Dogs and More Dogs, Another Murder

by Christa Nardi

  The chief’s mouth flattened out and he hesitated before he responded. “Please let me know what the arrangements are tomorrow. Will one o’clock work for everyone?” We all nodded. “Then let’s get out of here.”

  He stopped to talk to the officer after closing the door. We headed home, tired and in need of showers.

  CHAPTER 24

  Sunday morning was intentionally laid back and a breakfast casserole made food preparation a breeze. Brett immediately went into the garage to work on organization, a seemingly never ending task. No surprise, Maddie slept as I pulled all the laundry together, changed sheets, and cleaned up the kitchen. Charlie hung out with me. Bella had gone back to bed with Maddie.

  Pleased with my progress, I relaxed on the couch and tried to think through the last few days, connecting all the players. I jumped up when I remembered something Mrs. Chantilly said.

  “Did I scare you? I didn’t mean to.” Brett tilted his head, hands up as he joined me.

  “No. No, you didn’t scare me. I just remembered something Mrs. Chantilly said. How did she know Jacob didn’t like dogs?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe she was remembering from when he was a child? Or confused Jacob and Herman?”

  My excitement deflated, I sat back down. “I guess that’s possible. It’s always hard to get a time frame when she says something. I may ask about it just to be sure. We may have to stop there again to see how things are going before we go to the Stoneham house.”

  “And Maddie? We still in agreement she stays home and works on her room, her closet, and her laundry? I’m not thinking we’ll be there more than three hours. If we don’t find the safe before then, I’ll chalk it up to his imagination.”

  “I think you’re right and they’ll need to figure out what they want to keep or sell or give away.”

  “Sher, please don’t go over there without the chief or me or someone else. I’m less than impressed with Jacob’s attitudes or behavior. He’s a potential danger.”

  “Agreed. Even if he didn’t kill her, he isn’t one of the good guys, either. Tomorrow I have meetings at Millicent most of the day anyway. I told Helen I’d go to the memorial on Tuesday. Kind of cold, if you ask me, that Jacob’s already leaving – and leaving the work for Helen.”

  “He may have to for his job though. Most employers only allow a limited number of days for a death in the family. We don’t know his situation.”

  I nodded as Maddie joined us. With directions to the casserole, she ate and we reminded her of her chores. She groaned but our united front was too strong. We left her with a to-do list and drove to Pets and Paws. Inside it was busy, Mrs. Chantilly smiling and carrying her famous homemade dog biscuits as she bounced from room to room.

  “Well, hello, Sheridan, Brett? Have you reconsidered getting another dog? We have a great variety.”

  “Afraid not, Mrs. Chantilly. Charlie and Bella are more than enough. We just wanted to stop by and see how things were going.”

  “Have you cleared Lacie yet? The dogs are doing fine. An adoption day will do the trick. We’ve already had interest in the puppies. Maybe I should bring one of Justine’s dogs to the memorial.” She shook her head. “No, Jacob would be upset.”

  Brett poked me. “Jacob? As in Herman and Justine’s son?”

  “Oh, yes. Rosco doesn’t like him at all. Growled. Bared his teeth. That quiet, gentle dog. But then Jacob was yelling and his language? I think Rosco was offended. Luke managed to get him calmed down – Rosco that is. Then that nice lady came and Rosco was so happy. Sometimes you have to let them go. Blake says I need to let Lacie go.”

  I opened my mouth and closed it, trying to formulate the right question. “Was Jacob here this past week? I didn’t see him.”

  “Of course, what do you think I’ve been telling you? He is not like a fine wine. Did not improve with age. I’m not a drinker – I don’t really know how true it is about wine. Do you lovebirds drink wine?”

  “Occasionally. I wonder why he came by?”

  “Yelling, screaming. Luke was here and walking Rosco. It was … I don’t know. It’s time to make biscuits. Luke’s in charge of the volunteer schedule. He’s doing just a wonderful job.” She smiled and walked away, head high. Luke had walked up and nodded.

  Brett and I turned to Luke. He dragged his hand across his face.

