Donuts & Danger: A 2nd Chance Diner Cozy Mystery

by Beth Byers

  “I…this…they…they can’t get away with this,” Tom said. He cursed under his breath and finally said—almost too low to hear, “Thank you. I can’t go home to my daughter without Philip. I just can’t.”

  Simon took my hand, squeezing it. We understood that feeling far too well. If we were anything, we were dog lovers. We’d even met over a box of free puppies. It was possible that our interest in each other cemented when we realized that we’d named our dogs Daisy and Duke. Simon gave Tim his contact information and promised that no one would get away with stealing the dog.

  As soon as Tom hung up I said, “Oh Simon.”

  Chapter FOUR

  Simon didn’t say anything, but I could see a very rare rage in his gaze. Which intensified when I said, “We’re going to have to tell Carver that the dogs he took might be stolen.”

  Simon cursed then and rose to get his boss, Carver. The poor man may very well have adopted and fallen in love with someone else’s precious dogs. The sheer idea of it was terrible and far too likely.

  Carver came into Simon’s office with the pair of German shepherd mix dogs. I leaned over to pet them because I did not want to be the one to tell Carver that the dogs could be stolen. As Simon explained, I kept my gaze on the pretty blue eyes of the dogs with only occasional darted glances to Carver. He was upset. Of course he was, but he was angrier. When Simon explained my suspicions about Gary, Carver’s ears turned a brilliant red with his fury.

  I rode in the back of Simon’s SUV while we drove over to the shelter. On the way, Carver called some of the town council who agreed to put together a meeting about the shelter. We discussed the possibility of taking over management of the shelter, but I didn’t want the town council to be able to tell me what to do. There was no changing that the mayor was Simon’s ex, and she didn't like me. From what I could see, my best friend, Zee, was working very, very hard to get Roberta voted out in the next election.

  Even if Roberta hadn’t realized what Zee was up to, she would. When I pointed that out to Simon and Carver, they agreed that I needed to either open my own shelter or privatize the one the town ran. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that I wanted to open my own place.

  The town’s shelter was an old single-wide trailer with a cyclone fence outside that wasn’t safe to leave the big dogs unattended. The yard was empty and Gary’s car was gone. I scowled at the lot that held only the adorable little white Jeep Cherokee that belonged to Jenny.

  The three supposedly Bay Area shelter dogs were also gone. I stared at the empty stalls where I’d left the dogs and moaned under my breath.

  “What happened to the dogs?” I asked Jenny.

  “They were gone when I came back from grabbing some dog food. So was Gary. I messaged him to ask what I needed to do, but he hasn’t answered.”

  I grabbed the microchip scanner and Jenny said, “It’s not working. I used it earlier today on the shelter dogs. Gary snapped at me. Said it was off.”

  Her gaze darted to the side. She probably hated being yelled at, but she needed to cowgirl up while we worked out what was happening at the shelter.

  I frowned at what she said and then glanced at Carver.

  “We need one. We have to confirm it.”

  “We might be able to borrow one from the vet office,” I suggested.

  “I’ll take care of it.” Carver pulled out his phone.

  “Where does Gary live?” Simon asked. I shook my head. I had no idea and had never cared to know. I thought he probably lived with his mom, but I didn’t know enough about him to confirm that.

  “What’s going on?” Jenny whispered to me.

  I didn’t reply because Simon’s expression told me not to. I just shrugged and opened the personnel files. The address for Gary was a P.O. Box. I frowned and handed the paperwork to Simon. He shook his head as he read the address and then walked out of the building. I just caught the start of the conversation. He was talking to someone at the police station. I supposed that if anyone could get your real address, it was the police. Stupid Gary. I grinned at the thought.

  I checked on the other dogs and then pulled the microchip scanner in front of me. I pressed the power button, but it wouldn’t turn on. Maybe he’d just taken out the batteries? I opened the battery compartment and checked it. It was still attached, so I supposed that whatever Gary had done was a little smarter than I’d have given him credit for. The battery was one of the 9-volt batteries. Those didn’t really go in backwards like the smaller cylinder batteries as much as I wished it would be that simple.

