The Dogfather

by Sparkle Abbey

  Chip faithfully remained by her side, sharing his nutty lopsided grin, inviting attention as they worked the room. I smiled hearing Ella’s hearty laughter boom across the room. I adored everything about Angels with Paws and was honored Ella had asked for my help.

  I waved over Agent James, who the FBI had insisted remain on the case with Grey.

  “How can I help, Ms. Langston?”

  I glared at him. “Stop calling me that. Kids these days call their bosses by their first name.”

  “How can I help, Me-Melinda?” he stuttered.

  He was a strange mix of innocence and brains. I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him through the room. I introduced him as my new intern and tried to steer the conversation to topics that might help him with the case. He seemed surprised, yet grateful.

  Satisfied our guests had everything they needed, I refilled my juice glass. I stood back, sipping my drink, and took, what I like to call, “suspect attendance.” Quinn, check. Leo, check. And a surprise guest of my own—Bree Young. Check. Her attendance today was a major coup. I’d asked Evan to contact her, requesting that she attend. I had a gut feeling that if she really did love Mason, she’d like to confront the evil wife.

  Speaking of Quinn, she had arrived shortly after ten. Judging by her sour expression, this was the last place she wanted to be and was likely planning a hasty escape. In the words of my Grandma Tillie, “She was as warm as an ice cube.”

  Quinn had managed to avoid Leo, who was wrapped up in a lively conversation with Betty and Grey, but that didn’t stop her from watching him with her eagle eye. I’d tasked Grey with keeping an eye on Leo. The more attention the sketchy fellow paid to Betty, the more he landed on my radar.

  Although Darby had been invited as the official photographer, I wasn’t expecting her to show. I’m sure some people use work to keep their mind off of their personal trouble. In Darby’s case, being surrounded by possible suspects of the crime her new boyfriend was accused of committing wasn’t about to her distract her from the current situation.

  I realized Nina was missing. I had a bad feeling about her finances and wasn’t convinced she’d come since she had promised she’d bring a new check. I decided to cover her donation anonymously if Evan wasn’t able to get her money problems fixed. It wasn’t going to break my bank, and it seemed like the right move.

  Although our guests were already leaving, my suspects remained, but they hadn’t interacted yet. It was time to intervene and make something happen. Betty and Grey were chatting alone near the display of pawlish and treat jars. Had Leo left and I’d missed it? I caught Grey’s eye and silently asked about Leo with a questioning look. He pointed over my shoulder.

  I turned to find Leo standing right behind me. I jumped back startled. How had he managed to corner me at the coffee bar and I not notice?

  “Nice gathering. Thank you for the invite.” He grabbed my hand and stuffed a folded piece of paper in it. “A little something to show my appreciation.”

  I recoiled, almost spilling my juice on his navy-blue sport coat. “I don’t take bribes.” The words fell out before I could stop them.

  His bushy eyebrows furrowed. “It’s a donation to the cause. Isn’t that why you invited me?”

  I felt my face warm. Wow, jump to conclusions much, Mel? I held the check toward him. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little distracted. You should give this to Ella. I’m sure she’d like to thank you personally.”

  “I’m sure it will mean just as much if you give it to her.” He patted the front of his jacket as if looking for something.

  I didn’t have a pocket to stuff the paper inside so I clutched it in my fist. I was nosey, and I wanted to see how much the check was for without his watching me. If the amount was substantial, which I had a feeling it was, I wanted Ella to have the opportunity to thank Leo. That’s what she would want.

  “I’ll go give this to her.” I turned on my heel to leave.

  His laid his warm hand on my shoulder. I froze.

  “Melinda, don’t go. I’d like to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  I faced him slowly. Suddenly, he was a wise guy. What was he going to do next? Pull out a gun and tell me to say hello to his other little friend?

  My guard firmly in place, I waited to hear his irresistible offer.

  “I’d like to buy your shop. I’ll give you top dollar. Name your price.” He held his checkbook in one hand, a ballpoint pen in the other.

  I choked on a laugh. He paused while I composed myself. I expected him to brush it off, claim it was all a joke. But he didn’t. And he wasn’t smiling. He was dead serious.

  I was offended that he thought he could buy me off so easily. “Bow Wow isn’t for sale.”

  “Now, don’t be hasty. Think about it before you dismiss my offer out of hand.”

  I shrugged off his patronizing tone. “I don’t need the money. I like what I do. Why do you want it anyway? I thought you were in to import-export services, not a pampered pet boutique?”

  “For my Betty girl, of course.” His practiced smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was lying.

  Why would he want to give such an expensive and time-consuming gift to a woman he’d just met? As much as Betty might pretend she was running the place, I knew she had no real desire to do so. She liked the freedom to come and go as she pleased, making a little cash on the side.

  “Did she tell you she wanted you to buy the shop for her?” I asked.

  “No. it’s a surprise.”

  It dawned on me that he probably wanted to run his import-export business through here. Could he be behind the counterfeit purse ring? I tilted my head, studying him. What was it Quinn had said, something about the ‘word of a dead man’?

  “Did you offer to purchase Quinn’s shop too? Is that what you two were talking about when I interrupted you?”

