by V. M. Burns
“I know.” I reached inside his jacket and put his shield back where it belonged. “Let’s get some food, and then we can put our heads together and figure out who murdered Naomi Keller and is trying to frame my friend . . . our friend.”
Chapter 13
Dinner was delicious. We all ate and drank and had a great time talking about everything except the one subject that was paramount on everyone’s minds. However, after dinner, we got down to business. By some unseen rule, everyone turned to me to lead the discussion.
“I guess we all know why we’re here. So let’s get started.” I pulled out the notebook I’d stuffed in my purse earlier. “I’ll kick things off.” I shared the information that I had learned from Linda Kay and Jacob about the love triangle between Dixon Vannover, Naomi Keller, and Brittney. As I expected, everyone was shocked.
“Why, that dirty dog,” B.J. said, taking another bite of cheesecake.
Monica Jill scowled. “He should be horse-whipped.”
Red asked, “Do you think they knew about each other?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “But if Linda Kay and Jacob knew, then it couldn’t have been much of a secret, could it?”
We gnawed on that piece of information until there was nothing left to say. Everyone agreed that Dixon Vannover was scum; however, that didn’t make him a killer.
Dr. Morgan cleared his throat. “I managed to switch with someone, so I got assigned to the autopsy.”
Mai gave him an adoring look. “That’s so sweet.”
Dr. Morgan blushed and hurried on. “Death was due to strangulation.”
“We already knew that,” Monica Jill said.
He smiled. “True, but I can also confirm that Naomi Keller was not pregnant.”
“What?”
Dixie leaned forward. “Are you sure?”
He nodded.
I frowned. “But how is that possible? June Vannover said that’s why Dixon was leaving her, because she couldn’t have children and Naomi Keller was able to give him the one thing she couldn’t.”
“Could she have had a miscarriage?” Dixie asked.
Dr. Morgan shook his head. “She’d had a full hysterectomy.”
We mulled that bombshell over for quite some time.
“So if Dixon Vannover found out that Naomi Keller had lied to him,” David said, “he might have wanted to strangle her.”
Red smiled. “He might indeed. I think I’ll have a talk with Dixon Vannover.”
David raised a hand. “I went by his campaign headquarters today to see if I could find out anything.”
“Did you?” Madison asked.
He shook his head. “Dixon Vannover made a brief appearance, and he looked horrible. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, and the aides I did talk to didn’t have anything negative to say.”
Something in his eyes made me ask, “But there was something?”
“It was strange. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong, but there’s definitely something wrong there.”
“You mean other than the fact that the man is a total and complete idiot?” B.J. said.
“And a two-timing, adulterous letch,” Monica Jill said.
“Yeah, other than that, he’s perfectly normal.” David smiled. “I’m going back tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll be able to talk to a few more people and see what I can find out.”
“Thank you, David,” Dixie said.
Stephanie scooted to the front of her chair. “I went down to a pub near the courthouse, and Warren Keller is not well liked at all.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“According to his secretary, the bartender, and one of the clerks from the courthouse, he’s a bit cutthroat. In fact, they referred to him as a shark. He’s very intelligent, but he uses his intelligence to intimidate others.” She sat and thought for a few minutes. “He’s really smart . . . probably has an IQ at the genius level, but he uses his intelligence like a weapon.” She sighed. “I’m not explaining this well.”
“Can you give us an example?” Red asked.
Theodore Jordan, who was sitting quietly in the corner, cleared his throat. “Maybe I can help.”
We turned to watch the distinguished gentleman decide how best to say what he wanted. Beau gazed at his friend. “Teddy, you might as well spit it out. You’re among friends, and nothing you say will ever get traced back to you.”
The older lawyer leaned back and interlaced his fingers. After a few moments, he nodded at Stephanie. “Miss Echosby is right. Warren Keller is considered a shark. He’s highly intelligent and very skilled. When he’s arguing a point of law, if he thinks he’s right, then he is relentless. He’ll latch onto a point, and he won’t let go.”
“Isn’t that the mark of a good attorney?” I asked, thinking of how persistent Stephanie was when she was pursuing justice.
Jordan smiled. “In certain situations, yes. In a courtroom, while arguing for truth and justice, then I would agree with you, but . . . most people have limitations, a line in the sand that we refuse to cross.” He thought for a moment. “You know, a few years ago, I took a trip to Africa and went on a safari. I saw a lion hunting an injured gazelle. The lion watched the gazelles until it identified its prey. Then it culled the weaker animal, so it was isolated and alone. Only then did it take the wounded animal down.” He paused and allowed his words to sink in. “Warren Keller is like that lion.”
Despite my best efforts, I shivered.
“My guides explained that was the way of animals in the wild. It’s the circle of life in action. Most human beings find that behavior distasteful. We don’t prey on the poor, the infirm, or the weak. We root for the underdog. If someone has their back against the wall, we back off. It’s considered . . . dishonorable to kick someone when they’re down. Well, that’s not Warren Keller’s way. If he senses he has his prey backed up against the wall, if he senses fear, then he goes in for the kill. He goes for the jugular, and he won’t let go until his enemy not only gives in but is totally and completely destroyed.”
