Trouble at the Kennel

by Dianne Harman

  “Of course, Kelly. If you think something is important, I’m sure it is. This is an area I know nothing about. I’ll have to rely on Mike and the homicide detectives from the sheriff’s department. I just hope they find out who did it, and he or she is arrested. I know it’s still too fresh for me, and I’m probably in shock, but something seems very strange about the whole thing.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. I’ll talk to you in a couple of days. If you’re going back to the kennel and Mike’s still there, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say anything about Skyy. It’s probably better if he heard it from me.”

  “I promise. Again, Kelly, thanks.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Kelly fed all three dogs with Lady and Rebel getting their regular dried kibble dog food and Skyy getting a special puppy food Noelle had brought. She spent a couple of minutes looking at the American Kennel Club papers Noelle had given her. They confirmed what Mary had said, the dog had an exceptional lineage. Now it was just a matter of getting the puppy acclimated to her surroundings and getting the other two dogs to accept the new puppy.

  At six that evening Mike called. “Mike, I’m so glad to hear from you,” Kelly said. “What’s happening? Have you found out anything?”

  “Not really. I’ll tell you about it when I get home. I’ve got about another hour of work to do here at the kennel. Volunteers found the last two dogs, so all of them have been accounted for. Mary’s death was on the early news and several people have already come to the kennel to get their dogs. One even said she didn’t want her dog to stay in a place where a murder had been committed. I don’t know what the future of the kennel is, but a business person never wants a murder to occur on their premises. Why don’t you go ahead and eat without me? I’ll fix something for myself when I get home.”

  “No, I’ll wait for you. I’m just putting things in order after being gone so long and figuring out what I need to get done in the next few days.” She didn’t mention that taking Skyy to the coffee shop and putting her in the pantry storage room for a few days until she got used to the coffee shop was a pretty high priority for her. “Bye love, I’ll see you soon.”

  An hour later, Kelly heard Mike’s car pull into the garage. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Skyy looked as cute as she possibly could. She took a chilled glass of wine out of the refrigerator for Mike, hoping it might soften him up a little before he saw the latest addition to the family.

  “Hi, sweetheart, figured you could use this after the day you’ve had,” she said, walking into the garage and handing him the glass of wine when he got out of his car.

  Mike took it and looked at her appraisingly. “Kelly, I hope you never develop a penchant for poker. You’d lose every time. First of all, the guilty look on your face gives you away, and secondly, you’ve never brought a glass of wine to me as I’m getting out of my car. You haven’t had much time to get in trouble, so what’s going on?”

  “Well Mike, it’s kind of like this. Can you suspend all judgment for a couple of minutes and just enjoy the moment?”

  “I could if I knew what was going on. Want to tell me?”

  “Umm, I don’t think so. Why don’t you stand here for a moment with your eyes closed, and I’ll put your wine glass on the work bench. OK?”

  “Sure, if that’s how you want to play this. What are you doing?”

  “Just stand there, and I’ll be right back in just a minute” She returned with her back to him and said, “Close your eyes and put out your hands.”

  “Kelly, I’ve had a very long day, and I’m not particularly in the mood for games. Okay, my eyes are closed, and my hands are out.”

  She carefully placed the soft ball of fur in his arms and held hers under his so he wouldn’t drop Skyy who immediately started licking his face.

  “What the devil?” he said opening his eyes and looking down at the puppy. “Where did this come from?”

  “This is named Skyy, and she was Mary’s puppy. Come on in, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Kelly told him about her visit from Noelle and five minutes later he looked at the puppy that was now lying on his shoe and said gruffly, “Kelly, you know I’m not happy about this. I thought we’d decided that two dogs were enough.”

  “Well, that’s not exactly true. You said you thought two dogs were enough. I don’t recall me ever saying that, however, I’m sure this is only a temporary thing. We’ll just keep Skyy until we can find a new home for her.”

