We stepped outside. “This isn’t the right place to have this discussion. Can we meet later to talk?” he asked.
“The police department isn’t the right place to discuss a murder?”
He shrugged. “Not when you’re accusing a city councilman of it, no.” He pressed his hands together in a prayer-like position. “There are alliances here. People that support certain government officials, have mutually beneficial relationships, and the walls have ears. You have to watch your accusations. They could be used against you.”
“All the more reason to look into my theory.”
“Exactly what is your theory about Morring?”
I told him what I’d learned. That Rick Morring tried to get Traci to cut the pooch party, that he’d suggested it at a city council meeting, and that Gina Palencia supported it at the meeting while Traci Fielding told him she had every intention of keeping the party as planned.
I continued on. “And Rick tried to act like he didn’t disapprove of the parties. He lied to my face about it, but I finally got him to admit his issues in front of the shelter manager and Max Hoover.”
He stared at the ground. “That is suspicious.”
“Exactly.”
“I’m not making any promises, but I’ll ask around, look into a few things and see what I can find out, okay?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
“In the meantime, I want you to lie low. Stay out of Morring’s way. If he is involved, the last thing you need is to tick him off.”
“What about Gina Palencia? Will you look into her?”
He groaned. “I’ve not heard a negative thing about her, but yes, I’ll ask around, see if anyone’s had troubles with her.”
I nodded. “You’ll let me know if you find out anything?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s the least I can do. Hayden needs you. It’s my duty to keep you safe for her.”
“You still have feelings for her, don’t you? I knew it.”
He blushed, but I didn’t call him out on that. “I’ll always care for your daughter. She was an important part of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.”
“She feels the same.”
I left the station and headed straight for the fairgrounds but decided to take a detour and stopped at the shelter instead. I picked up Bandit and Allie and took them with me.
I wasn’t the kind of person to back down from a battle, especially one that meant so much to me, and I knew one of the ways to dispel any concern over the animals at the festival was to get them out in front of people. I organized a quick training session at the fairgrounds with two of the volunteers and two other dogs. Each of the volunteers drove separately with their assigned dog.
Initially they were assigned what I liked to call an event wander, where each dog walked the entire festival grounds—on leash—with a trainer to meet and greet prospective adopters. It wasn’t something we did often because we had so many dogs, but we did sometimes pick a few well trained ones to show off. It always worked. Those dogs were adopted every single time. Since the festival wasn’t set to open for a few days, it was perfect practice for both dogs and trainers, and a great option to get a feel for those in the trenches and their reactions to the dogs. I wanted to find out who might be on Team Rick.
While the pack was out, I took Bandit and Allie on a wander also, but I used their electronic collars and no leather leash. If anyone showed signs of issue or concern, I’d add them to my list.
I wanted my list to shink, but if anyone with a negative or uncomfortable reaction could be connected to Rick or Gina, I’d be happy.
As we rambled around the fairgrounds, I kept my eyes out for Gina, Jennifer, and Rick. Several volunteers, exhibitors, and festival staff were thrilled to see the dogs and stopped to chat us up, giving me the perfect opportunity to ask questions. Not one of them showed anything but excitement about the program, and my heart warmed.
“So, how’s it going now? I’m sure Gina’s got everything under control, right?” I asked two festival staff members.
The male nodded. “Gina? She’s the best. Don’t think we’d a got better under the circumstances.”
The woman’s upper lip twitched, and I knew I’d get a different opinion from her. “It’s just awful, what happened to Traci, and I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I sure wish someone else would have taken the job instead.”
“Now sweetie, you know it’s wrong to speak ill of people like that.” He tugged on her sweater. “God don’t like that.”
She jerked her arm away from his grasp. “God don‘t like nobody with an ego the size of Texas neither, and that Gina Pal-however you say it, she’s got just that.”
I pushed for more. “I’m sorry, did something happen?”
“Girl just thinks she owns the festival. Thinks she can step in and do whatever she wants. Why, she changed the entire layout of the food trucks on a whim. Said she preferred them at the front of the lot instead of spread throughout, and that’s just stupid. People don’t got no reason to walk the full festival if there ain’t food in the back, ‘least in my opinion.”
She had a point. “Did anyone argue that point?”
She nodded. “A few of us spoke up, but she said it’s the way it is, and nothing is goin’ to change it. She’s wanting to move you too, but don’t see how that’s gonna work since you had the new grass put out and all.”
Gina wanted to move the pooch party area? “Where was she looking to move me?”
“To the back. Told everyone is would eliminate the risk of them dogs of yours hurting attendees. I told her those dogs ain’t the problem. People are the problem, just like them commercials say.”
I thanked them both and went on a search for Gina. I was livid, and I was surprised I couldn’t see the steam coming out from my ears because it sure felt like my head was going to explode.
I kept the dogs heeled closely to my sides and walked the entire fairgrounds in search of her and finally found her just before I’d about given up, back in a corner near the permanent restrooms on the far end of the lot.
With Jake Fielding’s hands holding onto her at the waist.
