One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery)

by Farrell, Lia

  “What was to prevent you from taking the other car and going to Ruby’s once Laura left?”

  “Leaving my three-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son alone in the house? Jesus, I’m in family law. Leave my kids alone in a house after midnight? I’d lose my license. No way.”

  Wayne caught Ben’s eye, wanting him to step in. The sheriff took a deep breath. He’d screwed up badly with Terry Lerner. That had turned out not to matter, but it was best not to take any chances this time.

  “We have evidence to support our contention that you killed Ruby, and since Tennessee is a double murder state, we plan to charge you with double murder.”

  “What are you talking about?” James Connolly glared at him.

  “Just a moment, Sheriff, I’d like a word with James.” Paula Emerson and her client went to a corner of the room and conferred quietly. Wayne Nichols shut off the recorder and turned the machine on again when they returned to their seats.

  “Sheriff, I’d like you to clarify how you plan to charge my client with double murder,” Paula Emerson said.

  “Ruby was pregnant with Mr. Connolly’s child. In killing her, he killed both of them.”

  At this, the last of the color drained from James Connolly’s face and he looked helplessly at his attorney.

  “The two of you may wish to consider the seriousness of this matter. Excuse us for a minute.”

  Wayne and Ben walked out of the room and to the water cooler for drinks. For a minute or two, neither of them spoke.

  Finally Wayne said, “Since we seem to be getting two different stories about who took the babysitter home, I’ll check with Mrs. Takichi about which of the Connollys brought her daughter home the night of the fifteenth. We should have done this before. I’ll go call her now.”

  He was back in a few minutes with the information that Mrs. Takichi was almost certain Laura Connolly had brought her daughter home the night of Ruby’s death. Although she said she couldn’t swear to it.

  “If Laura Connolly took the babysitter home, her husband may be off the hook. Damn it! I need to check with the M.E. again to get his estimate of Ruby’s exact time of death. Possibly, there was time after Laura Connolly got back for James to have left and killed Ruby. We need to get Laura in here, too.”

  “Why would Mrs. Connolly say that her husband had taken the babysitter home? What was the point? Do you think she was trying to lead us away from her? Or that they were in on the crime together? Maybe you should call the D.A.’s office and see if they want to indict them as co-conspirators.”

  “We don’t have enough yet to involve the D.A. Since Mrs. Takichi wasn’t ready to swear that Laura Connolly brought her daughter home, we need to ask Nora. Damn it, we should have double-checked this earlier.”

  Wayne nodded and put his cell to his ear. “Hello, Mrs. Takichi, this is Detective Nichols again. I’m sorry to bother you. Is Nora home? Could I have your permission to ask her who brought her home that night?”

  There was a pause. “Nora, who drove you home when you sat for the Connolly’s on March fifteenth?” He looked at Ben and nodded. “She did. Okay, do you remember what car she drove? The pickup? What time did she drop you off? Twelve thirty? Thanks.”

  After Detective Nichols hung up the phone, Ben said, “Laura drove her home, I take it. We have to get her in here ASAP. We could keep James here until then without charging him. I want to ask him if he knows what time his wife got back that night.”

  After a pause, Wayne nodded. “The key to figuring this out is knowing the latest possible time of death. I am going to ask Doc again about the time. I’ll text you as soon as I know, okay?”

  “Go,” said the sheriff. “I’ll talk to the suspect and his good-looking attorney.” Ben went back into the room where he met with a hostile stare from James Connolly and an inquiring look from Ms. Emerson.

  “What is my client’s status right now?” she asked.

  “I have a few more questions for him.” Ben took the chair opposite James. “Do you know what time your wife got back from taking the babysitter home that night?”

  Connolly gave him a disdainful glance. “Yes, it just so happens I do. I was in the guest bedroom asleep. I woke up when I heard the water running in the shower. The head of that bed shares a wall with our master bath. I went downstairs to get a drink. The clock on the stove read one-oh-five. Laura didn’t leave until twelve fifteen and it’s a good twenty minutes over there and then twenty back. She must have driven like a bat out of hell.”

