by Abigail Keam
I started back to my room with Baby padding behind me when the telephone rang. My heart dropped. Phone calls in the middle of the night were rarely a good thing. I almost didn’t answer it, but the phone kept ringing and ringing, making Baby crazy with its noise. He kept walking in circles while looking up at me anxiously.
Finally gathering my courage, I answered, “Hello?”
“Josiah? Josiah, this is Charles.”
“Charles, please don’t tell me something has happened to June.”
“No. No. Nothing like that, but someone broke into the Big House tonight. If it hadn’t been for that mangy dog I rescued, we never would have known someone was in the house. Apparently our alarm system was disabled, but that dog took a chunk out of whoever broke in.
“June is awfully torn up,” he continued. “She wants to know that you’re okay. I’m sending Liam and Malcolm to your place to search the grounds and stay the night.”
“Thank you, Charles, but I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“She’s not going to take no for an answer,” replied Charles heatedly, which meant he agreed with his employer.
It seemed I was outnumbered. “Is everyone okay?”
“We think so, but whoever was in the house opened the door to the baby’s room. The dog was sleeping by the baby’s crib and just tore into the guy. Matt rushed in and saw a man run down the staircase with the dog chasing after him.”
“Chalk one up for the hound.”
There was silence on the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“The mutt followed the intruder outside, and now we can’t find him.”
“That’s not good. Listen, I’ve got a friend who has a trained Bloodhound. Let me call right now and get that dog. By the time she gets here with her hound, it will be light, and we can search for your courageous mutt.”
Charles paused again, as if wondering what was the right thing to do.
“She owes me a favor. Surely a dog that chased an intruder out of the house deserves a thorough search. What would take us humans hours to cover will take this dog minutes.”
“Make the call, Josiah,” said Charles, before hanging up.
31
Baby knew something was up. He was such a pill while I was dressing that I gave him some sleeping medication wrapped in roast beef to make him take a nap.
Tiptoeing out of the Butterfly, I waited at the gate for my friend for forty-five minutes. The sky was pitch black. It looked like someone had splashed printer’s ink across it. What do they say about the night being the darkest before the dawn?
Before the first light peeked over the hills, my friend arrived in her pickup truck with Sami, her Bloodhound, in the passenger’s seat. Sami didn’t look too pleased when I scooted him over so I could climb into the pickup. Starting with my jeans, he snorted and sniffed all the way up to my hair. Since Sami’s nose was so sensitive, he probably knew more about me than I did by the time he reached the top of my head.
He stuck his cold, wet nose against my neck and left it there.
“Uh, what does he want?” I asked.
“Sami’s saying howdy.”
“Sami’s pressing me into the door. I’ve got a handle sticking me in the ribs.”
“Then I guess you’ll stay like that till we get there,” replied Sami’s handler, pulling into the Big House’s driveway and driving to the back of the house where Matt told me he’d be waiting.
He was standing along with Liam, Charles, and his four grandsons–all seven loaded for bear.
Matt opened the door, which was good since I couldn’t reach the handle. He helped me out while Sami’s handler barked a command and put a leash on him–Sami, not Matt.
“Thank you very much,” said Matt, thrusting out his hand. “I’m Matt Garth. I’m sure Josiah has given you all the details.”
“Hazel’s my name, Hazel Mott. Pleased ta meetcha. This here’s Sami,” Hazel replied, shaking Matt’s hand. “Time’s awastin’. You got something that belonged ta the dog we’re lookin’ fer?”
Matt handed Hazel a stuffed pig. “This is his chew toy.”
“That’s good. What’s the dog’s name?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t got around to naming him,” Matt replied sheepishly.
“That ain’t good. Dog’s gotta have a name,” Hazel spat out.
Charles piped in, “He’s a stray I found several weeks ago.”
“That’s enough time for him to bond,” said Hazel allowing Sami to sniff the chew toy. “Don’t worry, Mr. Garth. Sami will find your dog if he’s still around.” Hazel turned her attention to Sami. “Sami, find. Sami, find.”