  Mike reached down and picked up the puppy. “Poor little thing. She must wonder what’s going on, first with a new owner last week and now new people this week. That’s a lot for a little puppy to take in, although it does seem like Rebel and Lady are pretty good with her.”

  “They’re being excellent. I’ve always had a theory that housebreaking and training a dog is much easier when there’s an older dog to act as a role model. So far Skyy hasn’t had an accident in the house and hasn’t even tried to chew on something other than the chew sticks and toys Noelle brought with her.”

  “Well, at least that’s good news. Speaking of which I think she should go outside. I get nervous when a puppy starts moving around.” He took Skyy out to the back yard while Kelly finished preparing dinner. Rebel got up and accompanied them. A few minutes later Mike returned. “Mission accomplished. Think Rebel’s a good influence on her.” Kelly turned towards the sink so Mike wouldn’t see the smile that had broken out on her face. He’s already beginning to come around, she thought.

  “Kelly, have you given any thought to what you’re going to do with this puppy tomorrow when we both have to go to work?”

  “Of course. Remember when Lady was a puppy? I took her into work with me, and I can do the same thing with Skyy. Roxie and the rest of the staff will be happy to have an excuse to get outside for a few moments while they walk her, and I’ll bet some of the customers would like to as well. I still have the puppy fence I bought for Lady, and I’ll put it in front of the entrance to the pantry storage room. It will be fine.”

  “You’re more confident about your abilities in that area than I am.”

  “It will all work out, you’ll see.”

  “I know. It’s that glass half full thing. Right?”

  “Right, Sheriff. Now sit down and let me get some food in you.”

  “What’s for dinner?”

  “The one thing you taught me to make. Fisherman’s fried rice. Sounded perfect, and we had all the ingredients. It’s all ready. Time to eat, and then I’ll tell you the rest of what Noelle told me, although you may already know.”

  CHAPTER 9

  “No matter how many times I eat fishermen’s fried rice, it always takes me back to the first time Jack cooked it for me,” Mike said.

  “You may go back in time, but I think it’s been an inward thing. I don’t remember hearing about it,” Kelly said, picking up the dishes and taking them to the sink.

  “Several years ago, after a particularly difficult case and when my divorce was being finalized, I needed a little time away from everything, and I gave Jack Trout a call. I’d met him several times over the years, and we always talked about fishing, something both of us were very interested in, although I’d never been fishing with him before. That was the common bond.

  “Anyway, he was between guided fishing trips, and we agreed to go up to the Mt. Shasta area for a few days. We camped out overnight, and the first morning I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon cooking. He fried some rice in the bacon grease, scrambled some eggs, and then mixed it all together. It tasted great on that cold morning. I’ll never forget it. Always makes me think of the outdoors and fresh air. I still love the dish. We should have asked him to make it for us when we were in Cuba, but I don’t think he had access to the resort kitchen. Thanks for making it tonight.”

  “I like it because I almost always have the necessary ingredients on hand, and it’s so easy to make. That it tastes so good is just a plus. I’ve taught Charlie how to ma
ke it at the coffee shop, and we serve it there from time to time. A lot of people request it even if it’s not on the menu. Since I usually have all of the ingredients, Charlie whips it up for them. It’s soul satisfying!”

  Mike said, “Make you a deal.” I’ll take Skyy out to see if she can commune with nature one more time while you do the dishes. Sound fair?”

  “Very. Take Rebel and Lady with you. I’m sure that little girl can learn some valuable lessons from them.”

  “Come here, sweet little girl,” Mike said, picking the puppy up and walking over to the door. “Lady, Rebel, outside.”

  Kelly grinned as she saw Skyy lavishing Mike’s face with puppy kisses. She turned back to the dishes. It’s just a matter of time until she worms herself into his heart and calling her sweet little girl isn’t a bad start.

