Trouble at the Animal Shelter: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “That’s exactly why I can justify it. I was so good at breakfast I deserve it,” Mike said, “and Doc feels the same way. Right Doc?”

  “Absolutely. Occasionally one has to indulge oneself, and I can’t think of a better way to indulge than with onion rings and a burger.”

  “Okay, guys, it’s your cholesterol, not mine. I’ll place your order, and it should be up in a few minutes.”

  When she returned with their orders, Mike had Max on his lap and was gently petting him. “Doc, this little guy is really cute, and he seems extremely calm for a puppy. I remember when Skyy was a puppy, and she never stayed as still as this.”

  “Hope you don’t mind, but I could use a little break, so I think I’ll sit down with two of my favorite men,” Kelly said as she served them their food, scooted into the booth, and sat next to Mike.

  “Glad to have you, Kelly,” Doc said taking a bite of his hamburger. “Tell Charlie this is perfect. Anyway, as far as why Max seems to be so calm, I did some research on the computer the night I got him and found out bulldogs are low energy dogs. One of the articles said they were great for older people and people living in apartments. In fact, it said if you wanted a dog to exercise with you, this was definitely not the breed to get.”

  “Looking at him right now, I think the article was right.”

  “Me, too. Another article I read said the breed can have a lot of health issues, so I took him in to see Dr. Simpson yesterday. Wanted a vet to look him over before I became so attached I couldn’t help but spend thousands of dollars on him if he had some health problems. Fortunately, Dr. Simpson said he seemed to be in perfect health, and told me something that really surprised me.”

  “What was that?” Mike asked between bites of his onion rings and hamburger.

  “He said this breed is pretty expensive to buy because the litter has to be delivered by caesarian section, and they can only be bred through artificial insemination. Takes quite a bit of money for an owner to have their dog bear a litter.”

  “That’s bizarre,” Kelly said. “I’ve never heard of that for any breed.”

  “Me neither. He told me they’ve been bred over the years to make their heads as big as possible. It’s the mark of a good bulldog, but it also means that the heads are too big for natural birth. That’s why the mother dog has to have a caesarian.”

  “Well, Doc, looks like you got an expensive dog for nothing, plus he’s got a great temperament and is really calm.”

  “You might not have said that an hour or so ago.”

  “Why? What happened?” Mike asked.

  “I had a couple of patients cancel their appointments, and the clinic was almost out of the latex gloves I use when I’m examining patients. I’d read that a new hospital supply store had recently opened near that subdivision south of town. I decided to drive down there and take a look at it. Never hurts to have a secondary place where you can get supplies. I found what I was looking for and as I was leaving, I noticed a hardware store nearby. I figured it would have a light bulb I needed for my garage.”

  “Did you take Max with you when you drove down there in your truck?” Kelly asked.

  “Yes. I put a big box on the passenger seat and put him in it, but I probably didn’t need to. As mellow as that little guy is he slept the whole time he was in the truck.”

  “So, if he was that mellow in the truck, what happened when he wasn’t in the truck?” Mike asked.

  “It was the darnedest thing I’ve ever seen. I took him into the hardware store. It’s kind of one of those old-fashioned types that has about everything, and the owner knows where everything is. Anyway, I was walking over to a man I assumed was the owner and Max went nuts. He was yipping and trying to climb up the guy’s pant leg. I couldn’t believe it, because I’ve never seen him act like that. I couldn’t calm him down. He just kept jumping up on the guy. At first the guy thought it was cute, but after a few minutes it was very clear he didn’t like it. I finally picked Max up, bought the light bulb, and left. I still don’t know what that was all about.”

  “Doc, do you remember the name of the hardware store?” Kelly asked.

  “Yes, it was the AAA Hardware Store. I remember thinking at the time that the guy probably wanted to be listed first on the Internet, so that’s why he chose that name for his store. I’m going to have to leave. Max has that ‘I need to find some grass’ look in his eye. Kelly, would you hold my bill, and I’ll pay it tomorrow?” He quickly slid out of the booth and hurried out the front door.

