Farmcall Fatality (Mandy Bell DVM Series Book 1)

by Abby Deuel

  “We are not hot on anyone’s trails.”

  “That’s not very reassuring. I have to say, this is a tough one,” Mandy said. “One thing that I find intriguing is who his heirs were. His will isn’t yet public record and I have been unable to link him to anyone in the community. Plus there’s the fact that everyone seems to have a loan that he never paid back.”

  “I can tell you the will is not exciting. Anyone who would be an heir would mainly inherit debt because he seemed to be the village swindler. I do agree that money may be behind the motive. We haven’t been able to isolate who would be at the top of the list,” said Gerry.

  Merv delivered their steaming hot pot pies. The crust was golden brown with perfect little steam holes decoratively placed on the individual pot pie servings. As Mandy cut into hers, rich, creamy gravy poured out with chunks of vegetables and cubes of white meat chicken.

  “This is fantastic. There’s nothing like a good pot pie,” said Mandy as she started to gather her next mouthful on her fork.

  “Wait till you try the cherry pie,” said Gerry. “They sure can do a crust here.”

  “What a great addition to the community,” said Mandy.

  “You aren’t so bad yourself. Word on the street is that the Crestviewans are taking a shining to the new vet in town. I hope you don’t have plans to skedaddle.”

  “I’m still undecided on that front. I have never been one to lay roots anywhere. I like to keep my options open.”

  “Options are good. Why have one foot out the door all the time?”

  “It’s just the way I live.”

  “You can’t leave in the middle of the night here. Anna left a bit for you to sort out. Maybe she did that on purpose. Maybe she thought it was time you not have a back up plan?”

  “True, there are quite a few loose ends here. Among which is the murder. Then, there’s also Anna’s house and the clinic. My departure is not a deadline. If that was Anna’s plan, we’ll just have to see how things play out.”

  “Why don’t you just move into the house? That would solve one problem,” Gerry said with a definitive tone. “You would have a home instead of a house on wheels.”

  “I love my RV. Besides, I have yet to sort through everything, so it is very much still Anna’s. Also, I am making every effort to make sure that she had no heirs. I didn’t know her family history well and I would feel awful if someone out there deserves to have something that I didn’t give them. I have been through that in my life and it is a horrible feeling. My best advice to anyone is to make sure that you have a very well-delineated will. I have seen so many families irreparably damaged from fighting over money. Greed really does bring out the worst in people,” said Mandy.

  “I agree with that. Luckily I don’t own much for people to fight over. So, what are you doing this weekend? I think it’s about time I show you around. We’ve been so busy with investigating that I haven’t taken you on a proper tour of Crestview and surrounds. Maybe I can show you what Crestview has to offer so you can at least make an educated decision as to whether you stay or go.”

  “Can we raincheck it? Sorting Anna’s belongings is on my list of priorities. Dennis needs something of hers and I’m hoping to follow up on more of the clues I have for the murder. This weekend seems so far away since it’s only Monday. Anyway, would that be a date, Gerry?” Mandy asked.

  “Let’s reserve calling it anything that might scare you away. Right now, I just want to spend time getting to know you while you get to know Crestview,” Gerry answered.

  “Points for being a perfect gentleman. You’re a clever one.”

  “We can postpone it to another time.”

  “Deal. Now, back to Buck. I know the murderer was wearing rather large, narrow shoes. Is there anything else you can tell me about the murder scene?”

  “Not really. Whoever did it was most likely a planning type. There were no other clues left at the site. They covered their tracks very well, except for the footprints. They also meant to kill him based on the aim they took. We think he must have had some shooting experience. But that doesn’t really narrow it down since that’s everyone in Crestview. And since we think it was close range, they didn’t need to be the most talented shot.”

  “What do you think about the location? The yards out there are not exactly a place people frequent. Why there?”

