Pointer Club Cadaver (Mandy Bell DVM Series Book 3)

by Abby Deuel

  “I think almost dying has made me reflect. Perhaps investigations are not safe for me,” said Mandy. “Oh, who am I kidding? What’s the point of being in this crazy world if you sit on the sidelines. I’ll be interviewing Gerry tomorrow just as much as he is interviewing me.”

  “That’s my girl,” said Gillian. “Right, let’s go in, have a cup of tea, check on the dogs, and then get you settled back at home again,” she said as they pulled up to the clinic parking lot. In the lot was another vehicle. They were not expecting anyone; in fact, they had not expected to be back this soon in the first place. “Wait here, I will find out what’s going on.”

  Gillian left Mandy waiting in the truck while she approached the vehicle. Inside was a frantic man and a tiny little white dog.

  “Oh thank goodness you are back. My dog’s had some kind of attack. I had to give her CPR myself. I don’t know what it was. Please help,” said the man.

  “Dr. Bell is…” Before she could finish her sentence, Mandy came up beside her, peeking in the window.

  “What’s happened? Is everything OK?” asked Mandy. The man came out of his car, holding his Maltese-looking dog who was wagging her tail and trying to leap out of his arms. “Who is this little dog?” Mandy asked, reaching to pet the excitable dog.

  “This is my little Clara and I’m Bruce. I called but there was now answer so I drove over here. She needs you,” said Bruce.

  “Well, come inside and let’s have a chat,” said Mandy, shooting a look at Gillian. Gillian nodded to acknowledge the small change of plans. It was hard to refuse to help someone when their pet needed medical attention. Mandy had to stay awake a while anyway since she may have hit her head so they may as well be working. They filed inside to find Jimbo, Emma, Anna, and Lyle all curled up together. The dogs must have opened the office door. No harm done. They must not have heard everyone come inside as they had not yet stirred. Mandy had her suspicions that they were more affectionate when no one was looking. This was now proof of it. They had a chuckle at the sight of the secret love-fest.

  Gillian pulled the file on Clara and led Bruce to the exam room. Before Mandy could ask what had happened, Bruce started explaining, “she was jumping to tell me she wanted in my lap, like she always does. I picked her up and then she went limp in my arms. She wet herself. She was not responding at all for a good five minutes. I just kept giving CPR as best I knew how.”

  “Oh my. Did you happen to notice the color of her gums during this episode?” asked Mandy.

  “Blue,” said Bruce.

  “Were her eyes visible?” asked Mandy.

  “They were rolled back in her head,” said Bruce.

  “Has she ever had an attack like this?” Mandy asked as she checked Clara’s eyes with a penlight. The pupils were responding as they should by constricting. Her tongue hung out as she panted and it was a pale pink with a bluish tinge. She was having difficulty breathing as evidenced by both the increasing noise on expiration and the increased respiratory rate.

  “Not that I know of,” said Bruce.

  Mandy continued checking Clara thoroughly. She listened to Clara’s heart, concentrating hard while she did so. She checked the heart rate with the femoral pulse to ensure there were no deficits. She listened to all quadrants of the lungs on both sides several times. She even listened to the front of Clara’s throat area to zero in on where the increased noise was coming from. Meanwhile, Bruce watched in anticipation of her assessment. Mandy took Clara’s temperature which was slightly elevated. Clara was returning to normal before their very eyes. By the time Mandy finished her physical exam, in fact, Clara looked as if nothing had happened.

  “I’m not convinced as to what exactly happened, Bruce. It’s possible that she had a mini stroke or even a seizure. There are limits to the kinds of tests that we can run to determine which. At the very least, we can do some blood-work and some x-rays to check for any inconsistencies,” said Mandy.

  “Whatever you need to do. I trust you. I don’t know if either of us would survive another attack like that,” said Bruce.

  “Why don’t you leave her with us for a few hours. I will run the tests and also monitor her for a little while in case she has another attack,” said Mandy.