  “Mike, that’s the name of the hardware store Jimmy Richards owns. Remember how I told you that both Sunny and the woman at the nursing home, Linda Devine, told me about that school incident with his son and Maggie Ryan. One of them, I can’t remember which one, mentioned that he owned the AAA Hardware Store south of town.”

  “Yes, I remember you telling me about Jimmy Richards and Maggie Ryan, but I don’t see where Max jumping on his leg and the school incident have anything to do with each other.”

  “Think about it, Mike. What if Jimmy Richards is the murderer, and he brought a lot of dog treats to gain access into the house. Maybe Max remembered his smell and associated it with the dog treats Jimmy had given him.”

  “That’s a pretty big leap, Kelly. I don’t think any court in the world would convict someone with evidence that flimsy. In fact, I don’t think a three-month-old puppy would qualify as a star witness in a court of law.”

  “I know, but it sure is coincidental, and we both know how you feel about coincidences.”

  “True, but this may be one of the times when it was simply an exuberant puppy greeting a stranger. Think I’ll take a pass on that theory, but thanks. I need to get back to work. The superintendent of the Ocean Beach School District was in meetings all morning, so I couldn't talk to her about Allen Richards. Her secretary said she'd be available this afternoon. See you at home,” he said as he stood up and walked towards the door.

  Kelly sat quietly for a few minutes, a plan developing in her mind. A plan she was certain would not be approved by Mike if she told him about it.

  CHAPTER 22

  After Mike left the coffee shop, Kelly walked over to Molly and said, “I need to make a personal call. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

  She stepped outside the coffee shop, turned around, and looked at the front door where she’d taped the flyer Jenna had made about adopting or fostering one of Maggie Ryan’s dogs. She pressed in the telephone number for the animal shelter, stepped away from the front door, and a moment later heard a voice say, “Cedar Bay Animal Shelter. May I help you?”

  “Yes. I’d like to speak with Jenna Lee. Please tell her Kelly Reynolds is calling.”

  Within seconds Jenna was on the line. “Kelly, did your husband tell you the good news about the animal shelter being the beneficiary of Maggie Ryan’s will? I still can’t believe it. It’s like all my problems have gone away. I am so happy. I’ve been so afraid we were going to have to close. I haven’t been able to sleep at night thinking about what was going to happen to all the animals we have to care for that are here at the shelter.”

  “Yes, he did, and I think Maggie definitely made the right choice. I also saw the darling little bulldog Doc is fostering, although I’m sure you won’t see him back at the shelter anytime soon. I have a strong feeling Doc will want to permanently keep the pup. Jenna, the reason I’m calling is I have a favor to ask of you.”

  “For you and Mike, anything. Just name it.”

  “It may seem a little strange, but were there any dogs among the ones that came from Maggie Ryan’s that might be considered a guard dog breed?”

  “We made a list of all the dogs we brought in from there, and the list includes the breed of each one. Let me look it over. Stay on the line, it might take me a minute.”

  While she waited, Kelly looked out at Cedar Bay, a view she never tired of. The sun was shining on the glassy expanse of water creating an effect of millions of bright,
glittering diamonds as far as the eye could see.

  “Are you there, Kelly?”

  “I’m standing here just outside the coffee shop looking out at the bay. It really is a spectacular view. Okay, did you come up with anything?”

  “Yes. Normally dogs that would be considered as guard dogs don’t do well in a setting with large numbers of dogs, but I did find one. He’s an Akita. Are you familiar with the breed?”

  “I’ve never been around one, but I’ve seen photos of them, and I’ve seen them on television. I believe they were first bred in Japan and used as guard dogs. They’re the ones with the curled over tails, aren’t they?”

  “Yes. They’re very territorial animals, but surprisingly, they’re great with children. They’re quite large, so they can be intimidating. While I don’t think of them as being in the same category as say a Rottweiler or a German shepherd, they are considered to be excellent guard dogs. I remember the one that came here from Maggie’s group. He’s a big boy, I’d say about one hundred pounds. Other than that, I don’t much know about him. May I ask why you want to know?”