  Ben’s cellphone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out. The text from Wayne read, “Doc says 12:30 earliest—1:30 latest. He consulted with an entomologist. Insect evidence on Ruby’s body is irrefutable.”

  Ben thought for a minute. Then he turned back to James. “I’m going to release you for now, Mr. Connolly, with our apologies. Your story checks out.”

  Paula Emerson raised her eyebrows and turned to look at her client. He shook his head and exhaled sharply, puffing out his cheeks.

  “You damned well better apologize. C’mon, Paula, let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time here.” He surged to his feet and stalked out with his attorney close behind.

  “Tell your client he has to stay in town.”

  Paula gave him a quick nod over her shoulder and disappeared around the corner. Ben went back to his office and sat down at the desk with a thump.

  Not a single solid suspect left. Joe Dennis, David Allison, Terry Lerner, Silas Mead and James Connolly—all of them dismissed.

  He thought through the timeline again. Ruby was alive when David left her house around 11:30. Laura Connolly dropped the babysitter off at 12:30, possibly 12:40. If Laura went over to Little Chapel Road after that (which would have taken her about fifteen minutes) killed Ruby and dragged her body into the grove (which would have taken another half hour). It would have been at least 1:30 by then and she had a good half hour drive back to her house. No way could she have gotten into the shower until at least 2:00 a.m. If James Connolly was telling the truth, both he and his wife had been at their house at 1:00.

  Ben wondered if it was even worthwhile to bring Laura in. If they indicted both of them, they couldn’t be compelled to testify against each other and he didn’t have a single piece of physical evidence linking them to the crime. They needed to find someone else who had a motive strong enough to kill.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  March 26

  Mae December

  The phone rang as Mae walked into the house after volunteering at the elementary school.

  “Have you sold all your puppies yet?” Mae’s sister, July, asked.

  “I have deposits on two of them, so one female and two males are left.”

  “Perfect. Fred and I have decided to let the boys have a dog. They each need their own so they won’t fight over it.”

  “They’re at a good age for the responsibility. I’m guessing you want the puppies for their birthday?”

  “Yes, that’s what we were thinking. I know the puppies aren’t ready yet. Could the twins come and see their puppies next week? Then you can let us know when they are ready to leave their mother.”

  “I can’t believe the twins will be nine already. Do you want me to hold the two males for them?”

  “Yes, that’s perfect. Nathan and Parker will be thrilled. Olivia already knows, but we want to surprise the boys. Don’t say anything to them, okay?”

  “I won’t, but isn’t Olivia going to want a pet of her own?” July’s daughter usually got what she wanted, but she was such a charming little girl, no one really minded.

  “Six is too young for a puppy. We’ll probably get her a lovebird for her birthday in June.”

  “You better plan on a pair of them. Love is pretty hard to come by alone, even for a bird,” Mae laughed. A familiar yap came from her front step. “I have to go, Jules. I think Elvis is here.”

  “Who?”

  “Elvis. Ruby’s dog. Robin must have let him out. I’ll call
you later.”

  The yapping continued as Mae walked over and opened the door. The nervous little dog jumped when he saw her but kept on barking.

  “Quiet down, Elvis.” She picked him up and grabbed a leash.

  She clipped the leash on Elvis’ collar and started to walk him back to the Fannings’ house. Deputy Phelps’ car was still parked in her driveway. Mae stopped to tell him where she was going. He got out of the car and stretched.

  “Should I go with you?” he asked eagerly.

  “No, I’m just taking Elvis home. I don’t need an escort. Thanks, though.”

  Mae walked Elvis down the driveway and turned toward the Fannings’ house. She wondered when David Allison would get around to finding his own place. It must be quite a strain for Robin to host a house guest for so long, Mae thought. She picked Elvis up, carried him to the front door and tapped on it. No one answered. Mae waited a few minutes and then took Elvis around to the back, thinking Robin might be in the kitchen.

