Trouble at the Kennel

by Dianne Harman

  “He was fairly young, probably about thirty. Of course now that I’m getting older, everyone under forty looks young to me. He was wearing a grey suit, horn-rimmed glasses, and his brown hair was cut pretty short. He had a moustache, and I remember he had beautiful dark blue eyes that it was hard to look away from. I think he might have been a lawyer, because I did mention that you’d probably he happy to talk to him after the noon rush hour. He mentioned something about having to be in court. He didn't order anything. It seems his whole purpose for coming to the coffee shop was to find out what he could about you. I thought it was very strange, so I made a point of watching him when he left. He got in a fairly new silver car, but I don't know the make. I thought you'd want to know. Might want to keep your eyes open.”

  “Do you think he was from Cedar Bay? I thought you knew pretty much everyone in town.”

  "I know the townies that have lived here for a long time, but he might be from one of the newer areas. There are a lot of new developments on the south side of town. Come to think of it, no one here at the restaurant greeted him, and if he lived here in town, I'm sure someone would have recognized him. He didn't seem particularly threatening, but all in all it was strange enough to get my attention.”

  “Thanks, Roxie, I'm sure it was nothing. I don't think I'll even bother to tell Mike. Something like that will just make him nervous. Now get out of here. It’s time for you to leave. See you in the morning.”

  Kelly put Skyy on a leash and turned to Lady and said, “Time to go home.” When she put her seat belt on and started her minivan she had a sense she was being watched, and a chill went down the back of her neck. She looked around, but didn’t see anyone. On the drive home she kept checking her rear-view mirror to see if she was being followed. She noticed a silver sedan two cars back and debated whether or not to turn onto her street. She wanted to see if it was the man Roxie had told her about and if the car was actually following her. She turned onto her street and carefully watched her rear view mirror. The silver car continued on past the intersection.

  I must be jumpy. If it was the guy Roxie was talking about and he wanted to find out where I lived, he probably would have followed me. This is silly, and I'm sure I'm overreacting. I think I'll call Sandy when I get home and see if she's heard anything. I can use the lost ID tag thing again.

  “Doggie Love Kennel, how may I help you?” the voice that answered the phone asked.

  “This is Kelly Reynolds. I'd like to speak with Sandy Renton.”

  “Oh, hi Kelly, this is Sandy. I was just getting ready to leave. My husband’s picking me up in a few minutes. He's leaving for New York tomorrow, so we thought we'd go out tonight for a nice dinner. There's a new restaurant not too far from where we live, and we’ve decided to try it out.”

  “What’s the name of it? Because of the coffee shop, I know most of the restaurants in the area.”

  “It's French. I believe the name is Bon Ami. I think it means good friend in French.”

  “It must be very new. I've never heard of it. Where's it located?”

  “It's in the Trunsdale Estates shopping center. We bought a home in that area several months ago.”

  “Isn't that one of the new developments south of town?”

  “Yes. We just love it. My husband's a lawyer for one of the lumber companies and travels a lot. He feels much better knowing we live in a gate-guarded community, and thinks it's much safer for me when he’s away."

  “I can understand that,” Kelly said. “Enjoy your dinner. I'm just calling to see if you've had any luck finding Lady's ID tag.”

  “Sorry, absolutely none. I've told all of the people who work here, but no one knows anything about it. Oh, I can see my husband's car turning the corner. He calls it grey, but I think it's more of a silver color. I'll call you if we find Lady’s tag. Bye.”

  Kelly ended the call and sat for a few moments, deep in thought. He drives a grey-silver car, lives in a new development south of town, and he’s a lawyer. Those are an awful lot of coincidences, and Mike's made a believer out of me about coincidences. I wonder if the man who was in the coffee shop today is her husband. I also wonder if it was his car I saw earlier. If it was him, and if it was his car, why would he be following me? I can't think of any reason. This is really strange. Maybe I should tell Mike.

  CHAPTER 21

  Later that afternoon Kelly caught herself constantly looking out the kitchen window at the street to see if there was a grey or silver car driving by the house. The fact that there wasn't made her wonder all the more if the man who had been at the coffee shop was Sandy's husband.

