Pointer Club Cadaver (Mandy Bell DVM Series Book 3)

by Abby Deuel

  “Poor guy. I know how you feel. Not being able to breathe is a terrible feeling, achoo,” said Mandy.

  “This cat really has you struggling. Let’s get him stable and then you can tell me what treatments he needs. You should stay clear of him until you at least get over these hives,” said Gillian.

  “Let’s get the nebulizer out. I want him to have ten minutes on that before we snuggle him in a cage. I’ll draw up the other medicines I want for him while you do that,” said Mandy.

  “You got it. Just stay back from the cat. I can’t get an ambulance out here so we are on our own,” said Gillian.

  Once the Himalayan had been made as comfortable as possible, Gillian set him up in a hospital cage for observation. He immediately went to the food bowl and chowed down the whole bowl.

  “That’s a good sign. He was on his way out in this world just an hour ago and now look at him. All we have to do is keep that fluid from coming back in his chest. In fact, do you think you can take another chest x-ray so I can see what the lungs look like without fluid around them?” asked Mandy. “I know we just got him settled but I need to know what we are looking at for long term care.”

  “Sure thing. The machine is still set for his specifications,” said Gillian, reaching for Oscar to transport him to the radiograph table again.

  Mandy ducked out to check on the other patients. The parvo puppies were coming along, starting to show signs of interest in food now that they had been hydrated and the drugs had won the battle against the vomiting and diarrhea. She offered each one a small meatball of canned food for them to try. She didn’t want to overload their system with too much at once. However, she had read some research that getting a parvo puppy on food earlier in the treatment plan had the ability to speed their recovery because it reactivated some of the normal processes in the digestion and absorption of food. She felt that these cases were ideal candidates since they had been caught early in the disease process. The puppies each sniffed the ball and tentatively began to eat it. One puppy was immediately visibly elated from the snack while the other puppy ate it but still looked slightly queasy from the experience.

  “X-rays are up, doc. Whaddya think?” asked Gillian.

  “Oh, that’s much better. I’d say we can wait and see from here what happens next with him. I’ll go call all of the owners back before the power or phones go out. Why don’t you get your vehicle to the mechanic? Maybe you can catch a ride with Gerry on the way back. He’s at the Inn getting lunch, not far from the mechanic,” said Mandy.

  “I completely forgot about the mechanic. I should call and see if they are even in,” said Gillian.

  Mandy updated the owners of all of her wards. The puppies would at least stay a few days. Oscar would need to be monitored for recurrence and then potentially be discharged on oral medications. For now, he was safer with injectable medications. The remainder of the patients could be discharged if the owners could get into town to retrieve them. The guinea pig, Schipperke, and the sheepdog had made nearly complete recoveries. They would only need time and rest to recuperate from their respective health fiascos.

  “If I go now, I can catch the mechanic and get a ride. Are you sure you are OK?” asked Gillian.

  “Yes, go. You guys won’t be gone long. I’ll wait for the first round of patients to go home. We need to clear this place out in case this weather gets nastier,” said Mandy.

  “Not in case. It will. I’d say you are going to have a serious blizzard to write home about,” said Gillian, as she went out the back door.

  Mandy went back to her office where she found Lyle and Anna curled up together amidst thousands of tiny pieces of confetti that was once a textbook on ophthalmology. They lifted their heads just long enough to acknowledge Mandy’s reaction to their efforts before falling back into their well-earned slumber.

  “I suppose that’s fair enough. Never leave two smart dogs idle in a room full of irresistible shew toys lining the bookshelves. You poor gals are getting a bad deal at the moment. Things are just crazy around here. I promise once things settle down you can help me with the fox capture. I could use your innate guarding and herding skills,” said Mandy. Her proposition fell on deaf ears since both dogs were sleeping so hard that they were twitching from dreams. “Maybe you are already getting that fox in your sleep,” chuckled Mandy in a soft voice so as not to disturb them.

