Janae blushed as she realized what Heather was looking.
"I've been meaning to delete that," she said. "Since we've broken up and all. I just haven't gotten around to it yet."
Heather patted her arm affectionately. She knew that Janae had been very upset by her recent breakup. After her firefighter boyfriend had a near-death experience, he decided that he no longer wanted to be in a relationship. Based on the background on her phone, Heather could tell that her friend and employee had not moved on yet.
She wasn't sure what else she could tell her friend except that she was there for her. She made her phone call and found that Eva and Leila were delighted to babysit Lilly. However, they were returning from the beach, and it would take them a little while to return home.
"If you'd like, I could take Lilly home and watch her until Eva and Laila arrive," Janae said. "We could ride the bikes from my bike tour there. It might be fun."
"That would be wonderful," said Heather. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"I don't mind at all," Janae said with a smile. "I just need to check with my boss and make sure it's all right to take the time off."
Heather laughed. "Your boss approves. With gratitude."
"Before you leave," Amy said. "Why don't you call Jamie's cell phone number? Then we can find where it's hiding in the van."
Janae obliged. However, they didn't hear the cell phone ringing. It didn't appear to be anywhere in the van.
"You had it earlier," said Amy. "We spoke earlier about lunch."
Heather frowned. Something was wrong.
However, she pushed the thoughts from her mind as she told Lilly about the plans for the afternoon. Lilly said that she was fine with it. She could use a break from her book anyway and would love to go on a bike ride. She was also excited to spend time with Eva and Leila.
After Heather kissed her daughter goodbye, she returned to Amy and Jamie by the van.
"Are you sure that you had your cell phone earlier today?" Heather asked.
"Definitely," Jamie said.
"Why?" Asked Amy.
"I was just thinking about how you mentioned that the man who dropped off Skip entered your van," said Heather. "What if that wasn't to be helpful with the dog? What if that was to take your phone so you couldn't call for advice or backup?"
"That could be what happened," said Jamie. "The last time I remember seeing my phone, it was in the back of the van."
"Uh oh," Amy said. "If the guy also took your phone, and makes it seem less like he was trying to get the dog clean after a hunting accident. It definitely seems like he was covering up something."
"Yes," Heather said. "We better hurry to the police station. Because I just realized something else."
"What?" Asked Amy.
"That Jamie should be able to recognize the man who brought in the dog," said Heather slowly. "He might have met a murderer."
The Dog in the Station
"I'm not sure what to make of this visit," Ryan said. There was a mix of a grin and concern on his face. "I see people I care about and donuts. I also see a dirty dog, and Jamie looks like he's seen a ghost."
"Well, maybe a murderer," Amy said.
"You better catch me up to speed," said Ryan.
Heather smiled at her husband. She and her two friends had brought the dog to the police station. Ryan was a detective on the Key West police force, and often appreciated their help on difficult cases.
Sometimes, Heather even brought cases in for him to work on.
Ryan's young partner, Detective Peters, joined them.
"What's that dog doing here?" He asked taking out his notebook. "Do you have a complaint against the owner? From your grooming business?"
"Quite possibly," Jamie said.
Heather recapped the story for Ryan with Jamie answering any questions the detectives had.
"Poor little pup," Detective Peter said.
He pet the dog on the head and then looked abashed. "Should I have worn a glove for that?"
"I think it'll be okay," Ryan said. "But we should try and take as much evidence off of this dog as we can now. Then he can relax."
"He can try and relax," Amy said. "Because it seems to me like he's come across a dead body. I don't see how you can relax after that."
"Ryan is right that we should try and collect the evidence," said Heather. "Then we can see if there really is a crime to investigate."
With a professional groomer assisting the police, they made short work of the task. They collected bags full of the mud and blood concoction from the dog's fur.
They had to cut some of the dog's fur to make sure that they collected all the potential evidence. So after they finished, Jamie began evening out the cut and making the dog look polished.
Meanwhile, Heather suggested that the detectives checked the back of the van for potential footprints or evidence that the mysterious man could've left.
After they finished their collection, they sat around Ryan's desk with the dog. Skip seemed to be staying close to Jamie, but everyone was trying to reassure the animal that he was safe.
Heather opened up the box of Caramel Sundae Donuts, and they all enjoyed a snack while they discussed what could have happened and what their next step should be.
"I just think that something bad had happened," said Jamie. "Especially since I realized that my cell phone was stolen."
"But there is something strange about all this," said Heather.
"What?" Asked Amy sarcastically. "Murderers don't drop the dogs off for a bath all the time?"
"Exactly," Heather said.
"I was joking," said Amy. "I know that it's unusual. Thank goodness."
"But why did this man drop the dog off with Jamie?" Asked Heather. "If he had killed someone and the dog was a witness, why not kill the dog too?"
Skip let out a noise of sorrow and Jamie hugged him close.
"I'm sorry," said Heather. "He might've been through quite an ordeal."
"What sort of dog do you think he is?" Asked Detective Peters. "He looks like an unusual breed to me."
"I think he's a shepherd mix of some kind," said Jamie.
