A Killer Plot (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

the night. She didn’t want the town gossips spreading the tale about town, inviting the interest of the journalists present. Besides, playing the victim was a role she refused to accept.
    Rawlings and two of his officers were walking the perimeter of her house when she pulled into the driveway. Olivia handed him the plastic baggie containing the note.
    “My fingerprints will be on there,” she said as he drew near. “I don’t think you have mine on file, so I’ll come in and be printed as soon as we’re done here.”
    Accepting the bag, Rawlings read the warning and his eyes narrowed. “Why does he feel threatened by you?”
    “I’ve been thinking about that. Yesterday, I paid brief visits to the other members of the Planning Board, asking them to reject the Cottage Cove proposal until it can be altered to include more green space and the preservation of the Neuse River Park’s cemetery.” Olivia unlocked her front door and stepped aside.
    She watched Rawlings draw his gun, his eyes sweeping the kitchen. Without responding to what she’d said, he waved one of his men toward the living room. The third opened the coat closet and peered inside.
    Olivia noticed that Rawlings had chosen seasoned men to accompany him and was satisfied to find him taking the incident so seriously.
    “Clear!” he called from the living room and disappeared upstairs.
    Impatient to get down to the cottage, Olivia occupied herself by prepping the coffee machine to brew to its full capacity.
    When the chief returned, his gun was holstered. “There’s no sign of an intruder and it doesn’t look as though anything’s been touched. Considering how tidy you are, Ms. Limoges, I’d think it would be obvious if someone had gone through your things. Would you care to check?”
    Olivia shook her head. “No. It doesn’t feel like anyone’s been in the house. I believe I would know. Now let me show you where I found Haviland.”
    The sand and grass-covered area in the lee of the cottage offered no clues except for the faintest boot print. Even that was a disappointment, being a shallow indentation no bigger that a two-inch square. The ridges were similar to the boots worn by both officers, and though the chief squatted down and studied the mark carefully, Olivia wasn’t hopeful that an arrest would be made based on a few lines in the sand. Half the men in Oyster Bay probably owned work boots that made similar imprints.
    “There’s no indication of where he put the ground beef,” Rawlings commented, looking at Olivia. “Were you surprised to learn Haviland ate food given to him by a stranger?”
    “First of all, there’s no way that bastard got close to him until whatever drugs he fed Haviland took effect,” Olivia protested. “He must have left out the meat nearby. If it smelled fresh and Haviland was hungry, which he was, he’d have eaten it. Despite the fact that his intelligence exceeds that of a great deal of Oyster Bay’s residents, Haviland is a dog.”
    “He might have put the meat out closer to the water, sir,” one of the officers suggested. “The tide would have washed away all traces of the beef before Ms. Limoges ever found the dog. Even if our guy fed him right here, the flies, ants, and gulls would have cleaned up the scraps hours ago.”
    Rawlings turned his face toward the sea. “Tonight’s meeting is important to him. I think he’s going to be there, as risky as that might be. He needs to see this thing come off without a hitch.”
    Olivia followed his gaze. “He could have killed me, Chief. I was a sitting duck out here. I think he’s had a plan from the beginning. He knows his victims. I bet he’s had four poems written, four faces in his mind, and a single goal all along. I didn’t fit in his plan so he didn’t hurt me, but he doesn’t want me to spoil his vision either. That’s why he gave me a warning I couldn’t ignore. I just don’t understand why he took Haviland’s collar.”
    Rawlings rubbed his chin and spent a few moments quietly thinking. “He may also have a code. Don’t kill women. Don’t hurt the innocent. He knocked your dog out, but he didn’t kill him.”
    “Close enough,” Olivia growled.
    Sending the two officers into the cottage for a quick search, Rawlings took Olivia’s elbow and held it. “Is it too much to ask you to be careful between now and tonight’s meeting?”
    Olivia smiled at him. “Don’t worry about me, Chief. I’ll come into town to give you