The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice

by Alex Erickson

  She hurried to the checkout counter. Jamison was already there, waiting on her. Courtney glanced back at me twice while he rang her up, seemingly concerned, before she finally paid. When she left, she practically ran out the door.

  I watched her go, wondering. I couldn’t see Courtney as a killer, nor could I see Duke killing anyone. Yet, strange things happened when money was involved.

  Yet, nothing in Duke’s demeanor when I’d talked to him earlier told me he was lying. In fact, he seemed pretty calm about everything, all things considered. If he’d killed Timothy, I figured he would have acted more nervous, or tried to deflect.

  But that didn’t mean he, or Courtney, hadn’t returned later, searching for the money. Could one of them have broken into the house last night?

  It was something to think about.

  “Is there anything more you need?” Jamison asked, raising his voice as if he’d already asked me once before.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I hurried down the dog food aisle, grabbed a couple cans of the expensive stuff, and then carried my basket to the checkout.

  “I saw you talking to Ms. Shaw,” Jamison said, ringing me up. “Didn’t know you two were friends.”

  “We aren’t really,” I said. “But we kind of run in the same circles, thanks to our rescues.”

  “I see.” He squinted at the register. One eye was milky, the other pinched. I worried that one day, he’d lose his vision entirely. I hoped that day was a long day in coming because I couldn’t imagine not seeing him here. “Something strange about her today,” he said. “She acted funny.”

  “I noticed.”

  “She’s not normally so flustered.” He glanced at me with his one good eye. “I think your conversation had something to do with that.”

  I shrugged and smiled, acting as if I had no idea what he was talking about.

  But it did make me wonder. I’d gotten to Courtney, and I really hadn’t said too much. In fact, all I really did was tell her stuff she already knew. No accusations, no threats.

  And yet she was worried. What about? The money? The murder?

  Or was there something else going on with her, something she knew I wasn’t going to like?

  I paid, bid Jamison a fond goodbye, and then got into my van. A part of me hated myself for even suspecting Duke or Courtney of any wrongdoing, but I couldn’t help it. Someone had killed Timothy Fuller. And, as Jamison had said, Courtney was acting strangely. There was definitely something going on with her.

  I was about to pull out of the lot, when I noticed a couple in the lot across the street. I crept up to the stop sign and stopped, watching them.

  The two were laughing, which was innocent enough. It was the who that was the problem.

  Selena was dressed in one of her short skirts and a shirt that bared her belly button. Jason was across from her, holding keys in the air, playing what looked like a game of keep away.

  Selena reached for the keys and he pulled them back. She lunged again, pressing herself against him as she did. He took advantage, pressing his lips to hers, free hand finding the middle of her back, even as her fingers closed over the keys.

  I fully expected her to pull back, shocked by his advances. I definitely didn’t expect her to lean into it, but that’s exactly what she did. They kissed for a good couple of seconds, the familiarity between them speaking of years together, not minutes. When they finally did part, she had the keys in hand, and together, they got into her car, still laughing.

  Motherly instincts shouted at me to confront her. Ben was in trouble because of her. If he hadn’t been drawn to her bikini-clad body, then he would have come with me to Courtney’s and would likely be sitting beside me even now.

  As she started the engine and pulled away, I simply sat there and watched them drive off. I shouldn’t have been surprised she was already seeing someone. And just because she was cozy with Jason, it didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in Ben too. Not everyone was content with seeing one person. Some people—like Ben—reveled in playing the field. There was nothing wrong with a woman who liked to do the same, even if it might hurt my son.

  Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

  A horn honked behind me. I waved to whoever was there, and then pulled forward. I wouldn’t confront Selena about Ben now, but I had a feeling that before this was over, she would leave me no choice.

  18

  The house was unbearably quiet. I was sitting on the couch, Wheels snoozing at my feet, trying my hardest to be patient. I could hear every tick of the clock, every groan of a board settling. If I continued to sit there, it was going to drive me crazy.

  I stood and started pacing, careful not to disturb Wheels. How did other parents manage when their kids were in trouble? The waiting, the worrying, the anger. It was almost too much to bear. Manny was able to work, but I was positive he was as stressed as I was. Maybe that’s what I needed. Work would occupy my mind.

  But my work consisted of taking care of animals in need of homes. I was supposed to be taking in a certain Pomeranian, one that was currently in possession of a man who shouldn’t be allowed near a dog, let alone own one.

  The animals were my life, as were my family. Ben should be here with me now, not sitting in a cell. We should be playing with Stewie, keeping the dog’s spirits up, before finally taking him to his furever home. How did things go so wrong?

  Selena Shriver, that’s how.

  Anger simmered just below the surface. If she hadn’t led Ben on, then none of this would have happened.

  So, what did I know of Selena?

  It was obvious she liked to garner attention by wearing skimpy outfits. Clarence had said she spent a lot of time in a bikini, and that was exactly what had drawn Ben’s eye. If she’d put on some more clothes, would he have been as interested? Was it intentional? Had she seen Ben, decided to flirt, and put on the bikini to draw him over? Or was it by pure luck she happened to be standing outside as we were about to leave?

