Cedar Bay Cozy Mysteries #3

by Dianne Harman

  “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.

  “Well, she’s kind of collateral damage after the murder of Mary Barnes at the Doggie Love Kennel, so yeah, we have her for a little while,” Mike said.

  Doc reached out and petted Skyy who promptly thanked him with enthusiastic puppy kisses. “If I were a betting man, I’d bet on the puppy. Don’t see that one leaving the Reynolds home anytime soon,” he said winking. “What’s her name?”

  “Doc, her name is Skyy. She’s named for a vodka brand. The breeder had a policy that every dog he sold had to be registered with the American Kennel Club with the name of a vodka brand somewhere in the registered name.”

  “That’s a first, but the name Skyy is cute. By the way, Mike, what’s the latest word on the murder and letting all those dogs out? Anything you can say publically?”

  Mike ruefully said, “There’s nothing I can say privately or publicly. At the moment I have absolutely nothing to go on. I spent the morning looking over Mary Barnes’ financial records, and I didn’t find anything of interest in them. Matter of fact, the kennel was doing quite nicely. I guess Mary justified the high prices she charged by having the artificial lake, the computer streaming, and the top of the line individual kennels for each dog. This afternoon I’m going to spend some time with the manager. I’m hoping she can tell me something.”

  “Mike, why don’t you sit down and order something. I’ll put Skyy back in the storeroom,” Kelly said as she took the puppy from Mike and started to walk away. Skyy began whimpering, and Kelly turned back to Mike, “Did you hear that? I think you have a new friend.”

  “Give her back to me. It’s okay, girl. I’m right here.” Skyy became perfectly quiet as Mike scratched her ears. Roxie, Doc, and Kelly all looked at Mike and grinned.

  “Temporary, you say, Sheriff? Sure,” Doc said as he walked over to his favorite stool at the counter and ordered his usual luncheon special.

  CHAPTER 11

  At three o’clock that afternoon, the usual closing time for Kelly’s Koffee Shop, Kelly locked the door and walked to her minivan with Skyy’s kennel in one hand and her leash with Skyy attached to it in the other hand. Lady trotted next to her, but Skyy felt it was her personal calling in life to stop and sniff everything she came across.

  Good grief, Kelly thought. This is taking twice as long as usual. Think I better take them both home before I go out to the dog show. Mike mentioned he’d probably have to work late, so I have a little time.

  Thirty minutes later she parked her minivan in the county fair parking lot. She was amazed at how many people were attending the dog show on a Friday afternoon. Kelly had never been to a dog show before and was really looking forward to it. She paid the entrance fee, stopped at a stand where a free newspaper about the dog show was being given away, and walked into the big hall. Several show rings had been set up and there were grandstands in front of each so people could sit and watch while the dogs were being shown.

  Kelly walked over to a group of people that were looking at the dogs in the ring in front of them. “Excuse me,” she said to a man who looked like he knew what he was doing. “This is my first dog show. Are there different rings for different breeds?”

  “Yes. Go back to the entrance and pick up a schedule that tells what time each breed is going to be shown and on which day. Today’s shows are pretty much for puppies and dogs that need to get some points towards their championships. Tomorrow and Sunday are the big days. Saturday is the competition for the Winner’s Dog and Winner’s Bitch. Sunday is the grand finale. That’s when the best dogs compete for Best of Breed. It’s a pretty big deal. If a male wins, his stud fee can be increased, and if a female wins the puppies in her litter become pricier.”

  “So there’s quite a bit of money to be made if your dog gets one of the top prizes, is that right?”

  “It’s kind of a twofold thing. Some people follow the show circuit for the money. They want to have their dog win Best of Breed. It guarantees that stud fees and puppies will earn a lot of money for them, but there’s another thing operating here as well. It’s called ego. For many people it has nothing to do with money. It’s all about them owning the dog that has been declared Best of Breed. For a lot of people, it’s the single biggest achievement they’ll ever have in their lives. Believe me, you’ll see the same people at the next show. Their entertainment is following the shows, showing their dogs, and hoping someday to be a winner.”

  “So from what you’re saying, these dogs are not family pets.”

  “Absolutely not. If you want to see something really interesting, go back behind the show ring area and take a look at the grooming area. That’s where owners and groomers do the last-minute grooming of their dogs just before the dog enters the ring. Do you know what a snood is?”

  “Vaguely. Isn’t it something that covers women’s hair?”

  “Yes. It originally came from Europe. Many years ago unmarried women wore snoods. Well, the basset hound owners started putting them on their dog’s ears after the groomer finished with them and before the dog went into the ring. It protects the dog’s ears from touching the floor and getting dirty.”

  “Are you kidding? That’s unbelievable.”

