Heir of the Dog

by Judi McCoy

  “That’s very nice of you.” She took another drink, then before thinking asked, “Do you like children?”

  “Me? They’re okay, I guess. I only hope my sister’s kid is a good one.”

  “Your sister Susan, correct?”

  “Yep, that’s the one. She and her husband are over the moon, happy as an expectant couple can be.”

  “And when is she due?”

  “A couple more months. With my luck it’ll be Hal loween, and she’ll have a goblin.”

  “That’s not nice. I bet you’ll change your tune when you become an uncle.”

  “Hey, the best part of being an uncle is the fact that my mom will be a grandmother. That should keep Lydia’s nose out of my business for a good long time.” He arched a brow and grinned at her. “I might even be able to have a personal life without her horning in.”

  “Too bad I can’t say the same for Georgette,” said Ellie. “Sometimes I think ‘horning in’ is her favorite pastime.”

  “I never got the impression your mother was a nudge. Didn’t she do a good thing setting you up with that lawyer?”

  The statement got Ellie thinking about Kevin McGowan, the big jerk. She’d been so busy with Veridot, she had yet to take her revenge on the sleazeball. “I’m afraid her matchmaking didn’t work. I won’t be seeing the attorney any time soon.”

  Sam’s grin widened. “That’s the first sensible thing I’ve heard you say in a couple of days.”

  “I’ve been making sense. You just don’t want to admit I was right about the way I handled Benedict . . . I mean Veridot.”

  “Not wanting to involve me in that ransom escapade was a dumb move, and you know it. If I hadn’t shown up, you might be dead right now.”

  Ellie finished her beer, noting that dusk had fallen. “Hah! Wouldn’t have happened. Veridot and I had a deal. I didn’t care if he got the cash, as long as I got Rudy back. And this isn’t the time or place to discuss it. Looks like the group is getting ready to disband.”

  Sam gazed into the backyard, where a group of moms were corralling the children, another couple of women were clearing the picnic tables, and the men were collecting trash. “Looks like. Guess I’d better give Vince and Nat a hand or we won’t be invited back.”

  At the sound of the word “we” Ellie’s pulse sped up. She wasn’t used to Sam, to any man, including her in his future plans. Maybe he was serious about starting their relationship over. Standing, she folded her chair, then pulled Rudy’s leash from her tote and clipped it to his collar.

  “Are we finally blowin’ this joint?”

  “It seems like. I just hope Sam realizes how tired we—I am and doesn’t want to hang around. These people are nice, fun too, but I don’t want to discuss what happened at Carl Schurz anymore.” She’d spoken to Vince, Natalie, and a host of others about last evening’s excitement and just wanted to forget it ever happened. “I’m afraid that’s what they’ll want to do if we go inside the house.”

  After she carried her chair to the patio and lined it up with the others, Sam came out of the sliding door, took her elbow, and led her out the back gate, along the side of the house, and into the street. “I said our good-byes, and everyone understood you’ve had a rough time of it. So we’re good to go.”

  Relieved, Ellie settled Rudy in the rear seat of Sam’s car, then climbed in the passenger side. “I had a nice time,” she told him when he got behind the wheel. “They’re good people.”

  “Vince is the best partner a cop could have, and Nat’s a super lady. If you haven’t noticed, they’re a happy couple.”

  All their talk about happy couples and having children made Ellie curious. This new side to Sam was a big plus in the sensitivity column. Was he changing for the better?

  “Um, so, thanks again for asking me to join you.”

  “No problem.” They drove in silence for a few minutes; then he turned onto the Queensboro Bridge and headed for Manhattan. “We still have things to talk about.”

  She swallowed. “Things?”

  The car eased across Second Avenue and made a right onto Third. “I know you’re beat, but there’s something I need to tell you.”