  “You want to know about Jacob and Rosco?” He spoke very quietly, his eyes on Mrs. Chantilly’s disappearing back.

  We nodded and he continued. “I came around the side of the house with Rosco – he was happy, full of energy and we both needed the exercise.”

  He shrugged, almost apologetic. “This man was waving his arms and screaming at Mrs. C, saying it was all her fault. He wasn’t making much sense – he argued that Justine was copying her. Rosco started growling before I could even see who it was.”

  He shook his head. “They came into view and Jacob took a step closer. I could barely hold onto Rosco. He went ballistic. Jacob jumped back, grabbed his arm, and dove for his car. Couldn’t get out of here fast enough. As soon as he was in the car and out of sight, Rosco stopped trying to get to him but he growled until the car left.”

  Brett and I exchanged glances. “Do you remember what day that was?”

  He shrugged. “Those days after the first batch of dogs, more dogs, and then they found Justine, and then still more dogs? Sorry, I lost track of what day it was. Somewhere in the middle of the chaos. Somehow when nobody else was here. Not you, not Blake, not Lacie.” He hung his head.

  “Luke, you were sleep walking part of that time. If not for you…”

  “Young man, you did more than you had to. Don’t beat yourself up over not remembering who did what when.”

  He hung his head. “Thanks. Only I still can’t …I think I blacked out or something. I was busy logging in dogs that first day and keeping track. You were here Dr. H., and Ms. Melina, tagging the dogs. You all left and I did a quick check in the garage and then took care of our dogs, the mamas and pups, and the smaller ones. By then I figured I needed to do one more check of the garage.”

  He looked away and then shrugged. “There were like six dogs, not even in crates. All huddled in the corner, shaking. I don’t remember bringing them down there – they hadn’t been bathed or fed. They weren’t on my log, but there they were. One of them had a broken leg. That’s why I called him Ghost.”

  I knew my eyes widened and Brett showed the same surprise I felt. Covering for my surprise, I tried to make him feel better, even if it didn’t make any more sense to me than to him.

  “You called it chaos before and that’s the best description.”

  Brett cleared his throat. “Luke, was the garage door locked?”

  “The main garage door was down, except for the last couple inches. The back door was unlocked and the vents were open. The garage is heated and we wanted to be sure there was air circulation and easy access if there was a problem. Mrs. C. didn’t remember the last time the heater had been used. The plan was for me to check on them and the heater before I left, grab a couple of hours sleep, and then come back early.”

  He turned to me. “You know how that turned out.”

  “You never left or slept. You took care of those other dogs, didn’t you? Again, you did more than anyone for these dogs and Mrs. C. How long do you think you were tied up in the house before you went back to check?”

  “Two hours. Maybe a little more.”

  “Had Lacie stopped in before then?”

  He grimaced. “She stopped by briefly to check in with Mrs. C. They went down to the garage together. Then she left, promising to return the next day. She insulted me and called me one of Mrs. C.’s rescues. Like she should talk. Mean-spirited and cold.”

  Brett nodded and then glanced at his watch. “Alarm just went off – we need to book.”

  I gave Luke a half hug and Brett patted his shoulder as we left. He was no longer the cocky, entitled, and obnoxious teen of last summer.

&nbs
p; CHAPTER 25

  By the time we reached the Stoneham house, it was a little past one o’clock. Three other cars beat us there. We didn’t spot the police officer on guard and went inside. Voices drifted down from upstairs, mostly Jacob’s, loud and hostile.

  “… what if the will was in that envelope? Police are crooked. You stupid…”

  “Mind your language, Mr. Stoneham. The envelope was turned over to appropriate authorities along with your contact information. Obviously, the attorney was contacted and in turn got in touch with both of you.”

  We made it up the stairs as Chief Peabody finished. His face was flushed and Helen was cowering. Preston, the officer from the first day, stood on alert, his hand hovering near his gun. He nodded as we approached.

  “Any luck finding that safe yet?” Brett asked, immediately taking the attention off of Jacob and the chief.

