Pet in Peril

by Marie Celine

  ‘Howie?’ asked Kitty.

  ‘Yeah, Howie. He chased down a valet to carry all my packages to our room and gave me the keys to the resort’s hospitality van so I could get to the medical center as fast as possible.’

  She turned to Kitty. ‘Oh, Kitty, wait till you see the dress I bought. Yellow chiffon with a slit up the left side that goes on forever. Know what I mean? It’s going to go great with that little coat I’ve got. You know, that one I bought that time at Macy’s when we—’

  Chief Mulisch cleared his throat and they gave him their attention. Once he’d gotten it, he nodded. ‘Witnesses, huh?’

  Fran nodded back, though her nod included a decided smirk.

  ‘OK.’ He sighed. ‘I suppose that means you’re not guilty.’ He brought his cup to his lips. ‘Of this particular crime.’ He took a swallow. ‘If there was a crime.’

  Kitty felt her ears growing hotter than the lattes the café served up. This guy was making her madder by the minute. The cruller had been delicious but the conversation had not.

  ‘I’m not guilty of any crime,’ replied Fran.

  That probably wasn’t strictly speaking true. She and Fran had some things that might not always have been completely above board but Kitty wasn’t about to say that to an officer of the law. ‘Will that be all, Chief? I’m really not feeling well. I’d like to get my prescription filled and go back to my room and get some rest.’

  He seemed to think for a moment then nodded. ‘I think getting some rest is a good idea, Ms Karlyle, a very good idea.’

  Fran slid out of the booth. Kitty picked up her purse and joined Fran at the door.

  ‘Speaking of rooms.’ Chief Mulisch turned to look at them.

  ‘Yes?’ asked Kitty.

  ‘Did you notice anything funny when you went to Eliza’s room?’

  Kitty froze. Did the chief know that she had gone back to Eliza’s room to snoop around? ‘Funny? What do you mean?’

  He spoke in slow, metered words. ‘When you went to return the dog collars to Mrs Cornwall, did you notice anything odd about her room?’

  Kitty breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know she’d gone back to search Eliza’s room. And she could never tell him. Not only would she be in hot water, but Howie would too. ‘No, nothing at all.’ Kitty waited but the chief said nothing. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because when my deputies went there this morning to check the room out, they tell me it looked like it had been tossed.’

  ‘Tossed? You mean ransacked?’

  He nodded.

  ‘But it wasn’t like that when I—’

  ‘When you what?’ he asked with a controlled yet scary voice.

  Kitty cleared her throat. ‘When I was there with Eliza. I mean, I would have noticed that, don’t you think?’ She batted her lashes.

  Chief Mulisch’s stony expression gave no indication what he was thinking. They felt his eyes on them the whole time they were crossing the street to the pharmacy. They were jaywalking and Kitty hoped he didn’t come running after them to give them a ticket for the infraction.

  When they got back to the prescription counter, it was Nickels’ assistant who handed Kitty her pills. ‘Where’s Mr Nickels?’ Kitty asked.

  The girl shrugged as she swiped Kitty’s credit card. ‘He took off. I’ve never seen anything like it. His shift wasn’t even over. He left me to fill in.’

  Kitty looked up and down the street as Fran unlocked the door to the van. The late-afternoon sun stuck to the mountaintops like a bright red balloon. Nickels was nowhere to be found.

  What was that all about?

  THIRTY-THREE

  Fran cranked the engine. ‘I don’t know about you but I’m beat.’

  Kitty nodded, settling back in the passenger seat.

  ‘What do you say we head straight to the lounge when we get back and have a glass of Napa merlot, maybe see if the spa can squeeze us in for a massage apiece?’

  Kitty nodded again.

  Fran pulled into traffic. ‘And if we see any sign of the crew, we tell them to buzz off.’

  Kitty grunted.

  ‘Except for Steve, of course. If that sexy hunk of man is there I’m going to wrap my arms around his big ole chest, squeeze the bejeezus out of him and plant a big kiss on those irresistible lips. Hmm, girl.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ Kitty said.

  Fran slammed on the brakes.

  ‘Ouch!’ Kitty shot forward and back. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ She rubbed her shoulder. ‘Watch what you’re doing, Fran.’

