One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery)

by Farrell, Lia

  Ben gave him a stern look. “Fine, but only until we finish discussing what we can learn from this phone, since Miss December seems to be the only one of you smart enough to decode it.”

  “Thank you,” said Mae. “Please help yourselves to the treats. Yesterday I read the names of everyone on her cellphone list, her entire calendar, and her Notes to Self section. I was also able to see all the Internet sites she searched the week before her death. Plus, I figured out how to see her texts. There may be more clues on that phone, and I’ll keep looking while I’m here.”

  “Thank you, but I think my staff is up to it from this point on. Johns, please take the phone and get the fingerprint information. Then I want it returned to Dory so she can make copies of all this information for Chief Nichols. Got it?”

  Dory nodded.

  “Certainly, Sheriff.” Mae smiled. “I have some more information which might help, too. Before she died, Ruby talked to a realtor about selling her property to a big developer. Apparently, she also planned to change her will.”

  Ben turned to Dory who had entered the room with Mae. “What did you find out about the will?”

  The sheriff seemed to be overlooking Mae for the moment. She sat very still, trying not to call attention to herself.

  “She planned to leave everything to her brother, Silas, unless she had children. The land and the house came to her in trust from her father. If she died childless, the whole property went to Silas. The only thing she left to her husband was the dog.”

  This news earned a few laughs, quickly stifled.

  Dory went on. “The property was free and clear. No mortgage. I also found out that her doctor is a fertility specialist.”

  “Lord have mercy,” Hadley Johns muttered. “She was trying to get pregnant? How old was the woman anyway?”

  “Thirty-seven,” Mae said. “She’d never been pregnant. Not for lack of trying.” The corners of her mouth raised.

  “Thank you again, Miss December,” said Ben, firmly. “I need you to leave the meeting now. Dory, can you go with her and track down the other items we talked about?”

  They did but Dory left the door slightly ajar, probably by accident. Mae said she needed to go to the ladies’ room, but as soon as Dory walked around the corner to follow the sheriff’s instructions, Mae slipped back down the hall to the conference room. She stood outside the door and listened.

  “All right, everyone,” Ben said, “let’s get down to business here. The purpose of this morning’s meeting is to get everyone’s input and settle on a list of tasks. As all of you know, murders are usually solved within the first forty-eight hours, if at all. Since Ruby had been dead for four days when Miss December found her body, we are already starting with a handicap.

  “Just as a reminder, everything discussed in this meeting, as well as the detailed reports, are confidential. The press is pushing very hard for answers, but only Detective Nichols and I will be meeting with them. Nobody else is to say anything. Understood?”

  Section by section, Ben received reports. Mae waited fascinated and completely silent. She did feel a little guilty for ignoring the sheriff’s directive to leave. She knew whatever she heard by eavesdropping would have to kept completely confidential. She wouldn’t even be able to tell Tammy. Listening in on the meeting was rash if not illegal, but the open door proved too much of a temptation to resist. She learned that Ruby had sued Lucy Ingram a few months before her death. Even Mama didn’t know that! Ruby apparently died sometime after eight p.m. on the night of March fifteenth. The cord that Mae had seen with her body was a piece of vehicle counting equipment.

  “What was the actual cause of death?” Emma Peters asked.

  “Ruby died from blunt force trauma caused by a blow to the back of her head. The murder weapon is still missing,” Ben said his voice was low and angry.

  “Why would the perp leave her body outside in a grove of trees, instead of hiding her more carefully or burying her?” someone asked.

  “Good question.” The voice sounded like Detective Nichols. “We think the perp chased Ruby and then clubbed her near the grove. He probably left her body in the closest possible place where it wouldn’t be spotted immediately. This might indicate a perp who wasn’t strong enough to haul the body very far.”

  “So why would she have the traffic counting cord around her neck?” This sounded like Deputy Fuller.

  “We think the perp might have done that to tie Ruby’s death to the controversy about widening Little Chapel Road,” Ben said. “Johns, did David Allison’s shirts show anything suspicious?”