  Great. She was in trouble again. Gruning was probably trying to pin her with some trumped-up charge, or maybe she was going to have to let the police keep Gary’s estate. “If this is about the money—”

  “Oh, yeah, there’s that, too. Gruning is angling to hold the cash for evidence, but I think a smart attorney can get him to back off. The money was never actually in Veridot’s possession, and they have plenty of photos of the duffel, along with your statement and mine. I think you should show up on Monday morning with your lawyer and demand they release the bag and its contents to you for the reasons I just stated. I’m fairly certain that if Gruning is challenged, he’ll lay off and shut up.”

  She’d have to call Uncle Sal and ask him to meet her at the station. If anyone was slippery enough to outtalk the cops, it was him. “I’ll call the guy I used to record the will. He seemed to know enough about police procedure to take care of it. What else?”

  Sam pulled in front of her building, got out of the car, and opened her door. “I’ll come up and explain the rest.”

  Sam took a seat on the flowered sofa in Ellie’s living room. After she sent Rudy to bed, she sat beside Sam, and he clasped her hand.

  “So, what else is there to explain?” she asked warily. “Am I in more trouble?”

  “You? Nah. But there are a couple of things you need to know. First off, that guy in your laundry room? The one with the tattoo?”

  “You found out who he is?”

  “Yep. Seems he wasn’t Adrianne Burns’s brother. He was her lover. Her husband was on a business trip last weekend, and the guy made himself at home. When I introduced myself and showed my badge, she spilled the beans but begged me not to tell her husband. And since there was no connection to the case, I agreed.”

  “So Viv did speak with the real Stefan Burns at the mailbox. That’s good to know. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say when I fill her in.”

  “There’s more. I didn’t tell you this next part earlier, for fear of spoiling your evening.”

  Ellie slumped on the cushion, as if ready for a major disappointment. “Okay, say what you have to say.”

  Letting go of her hand, Sam draped an arm over her shoulders, pulled her near, and leaned back on the cushions. This was going to be tough. “It’s about Veridot.”

  She shifted to meet his gaze. “Please don’t tell me they’ve let him go.”

  He ran his free hand over her cheek, then pushed a stray curl behind her ear. He had no idea how she’d react when she heard the news, but he imagined she’d be upset. “Veridot died this afternoon around three. He’ll never bother you again.”

  Ellie’s brows rose. Then her eyes teared up, and she sniffed. “Oh, no.”

  “Massive internal injuries will do that to a body. He never regained consciousness, by the way, so there’s no way we’ll get the entire story of what happened with Gary.”

  Her sniffle turned to a sob, and she swiped at her tears. “That is one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard.”

  “Sad? I think you should feel relieved.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sad for Thompson Veridot. I’m sad for Gary and his parents. Imagine, an entire family is gone, stamped off the face of the earth for nothing more than some lousy money.”

  Leave it to Ellie to be miserable about a family she barely knew. “Bad things sometimes happen to good people. There’s nothing you or anyone else could have done. It was all Veridot’s fault, so I wouldn’t waste my time crying over him.”

  Ellie reached for a tissue on the coffee table and blew her nose. After dabbing at her tears, she balled the tissue and set it on the table. “I know you’re right, it’s just that . . . Do you think I should be responsible for having Veridot cremated and laid to rest?”

  “You? Why you?”

  “B
ecause I have his inheritance. It’s probably the least I can do.”

  Sam frowned. “Think a minute. You have the family’s money because Veridot killed them all. Hell, he might even have been responsible for his grandmother’s death in some bizarre way. And if you had him cremated, what would you do with his ashes?” He cupped her jaw and looked into her eyes. “Something tells me the Veridots he murdered would not rest easy knowing the son who killed them was right next to them for all eternity.”

  Sighing, Ellie nodded. “You’re probably right on that score, too.” She shrugged. “So what happens to his body?”

  “It gets turned over to the state, he’s cremated, and they dispose of the remains. I’m not sure exactly where they go, but . . . Do you really have to know?”

  She leaned back on the sofa and Sam drew her near. “I guess not.” She heaved another sigh and nestled into his shoulder. “This has been a long day. It’s getting late, and I’m beat. Do you mind if we say good night?”

