by B R Snow
“Have they got their boat dried out?” I said.
“Yes, I swung by Rooster’s yesterday and the boat is back in its slip and apparently as good as new.”
“It’s Thursday,” I said.
“So?” Jackson said.
“So it’s one of their scheduled delivery nights,” I said.
“And you think they’re going to keep going with whatever they’re up to?” Jackson said.
“Why would they stop?” I said. “As far as they know, all they had was a mishap with their drain plugs. And knowing them, they’re probably blaming each other for forgetting to put them in. But nobody, including you as the Chief of Police, asked them anything that would make them suspicious, right?”
“I was too busy laughing to ask them any questions,” Jackson said. “So what do you expect me to do? Follow them tonight and arrest them?”
“No, not at all,” I said. “It’s way too early to arrest the Baxter boys. But it would be good if you could find out what dogs are being smuggled in tonight and then give us a call. And as soon as you do, we’ll be on our way to Ottawa.”
“We will?” Josie said.
“Yes.”
“To do what?” Josie said.
“To steal a dog. What else?”
“Oh, of course,” Josie deadpanned, staring at me. “Dumb question on my part.”
Chapter 20
We got the call from Jackson around ten, and by midnight we were checking into the Westin in Ottawa, a great hotel that was minutes from pretty much everything downtown Ottawa had to offer. But given the late hour and our early morning plans, we decided to go low-key and settled for snacks and a nightcap in the hotel bar.
Sammy had been like a little kid at Christmas the entire drive, but he’d finally settled down and was now nervous, wondering if he’d be able to pull off the morning charade we had planned. He settled for a beer and some peanuts as he watched us each devour a club sandwich and double order of fries.
“Let me guess,” he said, laughing. “Stealing dogs always makes you hungry.”
“First of all, Sammy,” Josie said. “I believe the term you’re looking for is rescuing. And the club sandwich is an insurance policy just in case we miss breakfast in the morning.”
“What she said,” I mumbled through a mouthful of fries.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Sammy said.
“Absolutely not,” Josie said, shaking her head. Then she caught the look of panic on Sammy’s face. “Relax, you’re going to do just fine.”
“But what if I get caught?” Sammy said.
“Doing what? Impersonating a dog smuggler?” Josie said.
“Yeah, I guess you’ve got a point,” he said, shrugging. “So what do you guys want for Christmas?”
“A global dog park,” I said.
“Oooh, good one,” Josie said, laughing.
“No, really,” he said. “I have no idea what to get you guys. I can never repay you for all you’ve done for me.”
“Tell you what, Sammy,” I said. “You pull this off tomorrow, and we’ll call it even. How’s that?”
“Fair enough,” he said, smiling. “So who am I supposed to be?”
“We’re still working on that,” I said, shrugging.
Sammy’s smile faded.
In the morning, Sammy’s smile still seemed a bit forced when we parked down the street from the Family Happy Inn pet store. The store opened at nine, and our plan was to get there early before any other customers arrived.
“What’s the owner’s name again?” I said, leading the way to the store.
“Bill Waters,” Josie said.
“Right,” I said, coming to a stop about a hundred feet from the front door. “Okay, Sammy, give us ten minutes then come in and ask for Bill Waters. Tell him what you want, and if he pushes back at all, hang tough and use what we gave you.”
“Okay, I think I’ve got it,” he said. “And if he doesn’t buy it?”
“Run like hell,” Josie deadpanned.
“You’re not helping,” I said, glaring at Josie.
“Sorry. Sammy, if it doesn’t go well, just turn indignant, tell this guy Waters that you’ll be back, and storm out of the store.”
“I can do that,” Sammy said. “Ten minutes, right?”
“See you then,” I said, heading for the store. “You think he’s going to be able to pull it off?”
“I guess we’re going to find out soon enough,” Josie said.
We entered the empty store and saw the owner near the cash register. He glanced up, recognized Josie immediately and grinned.
“Well, look who’s here?” he said, heading toward us.
“Hi, Bill,” Josie said, beaming at him.
“Hi, Josie. You couldn’t stay away, huh?” he said.
“You got it in one, Bill,” Josie said, placing a hand on his forearm.
Then he glanced at me.
“Hi there. Gwen, right?”
“Suzy.”
“Right. Suzy,” he said, snapping his fingers. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” I said. “We thought we’d stop back and see if you still had the Golden puppies.”
It was a great excuse for us dropping by his store again, and I congratulated myself when it worked to perfection.
“No, I’m sorry,” he said. “I sold the last one yesterday.”
“We dodged a bullet there,” Josie whispered.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said, giving her a quick evil eye.
“But I did just get in a couple of beautiful Springer Spaniels,” he said.
“Oooh, I love Springers,” I said.
“Well, let me go bring them out,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
“Suzy, I’m warning you,” Josie said. “We’re here to steal a dog, not buy one.”
“It can’t hurt to look while we’re waiting, can it?”
“Unbelievable,” she said.