  “No, but he might have changed clothes after work. I’m going back today to pick up whatever hasn’t been washed.”

  “Has the car been gone over?” That was Ben’s voice again.

  “Yes. Nothing but evidence of the vic and her dog.”

  Mae covered her mouth so they couldn’t hear her laugh. Elvis shed up a storm during every car ride. In fact, there was enough red fur left in her tote bag to knit a sweater.

  After everybody gave their opinions and ideas, Ben asked Detective Nichols to summarize what the next steps would be.

  “Our first step is to meet with all the people Ruby saw on the fifteenth. We’ve already talked to everyone who lives on Little Chapel Road. So far, we’ve interviewed Lucy Ingram, the Ryans, David Allison and Beth Jensen. The Connollys are gone for the month. MaryLou Dennis has been in a medical rehab facility for several weeks. Both those houses were supposedly empty at the time of the murder.”

  Ben said, “Where’s that plat map, the one that shows all the lots on Little Chapel Road? Hadley, put that up on the board, will you? Everybody, please note the names of all the homeowners on Little Chapel Road as shown in this diagram.”

  “I see there’s a Connolly. Any relation to James Connolly, Ruby’s attorney?” Wayne asked.

  “Yes, he’s their nephew. Here’s the Dennis property. MaryLou is Joe Dennis’ mother. All these people have a history—Joe Dennis grew up in this house and he’s currently remodeling Mae December’s house.”

  “Joe Dennis and Ruby dated when they were young and may have been sexually intimate at that time.” It was the detective’s voice. “We can’t exclude the possibility that they might have been having an affair currently. This makes him a person of interest.”

  “Right, I talked to Joe, and he still seemed to have feelings for her,” Ben said.

  Mae silently disagreed. The only feelings Joe still had for Ruby were those of aggravation and maybe a little protectiveness. If Ben had ever seen Joe and his wife Neesy together he would have known better. The two of them were obviously very much in love.

  Detective Nichols went on. “Ruby had some kind of connection with each of her neighbors, except possibly the Van Attas, Anne and Jason. We talked to them yesterday. If they have any ties to our victim, I couldn’t find them. There was one interesting thing we got in the interview, though. Do you have your notes, Robert?”

  There was a pause. Fuller cleared his throat. “Jason Van Atta reported seeing lights on in MaryLou Dennis’ house the night of March fifteenth. He assumed Joe was working late. Mrs. Van Atta told us she saw lights in the Connolly residence that night as well.”

  Standing out in the hall, Mae was taken aback. She never realized Ruby had been so involved in the lives of all the Little Chapel Road residents. Of course, she wouldn’t talk to me if my hair were on fire, unless she needed somewhere to stash Elvis.

  Detective Nichols spoke up. “We need to find out if the Connollys had a house sitter, or if anyone was supposed to be there that night. We’ll also need corroboration that Joe Dennis was working at his mother’s house the evening of the fifteenth.”

  “The most critical detail to get now is the name of the person Ruby dined with the night she died. I would also like to have more information about her appointments with the lawyer and the doctor. Let’s get going.”

  Chairs scraped back from the table and Mae ran down the hall t
o the ladies’ room. When she returned, the conference room was empty. She retrieved her coffee urn and tossed the empty donut container into the trash.

  On the way out, she stopped at Dory’s desk. “I’d really like to help the sheriff with this investigation. Nobody should die like Ruby did, alone and terrified.”

  Dory’s expression reminded her of Tammy’s when she smiled. “Maybe you and the sheriff can help each other out, Honey.”

  “I thought he and I had a meeting?”

  “He’s left, Mae. Guess he thinks you’ve already shared what you know.”

  Mae left the station and headed home. For the first time since the murder, her mind wandered to what was happening at her house. She wondered how Tallulah was doing with the newborns. She began to think about some possible names for the new puppies. They were all black with white ruffs except one, who had inherited a red coat from his father. She might call him Eric the Red. People who came to buy the puppies often wanted to hear what she had named them.