  “I know this is going to sound really strange, Jenna, but I’d like to borrow him for a few hours. I can’t adopt him, because we already have three dogs in the house. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to pick him up about two-thirty this afternoon.”

  “Kelly, I’d love to say yes immediately, but I can’t. I want to check him out and make sure he’s not overly aggressive. I also want to see if he’s leash trained. I don’t want you to get hurt by a dog that’s overly aggressive or one that pulls too hard on a leash. Give me a few minutes. I’ll go out to the exercise yard right now and work with him a little. Do you want me to call you at the coffee shop or on your cell phone?”

  “Better call me at the coffee shop. I usually don’t carry my cell phone while I’m working. Thanks, Jenna. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

  Kelly went back in the coffee shop and about twenty minutes later Molly motioned to her. Kelly walked over to Molly who was holding the phone. “You have a call,” she said.

  “This is Kelly Reynolds.”

  “Kelly, it’s Jenna. I checked out the dog, actually one of the volunteers named him Sanyu, which means happiness in Japanese, and you can handle him with no problem. I’m a little concerned about why you asked for a guard dog, because I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I hate to ask this, but could you assure me that you aren’t planning on using him for something that might reflect unfavorably on the shelter.”

  “Yes, I can promise you that. I’ll pick him up about two-thirty this afternoon and bring him back around six. How late will you be open tonight?”

  “We’re open until seven. See you later.”

  CHAPTER 23

  When Mike got back to the station his secretary handed him two telephone message slips. One was from the superintendent of the Ocean Beach School District, Leslie Moore, and the second one was from Jonas Goff, the manager of the Pet Friendly Store.

  He got a cup of coffee and placed a call to the superintendent. “Ocean Beach School District. How may I direct your call?” the young sounding female voice asked.

  “This is Sheriff Mike Reynolds returning Leslie Moore’s call. I’d like to speak with her.”

  “Just one moment, Sheriff.”

  “This is Leslie Moore, Sheriff. Sorry I missed you this morning, but I was tied up in meetings. How can I help you?”

  “Well, I don’t know if you can. You may have heard that a retired Cedar Bay elementary school teacher, Maggie Ryan, was recently murdered, and I’m investigating the case. I understand the decedent had some problems with one of her students, a young man by the name of Allen Richards. From what I’ve learned, when Ms. Ryan wanted to hold him back from entering middle school, his father was furious, took his son out of the Cedar Bay School District, and transferred him to your district. Do you know anything about this situation?”

  “More than I’d like to. The only reason I allowed Allen Richards to transfer here was because his father threatened to take his transfer request to the head of the Oregon Department of Education if I didn’t grant permission for his son to transfer here. I should have followed my instincts and not accepted him. He was nothing but trouble from the moment he came. There were numerous instances of drug abuse problems with Allen, from showing up in class stoned to dealing drugs in school hallways. Fortunately, he dropped out of school after two years, and believe me, everyone but his father celebrated when that happened.”

  “I understand the father was in complete denial of any problems relating to his son. Was that your understanding as well?”

  “That might be the understatement of the year. Jimmy Richards was by far the most difficult parent it’s ever been my misfortune to deal with. I had to sit in on numerous meetings with him and various school personnel. He was belligerent, threatening, and blamed his son’s teachers and the educational system in general for failing to teach his son. I heard that after Allen dropped out of school he spent time in several drug rehabilitation facilities, but none of them seemed to help his drug addiction problem.”

  “I’ve not met either of them, nor have I seen any photographs of them. Could you give me a physical description of both of them? I find it helps me in my investigations if I can visualize them in my mind. He’s not a suspect in the case, but from everything I’m hearing, he’s definitely becoming a person of interest.”

  “Sheriff, I can do better than that. I can send you a picture of both of them. When you called this morning, you told my secretary that it was in reference to Allen Richards, so I pulled his file. I’m looking at photos of both of them as we speak. Would you like me to fax their photos to you?”

