“Thank you.” Katrina’s anger had started to fade and she realized she had been unfair to him. In reality, she was more upset with herself than with him. She had gone through her whole life relying solely on her own wits and judgment. Having been born to a teenage, drug-addicted mother, the twins had never known their father. Growing up, their maternal grandparents had been their only other family.
Mollie Perry had been unable to care for herself, let alone her daughters. She had been known to the police not only because of her substance abuse but also because of her attention-seeking behavior. As a result, Katrina’s grandparents had been busy trying to keep everybody safe. As a child, Katrina had quickly learned that she was all alone in life.
Why had she suddenly broken her own rule and placed her trust in Spencer Colton? The only reason she could think of was that she was overwrought because of her fears for Eliza.
Conceding that she’d overreacted was one thing. Acknowledging it was another. She barely knew Spencer, and once they entered the house, he’d retreated behind a professional front. The sympathetic, helpful guy with the warm smile was gone, and in his place was a brisk cop who rattled off a checklist of security questions. Even if she’d wanted to apologize, she wouldn’t have known how to get past the professional barrier he’d put up.
“Have you considered putting in motion-sensitive lights in the yard?” Spencer asked. “It can be a deterrent to anyone snooping.”
“I thought about it. But any canine visitors would probably keep setting the lights off and it would drive me to distraction.”
“You could be right. In that case, I think I’ve covered everything.” He clicked his fingers and the ever-obedient Boris moved quickly to his side. For an instant, as he looked down at her, Katrina glimpsed a return of the softer expression she’d seen at the police station. “Remember what I said.”
She frowned. “You can’t expect me not to look for my sister.”
“Keep trying to make contact with her by all means. Just stay away from the AAG.” He stepped out onto the porch. “And you know where I am if you need me.”
She watched him as he walked to his car, wondering at the curious sensation of emptiness his departure brought. It felt like a connection had been severed. She shook aside the thought, labeling it foolish. How could you break something that didn’t exist? She’d learned a long time ago that the safest attachments were to dogs. Apart from her grandparents, who had done their best to provide love and care against the odds, her only family had been her mother and Eliza, both of whom had depended on their addictions more than her. No, people were best kept at a distance. She had no bond with Spencer. And that was the way she liked it.
You know where I am if you need me. Had it been an invitation? More likely it was just a turn of phrase. The sort of casual remark he made at the end of every encounter. And why would she need him again? His intervention had hardly been helpful.
Stepping back inside the house, she checked the time. She was scheduled to teach a couple of evening training classes at Look Who’s Walking, but she still had time to walk the dogs before dinner. Wandering into the kitchen, she removed a letter that she’d pinned to the cork noticeboard. Dog Daze was a new restaurant that had opened on Mustang Boulevard. Catering to pooch lovers, it featured a canine menu alongside the human one. The owners had offered Katrina a free meal in return for an honest review on her Look Who’s Walking blog.
Tonight seemed like a good time to take them up on their offer. And while she was in town, maybe she could ask a few questions about the AAG.
Spencer’s warning flashed into her mind and she tapped her fingers on the counter. How could he tell her in one breath that the message from the AAG was that Eliza had gone of her own accord, and then warn her to stay away, in case things got dangerous? Without giving her a reason to back off, he couldn’t expect her to take him seriously. It was probably a standard police line.
Having called ahead to make a reservation, she found a split leash, attaching both dogs to it, and set off in the direction of Mustang Boulevard. The three-mile-long main drag was home to several restaurants, bars and coffee shops, and the warm weather had brought the town’s residents out in large numbers.
After some initial reluctance, Dobby and Holly settled into a comfortable pattern of walking together on one leash. Holly was cute enough to attract attention and Dobby enjoyed fussing from humans. They were constantly stopped by admirers who wanted to pet them. The only problems occurred when Dobby smelled food and tried to drag Katrina and Holly with him to track it down.
Since there were AAG posters in almost every window, it was easy to strike up a conversation with people she encountered.
“I hear they’ve been doing good work since the earthquake.” For the most part, she got positive responses to that comment. The AAG came across as popular and well-meaning. Katrina listened to several stories of people who had benefited from their good work.
It was only when she got close to the crossroads near Bubba’s Diner that she came across anything different. A group of five AAG members had set up a stand on the sidewalk, and they were handing out leaflets to passersby. As Katrina approached, she could see that Leigh Dennings and her two goons, Randall and Bart, were among the group. The stand was covered in posters including a picture of Micheline Anderson and the slogan Be Your Best You! The information stated that Micheline was scheduled to give a series of talks about the group’s philosophy over the coming weeks.
Although Be Your Best You! featured prominently in everything the AAG did, Katrina wondered for the first time about the philosophy underlying that slogan. She’d never heard any detail about what it actually meant, but perhaps that was reserved for the paying customers?
Katrina drew level with them and shook her head as one of the group waved a leaflet in her direction. Just then, a car pulled up and the driver’s door was flung open. A woman jumped out and dashed over to the AAG stand.
“You people are cheaters and I want my money back.” Her voice was loud and a group of women who were just about to enter Bubba’s Diner paused to watch what was happening.
Leigh took out her cell and started to make a call while Randall stepped forward. “Ma’am, this is not a good time—”
“I loaned my son a thousand dollars and I’ve just found out he used it for a seminar on ‘becoming his best self.’” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and she made an air-quote gesture as she said the words. “What sort of mumbo jumbo is that?”
“I th
ink you’ll find that your son will have reaped the incredible rewards that come from an Affirmation Alliance seminar.”
“My son just lost his dad in a horrible accident. He’s sad and vulnerable.” Katrina began to listen a little more carefully. Eliza had also been susceptible, and she, too, had become involved with the AAG. Was there a link? “You people preyed on his grief.”
Katrina was close enough to hear Leigh as she ended her call. She spoke quietly to the group around her. “Micheline said this is bad publicity. We need to close it down fast.”
Moving swiftly, the other AAG members surrounded the irate woman, effectively blocking her from view. As she raised her voice, they started to talk loudly, drowning out her protests. Seconds later, she was being hustled into her car by Randall and Bart. Katrina didn’t see them actually touch her. It was more that they invaded her space and gave her nowhere else to go.
She looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed what was going on. Should she film what was happening? Take a picture? Call someone? But who? An image of Spencer Colton flashed into her mind and she reached into her pocket for her cell. Even as her fingers began to swipe through her address book for his number, she hesitated. Why would he believe her about this incident when he had been lukewarm about her suspicions concerning Eliza?