Without Missing a Bark

by Stella St. Claire

  “Go away,” Olivia chuckled as she pushed Jackie away. “The point is that I haven’t been able to talk to you without Brent around. I like Brent, but there are things that I want to talk about without him hovering and listening in.”

  “Girl stuff?” Jackie bit into her muffin. “You’re not pregnant, too, are you? Because I am needing a break from hormones once Janelle gives birth.”

  Olivia snorted. “No, I’m not pregnant. I’m hoping to be married before that happens. Which is kind of what I want to talk about.” Olivia stopped suddenly and looked into the window of the storefront they were passing. “We need to make a pit stop.”

  They were right on time.

  Jackie gave her a bewildered look as Stanley, the owner of Stanley’s Gems, hurried to unlock the shop’s door. Stanley and his daughter Julie had been instrumental in Olivia’s solving her very first murder. Well, maybe not instrumental, but it was here in this very shop that Olivia had put all the pieces together.

  “Olivia,” the jeweler greeted with a hesitant smile. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

  “So soon?” Jackie questioned.

  “Julie is one of the new owners of the Chinese Shar-Pei puppies. I told her that I’d be stopping by to check on the little bugger.”

  “Yes,” Stanley agreed enthusiastically. “That’s exactly what I meant.” He leaned down to scratch Goodwin on the head. Fender, as usual, put his nose to the ground and began exploring the store.

  “Behave, guys,” Olivia warned as she unhooked their leashes and reached in to pull a container out of her purse. “I also promised Julie that I’d drop off a bottle of the dry shampoo that’ll help with the baby. What did she name him?”

  The older man cracked a smile. “She’s still trying out some names. Tommy wants to call him Floof Floof—but he’s also three.”

  “Floof. I like it!” Olivia laughed. “Do you mind if we browse while we’re here?”

  Stanley took the shampoo and gestured to the display cases filling the store. “Take a look around. Let me know if you want to see anything else up close. I’m very good at steering certain guys to the right ring,” he added and winked.

  He walked to the back of the store, and Jackie stared at Olivia. “Are you getting that tingling feeling that Andrew is going to propose?” she whispered loudly. “Because the last time you got that feeling, things didn’t quite work out that well.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.” Olivia walked over to the ring display case, bent her head, and lightly ran her fingers along the edge. “I want things to go differently this time, so I need to approach the situation differently.”

  “Meaning you’re not going to use a murder mystery in this town to keep any proposal from Andrew at bay?” Jackie asked wryly as she leaned over the counter next to Olivia. “Oooh, I love the square cut with the emeralds surrounding it.”

  “I got involved with Yvette’s murder because she was a friend,” Olivia protested.

  “Yvette didn’t have any friends. She was your caffeine dealer,” Jackie pointed out before sighing. “Gosh. It feels like a lifetime since that happened. You and Jackie bought the brownstone, and you finalized your office for Wagging Tails. You and Andrew got engaged, almost got married, broke up, and got back together. We finished the apartments on the third floor, and you moved in. Janelle got pregnant. I started dating Brent. We’ve solved five mysteries.”

  Olivia cringed a little as she thought about how she had almost blown it with Andrew. “Yeah, things haven’t really gone as planned—but that’s okay. I’m going to get things back on track again. Which means that we’re on the wrong side of the store.”

  “What do you mean? We’re not here to look at engagement rings?”

  “No, we are. We’re just not here to look at engagement rings for me.”

  Jackie’s face went blank, and Olivia tugged her over the other side of the store. The display case that she wanted to look at was much smaller. “I don’t want something that will look exactly like a wedding band, so I’m thinking the black one encrusted with diamonds—or the wooden one. What do you think?”

  “Um.” Jackie stared at the rings and then to the back door and then back to Olivia. “You must really want a non-traditional ring if you’re looking at these.”

  “Jackie, these are men’s rings.” Olivia studied her friend, who obviously still didn’t get it. “I’m shopping for a ring for Andrew.”

