Trouble at the Kennel

by Dianne Harman

  He slowly shuffled to his feet and threw his cigarette on the ground, grinding it out with the heel of his shoe. “I’m Ricky Anderson. What are you doing out here? Clients ain’t supposed to come out here. Jes’ the employees and the dogs.”

  “My dogs were recently boarded here. One of them lost her ID tag and I’m trying to find it, but this is a big place, and so far I haven’t had any luck. I assume you work here.”

  “Yeah, might call me the do-what-no-one-else-wants-to-do man,” he said in a voice tinged with bitterness.

  “That’s kind of an intriguing job description.”

  “Might be intriguing, but that’s all it is. I’ve only got a couple more months to go, and then I’m outta here.”

  “I take it this is not going to be a career for you.”

  “Ya’ got that right. This ain’t a career for nobody. I’m just serving time here. Kinda like a jail only I get paid. Two more months, and I hit the big payday.”

  “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Nah, ya’ probably wouldn’t. Promised my dad I’d work here for a year. Time’s almost up. Can’t happen too fast for me ‘cause once it does my old man promised to pay me five grand.”

  “That’s a lot of money. I understand the owner recently died. Is that going to affect your time here?”

  “Dunno. If they close it down, yeah, probably will. Old bat had it coming, though. Don’t know of anyone here that’s real sorry she’s gone. Didn’t treat none of us too good.”

  “My dogs always seemed to like it here, and I never had any problems, but I guess a couple of people did.”

  “Yeah, kinda funny. One of them pit bulls got out and got in some fancy little Yorkie’s kennel. Had himself a good time,” he said laughing. “Course he had to leave a few weeks later when one of ‘em bit Sandy’s dog real bad. Mary wasn’t too happy ‘bout all that kinda bad stuff goin’ down at her kennel, I can tell you that.”

  “I imagine she wouldn’t have been. How did the pit bull get out and get in the Yorkie’s kennel?”

  “Dunno. Guess someone didn’t make sure the gates and doors were closed,” he said, looking off into the distance. “Can’t be too careful ‘bout stuff like that. Matter of fact the old biddy kinda insinuated I mighta done it.” He laughed. “Didn’t do it, but it sure musta been somethin’ to see.”

  “Where are you going when you’re finished working here? Do you have another job lined up?”

  “Naw. Headin’ south. Looking to have me a little fun in the sun. Mexico’s been callin’ to me. I’m tired of it always bein’ foggy and cold here. May be sunny today, but I’m still cold. Need to go somewhere warm.”

  Hmmmm. I’ve always heard that someone who’s using heroin can’t get warm. Hate to think it, but something is definitely not right with this boy. Knowing Mary, I find it hard to believe she hired him.

  “Gotta get back to the kennels. Was jes’ takin’ a little break from sloppin’ ‘em out. Gets real old real quick and even worse when someone’s always tellin’ ya’ it ain’t bein’ done the right way. Don’t miss the old broad, that’s fer sure.”

  “Nice talking to you, Ricky. I was hoping to find Lady’s dog tag somewhere around here. Being a Lab, she loved the water, so I thought maybe she’d lost it out here, but it doesn’t look like it. If you find it, would you give it to Sandy? She said she’d call me if someone found it.”

  “Sure, but don’t trust everything she says.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothin’, nothin’ at all. Jes’ things aren’t always what they seem to be.” With that he turned and walked through the door into the main building, mop in hand.

  I wonder if he knows something about Mary’s death. What is going on here? This is all very strange.

  CHAPTER 18

  Kelly walked into the house, greeted the two big dogs, and unlatched Skyy’s kennel. She didn’t trust the puppy to be running loose in the house when she was gone, so Skyy had to be confined in her kennel while Kelly was away from the house. “Time to commune with nature. The three of you can spend a little time outside while I figure out what to fix for dinner. It’s a beautiful afternoon, and you might as well enjoy it. We don’t get too many of them living this close to the Oregon coast.”

