“Most people would call for paramedics. Did she want you to call them?”
“No. She was frantic, sure Jacob would sell the house out from under her. She was hysterical, but there was no doubt he was dead.”
“So what did you do?”
Lacie shrugged.
The chief exhaled. “Lacie, who helped Justine dress Herman and move him to the backyard and bury him?”
“I did. She was sure she’d be homeless if Jacob found out. We… we cleaned him up and put him in his suit first. She said a prayer over the grave.”
“I see. And did you keep helping Justine with housekeeping?”
“Only once in a while. Not often. Not in the last year.”
He pulled another page out of his file. I recognized my notes. “The dogs. What can you tell us about the dogs?”
“After Herman died, Justine kept calling – not for help. She was lonely. I suggested she get a dog. She’d always wanted a dog. She didn’t want to get one from Mrs. C. There was too much bad history with the Buchanan family and Clover Hill. I searched the internet and gave her information on dogs available and helped her get Rosie. I helped Justine call and order dog food and such over the phone. She’d go to Oak Grove to get groceries but there’s no pet store there and the grocer didn’t have much. Other than church, she and Herman avoided Clover Hill. A couple of weeks later, she told me she didn’t need my help as much now that it would just be her in the house and Rosie for company.” Lacie shrugged.
The chief pulled another page out and turned it so Lacie could see it. “This shows a call from her to you, again here at the station, two days before Justine was found.”
“She called me. She didn’t make a lot of sense. She was crying and said she needed my help. Something about a dog, but her speech was hard to understand. I chalked it up to a bad connection and told her I’d come by as soon as I could. That was Sunday, the day Preston called in sick and I worked a double. I didn’t get there until the next day after my shift.” She wrung her hands and her lips trembled.
“What did you find when you arrived?”
“Dogs. And more dogs. And one of them had a broken leg. I yelled for Justine. She didn’t answer. I went inside and … I can’t even describe it. I almost got sick. I yelled for her again and searched the house. She was dead – cold dead.”
“You didn’t think to report it?”
“There was nothing I could do for her. I focused on the dogs. I put the injured dog in my car. I drove my car past Blake Buchanan’s property and called for Bridgit and Butch until one came. It was Bridgit. I took her back to the house and showed her the puppies and dogs under the deck. Then I left and watched from the woods as Bridgit picked up a puppy and brought it to the Buchanan property.”
She sipped her coffee. “After I knew Blake had the puppy and saw him drive out to the Stoneham’s after Bridgit, I knew it was only a matter of time. I took the injured dog to my place and splinted his leg, fed him, and took care of him. I found some others the next day. I later snuck them into the garage at Mrs. C.’s so they could get more care.”
I gasped. No wonder Luke thought he was going crazy.
“Where did you find the others?”
“There’s a dirt road at the rear of the property. I knew Blake’s dogs hadn’t gotten that far yet, so I drove there to check it out and found them.”
“What can you tell us about Jacob and Helen?”
She snorted. “Jacob? He’s a piece of work. Sad excuse of a man. He scared Justine and Helen. Only because he was bigger, Herman stood up to him.”
“Anything else?”
She shook her head. I turned to the chief.
“Can I ask her a question?” He nodded.
“Lacie, did you write MYOB on my windshield and send a letter to my home? Slash my tire?”
She glared at me. “You just couldn’t let me alone and Mrs. C.? She prodded you. I left the message and sent the letter, yes. Lot of good it did. I didn’t slash your tire though.”
The chief looked at me and I nodded.
“I think that’s all Lacie. You can go home.”
She stood up, glared at me, and then left.
“Chief, why isn’t she under arrest?”
“Technically, I have no proof she committed a crime. Even the message on your car or the letter didn’t include a threat or involve damage.”
“Nonetheless, she knew about two deaths and didn’t report either of them.”
“It will be up to the prosecutor to decide if he wants to pursue it. There’s no indication she or Justine were disrespectful in burying Herman. No indication she contributed to the death. The legal glitch there is that Justine didn’t notify social security or the retirement agency – she collected money fraudulently. But there’s no indication Lacie benefited from that. She still may be charged in relation to the fraud. She didn’t admit to any consideration of social security or retirement monies though, only Jacob selling the house. And Lacie didn’t benefit from Justine’s death.”
“Huh?”
“There are loopholes in the laws regarding reporting a death. I looked it up and as long as they didn’t do something … something gruesome or disrespectful to the body, and the death didn’t result from a crime, there isn’t an actual law that says a person has to report a death. I’ll give this information to the prosecutor’s office and they’ll decide how to handle it.”
I nodded and stood up to leave. “What about he was buried in the backyard?”
“If it had been in Clover Hill, that would be against the zoning laws for sure. In another area, they would have to, at least note, the location of the burial on a map with the property clerk. It would depend on the jurisdiction and the applicable laws. Again, the prosecutor will have to sort through all the legal documents to determine what laws apply to that property to determine if that was a crime.”
