Till Death Do Us Bark

by Judi McCoy

  “Well, you do. Your current stepfather is a retired appellate court judge, you’re dating Sam, you know Vince and that big-shot captain and—”

  His gaze ping-ponged between the two of them. “What big-shot captain?”

  “His name is Carmichael or something.”

  “Carmody?” He turned to Ellie. “You know Mitchell Carmody personally?”

  “They’re like this.” Viv crossed her fingers. “She got him a dog.”

  “A dog?”

  Ellie pulled Viv’s fingers down. “Vivian, this is not the time to talk about Buddy.”

  “And why not? Getting him to adopt that Bichon was—”

  “Not a part of this conversation.” She again focused on the badge. The DEA was an arm of the Department of Justice, a federal agency that had its hand in everything the government watched over. If James Bond was truly one of their agents, Arlene could be in real trouble. “I’ve never seen a DEA badge before. How do we know this is real?”

  “I guess you’ll have to take my word for it until morning. Then you can call my superior.”

  Ellie frowned. The pieces were beginning to fit together. The way Arlene and Adrianne had easy access to drugs; the remoteness of Dr. Kent’s practice; the cars coming and going in the parking lot. It all made sense now . . . sort of.

  “Okay, let’s say we buy your identification story. That still doesn’t explain how you got inside the doc’s office or what you were doing there.”

  He closed the wallet and tucked it away. “Dr. Kent’s been under investigation for illegally prescribing and distributing Schedule Two drugs. According to a nowarrested pharmaceutical rep who incriminated a list of others, we have evidence he also kept a stash of drugs in his office where he was doling them out like candy.” He gazed at Viv. “I had a warrant the night of the party, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I was going to present it if I was caught, but then I found Kent and—”

  “My sister would have been so embarrassed, especially having her fiancé arrested. She’s been so depressed, I can’t tell her about the doc’s troubles.”

  “Have you taken a good look at your sisters? I doubt either one would be embarrassed. My guess is they’re both regular users of Kent’s contraband pharmacy.”

  Viv set the flashlight down and lowered her gaze. Then she looked up and brushed a tear from her cheek. “They’re not—they won’t be—”

  “Arrested? That remains to be seen. I doubt they’ll do any time, but they are involved in this case, and not just them. There are pharmacies in the Hamptons under investigation, and a couple more drug reps. The whole lot of them will be hauled in, once we get our ducks in a row.”

  “But the murder—”

  “Screwed everything up. The first time I was in the doc’s office, I hoped to grab his computer and take a look at his records. Then I was going to bring him in for questioning. Thanks to whoever killed him, I didn’t get that far.”

  “You were there trying to scan his computer for prescription records?”

  “That and anything else that would help me break the case. I figured he had the info on a spreadsheet, because the amount of crap he’s suspected of doling out is mammoth. Trouble is, because of the murder the local cops have collected the goods. They told me they’d taken his computer and they were scanning it, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have another one stashed away somewhere. They’re out to find the killer, and they have jurisdiction, but we’re playing tug-of-war with the evidence right now.”

  “Who do you think killed Dr. Kent?” asked Ellie.

  He leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table. “Could be any number of people. A druggie hoping for a score, one of the pharmacists he was working with demanding a bigger cut, the disgruntled parent of a kid Kent’s been supplying, even a hopped-up patient.” He sat straighter in his chair. “I’ve been tracking Kent for a couple of months now, and when I heard they were hosting a party I finagled an invite from your sister. It was supposed to be my chance to see if he and one of the guests would have an incriminating conversation. I was hoping they’d talk business at the party, private business I could use for the arrest.”

  “And you don’t have a clue who might have killed him?”

  “I work alone, so it’s impossible to be two places at once. When I heard your sister was expecting Kent on the terrace, I left the deck, went to the front of the house, and headed back around the grounds and the doc’s parking lot. Then I waited at the side along the stand of trees—prepared to gather what I needed from his files—”

  “Gather how?”

  “Never mind how.”

  Ellie figured she’d worry about it later. “Get back to the murder. What happened next?”