  “Yes. Here’s my fax number,” he said. “One last question, and then I won’t take up any more of your time. Have you or anyone else in the school district heard from Jimmy Richards since Allen dropped out of school?”

  “I haven’t, and I think I would have been told if anyone else had. I know Jimmy Richards has a hardware store in that new development just south of Cedar Bay, but that’s all I know about him. Believe me, I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with him anymore. When you have to deal with a parent like him, you can’t help but feel sorry for his child, and quite frankly, it doesn’t surprise me that Allen turned out as he did. It was kind of a given once you met his father.”

  “I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. If you happen to think of anything else about him, I’d like to know. Thanks.”

  CHAPTER 24

  After he finished speaking with Leslie Moore from the Ocean Beach School District, Mike called the Pet Friendly Store and asked to speak with Jonas Goff. He was told that Jonas was on a break, but the person who answered the phone said he’d go into the employee’s rest area and get him.

  A few minutes later a man said, “This is Jonas Goff. May I help you?”

  “Jonas, this is Sheriff Reynolds. I’m returning your call.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. This may be absolutely nothing. I’m the manager of the Pet Friendly Store. We’re in that new shopping center just south of Cedar Bay. I was watching TV last night, and I saw on the news about the woman who was murdered and that she’d had over thirty dogs living on her property. Naturally, anything having to do with dogs interests me.

  “This is a real long shot, but I got to thinking about how anyone could get into a house and murder someone when there were over thirty dogs in the house. I’m a murder mystery fan. Matter of fact, think I’ve read about every murder mystery around, and I particularly like the ones with dogs in them. Anyway, a while ago I read one about how a murderer had gotten into a house by giving dog treats to the two dogs that lived in the house. You know how it is, Sheriff, your mind starts rambling, and I remembered that one of my employees told me she’d sold three big bags of dog treats to a man. I’m talking about really big bags of dog treat. Each bag weighs ten pounds, so this guy bought thirty pounds of dog treats. Sort of strange
, don’t you think? My employee told me because after the man left she got to wondering how many dogs the guy was going to give them to. You with me?”

  “I think I am. If I’m following you, you’re telling me you wonder if one of your employees sold dog treats to the person who murdered Maggie Ryan. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “I’m not accusing anybody of anything, but you have to admit it’s pretty strange when a customer buys three large bags of dog treats, and then a woman is murdered, and she has over thirty dogs. Don’t know if there’s a tie-in, but after I saw it on TV I thought I’d give you a call.”

  “I don’t know either, Jonas, but I’d like to talk to your employee. Would that be possible?”

  “She’s here now, but her shift is over at 5:00. We don’t close tonight until 10:00. Any chance you could come over now?”

  “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in about half an hour, and thanks. Don’t know where this will lead, but it’s definitely worth looking into.”

  Twenty-five minutes later Mike pulled up in front of the Pet Friendly Store which was located in a strip mall catering to the residents and pets of the nearby residential development. There was a cleaners, hair salon, drug store, Thai restaurant, private mailbox store, and a pet store at the end of the small neighborhood mall.

  When Mike entered the store, a man walked over to him and said, “You must be Sheriff Reynolds. I’m Jonas Goff. We can go back to my office. I told Missy Logan, she’s the one who sold the man the pet treats, that you were coming and wanted to talk to her.”

  They walked to the back of the store and Jonas opened a door that had the words “Manager” written on it. Mike followed him into the small room. A young woman sitting in a chair looked up at him and said, “You must be the sheriff. I’m Missy Logan, but I don’t know why Jonas wanted me to tell you about the man who bought the dog treats.”

  Mike sat down in the chair next to her and said, “Missy, a woman was recently murdered, and she had a lot of dogs in her house. We’re looking at anything that might help us identify her murderer. When someone buys a large amount of dog treats, and there’s a lot of dogs at the scene of the crime, it may have something to do with the murder. I’d like you to tell me everything you can about the person who bought them.”