He paused and then continued. “Bottom line, even with the fraud, Lacie didn’t incriminate herself. Thank you for sitting in. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from her. Anything stand out to you?”
“The timeline. I noticed the date of Justine’s call. Wasn’t that the day Jacob said he was there?”
“That’s correct.”
“If that call was after Jacob was there, that means she regained consciousness, at least long enough to make the call and go upstairs to lie down.”
He nodded. “We’ll never know if Justine was calling about herself, the injured dog, or both. Or if it would have made a difference if he’d called for help for her or if Lacie had.”
CHAPTER 30
We’d invited Angie, Alex and Karla over for dinner. Maddie needed an audience and help deciding on which of four songs to use for the audition.
Although the weather was a bit chilly, Brett decided to grill some steaks, mostly watching the grill from inside.
“Did they ever find homes for all those dogs?” Karla asked.
Maddie immediately replied, “Almost, but there are still some puppies left, and the mamas. Do you know anyone looking for a dog?”
We adults all laughed.
“You did a great job of setting the table. Why don’t you kids go watch television until everything’s ready?”
With that suggestion, they quickly disappeared, Maddie still talking about the dogs who needed homes. Brett smiled with obvious fatherly pride as he watched them leave. Then he turned to Angie and me.
“Wine, Angie? Sher and I often have a glass with dinner. Afraid we don’t have a lot of choices, mostly whites.”
She nodded and added, “White is fine. Is the murder solved?”
I groaned and Brett shrugged. “The legal system isn’t always simple. The son – Jacob – is being held for involuntary manslaughter, assault, and several other violations, including slashing Sheridan’s tire. Enough to keep him as guest of the district and the county. Now the attorneys will pull together all the evidence and decide which ones they will move forward with, given all available evidenc
e.”
“A son killing his own mother.” Angie shook her head. After a second’s hesitation, she asked, “What about Luke?”
I laughed. “Certainly a surprising change in attitude toward adults and compassion in six months’ time. His ability – and willingness – to step up in a crisis was impressive. Hopefully, with continued support from his parents and Blake, he’ll turn out okay.”
“His uncle’s behavior landed him in prison. That may have set a lot of changes into place with him, his parents, and Blake. That said, I still don’t want my daughter spending too much time around him unchaperoned.”
“Oh, Brett, I suspect you’re going to feel that way about most boys by the time Maddie’s fourteen. Even my Alex. It’s only natural. Hard to have daughters and hope everyone’s brought their sons up right. After her skating experience, Karla fancies she’s in love with Dan. I’m sure that will fade as she meets other boys, but it is always a concern with daughters.”
“It’s not too late to teach her some self-defense is it?”
We all laughed as the timer dinged and he bolted outside to check the steaks. Dinner was lively and switched from dogs and murder to auditions.
It was a simple meal with lots of laughter. Then audition time. What I didn’t realize was that Alex also was auditioning. He sang for us as well. A little biased, we all concluded they’d both get in. No surprise, we all preferred the songs from musicals.
***
What with everything going on, it was Thursday before I thought to call Helen and see what was happening. We met at the local coffee shop.
“Hi. How are you doing, Helen?”
“Good. Better. I’m not really sure.”
I chuckled. “A lot has happened very quickly.”
“Yes, and I’m working on getting as much settled as I can. I’ve talked to my daughter or son every day with updates. The memorial for my mother will be tomorrow. Just a quiet ceremony with Pastor Pete.”
I nodded. At least she’d have closure on both deaths. “Do you know what is going to happen with Jacob?”
“Yes. And no.” She shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. “His attorney is trying to work out a plea bargain. I don’t understand that whole process. And I talked to his wife. His drinking and gambling. She served him with divorce papers the week he came here. His behavior took a toll at work as well. He lost his job the same week.”
I waited and she continued. “I took your advice and contacted the estate attorney my son found. And you were correct. At the bank, with my signature on everything? I am the owner. Only all the accounts are frozen. Social security and the retirement program have to determine the difference between what has been paid and what my mother would have gotten if they had been informed when my father had died. Then penalties may apply. And they may be charging Lacie with fraud.” She shrugged. “It’s all up in the air. I’ll have to come back for both if they go to trial.”
She took a deep breath. “Hopefully, there’s enough money in the accounts to cover the penalties and my attorney’s fees. As far as I can tell, my parents lived very frugally and there should be.”
I cringed. Hopefully, she wouldn’t end up owing money on top of everything else. “What about the house?”
“My attorney’s sure that with the charges against him, Jacob will not be able to inherit anything, even with a plea bargain. Everything will go to probate. And likely to me.”
“Assuming you do inherit the house and property, what will you do?”
