Praise for the Pet Rescue Mysteries
Hounds Abound
“Pet lovers and mystery readers alike will be impressed with Linda O. Johnston’s latest cozy, Hounds Abound…Johnston’s heart for pet rescue is evident in every page of this book…This is a whodunit that clearly has a deeper message…A great addition to a very heartfelt series!”
—Debbie’s Book Bag
The More the Terrier
“Johnston’s heroine’s compassion for her four-legged friends and their owners make her a likable heroine. Readers who enjoy a mystery heavy on this subject matter will enjoy Johnston’s latest.”
—RT Book Reviews
“[A] first-class whodunit…Well written…Johnston, an animal lover and advocate, is using her writing not only to give readers a great mystery but also as a platform for animal issues and awareness, and I find that commendable.”
—Debbie’s Book Bag
“[A] great story…Enjoy!”
—Once Upon a Romance
Beaglemania
“Gutsy Lauren Vancouver easily wins over the hearts of animals in need—as well as readers…[Vancouver is] an ardent advocate for homeless pets.”
—Rebecca M. Hale, New York Times bestselling author of How to Tail a Cat
“Animal lovers will delight in a new series filled with rescued dogs and cats needing loving homes. Lauren Vancouver is a determined heroine who will solve the intriguing mystery at her private shelter.”
—Leann Sweeney, author of the Cats in Trouble Mysteries
“Lauren Vancouver is a likable, efficient amateur sleuth, passionate about her work and smart about how she goes about her investigation.”
—Mysterious Reviews
“[A] charming, well-written series.”
—RT Book Reviews
Praise for Linda O. Johnston’s Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries
“Humorous, cleverly constructed.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A brilliantly entertaining new puppy caper, a doggie-filled who-done-it…Johnston’s novel is a real pedigree!”
—Dorothy Cannell
“A fabulous series.”
—The Best Reviews
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Linda O. Johnston
Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries
SIT, STAY, SLAY
NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FERRETS
FINE-FEATHERED DEATH
MEOW IS FOR MURDER
THE FRIGHT OF THE IGUANA
DOUBLE DOG DARE
NEVER SAY STY
HOWL DEADLY
FELINE FATALE
Pet Rescue Mysteries
BEAGLEMANIA
THE MORE THE TERRIER
HOUNDS ABOUND
OODLES OF POODLES
Oodles
of Poodles
LINDA O. JOHNSTON
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa), Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa • Penguin China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
OODLES OF POODLES
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / February 2013
Copyright © 2013 by Linda O. Johnston.
No Animals Were Harmed® and Certified Animal Safety RepresentativesTM are trademarks of the American Humane Association.
Cover illustration by Jennifer Taylor / Paperdog Studio.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-61915-5
BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
ALWAYS LEARNING PEARSON
Acknowledgments
I want to thank the film industry and its usually fun depiction of animals—although, of course, there are always exceptions, and films and TV shows that don’t earn the coveted “No Animals Were Harmed®” designation. I wanted Oodles of Poodles to show the industry at its best, at least in its love and care for animals.
I also want to thank Natalee Rosenstein, senior executive editor at Berkley Prime Crime, for suggesting the title of Oodles of Poodles, as well as for everything else she does for this wonderful imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. And of course I thank my editor, Michelle Vega, who’s an absolutely delightful editor in all respects.
Then there’s my wonderful agent, Paige Wheeler, founding member of Folio Literary Management, LLC, without whom my career would be very different, and a lot less fun.
As always, this book is dedicated to my wonderful husband, Fred, who brainstorms with me and bears with my fretting over nearly everything as I write. I thank him, and I also thank my adorable pups Lexie and Mystie for always acting as my inspirations…and interruptions.
Author’s Note
Oodles of Poodles is completely fiction. However, it includes a lot of references to a wonderful organization called the American Humane Association that does, in fact, scrutinize movies and TV shows to make sure that all animals, from insects to elephants, are treated well. Only then will the production receive the coveted “No Animals Were Harmed®” designation. “No Animals Were Harmed®” is a registered trademark of American Humane. The designation of the Certified Animal Safety RepresentativesTM is also a trademark. I was fortunate enough to receive permission to refer to them in this book, thanks to the kindness of Jone Bouman, director of communications, American Humane Association Film and TV Unit, who also gave me a generous amount of her time, plus a lot of reading and viewing material, to help me learn about her excellent organization.
