We continued to watch as the paramedics lifted Robby out of the dumpster and into a body bag before placing him on a gurney. We could hear the three humans sob. I put my paw over my heart out of respect. I looked over. Watts and Bruiser did the same.
The deputy walked over to our shelter manager, Susan.
“Ma’am, my name is Deputy Rooney. You obviously cared for this young man. Mind if I ask you a few questions to help us find out what happened to him?”
Susan shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“What was his full name?”
“Robert Grancer.”
“Thank you. Did you know of any illegal drug use by this young man?”
Susan was emphatic. “Definitely not. We drug test all our employees on a yearly basis. Robby always passed with flying colors.”
The deputy wrote her answers in a notebook.
“How about enemies? Or threats from someone denied adoption? Anyone he owed money to? Any girlfriends who felt they were unfairly dumped?”
Susan shook her head negative to all of the above.
“No, no and no. Robby wasn’t on drugs, never spent more than he made and was too shy to have a girlfriend. He wasn’t the one who made decisions on adoptions.”
The deputy smiled.
“It’s always the shy ones that surprise us. Well, if you think of anything or overhear anything that might help, please let me know. Here’s my card.” The deputy handed Susan his card. “Feel free to call me anytime. Sorry for your loss.”
“Robby was one of the best employees the Bonita Shelter ever had. We all will miss him.”
Susan took the card and put it in her pocket. The three humans went back inside as the Lee County ME and deputy left along with the ambulance. The three of us still in hiding remained speechless. I broke the silence.
“It’s our duty to find Robby’s killer. I’m sure it was murder. Tonight, Watts and I will hang out outside the shelter windows to see if any of the cats—or dogs, for that matter—heard anything that might help us. Until then, we better head back.”
“But, I’m still hungry,” Watts replied.
Bruiser growled. “Hey, I dragged a bag of dog food back from my old neighbor’s yard. You’re welcome to share. I moved it away and out of sight from the other dogs.
Watts let out a sigh of relief as we followed Bruiser back to his lair. He dragged the partially-open bag of food to where we were standing.
“Can you believe someone threw this out because their spoiled little poodle didn’t like it? Here, help yourselves.”
Bruiser tore open the bag with his teeth and the three of us chowed down.
“Hmm…salmon and chicken. My faves.”
Watts had a big smile on his face. I took charge.
“Okay, remember, we have to be alert tonight, so I suggest a little afternoon catnap after our meal…no pun intended.”
The three of us lay down in the bushes after Bruiser closed up his bag and went to sleep. We slept like babies until…
“Hoot. Hoot. Hoot.”
Thank goodness for Hooty. That owl used to wake me up in the shelter. Never appreciated him then, but we sure need to be awake tonight. Watts was stretching, and Bruiser was already up pacing.
“What do you need us to do?” Bruiser asked.
“We need to go back to the shelter. If any cats or dogs are awake, we need to know if they overheard any of the humans talking about what happened to Robby. Bruiser, you handle the dogs, and Watts and I will ask our old shelter buddy cats. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER THREE
We walked out of the bushes and down the moonlit path that led to the back of the shelter. Bruiser went to the runs and whimpered to get the dogs’ attention. Four of them came out. Watts and I went over to the cats’ screened windows and meowed. Sure enough, the windows filled up with cats, anxious to know what happened to us.
“We’re fine. Hey, did anyone hear any more about what happened to Robby?”
“Just that they think his heart failed. He had such a big one, too,” Seymour answered.
“I know,” I answered. “We sure do miss him. Did the manager find out how he ended up in the dumpster?”
“Susan thinks he must have been cleaning the dumpster like he sometimes did and got sick inside,” Bojangles added.
I kept asking questions, even though I was amazed that anyone would buy that explanation.
“Does anyone know what he was supposed to do that day at work?”
“Only something to do with Jinx. Not sure what, but we’ll check around tomorrow for you. See you tomorrow night?” Riley asked.