  I looked closer at the scanner and realized that the two pieces of plastic no longer quite aligned. Gary…that dirty bastard…he really had sabotaged our scanner so we couldn’t return Philip and the other dogs.

  Carver came back and I showed him how the scanner had been manipulated. He shook his head and then said, “The vet’s office has agreed to send their vet tech over with their scanner.”

  I nodded and then Simon came back in and said, “We’ve got an address.”

  He eyed me, and I knew he was thinking of telling me to stay, but he didn’t. “You shouldn’t go,” Simon said. “But we will need someone to step in for the dogs.”

  I grinned because I knew he was finding me a reason to let me go with them. I would bet, however, that if he wasn’t going to be there, he’d have objected. Only Gary was a dog thief—not a hardened criminal. And I wouldn’t be dealing with him anyway. I was determined to find Philip before Tom and his daughter showed up in Silver Falls for the dog. I didn’t want to see that little girl’s face without it brightening up to see her dog.

  “I want my dogs scanned as soon as we’re back,” Carver said. His gaze flicked over my face and then down to the dogs in the shelter. “You better go ahead and rescan these dogs as well. Make sure that there isn’t anything shady going on here too.”

  I nodded. We both suspected that the German shepherds had another home. I could see Carver preparing himself to say goodbye even though he hadn’t said a word. I was glad that he’d only had them for a day. Too much longer than that, and the disappointment would be even sharper.

  “Jenny,” I said, turning to her and deciding that now was the moment to take over, “If Gary comes back, you lock him out and refuse him entrance.”

  “No,” Simon said, “You call the police department and ask for an escort. Don’t say anything. Just let him in, step out yourself, and don’t go back in until a police officer arrives.”

  Jenny shook her head and countered, “I don’t think so. I’m not leaving the dogs if there’s something wrong. I won’t.”

  I met Jenny’s gaze and Carver said, “As much as we love dogs, you are more important than the dogs.”

  “I’m not leaving them,” Jenny said again, simply.

  I was a little shocked. I knew that Jenny loved dogs. I’d seen her play with them too often to doubt it, but she was always a little cold when it came to them too. It was the weirdest mix.

  Carver sighed and eyed Simon who said, “We don’t have to have traffic today.”

  “Things are crazy in Silver Falls with all the summer tourists.” Carver tapped his phone against the counter. Jenny was on the other side of it, and the angle of her jaw stated she wouldn’t be moved.

  “We’ll have someone come out here,” Simon suggested. “If they have to leave for an accident or a call, they’d be able to. But if nothing goes wrong, Jenny and the dogs will be safe.”

  Carver nodded and Simon called the police station again.

  “Lock the door like Rose said,” Carver told Jenny, “If Gary comes before the police officer, the police officer will be here soon. We aren’t taking any risks with you.”

  “What’s going on?” Jenny asked, but neither of them answered her.

  I followed Simon and Carver to the SUV. We waited until the vet tech arrived with their scanners.

  I went back in to give one to Jenny.

  “Really, Rose…what is happening?”<
br />
  “I can’t tell you,” I hissed. “Simon would be mad if I did.”

  “But…they’re sending a cop to protect me from Gary. The only thing I need to be protected from with him is his B.O.”

  I laughed, but I didn’t sound that amused, and I was sure that Jenny caught the look on my face.

  “Just be safe,” I told her. “And scan the dogs we have and make sure that we’ve called if they’re registered in the system.”

  I left, and Simon drove Carver and I out of the main town of Silver Falls and onto Highway 101. Soon we were off of the main highway and into the countryside. Even then, we missed the turnoff. The road GPS was telling us to go up was more a trail with a scattering of gravel than anything that qualified as an actual lane. The tire ruts were deep and the undergrowth on the side of the road was covering the trail, rubbing against the side of the car.