  The back screen door stood open a few inches. Mae pushed the door open a little, thinking she’d just put Elvis inside. The back entry was empty except for hooks holding sweatshirts and hoodies. Mae unhooked the leash from Elvis’ red collar and was about to release him into the house and leave when she heard Robin’s laugh from the other room.

  “Laura, you crack me up sometimes. Mother got her driver’s license pulled? What in the world was she doing? She wasn’t drinking, was she?”

  “No. Apparently, she was driving along Hart Road. God knows why she was out past ten at night. She told me she was sleepy, probably dropped off for a second and when she came to, she was driving in a cornfield. Then she saw a large piece of farm equipment right in front of her and collided with it. The farmer ran out, collared Mother and brought her into the house. He called the sheriff’s office and they sent a deputy out.”

  “I can just see Mother looking furtive and embarrassed.” Robin’s laugh rang out again. “Did they take her license right then?”

  “Well, they might have let her get away with it, since she was sober, but when the deputy said he was considering taking her license, she called off-road driving a ‘trivial infraction’ and said something to the effect that traffic laws were ‘guidelines, not laws.’ I don’t think that went over very well. Now she has to go to court to have her license re-instated. She is super pissed off.”

  Both women giggled as Mae put Elvis down on the kitchen floor. Then Laura spoke very softly. “Robin, the other one, where did you put it?”

  “I put hers in the shed. Don’t worry. Nobody’s ever going to look there.”

  Mae backed out of the house, shutting the door as softly as she could. Her mind raced as she cut across the Van Attas’ front yard and ran back toward her house. She was sure Robin and Laura were talking about her shovel. She waved at Deputy Phelps, who was back in the car, and then went inside. Mae sat down in the kitchen to think. She needed to talk to Ben to see if he’d order a search of the Fannings’ shed.

  When Mae called his office, Dory said Ben and Wayne Nichols were both questioning suspects, so she left a message asking Ben to call her cell immediately when he finished. Like always, there was work to be done in the kennels. Taking her phone with her, she went out to the barn and got to work.

  Annie Van Atta called later. “I meant to ask you at the meeting. Jason and I want one of your puppies. I ran into your mother at Kroger yesterday. She told me I better call you right away, because they go fast.”

  “She’s right. They do go quickly. If you want a female puppy, you’re in luck.”

  “That’s fine. We’ve waited over a year now since Jasper died. I think a little girl dog is exactly what we need.”

  The Van Attas were a childless couple. Jasper, their red poodle, had been their “baby.” He died of old age last year. Mae had wondered if they’d ever want a new dog.

  “I’ll hold this puppy for you then. She won’t be ready to leave for several weeks, but if you and Jason want to meet her, you can come anytime.”

  “Thank you. I’ll call and set up a time.”

  “I know you’ll give her a wonderful home. I don’t mean to change the subject, Annie, but can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Did you and Ruby ever resolve your disagreement last fall? It was about Jason’s song, wasn’t it?”

  Annie’s voice sounded very different when she answered. “Yes.” She gave a short laugh, devoid of humor. “If by ‘resolve’ you mean let her have her way, we did. It’s the only way anything was ever resolved with that woman. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but I can’t find much to say about Ruby that’s positive.”

  “Thanks Annie. Call me whenever you have time to meet her.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call you soon.”

  Ideas were coalescing in Mae’s mind. She needed to tell Ben about the shovel and that Annie was still angry at Ruby. She seriously doubted that Annie would hurt anyone, but she wanted Ben to know. She felt a sudden qualm about the puppy. If Annie was involved in Ruby’s murder, should she have agreed to let the pup go to them? She sighed, realizing she’d already made the commitment.

  Despite her momentary hesitation, Mae was happy to have found good homes for all five puppies. She dismissed her suspicions about Annie. She had known the Van Attas for years. They were good people. The puppy money would come in handy, of course, but she’d be glad just to have the pups in their new homes and away from hers. Ever since she had found Ruby’s body and seen the red ribbons in the kennel, Mae had felt a little less safe on Little Chapel Road. She was unsettled and would continue to be until Ruby’s killer was apprehended. She hoped it would be soon. She checked her cellphone to see if Ben had called. No luck.

