She laughed. “You’re on.”

  That earned her a chuckle. “It’s a date then.”

  And this time, Tassie wasn’t left wondering if he was talking about an actual date or not either. After that almost kiss outside Pupcakes last night, she was fairly certain she knew exactly what he meant.

  She and Jack had debated whether to pay Annette Henderson a visit first or check out David’s cabin. They finally decided to talk to Annette before going to Waverly Lake. Mostly because they had no idea where the cabin was and if they ended up having to hike into the woods to get there, they didn’t want to show up at Annette’s door looking like it.

  Tassie looked over her shoulder to check on Baxter. They’d stopped by her SUV to pick up his car carrier so he’d be safe in Jack’s vehicle. Now, he sat there happily, listening to them talk.

  As they continued along the road that ran along the harbor, the subject of Lucy’s baby shower came up and before she realized it, Tassie was confessing about being a little nervous with both Gwen and Irene bringing cupcakes to the party.

  He glanced at her, mouth twitching in amusement. “You going to need police presence at this thing?”

  She laughed. “If cupcakes start flying, we just might.”

  Before he could reply, the map app on his phone directed them to turn right at the next street, then proceed to their destination, which was also on the right. As they pulled into the driveway of a small New England-style cottage house, Tassie realized again that it would have taken her forever to find Annette without Jack’s help.

  She clipped Baxter’s leash on his harness even though she decided to hold him. If Annette had been dating Conrad, she might not be an animal lover either. If that was the case, Tassie would stay outside with her pup while Jack talked to the woman.

  At first glance, the house appeared simple and unremarkable, but then she saw the symmetrical benches built into the front porch and the trellis above and realized they gave it a charm she hadn’t noticed. And the Easter egg wreath that decorated the door was too cute.

  As Jack reached out to ring the doorbell, Tassie hoped the woman was home. Otherwise, they’d driven out here for nothing. But a few moments later, the door opened, revealing a woman of around fifty with dark, curly hair starting to turn gray and a friendly face.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “Annette Henderson?” Jack asked.

  She nodded, looking curiously from him to Tassie and back again. “Yes.”

  Jack held up his badge. “Detective Sterling with the Bluewater Bay PD. I was wondering if we could talk to you about Conrad Meyers.”

  If Annette wondered why Jack hadn’t mentioned Tassie by name or that she had Baxter with her, the woman didn’t remark on it. Smile faltering a little, she let out a sigh and opened the door wider. “Of course. Come in.”

  Jack gestured for Tassie to go first, then followed.

  Stepping inside, Tassie took a moment to look around while Annette closed the door behind them. Off to the right was a staircase up to the second floor and beyond the small entryway where they stood was the living room. It was a mix-and-match of vintage furniture, distressed wood, and neutral color scheme that seemed befitting of the cottage.

  “Please sit,” Annette said. “Can I get either of you anything to drink?”

  “I’m good, thanks,” Jack said, taking a seat in one of the two mismatched stuffed chairs.

  Tassie nodded as she sat down on the couch, Baxter on her lap. “Me too.”

  Annette joined her on the other side of the couch. “Have you found Conrad’s killer yet?”

  Jack shook his head. “Not yet. When was the last time you saw him?”

  “A few weeks ago.” She gave them an apologetic look. “We weren’t dating anymore—and even when we were, we didn’t get together all that often. But I’ll help you find out who murdered him in any way that I can.”

  Jack exchanged looks with Tassie before turning back to Annette. “Can I ask why you stopped seeing each other?”

  She sighed. “He won the lottery.”

  That darn lottery again. It had to be the reason Conrad was murdered. She saw Jack glance at her again. Was he wondering if Annette and Conrad broke up because she wanted some of his lottery winnings?

  “I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Jack said.

  “After he won the lottery, Conrad changed,” Annette explained. “He became obsessed with the money and how it might change his life. Especially when it came to his relationship with his son. He thought that having all those millions would make up for all those years he wasn’t much of a father, I suppose.” The woman must have seen the surprise on Tassie’s face because she gave her a small smile. “Conrad and I may not have dated very long, but he did talk a lot about how strained his relationship with Tristan was. He was very open about it. When I told him that I didn’t think flashing all that money was the way to repair it, he didn’t want to hear it. Things between us went downhill quickly from there.”

  There seemed to be genuine sadness in Annette’s eyes when she spoke. Even though they hadn’t been seeing each other anymore, it appeared that she cared for Conrad on some level. Which would make her the first and only person Tassie had ever met to feel that way about the man.

  “It was funny really,” Annette continued, her gaze a little distant. “Conrad always said he thought that people who played the lottery were stupid—me included. That we might as well just throw our money away. Then, the first time he plays, he wins.” She looked at them. “It almost didn’t seem fair.”

  It didn’t help that Conrad was such a jerk to boot. But Tassie didn’t say that.

  “Do you have any idea who might have wanted to kill Conrad?” Tassie asked.

  The woman shook her head. “I don’t. He mentioned his business partner was angry that he wanted to leave and start his own company after he won the lottery, but that the guy was all talk and no action.” She frowned. “Do you think he’s the one who killed Conrad?”