  Of course, even the thought of puppies, adorable as they were, could only distract her for so long before she again fixed on the subject of Ruby’s death. Sheriff Bradley said he needed to know the outcome of Ruby’s appointments, so Mae decided to drop by the doctor’s office on her way home.

  The new fertility clinic in Rosedale was in a large multi-specialty medical complex used by several doctors. The modern facility was decorated beautifully with Asian scrolls on the walls, large plants, and a pond swimming with lovely red and white koi fish. Mae took a deep breath as she walked into the building, enjoying the scent of the fresh green plants. Checking the directory posted on the wall, she found the fertility practice on the third floor. The office décor was über modern with purple leather seating and large abstract paintings. It seemed more like a living room than a doctor’s office. Mae had known Sheri, the woman at the front desk, since high school. Her shiny black hair was expertly cut and perfectly framed her small face.

  “Hi Sheri.”

  “Oh, hi Mae, did you have an appointment? You’re not trying to get pregnant, are you?”

  “Sheri, I’m shocked.” She smiled. “You know I’m not even married. I wanted to ask about something. My neighbor Ruby Mead-Allison is a patient here. Did you hear she passed away?”

  Sheri sighed. “I know. How awful!”

  “I found her body. I was out walking my dogs at the time. It was horrible.” Mae felt the heat suffuse her cheeks. The retelling brought back the horror. “I can hardly talk about it. The reason I stopped in is that I wanted to know if Ruby made her last appointment on the fifteenth.”

  “Mae, I’m sure you know I’m not supposed to give out patient information.”

  “I know, but the sheriff’s people will be here shortly with a subpoena. Could you shake your head or nod in answer to one question?”

  “I’m sorry Mae, but I can’t help you. I could lose my job.”

  “Thanks anyway, Sheri. I have to get going. My pug had her babies yesterday. I need to go home and check on them.”

  As Mae drove the rest of the way home she noticed that everything had turned green after yesterday’s rain. Spring was her favorite time of year. She mulled over all the details she had learned at the staff meeting. Too bad Sheri couldn’t tell me anything. However, I can still check into Ruby’s other appointments.

  When Mae got home, she called Tammy and asked her to come over. Then she made sure all the dogs went out and that they had full water dishes. Then she sat down and held each of the puppies for a while. Nothing made her happier than holding their warm little bodies. Puppies smelled so wonderful. You could almost sense their personalities even at a few days old.

  Chapter Ten

  March 21

  Mae December

  Tammy breezed in within the hour wearing stiletto heels, gray jeans and a silky blouse. Mae took one look at her and told her to come upstairs while she freshened up. Tammy followed Mae upstairs, sitting on her bed while Mae touched up her lipstick and attempted to smooth her hair. Once she felt a little more presentable, she told Tammy her idea for finding out what happened between Ruby and her attorney the day she got back. Deciding to go out to lunch, they took Tammy’s car and ate at Crepes, the new café in Rosedale.

  After lunch, they went to James Connolly’s office. Mae assumed he would have been the one to handle any property transactions and knew financial matters often figured as a motive for murder. Tammy knew a legal tech there named Mary and she went inside to talk to her. Mae waited in the car until Tammy returned. She wasn’t gone very long.

  “So, what did you find out?” Mae asked.

  “Ruby showed up to meet with her attorney, but she only stayed in his office for a little while. After Ruby left, Connolly came out and showed Mary a gift Ruby had brought him. An expensive cigar, a ‘cohiba,’ I think she called it. Apparently, they cost about fifty dollars apiece. She said that Connolly seemed preoccupied the whole afternoon after Ruby left.”

  “That’s weird. I wonder if she even made her ten o’clock appointment with the road commissioner. I can probably get Dory to tell me.”

  The sheriff’s office and the road commissioner’s office being in the same building, Mae assumed that Dory would know Mr. Stillwell’s secretary. She dialed her number.

  “Hi, Dory, it’s Mae. I’ve been wondering about something. Ruby had an appointment with Aubrey Stillwell on the morning of the fifteenth. Can you find out if she kept it?”

  “I’ll go ask his secretary. Give me a minute.”