  “We don’t really know the answer to that. Personally,” Gerry continued, “I think they had pre-arranged to meet out there to settle some sort of business. It’s just a hunch but I think they meant to be out in the boondocks. I don’t think Buck anticipated being in danger or he would never have gone. So I think it’s someone fairly unassuming.”

  “That makes sense.”

  Myrna delivered their cherry pie. Despite the fact that the pot pie was so filling, Mandy suddenly had room to try just a few bites of the cherry pie. It was served warm with ice cream, just like Mandy preferred. Not intending to eat more than a few bites, Mandy was finishing off the last bite when Gerry said, “I’ve lost you. Are you in pie land?”

  “Oh, sorry. That is so delicious. They should have a warning on that. I swear I was full before she even brought that little treat to the table. Now I am super full.”

  “That’s why a lot of us around here have lost our perfect figures. Myrna and Merv make it pretty hard to stick to a diet. But I work out a lot so I am not as affected as some.”

  “Note to self. Either eat less here or start an exercise regime.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry. Curves are very becoming.”

  Mandy started to blush, “I better be heading back to the clinic. I have some appointments straight after lunch.” She hated that blushing was an uncontrolled reaction to flattery.

  “No problem. We didn’t really make much headway. This is a tricky case.”

  “Indeed it is. Here’s my half of the bill,” said Mandy.

  “A curvy gal who likes to go Dutch, my cup of tea,” said Gerry.

  “Watch it. What happened to being a gentleman?” asked Mandy.

  “I can’t help it. I love making people blush.”

  “Lovely,” said Mandy as she got up from the table and made her way to the door. It had been a while since anyone pushed her buttons. She couldn’t decide if she liked it or was thoroughly annoyed by it.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Well, how did it go? Are you going to be a famous detective?” asked Gillian when Mandy returned from lunch.

  “Hardly. I can say that this is not a straight-forward case. They are pretty stumped and keep following leads to nowhere. I don’t know how they haven’t gotten further than me and they do this full time.”

  “I could book some time out for you if you want to follow up on some clues,” Gillian suggested.

  “I may take you up on that. This is not wasted time here because I also find that I can learn bits and pieces from appointments that come in.”

  “Just say the word. For now, your afternoon is fairly light. First up is a limping Yorkie,” said Gillian.

  Mandy got the file out of the ones pulled for the afternoon. She looked at the record. The dog’s name was Ginger and she was about six years old. She was up to date on everything and the owner seemed to be in every few months for various reasons. Mandy figured that the owner must be very attentive.

  Gillian brought Ginger and her owner into the room for Mandy.

  “So, we are limping?” she said. It wasn’t apparent which leg was the problem since the elderly owner had the dog tucked under her arm. It didn’t seem like the dog really spent much time walking from the looks of her long nails.

  “Yes. She started yesterday. We don’t lead very active lives so I’m not sure how she could have hurt herself,” Ginger’s owner said. She was a well-dressed woman with a short bob of gray, permed hair. Her shoes matched her handbag of genuine, soft leather. She had the smell of someone who had time and money to invest in high-end cosmetics. Mandy smiled because she brought back memories
of her classy grandmother who dressed to the nines until the day she passed.

  “Let’s have a look and see what we find. Can we put her on the ground so I can see which leg?”

  Ginger’s owner placed her gently on the ground and Ginger promptly hid between the woman’s legs, taking cover under her tailored pantsuit legs.

  “It’s ok, Ginger. You need to show Dr. Bell,” the owner said as she walked away from Ginger. “I think it’s the back left leg,” she said to Mandy.

  Ginger took a tentative step and really wasn’t keen to show anything but petrification. Mandy scooped Ginger up and started checking her back legs one by one.

  “I think this might be the problem,” Mandy said as she pointed to Ginger’s left knee. “Ginger has a very common problem in small dogs. Her knee cap moves out of its groove and then sometimes does not pop back into place. It’s called patellar luxation.”

  “Is it painful?”