  Sitting at her desk, Mandy started to sift through the piles of paperwork that had collected since her recent return to work. There had been so many complex cases that she was behind on medical notes. She decided to make a dent in the pile while she was waiting for Gerry and Gillian to return with lunch. Suddenly, in mid-sentence, the power went off in her office. She heard a loud bang coming from somewhere in the front of the clinic. It sounded like one of the doors in the lobby.

  Ill-prepared for a power outage, Mandy did not have a flashlight handy. The dogs immediately knew something was not right. They catapulted into action, flanking Mandy on either side to protect her. Their ability to see in the dark surpassed Mandy’s, although they could not see well enough to locate the flashlight either. The three stood silently in one spot so as to avoid running into something. Once they had their bearings as their eyes adjusted, they carefully traversed the hall to the exam room where there would be an otoscope that they could use as a flashlight.

  Another bang sounded from the front of the clinic. This time, it sounded like a different door.

  “What on earth?” Mandy said quietly to herself. She was reluctant to shout out for whoever was there since the other person, if that’s what it was, hadn’t made any attempt to communicate to Mandy. With the otoscope, she could safely navigate her way to the fuse box in the back of the clinic. There was light coming from the neighboring buildings which meant this power outage didn’t seem to be street-wide.

  “Hello, Mandy?” said a voice that Mandy recognized to be Gerry’s.

  “Back here,” said Mandy. “In the utility closet.”

  Gillian and Gerry appeared with a far superior light source, a police-issued Maglite. Lyle didn’t even growl as Gerry approached, as if knowing that, in this situation, more help was better than none.

  “What happened?” asked Gerry. “Are you OK?”

  “I seem to be fine. The lights just went out and there was some loud banging up the front. It happened fast so I didn’t notice anything else. I figured a fuse blew or something,” said Mandy.

  Gerry examined the panel. The fuses were all intact. The main breaker, however, had been flipped. He pulled out some gloves before switching it back on, brining the lights back on.

  “That is very strange. I would say that someone came in and purposely switched your power off. Now that it’s on, see if anything appears to be missing,” said Gerry. “I will check the perimeter of the building to see if anything looks amiss.”

  Mandy and Gillian made their rounds of the clinic. Lyle stayed with Mandy while Anna watched over Gillian. The dogs were not letting their guard down in the face of a potential intruder.

  “The journals,” Mandy shouted out. “Someone took the whole box of them.”

  Gerry and Gillian appeared to find Mandy staring at an empty spot behind the desk.

  “Are you sure they were here?” asked Gerry.

  “I am indeed,” said Mandy.

  “I saw them here earlier,” said Gillian.

  “The plot thickens. From now on, we all stick together. I will try to lift some prints from the breaker switch to see if we can figure out who has taken a sudden interest in Phil’s possessions,” said Gerry.

  Chapter 35

  “I see no harm in eating a little so long as we are trapped here with such yummy-smelling food,” said Mandy.

  “Just stay away from the windows,” said Gerry. “Someone must be watching us. They chose to cut the power and steal the journals just when they knew that you were here alone. Gillian and I weren’t gone longer than twenty minutes.”

  “He’s
right. Someone knew you had those journals here and knew just when to strike,” said Gillian.

  “I didn’t think this was a dangerous case since no one even seemed to know Phil or anything about him. Strange,” said Mandy with her mouth full of crusty bread and soup. “Sorry. I don’t normally talk with my mouth full. That steroid I took seems to have activated my appetite.”

  “The hives look better, too,” said Gillian. “Still feeling better?”

  “So far, so good,” said Mandy.

  “I’m going to take these prints to the station to see if I can match them with anyone from the O’Mally farm. Lock the doors behind me. Keep your cell phones on you. I won’t be gone long but we can’t take any chances,” said Gerry.

  “I have patients getting discharged,” said Mandy, reluctant to succumb to any orders.

  “Leave a sign on the door to have people call you for you to unlock the door. I’m not kidding here. Something is very fishy. It looks like whoever it was took what they wanted. But they may have been startled by us coming back. They may have intended to hurt you but didn’t get the chance. They may be back. We just don’t know,” said Gerry.