“Wow,” B.J. said. “He sounds absolutely brutal.”
Stephanie nodded. “That’s essentially what I found out. Most people don’t like him. However, he has an excellent track record in court. So if you can afford his exorbitant fees, then he practically guarantees results. He is going to win, regardless of his opponent.”
“I thought you said he was a divorce attorney,” Monica Jill asked, looking puzzled. “There are no winners when it comes to divorce.”
We sat in silence, digesting this for several moments.
Stephanie took a deep breath. “I think Mr. Jordan summed up what I found very nicely.” She smiled at Theodore Jordan, who nodded.
Red shook his head. “He sounds like a horrible human being, and if someone had murdered him, then the line of suspects is probably a mile long. Unfortunately, being a rotten person doesn’t make him a killer. There are tons of evil people out there. I need some facts to go on.”
“I don’t have anyone who witnessed him strangling his wife,” Stephanie said. “The only thing I can speak to is what I found about the man’s character, which isn’t very nice. However, I’m going to go back tomorrow and look for more.”
David and Madison were whispering in a corner. “Madison?” I said. “Do you have anything to add?” I gave her my most encouraging smile.
She glanced tentatively at Red, who surprised her by saying, “Cooper, I think you understand this is all highly irregular and outside of TBI regulations. But as Beau mentioned earlier, we’re all friends here, and we need to get to the bottom of this and find Naomi Keller’s murderer, so if you have some information . . . please share.”
“Well, I just happened to notice something about the body.” She glanced at David, who gave her an encouraging nod. “It’s just that it seemed odd to me
that she was strangled with a lead, not a leash.”
I frowned, trying to see why that was significant. “I’m sorry, dear, I don’t—”
“Are you sure it was a lead?” Dixie moved forward in her seat.
Madison nodded.
The rest of us exchanged confused glances.
“You mentioned that the other day at the dog club,” I said, “but I didn’t understand what difference that made.”
Monica Jill raised her hand tentatively. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know the difference.”
“Me either,” B.J. added.
We turned to Dixie.
She got up and went through to the room where Red and I had talked earlier. She came back carrying two objects. One was clearly a short, six-foot leather dog leash with a clip on the end for connecting to a dog collar. She held it up. “This is a dog leash.” She turned to one of her Standard Poodles, which was sprawled out at her feet. The dog stretched but then stood quietly while Dixie connected the leash to the dog’s collar. “Most people use these.”
“That’s the type of leash we had to use in the obedience ring.” Dr. Morgan said, giving the leash a hard look.
“Right.” Dixie held up the other item. “This is a slip lead. It’s a single line with a ring at one end.” She fed the long end of the thin material through the ring so it formed a loop. “It makes a continuous loop, which you slide over the dog’s head.” She slipped the lead over the head of Leia, her other Standard Poodle. “A slip lead is the simplest way to control a dog.” She demonstrated by doing a heel pattern with Leia. “The slip lead can easily adjust to the size of the dog’s neck, making it virtually impossible for the dog to get out of it.”
“Maybe that’s what I need for Jac,” Monica Jill said. “How does it work?”
Dixie slid the lead off Leia and held it up like a noose. “If the dog tries to go a different direction, the lead tightens and constricts and makes it uncomfortable.”
“That seems rather cruel,” Monica Jill whispered.
“Used in the right way, it’s actually very safe. They’re easy to get on and off, so it’s great for dog training, but the placement is critical. The slip lead should sit high on the neck toward the ears to avoid causing the dog to cough or choke. It’s a sensitive area, and dogs are less inclined to pull too hard.”
Red shook his head. “Okay, but I don’t understand why it matters. What difference does it make that Naomi Keller was strangled with a lead rather than a leash?”
I had been wondering the same thing, but I think I finally figured out why the lead was important. “This was an obedience show, not a confirmation show.” I turned to glance at Dixie to see if I was right. She nodded. “The reason it matters is that American Kennel Club regulations require all dogs to wear a flat leather or fabric collar and use a fabric or leather leash.”
“But this wasn’t a real show,” Red said. “This was just a mock trial.”
I could see the light bulb go on for B.J. She snapped her fingers. “Since we were trying to simulate a real show with show conditions, everyone who was competing had collars on their dogs. And everyone I saw was using a leash.” She pointed to the slip lead Dixie held. “Not a slip lead.”
“So where did the lead that was used to strangle Naomi Keller come from?” Mai Nguyen asked.
We glanced around at each other.
“Could she have brought it?” Red asked, looking from me to Dixie.
Dixie shrugged. “She showed her Greyhounds in conformation, so it could have been one of hers.”
“Which would indicate the murderer grabbed the closest object available.”
