Paw and Order

by V. M. Burns

  We shrugged.

  Monica Jill sighed. “I have to say, I didn’t really like Mary and Fergus and I got the distinct impression they think they’ll inherit.” She frowned. “I didn’t want to disappoint them, but I think they have certain…expectations.”

  Stephanie shook her head. “They may have expectations, but from what I gathered from Eli, ah…Mr. Goldstein, it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to contest the will.” She glanced at Monica Jill. “I’m sorry, were you done?”

  “Oh yes. That’s all I got. You go right on ahead.” Monica Jill took a sip of her water.

  “Eli didn’t want to share the contents of Archibald Lowry’s will, but he did say apart from a few legacies for the housekeeper, butler and a few others, the majority of his money was slated to go to various charities.”

  “Nothing for the cousins?” Dixie asked.

  Stephanie shrugged. “Not that he mentioned. However, on Monday I can go and get a copy from the probate court.”

  Dr. Morgan raised his hand to go next. When he’d returned to check on the calf, he’d had a chance to talk to Mai. “Mai hasn’t been on the estate long, but she mentioned there are some really strange things going on.”

  “Strange how?” Dixie asked.

  “She said Archibald Lowry wanted her to sell the stock.”

  “What’s unusual about that?” I asked. “I don’t know anything about farms or animals, but surely people do that all of the time?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “He probably got in over his head with all of his Scottish Laird business,” Stephanie said.

  Dr. Morgan frowned. “That’s what I said, but the weird thing is that he didn’t want her to tell anyone she was selling them.”

  “Why would he do that?” I looked around.

  Dixie shook her head.

  Monica Jill frowned. “I’ve had people who want to buy land anonymously, because they’re afraid the price will go up, but I’ve never heard of selling stock anonymously.”

  “Did she know if he was planning to move?” I asked.

  Dr. Morgan shook his head. “Apparently Archibald Lowry wasn’t forthcoming when it came to the hired help.” He blushed. “I asked her out to dinner next week and I’ll try to find out more then.”

  B.J. smiled. “Aww…shookie shookie.”

  Mr. Morgan’s color deepened. “I’m merely trying to do my part toward the investigation.”

  “Of course, you are.” Monica Jill smiled and gave his arm a squeeze. “I’m really happy for you. She’s just the cutest little thing.”

  Dixie shared the incident we witnessed between the butler and chauffeur. We were going to try and get a word with the housekeeper before it was time to leave to get dressed for tonight’s festivities.

  I stood up and that’s when someone outside screamed.

  We rushed from the RV to see that a crowd had gathered near a portable john. We pushed our way past everyone only to see Paul Carpenter take a few steps, stumble forward and then collapse on the ground. Similar to Archibald Lowry, he had a large amount of blood around his chest.

  Dr. Morgan pushed his way through the crowd, knelt down and felt for a pulse. After a few minutes, he shook his head. “He’s dead.”

  Dixie placed her head in her hands. “Not again.”

  Chapter 11

  By the time Red arrived on the scene, we had our hands full trying to keep people from leaving and still maintaining the integrity of the crime scene. Dixie, normally so calm cool and collected, was a nervous wreck. Not only was there a dead body blocking one of only two portable johns, but her big fundraising event was being ruined.

  I looked at my friend’s face as she sat at her RV dining table. “I’m sure everything will turn out okay in the end.”

  Dixie glanced in my direction. She was silent, but her face spoke volumes.

  I reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze. “Surely, no one will blame you for this.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “The buck stops here.” After a few seconds, she laughed. “Buck…get it? All of the bucks for the poodle rescue are stopping here.”

  I squeezed her hand tighter. “No, they haven’t. Now, pull yourself together or I might have to smack some sense into you the same way you did for me once.”

  She gave me a half-hearted smile. “Okay, Hercule. What do you have in mind?”