  She walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and decided that Saturday night was a perfect night for serving Rock Cornish game hens with an apricot stuffing.

  Hmm, asparagus with hollandaise and a wedge salad will be perfect accompaniments, she thought. Even if Mike didn’t catch any bad guys today, he’ll be happy with dinner. Plus, I’ve got enough time to make that brie and egg strata he loves for breakfast tomorrow morning. We can enjoy breakfast while I do the Sunday crossword puzzle, and he decides if there’s anything in the newspaper I need to know about, or if it’s just the usual “if it bleeds, it leads” type of news.

  She spent the next hour assembling the strata and making the stuffing for the game hens as well as the orange sauce she liked to spoon over the hens just before serving them. While she was cooking, Kelly became aware that it was very quiet in the back yard, unnaturally quiet. She walked over to the door and saw all three dogs patiently sitting in front of the door, waiting for their dinners.

  The dogs had just finished eating when Mike opened the door and said, “Okay everyone, I’m home. I know you all missed me, right?”

  “Right,” Kelly said as she walked over and hugged him. Skyy raced over and sat in front of him whining and demanding to be picked up. He obliged and petted the other two dogs at the same time. “This family is growing. I’m not sure I have enough gas in my tank for all of you,” he laughed.

  “Sheriff, I don’t think your deputies want to hear you say that. I’d keep talk like that right here at home. Think your deputies are more interested in whether or not you’re going to catch the bad guys.”

  “You’re probably right,” he said, setting Skyy down. She immediately tried to jump up on Rebel who looked at her and growled. She sat back on her haunches, head cocked, trying to figure out what she’d done to earn the growl, but Kelly and Mike both noticed she didn’t jump on the big boxer again.

  “Sit down and relax, Mike. Seriously, did you have any luck today with the Barnes murder?”

  “I wish I could say I did, but absolutely nothing new has developed. I know the pit bull guy and the Yorkie woman both have motives, but I’m having a hard time seeing either one of them as a killer. As much as I hate to ask, did you call Madison and find out anything about Ricky Anderson?”

  “Yes, not only did I find out about him, I met him.”

  “Kelly, that wasn’t part of the agreement. You were only going to find out what Madison knew about him, period.”

  “Uh-huh,” she said handing him a glass of wine and taking a seat across the table from him. “Actually, what I found out is kind of interesting.” She filled him in on what Madison had told her about Ricky as well as her impression of him after she met him.

  “I’m gathering from what Madison said and from your tone of voice, you think he could be a possible suspect. Would I be right?” he asked.

  “Well, yes. He clearly didn’t like Mary, he doesn’t like his job, and he was almost giggling about the pit bull getting out. Something is not right with that guy. I think the rumors Madison heard about him are probably true, which means he’s heavily into drugs. His eyes, the fact he wore a long-sleeve shirt completely buttoned up, and his cough are all signs of heroin use. Before I went out to the kennel I searched the Internet to see what it said about observing heroin use in someone. All three of those signs were listed as possible indications that a person is using heroin.”

  “Of course, and if it’s on the Internet it must be the truth, right?” he asked in a teasing voice.

  “I recognize that tone of voice,” she said, “but I looked at a bunch of different sites, so I think I can say that with those identifiers he probably is on something, and most like
ly, it’s heroin.”

  “Let me play devil’s advocate for a moment. If he is on something, would he have it together enough to be able to commit murder?”

  “I don’t know. For that matter we still don’t know which came first, the chicken or the egg. In other words, was Mary killed before the dogs were let out, or did she see someone letting them out and then that someone killed her?”

  “I agree. The answer to that question has really been bothering me.”

  “Mike, I hate to add to your trouble, but I think I have a couple more suspects for you.”

  “What’s this ‘you think you have a couple more suspects’ Kelly? As I recall, we had an agreement that this was my case, and you would not get involved in it. I’m getting the distinct impression you’re getting involved, seriously involved.”

