whether it was what she wanted or not.
And this petulant girl, who never took responsibility for anything, was daring to imply that it had all just been handed to her like a gift-wrapped present.
“I worked my ass off to become a qualified vet and then worked even harder to keep this clinic running. As for throwing away men—” Lynne shook her head in disgust. “We both know that Nash was a selfish jerk who was incapable of loving anyone but himself.”
Chelsea sniffed the tears once again running down her cheeks. “He should have been mine.”
Lynne sucked in a slow, deep breath. It was a waste of energy to be mad at this woman. They were complete opposites who would never truly understand each other. “I think it would be best if you cleaned out your desk, Chelsea.”
“Fine.” With a flounce, Chelsea turned to pull open the door. “I didn’t want to work here anyway. It stinks.”
“Wait.” Lynne rounded the desk, struck by a sudden thought.
Chelsea glanced over her shoulder. “What now?”
Lynne held out her hand. “I need your keys to the clinic.”
“I don’t have them with me.”
“I’ll need them by the end of the day.”
There was an awkward pause, then Chelsea cleared her throat. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I lost them.”
Lynne’s hand dropped, her eyes narrowing. Was the girl lying? She wouldn’t put it past her to be that spiteful. Then again, there was a hint of fear in her expression. Was she scared Lynne might call the sheriff?
“When did you lose them?”
“I’m not sure.” Chelsea lowered her lashes, hiding her eyes. “I thought they were in my purse, but when I looked for them this morning to bring them back, I couldn’t find them.”
Lynne’s mouth was suddenly dry. She had a bad feeling about this. “When was the last time you used them?”
The girl shrugged. “Maybe last week.”
“It’s important, Chelsea,” she snapped.
“I don’t remember.” With a muttered curse, the younger woman headed out of the office and down the hallway. “Just leave me alone.”
Lynne followed behind, watching in silence as Chelsea yanked open the drawers of the desk, indifferent to Bernadine sitting just inches away.
She wanted to demand that the girl answer her question. It was imperative to discover exactly when the keys went missing. It might explain how someone had managed to get the spare truck key from her office. And maybe even take a picture of her sleeping. But Chelsea’s mutinous expression warned she wasn’t about to answer any questions.
It would be easier to turn over the information about the lost keys to the sheriff ’s office. They had the means to force Chelsea to talk.
Lynne was already dreading the thought of making the call.
“That girl is just like her mother,” Bernadine groused as Chelsea slammed out of the office. “Wanting something without having to work for it.”
Lynne was instantly distracted. “Why do you say that?”
“Marie Gallen refused to work, even after her husband walked out on them. And she was always asking people for money or a place to stay.” Bernadine lowered her voice, although they were the only two people in the clinic. “Not many people know it, but years ago, Chelsea’s mother was arrested for stealing money from the booster club. It was almost five hundred dollars. A lot of money back then.”
Lynne arched her brows. She’d never met Marie Gallen, and she wasn’t really interested in her past criminal habits. But the woman’s brush with the law made her consider a new possibility. “Did Sheriff Jansen arrest her?” she asked.
Bernadine nodded. “He did. I overheard him discussing what’d happened with your father.” The older woman smiled at Lynne’s obvious surprise. “He was on the school board at that time.”
Ah. That made sense. Her father was a big believer in community service. She really didn’t know how he’d had the time. She could barely remember to breathe. Of course, she did have the sanctuary to deal with on top of the clinic.
“What did they do to her?”
“Your father wanted her to be released with a warning as long as she returned the money.”
“I assume she did?”
“As far as I know.” Bernadine lifted her hands. “It was all swept under the carpet.”
Lynne nodded. Bernadine’s words had reminded her that many of the good citizens of Pike had some dealings with the law. Sherry had assistance with her evictions. Randi’s father had been arrested. Nash had been in trouble for selling booze to underage kids. Even she had to use the hotline for animal abuse cases.
Her theory abruptly