The hound immediately put his magnificent proboscis to the ground and began sniffing. Sami zigzagged around the yard in what appeared to be a random fashion with Hazel in tow. He barked several times and began pulling on the leash.
“Sami’s locked on to a scent!” cried Hazel as she started running with him. “Ain’t he sumthin’?”
The four grandsons raced after Hazel and Sami while Matt and Liam followed at a slower pace. They ran through the nearest horse pasture, and then behind the breeding barn where I lost sight of them.
“Let’s go upstairs,” suggested Charles. “We can watch from the widow’s walk.”
We took the elevator up to the second floor, where Charles pulled down the stepladder to the widow’s walk. We both cautiously climbed up.
The air was still very cool, so I wrapped my arms around me. I could see farm workers arriving as the sun began to peek over the hills, with mist from the river filling the valleys in between. Several police cars pulled into the driveway and parked at the front door.
Charles threw his arm out and pointed, “There they are! They’re heading for the river!”
“The intruder must have come by boat,” I suggested.
“Daddy! The police are here. They want to talk with you,” called Amelia, foot on the first rung of the ladder.
“Coming,” answered Charles. He climbed down first and then helped me navigate down the rungs. “Where are they?” Charles asked.
“I put them in the front parlor,” replied Amelia, looking worn out.
“I’ll take care of this. How’s Miss June?”
“I got her settled finally. She was very upset that someone broke into the house.”
“Go back to bed. If she rings, your mother will see to her.”
Amelia looked grateful. “Thanks, Daddy. Bess is in the kitchen making coffee.” Nodding good-bye, Amelia quietly disappeared through the door to June’s massive suite, where she occupied the nurse’s room.
Charles turned and took the stairs, while I went to the first floor on the elevator. Once downstairs, I followed him into the kitchen where Bess was setting up a tray of coffee and cinnamon rolls for the police.
Satisfied with the tray, Bess nodded to her father who picked it up and took it to the waiting policemen in the front parlor.
I sipped on hot coffee at the kitchen table while Bess worked in silence. I could tell her nerves were as frayed as mine.
Several minutes later, three policemen scrambled through the kitchen and out the back door while hastily tipping their hats to us.
I assumed Charles had told them about Sami searching the grounds and they were hurrying to catch up. Peering down the hall, I saw another policeman go up the stairs to the second floor.
Bess stopped to look out the window as she dried her hands on her apron. “They’ll be hungry when they get back. I’m gonna make eggs and sausage biscuits for them. You think they’ll like that?”
“Uh, let me think, Bess. Men turning down egg and sausage biscuits? Hmmmmm–not going to happen, but I think you should make what’s easiest for you. You’ve had a rough four hours.”
“Do you think they’d like ham better?” Not waiting for an answer, Bess turned on the oven and gathered the ingredients to make homemade biscuits. “This will just take a second.”
Realizing that Bess
was not listening to me, but was in her own safe world of flour, sweet butter, and buttermilk, I continued to gaze out the window and sip on my coffee, not making a sound.
The house was silent except for the ticking of the grandfather clock in the main hallway and the comforting sound of Bess mixing biscuit dough ingredients with her hands. She efficiently rolled out the dough so she could cut it with her round cookie cutter and place the circles on her baking pan.
I watched Bess work smoothly, and with the confidence that only cooks born with her expertise could muster. Bess was an artist with food.
She put the baking pan in the oven and began frying sausage patties. “I’ll cook the eggs when I see them coming back. I don’t want them overdone. Ruins the flavor,” she said to no one in particular.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move around the breeding barn. I sighed. It was only the workers taking the mares out to the pastures.
Fishing through the cabinets, Bess got out several stainless steel bowls and began filling them with water.
“What are those for?” I asked.
Bess shot me a big grin. “Those dogs will be thirsty and hungry. The first biscuit sandwiches will go to them.”