  ‘What’s wrong with me?’ Fran said, hands squeezing the steering wheel. The car behind her honked thrice and Fran lifted her foot off the brake. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I mean you’re not listening to a word I say.’

  Kitty frowned. ‘Sorry. It’s Victor’s murder. I can’t help wondering what’s going on and who is in on it.’ She smoothed her skirt. ‘What were you saying?’

  ‘I was saying we should go back to the resort and get some rest. Pamper ourselves for a change. Give this whole murder thing a rest.’

  ‘That sounds good,’ Kitty said, ‘but I have a better idea.’

  Fran cocked her eyebrow but kept her eyes on the road. ‘And what is that?’

  ‘I want to go examine the Matterhorn.’

  Fran shot her a quick look as she rounded the intersection and headed up the hill toward the Little Switzerland Resort and Spa. ‘If by Matterhorn you mean the ride at Disneyland, I’m all for it.’ She was forced to slow up behind a slow-moving flatbed loaded down with bales of hay. ‘If you mean the trail on which you just today almost met your maker—’ She looked Kitty squarely in the eyes. ‘No way.’

  ‘We’ve got to,’ said Kitty.

  ‘Oh, no we don’t.’ She pulled into the resort’s long circular drive heading for the valet station. ‘You’re not dressed for it. And after the tumble you took today I dare say you are in no shape for it. Forget it. We’ll do it tomorrow.’

  ‘Tomorrow may be too late. Come on, it’s going to be getting dark soon. Let’s go now,’ implored Kitty. ‘Whoever tried to kill me may have dropped something or left some kind of evidence behind.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘I don’t know, a clue, a footprint.’ She looked at Fran. ‘This could be important.’

  ‘You do realize that whoever tried to kill you could still be out there.’ Fran jumped out of the van and tossed the keys to the valet. ‘And might try to kill you again,’ she added.

  ‘I know.’ Kitty grinned as she patted her friend’s arm. ‘That’s why I need you to come with me.’

  Fran groaned as Kitty started up the twisted path leading to the edge of the resort and the trailhead.

  ‘Wait!’ cried Fran. ‘At least let me change my shoes.’ She clattered after Kitty. ‘These boots aren’t made for hiking,’ she grumbled to the tune of an old Nancy Sinatra song.

  ‘No time.’ Kitty turned back and waved. ‘Come on!’ Fran reluctantly followed.

  ‘If you ask me, this is a complete waste of time,’ Fran said some time later. They’d been hiking for what seemed like forever and Fran stopped to lean against a large gray rock. ‘It’s getting dark.’

  Kitty’s eyes followed the direction of Fran’s raised arm. The sun did seem to be sinking fast. It really wouldn’t be wise to be out on the trail after dark.

  ‘Look out!’ warned Fran.

  Kitty looked back. Two kids on mountain bikes screamed down the trail, passing her so close she could feel their wake. The one on the left shouted, ‘On your left!’ as he passed.

  ‘Thanks, that was close.’ Kitty shivered. Without the sun above, the mountains got cold at night. She took a few steps further. ‘This is the spot.’ She walked in a small circle. The ground was littered with footprints, human and animal. And the animal appeared to be dog. Unless there were wolves or coyotes around here. Not an impossibility. But most likely the prints had been made by Fred,
the Corgis and Sheila’s pack of dogs.

  Kitty pointed. ‘That’s the tree where I was leaning. And,’ she turned, ‘yes,’ she stooped over, pointing again, ‘this is where I went down.’

  Fran joined her. ‘Wow, that’s a long way down. You’re lucky to be alive.’

  Kitty had to agree. Things could have ended much more badly. She could have bashed her head on one of those big boulders as she fell. That could have been the end of her.

  She leaned over.

  ‘Careful,’ admonished Fran. ‘What are you trying to do, fall again?’

  ‘What’s this?’ She picked up a crumpled cigarette butt and examined it. It looked fresh.

  ‘Eww, gross,’ said Fran. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

  ‘This could be evidence.’ Both John Jameson and Henri Moutarde smoked. Jameson had admitted as much and she’d spotted an open pack on the chef’s desk.

  Fran frowned. ‘Yeah? There’s a used tissue and an empty beer can over there.’ She pointed a little further down the steep embankment. ‘You want to collect those too?’

