“Let’s bring them on back and have a look.”
“Thank you, Doc,” Rory gushes. “We appreciate you seeing us without an appointment.”
“Not a problem. There’s not much on the book this morning.”
I dart an angry gaze toward Brittany. She’s looking down at her lap.
“Can you go back with the dogs?” I ask Rory. “I need to make a quick…phone call.”
Rory meets my gaze with understanding. “Of course. Just join us when you can.” She takes Zach’s leash, and Doc Sheraton takes Dusty’s.
I stalk toward Brittany’s desk.
Stay calm. Don’t put her on the defensive.
“Booked, huh?” I begin with.
“Sorry.” Her cheeks are red. “I was looking at Monday morning.” She taps on her computer. “Just had the wrong day on the screen.”
“Wasn’t it lucky that your dad came out, then? So we got in today?”
“Yeah. Lucky.” She smiles. Sort of.
I take a seat and scooch it up next to her desk. “So tell me, Brittany. What have you been up to lately?”
She clears her throat. “Nothing.”
“Oh? I don’t recall you working here the last time I came by.” I have no idea when that was, but I’m thinking she won’t know that.
“I’ve only been here a few weeks. I just moved back to Snow Creek, and Dad gave me the job.”
“Isn’t that convenient that you got a job right away?”
“Well, I know the boss pretty well.” She laughs. A nervous laugh.
“Someone else just came back to town recently,” I say.
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Pat Lamone. Remember him?”
The redness extends down to her neck at the mention of Lamone. “From high school, right? He left after his junior year?”
I nod. “I believe you’re right.”
“I didn’t know he was back in town.”
Right. Because I was born yesterday. “He’s working at the hotel.”
She nods and then pretends to be thoroughly engrossed in the copy of Dogster magazine sitting on her desk.
“You and he used to be pretty tight,” I say.
“Pat and me? Not really.”
“Hmm. I’m thinking Daddy might be interested to know how you stole his tranquilizer gun and drugged Rory and me ten years ago.”
She gulps audibly. “You can’t prove any of that.”