Bassets and Blackmail (A Dog Detective Series Novel Book 2)

by Sandra Baublitz

  The door to her bedroom closet stood partially open. Items of clothing hung amongst the empty hangers.

  I glanced around the room, desperate to find something with which to hit her. I dared not scream for fear Lillian would come upstairs to help me. Donna would shoot her.

  “Stop dawdling!” Donna trained her gun on Paw. “Or I'll shoot him here.”

  Resigned, I tugged on Paw's leash. “Come on boy.”

  Paw refused to move as his gaze remained locked on the gun.

  “Move, mutt, or I'll put a bullet in your mistress.”

  Paw growled low in his throat, so I crouched next to him to calm him, fearing Donna would pull the trigger.

  I whispered to him. “Go in the closet. Escape as soon as you can.”

  He turned his head so that one eye watched me while the other tracked Donna's movements.

  He whined softly.

  “Stop talking and get him moving.” Donna's voice held a note of desperation.

  I stood up and tugged the leash.

  Paw followed me to the closet and waited as I pushed the door wider. He balked at going inside, but I shoved his butt to get him moving.

  When he was inside, I pushed the door shut with an audible click. The closet door didn't have a lock, but my heart sank when I saw the round doorknob. Paw could open a lever-style handle but not a knob.

  I turned around to face Donna. She motioned with the gun to her suitcase. “Close it and pick it up. You're going with me.”

  I went to the bed and folded the suitcase closed, latching it.

  Paw scratched furiously at the closet door.

  Donna moved over to it, and keeping the gun trained on me, banged on the door. “Stop that!”

  Paw ceased.

  Donna picked up her purse from the top of the dresser and motioned to the door with the gun. “Let's go.”

  I lifted the suitcase and walked out of the room with Donna right behind me. She closed the door to the room but didn't lock it. It too had a knob lock.

  I breathed deeply to quell my rising panic. I was on my own because Paw couldn’t get out, but at least he was safe. The suitcase was too heavy for me to swing it around and hit her.

  “Clarissa? Where are you?”

  Oh no! Lillian.

  Donna growled, “Tell her to go away.”

  How was I to get rid of Lillian? I knew if I told her to go, she'd refuse.

  “I'm up here, Lillian. I'm helping Donna, but I'll be down in a minute.”

  Donna urged me to continue walking, and we advanced to the head of the stairs.

  At the bottom, Lillian stood with arms crossed and demanded, “Did you check on Rascal?”

  Rascal? Oh, the cat.

  Donna shoved the gun into my back. She whispered, “Get rid of her.”

  I looked down at Lillian. “Not yet but I'll check on him as soon as I'm done helping Donna.”

  Lillian hmphed and climbed up the stairs.

  I panicked. “Lillian, I'll do it. Why don't you go see if Jac is back?”

  Lillian continued to climb, saying, “Jac's not back and I'll check on Rascal.”

  She stopped halfway up and turned as the front door opened and Bruce rushed inside.

  He saw Lillian and gazed past her to me. “Clarissa, sweetheart, can you come here and help me? You too, Lillian.”

  Donna moved the gun to my neck. “Stay where you are.”

  Lillian scowled. “Let her go.”

  “Shut up, old woman.”

  Lillian drew herself up to her full height. “Old woman?”

  Bruce said, “Let her go, Mrs. Dayton.”

  Donna laughed. “Now why would I do that? She's my ticket out of here.”

  Bruce moved forward, and Donna pointed the gun at him while grasping my arm to hold me in place. “One more move and I'll shove her down the stairs. My guess is she'll take the old woman down with her.”

  “Grr.”

  Donna jerked at the sound of Paw's growl behind her and half turned, swinging the gun in his direction. “How—”

  Everything happened in a blur.

  Paw launched himself up and clamped his jaws around Donna's gun wrist.

  She screamed, dropping the gun, and shoved me, the suitcase swinging forward, pulling me down the stairs. As I fell, a black blur whizzed past my head.

  Donna's screams intensified.

  A heavy weight slammed into my chest pushing me backwards, where I landed in a heap on the landing behind me. Dazedly, I looked up into Samuel's face. He turned toward Paw, who continued his hold on Donna’s wrist. Donna raised her free hand to hit Saber, who was attacking her head. Samuel clamped onto that hand.