  “It can be, especially when the knee cap or patella is not in the correct place. I have popped it back into place for now. The problem is that it will likely continue to pop in and out and will lead to arthritis in the knee which will be painful. She actually has it in both knees, but her left is worse.”

  “What do we do about it?”

  “At this stage, I would do nothing. We can give anti-inflammatories for when it flares up. I will teach you how to pop it back in place if it comes out. If she spends more time with it popping out than staying in, then we may need to do a simple surgery to correct it. I never like to intervene in joints unless we really have to because there is always a risk of making things worse. So, I want to make sure the benefits of surgery outweigh the risks. Make sense?”

  “Yes. Is there anything else I can do?”

  “Since Ginger is not terribly active, you do not need to limit her activity. There are some dog-friendly joint supplements available now which can help slow the progression of arthritis. I will go grab the anti-inflammatories for you which you can use on days when you think she might be in pain. Do not use it every day though because over time, high doses of these drugs can cause liver and kidney issues. We can monitor that with bloodwork every six months and intervene if necessary.”

  “Ok, I think I understand. Only use the drugs when she is having a rough day. No surgery yet unless we have more bad days than good. And we can start supplements. Do you have those here?”

  “Sure do. I will grab some of those too. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.”

  “Thanks so much, Dr. Bell. She is my baby.”

  “I understand completely. I have one of my own.”

  “No kids though?”

  “Nope. Just my dog.”

  “Me too. I have a few nieces and nephews. Fred, the hairdresser, is my grand-nephew. I think you’ve met him.”

  “Yes indeed. I didn’t know you were related to him.”

  “Of course. His grandmother was my sister. She was so artistic. That’s where he gets his flair for fashion, I’m sure.”

  “You are pretty styling yourself.”

  “Well thanks.”

  As Ginger’s owner was checking out with the Gillian at the front, a gentleman hurriedly burst in with a dog dripping blood from its hind quarters. He was anything but calm.

  Dr. Bell rushed to find out what the emergency was.

  “Darn dog. He has a tendency to chase cars and I didn’t see him dart out from our bushes. Please tell me he’s going to make it. This is our family dog and my kids would be devastated.”

  “Let me have a look. In the meantime, have a seat out here. It looks like I may need an x-ray. What’s his name?” asked Mandy.

  “Ronnie,” replied the man. “And I am Doug Reed. I run the rifle range out of town.”

  “Nice to meet you, though I am sorry to meet you like this. I am going to get started on Ronnie.”

  Mandy carried Ronnie to the x-ray room and turned the light on. She checked over his vitals and took a look for signs of injuries. She wanted to make sure he was stable enough before she proceeded with pain medication and diagnostics. It seemed that the majority of his injury was sustained on the left hind leg.

  Gillian appeared with her lead apron on and pulled her book out to find the right values to put the x-ray machine on. “Are we doing a lateral and a VD?” asked Gillian.

  “You got it. I want to really check his hips and back legs. Something doesn’t feel stable,” said Mandy.

  Once the x-ray was developed, they had a look together on the viewer. Luckily the hips were completely intact. The femur, however, was shattered. There would be no way to repair this fracture. Mandy walked out to meet Mr. Reed in the waiting room to explain her findings.

  “Doug, I have some bad news. Ronnie has a very nasty fracture on his left back leg. Apart from some bruising, the rest of him seems to be ok. Unfortunately the only treatment for his fracture is to remove his leg,” Mandy started to explain.

  “Oh no, we couldn’t do that. His entire life is about running and playing. He can’t be a cripple.”

  “Bear with me for a moment. I have amputated a lot of dog’s legs in my career. Everyone has the initial reaction you are having because we tend to assume animals will have the same response we would have. However, they do incredibly well with three legs. They can still run and jump and play. Please trust me on this,” Mandy said.

  “I would have to discuss this with the family. I also need to know how much it would cost. We are pretty tight right now. Buck owed us a considerable amount of money and it doesn’t look like we will ever see a cent,” Doug said. “He had a hair-brained scheme to make fast money but it turned out to be one of those pyramid schemes. The word about the estate is not only is there a long line of people who want debts paid off, but there is not really any money in the estate. He wasn’t blessed with a sense for money.”