  Her attention was diverted by a furry whirlwind in the form of Skyy who went flying by Kelly’s feet with what looked like a pair of glasses in her mouth. Skyy ran down the hall and into the bathroom where she stopped and began chewing on the earpiece. “Oh no you don't. Come here Skyy,” Kelly yelled, as she ran after the puppy. “Those are Mike's, and he is not going to be happy about you chewing on them.” She reached down and took the glasses away from the puppy who was clearly unaware of why she shouldn't have taken the glasses and chewed on them when the ear smells on them were so good!

  Kelly heard the front door open and Mike's deep voice resonating through the house. "Hey everybody, I'm home. Kelly, where are you?"

  “In the bathroom taking care of a little puppy business. Skyy decided your reading glasses would be fun to chew on, and I had to take them away from her."

  Mike walked into the bathroom and looked at Skyy. “How did she get those? They were on my desk when I left this morning.”

  “I have no idea how she got them, but I would venture a guess that she stood up on her back legs with her paws on top of the desk and saw them. They proved to be irresistible to her, and since I’d never told her they were off limits, she decided to take them from the desk. Bet you didn’t tell her either.”

  Mike reached down and gently petted Skyy. “That is unacceptable behavior, little one. Glasses are definitely not for puppies." He stood up and kissed Kelly lightly on the cheek. “How was the start of the week at the coffee shop? Rumors still flying?”

  “Yes, and I've been debating whether or not I should tell you something,” she said as they walked down the hall and into their bedroom. He unstrapped his gun and began changing clothes.

  His muffled voice came from the closet. “Kelly, if you're debating whether or not you should tell me something, you absolutely should. What is it?”

  “Let's go sit down in the great room and watch the sun set on the bay. It’s always so beautiful to see the colors of the sky as they begin to blend with the ocean. I know it’s silly, but I almost think I can see Hawaii when it happens. You know this is my favorite time of the day. Sunset over the bay and a glass of wine. What’s not to like? Life doesn't get much better than that!”

  “Lady, your wants are pretty simple. Give me some time to wash up, and I'll join you in a couple of minutes.”

  A few minutes later after they'd watched the sun fade into the ocean, Mike said, “Okay, time to tell me what it is that you were debating about telling me.”

  “Mike, I really don't know where to go with this, but before I tell you I want you to promise me one thing.”

  “What's that?”

  “Promise me you won't go all macho man on me and try and protect me.”

  “Kelly, what in the devil have you gotten yourself into this time? I’ll promise you I won't go all macho man as you put it, but I can't promise you I won't try and protect you.”

  She took a deep breath and told him about her conversation with Roxie and her subsequent conversation with Sandy. She mentioned they both had said the man in question drove a silver/grey car, and that she’d seen one when she was leaving the coffee shop and felt spooked. When she finished, she asked, “So what do you think it all means?”

  Mike was quiet for several moments and then began to speak. “Kelly, I’m not certain what to think. I’ve never met the man. I have no infor
mation that would tell me whether or not it was Sandy's husband who asked questions about you and the coffee shop, and I certainly don't know if you were being followed. What I am certain of is I don't like some man asking where you live, and from what you're telling me, he didn't seem like someone who was simply interested in an attractive woman.”

  “Thanks for the compliment, but I agree. I'm glad Roxie didn't tell whoever he was where I lived. The whole thing kind of creeps me out. I found myself checking to make sure the doors were locked, and I even looked out the window a number of times to see if there was a grey or silver car driving by on our street.”

  “Kelly, did you say anything to Sandy that would make her think you suspected her in connection with the murder of Mary Barnes?”

  "No. You and I talked about it the other night, but that was as far as I’ve gone with it. When I went to the Doggie Love Kennel on Saturday, it was under the guise that Lady had lost her dog tag. If you remember, I told her it was silver and had been a gift from you. I told you I was a little suspicious of her but no, I haven't told anyone else.

