A Wedding Tail

by Casey Griffin

  She laid a hand on his arm. “Aiden.”

  He turned with a smile but then he took in the state of her. “Zoe, what happened to your dress?”

  “One too many tequila shots. Have you seen Piper?” she asked, sounding too loud and slightly terrified even over the rock music.

  He frowned, glancing around as though expecting her to be nearby. “Not for a little while now.”

  “Okay, no problem,” she said as normally as she could. “She’s probably in the washroom. I’ll go check on her.”

  Before she turned away, she gave his arm a squeeze, because she was afraid it wouldn’t be that easy. That she wasn’t simply going to find Piper reapplying her makeup.

  Zoe calmly made her way to the snack table. She grabbed her purse and slung it over her body. It was the easiest way to keep her tablet with her while freeing up her hands. She would need to keep in contact with Bob somehow, in case she found Piper. Or in case Holly found Zoe first.

  Pushing that thought aside, she headed into the house, systematically checking each and every room and closet. She wished she had a Fuzzy Friend. Instead, she held Freddy tight. Not for a moment did she consider putting him down. Not with a serial killer on the loose.

  His presence kept her calm and focused. She could get through this, just like she’d gotten through every other terrible moment in her life. But this wasn’t a spelling bee or a broken limb. This was life and death.

  Her frantic search probably took less than two minutes of racing through the house, but she was sweating and panting by the time she reached the porch again.

  Piper was nowhere in the house. And as Zoe scanned the yard, there were no signs of her white dress. There was nowhere else the bride would be.

  Zoe closed her eyes. She knew Holly had gotten to Piper.

  But Zoe did spot her friends. Not just friends. They were practically family. Addison, Felix, Naia, Marilyn, Aiden. They were all laughing, having a good time, while a tragedy played out under their noses that only Zoe and Bob knew about.

  As she stood there, heart rate increasing with each passing second, she racked her brain for places where Holly might have taken Piper. Her eyes moved over the tree line. Could they be in the forest? Away from prying eyes?

  Levi caught her eye from the makeshift stage on the porch. He gave her a wink and a smile between verses. Zoe felt her face move in what she hoped was a smile because no one could know, no one cold suspect. Raise the alarm and Piper could pay for it.

  Of course, somehow Levi could see right through her usual calm veneer, because a little wrinkle formed between his brows, and he stared at her a moment too long.

  Before she could give anything else away, she turned toward the dog enclosure. Freddy was squirming in her arms—maybe he sensed her anxiety too. If she was headed into the woods in search of a murderer, she’d need her arms free.

  The moment she set him down in the enclosure, he raced away from her. How’s that for loyalty? Zoe thought. First sign of trouble and he runs.

  There was only a small group of dogs milling in the large grassy area. She assumed they were all hiding in the longhouse where the cages were, maybe hiding from the loud music. Obviously they weren’t the music aficionados Freddy was.

  But instead of heading for the other dogs, Freddy zipped toward the giant doghouse. Without a backward glance, he ducked through one of the unlocked doggy doors leading into the building.

  Now that he was safe, Zoe scanned the enclosure and the dark wall of trees on the far side. But the soft glow from the hanging lanterns and string lights didn’t reach very far. She hesitated, unsure where to begin her search. The property was so big. How was she ever going to find them by herself?

  A moment later, a doggy door swung open and Freddy returned, dragging something behind him. It was long, whatever it was, because his short legs became tangled. He went head over tail until he was a sausage in a blanket. Literally, Zoe thought, as she realized he’d found a long piece of fabric.

  Squinting through the dark, she unlatched the gate and went to untangle Freddy. Frowning, she held the fabric up to the dim light. It was a shawl. Not unlike the one that had been wrapped around Holly’s shoulders when she’d arrived.

  Beneath the vibrating bass, Levi’s warm voice humming through the speakers, and the steady drum beat, Zoe could hear chaotic sounds pierce the air. Shrill, urgent barking.

  It was coming from the doghouse. The only place on the property where no one would hear anything over all the dogs’ barking. No one would think twice about all the racket.

