by Farrell, Lia
Rusty seemed to thoroughly enjoy running on Little Chapel Road. They went down to the river and then cut back up the hill along the ridge, arriving at the small stream that ran down from the hill above her house. After a short rest and a drink in the stream, Rusty seemed calmer. But on the way down the hill he abruptly stiffened and growled low. What a frightening specimen. No wonder these dogs could hunt lions on the Serengeti.
The big dog began to run down toward the house, pulling her at a terrible clip. By the time they reached her backyard, she was out of breath. “Rusty, what was that about?”
Remembering Elvis’ disappearing act, Mae turned to count the four heads in the kennels: Toulouse, a black French bulldog; Clementine, a mix; Baxter, a golden retriever; and Christensen, the Great Dane. They were all there and seemed fine. Then she caught sight of a small red ribbon on Toulouse’s kennel door. Her breath caught in her throat. Someone had tied red ribbons on each of the kennels.
She untied and removed them. She checked the dogs over carefully. They were unhurt but seemed a little agitated. Could it be some sort of practical joke? She put Rusty into his kennel and headed into the house. There was another red ribbon pinned to a note on the back door.
“MYOB or …” At the bottom of the note, there was a drawing of a dog lying on its side in a pool of red. Someone had left a death threat for her dogs. Feeling lightheaded, she sat down on the back steps and held on to the porch railing. She had to check on Tallulah, Titan and Thoreau. They were all inside. Did I leave the house open? She tried to turn the handle. The back door was locked. She dashed around to the front door. Also locked. Using her key, she went inside and called her dogs. Mae drew a deep breath of relief. Titan and Thoreau were unmarked by red ribbons.
What about Tallulah and her puppies? She ran to the laundry room. The pups were all nursing quietly. She picked them up, one by one. There were no ribbons inside the house. Carrying Little Red into the kitchen, she picked up the phone and called Mama.
“Mama, I’m sorry, I can hardly talk. I’m so upset. Can you or Daddy come over right away, please?”
“Mae, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been threatened and the person is targeting my dogs. It’s terrible, Mama. Whoever did this awful thing left a drawing of a dog in a pool of blood.”
“Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I’m not home. I’m in Belle Meade conducting an interview. I’ll send your father right away and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
Mae was in a panic. She called Tammy at work, asking her to come over as soon as she could.
“I’ll take a break now. I’m on my way.”
Mae paced the kitchen and then the driveway until her father and Tammy arrived. The three of them sat at the kitchen table, now clear of paint and tarps, and appraised the note.
“Do you think we need to call the sheriff’s office?” Mae asked.
“I do. Perhaps there’s a link here to Ruby’s death.” Tammy tapped the table beside the note with her shiny silver fingernails.
“I’m scared. Whoever did this is really angry,” said Mae.
“I must be getting senile,” Daddy said. “I’ve forgotten what MYOB means.”
“Mind your own business,” Tammy said. “It seems like something a woman would do. All those little red ribbons don’t seem like a man’s kind of threat.”
Mae’s father nodded in agreement. “You could be right. I also wonder if the intent is to damage Mae’s reputation.”
“Yes, I thought of that, too. If a dog was injured while in Mae’s care, her business would be destroyed.”
“Maybe someone who felt threatened by me looking into Ruby’s death left the wretched thing.”
“I agree.” Tammy’s breathy little voice sounded stronger than usual. “Who has the most to lose by being investigated?”
Daddy wrinkled his forehead. “What about Silas? Because he was gay, he didn’t inherit the property. His father thought having a homosexual son made him look bad. Silas’ partner is also in town. I don’t think we can rule either of them out because of their interest in the Mead property.”
“What about Joe?” Tammy asked. “If he killed Ruby and thought you might find out, he might have left the note to warn you off. Or maybe Neesy left it, trying to protect her husband. Joe does have a key to your house.”