  “Oh.” Her friend nodded her head. “Sure. It only makes sense. He gives you an engagement ring, and you give him an engagement ring. It’s all about equality, right? And it lets women know that he’s off the market. I get it,” her forehead wrinkled, “but how do you know that he’s going to propose again? You just said that you didn’t have the tingling proposal feeling.”

  Olivia almost smacked her forehead. Jackie was usually quicker than this. “I’m not waiting for Andrew to propose to me. I’m going to propose to him. I want him to know without a doubt that I am ready to spend the rest of my life with him. And to propose to him, I need a ring. So—what do you think? Black ring or wood ring? Black? Wood?” Olivia moved her finger back and forth across the display case just as Stanley came out.

  “Oh, Stanley would know,” Jackie said loudly. “Proposing to a man is such a rare thing, but I bet Stanley would definitely know which ring would be the right one for you to buy Andrew.”

  Olivia frowned. Her friend was weirdly excited about this. “Stanley?”

  The jeweler’s eyes widened. “You want to propose to Andrew?”

  “I know it’s not traditional, but it wouldn’t be fair for me to expect Andrew to buy another ring for me and propose again after everything that happened.” Stanley and Jackie weren’t looking all that convinced, so Olivia plunged on, “And I think it’s better this way. I’ve dug in my heels at every milestone of our relationship.”

  “What do you mean?” Stanley asked as he opened the display case and pulled out the rings.

  The sound attracted the dogs, and they hurried over. Olivia and Jackie each quickly grabbed a collar so they wouldn’t jump up.

  “I appreciate the feigned ignorance, Stanley, but I know that this town has talked about my issues with men. At first, I didn’t want to go out with Andrew. Then I tried to break up with him a few times. I didn’t want to move in with him. I didn’t want him to propose, and then I threw myself into this elaborate wedding that neither of us wanted as a way to cover up our issues.”

  “Yes, you two do have some interesting stories to tell,” Stanley said with a chuckle. “But, in my experience, not all men like having the roles reversed.”

  Olivia released Goodwin and waved her hands to show her disagreement. “Andrew isn’t like that.” She leaned over to pluck the black ring from the felt. “I think he would like me taking the initiative.”

  “Ah, maybe. I’m not sure I have any rings in Andrew’s size, and it may take some time for me to order some in,” Stanley warned.

  Olivia fished a piece of string out her pocket. “I don’t know what Andrew’s size is, but I wrapped this around his finger while he was sleeping.” She tested it against the ring and beamed. “It looks like this one right here would be a perfect fit!”

  “Yes, but that one has already been sold,” Stanley said hastily. “The other one, too. We’ve had a strange rush on men’s rings.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Jackie chimed in. “I overheard some guys in the bookstore complaining about the number of weddings that they were having to attend this season. That probably explains all the rings that Stanley has sold. It could even take months to get new rings in, right Stanley?”

  Frowning, Olivia put the ring back. “I don’t understand. If you’ve already sold it, why is it here on display?”

  “I can display them until the day they get picked up. These still have to be inscribed.”

  “That makes sense. I guess.” Tapping her fingers on the counter, Olivia tried to think. She didn’t want to wait months to propo
se to Andrew. “I’m sorry, Stanley. I really wanted to get the ring from you, but I guess I’ll have to go into Lowell. I can still order the inscription from you! I do want to support you.”

  Jackie shook her head vehemently. “No, you can’t do that! It’s betrayal! How will Andrew feel if he finds out you didn’t get his ring from Stanley?” She eyed Olivia sternly. “Surely you can wait, can’t you? What’s a couple more months?”

  Confused, Olivia whimpered a little as she bit her lower lip. She took a deep breath and tried to make the best of the situation. “You know, this might be even better. I could propose to Andrew and then let him choose his own ring. That makes more sense, right? Guys do that for women when they aren’t sure what kind of ring they might like—even though I feel a ring might be proof that I’m serious.”

  Stanley cleared his throat. “I’ll be getting a shipment in next week,” he said as both women looked at him inquiringly. “I do believe Julie might have ordered some men’s rings. Perhaps you can check back then.”