“I thought you didn’t like dogs.”
“I don’t like them in my kitchen, but I like dogs. It’s your dog I don’t like. Can’t stand the drool. I don’t understand why you keep that filthy animal, Josiah. He stinks to high heaven.”
“I keep him because he took a bullet for me. I owe it to Baby to make a comfortable home for him.”
Bess twisted her mouth in a comical way. “I guess so, if you put it that way.”
I chuckled, “Yep, a person can overlook lots of faults in a pet who took a bullet for her, and Baby doesn’t smell that bad.”
“Then there is something wrong with your sniffer.”
“He’s got a good heart.”
“I hope so, because that eating and pooping machine doesn’t have anything else to recommend him.”
“You’re starting to hurt my feelings, Bess.”
Bess pointed out the window and turned toward me. “Look, the men are back. DADDY! DADDY! THE MEN ARE BACK!”
Charles and the officer upstairs rushed to the kitchen and joined Bess and me on the back patio.
I don’t think I breathed until I saw Hazel and Sami. Hazel waved. Behind her marched the four grandsons looking tired and sweaty.
Where were Matt and Liam?
“Did you find the dog?” yelled Charles.
Malcolm pointed behind him. Into view strode Matt with Liam beside him carrying a bundle. It wasn’t moving.
Oh, dear. Was the mutt dead?
I rushed into the yard to meet Matt. “What happened? Where are the policemen?”
Matt waved me away as he plopped down in a patio chair. “Let me catch my breath, will ya?” He was breathing heavily and his color was a deep red.
Liam hurried into the kitchen with his bundle.
“Was that the dog?”
“Josiah, I need to rest a bit. I’m out of breath. Go inside. Liam will explain everything.”
I reluctantly left Matt and hurried to the kitchen. It was crowded with the men and Hazel, all gulping down hot coffee and stuffing their faces with warm blackberry muffins and sweet butter while Bess was frantically frying eggs for her biscuits.
But where were Liam and the dogs?
I opened the door to the mud room, where Sami was happily slurping water and Liam was in a corner wrapping something furry in a blanket.
“Did Sami find him?”
“Aye. Went right to him. He was huddled in a little ball under a sycamore tree. With his coloring as camouflage, we would have passed by him, but that hound,” he said, pointing at Sami, “found him. T’is a miracle.”
“Is he hurt?”
“I think someone has stomped on him. Charles is getting the car so we can take the dog to the vet for X-rays. He’s a mighty lucky doggie. Yes, he is,” cooed Liam, rubbing the dog’s head.
A tongue reached tentatively out of the blanket and licked Liam’s hand. I breathed a sigh of relief. The mutt was going to be okay.
Charles popped his head in the door. “Ready, Liam?”
“Aye. I’ve got him swaddled nice and warm.”
“Let’s go then. Matt’s already in the car.”
Liam gently lifted the bundle and followed Charles while I opened doors for him. Following them, I watched the Bentley move down the driveway and out of sight.
As I walked back, I noticed a new car in the front driveway. It looked like Goetz’s car. What could he be doing here?
I let myself in the front door and followed voices coming from the kitchen. There stood Hazel, happily snacking on an egg and sausage biscuit, cutting up with the grandsons. Apparently she had grandchildren of her own, and was asking questions about sports, college picks, and proposed majors. The boys basked happily in the attention.
Sitting at the kitchen table was Goetz, also eating an egg sausage biscuit with a glass of milk at his elbow.
“I didn’t know you handled home invasions as well,” I jabbered, not really expecting an answer.
“Heard about the commotion on the police radio and decided to check it out for myself. We’re still combing the back of the property. Apparently the perp came by boat. Must have been in good shape. It takes a lot to scramble up and down those riverbanks.”
“Also knew how to disable a security system,” I added.
“Good thing there was a dog in the house.”
“Tell me about it.” I paused and watched Goetz take a sip of his milk. “Why are you really here?”