  “We’re still trying to determine that,” Jack said smoothly.

  “Did Conrad ever mention a man named Oliver Bolton?” Tassie asked.

  Annette thought a moment. “I don’t think so. Isn’t he the man they found buried in Conrad’s backyard?”

  “Yes,” Tassie said. “Do you think it’s possible that Conrad murdered him?”

  “Conrad?” Annette stared at her. “No. The Conrad I knew could never kill anyone. At least, I don’t think he could.”

  Considering she and Conrad didn’t see all that much of each other when they were dating, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that Annette didn’t know the man as well as she might think.

  “Do the police believe Conrad murdered that man?” Annette asked, looking back and forth between her and Jack.

  “We’re still trying to ascertain that,” he said.

  The woman nodded but didn’t say anything. She definitely seemed unsettled about the possibility though.

  Jack took out his card and handed it to Annette. “If you think of anything else, don’t hesitate to call.”

  “I will,” she said.

  Thanking Annette for her time, Jack stood. Tassie did the same, both of them following Annette to the door.

  “Well, everything she said was true,” Tassie said when they got to his SUV.

  Jack gave her a quizzical look. “How can you be sure?”

  “Because Baxter can tell when someone is lying.”

  His gaze went from her to Baxter and back to her again. “How does he do that?”

  She regarded her fur baby thoughtfully then shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe he can hear it in their voice or see it in their eyes.”

  Mouth twitching, Jack reached out to pet Baxter where he was chilling in her arms, his expression skeptical.

  “You think I’m imagining it, don’t you?” Tassie asked.

  She wasn’t upset or defensive about it. If she hadn’t seen Baxter do his best impression of a lie detector with her own eyes, she might be a little dubious too.

  “I know dogs are smart, but…”

  “I’ll prove it to you,” she said.

  “And how are you going to do that?”

  “With a game of two truths and a lie.”

  Jack chuckled, clearly amused by that idea.

  “Go ahead,” she prompted. “Baxter will let me know which is which.”

  He shook his head with another laugh. “Okay. I’ll play along. I was on the lacrosse team in high school. My father is an electrician. And my favorite color is blue.”

  Tassie grinned. “Your father isn’t an electrician.”

  That proclamation seemed to put him off balance. Jack frowned. “No, he isn’t. He’s a mechanical engineer. But how did Baxter know that?”

  “When someone is lying, he gives me a sideways look,” she explained, booping Baxter’s nose with hers. “It’s his other superpower besides being irresistibly cute.”

  “That’s amazing,” Jack said, petting Baxter. “Maybe I should have him in the interrogation room with me when I’m talking to a suspect.”

  She laughed. “I don’t think I want everyone knowing about what Baxter can do or no one will want to talk to me. And that could be an issue if I need to help you on another case. Speaking of which, I was hoping Annette could tell us something more definitive to implicate David. Instead, she told us what we already knew.”

  “Yeah. Me, too. But murder investigations are never that easy.” He took out his keys and pressed the button on the fob to unlock his SUV. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and there’ll be something incriminating at David’s cabin.”

  Tassie hoped so. But that evidence would only be there if David and Conrad got into the scuffle Allen seemed to think they did.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  As they drove toward Waverly Lake, which was about twenty minutes inland from Bluewater Bay, Tassie had to admit that the water and surrounding area were beautiful if a little too outdoorsy for her liking. She preferred ocean life to lake life, along with sidewalks and…well…indoor plumbing. But to each his—and her—own, she supposed.

  Luckily, Jack had been able to get a location for the cabin before they’d left the police station, so they wouldn’t have to hike through the woods hoping they’d find it. More importantly, the cabin was close to the lake so no hiking through nature.

  As far as Tassie was concerned, that was a win-win.

  “We can’t go inside without a warrant,” Jack reminded her for what seemed like the twentieth time, slowing his SUV to a stop in front of the cabin. “We’re only going to look around and see what we can through the windows.”

  Tassie didn’t say anything as she stepped out of the SUV. Maybe he thought she expected them to break into the cabin. She knew better than to do that with a cop around. Not that she made a habit of breaking and entering, of course. She wasn’t even sure she’d know how to do it.

  It would have made things a lot simpler if David happened to be at his cabin today. Then they probably could have talked him into letting them inside without a warrant. Jack might even have been able to question him. But unfortunately, David was nowhere to be found and the cabin looked like it was locked up tight.

  Like back at Annette’s place, Tassie held Baxter instead of using the leash. There was no way she wanted him walking around here with his little feet. He could step in poison ivy or something else equally icky.

  “So, you were on the lacrosse team in high school, huh?” Tassie asked as they walked toward the small cabin. It looked like it was made of Lincoln Logs, right down to the dark green roof. Only without that distinct Lincoln Log smell. “Were you guys any good?”

  “Two-time state champs,” he said, glancing around the area as he fell into step beside her.

  “Nice. What position did you play?”

  “Goalie.”

  “That’s impressive. I heard that’s the hardest position to play.”

  He looked a little surprised. “You’re familiar with lacrosse?”

  She threw him a grin. “My boyfriend in high school was on the team.”