  I didn’t have anything in mind, so I sat up and forced my gray cells to get busy. “We know B.J. thought Paul Carpenter might be planning to blackmail someone.” I turned to B.J. who nodded.

  “Yeah, so what?” B.J. asked. “We don’t know who.”

  I gave B.J. a sideways look that said you’re not helping.

  “Sorry.” She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.

  Dixie sighed. “B.J.’s right. We don’t have any idea who he was going to blackmail. We don’t know anything.”

  Even though the comments were defeatist, they stimulated something in my brain. “We may not know specifically who he was planning to blackmail, but we can definitely narrow things down.”

  “How?” Dixie asked tentatively.

  “B.J. said he mentioned he knew things about people.” I turned to B.J. who nodded. “Well, that eliminates the majority of the people here today.”

  Monica Jill sat up straight in her chair. “That’s right. It would have to be someone that he had already come into contact with.”

  I reached into my purse and pulled out a notepad and pen. “Let’s write down our suspects.”

  B.J. leaned forward. “That shady looking butler would be at the top of my list.”

  “Ivan Bradington.” I wrote his name on the paper.

  Monica Jill glanced at Stephanie. “I’m not sure what was going on between him and that hunk of an attorney.”

  “Eli Goldstein.” I resisted the urge to glance at Stephanie.

  “I asked Eli about that,” Stephanie said. “He said Carpenter was angry because he had some idea that Lowry was going to leave him a legacy in his will.”

  I glanced at Stephanie. “Did he?”

  She shook her head. “Eli said Lowry left the chauffeur a couple thousand dollars, but apparently Carpenter was expecting more.”

  “What about the Kilpatricks?” Monica Jill asked. “He would have driven them around and he might have heard something.” I added their names to the list. “He could have overheard them plotting to murder their cousin.” I tapped my pen on the table. “I wonder if they’re included in the will.” I glanced at Stephanie.

  She shrugged. “I’ll know tomorrow. I don’t want to ask Eli.” She blushed. “You might as well go ahead and add his name to the list too.”

  I hesitated a half second and then added the lawyer to the list. “You’re right. We can’t eliminate anyone at this point in the game.” I looked around and waited.

  Dixie sighed. “We should put Mrs. Huntington on the list. I mean, she seems harmless enough, but…a little nervous.”

  “Wouldn’t you be nervous if your boss and one of your coworkers were just murdered?” B.J. asked.

  We looked at each other, but no one had a response to that. After a few moments, Dixie asked, “Who was that redheaded woman I saw you staring at before we went into the tent for lunch?”

  “Fiona Darling.” I wrote the name with a flourish. I explained how I’d met Fiona at the cocktail party.

  Monica Jill frowned. “Just because she found Archibald Lowry’s body doesn’t mean that she knew him.” She hesitated. “I mean, she might just be curious about dogs.”

  “That woman doesn’t know a poodle from a Golden Retriever.” I ignored the voice whispering in my head that just a few months ago, I barely knew the difference between the two breeds myself. I glanced up at Dixie and noticed the corners of her mouth twitching. “Don’t even think about
laughing at me.”

  Dixie hesitated a few seconds but then burst out laughing. It wasn’t long before the others joined her. After a few seconds, I started laughing too. “Okay, I will admit that I might be just the tiniest bit jealous of her drop-dead gorgeous looks and mane of thick hair, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t kill Lowry and his chauffeur.”

  I think the laughter worked its magic. Dixie’s cheeks had regained some of their color and her eyes were a little brighter.

  I smiled at my friend. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…”

  Dixie smiled. “Proverbs 17:22.”

  We chatted a bit longer. “Why do I feel like I’m missing someone or something?”

  Monica Jill gasped. “Oh my God.” She looked around with a sad expression. “We forgot Mai. Although I can’t believe that petite little thing had anything to do with killing either one of those men.” She shook her head. “Nope, I don’t believe it.”

  “Petite doesn’t mean weak.” Dixie glanced around. “As a gamekeeper, I’m sure she’s had to deal with a lot of animals and that requires strength.”

