Dog Days

by Carol Cox

  Kate’s arthritic knee twinged when she knelt down to apply the furniture polish to the legs of the table. Five hundred or even a thousand dollars wasn’t a vast amount of money. But thefts had been committed for far less than that.

  She pushed herself upright and carried the cleaning supplies to Paul’s study, where she proceeded to polish his desk.

  Then again, the concept of a large amount of money was relative. If someone was in desperate need of fifty dollars, five hundred would seem like a vast amount indeed.

  But that would mean the person in dire need already had connections with an underground dog-theft ring. It wasn’t the sort of thing a person could tap into by happenstance. As Wilbur Dodson said, the black market didn’t advertise.

  But since Kate hadn’t heard about any other dog thefts in Copper Mill or the surrounding area, she thought it unlikely that a band of criminals was roaming the area in search of dognapping victims.

  Kate put the cap back on the container of furniture polish, then returned the supplies to their places. Following the black-market theory hadn’t been a bad idea, but it hadn’t produced any likely leads either.

  She returned to her studio to do just a bit more on her stained-glass projects before leaving for the meeting at Abby’s. After a while, Kate looked at her watch and gasped when she realized that she had only a few minutes to get ready. She’d become so engrossed in her work that she’d completely lost track of the time.

  With her hair neatly brushed and fresh lipstick applied, Kate grabbed her handbag and keys and started for the door. She hadn’t gone five steps when the phone rang. Kate hurried to the kitchen, snatched up the receiver, and answered breathlessly.

  “Are you sitting down, Kate?” Livvy’s voice bubbled with excitement.

  “I can’t sit down. I’m on my way out the door to a Friendship Club meeting.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk fast. You’re never going to believe this. I was doing that Internet research Renee and you asked for...”

  Kate’s attention sharpened. She set her keys on the kitchen counter and concentrated on what Livvy was saying.

  “...and I started with a general search for Chihuahuas. Then I narrowed it down to people selling dogs of any kind in this area.

  “There was lots of information,” Livvy went on, “but nothing that pertained directly to Kisses. I guess I got a little punchy after that and started typing in any keywords I could think of.”

  Kate glanced at her wristwatch and tapped the car keys on the counter. She didn’t want to rush Livvy, but she would be late to the meeting if she didn’t get out the door right away.

  “So I typed in ‘white designer totes’ on a whim. And guess what I found?”

  “What?”

  “Would you believe, a listing for a white designer tote on eBay?”

  Kate’s interest flagged a notch. What could an online auction listing have to do with the missing Kisses?

  She chose her words carefully. “Liv, there must be hundreds of those totes out there. To find one similar to Renee’s—”

  “It isn’t just similar.” The excitement in Livvy’s voice practically bubbled over the phone line. “Think about it, Kate. This is eBay, where they have photos of the items that are up for sale. There are several shots of the tote on this page, and this one looks exactly like Renee’s. She was showing it off to everyone in the library the day of the dog club meeting. You had already left for your hair appointment when she came downstairs. She was so proud of that tote; she showed me every detail.”

  Kate caught her breath, and a tingle of excitement rippled through her. “Oh, Livvy! What a find!” Then Kate let out a frustrated sigh. “I wish I could come to the library right this minute, but I have that meeting at Abby’s.”

  “I know you’ve got to leave,” Livvy said. “Can you meet me at the diner at five? I’ll be off work by then. I’ll print out a copy of the Web page and bring it with me.”

  “That’s great, Livvy. I can’t wait to see what you’ve turned up.” Kate hung up the phone and made a beeline for the door.

  She could barely contain her excitement. She wasn’t sure she could stand a couple of hours of small talk when she knew that Livvy had information that could solve the mystery of Kisses’ disappearance. But she’d waited this long for a break in the case. Livvy’s find could keep a little longer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kate managed to get to Abby’s only a couple of minutes late. She had to park farther away from the house this time—a good sign, she decided, since that meant others were there already. The front door stood open, and she could hear the buzz of chatter before she reached the house.