“Or it could mean the murderer was someone who was familiar with dog equipment and competed in conformation. If he or she took the lead with them to her RV . . .”
Red stared at her with admiration. “Then the murder was premeditated.”
Chapter 14
We picked apart Red’s theories like a dog with a bone until there was no meat left on it.
When no one else had information to share, they turned to me.
“Dr. Morgan, can you have someone check the lead for fingerprints or any other forensic data?”
“I don’t think they’ll be able to find anything.” He glanced around, unsure whether to continue. When he received a slight nod from Red, he continued. “It was very thin and had been pulled tight. I had to cut it out of the folds of her skin. I don’t think they’ll find fingerprints, but I’ll ask.”
“Great.” I gave him a smile. “Also, maybe they can check if there’s anything that might be used to determine where the lead was purchased.” I glanced at Dixie. “Are there different types of leads?”
“Oh, yes, this one,” she held it up again for us to see, “is wax-coated cotton. It looks and feels like leather. Lots of conformation competitors prefer this brand.”
Dr. Morgan promised to take the scraps of the lead that had killed Naomi to the forensics team for analysis, although his face indicated he didn’t hold out much hope that they’d find anything useful.
I turned to Stephanie. “I know that you and Mr. Jordan need to focus on Dixie’s defense, but I think you both made great progress in finding out information about Warren Keller. I was hoping the two of you . . .”
Theodore Jordan smiled. “I’d love to join forces and see what we can find.”
Stephanie smiled and nodded to me.
“Great. I’m hoping you can also check to see if Naomi Keller left a will.”
I turned to David. “You’re going back to Dixon Vannover’s campaign headquarters, right? See if you can find out if there is any gossip about Brittney and Naomi Keller.”
I turned to Madison and then gave Red a sideways glance.
Red narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“I’m sure you have Naomi Keller’s computer and electronics. I was wondering if Madison could use her, um, special skills to check Naomi Keller’s e-mails and text messages.”
Madison smiled. “I was thinking the same thing.” She turned to Red. “Well?”
He nodded.
Monica Jill and B.J. gave me an eager look. “What about us?”
I looked at Monica Jill. “Didn’t you say that Dixon Vannover was also into real estate?”
“He’s got a finger into a lot of pies, but yes. You want me to ask around and see what I can find out?”
I nodded and then turned to B.J. “I’ve got two jobs for you. I don’t even know if this is possible, but could you check to see if there was an insurance policy on Naomi Keller?”
“I’ve got friends with all the major insurance companies. If she had a policy, I’ll find it.” She smiled. “What else do you want me to do?”
“See what you can find out about June Vannover.”
“You want me to talk to her?”
“No, actually, I was planning to do that. She seemed to open up to me when she learned that I had gone through a similar situation.”
“Well,” Dixie said, “I hope you don’t think that I’m going to sit back and twiddle my thumbs while you all go out and investigate.”
“That goes for me too,” Beau said. “I’ve got a vested interest in finding this killer, and I mean to be in on this investigation from the ground floor.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” I said and smiled at Beau. “David’s going to be investigating Dixon Vannover by talking to his campaign volunteers. Monica Jill is going to look at his real estate dealings. I’m hoping you can talk directly to the man himself.”
Beau gave me a grin. “I’d love to. Now, what angle do you want me to take?”
“You’re a successful businessman. Men like Vannover always need donors. If you were to dangle the idea that you’re interested in making a rather large campaign contribution, I think he’d do backflips.”
“I can certainly do that.”
“What about me?” Dixie asked.
“Brittney Keller seems to have a lot of passion about Greyhounds. I was wondering if you could swing by the Greyhound rescue place and see what you can find out.”
“I’d love to. In fact, I would love to help with Greyhound adoption.”
“Me too.” A man came down the stairs.
We all turned to see who had volunteered to help and were surprised to see Joe Harrison and his Plott Hound, Turbo.
“Joe!” Stephanie rushed over and threw her arms around his neck.
We discreetly looked away to give them a few moments. When they had concluded their greeting, we all took turns welcoming him.
Joe Harrison was tall, dark, and handsome, with piercing blue eyes. He was former military, which is where he had met Red, but now worked in the K-9 division of the Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana, Police Department, along with his faithful four-legged partner, Turbo.
He sat next to Stephanie. “Sorry for crashing the party, but when Stephanie told me about what was happening, I thought I’d come to see if there was anything I could do to help.”
Dixie’s eyes teared up, and she went over and gave Joe another hug. “Thank you.”
“Stephanie can fill you in on the specifics, but . . .” My brain raced, and I had to take several deep breaths to slow it down. “This is perfect.”
Red gave me a concerned stare. “I recognize that look.”
I ignored him and turned to Dixie. “Didn’t you tell me about an organization called Hounds and Heroes?”
Dixie’s face beamed. “Oh my God, you’re brilliant.”
“I wish one of you would fill the rest of us in,” B.J. said.