  I sighed and added Mai Nguyen to our list of suspects.

  “Did you see the way Dr. Morgan blushed when he was talking about her?” Monica Jill asked.

  We all nodded.

  “It’s just so cute.”

  “What’s cute?”

  I was so engrossed in our conversation and didn’t hear Dr. Morgan enter the RV. I scrambled to cover the list of names with my arms without appearing to hide them. Based on the look his face, I knew I had failed.

  He walked over to the table and slid the sheet of paper from under my arm. He looked at the sheet and I noticed a slight flush rise up the back of his neck. He placed the sheet back on the table, poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down without saying a word.

  I tried to think of something to say to relieve the awkward silence, but nothing came to mind. I glanced at Dixie.

  She picked up a sandwich and holding it like a carrot, she did a Bugs Bunny impersonation. “What’s up, doc?”

  Once again, we all laughed and the mood lightened.

  “What can you tell us about Paul Carpenter’s murder,” I asked when we had composed ourselves.

  “He was stabbed with a thin, sharp object,” Dr. Morgan replied.

  “Would a woman be able to do it?” I asked.

  “I’ll know for sure when I get the body to the morgue, but I’d say yes. It looks like it was caused by a really sharp blade, like a scalpel.”

  We talked for several minutes. When there was a lag in the conversation, Dr. Morgan cleared his throat. “Look, I know you’re all thinking that I’m too close to one of the suspects to be objective.” He colored. “However, I assure you that I am fully capable of doing my part to investigate this murder and will do everything in my power to bring the killer to justice.” He coughed. “No matter who it is.”

  Everyone started talking at once in an effort to reassure him, but we stopped when he held up a hand.

  “Thank you,” Dixie said and reached across the table to pat the doctor’s hand.

  Each of us did a similar gesture of reassurance. After that was over, there was another awkward silence until B.J. broke it by asking, “Okay, now that the love fest is over, what’s the plan?”

  Everyone turned to me.

  “We all have our suspects. I say we continue on. We each will question someone on the list and then we’ll all meet after dog class on Tuesday and compare notes.” I glanced around.

  Everyone nodded except B.J. “Wait, my suspect is dead. I need someone else.”

  I looked down at the sheet. “I think you should tackle Fiona Darling. She’s a private investigator.” I looked at B.J. “Insurance companies hire private investigators sometimes, right?”

  She nodded. “Oh yes. In fact, I have an arson claim that I need an investigator for now.”

  “Great, then it all worked out perfectly.”

  “What worked out perfectly?”

  I nearly jumped out of my skin at Red’s voice. “You scared me.”

  He stared. “Guilty conscience?”

  Monica Jill got up and walked over to the cabinet. “Can I pour you a cup of coffee?”

  B.J. slid the papers we’d been writing on under the table, folded them and slipped them over to me.

  I felt Stephanie’s hand touch my leg and I slid the papers to her.

  “Please tell me I can have my silent auction?” Dixie pleaded.

  Red shrugged. “You can have your auction.”

  Dixie’s face lit up and she started to rise, but something in Red’s manner stopped her.

  “You can have your auction next week.”

  She flopped down.

  His face softened. “I’m sorry, but we have an active crime scene here. Besides, I’m not sure it’s safe to hold the auction tonight.” He paused. “Give us some time to find this murderer. Just give me one week, okay?”

  Dixie released a heavy sigh. “I don’t suppose I have much choice.”

  Red smiled. “Actually, you don’t but I appreciate your cooperation.”

  Addison and Beau entered the RV with the dogs. “We’re getting pretty good at this.” Beau smiled down at his new helper.

  Addison held the two small poodles, Rex and Aggie, and gently placed them on the floor with the larger dogs.

  The dogs crowded the water dishes that were placed in the kitchen area.

  B.J and Dr. Morgan took their dogs and made a quick exit. Monica Jill, Addison and Jac were the next to leave and that reduced the noise and energy level in the RV instantly.