  After she updated her website, putting “sold” signs on all the puppy pictures, Mae straightened up the house a bit. While she was cleaning her bathroom mirror, she noticed that her hair was even wilder than usual. She appraised it with a critical eye. Sometimes she wondered why anyone would find her attractive with this mop. She thought briefly about driving to the sheriff’s office and trying to talk to him or Nichols about the shovel. However, her out of control hair said she was clearly overdue for a trim. She called Kim, her stylist, to see if there were any openings. Kim said she could squeeze her in while her client’s highlights processed. Mae put on a hat and some lipstick and went out to her car.

  “I think the sheriff wants me to stay here,” Deputy Phelps said glumly when she told him she was leaving.

  “I’m sure he does. I’m only going to get a quick haircut. You can go in the house if you need something to drink or to use the bathroom. Anytime,” Mae told him with a smile.

  Having lived in Rosedale her whole life, Mae sometimes forgot to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings. Pansies and snapdragons filled the window boxes and planters along Main Street. All the old storefronts were freshly painted. If a person blocked out clothing or cars, this could have been a scene from a hundred years ago. Birdy’s Salon appeared quite retro, at least from the outside. Tammy’s mother, Grace, had updated the interior recently.

  Grace had inherited the business from her mother, Birdy. Tammy had worked here until she started her dating service. Grace ran the salon. She was still a very pretty woman. Mae often wondered why she never remarried after being widowed so young. Grace looked up from the appointment book and smiled.

  “Hello, Mae, I didn’t realize you were coming in today.”

  “Hi, Ms. Grace.” Mae gave her a hug. “I called Kim on her cell with a hair emergency. She said she could work me in.”

  “I’ll let her know you’re here, Mae. Do you want anything to drink?”

  “I do if you have any sweet tea made. I wish you’d tell me how you make yours. It’s delicious.”

  “Oh, child, you’d be horrified if you knew how much sugar I put in.” Grace laughed. “I’ll get you some.”

  She returned with a tall glass of tea, garnished with a mint sprig.
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  Mae took a long swallow. “Absolutely delicious. Should I go put on a smock?”

  “Yes, Kim will be with you soon. Have a seat after you get your smock on. Mae, would you turn your cellphone off, please? I’m trying to achieve a spa-like atmosphere.”

  Mae suppressed a smile. A spa atmosphere was a bit of a stretch. She quickly checked to see if Ben had called. There were no messages. She set her phone on vibrate. As soon as she was done at Birdy’s, she would drive to the station. Changing into a smock, Mae found a seat near Kim’s station and said hello to her.

  Kim was the cutest thing. She had a big pregnant belly, which on her little frame was adorable. After she greeted Mae, Kim put the last few foils on her client and took her over to sit under the dryer. When the woman stood up, Mae saw her face. It was Laura Connolly, Robin’s sister. She must have left for her hair appointment directly from Robin’s house.

  Laura talked and laughed with everyone in the shop. It’s hard to look your best with pieces of tinfoil all over your head, but she seemed to be in such a good mood, everyone smiled. Her body was as wonderful as ever. She went to the same Pilates class as July did and always looked extremely fit, even in an unflattering smock. Laura wasn’t as pretty as her sister, but she was very attractive in her own way.

  Mae greeted Laura, who raised a hand on her way to the dryer. She was flushed and her eyes gleamed. Kim came back and asked Mae to take off her hat. She ran her experienced fingers through Mae’s hair.

  “Are you sure you only want a trim? I could put some layers in and maybe do a deep conditioning treatment.”

  “Would conditioning calm the wildness? The spring humidity is already kicking in and I feel like it’s getting bigger every day.”

  “It should help. Don’t worry. I won’t take much length off.”

  They went back to the shampoo bowl. Kim washed Mae’s hair, massaged her scalp and applied a conditioner that smelled like apples. Then Kim put a plastic cap over her hair and seated her under the dryer for fifteen minutes. What a nice change it was to have someone pamper her a little. She was lucky to have such a sweet friend.