“Tammy, that’s horrible. How could you say such a thing? I don’t believe either Joe or Neesy would do this. They’re my friends. There must be some other explanation. Besides, there were no ribbons inside the house, so having a key doesn’t put Joe under suspicion.”
Tammy continued, despite Mae’s plea. “Do you think Joe might have been having an affair with Ruby? You told me she was pregnant when she was killed, and Joe and Neesy have four kids—”
“Stop it. Joe is my good friend. He wouldn’t do this to me.”
“Ladies, I’m going to go out and look at the security of the outdoor kennels.”
“I’ll go with you.” Mae and her dad walked to the barn, while Tammy continued to study the note and the ribbons.
When Mae set up her boarding business, she had a small barn built behind her house, fitted out with dog runs. There were four runs on each side. Each run had an area inside the barn and a small door at the back with a leather flap on it, leading to an outside run. This allowed the dogs to go out and do their business. The leather flaps kept the runs cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A wide cement pad ran down the middle of the barn. Each dog run was good-sized, with a top and a door. A fence beyond the barn enclosed the outdoor dog runs and a large grassy area. Two big wooden stable doors, which opened wide enough to get a tractor into the building, served as the barn’s entrance.
“Mae, can you lock the barn?” Mae’s father asked as they approached the doors.
“Yes, I can lock it, but I don’t very often. I guess I will now.”
“You absolutely need to lock the barn, and I’ll get a lock for the outside gate. I’m also going to get some motion lights to put up on all four corners of the barn. I’m thinking of installing an electric wire on top of the fencing, too.”
“You really are taking this seriously then?”
“Yes, baby, I am.”
When Mae came back into the kitchen, Tammy said she was going over to talk to Neesy.
“Tammy, no.”
“I’m just going over to their house. I’ll tell her what happened and then watch her face. She may know something.”
Daddy came back into the kitchen. When he spoke, his voice was solemn. “I found a man’s footprints in the mud by the back door of the barn. I’m going to the hardware store to buy security equipment.”
“I guess I should call Ben.” Mae tried to keep her voice steady.
Tammy gave the note back to Mae and grabbed her things. Mae was exasperated at Tammy’s insistence on talking to Neesy, but still they hugged each other before Tammy left. Sitting alone in the kitchen, Mae dialed the sheriff’s office. Her hands were shaking from all the adrenaline in her system. The sheriff wasn’t available when she called so she left a message with Dory.
Mae rubbed the back of her neck for a minute. Then she started to cry. If Noah had survived the car crash, he’d be rubbing her neck and she wouldn’t be here alone. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what his hands felt like, when the phone rang. She jumped up, thinking it would be her mother.
Ben’s voice came forcefully over the phone. “Mae, do I need to send someone from the department over? Dory called. She said you sounded terrified.”
“Oh, Ben, I guess I am. Somebody came here while I was gone and left a threatening note. It has a horrible drawing of a dog in a pool of blood.”
“Was the note inside the house?”
“No. On the back door.”
“Have you checked the rest of the house? Are you alone? Have you told anyone else about this?” The volume of Ben’s voice rose with each question.
“I checked on the dogs, not the house. My mo
ther’s arriving now.”
Suzanne came charging in. “Mae, are you all right? Who are you talking to?”
“It’s Ben, Mama. I’m okay.” Her mother reached for Mae and hugged her fiercely.
Pulling the phone from her hand, she said in a strained voice, “Sheriff, could you come out here? This child is white as a sheet.” She listened for a minute. “That’s fine. We’ll stay in the kitchen until you get here. Thank you.”
“Mama, you can let go of me now. Let’s sit down and wait for the sheriff.”
They sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Strange thoughts floated through Mae’s mind. Her mother was a petite woman, pretty in a delicate way. July looked much like her, with her smooth, dark hair and brown eyes. Mae had always felt like she didn’t fit in with them, even though her eyes were also brown. She always forgot how strong her mother was. She seemed to take most things so lightly that Mae was surprised when she got serious.