  The chief’s stance relaxed. “Nope. We were about to explain to Jacob about the brigade to get all these boxes out of here and downstairs. Sheridan, can you and Helen handle downstairs and Preston here will help with the dumpster.”

  I smiled my best fake smile and reached for Helen’s arm. She didn’t need any encouragement. She slid behind Preston, never taking her eyes off her brother. We headed downstairs, Preston behind us. Brett had the last leg of the brigade to get boxes to us and grimaced as he brought down the first box.

  As Helen and I worked, I tried to make conversation. Small talk isn’t my strength though.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “Okay. I talked to my son and daughter last night. They weren’t close to their grandparents but it was good to talk to them and talk out some of my confusion. Both encouraged me to stand up to Jacob.”

  “At the very least, Helen, you need to protect yourself and your interests. Have you given any thought to getting an attorney?”

  She smiled. “I mentioned that to my son and he found one for me. I’ll be talking to her tomorrow morning.” She shook her head.

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “Just when I was feeling a little more in control, Jacob called. He started yelling how he needed money. He went on and on about how Justine got in the way of his getting the house and property. Our parents are dead and that’s all he can talk about. I don’t want to deal with him. He’s so angry. He scares me.”

  I nodded. There wasn’t much I could say. As if it would make a difference, Helen and I attacked the boxes with renewed vigor until Preston came in and looked upstairs. I raised my eyebrows and he signaled out the window. A man in a suit was walking toward the patio, briefcase in hand. I immediately pegged him as an attorney. I was wrong. Preston moved to the stairwell and took the next box from Brett.

  “Can you let Mr. Stoneham know someone from JJ Properties is here for him?”

  Brett glanced past us and out the window, nodded, and disappeared. In a few minutes, the chief and Jacob came back down. Not surprisingly, only the chief carried a box down. Jacob marched past Helen and me without a word and the chief clenched his jaw.

  The chief turned to Helen. “Helen, this may concern you. I think you need to step outside, too.”

  She looked to me and I went with her.

  “… Benjamin Jordan, Mr. Stoneham. Call me Ben. We were sorry to hear of your loss yet happy to be of service in helping you resolve… er, address… the property so you can move on with your life. Shall we?” He waved his arm toward the house and I stifled a laugh.

  Jacob faltered. “I’m … I’m afraid there are some complications here. You might have noticed the police officer. I wasn’t aware of these things when I called.”

  That was the chief’s cue. “I’m Chief Peabody, Mr. Jordan. A woman was murdered here and it is still a crime scene. The other thing Mr. Stoneham may not have mentioned is the absence of legally binding documents giving him full rights to dispose of property without the agreement of his sister, Helen.” He extended his arm in Helen’s direction.

  Jacob’s face got red and Mr. Jordan took a step backward. “In that case, I guess any discussion at this time is premature. Please contact our office when ownership is resolved.” His nose twitched and he turned, disappearing down the driveway.

  “Any headway upstairs?” I asked, hoping to diffuse Jacob’s rising anger.

  “Only another five or six boxes and we should be able to get into the closet.” The chief shrugged. “I just hope there aren’t more boxes in the closet, blocking this supposed safe.”

  Jacob took a step forward – matched quickly by Brett and Preston. “It’s there. I remember it. He kept his guns and ammo and papers in it.”

  “Let’s go find it then.”

  I watched as they marched in. It wasn’t too much longer and Brett brought down yet another box.

  “We found the safe. A small gun safe in the back of the closet. Either Jacob doesn’t know the combination or he won’t tell anyone. Peabody keeps trying birthdays, wedding dates. Helen, do you have any idea what numeric combination your dad might have used?”

  “No. Afraid not. Did they try something as simple as 1-2-3-4?”

  Brett’s mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh. “Your father was smart enough to change it. On the plus side, we found a key to the house in the bathroom. The door can be locked now and Chief Peabody will hold the key.”

  I nodded and Helen added, “That’s good. I never had a key. I’m not sure about Jacob. He certainly hasn’t volunteered that he has a key.”

