5 Big Bunny Bump Off Read Online Free PDF Page B

April was almost unheard of. Luckily, the main thoroughfares had been plowed, so once I got onto the highway the travel was relatively painless. In spite of the weather, it had been a good day. Jeremy and I had managed to get the pen we planned to use for the rescued bunnies cleaned in plenty of time to accept delivery of the sixty rather than the hundreds of animals we feared. Our veterinarian, Scott Walden, had looked them over and declared them fit for adoption, so we went ahead and posted an ad for an adoption clinic to be held the following weekend. I contacted the reporter who was interested in doing the story, and she was more than willing to advertise all of the services we provided, including bunny adoption, as part of her feature about the cubs.
    I interviewed Tiffany and found that Jeremy was correct in his assumption that she’d make a wonderful addition to our staff. She was bubbly and friendly , with an impressive background and a natural ease with the animals. I hired her on the spot, and Jeremy planned to begin training her this week. To add icing to the cake, I found the perfect doggy daddy for a hard-to-place greyhound with emotional issues that I was close to giving up hope for. By the time I stopped by the printers, the menus were ready and waiting. The printer and I chatted for a few minutes before Charlie and I headed over to the bank.
    By the time I pulled into the lot , it had stated to snow. Again. Maybe Blakely was the real Jack Frost. The crazy weather seemed to indicate that something magical as well as sinister was in play. I knew that Blakely wouldn’t appreciate my bringing Charlie indoors, but it was cold outside, and I feared the temperature in the truck would drop to an uncomfortable level for the little dog should Blakely engage me in a lengthy conversation, as he was prone to do. As I was helping him out of the truck, I noticed a figure scurrying away from the back of the building toward the wooded area behind the bank.
    “Did you see that?” I asked Charlie, afraid that I was losing my mind.
    Charlie barked.
    V isibility was bad as the snow combined with the darkening sky made individual images difficult to decipher, but I could swear the figure I saw scampering away was none other than the Easter Bunny.
    “I must have rabbits on the brain,” I said, laughing at the absurdity of the real Easter Bunny leaving the bank. I had, after all, been processing rabbits all day and that, combined with the play, had most likely skewed my perception.
    I tucked one of the menus into my jacke t, picked Charlie up, and made my way to the back door of the bank. I reached for the buzzer just as I noticed that the door had been left ajar. The bunny must not have closed it when he fled. I stepped inside, hoping I wouldn’t set off any alarms. I set Charlie down on the tile floor and removed my boots before making my way down a dark hallway toward Blakely’s office. When I poked my head into his office door, it was empty.
    “Mr. Blakely,” I called. “It’s Zoe Donovan. I’m here with the menu.”
    I listened, but there was no answer. The rest of the bank appeared to be dark, and I hesitated to wander around without knowing what, if any, security alarms might have been activated. I was preparing to leave a sample of the menus and a note for Blakely when Charlie took off down the darkened hallway on his own.
    “Charlie,” I called.
    He didn’t respond, which was odd, because he usually came running at the sound of my voice.
    “Charlie,” I tried again , in a louder and sterner tone.
    Charlie barked in the distance but refused to come. A knot formed in my stomach as I remembered the last time Charlie had refused to obey a direct command. An image sprang to mind that I quickly repressed. I didn’t need to think about that as I made my way slowly down the dark hall.
    “Charlie,” I called again. “Get your furry butt back here this minute.”
    Again , my call was met with the sound of barking