  Bruce ran to me, yelling, “Lillian, calm Saber.”

  I heard Lillian say, “Get her, Saber.”

  Bruce groaned knelt next to me. “Sweetheart?”

  “I'm okay. Get Donna.”

  I lay on the floor watching the action. Lillian called Saber who jumped off Donna's head and hissed, prepared to attack again.

  Samuel allowed Bruce to push him back so that Bruce could grab Donna's arm.

  Paw held onto Donna's wrist, the gun lying a few feet away. He released his hold when Bruce praised him and urged him away.

  Bruce grabbed Donna's wrist. Bruce flipped Donna over, pinning her arms behind her.

  Harry, who I hadn't seen come in, trudged up the stairs and handcuffed Donna.

  He lifted Donna to her feet as she resisted him, struggling, kicking, and cursing.

  Officer Heldman ran up the stairs and assisted Harry in restraining Donna as Harry read her rights.

  Lillian scooped up Saber who washed his paws with swipes from his tongue. He nestled in her arms and purred in contentment.

  Donna cursed the cat. “That thing attacked me. Get me a doctor. I'll have that animal and those dogs put down.”

  Lillian bristled. “You'll do no such thing. You’re a spiteful woman.” She cuddled Saber close to her chest and glared at Donna.

  Paw ignored Donna and brushed past everyone to come to my side, slurping my face.

  I hugged him tightly. “I'm okay, boy. Thanks to you.”

  He nudged me with his head and panted happily, as I scratched his ears.

  Bruce bagged the gun and handed it to Harry.

  Shelbee and Jac rushed up the stairs with Bitsy racing ahead. The little dog ran up to Donna and peed on her leg.

  “Argh! Get me away from these mutts!”

  Harry laughed. “You deserve far worse. Come on. We're going to the station.”

  Heldman led Donna down the stairs and out the door to his patrol car.

  Harry looked down at me. “You all right?”

  I nodded.

  “Good. I need your statement.”

  William skidded through the front door, slamming it behind him. “What happened?”

  “Woo! Woo!” Henry dropped his nose to the foyer floor and trailed a scent.

  William studied us. “Where's Patty?”

  Bruce frowned. “What do you mean? I thought she was with you and Donna.”

  Jac asked, “Where's Shelbee?”

  “And Rascal,” Lillian added.

  “Who's Rascal?” Harry asked.

  “Our cat,” William said as he strode toward the kitchens. “Patty has to be here. I left her with Donna while I took Henry with me to make an appointment for Donna with a lawyer.”

  “Wait!” Jac called to William. “Henry smells something.”

  The basset, ears dragging the floor, bayed softly as he tracked a scent across the foyer heading to the front door.

  Bruce extended a hand to me and levered me to my feet. Leaving Donna's suitcase on the landing, the group of us descended the stairs. Paw, Samuel, and Bitsy added their noses to the hunt, but it was clear by Henry's determined focus that he was the better tracker.

  Saber remained in Lillian's arms, regarding the dogs with feline disdain.

  Henry led us to the front door. “Woo! Woo!”

/>   “Woof! Woof!”

  “Yip! Yip!”

  “Woof!” Paw glanced back at me then pushed next to Henry and clamped his mouth over the doorknob.

  “I'll open it,” Bruce said, but I raised my hand in a staying motion.

  Slowly Paw turned the knob and the door clicked open. Henry shoved his muzzle in the gap and pushed through, nose to the ground.

  Bruce glanced at me with wide eyes. “Since when can he open a round knob?”

  I smiled, proud of my pooch. “Since he needed to save me.”

  “Huh,” Bruce said.

  Lillian poked him in the side. “Get going. I wanna see where that dog is leading us.”

  Bruce wrapped an arm around my shoulders and bowed Lillian through the door.

  She sniffed audibly as she passed him.

  “Woo! Woo!” Henry increased his pace, tail wagging like a metronome.

  Paw and Samuel eased their longer strides to match the basset's shorter ones.

  Paw gazed back at me. “Woof!”

  Bitsy stood up against Jac's leg who picked her up, carrying her with us.