  “Trust me,” the man said. “That’s nothing. All of the owners and handlers keep a dog tack box for each dog. It has hair spray, powder, hair dryers, and whatever else they feel is needed for the dog to look his or her best in the ring.”

  “Thank you. I had no idea there was so much involved in preparing a dog to be shown. I thought the owners came, the dogs were walked around in a ring, and everyone went home. Sounds like there’s a lot more to it than that.”

  “There is. Being a dog handler is a full-time profession. They usually charge somewhere between $50 and $100 per dog to show them, and often they show a number of different dogs in a day. Many of the handlers have large trailers or recreational vehicles they use to transport the dogs from show to show. A dog may spend months with a handler. Keep in mind that this show is not Westminster, plus there’s usually a bonus structure for wins at various levels such as Best of Breed or Best in Show.”

  “This is amazing. It seems like a completely different world.”

  “It is. It’s not just running around the r
ing. The handlers have legal contracts with the owners, and they have to work closely with veterinarians to make sure the dog is in optimum health. It’s a very big responsibility, and handlers that can get a dog to Best of Breed or Best in Show are in huge demand. They can pretty much name their own price.”

  “Thanks again. I’m going to go get the schedule. There are a couple of breeds I’m interested in.”

  “What would those be, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I’m curious about pit bulls,” Kelly said. “I have a boxer, and I know that both breeds are considered bully breeds, but I’d like to see what really good pit bulls look like. So often the only time I see them is when they’re with some macho man and the dog’s wearing a spike collar. I always wonder if it’s a purebred.”

  “You won’t see any spike collars here. Everyone takes their dog’s breed very seriously. What’s the other breed?”

  “I find Yorkshire terriers interesting,” she said thinking about what Noelle had told her. “I guess if any breed would benefit from grooming it would be them. They certainly have a lot of long silky hair that would have to be attended to.”

  “Well, you should have an interesting time. I can’t think of two breeds that would be more diametrically opposite from one another. Excuse me, but that’s my dog that just went into the ring.”

  “Good luck,” Kelly said, “and again, thanks for all the information.” She walked to the front desk and picked up the schedule for the weekend.

  Good, both of the breeds are going to be shown within the hour. While I wait, I can read the free paper that was being handed out about the dogs and see if I can find out anything about the pit bull man and the Yorkshire terrier woman. I’ll have enough time to watch the two breeds when they’re shown in the ring and then head home in time to start dinner before Mike gets home.

  CHAPTER 12

  On her way to the ring where the pit bulls were going to be shown Kelly passed a sign on a door that read “Grooming Area – Authorized Personnel Only.” Based on the conversation she’d just about the dogs’ groomers, she decided to take a quick look. She opened the door and stood there with her mouth agape. Everywhere she looked there was activity. The noise level was almost deafening from the sound of the hair dryers. All kinds of breeds were standing on small tables with their groomers next to them who were wearing aprons while they were fluffing, dusting, curling, and even applying clear nail polish to dogs’ toenails.

  She quickly closed the door and stepped back outside the room before anyone discovered she wasn’t authorized to be in there.

  That’s amazing. If anyone had tried to describe that scene to me I would have said they were crazy. I can’t begin to imagine how much money must be spent by the dog owners for groomers and supplies. Of course that doesn’t take into account the huge cost of buying the dogs in the first place. This is not a cheap pastime. Interesting as it is, I’m so glad I never had any desire to show my dogs. I’m fine with them curling up at my feet at night and giving them an occasional brushing and a bath. Even if Mike decides we can keep Skyy, I’m not sure I’m ready for that world.

  She walked to the ring where the pit bulls were just starting to be shown. Although there were a number of dogs in the ring, there weren’t many people watching. Kelly sat down and looked at the dogs. Unlike the other breeds being shown where all the dogs looked like one another except for coloring, these dogs were all over the board. No two seemed to look alike.

  “Excuse me,” Kelly said to the man sitting in front of her. “Why are there so many variations in the way these dogs look?”

  “I really don’t know that much about the breed. See that man sitting over there wearing a blue shirt? He’s very knowledgeable about the breed. Matter of fact he’s the head of the Pit Bull Sanctuary. He’s the one you ought to talk to.”

  “Thanks, I’ll see if he can help me.” She remembered what Noelle had said to her yesterday about the man that ran the Pit Bull Sanctuary and couldn’t believe how lucky she was that she might have an opportunity to talk to him.

  She walked over to the man wearing the blue shirt, sat down beside him and said, “Hi, I’m Kelly Reynolds. I’m curious about the pit bull breed and the man over there suggested that I talk to you. He said you were really knowledgeable about them.”