Watts answered, “Sure thing.”
We rounded up Bruiser, who later told us that one of the dogs was sick. Amy took him to the vet who does all the county shelter work two days ago, but he was still not any better. Bruiser thought that odd. So did I.
The next morning, Watts and I went back to the dumpster. They had cleaned it out, disinfected it, and hosed it down so there were slim pickings and they were all the way on the bottom. Before I could jump in, I heard a faint meow from around the corner. It sounded like Jinx, an eight-year-old black and white stray. Watts and I went over to where we heard the sound and pounced on the windowsill.
“Hey, Jinx. It’s Shurl and Watts. What’s wrong?”
“You guys are so lucky to be out of here. Robby took me to the vet, but I never got a chance to see her. He had to take me back, but I still don’t feel good. Later that afternoon, he came to my cage and brought me dinner. He picked me up and hugged me. I guess he figured I couldn’t understand human talk because he started telling me about his strange day. “
Watts looked at him.
“How so?”
“Well, as he petted me, he said he just came from the accountant’s office. He was cleaning the floor near her desk when he knocked over some papers by accident. As he picked them up, he saw there were bills for vet services. One was for me. Since he was the one who took me there twice, he knew I never got any medical attention—not even from a vet tech—and he had to take me back here sick. He told me something strange was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it so his Jinxy could feel better.
“He then said he was reading my bill when the office manager came in and surprised him. She appeared upset and asked what he was doing. He told me he said he found a bill for Jinx from the vet. He took me there, but no one looked at me, so why would there be a bill?
“He kept petting me and, as he did, said that the accountant told him not to worry about it. She said she would look into the charge, tell Susan, and take care of it. He told me he didn’t know what she meant by that, but since she had more authority than he did, he had to trust her.
“He hugged me and told me how much he loved me and wanted me to get better. That was the last time I saw him.”
I listened, and watched tears roll down Jinx’s black and white face. I looked over at Watts.
“We need to look into this, but I don’t know where to start. I guess we could see if any of the other cats went to the vet and received no treatment. Let’s go.”
We thanked Jinx and pounced over to the other windowsill. Riley was licking his paws. He heard us land on the sill and came right over.
“You guys back again? What brings you here?”
Watts spoke first. “Have you seen the vet recently?”
“I went with Amy two days ago for my rabies vaccine but I never got the shot. They said I’d have to come back next week. They were plum busy. Same thing happened to Bojangles and our social Calico, Queeny...but I could go on and on. Not just for shots. Some needed eye treatments, some ear treatments, baths to get rid of matting etc. We all went, but came back empty-handed.”
I looked at Watts. “How long has this been going on?”
Riley purred.
“At least three months. Weird, don’t you think?”
“Very,” I responded. “We never needed to go to the vet when we were here
, so we had no idea. You all never talked about it.”
“No reason to discuss it. We figured that’s the way it was.”
Riley shrugged as I asked.
“Think there’s any proof of that?”
“Don’t know. Maybe in the accountant’s office. It’s the third door on the left from the main entrance. Says Monica Wilson on the door…”
“Watts, let’s grab a bite and then go back and figure out what to do next. May need Bruiser’s help again.”
Watts smiled at that thought. “For such a big dog, he sure is a sweetie.”
I went back to the dumpster with Watts. “Let’s grab some lunch to go. Maybe we can find something for our buddy.”
They must have just done inventory and date checking. Found some outdated cat treats and a rawhide bone. I let Watts carry the bone back. Maybe if Watts gave it to him, Bruiser wouldn’t think of it as a bribe.
CHAPTER FOUR
We walked over to Bruiser’s lair. None of the other canines spent any time with him and they sure would not try to take anything. We saw Bruiser lying on his side. He looked a bit bored. If he needed excitement, he was going to get some.
He lifted his head when he saw us approach and wagged his tail. The wag became stronger when he saw Watts carrying a rawhide bone. New or used, bones always got the same reaction.
