by Carol Cox
He walked over to the door and held it open for Kate. After they were out on the sidewalk, he whispered, “I can see what you mean about people being fixated on winning. Are they all like that?”
“No.” Kate made a sour face. “Some of them are worse.”
Paul shook his head and looked off into the distance. “It gives a whole new meaning to the term dog days, doesn’t it?”
Kate grinned and playfully elbowed him in the side.
As they walked toward Paul’s pickup, they saw Deputy Skip Spencer heading toward them. He appeared to be checking vehicles for parking violations, “maintaining a visible presence downtown,” as he called it.
“Well, if it isn’t the Hanlons,” he called when he spotted them. His deep voice seemed a strange contrast to his boyish appearance.
“Hey, Skip.” Paul strolled over to join the twenty-five-year-old deputy, with Kate at his side.
“Any success on turning up a lead on Kisses?” Kate asked.
Skip tapped his ticket book against his leg. “We asked around, but we didn’t find anybody who saw anything. And there’s no evidence in the park. Some dog owners have their animals implanted with a microchip, but Kisses doesn’t have one. At this point, we’ve done about all we can.”
He planted his hands on his hips and shook his head. “After all, it isn’t like we’re talking about a kidnapped child. It’s only a dog.”
Kate reached out to pat him on the arm. “It’s more than that, Skip. You have to realize that Kisses is practically Renee’s whole world. To her, this is like having her child taken.”
Skip rubbed his forehead. “You’d sure think so from the way she’s been calling to ask what progress we’ve made.”
Paul chuckled. “That wouldn’t explain why you’re patrolling outside this afternoon, would it?”
“It’s important to maintain a police presence...” Skip trailed off and gave him a sheepish grin.
“Well, it does get me away from the desk and the phone. I mean, she’s already called my office over a dozen times today, and she’s been in touch with Sheriff Roberts at his office up in Pine Ridge as well.”
Kate blinked. “She went over your head and contacted the sheriff directly?”
As soon as the words left her lips, she knew how ridiculous her question was. Of course Renee would go straight to the top with her demands for help. Kate’s point about Kisses filling the place of a child in Renee’s life was right on target. What would she and Paul have done if one of their three children had been abducted?
Kate knew she would have been at least as determined as Renee to make sure no stone was left unturned.
Skip nodded miserably. “She sure did, and he’s called me a couple of times himself. He’d really like some results soon, if there’s any way to get them.” He hiked his duty belt higher on his waist. “The trouble is, I feel like all I’m doing is running into dead ends. I honestly don’t know which way to turn next.”
He looked at Kate with a haggard expression. “Do you have any idea who might have done it?”
“No, I think you and I are in the same boat. I haven’t come up with a thing so far.”
“Well, if you think of anything, be sure to let me—” Skip broke off abruptly, his eyes fixed on a point over Kate’s shoulder.
His face paled until his freckles stood out in sharp contrast to his fair skin. “Oh no.”
Chapter Six
What on earth?
Kate wheeled around and saw Renee Lambert’s large pink Oldsmobile approaching. It pulled into a parking space in front of them.
“Oh boy, I’m going to catch it now,” Skip muttered, sounding more like a truant schoolboy than a guardian of the law.
Renee emerged from the car and beckoned to Skip with an imperious gesture.
Skip hooked his thumbs in his duty belt and stood his ground.
Renee narrowed her eyes. Her high heels clacked across the sidewalk as she hurried to join the group.
“What’s the status of the investigation, Deputy?” she asked in a crisp tone. “Why are you standing out here lollygagging when you ought to be looking for clues and tracking down suspects?”
“I’m working on it, Miz Lambert,” Skip said. The words spilled out so quickly, he almost stuttered. “I’m conferring with Missus Hanlon right now.”
“Good.” Renee gave a decisive nod. “If kidnappings aren’t solved within the first forty-eight hours, the likelihood of finding the victim diminishes rapidly. I’ve heard that time and again on America’s Most Wanted, and we’ve already passed the forty-eight-hour mark. There’s no time to waste.”