  I didn’t know, and wouldn’t know, not unless I asked Selena about her motives.

  What else did I know about her? By all appearances, she was dating Jason Maxwell. She’d insisted they were just friends, but I’d never kissed a friend like that.

  But if they were dating, why hadn’t he corrected her when she told me there was nothing between them? Was I overreacting? Was there something else going on between them, some new dating fad I didn’t understand? It wouldn’t be the first time I showed my age when it came to dating.

  The biggest problem I was facing was that I didn’t have all the information. Who was Selena really? Why did she live alone in that house at such a young age? I could see her in an apartment, or perhaps living with some friends, but alone? You never saw that.

  I grabbed my phone and dialed, thinking I might know someone who could tell me something about Selena.

  It rang twice before a distracted answer of, “Hello?”

  “Hi, Deidra,” I said. “It’s Liz. I’m sorry if I’m bothering you.”

  “Liz? Hey! No, I just wasn’t expecting a call. Is everything okay? Nothing else happened to Ben, did it?”

  “No, nothing like that,” I said. “Ben’s still in jail, but I’m hoping you might have some information that might help him.”

  “Me?” Deidra asked. “I’m not sure I can help, but I’ll try. What do you need to know?”

  I took a deep, relieved breath. I didn’t know why, but a part of me was afraid she’d shoot me down on the spot.

  Then again, she didn’t know what I was about to ask either.

  “I was wondering if I could ask you a question about a girl you might have had in class a few years back.”

  “Sure,” she said, sounding both wary and intrigued. Deidra was a high school teacher who rarely liked to talk about her students outside of class. “Which student are we talking about?”

  “Do you remember someone named Selena Shriver?” I asked. “This would have been a few years ago, maybe five or six.” I wasn
’t even sure Selena went to Grey Falls High, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.

  “Selena Shriver . . .” I could almost see her tapping her lip with her finger as she thought about it. “Oh, yeah, I remember Selena,” Deidra said. “I never had her in class, but I saw her around. Her mom is a pretty big deal at the school. The family has money, and they’re not shy about throwing it at anyone who gives them what they want.”

  Which would explain why such a young woman had a house all to herself.

  “What can you tell me about her?” I asked. “Selena, not her mom.”

  “Well, she was pretty popular back then. She hung around all the pretty, rich kids.” Deidra chuckled. “You know how it is. It wasn’t quite a mean girls clique, but it was darned close. They pretty much ruled the school, and since the Shrivers donated so much money, she could get away with practically anything she wanted. Gotta love the politics.”

  “Did Selena have a boyfriend?”

  “Sure. I can’t remember his name though. Girls like Selena always have guys chasing after them. It would be an interesting study. You see all these pretty girls getting all the attention in high school, but what about afterward? How many of them get chewed up once they’re out in the real world and looks and popularity no longer matter as much?”

  “I don’t know. It would be interesting to find out,” I said, mostly to humor her. Deidra loved to debate that sort of thing. “Does the name Jason Maxwell ring a bell?”

  “I think so. If that’s who she’s seeing now, then that’s likely the same guy she was seeing in high school.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Jen—that’s Selena’s mom—always talked about how faithful her daughter was. I don’t think she much liked Selena’s boyfriend, but from what I gather, there were plans for a wedding. I’m not sure if they actually got married, or if it’s on hold, but the way I heard it, it’s inevitable.”

  “Really?” Then why had she invited Ben over? And why didn’t she just come out and tell me she and Jason were dating? If the marriage was still on, then it made her actions seem that much more sinister and calculated.

  “As far as I know, that’s the case. I remember a lot of guys hanging around Selena, but only one that ever got close to her. It might be Jason, it might be someone else. You know how things change once high school ends. And it wasn’t like I paid too much attention to the kids’ social lives, you know? If it wasn’t for Jen, I probably wouldn’t even remember Selena dating anyone at all.”

  “I see.” If Selena had been seeing Jason as far back as high school, and if she was indeed planning on marrying him, then something was definitely not right with her story. I’d brought Ben up, right in front of Jason, and he hadn’t batted an eye. If he felt Ben was a threat, he gave no indication. In fact, it was like he didn’t care one way or the other who Selena was spending her time with.

  Did that mean the relationship had faded and they really were just friends? It happened from time to time, though it was pretty rare for people who were considering getting married to call it off and then continue to spend time with one another like nothing had happened between them. And then there was that kiss . . .

  “What’s this about, Liz?” Deidra asked. “I didn’t even know you knew the Shrivers.”

  “I don’t, really,” I said. And then, not wanting to drag Deidra into it any more than I already had, “I bumped into her and Jason and was curious to know more about them.”

  “I see. Well, I’m glad I could help.” I could tell she didn’t buy my admittedly weak explanation. But thankfully, she didn’t press.

  “I’d better go,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay. You’d better fill me in when you do. This sounds as if it could be an interesting story.”

  “I’ll do that,” I said. “If anything comes of it, you’ll be the first person I call.”

  “I’d better be.”

  I hung up and tapped my phone thoughtfully against my chin. Selena was Timothy Fuller’s neighbor. She might have heard the rumor about the old man’s hidden stash. If that was the case, could she have planned to steal it for herself?