  “Just give me a call when you are ready for me to pick her up,” said Bruce. Gillian had the paperwork ready for Bruce to sign which he did so before giving Clara a hug goodbye.

  Chapter 12

  “So much for resting or a cup of tea, Dr. Bell,” said Gillian, making tisk, tisk motions with her hands in front of her. “Let’s get started on the tests so you can have a rest after that.” Gillian retrieved the appropriate blood tubes for step one of the testing while Mandy continued to check over Clara’s body for any clue as to what had caused the episode. They were able to get blood without drama; the x-rays, on the other hand, were slightly more challenging. Clara was fidgeting and could not be safely sedated without risking bringing on another attack. They finally got the x-rays taken and developed. Gillian placed them on the viewer.

  “What’d-ya see Doc?” asked Gillian.

  “Nothing really. I was hoping for something to be enlarged so that we could establish a reason for her attack. We will have to wait on the blood-work instead. You know, we really ought to think about getting our own blood-work machines so we don’t have to wait on the lab. Have you looked into that?” asked Mandy.

  “Not really. It would be worth checking into. We seem to need answers quicker than the overnight lab service can provide. I’ll make some phone calls and find some options for us,” said Gillian.

  “Perfect. I am going to check a blood smear to look for issues with white and red blood cells,” said Mandy. “Can you keep a close eye on Clara? Maybe we should get web-cams for the hospital, too.”

  “You really are nesting,” said Gillian, nudging Mandy.

  “Now that I’ve bought property here, I want to sink my teeth into it. We have a lot we can offer this town. Let’s do this,” said Mandy.

  “Hold your horses. You still have to get over recovering from almost dying and from hitting your head twice. I think it’s great that you want to dive head first into improving our clinic. Let’s just take one day at a time,” said Gillian.

  “Fair comment. With nothing out of order in Clara’s physical and tests so far, we have to wait and see. I don’t want her to stay all night by herself here,” said Mandy.

  “Makes sense. How does your head feel, by the way?” asked Gillian.

  “I don’t feel any different. No headache. No blurred vision,” said Mandy.

  “Why don’t you head on home then. I will monitor Clara for a while longer before I call Bruce to come and get her,” said Gillian. “If anything happens, I’ll call you.”

  “I can’t argue with that, I suppose,” said Mandy. “I still have evening chores to do at home before I can lay down for the evening. I sound like an ancient old cow.”

  “You sound like someone who is being sensible and listening to their body,” said Gillian. “Off you go.”

  Mandy collected Lyle and Anna to head home for the evening. The emergency gods were with her so far: no one had called with any pressing pet problems. As long as she left now, nothing could derail her homeward bound plans. “See you tomorrow. Call me if you need me,” said Mandy.

  “Will do,” said Gillian.

  On Mandy’s way home, she reviewed the events of the day in her head. It started out as such a nice day. The O’Mally farm and the dog meet was a whole new world. Unfortunately the excitement of something new had been marred by the discovery of a random dead person. She wondered who it would turn out to be and why. She was reluctant to get involved in the case this time. She didn’t want to land in the hospital again. Nor did she want Crestview to gain an unsavory reputation with a possible murderer on the loose. She had made her peace with Crestview, having purchased property and committed to staying. She’d just have to wait to see if it was indeed a murder at all.

 
; She looked in the rear-view mirror to see Anna and Lyle trading sides in the back seat. Lyle had started experimenting with jumping to the back to be with her sister. They were perfectly coordinated so as not to bump into one another. She admired how they had become close friends in such a short amount of time. Initially, Mandy had worried that the bond between Lyle and her would be compromised by the presence of another dog. If anything, it strengthened the bond between all three of them. Mandy was feeling so content these days.

  They pulled into the driveway to find sheep grazing on the front lawn. For a second, Mandy thought the head trauma she had sustained was now causing hallucinations. However, the dogs were excitedly barking as if to signal that something was amiss in real life. Upon closer inspection, she saw that they were barking because the sheep were grazing on the front lawn of her house. Butterflies started to fly around in her stomach as she thought as quickly as she could to minimize the disaster ensuing.