“But that’s with a kidnapping,” Skip protested. “And this is a—”
“Tragic situation,” Kate broke in, giving Skip a warning glare.
Skip swallowed and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We’re all doing the very best we can. Believe me, we’re just as anxious to find your little dog as you are.”
“We all want to see him home again,” Paul said reassuringly.
“Hey, Skip!” Carl Wilson trotted toward them from the direction of the Town Green. “I’ve been looking for you. I went over to your office at the Town Hall, and they told me I might find you on patrol.”
Skip’s face took on a more official demeanor. “What’s the problem?”
“I need to report some vandalism.”
“What?” Skip’s reddish eyebrows shot up. “How much damage was done?”
Carl shrugged. “No damage, really. It’s just that I came home for lunch and found the whole front of the house decorated with...”
His gaze shifted from Skip to Kate and Paul to Renee, then back to Skip. “You know, with long strips of tissue.”
“You mean the place was TP’d?” Kate bit back a smile at Carl’s surprised expression.
“Kate and I raised three youngsters,” Paul chuckled, “and their friends papered our house on occasion. We’re familiar with the term.”
Carl grinned and looked relieved. “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. I left for work early this morning, before sunup. I had a customer coming in to pick up his car today, and I needed to finish the job before he showed up. The house was probably ‘decorated’ last night, but I just didn’t notice it in the dark.”
“That’s outrageous.” Renee curled her lip. “Why would anyone want to engage in such disgusting behavior?”
Carl rubbed the back of his neck. “Like I said, there’s no damage. It was probably just kids. I guess I’m more irritated than anything. I’d been planning on taking Scout to a dog-show workshop right after work, but that isn’t going to happen now.”
Renee sniffed indignantly. “Just because your cocker spaniel won that dog-food contest doesn’t mean you can expect her to do well in a conformation class.”
“Yes, ma’am. I mean, no, ma’am.” Carl eyed Renee warily, then went on. “I just came home to grab a quick bite and saw the mess as soon as I drove up to the house. I got most of the loose stuff picked up so it won’t blow around the neighborhood, but I’m due back at work right away. My brother Jack would help with the cleanup if he was around, but he’s out of town for a couple of days, so I’ll have a lot to do after I get off work.”
He smiled ruefully. “Hearing myself talk about it, it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. Maybe I just needed to blow off some steam. I probably shouldn’t have even bothered you with it.”
“No,” Skip said, “you did the right thing. It’s important for me to know when something like this happens in our town. Come on, my SUV’s parked right down the block. You can tell me more about it while we drive to your house. At least I can take a report and see if there’s any indication of who might have done it.”
“Thanks.” Carl clapped him on the shoulder.
Renee’s eyes glittered. “Don’t forget where your priorities lie, deputy. A littered yard can hardly compare with Kisses being stolen.”
“I won’t forget, Miz Lambert. You can trust me on that.” Skip sketched a wave to the others
as the two men set off toward his patrol vehicle.
Kate stared after them, her mind in a whirl. Dognapping? Vandalism? What was going on in Copper Mill?
She looked over at the woman beside her. Renee seemed to have recovered from her breakdown the previous Saturday, but Kate noted the telltale signs of grief that still marked her features. And something else was different, but what?
Irritated by her inability to put her finger on it, Kate gave an impatient sniff...and then she knew. Her nose hadn’t picked up the slightest whiff of Estée Lauder’s Youth-Dew. Normally Renee would have been enveloped by a cloud of her signature perfume, but not this afternoon.
Kate eyed Renee more closely, wondering if her brisk demeanor was no more than a thin veneer. “How are you holding up?” Kate asked.
Renee twisted the ring on her right hand. “I’m staying busy. I just need to get my Little Umpkins back.” She looked squarely at Kate. “What about you? Any progress?”
