Murder on the Great lake: A Pet Portraits Cozy Mystery Book 2

by Sandi Scott

  “You’ve got to be kidding?” Georgie voice was incredulous.

  “Nope.” Stan swirled the wine in his glass with one hand while he petted Bodhi with the other since the dog had made himself comfortable on Stan’s lap. “To add insult to injury, Deck turned out to be the star at the event so Jake was angry and out of his head. It’s no excuse but the man really wasn’t thinking. Like Jekyll and Hyde. One man committed the crime even if he wasn’t truly himself when he did it.”

  “That sounds almost poetic, in a morbid kind of way.” Georgie took a bite of fudge and rolled her eyes. “Did you taste this? It’s so good.”

  Stan took a bite and nodded his head in agreement. His sweet tooth was never as strong as Georgie’s but he could appreciate a tasty piece of fudge.

  “If there’s poetry in a man sneaking up on another in the dark, injecting him with a sedative, and pushing him overboard, I’m not at all surprised you would see it, Georgie.

  “Well, I’m glad it’s all over.” Georgie sighed. “And I’m glad I’ve got my house back. I can’t thank you enough for fixing my roof.”

  “Now, Georgie, the next time you need something done around the house will you call me?”

  “I can’t expect you to just drop everything to come running to bail me out.”

  “It’s what I’m here for, Georgie.”

  “So you keep saying.” She picked up her wine and took a sip. “Have you heard from the kids?”

  “As a matter of fact, I heard from each one of our little darlings over the past two weeks.” Stan smiled proudly. “And even better, not one of them asked for any money.”

  “That is refreshing when they call just to say hello.”

  “I told Andrew that you had a gallery showing and how nice it turned out.”

  “Oh, Lord, you’re going to give them ideas that we are getting back together if they think we are hanging out so much.” Georgie laughed.

  “Not a bad idea.”

  “You just stop right there, Detective.” Georgie laughed raising her glass and taking a sip.

  “Did you ever get paid for that cat picture for Richard Batt?”

  “Not yet. But now that the case is solved he should be able to pay up.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Stan asked, adjusting his shoulder holster. “I can be very persuasive when I need to be.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Georgie giggled.

  THE END

  Letter from the Author

  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR reading. I hope you enjoyed this story and will consider writing a review on Amazon.com or lending it to a friend.

  To be the first to know when the next book in the series and other new releases are out, join my email list

  www.SandiScottBooks.com.

  As a thank you for joining, I will send you the first two books in my Seagrass Sweets series.

  I love to stay in touch with readers and periodically give out free books, advanced copies, and other fun stuff.

  Email me at sandi@sandiscottbooks.com

  Stay cozy,

  Sandi

  About the Book Cover

  I am so grateful to my readers every day for reading my books, making it possible to keep writing. As a gesture of appreciation (and because it is really, really fun) – I feature a reader’s pet on the cover of each book in this series!

  For each book, I host a contest where you can enter your fur baby to be the next cover model. I love seeing all your fur babies and reading their stories. The prizes of winning the contest are digital images of any artwork done of the winning pet, a free paperback copy of the book, and the opportunity to write the dedication to the book.

  This month’s cover model is Gemini. What I loved about Gemini's entry in the contest was this funny story about him and water:

  Gemini's mom, Sonia, says the following about him:

  Gemini is a Russian Blue, who came into our family when he was four months old, he’s now six. He’s French (and has the passport and papers to show it), born in the north of France, he lives in the sunny south. He loves to be brushed, adores catnip and is crazy for olives - they’re never left on the table unless there’s adult supervision, he’ll steal them if he he’s left alone with the bowl!

  To learn more about the cover model competitions for other books in the series, as well as information on how to enter your fur baby, visit http://www.sandiscottbooks.com/cover-models/

  Preview: Murder on the Movie Set

  The following is a preview of the next book (book 3) in the Pet Portraits Series

  CHAPTER 1

  "It's like I've gone back in time," Georgie mused as she drove through the quiet town. "I can't believe this place is so close to the city but looks like a country town. Just a little Mayberry town plunked on the north side."