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br /> Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 1
I adore animals, and will do nearly anything not only to save them, but to make them happy, too.
That made it particularly hard to look through the chain-link fence at the end of the kennel run in the facility I was visiting and see that adorable, sad doggy face.
The white miniature poodle sat there, head cocked, eyes on mine as if begging me to get her out, hug her, find her the perfect new home.
“I’m sorry, Sheba,” I said softly. “I can’t do anything right now but it’ll be all right. I promise.”
I never make idle promises, but this one was especially true. Sheba wasn’t just any sad little rescue dog like the ones I nurture at my excellent private shelter. In fact, although this sweet poodle had apparently gone through hell so far in her short life, it had turned to puppy perfection—or at least it ultimately would, even if she didn’t know it.
At the moment, she was waiting for the next scene to be shot in the already touted major Hollywood movie about her fictional counterpart, also named Sheba. The film’s name? Sheba’s Story.
“She’s one cute little girl, isn’t she, Lauren?” said my good friend Dr. Carlie Stellan, who had come with me to the set this day. She and her veterinary staff had been there on many other days as well. “Sheba’s bound to become a popular movie star, don’t you think? She and all her similar-looking friends. How many are there?”
Like me, Carlie was dressed well in a nice pantsuit, hers blue and mine charcoal. She’s a pretty blond and is used to being in front of the camera. She stars in her own reality TV show, Pet Fitness, on the Longevity Vision Channel.
I’m Lauren Vancouver, average looking, with green eyes and dark hair that I keep short so it doesn’t get in the way as I take care of animals. I have no need to impress anyone with my appearance.
“There are four dogs that play Sheba that I know of so far,” I responded. I hadn’t realized it before I got involved in this filming, but each dog or other creature depicted on a movie screen might be a conglomeration of several similar-looking animals. Each lookalike would have a different specialty in action or reaction thanks to his training, or he may represent the star at different ages. Sometimes they even wore makeup to appear identical. They really were actors.
The forlorn dog here waiting for the latest scene to shoot, was the number one Sheba, both the actor and the real dog. Like the Shebas in the film, she’d had a miserable existence as a puppy but now all was good in her life. She had been discovered and was on her way to stardom.
Knowing that the filming process was one of hurry up and wait, I shouldn’t have felt so antsy but I did. This poor dog shouldn’t be kept waiting so long.
I looked around the pseudo-kennel area. It was actually a film set, one modeled somewhat on HotRescues, the private pet rescue facility where I’m the chief administrator. I’d given the director and a few members of the film crew a tour of HotRescues to make sure they knew what an excellent shelter looked like.
This one was composed of several kennel runs, which were empty right now except for Sheba, all surrounded by filming equipment that included cameras on wheels, mechanical booms that could lift people wielding camera gear or just the cameras themselves, sound recording gadgetry, lots of lighting equipment, and items I couldn’t begin to identify. Beyond were buildings that were the soundstages and administrative offices of Solario Studios in Woodland Hills, in the western part of L.A.’s San Fernando Valley.
I heard a lot of voices of people who remained beyond the set and out of my sight, probably discussing how to shoot the next scene. Or maybe they were just talking about the weather.
I decided it was time to take action, for Sheba’s sake. There were two people I could talk to and try to get things moving.
One was Hans Marford. The renowned director was working on this movie. That helped with publicizing it even this early in the production process as a potential blockbuster and Hollywood awards contender.
The other was Grant Jefferly, the “Certified Animal Safety Representative” assigned to this film by the American Humane Association—the only group that can certify that “No Animals Were Harmed,” which actually was a registered trademark of theirs. The designation “Certified Animal Safety Representative” was also a trademark.
“Let’s find out what’s going on,” I told Carlie and began walking out of the kennel area.
I first saw Hans at the edge of a crowd of people. He was talking, using his hands for emphasis, and everyone seemed to listen intently. Some were cast members, others were crew, and a few were dog handlers.