  We heard grumbling and all three of us watched as the chief came down the stairs, Jacob ranting at him.

  “This is my house. I should have the key. I don’t care what you say.”

  “Mr. Stoneham, until the courts tell me otherwise, I am keeping the key. We will lock the door as we walk out. Personally, I want to go home and catch the football game.”

  Brett nodded. “We need to get home as well and a football game sounds good.”

  I groaned for effect, though I would be watching with him. Most importantly, it was time to leave and see what was happening with Maddie.

  At home, we found Maddie asleep on the couch, Bella in her arms and Charlie at her feet. Charlie immediately headed to the back door and I managed to get Bella free without waking Maddie. I put on coffee and started to get dinner ready. Brett joined me within minutes, smiling.

  “I’m impressed. It looks like she did everything on the list. The laundry’s done, her room’s clean, and her bed’s made. It looks like she even dusted and vacuumed.”

  “So it would pass the white glove test, huh? No wonder she’s sleeping. Early to bed for me tonight – early morning for boring meetings before the semester starts.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Brett took time off to attend the memorial with me on Tuesday. We had both become protective of Helen given her bully of a brother. As we drove into Oak Grove, it had the quaint appeal of older small towns. As we neared the town center, the houses were closer to the road and then were replaced with the Grove Inn, local stores, and then Joe’s Bar. We drove past the center of town and turned.

  The Crestview Eternal Resting Place was a family cemetery, with areas blocked off for future family members with pre-paid plots. Herman’s memorial service wasn’t publicized but some of the same people who pretended Herman and Justine didn’t exist in life showed up. That included Mrs. Chantilly, Blake and his wife, Mr. Jordan from JJ Properties, and others I didn’t recognize. Chief Peabody was there and joined us as we approached the gathering.

  He shook his head. “I stopped by the house this morning and someone broke into the house. They…” He made air quotes around “They” and continued, “Opened the safe. There were papers on the floor, including a family tree, an old Bible, and a map with property lines. No telling what else was or wasn’t in the safe.”

  He grunted and shifted his gaze in the direction of Helen and Jacob. “Not very smart or careful – we managed to get some prints.”

  He didn’t have time to say anything else as a h
ush fell over the small group. All eyes turned to Pastor Pete. Of all the people present, he was probably the one who had the strongest connection with Herman and Justine.

  “It is with sadness but also honor that I speak on this occasion. I’ve known Herman and Justine for many years – since I first came to Clover Hill. I watched them raise their children, now adults, and grow into their golden years.” He chuckled.

  “They came to church and participated in activities with the congregation, especially anytime there were hot dogs. Herman loved his hot dogs loaded with mustard. He lived a long and fulfilled life. Let us pray.”

  As Pastor Pete read scripture, I glanced around. Even though it was winter, the grave sites were well tended. There were obviously some gardens scattered throughout – likely they added color in the spring and summer. Trees created a fence of sorts around the area of the funeral. That’s when I spotted Lacie on the fringes, at first almost hidden in the trees and then walking toward us. I elbowed Brett and whispered, “Check out the tree line to my right.”

  He nodded as Pastor Pete ended with a brief prayer and offered condolences to family members. Neither Jacob nor Helen said anything and people began milling around, speaking quietly among themselves and with Helen. Brett and I slowly made our way to Jacob and Helen to offer our condolences formally. Mrs. Chantilly gravitated to Lacie and hugged her. The quiet peacefulness of the service held until Jacob shattered it.

  “You! This is your fault.” He bolted in the direction of Lacie and Mrs. Chantilly. Then he grabbed Lacie. “How dare you show up here? I could kill you.”

  He shook Lacie whose mouth dropped and eyes widened. Brett and the chief both interceded and pulled Jacob away, but not before Jacob nailed Brett in the jaw. Lacie stumbled, bumping into Mrs. Chantilly, who teetered backwards. A man I didn’t recognize stopped her from falling. Helen stepped away from Jacob and slipped behind me. Brett signaled me to stay put as he rubbed his jaw.