Kate shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry, Renee. I’m doing everything I can think of, but I just haven’t come up with anything yet. I won’t give up, though. I can promise you that.”
“And you have prayer on your side,” Paul added. “I’m not the sleuth Kate is, but I’ll do everything I can in that department.” He took Kate’s elbow, and they started moving toward the car.
“Just a minute.” Renee raised her hand like a police officer halting traffic. She opened the Oldsmobile’s passenger door and reached inside, pulling out an armload of flyers.
“I told you I’ve been busy.” She held up the flyers so that Kate and Paul could get a clear view of the top sheet.
An enlarged image of Kisses took up most of the upper half of the page. At the top of the flyer, the word Kidnapped stretched across the page in enormous block letters.
Directly beneath the photo was the question, “Have you seen this dog?” followed by Kisses’ name and a detailed description, including his height, weight, and distinguishing characteristics—“sweet disposition, loves chopped liver.”
Kate read the rest of the wording out loud: “My precious baby was abducted from Copper Mill Park. Please help me find him so I can bring him home. If you have any information as to his whereabouts or the identity of the perpetrators of this heinous crime, please call any of the following...”
Phone numbers were listed for Renee, the deputy’s office in Copper Mill, and the sheriff’s office in Pine Ridge. At the bottom of the page, large red letters proclaimed Reward.
“What do you think?” Renee asked. “I had them printed at the copy shop in Pine Ridge. I just picked them up an hour ago.”
Kate’s eyes stung, and her throat tightened. While some of the verbiage might have been a little over the top, it was easy to discern the depth of emotion that lay beneath it.
“I think they’re very nice, don’t you, Paul?”
“It definitely gets the message across,” he agreed. “And you have quite a few of them.”
“I have plans for every one.” Renee shoved the stack into Kate’s arms and reached back into the Oldsmobile. This time she brought out two large sketches.
She pointed to the one on top. “While I was waiting for the printer to finish up, I made a diagram of the streets in Copper Mill. These X’s indicate the locations where I want the flyers posted.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Very efficient. It looks like you’re going to cover every storefront and lamppost in town.”
“That’s the idea.” Renee pulled the second sketch from underneath the first. “I did the same thing for Pine Ridge, since it’s just up the road. I intend to cover all the bases. That’s why I’m glad I ran into you.”
Renee thrust the diagrams at Paul, then dove back into the Oldsmobile for a third time, emerging with a roll of clear packing tape and a staple gun. “I’ve got to hurry straight back home. I need to stay by the phone in case there’s a ransom call.”
“Ransom?” Furrows appeared in Paul’s forehead. “Renee, do you really think—”
She placed the tape and the staple gun on top of the stack of flyers Kate was holding. “If you get started right away and keep up a good pace, you should be able to have them all up by sundown.”
Kate grimaced inwardly. Sunset in late summer came somewhere between eight thirty and nine.
“We ought to talk about this,” she began.
Renee slammed the passenger door shut and circled around the front of the car. “I knew you’d be happy to do it, knowing that Kisses thinks of you as his grandma. Take good care of those diagrams. I plan to use them as a checklist to make sure all of the flyers are still in place. You can drop them off at my house when you’re finished. Don’t worry about disturbing me. I’m sure I’ll be up late.”
Kate stood with her mouth open as the pink Oldsmobile backed out of the parking space and headed down Smith Street. She turned to Paul. “What just happened?”
Paul covered his mouth with his hand, but not quite in time to hide a broad smile. “It looks like we’ve just signed on for a very busy afternoon and evening, Grandma. We’d better get moving.”
Kate glanced down at the flyers, where Kisses’ wistful little face stared up at her. She looked back up at Paul and made a face. “Dog days, indeed.”
Chapter Seven
The following afternoon found Kate fanning her face with the skirt of her apron and wondering about the wisdom of spending time in the kitchen on such a sultry day. But she needed to think, and somehow in the act of baking, she found it easier to work through any puzzle she was trying to solve.