  “No, I don’t mind.” He placed his palm on her cheek and turned her to face him. Dipping his head, he kissed her nose, then let his lips drop to hers. She tasted of kindness, and hope, and peace. All the good things he wanted in his life but never seemed to find. Deepening the kiss, he inhaled when Ellie opened and allowed him to explore the moist heat of her mouth.

  Finally, he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers. “If I don’t leave now, I’ll never go.”

  “Just to be clear about our relationship, if you stayed, you’d have to spend another night in the guest room.”

  Sam kissed her forehead. “I figured as much, even though there’s another bedroom I’d prefer. One I’ve slept in before.”

  She raised her gaze to meet his. “It’s too soon, Sam. I don’t think I’m ready for another . . . you know.”

  “I understand.” Disentangling himself, he stood, reached for Ellie’s hands, and pulled her to her feet. “How about seeing me to the door?”

  They walked together side by side while he kept his arm around her waist. At the door, he faced her again and gave her another kiss, this one filled with the promise in his heart and all the emotion he could muster.

  Then he stepped back and grinned. “I’ll call you tomorrow to remind you about Monday morning. And I mean that with every breath in my body.”

  Ellie stared at him openmouthed. Then she smiled. “You’d better, because I’ll find you if you don’t.”

  “I like the sound of that,” he said, caressing her cheek. “But don’t worry, you won’t have to.”

  He opened the door and stepped into the hall. “Lock up and have a good night. You’ll need all your strength for our next date, say a week from now? I have to read the board and check my schedule before I know for sure if I’m free.”

  Still smiling, Ellie nodded and closed the door, and Sam headed down the stairs.

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” Ellie asked Vivian as they took their seats in a back corner of the courtroom the Friday after Ellie had been to the Fugazzos’ barbeque.

  “Hey, I don’t take days off for just anybody.” Viv raised her nose in the air. “You’re my dearest friend, and when I told Pete why you wanted to do this he jumped at the chance to make things right.”

  Ellie glanced around the room, noting it wasn’t packed. But that wasn’t unusual for a divorce hearing. The people who showed up came either to support a loved one or to wait for their case to be called. Hilary was already in place at one of the tables, and her sister was sitting behind her. So Ellie figured it wouldn’t take long for the proceedings to start.

  “This had better be good,” she said to Viv. “Otherwise, I’m going to have to think of something else.”

  “It’s going to be great,” Viv pronounced in a whisper.

  The door opened and two men walked in, one of whom Ellie thought was Kevin McGowan. When he took a seat next to Richard Blankenship at the table across from Hilary, she was sure.

  “Let the games begin,” Viv continued in a hushed tone.

  Moments later, a judge entered from a door behind the bench, bringing to mind Ellie’s own divorce proceedings. She and the D couldn’t come to terms on a single thing, even with arbitration, so going to a judge had been their only choice, just as it now was with Hilary and her soon-to-be ex.

  She had told Hilary she’d be there, and Hilary had said thank you but her sister was the only person she needed, which was fine with Ellie. Hilary’s sister had come to offer moral support, while she had come for vengeance. There was no reason to mix the two.

  The bailiff called the court to order, and she stiffened, planning to follow each argument carefully. Kevin stood and spouted all the reasons why Hilary didn’t deserve spousal support, adding the part about her working for Paws in Motion and how much money she could make as a dog walker. Hilary’s attorney countered with her past support of Richard when they were first married, citing that part of her earnings had gone to finance and furnish a percentage of the condo. The judge observed, commented, and gave orders as needed until neither attorney had anything further to say.

  Viv left toward the end of the hearing and returned just as the judge gave his ruling. Hilary was allowed to keep her condo, and she would receive double her current support, but that was all. Ellie knew the money award was generous, but she felt certain Hilary wouldn’t think so. And that was fine, because the woman’s need for more cash meant she’d continue to walk the dogs in her building, giving Ellie a much needed break.

  “He’s here,” Viv whispered, returning to her seat. “And he looks fabulous.”