  “You guys stay in here,” said Mandy to Lyle and Anna, who were disappointed that they didn’t get to help with the sheep-herding. Mandy jumped out and quietly passed the sheep to open the gate wide that led them back to the pasture. It looked like there were no holes in the fence; had she managed to not latch the gate well enough? With the gate ready, Mandy cautiously walked back ahead of the sheep. She started to make large movements with her arms while calling out to move the sheep in the right direction. There was a wider choice of grazing for the sheep in the front yard compared to the paddock they were in, particularly since they were now working on what was left of the landscaping.

  Luckily, the sheep were used to being moved regularly so they knew how to bunch up in a flock. Mandy continued pushing them toward the gate, being careful not to move too fast to spook them. There was a slight bottle-neck at the gate while they waited for one brave sheep to take the first step through. One finally did and then they all followed. Mandy sighed with relief once they were back in the correct paddock. This time she latched the gate securely and reinforced it with an additional piece of chain from the barn. She turned around to see Lyle and Anna curled up in the front seats of the Jeep, having given up on the task at hand. Before Mandy could decide what she might get up to next, Gerry pulled up the driveway.

  “Thought I’d check on you,” said Gerry.

  “Thanks. You just missed all the excitement. Perfect timing. The sheep were out,” said Mandy. She let out Lyle and Anna from the Jeep. Lyle was still not excited about Gerry; wedging herself between the two of them. Anna, on the other hand, was excited by any visitors, especially those who brought treats in their pocket.

  “How about this one?” asked Gerry to Lyle, offering her a peanut butter dog cookie. Lyle sniffed it and then walked away. Anna ate both treats and looked for more in his pockets.

  “What was that?” asked Mandy.

  “I am trying to butter Lyle up. I bring a different treat every time. One of these days, I will find one that she actually likes,” said Gerry.

  “And meanwhile Anna will become obese!” said Mandy, laughing.

  “Hardly. These are farm dogs now. They can’t get fat,” said Gerry, looking over to see Lyle and Anna each curled up in one of the over-sized lawn chairs on the patio. “Well, if they do get fat, it won’t be from my treats. It will be from you spoiling them. Maybe you should train them to help move the sheep in case this happens again.”

  “What did you come here for anyway?” asked Mandy, visibly annoyed that yet another person was deciding what was best for her dogs.

  “To check on you,” Gerry said, diffusing the situation. “ And also to see if you were up for giving us your take on finding the body. Preliminary examination points to foul play so we want to be ready for a full investigation before the hunters leave town.”

  “Well come in, then,” said Mandy.

  Chapter 13

  “Would you like a cup of coffee?” asked Mandy.

  “Not this late in the day. What else do you have?” asked Gerry.

  “How about some hot tea. That’s what I’m in the mood for,” said Mandy. “Maybe some chamomile,” she said as she was digging through a drawer with bits of this and that in it. It took her a bit to find the honey. She still had not learned where everything was in her kitchen.

  “Perfect. How are you feeling anyway?” asked Gerry, making himself at home in the dinette.

  “I seem to be fine. My head hurts a little but not enough to be freaked out about. I think it will just be a tad tender for a few days.,” said Mandy.

  The phone started to ring as Mandy was putting the kettle on the stove to boil. “Hello,” said Mandy. “Oh. That’s not good. I see. Good job. I will be there shortly,” said Mandy. “Oh, OK. Are you sure? Call me if anything changes,” said Mandy.

  “Who was that?” asked Gerry.

  “Gillian. We have a dog in the hospital for observation. She had some kind of spell. All of the tests we ran were normal, except the blood work which hasn't’ come back yet. She’s had a seizure just now,” said Mandy.

  “Do you want me to give you a ride up to the clinic?” asked Gerry.

  “Gillian says she has it under control. The seizure only lasted 15 seconds and she is back to normal already. Gillian will keep an eye on her through the night and then we will go from there,” said Mandy.

  “You’re the doctor and all but,” started Gerry.