  A few minutes later the dog parade returned with Mike grinning broadly. “Well, that was a piece of cake. If she continues to be that good, I may have to rethink my two dog rule after all. She is pretty darn cute. She even came to me when I called her, so I guess Mary must have worked with her, because she responds to her name.” He sat down at the kitchen table and said, “I kind of remember you saying something about Noelle telling you about a conversation she’d recently had with her mother, and it might have something to do with her murder.”

  “I don’t know about it having anything to do with her murder, but there were three people who Mary recently had words with.” She told him about the Pit Bull Sanctuary man, the Yorkshire terrier pregnancy incident, and the neighbor who was upset about the excessive barking coming from the kennel.

  Mike listened carefully and then said, “Well, I suppose all three could be considered as suspects, but I have a hard time making any of them as killers. Yes, they were all probably angry at Mary for various reasons, but angry enough to kill? I think it’s a stretch, Kelly.”

  “I have no idea. I’m simply telling you what Noelle told me. She did mention that Mary was very upset over the incidents.”

  “That’s understandable, but to kill someone and release all the dogs? Of course we still don’t know which came first, Mary’s death or the dogs being released. What I want to do tomorrow is look at the kennel’s business records and talk to the manager, Sandy Reston. She might know something. Actually she probably would know more than Noelle, since she was the one who was working there. What’s on your agenda for tomorrow?”

  “Business as usual. I’m glad I only have one day before the weekend. It will allow me to ease into the routine. I need to get some groceries for here, and I’m sure I’ll have to restock the coffee shop. I’ll take Lady and Skyy with me. Rebel’s been going into work with you lately, so he’d probably be more comfortable doing that. Okay?”

  “That’s fine. If I get tied up on this investigation, I’ll give you a call. Might even stop by the coffee shop for lunch and see how this little girl’s doing,” he said looking down at Skyy who was sound asleep and lying on his shoe. “What do you intend to do with her tonight?”

  “I have an old wire kennel out in the garage. Thought I’d put her in that. I’ll get up in the middle of the night and take her out along with one of the other dogs. Usually dogs are pretty good when they’re in their kennel.”

  “Since you’re the one who said yes to Noelle, I’ll willingly let you do that. Think we both need to get to bed. Between the travel, the murder, and what I know will be a busy day tomorrow, this man needs some sleep, and I think you could use some too. What an end to a great trip. I think we’re snake bit when it comes to having a quiet peaceful vacation from the beginning to end.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean, but you’re right, I could definitely use some sleep. It’s been quite an emotional day between not being able to find Rebel and worried if I did find him there was a good chance it wouldn’t be pleasant. That, along with the murder of one of my closest friends and the addition of a new member to our family. Yes, I definitely need some sleep.”

  “Kelly, it’s a temporary addition to our family, not a permanent addition. Remember that,” he said over his shoulder as he walked down the hall towards the bedroom.

  Uh-huh. With that attitude I probably won’t be telling you about the dog show that starts tomorrow afternoon at the fairgrounds. Think I’ll pay it a visit, and see if I can find out anything about the pit bull man and/or the Yorkie lady. Anyway, with Skyy’s lineage I probably should become familiar with what goes on in the world of dog shows.

  CHAPTER 10

  The next morning Kelly had to be at the coffee shop at 6:00 a.m. to get everything ready for the doors to open for the hungry and thirsty customers at 7:00 a.m. She parked in her usual spot next to the pier. Lady jumped out of the minivan when Kelly opened the back door for her, and then Kelly carefully carried the small kennel with Skyy in it to the front door of the coffee shop. She had just unlocked the door when she heard Roxie, her longtime waitress say, “That may be about the cutest puppy I’ve ever seen. Do the Reynolds have a new addition to the family?”

  Kelly put the flat of her hand out and wagged it back and forth in the well-known gesture for “maybe yes, maybe no.” She picked up the kennel and walked into the coffee shop followed by Lady and Roxie. In a few minutes they were joined by Madison, who worked as a part-time waitress when she wasn’t in class at the cosmetology school she was attending, and Charlie, Kelly’s longtime fry cook.