  Abby pushed the screen door open, her face flushed with pleasure.

  “They came back!” she whispered. “I have to admit I was a little worried about it.”

  Kate looked around the room. Everyone she remembered from the first meeting was there, and she saw a sprinkling of new faces as well. She laughed and squeezed Abby’s arm.

  “What you and Phoebe are doing is connecting with a heartfelt need. I’m not at all surprised.”

  She laughed again. “I have a feeling the only thing you’ll need to worry about is where to hold these meetings when this group outgrows your living room.”

  Abby’s eyes shone. “Do you really think that might happen?” At Kate’s nod, she beamed. “What a delightful problem to have. Perhaps Phoebe and I should start praying about that right now, just in case.”

  “May I ask a question?” a voice called above the chatter.

  “Of course.” Abby said as the room quieted down. “We’re all ears.”

  One of the new visitors looked around shyly at the rest of the women. “A lady down the street from me has a husband who’s bedridden. They don’t qualify for home health care, so she has to stay with him all the time. I know she’d love to get to know more people, but she can’t leave the house. So I was wondering...Why couldn’t some of us be her friends by going over and visiting with her? And maybe we could take turns staying with her husband so she can get out once in a while.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” said Patricia Harris. “When my daughter was so sick, I found out how lonely it can feel being shut off from everyone. Maybe we could clean her house one day and take in some meals, just to give her a break.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Phoebe said. “Count me in.”

  “Me too,” called several others.

  “I know another woman who could use something like that,” Stephanie Miller added. “She’s in a wheelchair and says she gets tired of staring at nothing but the same four walls every day. Why don’t we make a list of people like that and come up with ways we can help each one?”

  “Love it!” Phoebe exclaimed.

  The women began to discuss the idea in smaller groups. Abby grinned at Kate, and Kate winked back at her.

  Kate sidled up to Phoebe and reached over to smooth back a lock of baby-fine hair from Violet’s forehead. “She’s getting more beautiful every day.”

  Phoebe grinned. “I won’t argue with you, even though I guess I am a little biased.”

  “You’re not biased.” Patricia joined them. “She’s one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen.”

  Phoebe’s eyes shone with maternal pride. “In that case, I—” She broke off, and a wide smile spread across her face. “Look who’s here!” She hurried across the room to the front door.

  Kate’s lips parted in a smile, and she stared at the slim, dark-haired woman who knocked tentatively on the screen door.

  “Welcome!” Phoebe pushed the door open and swept Lisa Phillips into the living room. “We’re so glad you could make it.”

  “Oh my, yes.” Abby bustled over to join them.

  Kate lifted a silent prayer. Thank You, Lord. You do work all things together for good! Maybe the previous week’s altercation had somehow awakened in Lisa a desire for connection with other women—and maybe someday with the Lord.

&nbs
p; Lisa gave a shy smile that reminded Kate of Brenna’s. She saw plenty of similarity between the two, from their dark hair and pixie features to their slim builds.

  “I’m so happy to see her here,” Patricia whispered to Kate.

  Stephanie Miller leaned in. “Isn’t her daughter the one the mayor’s nephew has a crush on?”

  “What?” Patricia grinned. “Young love in the making? I hadn’t heard anything about that.”

  “That’s what I heard,” Stephanie said.

  Kate couldn’t help but be interested in this tidbit of information.

  “He’s actually Lucy Mae’s nephew,” Stephanie went on. “Apparently he’s staying with them for the summer. Lawton told my husband the boy was driving his mom and his stepdad round the bend.”

  Kate’s interest sharpened. Micah was so polite; he hadn’t struck her as a troublemaker.

  “What happened?” Patricia asked.

  Stephanie shrugged. “Like a lot of kids his age, he got in with a bad crowd at his high school in Nashville. He didn’t quite wind up on the wrong side of the law, but things were sure moving in that direction.

  “That’s why Lucy Mae invited him to stay here, so he could make a break from the old crowd over his summer vacation.