  Stanley might be getting up there in age, but he certainly had a sharp memory. It didn’t make any sense that he didn’t know exactly what products were coming in. Olivia studied his obliging expression as she considered her options. “Maybe you could call me?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Yes.” The jeweler’s eyes lit up. “I will call you. Until then, perhaps you’d like to look over my selection of women’s diamond rings. I’d love to have your opinion on which ones you think might be the most popular.”

  Just then, the back door to the shop swung open, and Julie rushed in, tears streaming down her face. “Dad, we have to call the police!”

  “The police?” Olivia was already on high alert. “Why? What happened?”

  “Oh, Olivia. You’ve got to help! Someone stole Floofy right out of the yard!”

  “What?” Olivia frowned. “These pups might be small, but they’re tricky. He probably just crawled under something to explore under there.”

  Julie shook her head. “No. I put him out in the yard with his pee pad. I went inside to get his treats so we could work on housebreaking him, and when I came back, he was gone, and the gate to the fence was open. I caught a glimpse of someone running away. Someone stole him! You have to help!”

  Jackie cocked her head and stared at Olivia. “What were you saying about not using a mystery to keep a proposal at bay?”

  Olivia took one look at Julie’s distraught face and knew that she was going to help. She had to. “At least it’s not a murder?” she said weakly. “I’ll call Nick.”

  3

  After putting up a Be back soon! sign and locking the door, Stanley, Olivia, Jackie and Julie all gathered out in the small yard behind the jewelry store. It wasn’t long before Nick showed up without a deputy and with an annoyed look on his face. “You could have told me that you were in the back yard. I just spent five minutes knocking on the door to the shop,” he growled.

  Obviously it was not a good day for him. “Sorry about that,” Stanley said awkwardly.

  “Thank God you’re here,” Julie gasped. “You’ve got to help!”

  “Uh-huh. Olivia, can I talk to you?” the sheriff asked as he waved her over and motioned to the others to stay put.

  “I’ll be right back.” Olivia handed Jackie the leashes for Goodwin and Fender and headed toward Nick. She didn’t want her pups to trample all over the crime scene.

  Nick grabbed her arm gently and led her through the yard. Glancing over her shoulder, Olivia could see Julie watching her anxiously from the gate. “Uh, Nick?” she asked, but the sheriff didn’t stop until they were right outside the back door to the jewelry store.

  “What’s going on?” she asked him, keeping her voice down. “You can’t suspect any of them!”

  “Olivia, a missing dog isn’t really a reason to call the police,” he said in a low voice. “Just because Julie saw someone running near the yard isn’t proof that someone stole the dog. The gate is open, and this is a busy street.”

  “Oh, come on, Nick. The puppy’s legs are like two inches long. Julie said she was gone for only a minute. That is not enough time for a puppy to escape the yard and disappear. This is dognapping!” Still seeing disbelief in his eyes, she pressed on. “These Shar-Peis are highly sought after. A purebred puppy is easily worth more than a grand.” Olivia shook her head, and her eyes bored into the sheriff’s. “What if someone took Tucker?”

  Tucker was Nick’s beloved Labrador retriever and one of Goodwin’s best doggie friends. Olivia knew that Nick would be lost without him.

  The sheriff’s expression immediately softened. He nodded and said, “I do need to buy my wife an anniversary gift, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask a few questions while I look around the jewelry store—but Olivia, I can’t put any real manpower on this until I have evidence that the dog didn’t just wander off.”

  Olivia’s face immediately brightened. “I could look into it . . .” As soon as the words had left her lips, she quickly closed her mouth. She was supposed to be focusing on proposing to Andrew. Investigating a mystery, even if it wasn’t a murder, wasn’t the best way to convince Andrew that she was committed to their future. “By that, I mean I could keep an ear out in the dog community and see if I hear anything suspicious.”

  Nick arched his eyebrows. “Actually, I wouldn’t be against you looking into it. It’s not murder—so you wouldn’t be interfering in my investigation.”

  “Of course you’d want me to look into it. It’s the one time I don’t want to look into it,” Olivia murmured as she crossed her arms and chewed on her bottom lip.