“Hey, Bruiser, how’s it going?”
Bruiser looked up. “Better, now that you’re here. I was a little sad thinking about my owner, Harry. He was old and had to walk with a cane, but I didn’t mind. He walked at a slow pace and I walked with him. I knew how much he loved me. One day, he couldn’t breathe. His son rushed him to the hospital. Never saw him again. He loved me, and I know he would never leave me on purpose. His ugly son Marcus refused to take me in even though Harry told him to take care of me when he couldn’t. I overheard Marcus tell the maid he wanted to take me to the pound. I’m a big guy. We usually get adopted last.
“Harry would never have wanted that, so I ran away from home. Every now and then, I go to the hospital and wait by the entrance, but no luck finding Harry.”
His story tugged at my heart.
“Sorry to hear that, Big B. I guess we all share the same kind of story. Some humans think we are toys to play with and discard when they tire of us. They don’t want commitment, or the responsibility a cat or dog brings. Your human is probably still in there and loves you very much. Our humans didn’t want us anymore. They told the shelter they were tired of taking care of us.
“On a brighter note, did you know that Susan is fighting for our shelter to become a ‘no-kill’? She told Amy she is preparing her presentation for the county commissioners. Hope they grant her wish. That would be good for all of us. We wouldn’t have to always be afraid and ready to run. The county below here has a shelter like that. If it wasn’t so far, I’d wander down there myself. Anyway, I digress. Watts has something that might cheer you up. Show him what you have for him.”
Watts lifted the bone in the air as much as he could and then dropped it. Bruiser got up all cheery-like.
“For me? Thank you. Harry used to get one of these for me every week.”
Bruiser picked up the bone and lay down next to us to chew.
“Picked up some outdated cat treats. You’re welcome to some if you like.”
Bruiser kept chewing, so I thought it was a good time to brainstorm.
“We went to the shelter to see if the other cats found out anything more about Robby. They said that they overheard him tell Jinx that the vet was billing the county for services not rendered. Robby told the accountant, Monica, that he found one such bill on her desk, but she said she would take care of the matter. The only way we can find out is to get into her office and mess up all the vet bills on her desk to call them to Susan’s attention.
“But first, we must pay a visit to the vet to see if any of her sick or boarding animals heard or saw anything. Jinx said he overheard Amy saying the last text Robby received was from the vet who asked him to stop by and pick up some meds for him after work.
“Anyway he never got them, so we have to find out why. First piece of the puzzle. Now, what do we do?”
Bruiser looked up. “I went there once when I was a puppy. For some reason Harry, didn’t like her, so he took me to Dr. Kelsy, whom I really liked. Anyway, at the county vet, Dr. Mond, you can’t converse with any cats. They’re all locked up inside. We’ll have to deal with the dogs. That’s where I come in. You stay in the background, and I’ll find out what I can. Let me bury this bone for later, and we can go there now and see if anyone knows anything.”
Bruiser did just that, and the three of us left for Dr. Mond’s.
o0o
He was right. The boarding dogs were in their runs. No one was watching them. Watts and I hid in some nearby bushes while Bruiser approached the runs. At first, they all started to bark. Bruiser barked back telling us later he told them to be quiet because he needed their help.
“Okay. Hush up. I have a few questions about Dr. Mond. My human friend was killed recently, and this was the last place he was supposed to have gone. Anyone seen or heard anything?”
The dogs looked at each other. A pretty Dalmatian named Kitty responded first.
“Not me. I just got here today. My, you are a big boy, aren’t you?”
Spot, a brown and white wired hair terrier, jumped in. I couldn’t help thinking how stupid humans can be with names.
“I’ve been here three days. The first night, from my run, I saw a young, tall male human with brown hair enter. He seemed nice and talked to each of us as he looked for the vet. He told Dr. Mond he was there to pick up some meds, but she wanted him to look at a tabby, Fluffy, who was boarding and really pretty…the cat’s meow. He went over to her cage and picked her up. She liked him and purred like a kitten. My kennel is directly opposite the exam room, so I could see everything that went on. Humans must think we’re really dumb.