  Dory put Mae on hold for about five minutes and then came back on the line.

  “She kept it all right. Commissioner Stillwell was real sorry she did.”

  “I’m sure he was. Mama told me Ruby was a total pain to the Commissioner. Thank you very much for the information. Bye.”

  Riding along in the warm spring sunshine, the women reviewed what they knew.

  Ruby had kept her ten o’clock appointment with the road commissioner and then she had seen her attorney at one, but only briefly.

  “I wonder if she kept her dinner reservation at the Bistro?”

  “Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Tammy smiled and called information for the number. Then she dialed the restaurant. “Hello. Could you look something up in your reservation book for me? Thank you. On March fifteenth, two of my friends were dining at your wonderful restaurant. Their reservation time was six forty-five. I need to know if they kept their reservation. Can you check for the name of Mead-Allison? Sure, I’ll wait. Yes, they did? Okay, thanks for telling me.” Tammy hung up and turned to Mae. “She kept the dinner reservation.”

  “Did they know who she had dinner with?”

  “No. Maybe we can find out some other way. Can you drive over there?”

  “Sure, but they aren’t open for lunch, only for dinner. It’s two-thirty now. They may not let us in.”

  They pulled into the mostly vacant parking lot of one of the hottest dining spots around. There were only three cars in the lot. A sign on the door read, “Closed until four.” Mae tried the door and, to her surprise, it opened. They went in, flipped through the reservation book, and read the name in the six forty-five time slot on March fifteenth. The entry read, Mead-Allison/Hunter.

  “Hunter? Who do we know named Hunter?” Mae asked her friend. They were talking in hushed tones in the darkened entry of the upscale eatery.

  “Besides Arlen Hunter?”

  “Arlen Hunter.” Mae shook her head. He was a big country music star, about thirty-five and unmarried. Known for dating glamorous young women in their early twenties, he was also the singer who had first recorded Noah’s music.

  At that moment, the Maitre d’ approached. Mae blushed but Tammy piped up saying, “Oh hello. We were hoping to find out when you were open and take a look at the menu. Sorry, this isn’t the menu, is it? It’s the reservation book, my silly mistake.”

  The Maitre d’ looked dubious. “Menus are always posted outside restaurant
s,” he said.

  “We’ll take a look at it,” Mae said, determinedly pulling Tammy along with her.

  “We’ll come back another time,” Tammy called back over her shoulder. Mae shushed her.

  “What would Arlen Hunter be doing with Ruby?” Tammy asked when they got to the car.

  Mae frowned. “Maybe Ruby wanted to be his manager.”

  “Well that makes sense. She was way too old for his taste, which I understand runs to barely above jailbait.”

  Mae dialed the sheriff’s office again. “Dory, it’s Mae again. Could you give the sheriff a message for me?”

  “Go ahead.” Mae thought she detected a note of exasperation in Dory’s voice.

  “Please tell him I found out that Ruby met with the road commissioner—thanks for that information—then she met with her attorney, but I don’t know what happened at her doctor’s appointment. My friend wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Imagine that,” Dory said, her voice heavy with irony.

  “I did find out that Hunter was the name that the restaurant had listed as Ruby’s dinner partner. I think it was Arlen Hunter.”

  “Slow down. I’m writing all this down. You mean the singer?”

  “Yes, that’s right, the singer.”

  “Hmm, interesting. I’ll pass this on to Sheriff Bradley. Bye now.”

  A few minutes later, Mae’s cellphone rang. Recognizing the number of the Rosedale Sheriff’s Department, she put the phone on speaker so Tammy could hear the conversation.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Miss December.” The sheriff didn’t sound happy.

  “Hello, Sheriff.”

  “What do you think you’re doing? You need to stop running all over the county asking questions about this case.” His tone was quite unpleasant. Mae glanced at Tammy, who lifted one perfectly arched brow.

  “What? You don’t want me to help you find Ruby’s murderer? I thought you were in favor of community involvement in stopping crime in the county.” Mae used her sweetest voice. Tammy rolled her eyes.