  “I feel like there should be an old man on the side of the road telling us to turn back,” I said, fighting a rush of goosebumps.

  “I guess that means we won’t split up,” Carver laughed even though none of us were feeling all that cheery.

  The feel in the car was morose. How long had this con been going on? How many dogs had Gary stolen? And…if someone hadn’t been able to pay…what had Gary done with those dogs? He better have not hurt them, I thought. If he had…I might not be able to control my reaction. Or the violence I might enact.

  “I hate this man,” I told Simon. “I didn’t like him before. I wanted him fired. But…now…” I trailed off because I didn’t want to be an angry person. I was angry. So angry. But…enough. Time to do what I could to make it right.

  We heard the dogs barking when we arrived which infuriated me. I could see how tense Simon was and Carver’s ears were brilliantly red again. As the SUV pulled into the drive outside of a little grey house, I caught the flicker of movement at one of the windows. Was that Gary? Or perhaps one of the dogs I was hearing? There must have been a whole pack of dogs. My heart raced with my anger.

  This was not how things were supposed to go. This wasn’t how things at a dog shelter were supposed to go. The entire purpose of the shelter was to take care of the animals we’d domesticated. They wanted to be loved, and many humans wanted to love them. I hadn’t realized how much joy a dog could bring to your life until I’d adopted Daisy. I never wanted to be without a little furry friend again. If someone stole my Daisy from me, what amount wouldn’t I pay to get her back? Given my resources, it would be an easy way to make quite a fortune from me.

  I didn’t doubt that many other dog owners were the same, but the horrible problem was…they didn’t all have the same resources. Not everyone who had their dogs stolen would have been able to pay. I needed to know what happened to those dogs. I just needed to know.

  Simon opened the car door for me after he parked the car, and I joined him. “Stay behind me,” he said gently. “Don’t approach the dogs or leave my side until we tell you to.”

  I didn’t argue. I knew he was tense, and I suppose it was out of the ordinary for me to be there, but I could see that Carver was stepping ahead while Simon stayed in a more protective mode.

  I heard the first dog before I saw it. He was followed by another and another. First a Great Dane, then a husky, a pretty golden retriever that gave me the hope it was Philip, but…no. I remembered that Philip was lighter when I met him. The big dogs were followed by several little dogs.

  “Give me your keys,” I said to Simon, dropping to my knees. These dogs needed to be rounded up and gotten out of the way while they hunted down Gary.

  I grabbed two of the small dogs after I’d made friends with them. Simon opened the back of the SUV for me while Carver surveyed the property. There was still barking even after I’d quieted down this little pack of dogs. I put the small dogs in and then got the husky and golden retriever. The Great Dane wasn’t interested in getting into the SUV like the others, but he let me put a leash on him and pet him while Simon and Carver knocked on the door of the house.

  No one answered.

  They knocked again, this time more aggressively, but still no one answered. I remembered the movement I’d seen, but I wasn’t going to tell them that now. I could see Simon getting tenser and tenser. I scowled, holding back the dane. He was a lovely fellow, and I scratched his ears wondering who he was missing. I wanted to punch Gary right in the throat for taking this handsome fellow away from his people.

  “Aren’t you just a nice boy?” I cooed to the dog as Simon glanced back and called, “Hold that dog tight, Rose.”

  I grabbed the dane’s collar tight, leaning down to place my head near his and whisper in his ear as Simon kicked the door in. I pressed my lips together as Simon and Carver went in.

  “Gary,” I told the dog, “is a wormy little bum. I don’t have to worry about the boys. They can handle the worm.”

  I was feeling worried. So very worried. It was just that I loved Simon so much and Gary struck me as the type of guy to jump out of a corner and hit Simon over the top of the head. I heard barking again, moving barking and the dane growled as three large pit bulls came running at us.

  Chapter FIVE

  Every story I’d ever heard of pit bulls attacking ran through my mind as the dogs came barreling at me. I could hear Simon and Carver cursing and didn’t need to see what they were doing to know that they were in protection mode and probably pulling weapons. They’d barely been in the cottage before the pit bulls came at me.