  The lawyers stood and began putting folders and documents back in their briefcases. Richard Blankenship stormed out, and Hilary sidled around the railing and went to her sister. Then the rear door opened and a huge gorilla wearing a skirt and an enormous pink bow on its head danced into the room balancing a boom box on its shoulder. The song, a soulful rendition of “The Cheater” rang out so loudly the judge and bailiff stopped in their departure and turned, as did most of the viewing audience.

  Kevin turned, too, and, when he saw the strutting ape headed his way, blanched to a ghostly white. But that didn’t stop the ape. She, really Pete, stepped lively to Kevin, smacked him on the chest, and shoved him into his seat. Then Pete continued to dance and, every time the singer vocalized with ‘Cheat, cheat, cheat,’ pointed to the shocked attorney as if he were the one on trial.

  The judge and bailiff laughed out loud, as did most of the audience. It was clear Kevin had done something so heinous that someone, probably a woman from the looks of the gorilla, was furious. And what he’d done was obvious, too.

  But the best part of the scenario was that this episode would get around to the other divorce lawyers with whom Kevin did business and hundreds of others in the legal world. He’d be a laughingstock for months to come.

  The song was over all too soon. Ellie had grinned during the entire routine and waggled her fingers at Pete as he sashayed out the door. Then she looked to the front of the courtroom and found Kevin scowling at her. So she waggled her fingers at him, as well.

  Hilary dabbed at the tears in her eyes, her smile so huge Ellie decided it was well worth the two hundred dollars she’d spent to put on the show.

  Kevin slammed his briefcase closed, and she and Viv gave him another finger wave before they scooted from the courtroom. Outside, they found Pete on the street handing business cards advertising MONKEYSHINES to all who passed.

  Ellie handed him a check and the ape, or rather Pete, gave her a salute, picked up the boom box, and danced up the street toward the nearest subway entrance.

  “God, that was fun,” Viv said, still sniggering.

  “I should have borrowed Stanley’s video camera. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as hysterical as the expression on Kevin’s face when he saw me.”

  “Saw you? What about when he saw Pete . . . er . . . Matilda fox-trot into the courtroom?” asked Viv.

  “That, too.” Ell
ie slid her hand into Vivian’s elbow. “You got time for lunch? My treat.”

  “Don’t you have dogs to walk?”

  “My afternoon rounds don’t start for another two hours. We can go wherever you want. Money is no object, as a thank-you for finding Pete.”

  “How about Tavern on the Green? That way, you’ll be close to your canines so we can hang at the restaurant a little longer,” Viv decided.

  Ellie stepped into the street and hailed a cab. When a taxi stopped, she held open the door for her best human friend. Too bad Rudy hadn’t been allowed in the courtroom. He would have loved the gorilla, the look of shock on Kevin’s face, the whole nine yards.

  She and Vivian arrived at Tavern on the Green, ate a delicious lunch, and said farewell. Four hours later, Ellie arrived home and found Rudy waiting at the door.

  “So, was it as rewarding as you hoped it would be?” he asked as they headed down the stairs.

  “I’ll say. I only wish I’d had the sense to video it. The look on Kevin the creep’s face was memorable.”

  “I can’t stand the thought of you havin’ fun without me, Triple E. Next time, find a way to bring me along.”

  They strolled around the block and made it home in twenty minutes. After Ellie put a Lean Cuisine in the nuker, she went to the kibble cupboard, poured her boy’s dinner, and set his full dish on the place mat. Then she removed her meal and ate it at the kitchen table while Rudy finished his food.

  When she tossed the plastic container in the trash, Rudy stood on his hind legs and did his own version of a fox-trot. “Got anymore of those gourmet biscuits, huh, do ya?”

  Ellie retrieved the last of the special treats from the Bread and Bones sack and carried it to her living room. There, she turned on the television, sat on the sofa, and passed Rudy his dessert. A few moments later, she found Dogtown, the show about her favorite charity, Best Friends, on the National Geographic Channel and settled back to watch.

  Rudy ate his biscuit and rested his head in her lap until the show was over. Then he said, “I pity those poor guys. They don’t have someone in their life like I do, Triple E, and that’s sad.”