  “Let me guess, Kelly,” Roxie said. “You’re back from vacation, and I know you boarded your dogs at the Doggie Love Kennel while you were gone. The news station had a long segment on the owner’s murder and about the dogs being set loose, so my guess is this puppy has something to do with that.”

  “Very perceptive, Roxie.” She told them what had happened and how Mary’s daughter had asked her to keep the little puppy, at least for a while.

  “Well, perceptive as I am, I’d be willing to bet Mike isn’t nuts about the idea of having three dogs. You were kind of stretching it when you got Lady, as I recall.”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but for now I have her. I’m going to put her in the storeroom with the fence up. If any of you have a spare minute, I could use a little help walking her outside. I’m having really good luck if Lady or Rebel goes with her, so you might want to take Lady as well. This little girl really is sweet.” Kelly walked back to the storeroom and got Skyy settled while the other three went about their morning duties.

  At 7:00 a.m., like it did every morning, the coffee shop began filling up. Everyone wanted to find out the latest gossip about the murder of Mary Barnes and the dogs being released at the kennel. Kelly’s Koffee Shop was always the place people came to get the latest gossip and this particular morning was no exception. The room was abuzz with questions, comments, and speculations. Kelly took Skyy out a couple of times, but the third time she went back to the storeroom she noticed the fence was down and Skyy was missing.

  She walked over to the cash register where Roxie was ringing up an order and said, “Roxie, do you know what happened to Skyy? I can’t find her, and I can see Madison and Charlie, so neither one of them has her.”

  “Yup. You were talking to a couple of the customers, and I saw Mike go in the back and take her outside. If you look through the window blinds, you can see him holding her and talking to some people a couple of yards down the pier.”

  “That’s interesting. He didn’t even bother to say hello to me, but he takes Skyy out and holds her? And he’s the one talking about having her only be a temporary addition to the family?”

  “Kelly, I’m not a wealthy woman, but I’d bet everything I have that Skyy will be a permanent addition to your family. Mike might like to act like a gruff tough sheriff, but the way’s he’s holding Skyy is anything but that.”

  “I think you’re right, at least I hope so. I don’t think I mentioned that Mary’s daughter told me her mother had really done her research before she bought Skyy, and she comes from an incredible lineage. She even told
me Mary expected she could easily be Best in Show. I don’t know much about dog shows, but I have to admit my curiosity’s aroused.”

  “I don’t blame you. Matter of fact, I saw where a big dog show is being held out at the fairgrounds. It starts today and goes through the weekend. You might want to check it out. Are you thinking of showing her?”

  “I have no idea. This is all completely new to me, but I have to admit I’m kind of fascinated. I saw an ad in the paper for the show and thought I might go after work this afternoon.”

  “As many times as Mary was in here and as close as she was to you, it’s kind of strange she never said anything to you about her wanting a dog to show.”

  “I thought the same thing and mentioned that to her daughter, Noelle, and the only thing we could figure out is that her mother probably wanted to keep it quiet so she wouldn’t be hounded by people coming to the kennel and talking about it. It’s one thing to be Jane Q. Public and think about buying a dog to eventually show, but it’s quite another when you’re the owner of a well-known kennel. I’m sure she knew a lot of people in the dog breeding world, many of whom would love for her to buy their puppy. It would give them bragging rights. At least that was our supposition.”

  Just then the door to the coffee shop opened, and Mike walked in with Skyy nestled in his arms. “Hi, sweetheart. Thought I’d pop in and see how your morning’s going. When I got here you were busy, and I saw Skyy in the storeroom. I thought I’d save you the trouble of having to take her outside. I’ll put her back.”

  “Mike, Kelly, who is this? A new addition to your dog family?” Doc, a longtime customer and friend of Kelly’s and Mike’s asked as he strode over to them. Kelly had been instrumental in helping Doc resume his medical practice after he’d been unfairly found liable for damages for the death of a young female patient of his. He’d even been the best man at Kelly and Mike’s wedding.