  Freddy took off without waiting for Zoe. Glancing over her shoulder, she tossed the pashmina aside and headed across the dog enclosure.

  Thankfully, the music drowned out the noises of her approach so she could sneak up. But she quickly realized that if Holly really was in there, Zoe wouldn’t know until she was in the middle of whatever was going down. She needed to scope it out first, but bursting through the door wasn’t exactly covert. Without any ground-level windows, there was only one other option.

  As she snuck closer, she could see the light from inside glowing around the edges of the doggy doors. Getting on her hands and knees, she crawled up to the one Freddy had just gone through. With a hesitant finger, she cracked the door slightly and lowered her head to peer inside.

  She was met with a blast of excited yipping and crying from the collection of dogs within. By all the fur blocking her view, it seemed most of the dogs had gathered there, agitated by whatever was going on. They’d clearly all crammed themselves into the few stalls not locked from the outside.

  Between furry bodies jostling in front of her, she caught glimpses of Holly Hart’s blonde hair. She had her back to Zoe. Her arms flailed wildly, like she was talking to someone, but Zoe couldn’t hear over the dogs.

  A border collie skittered out of the way and she saw what they were so excited about. On the other side of the chain-linked enclosure, in the open area between kennels, Piper was gaged and bound with dog leashes to one of the wooden center posts.

  The sight of her friend had Zoe’s body sagging onto the dirt ground in relief. She was still alive. Then Zoe saw a flash of a knife in Holly’s clenched hand.

  34

  Putting the Dog Down

  I found Piper. Holly’s got her in the doghouse. I’m going in.

  Zoe’s fingers shook as she sent the text message to Bob. Her stomach flipped, taking her heart with it. She felt like throwing up. Gritting her teeth against the nausea and fear, she tossed her tablet beside her purse.

  She didn’t wait for a response from Bob, because she knew what it would be. But she wasn’t about to sit by while her best friend’s life was in danger.

  She rummaged through her purse again, looking for something to use as a weapon. Her hand hit something weighty and she gripped it. Its familiar thickness and shape told her what it was before she drew it out. Big Boy.

  Well, she thought. It’s all I’ve got. Besides, it had taken care of Zoe, so hopefully it was enough to take care of Holly Hart.

  Slowly, Zoe wormed her way through the doggy door. It was built to fit even the largest dog the center might ever see, but between her long dress, her heels, and the dogs anxiously licking her, it was difficult to get inside without making a noise.

  No matter how she turned her head, Freddy kept kissing her face and chewing on her earlobe. His tail was tucked between his legs as he followed her slow path inside the kennel. He was letting her know I think there’s danger.

  Thanks for the tip, she thought sarcastically.

  The chain-linked enclosure didn’t exactly offer much cover, but the reporter was still facing away from the kennel, and Piper was too distracted by the murderer threatening her life to notice her arrival. Between the dogs barking and Holly busily bantering with a gagged woman, Zoe slipped in without notice.

  “You know,” Holly was saying to Piper, “Aiden was quite the player back in the day. But I told you that once before. He and I we
re practically made for each other. What a team we were,” she gushed. “Those were some of the best articles I ever wrote.” She pointed the tip of her knife at Piper’s throat. “But then you came along.”

  Piper’s eyes widened and her jaw moved as she tried to scream, but it was muffled beneath the duct tape slapped over her mouth. Zoe got ready to spring into action, even if it meant losing the advantage of surprise. But then Holly sighed and waved the blade around dramatically like she was gesturing with it.

  “So I waited and watched ever since.” She laughed like she was remembering all the good times they’d had together. “Honey, I saw it all. You’ve got some moves in the bedroom, girlfriend. Very carnal. Kudos.”

  Zoe kept low, hiding among the shifting fur as the dogs continued to dance inside the partitioned enclosure meant only for one. Inching her way to the gate, she reached up to the latch and slowly began to lift it, careful to prevent the metal from squeaking.