Jamie pet the dog and Heather took a good look at him. Now that he was clean she could see the design his fur. His firm was mostly black-and-white, but there were some other splotches of color as well. His ears pointed upward, and he had bright, alert eyes. However, he did seem subdued today. She didn't know him well enough to know the dog's usual personality, but she could get a sense of sadness about him.
"I think Heather is right," said Ryan. "There has to be a good reason why the man decided to clean the dog instead of destroying him."
"But you think he was trying to wash away the evidence?" Asked Detective Peters.
"I think that makes the most sense," said Heather.
"Well," said Amy. "It could be that the guy is an animal lover, and didn't mind the chance of being recognized because he didn't want to hurt the dog. Or there's another reason."
"I wonder for thinking of the same reason," said Heather.
"If I were ever to kill Jamie," Amy began.
"Hey!" said Jamie.
"I said if," Amy said with a teasing smile." And this is just to prove my point. I would never want to kill you."
"I guess I'm just feeling a little sensitive after all this," Jamie admitted.
"Well, if I brutally murdered Jamie, and got blood all over the place," said Amy.
This time Jamie refrained from crying out, but he was staring at them with a displeased look on his face. He didn't like this example.
"And then if our dog Miss marshmallow got dirty because of it, well, I wouldn't want to kill her too," said Amy. "I bet it was the killer's dog."
"I was thinking along similar lines," said Heather. "I think that the killer knew the dog as well. However, I'm not completely convinced that it was the killer's dog. Because if we could track the owner down, then we could find the killer."
"That's probably what we sh
ould do then," said Detective Peters. "We should try and track down the owner. Especially if there's a chance that the owner is the killer."
"I agree that we should track down the owner," said Ryan. "But I'm not completely sure that a murder took place. We should look to see if there is a victim in all this too."
"Agreed," said Heather.
Inwardly, she was starting to think that a murder had occurred. Cleaning the dog had revealed to her how much blood was on him. However, she didn't want to jump to conclusions.
"How are we going to track down the owner?" Asked Amy.
"We encountered a problem like this before," said Heather.
"Oh, that's right," said Amy. "On another case involving a dog."
"Sometimes dogs have microchips embedded in their shoulders that can be used for identification if they get lost," said Heather. "It's becoming a common thing. This way if the dog ends up in the shelter, but does have a home and was merely lost, it can be easy to reunite the family and the dog. A lot of shelters and vets have the technology to read the chip."
"I guess we should take Skip to the vet," said Ryan.
Skip placed his head down on the floor. It seems that he did not like this plan, and the dog’s day kept getting worse and worse for him.
Skip’s Owner
After spending some time deciding which veterinarian skip to, they ended up choosing the same VET that Dave and Cupcake usually went to.
Though Skip had seemed nervous about the trip, he had behaved very well. The investigators were also very happy with what they learned. He had been marked with an identification chip, and they learned the name and address of his owner on record. It was Vanessa Horn.
"That's strange," said Amy. "It was a man who dropped off the dog, and the owner is a woman. Maybe it was the killer who dropped him off?"
"Maybe," said Heather. "But I think we should talk to Vanessa before we jump to any conclusions."
"I agree," said Ryan. "But based on the mysterious circumstances that Skip came into your care, I'm not sure that we should bring the dog to Vanessa's house immediately."
"That's right," Detective Peters seconded. "I think we should check her out before we bring the dog over."
"So what should we do with Skip?" Asked Amy.
"I think Jamie should continue to care for him until we're sure that everything is all right with the owner," said Ryan.
"That seems like a good idea to me," said Heather. "Skip seems relaxed with Jamie. Would it be all right for him to bring the dog home with him?"
"Yes," said Ryan. "He doesn't need to stay at the veterinarian or the police station. He's doing a favor for us."
"Skip is a sweet dog," said Jamie. "I don't mind watching him."
"You might not mind," Amy said. "But I know somebody who does!"
Miss Marshmallow stared at the newcomer in distaste. The prissy long-haired dog looked at Skip with annoyance.
Heather tried not to laugh at the death stares that the dog was shooting at everyone. She had helped Amy and Jamie bring Skip into their home. However, their own pampered pooch was not appreciating that they had a visitor.
Skip didn't seem to mind the cold reception. Jamie laid a blanket on the ground for that dog to lay on, and Skip curled up immediately. It had been a long day for the poor dog. Jamie rubbed the dog’s back soothingly.
Though Miss Marshmallow wasn't often a fan of receiving affection, she marched over to Jamie and demanded that he pet her as well. Jamie responded and kept one hand on both the dogs.
"Well, he has his work cut out for him," said Amy.
Heather laughed and then said, "I think we might too. If everything is set here, I think we should join Ryan and Detective Peters as they go to meet Vanessa Horn."
"I'll be fine," said Jamie.
Amy gave him a kiss goodbye, and pet Miss Marshmallow who was making a ruckus for attention. Then, she and Heather headed out the door.
Because Heather and Amy lived right next to each other, or right above and below each other to be precise, Heather checked in to make sure that Lilly was all right. Lilly said that she had a fun bike ride and she was happy that she could make Janae less sad. She was having fun with Eva and Leila as Heather left.