We both turned around when we heard the door open. Sammy entered and started to casually stroll toward us. The owner returned carrying an adorable spaniel puppy in each arm. He handed one to both of us, then focused on Sammy. I stared down at the puppy that was looking up at me with the most beautiful brown eyes I’d ever seen. I glanced at Josie who was fixated on the puppy she was holding. Then she shook her head as if coming out of a trance and gently placed the puppy inside the spacious gated area. She took the puppy I was holding and soon the two spaniels were rolling around on the floor playing.
As instructed, Sammy had stayed within earshot of us.
“Good morning,” the owner said to him.
“Hi. They were right,” Sammy said, glancing around. “It’s a really nice store you have here.”
“Well, thanks,” Waters said. “Who are they?”
“The folks I work for,” Sammy said. “I’m here to pick up their new dog. Scooter’s in meetings all day, and Bunbuns is headed for Montreal to do some Christmas shopping.”
“Scooter and Bunbuns?” Waters said, scratching his head.
“Well, those are their nicknames that everyone close to the family calls them,” Sammy said. “But how would you know that, right?”
Good one, Sammy. Got him right between the eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to need a bit more information,” Waters said.
“Like what?”
“Well-”
“Look, I’ve already had to move my schedule around to take care of this. And I have a ten o’clock vet appointment with Dr. Long. And if I’m late, then it will probably be at least a couple of weeks before I can get it rescheduled. And if the dog doesn’t get its exam today, I’ll be toast with Scooter and Bunbuns. If you catch my drift. Or if you prefer, I can just make a call to the capital and explain the situation to some of our friends down there.”
“No, no. There’s no reason for that. No need to get the folks on the other side of the border involved.”
Josie and I star
ed at each other. Sammy blinked but didn’t lose his focus.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Sammy said, sneaking a quick glance in our direction.
“If you can just tell me the breed of dog and its name, I’m sure I’ll be able to help you.”
“It’s an eight-week-old Newfoundland who goes by the name of Captain. He has a little patch of white on the bridge of his nose,” Sammy said.
“That’s the one,” Waters said, smiling. “Let me go get him, and you’ll be on your way.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it,” Sammy said.
Sammy exhaled loudly and walked toward the area where the two spaniels were still rolling around.
“I thought I was going to wet myself,” Sammy whispered.
“Hang in there,” Josie whispered. “You’re doing great.”
“Tell that to my bladder.”
The owner returned carrying the puppy. It was black except for the tiny patch of white Jackson had mentioned over the phone last night. Sammy held the puppy in one arm while he scribbled his signature on the piece of paper Waters was holding out. Sammy folded the receipt and put it into his pocket, shook hands with the owner, and nodded goodbye to us on his way out the door.
“Now, what do you think of the Springers,” Waters said, focusing on us.
“Gorgeous,” I said.
“Yes, they are,” Josie said. “But our niece has her heart set on a big dog. That Newfie would have been perfect.”
“I’m sorry, but that was the only one I got. And as you probably noticed, he was pre-sold.”
“Well, we just thought we’d stop by and say hello,” Josie said.
“I’m so glad you did. I was actually about to give you a call on my offer to take you to lunch,” he said. “Don’t you dare go and forget about that.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Bill,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “I’m sure I’ll remember.”
We waved goodbye and walked quickly toward the car. Sammy was waiting and cradling the puppy in his arms. We climbed in, and I headed for the highway. About twenty miles south of Ottawa, my breathing returned to normal.
“That was intense,” Sammy said, handing the puppy to Josie in the passenger seat. “And what was his comment about getting the people on the other side of the border involved? When I mentioned calling the capital, I was talking about Ottawa.”
“I know. That was strange,” Josie said, holding up the puppy for a quick inspection. “Hello, Captain.”
“What are you going to do with him?” Sammy said.
“I’m going to give him a very thorough check up,” Josie said. “After that, he’s all mine.”
“You’re joking, right?” I said, not believing what I was hearing.
“I’ve always wanted a Newfie. And this little guy is perfect,” Josie said, snuggling the black ball of fur. “Aren’t you, Captain? Oh, and Sammy?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t worry about getting me anything else for Christmas.”
Chapter 21
Between our rescue of the Newfie puppy, Captain, and the fake papers Josie had created for the dog that worked like a charm on our way back across the border, I was forced to admit to myself that we if we hadn’t crossed the line, we were certainly straddling it. I know a few sticklers will insist on calling our efforts to rescue the smuggled puppy stealing, and I don’t even want to think about how many laws we might have broken smuggling Captain back across the border.
We’d brought the puppy back to the Inn, and I checked in with the rest of the dogs in the condos before joining Josie in one of the exam rooms. Five minutes later, I was on the phone with Jackson. A half hour after that he arrived accompanied by Detective Abrams from the state police. Now, the four of us were sitting in my office waiting for our lunch order to be delivered.
Josie was on the couch with Captain stretched out on her lap. The puppy’s tongue was hanging out of his mouth from the belly-scratch Josie was administering. It was apparent to me that the connection between Josie and her new companion was already strong and soon would be indestructible. Jackson watched Josie’s fingers dance up and down the dog’s stomach and laughed.
“Think he’ll be following you around much?” Jackson said.