  Kitty shook her head no. ‘Not the can. But I’ll take that tissue.’ The beer can looked like it had been exposed to the sun and elements for ages. The can was faded and dusty, showing signs of decomposition. It certainly hadn’t been dropped there today.

  The white tissue looked disgusting but she didn’t need carbon dating to recognize that it wasn’t ancient. Some creep had tossed it recently. Kitty hated litter bugs. She stretched out her arm, grabbed the tissue and folded the cigarette butt inside. The police may be interested in this. Had she really just picked up the snotty thing? She handed it to Fran.

  ‘What are you giving it to me for?’

  Kitty patted the sides of her skirt. ‘No pockets.’

  ‘I don’t want it.’

  Kitty made pouty eyes. ‘It could be evidence.’ She stuck the soiled tissue under Fran’s nose. ‘It could lead to the real killer of Victor Cornwall.’ She pushed it closer again. ‘It could,’ she said, ‘exonerate you.’

  Fran winced as she dropped the soiled tissue in her purse. ‘You so owe me. Wait until we get home. I’m gonna want—’ Fran stopped at the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from up around the bend. The trail rose quickly and turned sharply to the right just up from where they stood. Someone or someones were coming. The trail was now half in shadow and soon to be in darkness.

  Kitty didn’t like the idea of being out on the trail in the dark. There was no telling what kind of dangerous animals might be out here. A sudden sense of fear overcame her. Who was this person coming down the mountain? They were two women alone in the woods. ‘Quick!’ she whispered, grabbing Fran’s arm and pulling her into the trees. ‘Let’s hide.’

  Fran nodded and followed. The trees were broad but there were few of them in this spot. They snuggled up together behind a Douglas fir and held their breaths.

  The steps came closer, slip-sliding over the loose, gravelly path. Kitty dropped to the ground, twigs digging into her knees. A man had stopped on the trail in the same spot where they had just stood. He stooped over, his hand brushing the ground. With his back to them, Kitty had no idea who it was. The dog with him sniffed the ground relentlessly.

  ‘Well?’ hissed Fran.

  ‘I can’t tell.’

  Fran braced a hand on Kitty’s shoulder and peeked out. ‘It’s Ted.’

  Kitty gasped. ‘Shhh.’ She made quiet down motions with her hands and stole a second look around the other side of their hiding spot. Too late to be shushing Fran now. Ted had straightened and stood on the trail, unmoving. The dog with him was Chloe from the shelter, not Cucamonga or wherever he said he was from. The dog pulled at her leash.

  He was looking toward the Douglas fir. ‘Who’s there?’ They held their breaths. Kitty hoped he would assume he’d heard a squirrel or some other forest creature and simply start moving down the trail. After he had gone they’d follow at a safe distance. Instead, he took a couple of steps closer. ‘Who’s there?’ he repeated.

  Kitty looked at Fran. The proverbial jig was up. They were going to have to take their chances with Ted.

  Kitty rose, dusted the sticks and assorted forest debris off her knees and stepped forward. ‘Hi, Ted.’ Kitty managed a half-hearted wave from the hip.

  ‘Kitty? What are you doing here?’ Ted told Chloe to heel. The dog ignored him and he let her drag him closer to the tree. ‘Fran?’

  Fran grinned and stepped out. ‘Hi, Ted. Fancy meeting you here.’

  He scratched his head. ‘What were you two doing back there?’

  ‘You know how it is,’ Kitty said quickly. ‘When nature calls you’ve got to answer.’

  His eyebrows shot up. ‘The two of you?’ He shook his head. ‘I’ve heard of women going to the ladies’ room together in restaurants but never sharing a tree in the woods.’

  Kitty blushed. She hadn’t quite thought of it that way. Now that she did, it sounded kind of weird. Time to change the subject. ‘Out for a hike?’

  Ted said yes.

  Duh, of course he was out for a hike. Two middle-aged men on mountain bikes and wearing way too much spandex thundered past them, heading down the trail. Their bike helmets looked like props from a sci-fi movie.

  ‘We should get moving,’ Ted suggested. ‘It’s getting dark.’

  ‘I agree,’ Fran said. ‘You ready, Kitty?’