“I’ve been back there the last two days and almost all the boxes and junk are gone. I went to the food bank and paid some people to help. Lacie came by too. Looks more like I remember it. Still, no way I’d want to live there, nor is it being sold to JJ Properties. With all that’s happened, until the estate is sorted out, I can’t really do anything with the house or property anyway. For now, the house is being closed up. That’s been agreed to by the law firm my father used and my attorney.”
“That makes sense.” I nodded again. “When will you return to Seattle?”
“Tomorrow after the memorial. Honestly, Sheridan? It’s all too much for me to handle. I’m still in shock. My parents. Jacob. Legal issues. Money issues. I need to sit down and figure it all out.”
We enjoyed our coffee and pastry. I gave her a hug, wishing her well. And I gave her my phone number in case she wanted to talk. Then I went to Pets and Paws.
Flurries hit my windshield and I smiled. Just a fleeting reminder it was winter. I parked my car and couldn’t help but glance toward the garage. The door was closed tight. Once inside the house, I could hear Mrs. Chantilly humming a tune in the kitchen.
“Hi, Mrs. Chantilly. How’s everything going?” I stashed my purse and jacket in the cabinet.
“The biscuits are almost ready. I don’t know what Lacie’s going to do now. She’s been suspended. Blake thought I’d move into Justine’s house. Not likely. This was my grandmother’s house, you know. She had a lot of dogs here. I cleaned it all up. I hope you and Maddie continue to help out. She has a lovely voice.”
“We’ll still be helping out on the weekend. I’ll resume my usual afternoon schedule on Tuesday and Thursday. Have you scheduled an adoption day?”
“What a great idea. I’ll have to see when Luke is going to be available. Horatio still needs some time and Ghost, too. I don’t know why Luke named him that. He’s very real and not even gray. The puppies. Vanna took pictures and she’s working on finding them homes. Susie will be in later.”
“Good. I can send some pics of the puppies out to the rescues to share as well. For now, I’ll start in the back then. I’ll probably have to wait for Luke to take Horatio out. I think I can handle Ghost.”
“I’ll bring the biscuits when they’re ready.”
I checked crates and was happy to see most of the dogs were looking happy and healthy. Even Horatio and Ghost. Mrs. Chantilly came in with biscuits and they all enjoyed their treats. I’d finished with all the others and was helping Ghost stand up when Luke walked in.
“Hold up, Dr. H. I’ll take him out.”
“Okay. Everyone else except this one and Horatio have been out. With the casts, I’m not quite sure…”
He smiled. “Easiest is to pick him up.” He undid the top of the crate, reached in and picked him up.
“Good thinking. I’ll clean out the crate while you take him out and then we can take care of Horatio.”
Mission accomplished, I collected my belongings as Susie came in. I checked on the puppies to give Maddie an update and then I went home with hopes that life would return to normal. Or at least as normal as can be with a detective husband, a teenager, and two dogs.
Author Notes
I hope you enjoyed this cozy mystery about dog rescues and community members chipping in when needed. Please support mental health efforts, as well as animal shelters and rescues in your community. If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance, please seek help.
About Christa Nardi
Christa Nardi (pen name) is an accomplished writer and an avid reader. Her love of mysteries began with Nancy Drew and other teen mysteries, as well as Perry Mason and similar detective series on television. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery and crime authors over time. Christa has authored the 5-book Cold Creek cozy mystery series with this new spinoff series featuring the protagonist, Sheridan Hendley, a professor and psychologist. When not reading or writing, Christa enjoys travel with her husband, and playing with three dogs and three grand-daughters.
You can find Christa Nardi at:
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00G8SBCKK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7257539.Christa_Nardi
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christa-nardi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christa.nardi.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristaN7777
Email: cccnardi@
gmail.com
Blog: Christa Reads and Writes (www.christanardi.blogspot.com), for spotlights and reviews – mostly mystery, but occasionally a romance slips in. You can check out the Cold Creek Series or updates on the new Sheridan Hendley series on the blog
Sign up for the monthly newsletter with updates and sale/new release announcements http://smarturl.it/NardiNewsletter
Series by Christa Nardi:
Cold Creek Series featuring Sheridan Hendley
Murder at Cold Creek College (Cold Creek #1)
Murder in the Arboretum (Cold Creek #2)
Murder at the Grill (Cold Creek #3)
Murder in the Theater (Cold Creek #4)
A Murder and a Wedding (Cold Creek #5)
Sheridan Hendley Mystery Series
A New Place, Another Murder (Sheridan Hendley #1)
Dogs and More Dogs, Another Murder (Sheridan Hendley #2)
Stacie Maroni Mystery Series
Prestige, Privilege and Murder (Stacie Maroni #1)
Foundations, Funny Business and Murder (Stacie Maroni #2)
Teen/Young Adult Mystery Series with Cassidy Salem – The Hannah and Tamar Mystery Series
The Mysterious Package
Mrs. Tedesco’s Missing Cookbook
The Misplaced Dog
Malicious Mischief
Dogs and More Dogs, Another Murder Page 13