Detective Abrams shook his head as he watched the puppy’s reaction.
“I know I would,” he said, laughing. Then he glanced at Josie as if afraid his comment was out of line. “Sorry. Brain cramp.”
Josie laughed and stroked the puppy’s head.
“Don’t worry about it,” Josie said. “But you do need four legs to get one of these.”
“Story of my life,” Detective Abrams said. “Okay, I know you didn’t invite us over just to eat sandwiches. What’s up?”
I started by providing a summary of how we’d stumbled onto the Baxter Brothers involvement in the dog smuggling ring. When I got to the part about how their boat had sunk while tied to the dock with the brothers still in it, I had to wait for Detective Abrams to stop laughing before I continued. Then I continued with our research into and subsequent visits to the Happy Family Time stores.
Detective Abrams listened carefully and scribbled notes as I talked. Jackson then explained how we’d identified Captain during the Baxter Brothers latest smuggling run. He’d gotten a good look at the puppy when it had been put in the back of the van, and I made a mental note to ask Jackson what kind of binoculars he had. It appeared that they were even more powerful than my own.
There was a knock on the door and Jill entered carrying a box that contained our lunches. She set it down on the desk.
“Did you guys order for yourselves?” I said, examining the contents.
“Yeah, we’re all set,” Jill said. “Thanks for doing that.”
“No problem,” I said. “Enjoy.”
“The Water’s Edge pastrami? I’m sure we’ll be just fine,” Jill said, laughing as she left the office.
“Since when did the Water’s Edge start serving pastrami sandwiches?” Detective Abrams said, reaching for one of the sandwiches.
“Ever since Chef Claire gave Millie her recipe,” Jackson said.
As we ate, I finished the story with an overview of how we’d gotten our hands on Captain that morning and made it back to the Inn.
“So, you stole the puppy?” Detective Abrams said.
“Technically, we think it’s more of a rescue,” Josie said.
“Technically?” Detective Abrams said, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Josie snapped, clutching the puppy.
“Relax, Josie,” Detective Abrams said. “Nobody is taking your dog. As far as I’m concerned, you got the puppy somewhere in New England. But let’s call a spade a spade.”
“I’ll agree to call it a rescue-steal,” she said. “How’s that?”
The two cops in the room both laughed, and Josie relaxed.
“So that’s it?” Detective Abrams said. “You had a guilty conscience and wanted to get it off your chest?”
“No, we called you because of what we found after we got home,” I said, reaching into my shirt pocket and removing a small envelope. I slid it across the desk. “Be careful. It’s tiny, and I almost dropped it earlier.”
Detective Abrams pushed the sides of the envelope apart and looked inside. He frowned and glanced back and forth at Josie and me.
“What is it?” Jackson said, peering over the detective’s shoulder.
“It’s a microchip,” Detective Abrams said, then looked at Josie. “Where did you find it?”
“It was implanted in Captain,” Josie said.
“Aren’t microchips used all the time with dogs?” Jackson said.
“Yeah, but not this kind of chip,” Detective Abrams said. “This is something you’d expect to find on a computer.”
“When we got home, I examined Captain to make sure he’s okay. The first thing I did was use our scanner to see if he had a chip installed. The owner of the Happy Family Time store in Ottawa told us tha
t the dogs from that breeder come to him with a chip already implanted. But the scanner didn’t pick anything up. I thought I felt a small spot where an incision was made, but couldn’t be sure just using my hands, so I decided to do an x-ray. Lo and behold, there it was just below the back of his neck. I used a little numbing agent on the little guy and was able to cut it out in a few seconds. The chip appears to be wrapped in some sort of plastic to protect whatever is on it.”
“The poor little guy is eight week’s old and has already been cut on two times,” I said, shaking my head.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Jackson said, taking a bite of pastrami. “I’m sure he’ll forget all about that when Josie gets around to neutering him.”
“Jackson!” Josie and I shrieked.
“Hey, I’m just saying,” he said, shrugging.
Jackson had a good point, but that didn’t stop us from glaring at him for the next few minutes. Detective Abrams took a bite of his sandwich and chewed in silence before speaking again.
“You said the owner of the pet store mentioned the people on the other side of the border when Sammy mentioned the capital,” he said.
“Yeah,” I said. “We assume he meant Washington, but it doesn’t make any sense to us.”
“It seems like kind of a stretch,” Detective Abrams said. “That’s a long way to transport a dog and then smuggle it across the River. If I were coming from Washington, I’d use a private plane and fly directly to Ottawa.”
“But they’d still have to go through Customs and Immigration, right?” Josie said.
“It didn’t stop you, did it?” Detective Abrams said, laughing.
“Yeah, you got a point there,” Josie said, a hint of a smile forming in the corners of her mouth.
“But as soon as he heard Sammy say, capital, he jumped like he’d stuck his finger in a light socket. Where else could cause a reaction like that?” I said, picking up the other half of my sandwich.
“I don’t know,” Detective Abrams said. “Albany?”
I stopped just as I was getting ready to take a bite and put my sandwich down as a lightbulb went off in my head and burned brightly.
“Wow,” I said. “How about that?”