“Can I see the note?”
Mae laid the note on the table and they studied it in silence.
Mama’s eyes glistened with tears. “Honey, do you want to come and stay at our house until Ben gets this thing figured out?”
“I can’t. Tallulah and the puppies can’t be moved yet and I have four boarders right now, plus Titan and Thoreau. I refuse to allow this horrible person to drive me out of my home. Maybe I should change the locks. Daddy left for the hardware store to get some security equipment for the kennels. I could call and ask him to pick up new locks for the house, too.”
Just as Mae had finished speaking, Ben rapped on the door and walked into the kitchen.
Mama pinned him with a look. “Don’t you think Mae needs to get out of here? Could you please convince her to come and stay with me?”
“Let me look around first, ma’am.” Ben walked over to stand behind Mae. He touched her shoulder lightly. “Do you feel up to coming with me while I go through the house?”
Mae nodded and stood up. Titan walked right beside her and, as they walked past Thoreau’s bed, the old Rottweiler hauled himself to his feet and joined them. They opened the door to the laundry room to check on Tallulah and her puppies. Ben stroked Thoreau on the top of his head.
“Do you feel a draft coming down the hall?” he asked.
Mae looked down the hall and remembered opening the window for the painters. The hall window still stood open.
“Well, clearly they could have gotten into the house, but you didn’t see any ribbons inside, did you?”
She shook her head. Ben walked down the hall to examine the windowsill.
“Nothing leads me to believe that anyone got inside. I’m going to look outside for footprints. While I’m doing that, would you get the ribbons and the note for me? Make sure all the other windows are latched, too, okay?”
Mae nodded as Ben walked away. Titan stayed with her, but Thoreau followed Ben and they went out the door together.
Now that she knew the trespasser hadn’t been inside the house, Mae called Tammy and told her about the open window.
“They wouldn’t have needed a key and Ben doesn’t think anyone was inside. If you combine that with the man’s footprint Daddy found, Neesy doesn’t make any sense as a suspect. I insist that you leave her out of this.”
“Fine. Are you planning on staying there tonight?”
“Yes. Mama asked me to stay with her, but I have to stay here. The puppies, you know.”
“Okay. I have to check on some things at my office, reschedule two appointments and pack a suitcase. I’m inviting myself to sleep over tonight. I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I’m glad you’re coming. I’ve been alone enough.”
When Mae got off the phone, Mama said, “It’s good she’s coming to stay, Honey. You’ve been dealing with a lot by yourself lately.”
“I know. Tammy will distract me from feeling sorry for myself. I’m afraid I blew it with Ben. All I wanted to do was help. He said I made him look like an idiot in front of his staff.”
“You like him, don’t you?” Mama took Mae’s hand and began rubbing her thumb gently across it. Mae’s breathing started to slow, along with her heartbeat.
“Yes, I do. The day I went to his office and we saw each other for the first time, I noticed a definite spark. I’m sure you get what I mean. It’s only happened once before. You know, the feeling when both people are instantly attracted? I felt that connection with Noah. Despite the spark, I don’t know if I’m ready for another relationship. I still miss Noah so much. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever bond with anyone else.”
“Mae, can you bond with the new puppies?”
“Sure, every time. Why?”
“Then you can bond to another man. Seriously, Mae, if something happened to your father, I’d be on the next plane to a singles resort in the Caribbean.”
“Mother! I’m shocked. What about grieving and saying goodbye?”
“I’m exaggerating. Of course, I’d miss your father very much, but I can see your attraction to the sheriff. I want you to know I hope you’ll pursue this.”
“Do you really think chemistry is enough?”
She smiled. “I think it’s an essential beginning. Even when I’m really irritated with your father, I’m still drawn to him, you know … physically.”