  It was one of those beautiful Chicago afternoons when the sky was cloudy, the breeze cool and the upcoming fall season could be seen in the sprinkling of red, gold and orange specks peeking through green leaves on the trees.

  Georgie Kaye drove her vintage orange Volkswagen Beetle, better known as Pablo, through the quiet suburban streets of Skokie, Illinois. The affluent town was just a few miles north of downtown Chicago, further than she usually traveled, Her new client, Mrs. Lori Friedman, had insisted Georgie come to her home to meet her twin Chow Chows before painting their portraits as a gift for her husband's sixtieth birthday.

  “You simply must come to our house.” Lori bubbled over the phone. “Stanley and Stella love meeting new people. But,” Georgie smiled, remembering the next words that came over the phone. “I’d wear something you wouldn’t mind getting dirty. They don’t know the word ‘sit’ and have a big yard to play in. They cover every inch of it every day, and dirt is their best friend.”

  The instructions Lori had given Georgie told her to turn left at The Big Barn Antique Shop and go past the Windmill Restaurant. “You can’t miss it,” Lori had told her confidently, “you’ll see the cobblestones in the driveway right away.”

  As soon as Georgie saw it, she gasped. The driveway was an elaborate design composed of maroon, taupe, and rust colored stones that were perfectly even. Not a single sprout of green had forced its way through the cracks. The driveway led to a red farmhouse with white trim and a neatly maintained yard. Lavender plants bordered the drive and the entire front of the house. Georgie inhaled deeply and smelled the sweet, calming scent of the flowers through her open car windows.

  Pablo came to a stop at the top of the driveway. Looking at her watch Georgie was about to climb out of the car when her cell phone rang.

  “Hi, Georgie.” It was Lori’s fluttery voice on the other end. “I’m running a little late.” She went on to tell Georgie how crowded the grocery store was and the ridiculous price of organic tomatoes and the crazy drivers in the parking lot and how she hoped Georgie liked chocolate and raspberry truffles because they were on sale at the bakery.

  "Take your time." Georgie soothed. She'd wait half the day for truffles. As she relaxed in the driver's seat she snapped on the radio. Pablo’s radio was always set to WNND, the classical music station Georgie and Aleta, her twin sister, favored. Mozart's lovely piano concerto No. 21 in C major played and kept her company. When it ended, the announcer’s words piqued Georgie's interest.

  “The fifteenth caller to the station will receive two complimentary lot passes to see the set and filming of Robbie Dodson’s upcoming film This Summer. This Summer is a spine-tingling thriller starring Ryn Hudson and Dustin Stetson.” The phone number for the radio station was repeated twice and the announce emphasized, “Be the fifteenth caller to win a pair of complimentary lot passes. Now, here is the Boston Symphony Orchestra playing Carmen Les Toreadors during their 2011 concert at...”

  Looking down at her phone Georgie shrugged. Quickly, she dialed the radio station’s phone number, expecting to get a busy signal. Although she wasn’t sure how many people listened to the classical music station she was sure there were enough to ge
t their calls in before hers. She had never won anything except her battle with cancer.

  “WNND. You’re the fifteenth caller. Can I have your name, please?”

  “What?” Georgie gasped. Had she heard that right?

  “You’re our fifteenth caller. Can I have your name?” The girl repeated.

  Georgie began to giggle telling the young lady she had never won anything before and how she was just waiting to talk to a client about a painting and that her twin sister, Aleta, would be so thrilled when she told her about these passes. She gave the woman on the phone every bit of information regarding her sister and herself except her name.

  "I'm so sorry. My mind has stonewalled my tongue." Georgie giggled again. Finally, she gave the woman on the phone all the necessary information and was told the movie was being shot at Connors Park on the border of Arlington Heights and northern-most tip of the city. "Do you know I've lived in Chicago almost my whole life and I don't think I've ever been to Connors Park?"