  “No,” I called, trying to keep them from overreacting.

  The dogs ranged out as the Great Dane growled at them. Please don’t fight, I prayed. Hoping my instincts were right, I shouted, “Sit dogs sit!”

  To Carver and Simon I called, “These are family dogs. They have to be.”

  I stepped back very slowly, but stayed facing the dogs. The dane had moved forward, keeping between me and the pits.

  “Sit,” I commanded and followed up by whispering nonsense to all of them. The pit bulls had stopped running at me, but they were alert enough to make me worried one was going to leap at me or the Great Dane.

  “Who are good boys? Who are?” I sounded insane, and one of the pits cocked its head at me and then when I commanded again, “Sit.” He dropped down.

  “Sit,” I ordered even more firmly. The last two pits sat down. I took a deep breath and whispered even more nonsense before I tried, “Lay down.”

  All three of them laid down. I was shuddering with relief. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Simon approach from the other side of the SUV. The pit bulls stayed down, and I breathed even more easily. Terrified, shaking breaths.

  “Give me the leashes,” Simon said. I tossed them over, but the dogs didn’t put up any fuss as he leashed them.

  “Someone let those dogs out,” I said softly not wanting to set the dogs off. “They did it on purpose and wanted us to react wrong. That was…”

  “Malicious,” Simon said with fury. “Yes, I think it was deliberate.”

  Carver stepped away after Simon leashed the dogs. I glanced towards the house, but Carver had disappeared inside. Simon and I glanced at each other and then I heard a car.

  “Damn it,” Simon cursed and told me to stay with the dogs, running around the house, and taking the pit bulls with him.

  It took several minutes for them to come back, and I spent the time examining the yard. There was a large shed in the corner of the property, and I heard dogs calling from that building. My eyes narrowed on it. Just how many dogs did stupid Greg have?

  “We can’t possibly house all these dogs at the shelter,” I told the Great Dane. He twitched his ear at me.

  Where was Philip and the other two dogs that had been with him? Perhaps Gary had left them in his car? If so…I didn’t want to be the one to tell Tom, Philip’s family.

  Where had the noise of that car come from? Maybe another way off this property? I pulled up the address on my phone and found the Google view. There wasn’t pictures of th
e house, but you could see a small drive leading from the back of the house.

  It made sense, really. Gary’s car never looked as terrible as that trail we’d followed would suggest the car should have been. He didn’t have a tiny little car. It was one of those large SUVs. It would have been assaulted by the undergrowth from the drive we’d followed. I pulled out my phone.

  “We can’t house the dogs,” I told the dane again, knowing that Simon and Carver were going to dump the dogs we found on the shelter. Even after we identified the owners, it would take them some time to get their dogs. We needed to be able to take care of the dogs until the owners arrived. I pulled out my phone and called Zee.

  “Hello,” she said, “What happened to you? I’ve called you and Carver like three times.”

  “It’s a mess, Zee,” I said. “Those dogs were stolen. Simon and Carver are tracking Gary, and there are more stolen dogs at his property. Probably stolen dogs, I guess.”

  Zee cursed and then repeated, “Stolen? Really? What a snake!”

  “Yes! I’m going to kill Gary slowly. Zee, my goodness, there’s a whole pack of dogs here. I can’t….we can’t…what are we going to do?”

  Zee cursed again, a solid blue streak of madness then asked, “What do you need?”

  I took a slow breath in and look down at the Great Dane. His loving eyes were fixated on my face as though he’d been waiting for me to come find him.

  “I think we need as many dog crates as we can find. And people who will help transport the dogs from here. Anyone who you know who might help with the dogs while we find their families.”

  “I’ll get on it,” Zee said as though I hadn’t dumped finding the homes on her. I knew how hard it was to find someone to help. She’d be better at it than me. She had all the contacts and the relationships to let her lay down guilt trips. “Please tell me that Gary is going to jail.”