  Our group trooped around the house to the back and across the lawn in the dogs' wake, heading toward a garden shed in the back corner of the garden.

  Henry trailed the scent to the doors of the shed, stood up on hind legs, and pushed at the doors. He bayed, as he scratched at the door panels.

  “Oh no! He's found something.” William reached toward the door's padlock, but Harry grabbed his arm.

  “Wait!” He pulled gloves from his belt pouch and stripped them on then grasped the lock with care. “You have the key for this.”

  “Yeah but it's usually left unlocked.”

  “It's locked now.”

  William blanched, turned and pounded on the doors. “Patty! Are you in there? Answer me?”

  Muffled thumping sounded from within.

  “I'll get the key!” Jac set Bitsy on the ground and tore across the lawn. Bitsy yipped and followed her, thinking it a game.

  Paw and Samuel, noses to the grass, sniffed around the shed as William placed his ear to the door and Henry scratched at the bottom of the door.

  Bruce and Harry shared an uneasy glance which caused my stomach to drop.

  Would we find one of our friends dead inside?

  Chapter 23

  The scrabbling sounds indicated someone was alive though.

  Jac raced up and handed the key to Harry who inserted it, popping the padlock open. He removed the lock but was shoved aside as William flipped the latch and jerked the door open.

  “Patty!” William rushed inside and knelt by a prone figure.

  Patricia lay on her side, hands and feet bound, duct tape over her mouth.

  To her left Shelbee lay still, bound and gagged as well.

  “No!” Jac and I cried and hurried to her side. Samuel and Bitsy pushed in between us, nuzzling her.

  Rip!

  Patricia cried out in pain, exclaiming, “That hurts” when her duct tape was removed.

  Jac felt for a pulse at Shelbee's neck and blew out a sigh. “She's alive.”

  I blinked back tears. “Can you see an injury?”

  From behind me, Patricia spoke in a muffled voice. “Donna---back---”

  I glanced over to see her embraced in William's arms, Henry burrowing between them.

  William eased his hold enough for her to raise her head from his chest.

  “Donna hit Shelbee on the back of the head with her pistol.” She sobbed and nestled back into William's embrace.

  I felt through Shelbee's hair searching for her injury as Harry stepped outside and radioed for emergency assistance.

  I brushed against a sizable lump causing Shelbee to groan.

  Jac tore the duct tape from her mouth bringing Shelbee fully awake with a curse. She attempted to sit up but slumped back down. “Dizzy,” she mumbled.

  “Lie still,” I said, working to release her wrist bindings.

  Samuel chewed at her foot bindings while Bitsy licked her face.

  “Hey sweetheart,” Shelbee mumbled to her. “What happened?”

  Patricia sat up with her back to the wall. “Donna hit you over the head.”

  “Why?” Shelbee gusted out on a pained breath.

  “That I don't know.”

  Bruce brushed Samuel aside to assist with Shelbee's bindings.

  Samuel whined, refusing to abandon Shelbee. He stepped on my legs and pushed to get closer.

  Harry stepped back into the shed. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Donna and I met Shelbee on the front steps when we returned to the B&B. She was going out here to get a flower pot for me.” Patricia sniffled. “It's my fault she was hurt.”

  Shelbee raised her head an inch and said, “No it's not. It's Donna's fault.”

  “She's right,” William said as Jac nodded in agreement.

  “Go on,” Harry said to Patricia. “Why the flower pot?”

  “It's for one of the shut-ins the church visits. The lady's birthday is next week, and I bought a flower for her, but I'm repotting it first. I mentioned it to Shelbee, and she offered to find a pot in the shed.”

  Shelbee mumbled. “Forgot with all the events going on. Just thought of it today.”

  “Why were you going out the front door?” I asked.

  “Because I heard you and Mark coming in the kitchen. I didn't want to interrupt.”

  Bruce said, “You mean you didn't want to talk to Mark again.”

  I shot Bruce a scowl, but Shelbee smirked, “That too.”

  “All right,” Harry said, “let's get back to what happened.” He nodded for Patricia to explain.

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  Patricia rubbed her wrists. “I told Donna to go inside, and I'd fix her breakfast after I helped Shelbee choose a flowerpot. Shelbee and I were in the shed when Donna joined us. Our backs were to her, and as she stepped in, we turned toward her. She raised a gun and slammed it down on Shelbee's head.”