  “Well, we hope you have a fun time and thanks for listening to WNND.”

  Georgie leaned back in her seat and was getting ready to call Aleta with the incredible news when a drop-top PT Cruiser pulled up behind her and honked a welcome to Pablo. A woman with a graying bob haircut and wild eyes was waving madly, smiling happily as if she had known Georgie her entire life and hadn’t seen her for a long while.

  “Georgie?” The woman called.

  “That’s me. You must be Lori.”

  As Georgie went to shake Lori’s hand she was pulled in for a tight hug and a gentle pat on the back. There were half a dozen grocery bags in the back seat and as Lori started to gather them Georgie offered to help.

  "That's very sweet of you." She handed over two paper bags. "They aren't heavy. For some reason, the grocery stores don't like to fill bags anymore. If there are two items in one bag they are really stuffing things to the gills."

  Georgie agreed, having made that same observation to Aleta on more than one occasion.

  As soon as Georgie stepped inside the Friedman home she realized these were serious pet owners. It was the Chow Chow Shrine of Extravagance.

  Every wall had some framed image of the fluffy breed. There was half a dozen posed pictured of Stanley and Stella displayed like a mother might display her children’s school pictures. There wasn’t a flat surface within eyeshot that didn’t have a porcelain or brass version of the dog. Some people might have considered this over the top, but Georgie understood completely. It was why she specialized in pet portraits. Sure these people and others like the Friedman’s loved their children but the unfaltering devotion a person receives from their pet is just different. We are their protectors and in return they are our permanent cheering section. They love nothing more than to just be with us.

  “As you can see we have decorated our house in Chow Chow.” Lori chuckled at her own joke. “We have a wall in our family room downstairs that is so lonely looking we thought a portrait of the Stanley and Stella would be just perfect and really complete the look we are going for. Antique tacky.” She giggled again and her laughter spread to Georgie.

  “Well, where are Stanley and Stella right now?” Georgie looked around and listened for a moment. There was no sign of them.

  “Let’s see.” Lori looked at her watch. “They should be coming in at any moment. Ruthie, she’s the nanny, has them out back for their exercise.”

  Georgie studied Lori for a few minutes and thought she couldn’t possibly have children at her age. But why would she have a nanny? Perhaps she was raising a grandchild. That was probably it. Lori was helping out a young mother who couldn’t take care of her new baby. Georgie knew it happened all the time, the grandparents ended up stepping up to do all the hard work.

  “Come on. I’ll give you a quick tour.” Motioning for Georgie to follow, Lori led her through a kitchen that was surprisingly white and clean, reflecting the traditional farmhouse look she had seen outside the house. There were Chow Chow salt and pepper shakers on the counter as well as a couple of oven mitts in the same fluffy style with two little black bead eyes peering out. They went down a short flight of stairs to the lower level where there was a couch and loveseat with Chow Chow pillows neatly arranged on them. The walls were just like the rooms upstairs with elegantly framed images of Chow Chows, continuing the overall theme. There was a conspicuously empty spot over the fireplace.

  “That is where we’d like our portrait.” Lori pointed to the spot and smiled. “Can you do a painting that large? We can pay. Money is not the issue for us.”

  “Yes. I can certainly accommodate a painting of that size. But if you wouldn’t mind sharing, what would be an issue for you?”

  “My husband’s birthday is at the end of November. Is that enough time for you to complete the picture?”

  Lori rubbed her hands together nervously as if she were waiting for some bad diagnosis from the doctor.

  “That is more than enough time.” Georgie nodded.

  “Wonderful.” Lori clapped. “I will give you half the fee right now. I hope you don’t mind cash.”

  “Not at all.” Georgie was thrilled. Not only did she like Lori Friedman but she was getting half her money up front in cash. This was a dream client.

  “Then I’ll pay the rest when you bring the finished painting over.” Lori batted her eyelashes. Her smile submerged her eyes in a sea of wrinkles.