  “Don’t get up on your high horse, Mike. I’ve been pretty lucky in the past. Cut me some slack for a few moments and just hear me out.”

  “Like I have a choice,” he grumbled.

  “I think you need to take a long look at the manager of Doggie Love Kennel, Sandy Reston.”

  “I know you’ll tell me, but I’ll play dumb and ask why?”

  “She has a motive, actually several. Number one, her dog was viciously attacked because of Mary’s affinity for the pit bulls. Number two, neither the kennel’s insurance nor Mary would pay the hefty vet bill for her seriously injured dog, and number three, her husband threatened to divorce her because of the incident. Evidently she and Mary had argued about the pit bulls being on the property several times before. It was pretty clear to me there was no love lost between the two of them. And lastly, Ricky indicated that maybe Sandy isn’t quite what she appears to be.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to take into account the word of a drug addict when I’m looking for a killer.”

  “I have no idea what’s important and what’s not. I’m just telling you some things you probably need to consider. Think about it while I put the finishing touches on dinner. Even if you aren’t happy about the way the case is going I know you’re going to be happy with what I’m about to serve you, plus I made the brie and egg strata that you like so much for breakfast tomorrow morning. You can read the paper and enjoy the day.”

  “Shall I close my eyes while you surprise me with dinner?”

  “No. You can admire the gorgeous stuffed Rock Cornish game hen you’re about to be served along with a special warm orange sauce, green beans with hollandaise, and a wedge salad. As they say in France, bon appetit!

  CHAPTER 19

  On the short drive to the coffee shop on Monday morning, Kelly thought about how lovely the day before had been. A leisurely breakfast, Mike helping her with the last of the neglected household chores, catching up on e-mails, and long conversations with both Julia and Cash. Julia filled her in on what was happening at their ranch in Calico Gold, while Cash shared some thrilling news with her.

  He told her his tour of duty in Iraq would be over in just a few weeks, and his new assignment was going to be at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. He was really excited to be stationed there. He saved the best news for last, when he told her he had some time off between assignments and would be visiting Mike and her in a few weeks. The very thought of seeing him brought a smile to her face. Nearly every day while he’d been in Iraq Kelly had worried she’d get a phone call telling her that her wonderful son had become a statistic. She prayed he could make it safely to the end of his tour and hopefully, never have to return to Iraq.

  When she arrived at the pier where the coffee shop was located she got the dogs out of the minivan and as usual, Roxie, Charlie, and Madison walked up to the door just as she was opening it. The three of them had worked for Kelly for quite a while and each went about their morning duties in preparation for what promised to be another busy day. Whenever there was an unsolved mystery in the small town, and in the recent past there had been quite a few mysteries including several murders, the townspeople gathered at Kelly’s Koffee Shop hoping to find out something about these crimes. Usually what they found out was nothing more than a rumor, but it gave them something to do, and in a town as small as Cedar Bay diversions from the ordinary were very welcome.

  “Madison, would you give me a hand with the groceries that are in my minivan? I had to restock and could use a little help carrying them in.”

  “Of course, plus it will give me a chance to tell you what I learned from Brandon about Ricky.”

  “Well, you definitely have my attention,” she said as they walked out to her minivan. “By the way, I met him Saturday, and although I know what you told me about his drug use wasn’t based on facts, after meeting with him I would have to agree with the rumors.”

  “That’s what I was going to tell you. I talked to Brandon last night and mentioned Ricky to him. He told me he’d been at a party Friday night when he’d come back from college, and Ricky was there. Everybody was surprised when he walked in the door, because none of them had invited him. In fact, the people there never had anything to do with him when they were in high school, and certainly not after graduation. They all thought it was pretty strange.”

  “So what did he do? Just show up?” Kelly asked as she loaded several grocery bags in Madison’s arms.