  “Sure, happy to talk about my favorite subject. This breed is a little different from most of the other breeds. As a matter of fact, I own three pit bulls, and they’re all as different as night and day. There are four different organizations that set standards for the breed and they vary. There’s the United Kennel Club, the American Dog Breeders Association, the All American Dog Registry, and the last one is the American Kennel Club. They all have slightly different standards. AKC uses the standard for the American Staffordshire terrier. Then it gets really interesting because the terrier can also be registered with the UKC as an American Pit Bull Terrier.”

  “I would think that would be very confusing to people who are buying their first one and would like to show it.”

  “It is. There are standards, even within each of those clubs, but the problem occurs when a dog is registered with one of them, and the owner decides to breed the dog to increase its size or whatever. Although the dog is not quite up to the particular standard for that group, he still can be registered with one of the other groups. It really makes it difficult for the judges. They have to be very aware of the standard for the particular club that is hosting the show.”

  “Are new owners told about these differences?” Kelly asked.

  “I can’t answer for all of them, but I can tell you that the people I bought my three dogs from never gave me that information. I doubt if they even knew about it. I found out the hard way. The first show I ever entered was an AKC show. My dog had the standard for the American Dog Registry, so I got nowhere. I never made that mistake again.”

  “So you have three pit bulls? No wonder the man over there said you were very knowledgeable about the breed.”

  “I’ve had pit bulls all my life, and I still like to come to dog shows to see them. Once mine get enough points to make champion, I stop showing them. As a matter of fact, I took the afternoon off from work today, so I could come to this show. I could easily breed them and get quite a bit of money for their puppies or stud fees, but I think what’s happened to their reputation the last few years is horrible. I actually started and presently run the Pit Bull Sanctuary. I try to find homes for dogs whose owners no longer want them.”

  “I’ve heard of your group. My husband and I board our dogs at Doggie Love Kennel, and I remember in one of the newsletters the owner mentioned that your group was renting space from her, but separate from the boarded dogs. We just got home from a trip yesterday, and I was at the kennel to pick up our dogs, but I didn’t see any pit bulls.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t. Evidently there was a problem about a week ago. It seems like one of the rescue dogs got out of the area where they were kept and attacked the manager’s dog causing some severe injuries to the dog. Knowing the breed, I’m sure the pit bull was provoked. Usually they’re very gentle. Anyway, the owner of the kennel called me and told me to get all the pit bull rescue dogs off of her premises by the end of the following day. Fortunately, I have a few people I can call on who are always willing to take a rescue dog.”

  “When we went to pick up our dogs,” Kelly said, “we learned that someone had let all of the dogs in the kennel loose a few hours before we got there and the owner of the kennel had been murdered. Fortunately, they were able to find all of the dogs, including both of our dogs. We couldn’t believe it. It was so sad.”

  “Yeah, I heard on the news last night that the owner, Mary Barnes, had been murdered, and the dogs that were boarding there had all been released by someone, probably the killer. Don’t know anything about it, but if she treated others the same way she treated me, I’m not surprised someone killed her. Matter of fact, I kind of felt like it was karmic justice. She sure tu
rned her back on the dogs that were in need at the Pit Bull Sanctuary, so if someone decided to do something bad to her, I can’t say I’m sorry.”

  Kelly sat back and turned her attention to the dogs in the ring, thinking about what the man had just said.

  He certainly could qualify as a suspect. Sounds like his whole world is dogs and his love for the pit bull breed. Being forced to remove the dogs from the kennel property on almost no notice might have made him mad enough to want to commit murder. Since Mary had a policy of not accepting pit bulls for boarding, he might have felt she was discriminating against him and his beloved breed and needed to be taught a lesson, twisted as it seems. Probably better tell Mike about this guy, and Noelle did say her mother was concerned about him. What a coincidence – that the man I talked to suggested I speak to the head of the Pit Bull Sanctuary who just happened to take time off from work and come to the dog show today. Small world. Seems like a nice enough man, but you never know about people, particularly when they’re obsessed with something, and there is no doubt in my mind this guy is obsessed with pit bulls.

  “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.”

  “You looked so familiar to me when you walked over, and I just remembered that I’ve seen you at your coffee shop. I’ve been there for breakfast several times. I’m Jack Powell,” he said, extending his hand.

  “Yes, I’m the owner of Kelly’s Koffee Shop. Again, thanks for taking the time to educate me about pit bulls. I’ve got to be going because I want to see a couple more shows. I’ll look forward to seeing you sometime at the coffee shop.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Kelly sat in the grandstand next to the show ring where the Yorkshire terriers were going to be shown. She pulled out her iPhone to access the Internet and see if she could find out what was special about the breed besides their long silky coat. She learned the breed had been very popular in England during the Victorian era, particularly for its ability to catch rats. It now ranked sixth in popularity in the United States.