  “Understood. I will keep a handle on things,” said Gillian.

  “I’ll be right back,” said Gerry. Gillian locked the doors after his departure, as instructed. Anna stayed at her side, taking on her role as protector. Mandy and Lyle stayed in the kitchenette, sharing bits of the dessert that Gerry had brought.

  “You know what else is odd?” asked Mandy.

  “What?” asked Gillian, sharing a bit of bread with Anna to reward her for her efforts.

  “The way Dr. Neptune left so suddenly. You don’t suppose he is involved with Phil’s death? He has medical knowledge. He was at the O’Mally farm.”

  “But what would be his motive?” asked Gillian.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t worked that out. I just think it’s strange how he fled with patients still to care for,” said Mandy.

  “I feel like I am in a Hardy Boys novel We don’t know hardly anything to start making a list of suspects,” said Gillian. “And now, someone may have tried to hurt you. I think you should stay out of this one.”

  “Where’s your sense of adventure? Besides, we must be getting close to figuring it out if someone felt the need to steal those journals,” said Mandy.

  “My sense of adventure disappeared when I had Hamish. I have him to think about, too,” said Gillian.

  “What a good Mom you are. I understand what you’re saying. My motivation is two-fold. One, I like problem-solving. And two, I can’t stand the thought of someone tarnishing Crestview’s idyllic image,” said Mandy. “Even in the face of danger, I can’t put aside my desire to make it right.”

  “Well, I not only have Hamish to think of. I have to make sure you don’t get hurt. So, I am an innocent bystander in this situation. I’ll help you talk it out. But neither of us will be putting ourselves in danger for any reason,” said Gillian. “So, tell me what you have surmised so far.”

  “Thanks, Gillian. You’re the best,” said Mandy.

  “Don’t push it,” said Gillian, smiling.

  “OK. We know that Phil was a loner. He has no listed next of kin. No one has come forward inquiring about him. He also had a rare disease called Loeys-Dietz Syndrome. It has so many effects on the body and can be deadly if the person is not constantly on top of it. In fact, we thought it might be possible that Phil was not murdered but died of complications from LDS. With the addendum on his post mortem and the fact that someone just stole his journals, it was definitely a murder,” said Mandy.

  “What else?” asked Gillian.

  “He kept detailed journals his whole life. In them, he was more than meticulous. His whole life has been dedicated to overcoming this disease. He even became a nurse so he would have better health coverage and access to specialists. He had also been adopted from birth. Some of the journals show that he was trying to track down his family. In one, it suggested that he might even have a twin brother that he has never found,” said Mandy.

  “Interesting. We can’t chase that lead now that the journals are missing. Is there anything from the scene to help us?” asked Gillian.

  “Not yet. Funding was pulled from this case since he was essentially a John Doe. Samples from the scene as well as from the guests at the O’Mally farm have been taken to be analyzed. However, it may be a while before we get them since they are by no means a priority,” said Mandy.

  “What was the cause of death?” asked Gillian.

  “Some kind of internal asphyxiation,” said Mandy.

  “Like from anaphylaxis?” asked Gillian.

  “There were no other signs of that. But that is a possibility. See, because of the LDS, Phil had had multiple surgeries for artery unblockage and strengthening. Plus, he was on a bevy of medications to keep himself going. In the first autopsy, they just put his death down to a heart problem. It wasn’t until we uncovered that he had LDS and they did a second autopsy that they changed their cause of death,” said Mandy.

  “Why was he even at the O’Mally farm?” asked Gillian.

  “Good question. I hadn’t got there in the journals. I don’t know if it was just a hobby,” said Mandy.

  “Let’s do a search on his involvement in the Pointer Club to see if we can find another facet of his life to run with,” said Gillian.

  “Great idea. I hadn’t thought of that angle,” said Mandy.