  I wasn’t sure how she’d pull such a thing off with Ben right there, or why she’d even drag him into it in the first place. It also didn’t explain why Clarence saw Ben going into Timothy’s house, and then fleeing back to Selena’s place a few minutes later. I was definitely missing something here.

  And there was likely only one way I’d get the answers I needed.

  I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. Selena might not want to talk, but darn it, I wasn’t going to let her be the reason my son ended up in jail.

  I jerked open the door and was forced to duck back when a fist came flying for my face.

  Courtney yelped as she nearly went over on top of me. She staggered, letting go of the storm door, and placing both hands—thankfully open—on my shoulders to steady herself.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Liz,” she said, pulling back and wiping her hands on her clothing. “I wasn’t expecting you to open the door on me like that. You startled me.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, heart resuming a more natural pace. There’s nothing like nearly getting punched in the mouth to get your blood pumping. What was Courtney trying to do? Knock the door down when she knocked? “What are you doing here, Courtney?”

  She glanced back toward her van, which was parked right beside mine. I half expected to find Duke sitting in the passenger seat, but no one else was inside as far as I could see.

  “I wanted to talk to you for a few minutes,” she said, gaze moving past me, into the house. “Alone, if possible.”

  I really didn’t want Courtney in my house, especially after seeing the perfection of her own place. I mean, my house wasn’t a pigsty, but it wasn’t all that clean either. With Ben’s incarceration, and the fight with Junior over Stewie, I hadn’t been keeping up with the sweeping. Neither had Manny or Amelia, for that matter.

  “It’s about the money,” Courtney added.

  “Fine,” I said, stepping aside. “But make it quick. I have somewhere to be.”

  Courtney stepped past me and immediately started nosing around. She looked appalled by the fur on the floor, and especially by Wheels, who’d woken and was zooming around the dining room, chasing after a catnip mouse. When Courtney finally moved farther into the house, she moved gently, like she was afraid she might step in something.

  “What do you want, Courtney?” I asked, letting my impatience show.

  She reached into her purse and extracted lip balm, which she applied before speaking. “As I said, I wanted to talk to you about the money, and figured it best if we get it out of the way now.”

  “What money?” I asked, though I had a good idea what she was talking about.

  “Timothy Fuller’s money,” she said. “We talked about it earlier today.”

  “You said you knew nothing about it.” I crossed my arms over my chest, but managed to keep myself from tapping my foot or raising my voice in accusation.

  “I know,” she said, shoulders slumping as she shoved the balm back into her purse. “You caught me off guard and I wasn’t quite sure how to handle the situation.”

  “You could have told the truth.”

  She laughed, as if I was joking. I wasn’t.

  “Courtney, a man died,” I said, not so much as cracking a smile. “And Ben’s in jail, falsely accused of murdering him. I have a feeling that Timothy’s money might be the reason he was killed, so if you know something, then spit it out.”

  Her laughter died away, as did her smile. She looked ashamed, and a whole lot worried.

  “I don’t really know anything,” she said. “I admit; I knew about the money, had known for some time. It was why I went after Chewy when I did.”

  I didn’t bother correcting her. “How did you expect to get the cash?” I asked. “Did you think Timothy would give it to you out of the goodness of his heart?”

 
“Well, no.” Her face reddened, and I realized that was exactly what she’d thought. “I didn’t think there was any reason not to try. I mean, it wasn’t like he was going to need it any longer, you know? What harm was there in asking?”

  “He died. I’d say there was a whole lot of harm in it.”

  “I didn’t kill him!” Courtney’s eyes went wide, and she took a step toward me, like she might grab hold of me to plead her case. “After I left with you, I never went back to that house, I swear.”

  “But you sent Duke back.”

  “I did,” she admitted. “He was supposed to get Chewy and take a look around, but he never made it inside the house. And I never did get a chance to ask Timothy about the money either. The entire thing was a disaster!”

  “Did you send Duke back later?” I asked, remembering the state of the house the last time I’d seen it. “Someone broke into Timothy’s house.”

  “Of course not,” Courtney said, sounding appalled. “By then, I’d completely given up on it.” She took another step toward me and lowered her voice. “But then, after I talked to you, I got to thinking.”

  I refrained from making a joke about how rarely she thought about anything. “About?” I asked.

  “You knew about the money, and from what I’ve heard, you’ve been back to the house quite a few times now.”

  “I was trying to find out what really happened to Timothy Fuller so I could help Ben,” I said. “I wasn’t looking for money.”

  “I’m sure you weren’t.” She winked. “Did you find it?”

  “Find what?”

  “The money.” She glanced around the room as if she expected someone to be hiding behind the couch, listening to our conversation. “If you found it, we could split it.”

  I gave her an incredulous stare. “We can what?”

  “Split it. Fifty-fifty. I won’t tell anyone about it, and you can use your half to pay someone to help your son. It’s a win-win for the both of us.”

  I stood there, mouth agape, not quite sure what to say. I wasn’t the least bit surprised Courtney had known about the money, and I wasn’t really all that shocked she’d be willing to take it, but to think I would have stolen it and would share it with her? She must be insane.