Heather and Amy piled into Heather's red Chevy Spark and started driving to the address they found from the veterinarian.
"I don't know how I feel about all this," said Amy. "I don't like someone getting Jamie involved in a crime."
"It does make it seem more personal," said Heather.
"And Jamie has been having such bad luck with his business recently," Amy said sadly.
"I thought the mobile grooming van was doing well," said Heather. "Rudolph Rodney is an investor for both Donut Delights and Jamie's van. When I gave him a donut this morning, he said that business was booming on all fronts."
"He is doing well financially," Amy said. "Customers have been liking his service, and he has some regular client. However, he has been having a string of bad luck. He's gotten flat tires, and now a murder might've come by."
Heather was about to say they still didn't know what was going on yet, when she received a call from Ryan. She put the call on speakerphone so they could both hear even though someone was driving.
"Are you on your way over to Vanessa Horn’s?" Ryan asked.
"That's right," Heather said. "We made sure that Skip was settled. He's not with us now. Did you want us to go back and get him?"
"No," said Ryan. "There's no need for that. I'm afraid Skip won't be reunited with his owner."
"Does that mean what I think it does?" Asked Amy.
"Yes," said Ryan. "Vanessa Horn was murdered."
The Crime Scene
Heather and Amy continued to the victim's house. They couldn't say they were surprised by the newest development, but they were disappointed. Part of them had still hoped that there could be a happy ending for Skip and his owner.
"Who do you think the person that dropped the dog off with Jamie was?" Asked Amy.
"Maybe something at the house can give us a clue," Heather responded.
They parked near the house and saw the crime scene tape it already been put up across the door. They approached the house and waited for the detectives to meet them.
Peters saw them first and walked up to them. He moved the tape so they could get inside and gestured forward.
"She was found in the living room," Peters said. "And it looks like it might have been a robbery."
"Of course, sometimes murders are staged to look like robberies," Amy said. "I just hope that the motive behind all this wasn't to mess with Jamie."
"I don't think that was the case," Heather said. She knew Amy wasn't completely serious, but still wanted to reassure her that Jamie wasn't involved in the grisly crime. He had just been the only dog groomer at the wrong time.
Ryan joined them just before they entered the living room.
"The medical examiner just removed the body," he said.
"Good," Heather and Amy echoed in unison. The two friends smiled at each other.
"I just meant that I was happy that I wouldn't have to look at the dead body," Amy said. "I've also been really good this year about maintaining my New Year's resolution and not screaming when I come across one. I want to keep it up."
"I meant that it was good because the medical examiner probably already gave some preliminary findings to the detectives," said Heather. She turned to Ryan. "Am I right? Do you have some information on what happened?"
"Well," Ryan said. "The medical examiner estimates that she was killed earlier this afternoon. It would line up with it occurring for the dog was brought to Jamie's van."
"And it is clear that this is the victim's dog," Said Detective Peters. "Besides the identification leading us to this address, there are several dog items within the house."
"If there's anything that you can rule out as evidence that relates to Skip," Heather said. "It would be nice for us to bring it back home with us. He m
ight appreciate seeing a toy from home."
"Of course," said Ryan. "When we finish processing the scene, we can let you know what can be returned to him."
"Did the medical examiner give you a potential cause of death?" Asked Heather.
Ryan nodded. "This time the cause of death is rather apparent. She was shot."
"We will be looking into what's type of bullets and gun was used," Said Peters.
Heather began to examine the scene. It was a cozy and well-decorated home. However, it looked as if there had been a struggle within the living room. The whole room looked off-kilter. Tables were knocked out of place, and knickknacks were broken on the floor.
There was an open safe on the wall with the painting on the floor below it. Heather realized that the safe must've been hidden behind it originally.
"I can see why you think a robbery occurred," Heather said.
She carefully walked over to the safe see what was inside. It was empty.
"Do you have any idea what was inside here?" She asked.
"No," Said Peters. "But it must have been something valuable if it was locked inside a hidden safe."
Ryan added, "We'll talk with her insurance company and see if they have any idea what was there."
"Great idea," said Heather.
Amy pointed at a dark red spot on the carpet.
"Is that where she died?"
"Yes. That's where she was found," said Ryan. "We also believe that Skip was near her at some point because of those pawprints shapes. He was probably trying to save her."
"I am furious at this killer," Amy said stamping her foot. "He took a woman's life. He got Jamie involved with us. And he broke that poor dog's heart."
"I'd like to look at the yard if you don't mind," said Heather.
"Sure," Peters said, though he looked confused by the request.
Heather walked towards the back door and saw there were three hooks next to it. Two of them had dog leashes on it.
"Do you think the third one used on a leash too?" Heather asked.
"Probably," said Amy.
"I would normally keep my dog leash by the front door," Heather said thinking aloud. "I wonder if the killer had to search for this lease when taking Skip out, or if they knew this was the place where Vanessa Horn kept the dog leashes."
Caramel Sundae & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery Book 40 Page 2