  Sirens wailed loudly as they drew closer and I heard tires screech as they entered the parking lot. Doors slammed amid raised voices.

  Patricia drew a ragged breath. “Shelbee collapsed, and Donna pointed the gun at me, ordering me to tie up Shelbee. She threw a roll of duct tape at me. If I didn't comply, she threatened to kill Shelbee, so I tied her up then wrapped tape around my ankles. Donna taped my wrists, checked that the tape I wrapped was tight, and gagged both of us. She taped my wrists to my ankles, did the same to Shelbee, then closed the door and locked it.”

  William cursed.

  The EMTs pushed into the shed, one going to Shelbee as the other knelt by Patricia.

  Harry motioned everyone out, but William refused to leave.

  “Clarissa,” William asked, “take Henry, will you?”

  I nodded and picked up his leash, giving it a gentle tug. “Come on, Henry.”

  He refused to move.

  “Paw,” I said to my Saint who waited by the door, “help me with Henry.”

  “Woof.”

  Henry, a mulish expression in his sad eyes, stood up and slowly stepped forward.

  “Let's go, Paw,” I said, giving him a gentle nudge.

  Jac picked up Bitsy as Bruce tugged Samuel away from Shelbee. Both dogs whined and struggled to go back to Shelbee's side.

  Paw trotted out without complaint and Henry plodded behind. They sat beside Lillian who had remained outside with Saber in her arms.

  Harry drew me aside. “Give me a quick rundown of what happened with Donna.”

  I recounted my confrontation with her.

  “She never mentioned Ms. Wells?”

  “No,” I said, “but I'm sure she and James are responsible.”

  Harry's police radio squawked. “Chief?”

  Harry keyed it on. “Yeah?”

  “You better get back here. The Daytons are screaming at each other.” In the background, I could hear a woman's raised voice.

  “I'
m on my way.” Harry strode away toward the parking lot.

  I rejoined Shelbee who was strapped to a gurney, protesting, “I'm fine.”

  Jac crossed her arms. “You're going to go to the hospital and be checked out.”

  Lillian asked, “Where's Rascal?”

  Jac's mouth dropped open. “Is that all you can think about?”

  Shelbee waved a hand at Lillian. “He's fine. I took him up to the apartment before going to the shed.”

  Lillian turned and marched to the house, Saber in her arms.

  William hugged Patricia as he escorted her outside. “You should go too.”

  Patricia shook her head. “I'm stiff from being tied up, but I wasn't hurt.”

  Henry trotted over and leaned against her side.

  As the EMTs loaded Shelbee into the ambulance, Samuel jumped in.

  “Hey, he can't be in here,” Rob said. The EMT pointed to the mastiff. “Someone remove him.”

  Bruce jumped in and tugged at Samuel's collar, but the dog refused to move.

  Shelbee spoke to Samuel. “It's okay, sweetheart. I'll be fine. Stay with Clarissa.”

  “But I'm going with you,” I said.

  “No. Keep Samuel and Bitsy with Paw. Jac can pick me up at the hospital.”

  Seeing my frown, Shelbee smiled. “You handle Mark better than we do.”

  I growled, causing Paw to tilt his head, curious as to why I sounded like him. “Coward,” I teased her.

  She smirked then winced and rubbed her temple.

  Paw gazed between us and woofed to Samuel, who jumped out of the ambulance.

  “Let's go,” Rob said.

  Bruce stepped out of the vehicle and held onto the mastiff.

  Jac strode to her car in the parking lot. I picked up Bitsy before she could follow as the ambulance drove away.

  Bruce, Patricia, William, and I stood in silence with the dogs at our feet.

  “She's going to be all right,” I said out loud to convince myself.

  Bruce released Samuel and hugged me. “She will.”

  “Shelbee's tough.” Patricia stretched her shoulders. “That's why Donna hit her. She struck before Shelbee saw her, otherwise, Shelbee could have knocked the gun from her hand.”

  “I wonder...” Bruce stared off into the distance.

  I nudged his side. “What?”

  He looked down at me. “Did she kill Madeline?”

  “I don't know, but perhaps Uncle Harry will find out.”