  Kitty turned slowly. Ted could be a killer but it wasn’t that far back to the resort. They were on a fairly open and exposed stretch of the trail with other people about. Besides, she and Fran were tough cookies; surely between them they could handle one Ted Atchison.

  But what about his dog, Chloe? And since when did Ted have two Chloes?

  And why were they looking so fuzzy?

  ‘You OK?’ Fran grabbed Kitty’s forearm and looked into her eyes.

  ‘I-I think so,’ Kitty said. The day’s trials and tribulations, not to mention the fall down a mountainside, had finally caught up with her. ‘Fran, I don’t feel so good.’

  Fran held her more firmly. ‘Maybe you’d better take one of those pain pills Doctor Peter gave you.’

  Kitty shook her head. ‘I can’t. Left them in the van.’

  ‘Then we’ve really got to get you back to the resort. Come on,’ she said to Ted, ‘you grab the other side.’

  Once again Kitty was ignominiously helped down the Matterhorn Trail, this time half-dragged, half-shuffling her feet as Ted and Fran pulled her along, both bearing a portion of her weight on their shoulders as she wrapped an arm around each of them with Chloe, or rather, both Chloes, tagging along. Ted had unclipped Chloe’s leash and let her run free.

  It was embarrassing to be dragged back to the resort and through the lobby to their suite and would have been even more so if Kitty had not been so woozy. Fran pulled back the covers and Ted helped her settle Kitty down, her head nesting against the pillow. She grabbed a blanket from the closet and laid it over Kitty. ‘I’ll go get your pills,’ Fran said. ‘Be right back.’

  ‘I’ll stay here and keep an eye on her,’ Ted promised.

  A frisson of fear raced up Kitty’s arms. Did she really want to be left alone in her room with a known liar and possible murderer? But how was she going to say that to Fran now? He might kill them both if he knew that Kitty was on to him.

  While she debated what to do, she heard the sound of the door. Fran had gone. She was alone with Ted. He smiled down at her. Chloe rested her head on the covers, looking at her too. Barney was asleep on the dresser. He wasn’t going to be any help if Atchison decided to strangle her next. As sore as she was, she doubted she could put up much of a struggle herself.

  ‘Care for a smoke?’ Kitty made a show of reaching for the bedside table drawer.

  ‘No, thanks. I never developed the habit. Besides,’ he said, looking around the room, ‘I don’t think smoking is allowed in the rooms.’

  ‘Of course. What was I thinking? Guess I’m just tired.’ Kitty sett
led back down. So, Ted either wasn’t a smoker – and it hadn’t been his tossed cigarette butt out on the trail – or was a very good liar. He sure seemed to be looking for something out there.

  Kitty breathed heavily. It was a good thing Ted had said no. What would she have done if he’d said yes? The drawer probably contained nothing more than a Gideon’s Bible. Would he be interested in smoking that?

  ‘I’ll get you a glass of water,’ Ted said. ‘You’re going to need it.’

  Kitty furrowed her brow. ‘Why?’

  ‘I don’t know about you but I need something to wash down my pills.’

  ‘Oh, right.’ Kitty nodded.

  Ted padded off to the bathroom. ‘And I’ll get you a cool compress for your forehead. I’ll wet down one of these facecloths.’ His voice carried through the wall.

  The phone on the bedside table rang and with a groan Kitty stretched out a tentative arm, searching for the receiver.

  ‘Hello?’

  She let her hand fall back to the sheets. Ted must have picked up the extension in the bathroom. Kitty could hear his end of the conversation.

  ‘Who?’ Short pause. ‘I’m afraid she’s zonked out in bed at the moment. She’s pretty worn out, know what I mean?’ Long pause. ‘I’ll tell her you called.’

  Kitty lifted her head from the pillow as Ted returned. ‘Who was that on the phone?’

  ‘Some detective.’ Ted set the water on the nightstand as Kitty indicated.

  Kitty’s eyes dilated. ‘Detective?’ It wasn’t Jack, was it? ‘Did he give his name?’

  Ted chewed the side of his lip a moment. ‘Young or something like that.’

  ‘Jack Young?’

  ‘Yeah, that was it.’ Ted scratched Chloe’s snout.