  His charm vanished. “Mason and I had a verbal understanding, which Quinny backed out of. We were working on the purchase agreement the day before his untimely death. She’ll come back around.”

  Yeah, yeah. After she finds a horse head in her bed. He shouldn’t hold his breath.

  Betty’s bright floral orange muumuu caught my eye. She pushed around Leo and yanked my arm.

  “Cat fight near the doggie bridal gowns,” she snickered. “Let’s go.”

  I rushed after Betty, secretly excited. Two of my suspects had finally collided.

  Grey stood between Bree and Quinn who had faced off in front of the handmade doggie bridal gowns, just like Betty had said.

  “You need to leave,” Quinn demanded, her face deathly calm.

  Yikes. I was concerned for Bree. She may be tall and appear strong, but Quinn looked like it was a short trip to crazy town, and she had room for one more—preferably an Amazon Barbie.

  “I have every right to be here. I was personally invited.” Bree straightened to her full, unnatural height, standing a good five inches over Quinn, who was wearing flats again.

  Quinn’s face remained eerily composed. “You’re a home wrecker and a leech.”

  Bree arched a blond eyebrow. “You would know. Mason said you two were lovers when he was married to his first wife.”

  A loud gasp rolled through the shop. Ouch. That accusation supported what Colin had told Darby.

  “Now, girls, stop your arguing,” Betty piped up. “You’re both pretty.” She nudged Grey. “Do something before they destroy our shop.”

  “No.” I grabbed his arm. “Let them talk.”

  I pulled Betty next to me. Even though I wanted to hear what they had to say, I’d witnessed enough bickering women to know it was possible the name calling and allegations could turn into hair pulling and yelling. The smart move was to stay out of arm’s reach.

  Quinn’s eyes darted around the room, realizing a
handful of guests were still hanging around, their attention now focused on her and Bree.

  Bree must have taken Quinn’s silence as a sign of weakness and went in for the kill. “You know Mason was leaving you, right? He sold the store. We were going to live in Italy.”

  Quinn scoffed. “You’re so stupid. He was never going to leave me. I know where the skeletons are buried. In the end, Mason only cared about himself.”

  Interesting choice of words, “skeletons are buried.” Was she referring to Colin or something else?

  Bree sucked in a shocked breath. “That’s a lie. He had it all planned out. He was going to sell his painting, and we’d use that money to escape from you.”

  Quinn’s evil laugh made me shudder. “That was a fake. Evan sold the real one weeks ago. There’s no money. Mason fooled you.”

  Bree was about to say something when the front door opened. There stood Darby and Colin. This time I gasped. Wide-eyed, I looked at Grey. He shook his head. My instinct was to protect Darby, but Grey was right, we needed to let this play out. Or he was possibly trying to keep me out of the line of fire.

  Quinn stumbled back when she saw Colin. “It is you,” she cried softly.

  He swung in Quinn’s direction. A lock of blond hair fell across forehead. Darby grabbed his hand and muttered something.

  “I guess someone made bail,” Betty muttered.

  “He was never arrested,” I corrected her for Darby’s benefit.

  Bree pointed her finger at Colin. “That’s the man I saw leaving the store the morning Mason died,” she announced to the room. A little too loudly. A little too dramatically.

  Grey quietly moved to stand between all parties. I noticed Agent James stood on the opposite side of the room from Grey, his gaze darting around, assessing the situation. I was awed at how quickly he’d had Grey’s back.

  It was the most inopportune time for a life-changing realization, but I’d had one anyway. Yes, Grey couldn’t tell me details of his undercover work, or how dangerous a case might be, but it shouldn’t have mattered. He was never alone. Someone had faithfully had his back. I’d been selfish to believe his sidekick had to have always been me. That was a lot to digest.

  I returned my focus to what Grey was asking Bree. “What were you doing at the store?”

  She blinked. “I was there to meet Mason.” She must have realized where this conversation was headed. “He was dead when I got there,” she added quickly.

  Colin stepped forward, Darby remaining at his side. “He was already dead when I got there, too,” he stated simply.

  Quinn shook her head. “Why come here? Why now?”

  “You know why. Did you do it? Did you kill Mason? Did you help him kill my mother?” With each question, he’d taken one more step closer to Quinn.

  Grey never took his eyes off the confrontation unfolding before us. He shifted closer toward Quinn, ready to act if needed.

  She shook her head. “No. It was her.” She pointed a finger at Bree. Her accusation settled into an unexpectant silence.

  Bree’s eyes darkened. “He was going to leave you, but you murdered him first.”

  Okay, this was about to get out of hand. I glanced around the room at the embarrassed interest on everyone’s face. I had to admit, it was difficult to ignore a train wreck when it happened right in front of you. Time to pull the plug on our live soap opera reenactment.

  I took one step forward. “Okay, everyone let’s take a break.”

  No one moved. I looked to Grey for help. He shot me an oh-now-you-want-my-help look? Yes, I did.

  “Quinn, you look like you could use some fresh air.” Grey took her by the elbow and led her outside.