  “Maybe she looked at Rebel’s and Lady’s files and saw that I owned Kelly's Koffee Shop and was married to you, and she might have told her husband. I suppose it could have even been Mary who told her I owned a coffee shop. I'm really going out on a limb here, but maybe Sandy was the one who committed the murder and she told her husband. If that's true, he could be worried that I suspect her, and he wants to get rid of me in order to protect his wife. I know this all sounds pretty far-fetched.”

  “None of what you’ve just told me would fly in a criminal justice course called Suspect 101. As a matter of fact, if any of my deputies told me they suspected someone had committed a crime based on evidence that flimsy, I wouldn't go along with it. Tell you what, let me do some investigating and see what I can find out about this guy. In the meantime, I think I'll take Lady with me to work and you take Rebel and Skyy. From what I've seen so far of Skyy, she's got a long way to go before she can provide you with any meaningful protection, but Rebel has always watched out for you, and I'd feel better if he was with you. Now, what can I do to help you get dinner on the table?”

  CHAPTER 22

  Kelly woke up the following morning and remembered she needed to take Skyy to the veterinarian. When she’d called Dr. Simpson and told him she had a new puppy, he’d been adamant that she bring her in and let him examine the puppy even though Mary had taken Skyy to him when she’d first gotten the puppy. Kelly decided she’d take Skyy to see him after she closed the coffee shop that afternoon. She looked over at Mike, sleeping peacefully beside her, and blew him a kiss as she got out of bed, dressed, let the dogs out, and put Rebel and Skyy in her minivan.

  There was a lull about ten in the morning, so she called Dr. Simpson’s office and made an appointment with him for four that afternoon. She closed the coffee shop at 2:45 and had about an hour before Skyy's appointment. She decided to make a couple of the brie and egg stratas like the one she’d made Mike for breakfast on Sunday. They were always a hit with the customers, but they took a little time to prepare.

  About the time she finished with the stratas, it was time to head for Dr. Simpson’s vet clinic. Rebel wasn’t a big fan of the vet, and it always amused Kelly how the big dog would start to quiver and shake whenever she took him to see Dr. Simpson. Rebel seemed to sense he was being taken there to get a shot or that something else would be done to him that he wouldn't like. The big boxer was very happy when Kelly lifted Skyy up from the back seat and left him alone in the minivan with the windows halfway down.

  “Hi, Mrs. Reynolds, is this the newest addition to the family? That puppy sure looks familiar,” the receptionist said.

  “For now,” Kelly said. “I'm trying to convince my husband we need to have three dogs. He's really taken with her, but I haven't been able to get a firm commitment from him that three dogs will be okay. I want to make sure Skyy’s vaccines and puppy shots are current. She was Mary Barnes' dog, and as you probably heard, she was murdered. Her daughter gave Skyy to me because she knows how much I like dogs, but she was pretty rattled and didn't bring me Skyy’s vet records. I figured you'd have a record here, and I wouldn’t have to bother her. Poor lady has enough to deal with.”

  “I agree. It will be in her file. Give me a minute. How are Lady and Rebel doing with her?”

  “They've fully accepted her. I have this theory that puppies do better when there's an older dog around that can act as a role model.”

  “I think you're absolutely right. Looks like she's ready for her Bordatella vaccine. You can put her in room two. Dr. Simpson will be with you shortly.”

  “Good. I want him to take a look at her and make sure everything is okay. She seems fine to me, but since I don't have any records for her, and I don't want to bother Mary's daughter, I'd appreciate his input.”

  A few minutes later the chubby affable bearded veterinarian entered the exam room. “Good seeing you Kelly. I think I recognize this new addition to the family.”

  “Yes, I know you’ve already met her. Mary Barnes' daughter asked if I'd take her for the present time. When I called to tell you about her, you said I should bring her in to make sure everything was okay with her even though you’ve examined her before. I just want to be doubly sure, and your receptionist said she was ready for her Bordatella vaccine.”

  “No problem. Give me a minute.” He picked up the wiggling ball of fur and spent the next few minutes examining her.