  Holly leaned her head on Piper’s shaking shoulder, her filler-injected lips sticking out in a pouty face. “I never in a million years thought Aiden would actually go through with the wedding. Not with his scandalous background.” She began to scrape her knife back and forth along the base of Piper’s neck. “I always assumed he’d come to his senses. That he’d finally see what’s been right there in front of him the whole time.” The blade changed angle, the edge puckering Piper’s skin.

  Zoe flung the kennel door open, the dogs flooding into the open space. “And what’s that? A narcissistic egomaniac?”

  She raised Big Boy just as Holly turned in surprise. It came down with a loud thwap across Holly’s face.

  Holly shrieked, stumbling back against the kennel, metal rattling. The knife clattered to the floor.

  As Holly found her balance again, Zoe brought her foot up and kicked her square in the chest. The air left her lungs in a grunt and she was thrown back. She half stumbled, half slid into an open kennel.

  Zoe slammed the door and dropped the latch.

  With shaking hands, she unlocked the supply closet and used the padlock on the kennel door to ensure Holly would stay put for the police. The metal snapped home with a click of finality. The nightmare was over.

  Zoe picked up the knife and ran to Piper. She began sawing away at the dog leads digging into her wrists. Her hand gripping the handle was wet with sweat, and Piper was shaking so badly that she was afraid to cut her.

  Freddy pawed at their legs. I’m helping. I’m helping. Am I being helpful?

  Finally, the last strands gave way. Piper rubbed her wrists before ripping the tape off her mouth. “Zoe!”

  “Come on,” Zoe said, not wanting to waste time. “Let’s go find Bob.”

  Holly’s cage rattled and they spun around to see the reporter leaning casually against the chain links. Through one of the holes, the barrel of a gun jutted out.

  “Do you seriously think I came unprepared?” She snorted at their ignorance. “You, in the white.” She curled a finger toward Piper in a come-hither motion.

  Zoe and Piper shared a glance. From this close range, Holly would be able to hit one of them, if not both. Piper was probably coming to the same conclusion because, after a moment, her jaw clenched. Zoe could have sworn she heard teeth squeak as they ground together in anger, even above all the dogs barking at random around them.

  Finally, Piper took a deep breath and reluctantly crossed over to the cage.

  “I prefer using knives to guns, of course,” Holly said conversationally. “There’s just something so personal about it. Reporting on the gruesome things I see day in and day out, you get a bit desensitized to it, you know? The murders, the rapes, the car accidents. But taking someone’s life with nothing but a piece of steel between you, now that’s stirring. You can almost feel the sinew rip, the organs pop.” She shuddered, a delicious smile warming her face. “But only an idiot leaves home without a gun. It’s my plan B.”

  Piper didn’t answer. She looked calm as she entered the passcode into the lock, but it rattled in her hands as she unhooked it. Zoe could tell some of it was fear. But most of it would have been rage.

  Holly stood back, the gun trained on Piper’s chest as she opened the kennel door. When she stepped out, she waved the gun to the side and Piper moved to join Zoe.

  Holly looked at Zoe as though she were a disappointment. “You just had to come find her. You don’t know when to quit, do you?”

  Zoe kept her eyes on Holly’s, and answered as coolly as she would any other day. “Should I have quit after you broke into my van and ruined Piper’s dress? Or cut my brake lines? Or tried to land Piper in the hospital?”

  “Hey,” Holly held her hand up, “at the start, I tried to derail this wedding without anyone getting hurt.”

  Zoe scoffed in disgust. “You blew up my office.”

  “Oh … right. Okay, so you would have been a little crispy.” She waved a hand like a trip to the spa could have buffed that right out.

  Piper crossed her arms over her beaded bodice. “And the sesame seeds?”

  “You would have been fine in the end. It’s just a little anaphylactic shock. Nothing a little modern medicine wouldn’t cure.”

  “Chef Glazier wasn’t fine,” Zoe shot back.

  “Well,” Holly relented with a shrug meant for stealing the last cookie. “That was a little complication. I didn’t plan for that to happen.” Because that made it all better.

  “And how about your cameraman in the woods? Or that jewelry designer a couple of weeks ago? Or the pizza delivery boy?”