  And with that, the show was over. Don’t get me wrong, there was a loud murmur of gossip bouncing around the room, but the possibility of a Laguna Beach Real Housewives orange-juice-throwing fight, had been extinguished. Quinn had said something important that I wanted to talk to Grey about, but I couldn’t remember what it was. I had gotten sidetracked by Darby and Colin’s unexpected entrance. I’d have to ask Grey later if he’d caught it.

  I turned to Betty to ask her to help me begin the cleanup. I caught her scribbling in her notebook. “What are you doing,” I asked in a hushed voice.

  “Taking notes. I think Amazon Barbie did it. She was already bent over his body when I showed up.”

  “But Malone cleared her,” I argued.

  Although, I was just assuming that was the case. All he’d ever said was that he’d talked to her. Had I been barking up the wrong tree?

  WITHIN FIFTEEN minutes, the shop was empty and the four of us began cleaning up. Darby had offered to stay and help. I loved her generous spirit and loyalty. I sent her home and asked if she and Colin would stop by to check on Missy. After the day’s performance, I’d changed my opinion on Colin Sellers.

  Grey and Agent James broke down the tables and helped load them on the catering truck parked behind the building. I found Betty peeking out the front door.

  “What are you doing?” I came up behind her and looked over her shoulder.

  Leo and Quinn faced each other, obviously arguing.

  “How long have they been there?” I asked.

  “Since your handsome man left her at the curb.”

  I’d never noticed how toned Quinn’s arms were until she was waving them angrily in the air. She was close enough to pop Leo on the nose if she wasn’t careful.

  I wondered if I should tell Betty about Leo’s offer. I didn’t like the guy, and I didn’t want her spending any more time with him. But Betty was a stubborn gal, and the minute I told her not do something, she’d jump in feet first just to prove me wrong.

  Quinn folded her arms across her chest as Leo talked. “Look at how they’re standing so close together. They look like lovers more than adversaries.”

  “He’s a complicated guy, Cookie.” She sighed like an infatuated teenager.

  I rested my hand gently on her shoulder. “That’s not necessarily good.”

  She pressed against the window. “Shh. I’m trying to hear what they’re saying.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why not just go outside?”

  We watched Quinn poke her finger into Leo’s chest.

  “Did you know he’s trying to take her store away from her?” I asked.

  “He told me they had an agreement.”

  “I think his agreement was with Mason. I don’t believe she knew about it.”

  “I bet that’s what they’re arguing about.”

  Leo said something that made Quinn yell obscenities loud and clear. She shoved him so hard he stumbled.

  Betty whistled. “Quinn’s one tough broad.”

  Yes, she was.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I WAS PULLED OUT of a deep, dreamless sleep by an unexpected phone call at an ungodly hour the next morning.

  “Hello,” I croaked.

  “Melinda Langston?” asked the male voice on the other end.

  I sat up slowly. I recognized the voice, but I couldn’t yet place it. “Yes.”

  “This is Officer Hostas. I’m calling to inform you that your business was broken into this morning.”

  My heart jumped. “Bash ‘n Dash?”

  “It looks that way.”

  I tossed aside the covers and hopped out of bed, wide awake. Angry tears burned the back of my eyes. How dare some bloody criminal trash my business?

  “I’m on my way.”

  I immediately decided not to inform Betty until after I had a look. It wouldn’t matter what I told her; she’d show up and make a scene. I threw on a pair of worn jeans and my graphic tee with the saying, “Sit happens.” It seemed appropriate. Not sure what type of damage I’d find when I got to the boutique, I shoved my size nines
inside an old pair of work boots and pulled on a hoodie.

  I revved up the Jeep and raced to Bow Wow. As I rolled to a stop in front the shop, I caught my breath. Three police cars and a shattered front window greeted me. The police had the front of the shop blocked off with orange cones. I had to drive an additional block to find a place to park.

  I released my breath and slid out of the Jeep. The slam of the door echoed in my head. What if someone had been at the store when it was broken into?

  Officer Hostas met me outside the store. “Sorry, Mel.”

  “Look on the bright side. We’re not meeting over a dead body,” I joked weakly.

  He nodded in agreement. “This is a new one for us.”

  I took a deep breath and focused my anger at whoever was responsible. “Let’s take a look around and see what’s been taken. If the last three break-ins are an indicator, I’m guessing nothing.”

  Hostas looked over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you inside.”

  I turned around to see what had caught his attention. None other than Mr. TV himself. Lately he’d become a regular nuisance in my life.

  The Channel 5 News van slowed in front of the shop, looking for a place to pull over. A uniformed police officer ordered the van to move on. MacAvoy caught sight of me and motioned that he wanted to come in. I shook my head, then spun around and stomped through shattered glass.

  Two uniformed officers stood inside the boutique waiting for me. They asked a few general questions as I looked around.

  By the time Hostas had returned, I’d been able to quickly survey the property.

  “Don’t worry about the reporter. We’ll keep him out.” Hostas rested his beefy hands on his duty belt.

  “Thank you. I have to admit, it’s a little unsettling having you on my side for once.”

  “Let’s hope we don’t get used to it. Other than the front door and large picture window being smashed, it doesn’t look like much has been disturbed. It follows suit with the other break-ins.”