  There was a knock on the door and the receptionist opened it. “I'm sorry to bother you, Doctor, but Mrs. Collins is on the phone. She sounds hysterical.”

  “All right. I'll take the call from here. This is getting old. I'm sorry, Kelly, but I probably better take this one. I'll just be a minute,” he said as he picked up the phone. “This is Dr. Simpson, how is Duchess doing?”

  Kelly could clearly hear Lisa's voice, and agreed with the receptionist, she sounded hysterical. “Doctor, I'm so worried. Duchess doesn't look good. She has a very sad look in her eyes.”

  The doctor rolled his eyes heavenward. “Mrs. Collins, we've talked about this several times before. You're going to bring Duchess here to the clinic a couple of days before her due date, so if she encounters problems giving birth, I can take care of her. A sad look in her eyes is not something that causes me to be concerned.”

  Again Kelly could clearly hear Lisa. “Doctor, this is absolutely the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I'm still so angry, and frankly I'm glad that horrible woman was murdered. It serves her right for allowing something like this to happen to my baby. She deserved to die for the pain she’s caused me and my precious little Duchess.”

  “Well, Mrs. Collins, that's a matter of opinion. Try not to worry. Duchess is going to be fine. Dogs are a lot hardier than we give them credit for. I'm with a patient, so I really need to go. We’ll make the arrangements for boarding Duchess at the clinic when it’s a little closer to her due date.” He hung up the phone and turned to Kelly.

  “I know how attached people get to their pets, but lately it seems like I've had more than my fair share of them,” he said turning back to Kelly.

  “I overheard a couple of people talking about her at the dog show at the fairgrounds last Friday,” Kelly said. “Evidently one of the other dogs at the Doggie Love Kennel impregnated Duchess. They mentioned that Mrs. Collins was very worried that the dog that did it might have been much larger than Duchess, and it could cause problems for her during the birth process. From what they were saying, it sounds like she was really angry.”

  “She still is. I understand her concern, but there's nothing she can do about it. We discussed Duchess having an abortion, but Mrs. Collins’ personal beliefs stopped her from doing that, and I respect her feelings. It's just a very difficult situation. Mary's kennel has sure had its share of problems lately. Pit bull problems, Duchess' pregnancy, Mary's death, the dogs being released from the kennel, and then the attack on the Reston dog
. Poor dog is still recuperating here at the clinic.”

  “I spoke with Sandy Reston the other day. I understand that it was her husband's dog, and he was quite upset about it.”

  “That's putting it mildly. He's kind of a strange guy.”

  “I don't know him. Tell me about him.”

  CHAPTER 23

  “Kelly, I really don't like to talk about my patients or their owners. I hope you can understand that. Why do you want to know?”

  “Doctor, we go back a long way. You know I'm married to the Beaver County Sheriff, and I think you know that I've helped him solve some of the murder cases that have occurred in and around Cedar Bay. The death of Mary Barnes is a very strange case. It seems like there are a lot of people who might have a motive for murdering her. Several of them involve dogs which are probably patients of yours.”

  “That very thought has been keeping me awake the last few nights.”

  “If I made a promise to you that I would never tell anyone about any conversation we might have, could you trust me enough to give me your thoughts? I think you could really help us with this investigation.”

  Dr. Simpson was quiet for several moments, obviously deep in thought. “Kelly, I've known you a long time, and I trust you. I probably would feel better getting this off my chest, but I must insist my name be kept entirely out of anything that might come about as a result of this conversation.”

  “If it would make you feel better, I won't even tell Mike.”

  “He seems like a good man, although I've only met him a couple of times. Go ahead and tell him whatever you feel is relevant, but please don't say you heard it from me.”

  “That's more than fair. I won't use your name as being a source.”

  “Since I'm the only veterinarian in town, I pretty much know all the dog owners. You know my feelings about Lisa. She was in shock and very, very angry when I confirmed that Duchess was pregnant. Do I think she qualifies as a suspect? I honestly don't know. I suppose she might have been angry enough to commit murder, but I have a hard time seeing her as a killer. I also have a hard time seeing her as the person who let the dogs loose at the kennel.”