“Well look at that,” I said to the dogs. “Not at all what I expected to see.”
Allie wagged her tail, but Bandit wasn’t all that interested in Jake’s affairs. He’d spotted a small box turtle on the ground and was afraid to move.
Bandit feared frogs and box turtles because, you know, they were so vicious. I patted his bum and giggled. “Bandit, what’s it going to do, jump out of its shell and attack your nose?”
He kept silent, and Allie joined in on his curiosity, which gave me ample opportunity to catch a few words of the interesting couple’s conversation.
Chapter Eight
Justin chewed something while I listened on the other end of the line. “You heard what?” The munching and chomping sound made me cringe.
“Have you forgotten your manners?”
He stopped. After a few seconds of silence, which I assumed were used to swallow down whatever he’d been eating, he apologized. “Not everyone has a chance to take a meal break, and there’s been a murder, so suffice it to say, it’s been a busy week.”
I felt bad for giving him a hard time. After all, he was trying to help me. “I know. I’m sorry. What I said was I heard Jake Fielding and Gina Palencia in a—” I paused to find the right words. “Talking in a compromising position.”
“I’m going to need a little more than that, Mrs.—Missy.”
“He had his hands on her waist, and not in an aggressive way. I couldn’t hear everything they said because I was too far away, but I think I heard him tell her she was doing a great job, and he’d thank her…” I paused again. “In a way she’d enjoy immensely or something like that.” I shuddered as a strong sense of ick filled my gut. I wasn’t into public displays of affection at all, and between two people that could be involved in a murder just upped the ick factor miles high.
&
nbsp; “Did you hear anything specifically related to the pooch parties or the poisoning?”
I sighed. “No, I didn’t.”
“They could have been talking about anything. If you want them brought in, Bruno’s going to need more than a sketchy conversation. And he’s already cleared Fielding.”
“But he hasn’t cleared Gina. Maybe they’re lovers and she’s doing his dirty work? Or maybe she wanted Traci out of the picture?”
“I can mention it to Bruno, but I can’t guarantee he’ll do anything with it.” He coughed. “Other than tell you to stay out of his investigation.”
“I’m not in his investigation. I was merely walking through the fairgrounds and saw something questionable between two people directly involved with a murder victim. It’s my duty as a citizen to inform the police.”
“You can swing it any way you want, but you’re saying the same thing I am.”
He was right. “So, what do I do?”
“Ideally, you should let the police do their job, but I have a feeling that’s out of the question.”
“Justin, whoever killed Traci Fielding tried to kill me, too. I don’t question that. The incidents weren’t separate, and if the police don’t put it together, then someone has to.”
He exhaled. “Let me dig into Gina a little further. I’ll see if she has a history of, I…I don’t know. Just a history, I guess. I’ll get back to you.”
“Thank you.”
“In the meantime, do me a favor and keep your head down and as far away from this as possible, please? For Hayden’s sake. Like I’ve said a few times already, she can’t lose you.”
“Understood.”
After we hung up, I thanked God that Hayden had someone watching over her.
Two hours later, Justin texted and asked to meet me. Since I was still at the fairgrounds, he said he’d come there. Less than ten minutes later, he was at the pooch party section, dressed in his police uniform.
He sat next to me, and I raised my eyebrow. “Don’t you think you coming here in a professional capacity will look suspicious?”
“Why? Your event was vandalized, and I’m here following up.” He pushed his chair closer to mine and watched as Allie and Bandit ran around the turf playing with a ball. “I pulled up some interesting information on that person you asked about.”
“Do tell.”
“Seems she’s had some issues in her previous state.”
“Really? What kind of issues?”
Bandit brought him the ball and he tossed it across the turf. Both dogs went running, but Allie ran past it, not interested in getting the ball, just having fun running for it and distracting Bandit.
He leaned onto the back of the chair and tilted his body toward me. With his arms casually folded across his chest, he spoke softly. “Two 9-1-1 calls for domestic disturbances, but no charges filed.”
“What happened?”
“Looks like it was a boyfriend. Accused her of hitting him and threatening to poison him.”
My eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
He nodded.
I fought back the urge to jump up and cheer. “So, what do we do? Did you talk to the detective?”
“He’s meeting us here.”
As he said that, I glanced around my circle of vision, but I didn’t see Detective Bruno anywhere. “When?”
He checked his watch. “Five minutes. But before he gets here, I need to prepare you. He’s not going to be happy I’ve told you. It’s his investigation, not mine.”
“But if it helps to solve a murder, what does it matter?”
“Telling a citizen about a possible connection in a murder investigation goes against policy. And I should have given him a heads up that I was looking into her.”
“Can you get in trouble?”
He shook his head. “It’s an active investigation. It’s just not mine. It wasn’t cool, but I out rank him, so if he takes his ego out of it, it should be fine.”
“I’ll take responsibility. Tell him I pressured you to help me.”
He laughed. “If I fall to the pressure of a local dog shelter volunteer, I shouldn’t be a cop, let alone a lieutenant.”