“I wish that was news to me. You and Daddy obviously have chemistry. July and I’ve been mortified by the pair of you for years.”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with having a strong physical bond in a marriage. For one thing, it’s very good for your complexion. I’m the only one of my friends who doesn’t get Botox injections. I think you should let Ben know.”
“Let me know what?” Ben walked back into the kitchen.
“Nothing.” Mae shot her mother a horrified glance. “I know you have to get going now, Mama. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Mae ushered her mother out the door.
“Goodbye, Ben.” With a little smile at Mae and a wave for Ben, Mama departed.
Ben grinned like a mule.
“Did you find anything outside?” Mae hoped to distract him from whatever he might have overheard.
“I found some footprints in the flowerbed under the open window. They look like a match for the ones by the barn. Your dad came back and showed me those. Maybe the person who did this saw the open window but decided not to come into the house for one reason or another. By the way, I like your dad. He’s out there turning your barn into a fortress.”
“That’s good, I guess. Thoreau seems to like you.” She glanced down at the big brown and black dog sitting on Ben’s foot.
“Yeah, he’s a good old dog, isn’t he?” Ben reached down and fondled Thoreau’s ears. “Could I have the note and the ribbons? I need to get going.”
“Here they are. I’m sorry, but both Tammy and I handled them. Tammy’s going to stay here with me tonight. I’m sure with all of Daddy’s security measures, we’ll be fine. Would you let me know if you find out who did this?”
“Of course I will.” He turned to go. “Goodbye, Miss December.”
“Stop calling me that!”
Ben stopped and turned back toward her. He wasn’t smiling. “You’ve got to be the most irritating woman I’ve ever known. I’ve been trying to maintain a professional detachment toward you since we met.” He stepped closer. His belt buckle squeaked and a beam of light reflected off his badge. “It hasn’t been easy, but I have tried. Is there some reason I can’t call you by your name?”
“It’s that stupid song,” Mae blurted out. “You know, the one about the guy who dates eleven centerfolds.”
“… and I saved the best for last, Miss December.” He sang the end of the line. “So that Arlen Hunter song is about you?”
“It’s not about me. I’m not a centerfold.” Her tone was frosty. “It’s about my name. I never liked the song. It’s bad enough to grow up with a name like Mae December, without your boyfriend putting your name in a country song. Then to have Arlen Hunte
r turn it into a hit; well, don’t get me started on that dirt bag.”
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Ben bit his lip.
“No one really knows how I feel about the song. I never even told Noah. ‘Miss December’ was his big break as a songwriter, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I thought I’d take Noah’s name after we got married and people would forget about those dumb lyrics. I feel guilty even telling you this. When Noah died, I inherited the rights and royalties to all his music, so even the house I live in was paid for by that damn song.”
“You poor thing.” Ben stepped even closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “I promise, I’ll never call you Miss December again.”
“Have you forgiven me for crashing your staff meeting? I really am sorry.”
He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up. For a second, she thought he’d kiss her. The bright blue in his eyes darkened to navy.
“Hey, y’all, should I knock next time?” Tammy was back and using her whispery little voice, which annoyed Mae to no end. When they were in high school, one of the boys told Tammy she sounded like Marilyn Monroe, only cuter. Mae wished he’d kept his big mouth shut.
Ben mumbled something under his breath and fled from the house. Mae and Tammy looked at each other and started to laugh. By the time Daddy stuck his head in to say goodbye, the two friends were in a heap on the kitchen floor with tears rolling down their cheeks from laughing so hard.
“Goodbye, you two. Maybe you should try to relax and have some fun.” Daddy shook his head and left.
Chapter Fifteen
March 23
Sheriff Ben Bradley
When Ben arrived at the office that morning, he tracked Dory down in the break room. “Can you find out where Silas Mead is staying?”
“I already have the phone number and address on my desk. Follow me.”
She turned and walked down the hall. Seating herself at her desk, she reviewed a legal pad filled with her elegant cursive.