  “Most people panic and want to put their animal on something for seizures straight away. However, it is much safer for the animal to see how severe and how frequent the seizures are before you start medicine. Plus, some of the anti-seizure medicines have side effects that are worth avoiding if possible. We will wait and see if little Clara has any more before we start her on medicine for life,” said Mandy.

  “Actually that makes perfect sense now that you’ve explained it. Many human doctors are too prescription-happy for my liking,” said Gerry.

  “That’s because many people are litigation-happy. There are more litigations about a doctor not doing something and the patient having issues than if the doctor prescribed something and the patient had the same issues. People just want you to do something but sometimes nothing is better. Know what I mean?” asked Mandy.

  “I know what you are saying,” said Gerry. Mandy had finished making the pot of herbal tea and brought it to the table.

  “I already put honey in it but there’s more here if you like it sweeter,” said Mandy. “Now, let’s see, about this morning. I can’t believe it’s only been since this morning. I can’t remember anything strange really. I walked off by myself so I could get some nice pictures of the sculptures. O’Mally certainly has a nice spread out there. I was shocked to see that kind of property around here.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Is that a dig on Crestview?” asked Gerry.

  “Not at all. I like the old-world charm of this region. Why do you think I bought a piece of land here? O’Mally’s place just seems to be a little classier than I would have expected around here,” said Mandy.

  “I see. So then what happened?” asked Gerry.

  “I saw a hawk fly overhead. I couldn’t quite tell what species it was. I hadn’t brought binoculars since I wasn’t expecting a great national park so I thought I’d use my camera zoom to focus in on the hawk for identification. It was a hard target as it had caught a wind thermal and was swaying through the sky as if attached to an invisible kite. Needless to say, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Then, I tripped and fell on something, losing sight of the hawk altogether. When I realized what had happened, I looked around to see that I had tripped on a human. I checked for a pulse and such, but the body was far past that stage. Once I saw that there was nothing I could do, I collected myself and went back to the main area to tell someone what I had seen. Out of respect to O’Mally, I tried to make my findings known to the right person who would keep an embarrassing fiasco from occurring,” said Mandy.

  “We thank you for doing that. It is actually going to help i
n our investigation to keep all details on the down low as much as possible,” said Gerry. “Was there anything else of note about the area in which you found the body?”

  “Not really. I smelled something like a tobacco pipe but I figured it must have been someone who had used the trail before me as the body itself had no odor and there was no pipe that I could see,” said Mandy.

  “Who was the body anyway?” asked Mandy.

  “It was one of the men staying at O’Mally’s for the weekend pointer meeting. He had come alone. We are still trying to contact his next of kin. I don’t know a whole lot about him yet,” said Gerry.

  “What makes you suspect foul play, then?” asked Mandy.

  “The coroner’s report is still pending. However, the initial results suggest some kind of asphyxiation,” said Gerry.

  “That has got to be the worst way to go. Not feeling like you can breathe is a horrible feeling,” said Mandy. “I’ve had several patients that couldn’t get their breath for various reasons. The fear in their eyes is indescribable.”

  “I don’t want to think about it. What is weird about this case is that somehow he suffocated from the inside. There were no external signs of strangling,” said Gerry.

  “That makes no sense. Like he drowned out of water,” said Mandy.

  “Kind of, yes. There are many loose ends with this case. You have just tied up one for me,” said Gerry.

  “How so?” asked Mandy.

  “I needed to interview you as the only witness,” said Gerry.

  “I’m sure I wasn’t much help. I really didn’t see anything,” said Mandy.

  “Maybe the tobacco smell will help. One never knows. I best push off so you can get down to resting. Thanks so much for the tea,” said Gerry.

  “You’re welcome. It looks like the sun will be going down soon so I’ll go do my chores,” said Mandy. “And, Gerry, …”

  “Yes?” asked Gerry.

  “Never mind,” said Mandy.

  “I think I know what you were going to say. I’ll keep you posted on the case. May as well have your ears and eyes on my side so I can keep a better eye on you,” said Gerry.