He had a point.
Bruno stepped into the pooch party area, and I bounded from my seat to greet him. “Detective, I…I…Justin was just trying to—”
Justin stood and stopped me from very likely making the situation worse than it was. “Bruno, I came across some information you should know.”
We discussed what Justin had discovered, and to my surprise, Detective Bruno wasn’t upset. He made direct eye contact with me. “Why didn’t you come to me with your suspicions?”
“I wanted to but honestly, you’re not the easiest person to be around,” I said without any hesitation.
Justin coughed.
Bruno nodded. “You’re not the first person to say that, ma’am.”
Justin laughed out loud that time, and I smiled, then I relayed my recent experiences with Gina to the detective and Justin told him what he’d found.
Bruno asked me if I’d noticed anything about Gina when I saw her, but I wasn’t sure what he meant.
He tipped his head back and checked behind him. “What she was wearing? Her body language with Mr. Fielding?”
I closed my eyes to create an image, but I couldn’t come up with anything. “I’m sure she’s still here. I could try and text her if you’d like?”
He shook his head. “No need. I’ll make my rounds and see if I can find her.”
Justin said, “Less suspicious that way.”
I nodded.
“Mrs. Kingston, I appreciate you providing information, but I don’t want you doing anything that might get you hurt. There’s already been a threat to your life. You need to stay out of the investigation.”
“So, you think it was a threat against me?”
“We’re treating it as such whether it was or not. I can’t say for sure, but I can ask that you keep out of my investigation.”
“You can’t say they aren’t either. In fact, you just said—"
“I’m aware of what I just said. For now, I ask that you do what you must to keep yourself safe, and stay away from those who might be suspects in a murder.”
Justin faced me. “Missy, he’s right. You need to be careful. Let the police handle it from here.”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “It’s getting late. I’ve got to get to the shelter.” I nodded at the two men. “Thank you for your concern.”
I called the pups over, made sure their collars were secure, and we all headed to my car. On my way out, I ran into Jake Fielding.
“Missy.” He smiled, and it made my stomach churn in an unpleasant way. “How’s the dog event coming along? You ready for the festival?”
I nodded. “I’m surprised to see you here considering…”
He flinched. “I’ve been cleared as a suspect, and I thought it my duty to make sure Traci’s event, one she’d worked hard to make a success, stayed true to her goals.”
I laughed. “Really? You want to help the woman you’re cheating on, the woman you wanted to divorce?”
His eyes darkened. “You don’t know the nature of our relationship, Mrs. Kingston.”
“Maybe not, but I do know you’re the last person Traci would want ensuring the integrity of her event.” I made sure to look him straight in the eye. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what Traci would have wanted, but I had a strong feeling I was right because it’s what I would have wanted in the situation.
“That may be true, and perhaps this is my way of making amends.”
“If that works for you.”
“Mrs. Kingston, you think I killed my wife, don’t you?”
“My thoughts are none of your business.”
“Of course, but I can assure you, as I have before, I did not kill Traci, and I certainly didn’t smash those poisoned pumpkins on your turf. I have no issue with you.”
“Tell me, were you sleeping with Gina Palencia before Traci died, or is that something new?”
He winced. “My private life is of none of your concern.”
“I’ll take that as a before. And Mr. Fielding, let me just say this. If you’re doing something to stop my pooch party program, if you’re in any way involved in that, I’ll do whatever’s necessary to stop you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”
I smiled. “If you’re not involved, then no.”
“Mrs. Kingston, I have no problem with your little shelter program. In fact, I’ve told Gina it’s a great idea, and she shouldn’t be worried about it being an issue at the festival.”
I didn’t believe him, but that didn’t matter. I needed to stop talking before I said something I shouldn’t. “Have a nice day, Mr. Fielding.” As I turned to leave, he stopped me with a tight grip on my upper arm. I jerked it away. “Keep your hands off me, Jake.”
He pulled his arm back and held his hands up in front of his body. “Missy, you’re right. Someone is trying to take down your program, but it’s not Gina. Trust me on that.”
Jennifer Lee rushed up behind me as I maneuvered the dogs into my car. “Missy, wait up.”
I flipped around and saw her breathing heavily. “Hi, Jennifer.”
“I…I…” She paused and caught her breath. “I’m out of shape, that’s what I am.”
I smirked. “Dogs will change that up right away.”
“Yes, I suspect they would.” She held her hand toward the open hatch of my vehicle and let the dogs sniff it. “I saw you talking to Jake. Neither of you looked happy.”
“I’m fine but thank you for your concern.” I wasn’t sure where she was going with the conversation, but I wasn’t going to shut the door and let her think I was leaving. I wanted to see what she had to say.
“Have you heard anything else about Traci’s murder? Is Jake a suspect still?”
“I don’t really know. I’m not involved in the investigation.” I had no intention of telling her anything.
“Oh, no. Of…of course not. I just thought maybe you’d been told something because of what happened to your section of the—”
Pooches, Pumpkins, and Poison Page 9