“I watched the man caress Fluffy, when, out of nowhere, Dr. Mond popped up behind him holding a needle. She stabbed him on the side of the neck. He dropped to the floor at once. Dr. Mond whistled, and another lady I never saw before came out of the bathroom to help move him. I heard her say ‘We’ll take him to my car and put him in the trunk.’ The other woman was not happy. She commented on how heavy he was. The two dragged the human out and that’s the last I saw of him.
“The whole thing seemed strange, so I went out to my run, but couldn’t see anything. I was on the wrong side of the building. I heard moans and groans coming from the two women and a loud thud. That’s probably when they put him in the doctor’s trunk. Hope that helps. That’s all I saw.”
Watts’s mouth was wide open. I tried to keep my cool. Bruiser was amazing. He’s a true German Shepherd. No wonder they are police dogs.
Bruiser continued asking questions, as if by instinct.
“Did anyone see what happened to the needle? That could prove to be our best evidence.”
“I did. Oooh, I did.” A Jack Russell named Rusty jumped up and down as he answered. “I’m right next to Spot, and I like to jump. I saw Dr. Mond put a needle in a funny tall can of potato chips she likes for snacks. She took the red can and put the lid back on and put it in a brown paper bag. She then put it in her pocket when they were dragging your human out. They haven’t picked up the trash yet. It may be in the green dumpster on this side of the building. The red one is for medical waste and is sealed. If the doctor wanted to hide it, plain sight is the best route.”
A cocker spaniel named Ted said, “I’m on the end. I saw her put something in the green one. They dropped the human for a few minutes and slid the dumpster door open. She had a brown paper bag, and hid it right in plain sight.”
“You are all so right.” Bruiser commented. “Thank you all for your help. Hope you have a great vacation.”
They all howled.
Bruiser walked back to where we hid.
“Did you get that?”
We nodded. Watts gave the kudos. “Great police work. You missed your calling.”
I added, “I’ll do the dumpster dive.” Watts looked concerned.
“Be careful opening that brown paper bag. The poison may have leaked.”
“No worries, Watts. I’ll be careful.”
The three of us walked over to the green dumpster. No one was outside. The plan was that Bruiser was to scare any humans away while I got the can. I dove in and rummaged through trash. I found one bag with leftover chicken salad sandwich in it. Under normal conditions, I would have feasted on it, but not with such lethal poison around. Old soda cans, empty containers of pet food, until—Bingo—a second brown bag. I opened it slowly to find the red potato chip can inside. My paw twisted it open and I looked in. There it was …the needle that killed Robby. I twisted the lid shut, closed the bag, and threw it over the side of the dumpster. Didn’t want to put it in my mouth.
When I jumped out, I saw Watts and Bruiser grinning ear to ear. I took charge.
“Let’s get this back to the shelter, we have to figure out how to get the humans to notice the needle.”
CHAPTER FIVE
We brainstormed as we walked to the county shelter. Watts thought he and I should run in as fast as we could, go directly to Monica’s office, and scatter all of the bills on her desk on the floor. Susan would see us, and follow.
That sounded good to me and Bruiser, who volunteered to keep the bag with him. After Susan saw the bills, she would most likely call the police. When Officer Rooney arrived, Bruiser would deliver the bag, drop it near his feet, and bark. Our plan complete, we kept going hoping it would work.
Bruiser carried the bag under his neck since it was dry and he wore a thick leather collar. He hid in some bushes near the main parking lot and waited while Watts and I stayed out of view in a nearby jasmine bush. We knew we had to wait for someone to open the side door nearest Monica’s office. Finally, a new attendant came outside for a smoke. We scampered in before he could close the door. He yelled, “Heads up! Two cats just entered the building.”
Nine Deadly Lives Page 20