  “And I’ll tell you what. Lucy Mae dotes on that boy almost as much as she does on her dachshund.” Stephanie chuckled.

  Phoebe clapped her hands to get the group’s attention and called out, “Everyone, I’d like you to welcome the newest member of our Friendship Club, Lisa Phillips.”

  The women responded with a chorus of welcome.

  Lisa’s shoulders lifted in a tiny shrug. “They changed my hours at work, and I got off early today. I thought I might as well drop by and see—”

  Her words cut off abruptly the moment she saw Kate, and her features hardened. “What’s she doing here?”

  Half the women gaped at Lisa, and the other half stared at Kate.

  With a shocked glance in Kate’s direction, Phoebe sputtered, “It’s a friendship club,” as if that explained everything.

  “That’s right,” Abby joined in. “Everyone’s free to come.”

  “Then I guess that means I’m free to leave too.”

  Even from that distance, Kate could see Lisa’s body tremble.

  Abby laid her hand on Lisa’s arm. “But she’s a pastor’s wife and our friend.”

  “All the more reason for me to go.”

  Kate crossed the room in a few quick steps and spoke in a low voice. “Lisa, please. It was all a misunderstanding. I never meant to imply—”

  “Didn’t you? Brenna likes the youth group at Faith Briar, but if this is the kind of thing I can expect from you people, maybe I should just pull her out.”

  Lisa’s words seemed to hang in the air as she spun on her heel and headed out the door.

  “Don’t go.” Kate caught up with Lisa on the front porch, with Abby and Phoebe close behind. “I’ll leave instead. That way you can relax and enjoy yourself. I think you’ll love the club, and everyone is so pleased to have you here. I don’t want to get in the way of that. Why not give it a try?”

  Lisa hesitated, and Phoebe seized the opportunity to add her own plea. “Please stay. It’s a wonderful group, and I just know you’ll like getting to know everyone.”

  After a long, searching glance at Kate, Lisa nodded and followed Phoebe back inside.

  Abby pressed her fingers against her cheeks. “Oh dear. I never expected anything like this.”

  Kate forced a smile and blinked to hold back the tears that stung her eyes. “It’s all right, really. We all hoped Lisa would become a part of the group, and I’d rather step aside so she’ll feel comfortable about being here.”

  “You don’t mean you’re going to quit coming entirely?” Abby caught Kate’s hand in hers. “Don’t make any hasty decisions. I appreciate you wanting to do what’s best for Lisa, but let’s make sure we do the right thing.”

  Kate nodded. “I just want to give her time to realize she’s welcome without having to worry about me being here. In the meantime...”

  “We’ll pray about it,” they both said at the same time.

  Kate hugged Abby and made her way to her car, feeling more at peace about the situation. How blessed she and Paul were to live and minister among people who loved God and loved each other.

  Paul was right. Her job was to keep on praying for Lisa and showing her the love of Christ. God would work in Lisa’s heart in his own way and time.

  Chapter Thirteen

  With time on her hands due to her early exit from the meeting, Kate ran a couple of errands, then drove the few blocks to the diner and found Livvy in one of the back booths, sipping a tall glass of lemonade.

  LuAnne bustled over and grinned at Kate. “What’ll you have, darlin’? Lemonade or coffee?”

  Kate slid into the booth and sighed. “How about a nice cup of chamomile tea?”

  The lemonade looked wonderfully refreshing, but after Lisa’s outburst at Abby’s, she felt the need for something that would help steady her nerves.

  LuAnne winked. “Got it.” She headed off to the kitchen.

  Livvy scooted forward. “You’re here earlier than I expected. How did the meeting go?”

  Kate wrinkled her nose. “I should have come straight over to the library instead of going to that meeting.” She filled Livvy in on the altercation with Lisa Phillips.

  “Wow.” Livvy’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry, Kate. Try not to take it personally. I think you did the right thing by offering to leave, though. And who knows what impact that gesture will have on Lisa in the long run.”