“This is a crucial scene,” I heard him say as we got closer. “It’s near the end, right where Millie makes the final decision that she’ll adopt Sheba as her own. You ready for it, Millie?”
Hans was a tall, thin man with a mop of wavy gray hair, which he used to help him communicate. I’d seen him run his fingers through it in frustration and nod his head till his hair fluttered in the breeze he created. His nose was a long beak over straight, narrow lips, which he also sucked in to make a point, and he wore thick, dark-rimmed glasses.
“Let’s run through it, Hans,” said Lyanne Shroeder. Yes, the Lyanne Shroeder, the youthful actress who was emerging as one of Hollywood’s top stars. A petite brunette with a winsome smile, she played the main human character in the film, Millie Roland, who ultimately rescued and adopted the Sheba character. “I’ll show you how I think Millie would react.”
Good. Something was about to occur that would at least give Sheba some attention. Even so, I edged through the now dissipating crowd toward Grant. He was a handsome guy, probably in his mid-forties—around my age. I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn he had aspirations of stardom himself. Instead, he wore a vest with the AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION logo over his gray T-shirt. He was the person who would ascertain whether the coveted “No Animals Were Harmed” certification would ultimately be given to this film.
Carlie and I stopped beside him. “I know it’s not cruelty, but poor Sheba—the real one—looks lonesome,” I told him. “I’m glad the filming’s going forward now.”
He smiled at me, revealing even, gleaming white teeth. “Glad to have additional observers around on this set,” he said. “But a little bit of downtime might actually be a good thing for our little Sheba. She’s had a busy morning.”
“She sure did,” I acknowledged.
The three of us—Carlie, Grant, and I—stayed out of the way as the rest of the gang started prepping for their scene, then filming it. I watched as the Millie character walked by the kennel and stopped to look in at the sad little poodle inside, as I had. Maybe Sheba was even remembering what it felt like to be a stray.
A trainer I knew only as Cowan stood in the background. He gave a hand signal and Sheba stood on her hind legs, her front paws on the mesh gate of the kennel. Millie/Lyanne unlatched the gate and stooped to let Sheba hop into her arms. I couldn’t hear the dialogue, but I watched as Millie hugged Sheba, who licked her face in a way that suggested she was lapping up the human’s tears. The scene made me just as emotional as the actress pretended to be.
“C
ut!” I heard Hans shout. “Let’s do it again, but that looked good.”
Even so, he shot at least a half-dozen more takes. After that, he let the cast and crew dissipate, all but the assistants who were dog handlers. I’d met some of them, and the person who took charge of Sheba was one I’d spoken with—Jerry Amalon, a young, enthusiastic kid who immediately snapped a leash on Sheba’s collar, gently roughhoused with her for a minute, gave her a treat, and led her off.
Just to be sure all was well, Carlie and I accompanied Grant to the area where the many other dogs that were part of the shoot were being kept.
No apparent worries there about how the animals were treated. A large, open area in one of the buildings had been converted into what could pass for a doggy hotel, with fluffy bedding in each of the kennels. They were separated by fencing on top of a laminate floor that resembled posh wood and was cleaned at least twice a day. No more than two dogs occupied each kennel, and some had the enclosures to themselves. Jerry and the other handlers took each dog for walks often to ensure they remained housebroken.
In addition to the five or so dogs that played the Sheba character, there were a bunch of additional poodles that represented her siblings, as well as others including mixed breeds that played dogs she met and interacted with, per the film’s script.
There were enough dogs in the cast that American Humane had recommended a full-time vet. Carlie was there that day instead of one of her veterinary staff from The Fittest Pet Veterinary Hospital. She was too busy especially with her own TV show to commit to being there every day, but she’d been glad to help by assigning other vets in her office to come to the set. Even so, she, like I, enjoyed visiting from time to time.
Now, Carlie and I both played for a short while with some of the dogs until Grant motioned for the humans to join him. As we stood in the center of the kennel area, he began talking with the handlers and Cowan, the trainer, about some suggestions. On the whole, though, he sounded pretty pleased with how things were going so far.
Oodles of Poodles (A PET RESCUE MYSTERY) Page 1