  I turned to Beau. “How on earth did you two manage eight dogs at once?”

  He smiled. “I’ll have you know I’m a highly skilled dog wrangler.” He chuckled. After a few minutes he added, “Addison and I decided to divide and conquer. The larger dogs are all fairly well-behaved, plus Chyna and Leia clip together.” He held up a “Y” shaped leash. “They walked on one side, while Lucky walked on the other one. Addison took Jac and Snoball.”

  I was about to speak when Beau held up a hand. “Don’t worry, we didn’t forget Aggie and Rex.” That’s when he held up a backpack looking harness which allowed the dogs to fit in a pouch on his chest. “It’s easier to wear the smaller dogs.”

  I smiled. “That’s great, but what about Max?”

  “Dr. Morgan took Max with him.”

  “If Addison was able to handle Snoball and Jac, then she’s got some serious dog handling skills. That Jac is a handful,” Dixie said.

  He smiled. “Jac was the challenge. That dog has unlimited energy. For him, I had something special.” He stepped outside. He hefted a large crate on a folding cart. There were bungee cords that secured the crate in place.

  “That’s ingenious.” I stared.

  Dixie smiled as she watched Beau fold the crate and cart flat and slide it into a closet. “I almost forgot we had that. There’s so much equipment that you have to bring to dog shows that most competitors have something like that. Wheeled crates, stackable crates, and all kinds of wagons and other contraptions to help reduce the number of trips.”

  We chatted a bit longer. After a while, I turned to Red. “Are we free to go home?”

  He nodded. “I know where to find you if I have questions.” He kissed me briefly. Before he pulled away, he leaned close and whispered, “Be careful with your sleuthing.”

  I pulled away and tried to look as innocent as possible. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Look, I know I can’t stop you, but I would be remiss in my duties as a law enforcement officer if I didn’t at least warn you.” He held my chin and looked me in the eyes. “Please, be careful. There’s a murderer out there. He’s killed twice and gotten away with it.” He paused and caressed my che
ek. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  I nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

  Dixie and Beau drove Stephanie and me home in the RV. I knew Dixie was disappointed that the auction had to be postponed. However, I had to admit it was nice to sit down and relax.

  Stephanie and I ordered a pizza and ate it in on the back deck. It was getting dark, but I had bug lights and we burned a citronella candle to keep the mosquitos away. It was cool, but it felt nice to sit and enjoy each other’s company.

  We sat quietly and just enjoyed the silence together. It was good to have my daughter here. Stephanie had lived on her own for years, but whenever she came to visit, it felt like a comfortable sweater. We were able to sit in peace without feeling the need to fill the silence with words. The dogs played and ate and eventually curled up together on the deck and rested.

  I watched their chests rise and fall and tried to remember what my life had been like before Aggie. That little dog had wiggled her way into my heart. When she looked up at me with those big brown eyes filled with love and adoration, I knew what unconditional love must feel like. I thought about my life when I was married to Stephanie’s father, before he left me for an exotic dancer who was younger than our children. I couldn’t remember what that was like. I don’t mean I couldn’t remember Albert. I remembered the house where we lived in Lighthouse Dunes. I remembered what he looked like. I remembered being there, but I couldn’t recall peaceful moments like this where I was content and happy to sit and enjoy the silence. I couldn’t remember feeling useful apart from cooking, cleaning and taxiing kids from drama class to debate club or soccer practice. I couldn’t remember a time when I felt content and useful because of the work I was doing. I’m sure there must have been those moments, but I couldn’t remember them. My life before moving to Chattanooga felt more like a movie reel. It was something I endured, not something I enjoyed. I thought about Red and tried to remember when Albert had looked at me like a man looks at a woman he truly cares about, but those looks, if they had ever existed, had floated away like the smoke from a citronella candle.

  Stephanie sighed several times. After the third or fourth sigh I asked, “Is something bothering you?”