Goetz wiped his mouth with a linen napkin embroidered with June’s monogram. “Wanted to see if Walter Neff was the intruder.”
“Walter? I don’t think Walter is in good enough shape to pull this caper off, let alone hightail it back to a boat with a dog nipping at his buttocks. And besides, why would he?”
“Do you know where our boy Walter might be, Toots?” mocked Goetz.
I leaned forward in my chair and whispered, “Why do you want to know?”
Goetz folded the napkin carefully and laid it on the table before he whispered, “Because I’m going to arrest him for the murder of Emma Fisher. She was found strangled in Mrs. Witt’s apartment this morning.”
32
I sat stunned, staring at Goetz. The buzz of the people happily chatting in the kitchen seemed to fade in the distance. At last I roused myself to say, “Let’s go into the dining room where we can have some privacy.” I picked up my cup and went into the dining room with Goetz following.
Sitting at the massive mahogany dining table, I had to catch my breath. Emma Fisher’s death was quite a shock.
Goetz waited patiently while I recovered.
“I met with Ms. Fisher last night at the Chevy Chase Inn.”
“What did you two discuss?”
“She was concerned that whoever was after Bunny Witt might be after her as well. She wanted to know if I knew anything. I cautioned Ms. Fisher that if she was concerned, she should leave town. Go back to New York.”
“Then what happened?”
“She rushed out. That’s all I know.”
“What about Walter Neff’s involvement in this?”
“You can’t be serious. Walter’s no murderer. What would be his motive?”
“I hear Ms. Fisher couldn’t get Neff to move out of Ravensnest, and was in the process of having him evicted.”
I guffawed. “Look, I find Walter Neff to be an odious little man, but I can’t believe he would kill a woman over something so ridiculous. Walter is used to being thrown out of places. He wouldn’t take an eviction personally.”
“So you haven’t seen him?”
“Not since Bunny Witt’s funeral.”
“How was Neff’s demeanor at the service?”
“He was very down. Walter felt he had failed Bunny.”
“I understand Emma Fisher
was the principal beneficiary of Mrs. Witt’s estate. Perhaps she killed Mrs. Witt to get the money, and Neff killed her in revenge,” Goetz suggested.
“If–if–if. I’ll tell you a what-if. If Walter thought Emma Fisher had something to do with Bunny Witt’s death, he would have blackmailed her for money–not killed her. Walter is all about money. That’s his holy grail.”
“We’ll see about that.” Goetz stood. “If he contacts you, call me. Regardless of what you say, I think I’m right.”
Goetz gave me one last glance before he strode out the door into the hall.
I sat at the dining table for some time, thinking about the case. Oh, that poor girl. Why hadn’t she left Lexington like I told her? Strangled! Horrible, simply horrible!
33
Several days later, I was checking my bees when I heard a truck approach on the gravel driveway. Hopping into my golf cart, I chased down the sound.
I found a flatbed truck delivering a Bobcat to Matt’s little shed he called a home. The yard was littered with new lumber.
Matt was busy directing the truck, which was backing up.
I waited patiently until the Bobcat was firmly on the ground and then asked, “What’s going on, Matt?”
Matt swung around and beamed. “I’m expanding the cottage. Adding a new master bedroom and bath.”
“That’s a good idea. With a new baby, the house is too small. Will the nurse take over your current bedroom?”
Matt laughed. “The nurse packed up yesterday and should be basking in the glow of the LA smog as we speak.”
“Why? I thought she was working out quite well.”
“She decided Kentucky was too wild. I believe the exact word she used was uncouth. She said she was going back to where people were more civilized.”
“We do take some getting used to. Who’s taking care of the baby?”
“Mrs. Dupuy, until I can find permanent child care.” Matt gave me a cursory glance. “I guess you wouldn’t want to . . .”
“Don’t even think it. I raised one kid who turned out to be a sociopath. I’m not raising another.”