  Piper frowned, her head whipping to Zoe, catching up to the conversation.

  “You know about those, huh?” Holly pursed her lips. “Listen, that jewelry designer was a crook. I swear she swapped out my diamond for a fake. And the delivery boy?” She groaned. “Thirty minutes or less, my ass.”

  Piper gasped, taking an automatic step back until she hit the kennel behind her. “You’re the San Fran Slayer?”

  Zoe dared to take a step forward. “And all those other innocent lives you’ve taken in this city over the last couple of years? What were your excuses for those?”

  “Look,” Holly said very reasonably. “I have my reasons for every one of those deaths, and they’re all very good, I can assure you. But I don’t need to defend myself to you.”

  “You’re right,” Zoe said. “You just need to defend yourself to the police.”

  “The police? Okay. Clearly, this is your first time being held at gunpoint. I have the gun.” She waved it in the air, and Zoe took an automatic step back. “That means I have the power. You don’t have the gun. That means you die.”

  Piper let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh. She threw her head back, rolling her eyes at the ceiling, as though at wit’s end. Zoe had seen enough bridezillas to know what that looked like. But standing right next to her, she could see Piper was using it as an excuse to look around. Maybe for a way out.

  “Holly, he already married me. Just accept it.” Piper raised her chin bravely, calling the reporter’s bluff. She narrowed her eyes as though daring her to do something about it. “It’s too late.”

  But Holly laughed, a barking sound similar to the anxious noises coming from the dogs circling around their legs. “Honey, do I need to go through the whole gun explanation again? It’s not too late.”

  “So what, you think you can just kill us both and get away with it?” Piper demanded, but Zoe could hear the tremble of panic in her voice.

  Holly pulled a face, like she was talking to the two dumbest people on the planet. “Uh, yeah. I’ve gotten away with it every other time.”

  “The police already know about your cameraman in the woods,” Zoe said, trying anything to make her second-guess her plan. However, she wasn’t about to reveal that she sent a text to Bob, in case Holly got trigger happy out of desperation.

  Holly didn’t look too worried, though. “Really? Because if they did, they’d be ripping this place apart looking for
me.” Holly tilted her head, as though listening for sounds of them ripping. “And I can still hear your glee club boyfriend singing out there. Sounds like the party’s still on.”

  “Rock band,” Zoe muttered.

  She automatically tuned into the faint music. It was a song by 3 Doors Down. But Holly was wrong. It wasn’t Levi singing. It was the real song, which could only mean the band was taking a break. Was Levi looking for her? That meant he’d be in danger too.

  The look on Holly’s face radiated confidence. She had it all figured out. Probably right down to where she was going on her honeymoon with Aiden. The fact that she had to murder people to get what she wanted seemed like a minor inconvenience.

  “Don’t worry,” Holly said. “I’ve got plenty of time to kill you and dispose of your bodies in the woods.”

  Zoe’s eyes flitted around the longhouse. She could see no way out of the simple building. There was nothing to hide behind in the long aisle that ran between the two rows of kennels, nowhere to run. They had to get out in the open where they had a better chance of getting away.

  But Holly was smart. Zoe knew she’d catch on if they tried to lead her, so she snorted, as though she didn’t think Holly could pull it off. “How are you going to drag our bodies out to the woods? I mean, now that you’ve killed your sidekick, there’s no way you can manage it all on your own.”

  Holly frowned, glancing between the two of them, maybe estimating their weight. “You’re right. It will be a lot of work dragging your carcasses out there. Thanks for pointing that out.” She picked up her knife and waved her gun toward the back door. “Get moving.”

  As they headed for the exit, Zoe glanced back at Freddy among the other dogs. He tried to follow, but Holly kicked him aside.

  “Hey!” Zoe yelled.

  He yelped, but skittered away to safety, out the doggy door to the enclosure. At least he’d be safe from Holly.

  Zoe watched the door swing shut behind Freddy, wondering if this was the last time she’d see him.

  Piper threw Zoe a look, like what’s the plan?