Free Halloween Hijinks (A Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 1) by Kathi Daley

crowded with families sharing picnics on the warm sand, the homeless animal population tended to gravitate toward the shoreline along the lake.
    I decided to stop and check in on Gilda Reynolds, owner of Bears and Beavers Gift Shop. Gilda is short and stout with bright red hair that she wears naturally in a sort of frizzy Afro. One of the biggest contributors to the town, she serves on several community groups, including the  First Baptist Coats for Kids Coalition and the Timberland Mountain Arts Project, in addition to the Ashton Falls Events Committee.
    Gilda recently had adopted a chocolate lab that was exhibiting severe anxiety any time she was left alone. She’d tried numerous “remedies” as suggested by friends and family, but nothing seemed to be working. The last time I’d talked to her, she was close to throwing in the towel and asking me to find Hershey another home. While I didn’t disagree that Hershey might be happier in a situation where her owner was a little less busy, I also felt that with time and patience on Gilda’s part, she and Hershey could be very happy.
    “Hey , Gilda,” I greeted as I walked into the quaint mountain shop. “I thought I’d stop by and check on Hershey.”
    The dog looked up from the corner where she’d been napping when she heard her name. She really was a sweet dog, and generally well behaved, but every time Gilda left her alone in the house, she went just a little bit nuts. I had to admit Gilda had been more than patient with the emotionally damaged dog. If she left Gilda in a crate, she howled the entire time she was gone, earning her the wrath of her closet neighbors, and if she left her free in the house, Hershey chewed on anything and everything she could find to destroy.
    “She’s doing better since I started bringing her with me to work,” Gilda answered my unspoken question. “We’ve settled into an agreement of sorts where I take her where I can and she behaves when I have to leave her. I’ve been thinking about getting another dog to keep her company. I watched my daughter’s little terrier for a few days while she was out of town and Hershey tended to do better.”
    “It might help,” I agreed . “If you want, I’ll keep an eye out for a good match and let you have him or her on a trial basis before committing to the adoption.”
    “That would be great.”
    “I heard you had a visit from the random bandit,” I added. I had to admit the antics of this particular late-night stalker had captured my attention.
    “Random is right . I don’t really get this guy. He breaks in, takes a beaver cookie jar and a set of coffee mugs with bears on them, doesn’t even touch the cash I’d left in the till, and then locks the door when he leaves.”
    “You left cash in the till? ” I asked.
    “Sometimes I forget to put it in the safe,” Gilda admitted . “I’ve never had a problem before.”
    “Maybe the thief didn’t rea lize there was cash in the register.”
    “Maybe,” Gilda acknowledged . “But it still seems odd that he took a few inexpensive items and left a whole store full of much more expensive merchandise untouched.”
    “Yeah, that does seem odd,” I agreed . “It seems like that’s his pattern. The whole thing is bizarre.”
     
    By the time I finally made it to Rosie’s the lunch crowd had begun to gather. Ellie was busy in the kitchen, so I placed my order and settled onto one of the pine benches on the patio. It was a nice day for late October, but a bit on the chilly side for most, so Charlie and I ended up having the whole deck to ourselves. After I finished off a huge bowl of shrimp chowder, it occurred to me that Warren might appreciate a decent meal as well. I called the hospital and verified that his dietary restrictions hadn’t changed before calling him on his cell phone and getting his order.
    “I’m so glad you called .” Warren grinned as Charlie and I walked through the door of his hospital room carrying a