Besides, those cookie recipes in the pull-out section of the magazine she’d purchased the previous Saturday were just begging to be tested. Several of them had caught her eye, but even in her present mood, she just couldn’t bring herself to heat up the kitchen if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.
Upon closer inspection of the magazine, she found a number of no-bake recipes. After scanning the most promising ones and checking them against the ingredients she had on hand, she decided on one that looked particularly interesting.
Kate pulled out butter, chocolate chips, walnuts, colored mini-marshmallows, and coconut, and soon the baking—or nonbaking—project was underway. As she heated the butter and chocolate chips in the top of her double boiler, she felt a twinge of guilt for following her culinary inclinations rather than being out searching for Kisses.
But where could she begin? She had talked to everyone who crossed her path while she hung up the flyers the previous afternoon, but no one seemed to know anything that might be of help.
Kate pushed a damp strand of her strawberry-blonde hair off her forehead with the back of her hand. Maybe her mental logjam was the result of the stultifying effect of the heat. Or maybe there just wasn’t anything to be found—a sobering thought.
She removed the melted butter and chocolate chips from the heat and let them cool while she tossed the pastel-colored marshmallows and the nuts in a mixing bowl.
What could have happened to Kisses?
Kate poured the chocolate mixture over the marshmallows and stirred the sticky concoction. Even if someone was really angry with Renee, making her go through that kind of misery and causing an innocent animal distress—or worse—seemed excessive. Kate knew that jealousy, even rivalry, made people do some pretty outrageous things, but she couldn’t imagine anyone taking things to such an extreme.
Then again, after reading the dog magazine and watching a couple of the shows Livvy had recommended on Animal Planet, Kate had learned more than she wanted to about the highly competitive nature of these events.
Kate sprinkled several sheets of waxed paper with grated coconut. She divided the dough and placed a lump on each sheet, then she rolled the dough into coconut-coated logs. While her hands were busy, her mind continued to work out the possible trails that might lead her to Kisses.
If not rivalry or jealousy, what other reason could there be to take Renee’s Chihuahua? She’d already considered th
e three top motives: greed, hatred, and revenge. She hadn’t ruled them out yet, but she was hoping for a less unpleasant scenario that would explain Kisses’ disappearance.
She slid the dough logs onto a baking sheet and placed it in the refrigerator to chill, then she washed her hands. She had done some checking on the Internet and found that a pedigreed Chihuahua could command a substantial price.
Kisses did have papers, but those were in Renee’s possession, not the dognapper’s. According to Kate’s research, the going price for a Chihuahua without papers would fall into a much lower category.
Kate poured herself a tall ice-cold glass of sun tea and drank deeply. If someone with a criminal bent wanted to make quick money, surely he could have found a more lucrative opportunity.
Then there was a possibility she’d already considered: If Kisses had been curled up inside his new bag, a random dognapper wouldn’t have seen him, and it was unlikely that a purse snatcher would have made off with the tote once he saw Kisses inside.
That line of reasoning argued against some chance snatch and run and pointed back to someone deliberately trailing Renee, watching her movements closely with the intent to make off with Kisses. Kate mulled over this unpleasant likelihood while she stacked her utensils in the sink.
How were the cookies doing? She peeked in the fridge, knowing full well they hadn’t had time to set properly but longing to know how the new recipe had turned out. She pulled out one of the logs and prodded it with her forefinger. Still far too soft to slice as the recipe instructed, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a little taste test.
She peeled the waxed paper back from one end and held the roll firmly while she cut off a small chunk as neatly as she could. Kate smiled at the results. The colored chunks of marshmallow interlaced with veins of chocolate reminded her of one of her stained-glass windows. She popped the bite into her mouth and chewed the gooey morsel slowly. The varying flavors and textures of chocolate, marshmallow, coconut, and walnuts delighted her taste buds. Yes, this recipe would definitely be a keeper.
Think now, eat later. Kate brought her focus back to the missing-dog mystery.