  “That’s fine.”

  “Great. Let me get the kids and you guys can get acquainted while I get my checkbook.” Lori leaned out the door and yelled to Ruth to bring “the kids” in for lunch and their naps. Before Georgie could ask two rust colored streaks bolted through the doggie door barking and yapping excitedly.

  “Georgie, meet Stanley. He’s the excited one. And his sister Stella. She’s got a tiny speck of white on her toe.”

  After getting the proper amount of affection from their mistress the two boisterous dogs bolted in Georgie’s direction. Now she completely understood why Lori suggested she wear old clothes.

  A pair of baggy bib overalls that had seen more than one painting project and a green blouse underneath had spoken to Georgie from her closet this morning.

  Wear me! They had said. And don’t forget the teal ankle boots!

  But now there were tiny brown paw prints over every inch of her pants from the knees down. Her teal boots looked as if she had stepped in something unsanitary and the cuffs of her blouse were covered in dirt and dog sneezes.

  She reached her hands down to give each dog a good scratching. Before she could get her balance a woman emerged on the back porch and stomped toward the sliding door where Lori was. The sight of the poor creature sent Georgie reeling backward to land with a solid thump on her keister. Before she could even try to get up, Stanley and Stella swarmed her. Any attempt at recovering with dignity was lost.

  The woman walked up to Georgie and offered her a hand.

  “I’m so sorry.” Georgie was grateful for the offer of assistance. “I lost my balance.” The dogs yapped and pounced and dashed over her legs and arms and chest as if they could prevent her from getting up.

  “I’m Ruth. The dog’s nanny.” The woman said sullenly. She looked like she needed a nap. Her clothes were dirty, and wisps of her hair had fallen out from beneath the stocking cap she was wearing. There were circles under her eyes and she wore no make-up.

  "Oh, you're the dog's nanny?" Georgie said, as if that was what she had suspected all along. "Well, that must be fun."

  Ruth looked at the dogs in the same way a tired mother looks at her toddler in a high chair as he tosses a pair of plastic toy keys to the floor for the hundredth time.

  “It can be. I had taken care of Lori and Steve’s previous dogs. You tend to forget how much energy the young ones have.”

  "They're just like children," Georgie agreed, smiling.

  "Oh, it looks like they brought some of the yard in with them. If you've got time I can get something to clean your jeans
that won't take more than a second or two."

  "I'm fine. I have a dog of my own." Georgie went on to tell Ruth she would be painting the dog's picture for the space over the fireplace.

  "Are you going to paint from a picture?" Ruth asked, her right eyebrow arching as she looked at Stanley and Stella still circling Georgie's feet like she was their long-lost friend.

  “I’m not sure. Lori had asked if I could paint from a live subject.”

  Georgie watched Ruth’s expression as the woman tried to not laugh.

  “Well, it was nice meeting you, Georgie. Good luck with the painting.” Lowering her voice Ruth whispered quietly, “I think you’re going to need it.”

  “Come!” Ruth barked out loudly, getting the attention of the dogs at least for a couple of seconds before she headed upstairs.

  Georgie heard Lori’s voice from the kitchen, as she greeted both Ruth and the dogs who continued to bark loudly.

  “Here you are. I left the name blank for you to fill in.” Lori smiled and handed Georgie her check. “The dogs are going down for their naps so would you like to join me for coffee and truffles?”

  As usual, Georgie was seduced by the allure of sweets. She and Lori had a pleasant visit while the lady of the house expressed her ideas for the portrait. Once they were finished Georgie drove back home reflecting on all the artistic possibilities there would be to paint the little beasts. But since Lori insisted it be done from the live subjects, Georgie was bracing herself a difficult assignment.

  “Difficult but not impossible.” She muttered to Pablo as she made her way home.

  Once there, she pulled into the driveway in front of her bungalow and let out a sigh. Her sister Aleta, who lived in the bungalow next door came out onto her porch to great her.