  “This calls for a fresh cup of tea,” said Gillian. She busied herself making one while Mandy cleared room in her office for the impromptu research. The confetti party was still strewn about on the floor. It didn’t seem important to clean up in light of everything else going on. Besides, the dogs were visibly proud of their accomplishment, taking multiple opportunities to show off the destruction by running through the piles of white shreds.

  When Gillian returned with tea and cookies, the dogs redirected their attention to begging for a morsel. Prepared for this scenario, Gillian had brought an extra cookie that she could share between the loyal pups. They sat obediently for their share of afternoon tea-time.

  “I have to admit. I don’t know how to search for clues from the Pointer Club. It’s unfamiliar territory. It’s like horse-racing. It’s all written in some other language,” said Mandy.

  “Step aside. My Grandpa on my Dad’s side used to run Beagles. This was before the internet, of course. However, I like to keep track of how the offspring from his lines are doing. The Beagle Club can’t be that different to the Pointer Club. I just have to find the right place to start. What was Phil’s last name?” asked Gillian.

  “Drilson,” said Mandy.

  “OK, gimme a minute,” said Gillian. She was feverishly clicking, typing, scrolling, and surfing. She was deep in concentration, with multiple windows open, flipping back and forth from window to window. Finally, she nodded.

  “So?” asked Mandy.

  “Well. Here goes. It looks like he became involved several years ago when, out of the blue, he purchased one of O’Mally’s pups. He started attending meets but didn’t start competing until two years after he purchased his first pup. He emerged as a fierce contender for a title, but never managed to win big. His dog outperformed many of the leading dogs at the time. He then studded out his male, receiving a pup as payment. Now that pup exceeded his father in performance. He is still too young to have solidified his place in the circuit but he was looking rather promising. With Phil out of the picture, I don’t know what will happen to that dog,” said Gillian.

  “Well, that could be someone’s motive. Maybe someone didn’t want his dog to make it any farther,” said Mandy.

  “Perhaps. You’d think that they would have just killed the dog. It’s a much safer crime since the punishment is not nearly as severe,” said Gillian. “What do you suppose got him into Pointers in the first place?”

  “I don’t know. I wish the journals hadn’t been stolen. I bet the answer is in those
,” said Mandy.

  “Let me try from another angle. Sometimes there are blogs about the behind-the-scenes in the circle. Maybe I can find someone who made a connection with Phil,” said Gillian.

  “I am impressed. I didn’t take you as a sleuthing type,” said Mandy.

  “I’m not really sleuthing. I am using my knowledge of dog clubs to help you learn more about Phil,” said Gillian.

  “Tomato, tomato,” said Mandy, pronouncing the first tomato in an American accent and the second in a British accent.

  The phone rang and Mandy picked it up.

  “I’m going to the door. They are here to pick up the guinea pig and the Schipperke. I’ll shout out if I need any help,” said Mandy.

  “OK. Lock the door behind them,” said Gillian.

  Chapter 36

  As Mandy was letting in Mrs. Garrison, Noelle pulled in to pick up Charlie, the sheepdog. It was perfect timing so that Mandy could let them both in the unlocked door without compromising the security. Mandy went over the discharge instructions with both women, carefully explaining everything. She gave extra pain medication for all three animals to be sure that no one would need to make another trek out in the blizzard.

  One of Mandy’s favorite parts about being a veterinarian was the reunion of the owners with their pet after a potentially life-threatening situation. It was always hard to see who was more delighted to see the other. These three cases were among her favorite reactions to date. The Schipperke, Prancer, lived up to his name as he hopped, skipped, and jumped his way up the hall to Mrs. Garrison. He leapt straight up in the air, catapulting himself into her open arms.

  Meanwhile, the sheepdog, Charlie, bounded up the hall, sliding into Noelle’s feet head first. Charlie’s thick mane accentuated every exuberant step. Despite the fact that her gray and white afro made her eyes and mouth invisible, her face showed a tremendous expression of eagerness to be in the presence of her owner. And it wasn’t just because of the freshly baked dog cookie in Noelle’s hand. Charlie was just plain happy to see her mom.