  LuAnne returned with a steaming mug of tea and set it on the table. “Here you go. Mind if I join you? We aren’t busy at the moment, and Livvy’s got my curiosity all stirred up.”

  “Sure. We can use all the help we can get.” Kate scooted over to make room for LuAnne. She stirred in a spoonful of sugar, then took a sip and closed her eyes. Just what she needed. The warmth of the tea combined with Livvy’s comforting words soothed her spirit.

  “So, what’s your opinion on this eBay listing Livvy found?” she asked LuAnne.

  The plump redhead snorted. “I don’t have an opinion yet. She said she wouldn’t show me what she has until you got here.” She pointed a playful finger at Livvy. “Well, we’re all together now, so let’s hear it.”

  Livvy’s eyes twinkled. “Nothing like building suspense to hold an audience.” She pulled several sheets of paper from her handbag and laid them on the table.

  Kate recognized the brightly colored logo of the online auction site. The listing included several photos of the tote for sale. She studied them one at a time, passing each one to LuAnne as she finished. Sure enough, the tote looked identical to the one stolen from Renee.

  The description read, “Elegant doggie tote combines the look of a stylish handbag with comfort for the pet on the go. Fine-leather exterior with zippered mesh top and side panels.”

  “So, what do you think?” Livvy leaned across the table, barely able to control her elation.

  “It looks like it,” Kate conceded. “But as I said before, there must be dozens of others out there that look like this. And eBay sellers are everywhere. This could have been posted from anywhere in the country.”

  “Yes, but look.” Livvy pointed at a line of print centered on the page. “Here, where it shows the item location, it says ‘Deep South, USA.’”

  Kate’s pulse quickened. “Is there a way to contact the seller? We could ask where they’re located and see what kind of response we get.”

  “Sure,” Livvy said. “We just need to get back online and click on this link.” She pointed to a link in blue print at the upper-right-hand corner of the listing. “That’ll open up a window that will let us e-mail the seller directly.”

  “Why don’t we go back to the library and do that right now?” Kate didn’t want to put off following this lead any longer.

  “Grea
t idea!” Livvy reached for her glass. “Finish your tea, Kate, and let’s go.”

  “Wait a sec. No need to go through all that.” LuAnne’s eyes remained fixed on the paper.

  Livvy paused in the act of draining the last of her lemonade. “What do you mean? E-mailing sounds like a good idea to me.”

  “Look at this.” LuAnne tapped her forefinger against the seller’s screen name, grannyardith. “This isn’t just somebody who’s in the general region, gals. That’s Ardith Bennett. She’s right here in Copper Mill.”

  “Are you sure?” Kate said, her heart hammering.

  “Sure as can be. She comes in here all the time, braggin’ about the stuff she buys and sells on eBay. I always give her a hard time, but the woman’s a pro.”

  Kate felt an electric tingle all the way down to her toes. Could it be possible that they might be able to locate Kisses and reunite him with Renee that very night?

  “Do you know where she lives?” Kate asked.

  “Yep. We can run out there right now, if you like.”

  “I’m game,” Kate said. “I’ll give Paul a quick call and let him know I won’t be home to start supper for a while.”

  “Danny and the boys went fishing,” Livvy said, “so I don’t have to worry about supper for anybody but myself. Let’s go.”

  “What’s all the excitement?” said a raspy voice.

  Kate jumped, then looked up to see Renee standing there. They had been so caught up in the thrill of learning that the eBay seller lived nearby, they hadn’t noticed Renee approach. Her face looked drawn and pale under the fluorescent lights, and the corners of her mouth drooped downward.

  “We may have a lead,” Kate answered slowly, not wanting to get Renee’s hopes up unnecessarily.

  But as soon as the words were out of Kate’s mouth, the older woman’s eyes lit up. “You think you’ve found my Little Umpkins? Where is he? Tell me!”

  Kate shook her head. “Not necessarily Kisses, but we may have located your tote.”

  Renee pressed her hand against the base of her throat. “But Kisses was in the tote. If you’ve found it—”