  “That seems to be about it. He wasn’t there too long. It looks like the drug use is true. Brandon said he was really wasted, and stupid enough that he asked several people who were there if they wanted some good stuff. He told them he had a friend that could always score big and said what this person had was the real deal.”

  “Did anyone take him up on his offer?”

  “Of course not. Brandon said drugs are certainly used where he goes to college, but he doesn’t do them, and he told me none of the people who were there Friday night did either. After a little while one of the guys told Ricky he thought it might be a good thing if he left. Several of the other guys stood behind him when he said it. At some level Ricky must have gotten the message, because he left right after the guy told him to.”

  “That’s interesting,” Kelly said as they walked back into the coffee shop. “Thanks for telling me. Don’t know what I can do with that information, but it seems to confirm the rumors you heard. I probably better tell Mike. He hates drugs and even more, people who sell drugs. From the way Ricky talked, it sounds like he might be selling heroin. Maybe Mike can do something about it. Let me ask you something else, and then we both need to get back to work.”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Seems like every time we talk, you mention Brandon. As your Catholic sponsor, should I know something?” she asked, grinning

  A few days after Madison had started working at Kelly’s Koffee Shop, she’d attended a funeral for Kelly’s goddaughter, Amber. After attending the Catholic funeral service, Madison had what some would call a spiritual awakening. Her life completely changed, and she credited her father ending his alcohol abuse, her good grades at cosmetology school, and all the wonderful things that had happened to her because of it and Kelly.

  Madison blushed and said, “I like Brandon, and I think he likes me. He knows I’ve changed since Amber’s death, and although I know he was very much in love with her, and had even planned on marrying her, we’ve both gotten over it. He usually comes home from college about twice a month, and that’s when I get to see him. He calls me from school a couple of times a week. Kelly, I don’t know if there’s any future in it, but I hope so.”

  “Honey, I hope so too. You both deserve some happiness. I’d be thrilled if you could find it with each other. I like him a lot, and you tell him he better appreciate you, or he’ll have to deal with me.”

  Madison laughed. “Kelly, because of you everything in my life is good. Dad and I have never been closer, and Doc and his wife have been kind of like parents to me since Doc helped dad get sober. In fact, Doc’s wife and I have become very close. I’m really, really happy.”

  “Well, if you’re happy, that makes me happy. Enough of thi
s. Please put the groceries away. Charlie can handle the short orders, and I’ll start cooking the rest of the stuff. Oh, and Madison, I just want you to know how proud I am of you, and although you say the changes in your life are because of me, that’s not true. The changes in your life are because you decided to make something of your life and you definitely did! Now, get started, or we’ll both end up crying.”

  CHAPTER 20

  As Kelly was getting ready to lock up for the day, Roxie walked out of the kitchen, untied her apron, and said, “I've been meaning to tell you something all afternoon, but we were so busy I never could find the time to do it.”

  “What is it?” Kelly asked.

  “Well, just after lunch a man came in and wanted to know some information about you.”

  “Why didn't you tell him I’d be happy to talk to him?”

  “I told him I’d get you, but he said no. He just wanted to know a little bit about you, but he asked some things I thought were kind of strange.”

  “Like what?”

  “He wanted to know if you or your husband had discovered who killed Mary Barnes.”

  “Did he say who he was or why he was asking?”

  “No. He said he'd heard you’d solved some crimes in the past and that you’d been asking some questions about the murder out at the Doggie Love Kennel. That's all I know. Oh, he did ask where you lived.”

  “You’re kidding. What did you tell him?”

  “I told him you’d helped your husband solve several criminal cases recently, but I hadn't heard anything about you trying to solve the Mary Barnes case. I also told him I couldn't give out information about where you lived.”

  “That's really weird. I can tell you this, I don’t like it when someone comes snooping around asking questions about me. I wonder who he was.”

  “I have no idea.”

  “I'm glad you didn't tell him where I lived. That was a smart decision, Roxie. What did he look like?” Kelly asked.