  Only he hadn’t been good enough to play goalie. And her high school had never gone to the championships either. She’d still enjoyed going to the games with her friends and cheering the team on anyway.

  She glanced at Jack, thinking he looked like he could still play. In fact, she’d very much like to watch that.

  Smiling to herself at that image, Tassie stepped onto the wooden porch and peeked into the small window beside the door. From where he sat in her arms, Baxter pressed his nose to the glass so he could see too.

  The inside of the cabin was as rustic and uncomfortable looking as she imagined. The walls were wood, as were the floors. A simple table with two chairs occupied one side of the room while a pot-belly stove sat across from it against the opposite wall. Unfortunately, there were no signs of a fight or a struggle that she could see.

  It seemed like there was another room in the back of the cabin, so maybe there’d be something more helpful there.

  On the other side of the door where he was standing looking through another window, Jack appeared to be thinking the same thing.

  “Let’s take a look around back,” he said.

  Tassie followed him in that direction as he led the way, glad she’d decided to wear platform lug sole boots with her jeans today as they made their way over the rough ground around a tall stack of firewood several feet from the structure. In her arms, Baxter snapped his head around, his attention fixed on something in the woods surrounding the cabin. A shiver ran down her back as she looked in that direction. But much like last night when Baxter had been on high alert, she didn’t see anything.

  She quickened her steps to catch up with Jack.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, glancing at her.

  “Yeah. I think Baxter saw something out there.”

  Jack looked that way. “Probably an animal.”

  Tassie hoped it wasn’t a bear. Not that she didn’t like bears, but she’d prefer not to run into one out here.

  If it was a bear—or any other animal—nothing came charging out at them as they walked around to the backside of the cabin.

  The windows here were a little dirtier than the ones in the front, but they could still see through them well enough. All she saw, though, was a narrow bed, a nightstand, and no sign of a scuffle anywhere.

  “Well, this turned out to be a waste of time,” she muttered.

  Beside her, Jack grunted in what sounded like agreement.

  She turned to him, frustration making her want to scream. “What if we can’t find evidence linking David to Conrad’s murder?”

  He cupped her shoulders in his hands, gazing down at her. “We will.”

  She wasn’t so sure.

  “We won’t let Sara go to jail,” he said firmly.

  Tassie nodded. She didn’t know why but she believed him.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go back to town.”

  They both turned to head that way but before she could take more than a few steps, a gunshot rang out and something slammed into the cabin right near her head, sending chips of wood flying.

  Tassie screamed and hugged Baxter tighter, instinctively shielding him from any danger.

  The next thing she knew, Jack was shoving both of them to the ground behind the stack of firewood they’d walked past earlier just as another gunshot echoed in the air.

  “Someone is shooting at us!” she said, realizing even as she spoke that she was pointing out the obvious.

  Jack took his gun from the holster on his hip. “Yeah, I know.”

  “Baxter’s shaking,” Tassie said, cuddling him close as he trembled against her.

  “So are you,” Jack said.

  That’s when she realized his free arm was still around her.

  “I’ve never been shot at before,” she told him.

  “I would hope not.”

  A third gunshot split the air. This one sounded like it hit the logs stacked in front of their hiding place and she flinched.

  “What are we going to do?” she asked.

  From where he crouched down beside her, Jack looked from her toward the front of the cabin then back to her.

  “You and Baxter are going to run to the SUV while I cover you,” he said, taking out his keys and pressing them into her hand. “Then you can pull around and I’ll jump in.”

  Whatever Tassie expected him to say, it wasn’t that. Huddled close to her, Baxter seemed just as surprised. She stared at the keys in her hand, then looked at Jack.

  “Wait. What?!”

  Whoever was out there in the woods shooting at them did it again, hitting the woodpile.

  “I can’t do that!” she protested.

  “Yes, you can,” he said, his voice calm and almost infuriatingly reassuring. “Whoever is out there won’t be shooting at you because I’ll be shooting at him, so he’ll be too busy ducking. You and Baxter got this, Tassie. Trust me.”

  She wanted to, but at the same time, she kept reminding herself that she wasn’t some action hero. She was a woman who owned a doggy bakery who was trying to keep a friend out of jail. But Jack was a cop who had way more experience with going up against bad guys than she did. If he thought that their best chance of making it out of this was her and Baxter running to the SUV, then she supposed that’s what she and Baxter were going to do.

  “Okay,” she finally said. “But you’d better be ready to jump in the SUV when I pull around.”

  “I will be,” he promised.

  Tassie gazed down at her fur baby. “Okay, Baxter. Let’s do this.”

  Resisting the crazy urge to kiss Jack, Tassie jumped to her feet at the same time as he started shooting in the direction of whoever was out there trying to kill them. She ran as fast as she could toward the SUV, holding Baxter close and shielding him with her body.

  Tassie expected to get hit with a bullet any moment, but Jack had been right. The person trying to kill them was more interested in avoiding getting shot himself right now than shooting at her.

  Hand shaking, she raced around the SUV, opened the door, and climbed in. Keeping Baxter in her lap, she started the SUV, then put it in gear and spun the vehicle around, heading in Jack’s direction.