were one in the same. Sadly, life was rarely that simple. Eventually, she switched off the TV and went to get ready.

  She had just finished getting dressed when her phone rang. Checking, she didn’t recognise the number and ignored it. She hated answering the phone and would only answer it for someone she knew. Almost as soon as it stopped ringing, it started again. The same number. She stared at the phone. Nope. Not answering it. Would it ever stop ringing? She wouldn’t answer it but she couldn’t ignore it either. She just stood there, frozen, staring at the phone and willing it to go silent. Finally, it stopped, the silence shocking.

  The silence was short-lived. The phone buzzed, letting her know she had a text message. She edged towards it, noting that the message was from the same number yet again. Someone was persistent. Persistently annoying.

  The message read, “Answer your phone, sweetheart.”

  She had only just finished reading it when the phone rang again. She gave a pathetically girlie squeak and jumped back. Ethan had called her sweetheart earlier, perhaps it was him. Maybe someone had given him her number. It seemed unlikely though. She really didn’t want to answer. If it was him, she’d only make a fool of herself again. If it wasn’t, then she wasn’t sure she wanted to know who it was.

  She waited, heart pounding, for the phone to stop ringing and then she picked it up. She opened the text message again and hit reply.

  “Who is this?” she sent, going for the direct approach.

  Silence for a moment. The phone buzzed again.

  “Your admirer. Answer your phone.” Not bloody likely.

  Scowling, she typed, “I hate phones and I never answer them. What’s your name?”

  Another buzz. “I’ll tell you if you answer your phone.”

  Immediately afterwards, the phone rang yet again. Startled, she practically threw her phone. It shot across the room and landed on the floor. No way was she answering it. Her Freak-O-Meter was screaming at her and she didn’t want to play this game. Finally, the phone fell silent before buzzing with one final text.

  “See you later, sweetheart. Wear your new necklace for me.”

  Chapter 7

  She hadn't answered her phone. He hadn't anticipated that. He had watched as she'd taken the box inside her home. He had hoped that she'd open it where he could watch her reaction but he had been disappointed. Instead he'd gone home and called her, hoping to talk, but she had refused to answer. Once they were together, she'd answer the phone when he called.

  He'd heard her speaking with the goth girl at work earlier and he knew that they had plans for the evening. He also knew when and where. Maybe she'd be wearing the necklace. Perhaps he'd drop by and see for himself. She didn't know him yet and the place would be busy. He could watch her and stay out of sight. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the evening.

  Chapter 8

  The taxi driver was a middle aged man. Human. He didn’t seem particularly nervous to be talking to the police. Ethan had briefly considered that this could be their man but it didn’t seem likely. The scent was wrong and his wolf snoozed in the back of his mind. Of course, his wolf was still refusing to talk to him so he wouldn't get any help there. A quick background check had revealed that the driver had lived here all his life. He seemed a perfectly average human being. Nothing about him screamed ‘Murderer’.

  “So you definitely picked up Becca Jones and took her to her home?” Leo asked, leaning against the man's car.

  “Yeah, I mean it was months ago. I only remember because of all the fuss about her disappearing right afterwards. Police came and talked to me then.” The taxi driver shrugged. “It’s a shame, nice girl like that. I just don’t know anything that can help.”

  “And you took her to her home?” Leo asked.

  The driver nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Yet her sisters say she never came home,” Leo pointed out.

  “Look, mate,” the taxi driver said. “I don’t know what to tell you. I got the call, I picked her up, I took her to the address she gave me. That was it.”

  “What address?” Ethan asked. Perhaps Becca had decided to go somewhere else.

  “I don’t remember,” the man said. “I just know it was on London Road. I don’t remember the number.�
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  Ethan and Leo shared a look. Becca didn’t live on London Road. Fishing in his jacket pocket, Ethan produced a photo of Becca and showed it to the driver.

  “Is this the woman you picked up?” Ethan asked, watching for the man's reaction.

  The driver shook his head, his expression puzzled. “No, definitely not. I've never seen that girl. The one I picked up was blonde. She was waiting outside the pub. I called 'Jones' and she got into the back of the car. So, that’s not the missing girl?”

  “No,” Leo answered. Turning to Ethan, he added, “How did no one notice this?”

  Something that Ethan would like to know too. Clearly the human police had not bothered to confirm the identity of the taxi’s passenger. They had just assumed it was Becca. Someone, somewhere, had been incompetent and had cost them valuable time in the investigation.

  Thanking the taxi driver, they dismissed him and walked back to their car.

  “So Becca never got into the taxi,” Ethan stated, opening the driver's door. “She disappeared from the pub.”

  “We need to speak to Darren,” Leo said, getting in and closing the car door. “I know him, he’s a good bloke. Shifter too, so definitely not our guy. No CCTV at the pub?”

  “None,” Ethan answered with a sigh. “That would be too easy.”

  Leo grunted. “I think it’s best if we go get changed first. We rock up in suits, we might spook someone. I say we go in casual and see what we can pick up from the locals while we’re there for Darren anyway.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Ethan agreed.

  Chapter 9

  Man, the music was a little loud tonight. Dana had debated staying home after her scare with the phone. All the people here had her on edge but she really didn’t want to be home alone right now. She needed the comfort of being around other people. She also needed the comfort of vodka. Lots and lots of vodka.