  “Hmmm. Well, under the circumstances, I would first keep him overnight to ensure that he is stable enough to even go through a surgery. So, we have some time to think before we have to make a decision.”

  “Okay. I will leave him in your capable hands and we can touch base tomorrow. I am embarrassed about the money situation. I have to say, if Buck wasn’t already dead, I think I’d kill him. I hate swindlers, the whole town does.”

  “Fair enough. Do you have any theories on who might have done the deed?” asked Mandy.

  “It has to be someone who lost more money than I did. I’m not sure who that would be, but I am going to his funeral to see for myself that he is dead and buried. I’m a nice guy. It’s not a good idea to cross me. My family doesn’t have much and he led us to believe he would help us, not hurt us.”

  “I hadn’t heard that they had set a date for the funeral yet. When is it?”

  “It’s this Tuesday. They had to wait until the feds were done with their autopsy. I bet whoever did it will be at the funeral for the same reason I will be,” Doug said.

  “Good point. I will see you there.”

  “Why would you want to waste your time going to a deadbeat’s funeral? Did he owe you money too?”

  “No. Although, I have taken a bit of an interest in the murder and I’d like to see someone arrested for it.”

  “So, you’re a vet and a detective. Interesting. You’ll fit right into Crestview. We all have our hands in more pots than one. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Doug said as he left the room.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “You’re next appointment is here, Dr. Bell,” Gillian said, poking her head in the office doorway. In the background, Emma was lapping up water from the faucet. “It’s a sweet little poodle with a major eye issue.”

  “I’ll be right there,” replied Mandy. She was checking the Internet for more information on the funeral. She found it very strange that she had managed to miss the announcement of the funeral. “I guess there’s no harm done. I haven’t missed the funeral and it looks like it was a last minute decision,” she said to Jimbo, who was curled up in th
e sunshine giving himself a thorough bath. He was the cleanest cat she had ever seen. Largely white, with black spots along his back and head, he never had a speck of dust or dirt on him.

  Mandy entered the exam room to find a woman clutching a geriatric poodle with one bulging eye. “Oh my, what a dreadful eye. What has happened here?” asked Mandy of the woman.

  “Trixie woke up this morning like this. I don’t know what happened. She was inside all night sleeping so I don’t think it’s an injury,” said the woman.

  “Well, let me grab a few instruments to help figure this out,” said Mandy. As she was opening the exam room door to head back to the surgery, Gillian was approaching with a metal suitcase.

  “I think you’ll find everything you need in here. And I’ll stay to give you a hand,” Gillian said.

  “Wow, thanks,” said Mandy. She set the case on the counter and started preparing the instruments. There was a tonometer to assess the pressure in the eye, an ophthalmoscope to visualize the eye and it’s supporting structures, a large lens to magnify the eye, and two types of drops, one to numb the eye and one to dilate the pupil.

  As Mandy prepared, Gillian asked the woman, “I haven’t seen you in a while, how have you been?”

  “Not bad. With school starting, I’ve been busy with that. I had a great summer, though. How about you and Hamish?”

  “We are good. Thanks for asking. Mandy, this is Trudy Jean. She is one of the teachers at the school.”

  “So nice to meet you. What grade do you teach?” asked Mandy.

  “I am a high school English teacher. I’ve been there for so long, I feel like I have helped raise half of this town. I was Anna’s teacher, you know.”

  “I had no idea. Was she a good student?” asked Mandy.

  “Actually, no. She was definitely into the sciences by then. English was not her passion. Anna and Dennis were such an item. They used to sneak notes back and forth at the back of class stealthily, as if I didn’t see all. I always thought that they would marry. They lost touch when Anna went to vet school. When she came back, I figured they would carry on where they left off. They were such a good looking couple.”