  “And why wouldn’t you want to look into this? You love dogs and solving crimes. It’s pretty near perfect for you.”

  “I know.” She didn’t want to tell him the truth because Nick and Andrew had become close friends, and she wasn’t sure if he would keep her secret. “You and I were friends first, right? So if I told you something, and asked you not to tell Andrew, you’d do me a solid?”

  “Uh-oh. What did you do?”

  “What?” Olivia’s eyes widened. “Why do you automatically assume that I did something wrong? I just want to progress our relationship, and I can’t really split my focus while I’m doing that.”

  Nick shook his head in confusion. “I don’t think I know what you’re trying to tell me.”

  “I’m going to propose to Andrew,” Olivia blurted out before looking around to make sure that no one else could overhear.

  The sheriff looked like he was about to choke. His eyes bulged slightly. “I’m sorry. Did you just say that you are planning on proposing to Andrew?”

  Stanley, Julie, and Jackie were slowly inching toward them. Olivia threw her hand up to stop their progress. “Yes. With everything that has happened between us, I just want to show him that I want to put him first. Now, I’m sure you remember that when Andrew tried to propose to me, I was sort of busy with Yvette’s murder, and that put a strain on things. I don’t want to get pulled into this case and make him think that history is repeating itself.”

  “Right, well, there’s only one course of action to take. Solve the case, and then propose to Andrew.” Smiling widely, the sheriff opened the door to the store.

  “What?” Hurriedly, she bumped the door shut with her hip and faced Nick. “That would show that I’m putting him second and not first. That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid. What’s wrong with you? Normally you get a little purple in the face when I’m involved in a case.” She planted her hands on her hips, drew herself up to her full height, and asked, “Are you against a woman proposing to a man? This is a progressive time, remember?”

  “That’s not it at all, Olivia.” This time, it was Nick who glanced furtively over his shoulder. “I’m happy for the two of you. I really am—but this could be big. A dognapping ring?” He nodded to emphasize the sudden seriousness of the matter. “And you love dogs. Andrew would understand that you want justice, and there are no dead bodies involved. D
on’t you want to find the lost puppy?”

  Opening the door again, he walked inside, leaving Olivia feeling really confused. At first, Nick hadn’t even believed that the puppy had been taken, and now he was talking about a dognapping ring? What was happening here?

  Before she could gather her thoughts, the other three caught up and practically pushed her inside. “Does he have any leads?” Julie asked nervously.

  “What? No, we’re just getting started. I mean, he’s just getting started.”

  “No, it’s we,” Nick said, turning to give them a wide grin. “Olivia has agreed to help.”

  Nick explained that while he couldn’t really get into the investigation until there was more evidence, Olivia was going to start digging. “She’s the best amateur detective that this town has ever had, and she won’t rest until she finds that puppy. And I’ll be helping her with anything she needs, so you’re in excellent hands.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea!” Jackie chimed in. “Olivia will find your fur-baby in no time!”

  Julie rushed over and gave Olivia a big hug. “I knew that I could count on you. What do you need? I brushed Floofy yesterday, so I can give you his brush for DNA comparison. And I haven’t touched anything out in the yard, if you want to take a look around.”

  Olivia straightened and tried to look as if she was ready to take on the task and feeling competent and confident. She didn’t want to let Julie—or Jackie—or Nick, for that matter—down. “Okay, that’s something that Nick might take for future reference because he’s got access to a lab. I’m just going to ask a few questions and then keep an ear out in the community for news. The Shar-Peis have gotten a lot of attention, lately, so if the puppies show up, I’m sure someone will notice it. We’ll run an article in the newspaper to spread the news.”

  Julie nodded her head enthusiastically. “I had a few people offer to buy the puppy from me in the past few days. I’ll write down their names for you. Maybe one of them took him.”

  “That’s an excellent start. Write down everything you remember about the person you saw running away, too.” Olivia furrowed her brow in thought. “I also had a conversation with an upset client because they hadn’t been chosen to get a puppy. I’ll need to talk to Charlene to see if she’s denied any applicants lately. Did you have a chance to get him chipped yet?”