  He raised one dark eyebrow. “Quite a bit. I planned to go in through the front door as he went out the rear. Then I heard an argument, and it was a dilly. Lots of shouting and threats. Then a door slammed and it got quiet.” Jim sat back in his chair. “I slipped through the front when I heard the rear door slam. Next thing I knew Kent was arguing again. I walked to the back door and tried to hear the voice, because I thought it might be the same man, but the tone was different.”

  Eyes shuttered, he placed his palms on the table. “I couldn’t intervene without blowing my cover, so I waited them out. Then I heard another voice calling for el doctor, a string of Spanish, and footsteps moving away. It was then I figured I’d better at least sneak a peek, so I opened the back door. That’s when I saw the body, bleeding out on the sidewalk. When I sidled over to take a look, and realized there was nothing I could do, I ducked into the bushes. Then you two showed up.”

  “You could have taken off before the police arrived,” Ellie reminded him.

  “And then what? All I wanted were the records—whatever he had on prescriptions and the purchases. I explained who I was when the cops got there, even told them about the arguments, and they said they’d cooperate, but they had to focus first and foremost on finding the killer.” He cocked his head. “They confiscated Kent’s phone records, calendar, and desktop computer, just about everything, but I was hoping to find something more so . . .”

  “Are you willing to answer another question?” asked Ellie.

  He blew out a breath. “Aw, hell, why not? You’re in the middle of it now anyway.”

  “What kind of medicine did Dr. Kent practice?”

  “Word on the street said he was a regular Dr. Feelgood, sort of like the physicians who took care of Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson. He claimed to have the answer for a lot of troublesome conditions. Basically, he was in general practice, but advertised that he could help with depression and anxiety, work you through insomnia, assist with anger management, even cure obesity. He had a pill for every problem, same as those physicians in Beverly Hills who treat the stars.”

  “And you’re not concerned with who murdered him?”

  “That’s one too many questions.” He stood. “I’m heading back to the cottage to lock up and reset the security lights.”

  “What about taking a look around the office?”

  “Who, me? Why, I’m shocked you think I’d go against Detective Wheeling’s orders.” He slipped the watch cap back over his head. “If anyone sees me, I’m just a friendly neighbor taking a midnight stroll along the beach.” He headed for the stairs, then turned. “And by the way, finding the murderer is a job for the cops—not a cop wannabe.”

  “But my sister’s the one who needs our help.” Vivian had been so quiet, Ellie almost forgot she was there. “Ellie’s solved cases harder than this one.”

  Shaking his head, he raised his eyes to the starlit sky. “You’re not going to give it a rest, are you?”

  “I—we—don’t care about the drugs, but Viv is concerned about her sister. If the local police are on it, we’ll be okay.”

  “Just remember to stay out of their way.”

  He charged down the stairs and Ellie blew out a breath. “Well, that was interesting.
”

  Viv held her head in her hands. “Do you think we should believe him?”

  “Believe what? That he’s a special agent for the DEA?”

  “Not the special agent part. That badge looked pretty official to me. I’m talking about Arlene and Adrianne, and the possibility of them being charged with drug abuse or whatever it’s called.”

  Ellie knew nothing about the drug scene or the DEA’s involvement in that kind of investigation. “I have no idea, but it did sound like he knew what he was talking about. Trouble is, someone needs to talk to Arlene, make her understand what her fiancé was doing.”

  “Wouldn’t the police tell her?”

  “I don’t think they had a chance to. The second Wheeling said Dr. Kent had been murdered, she fell apart, ran to her room, and stayed there all night.”

  “Maybe he told Mother?”

  “From the way I’ve seen the cops operate, they only give pertinent info to the people directly involved. Your mom and dad don’t live here, and neither does Adrianne, so I doubt he’d tell them unless it was absolutely necessary.”

  “Oh, well . . . should we say something to her?”

  “And if she asks how we know, how would you tell her we got the information?”

  Viv rubbed her eyes with the tips of her fingers. “I don’t know. I just hate that I’m aware of something important and I can’t share the information. Maybe, if she knew what Kent had been up to, she’d be able to shed some light on things.”

  “No one said we couldn’t tell her about the investigation, but it would be awkward mentioning the DEA was involved if we had nothing to back it up. I’m not sure how to approach it exactly, except to wait for Detective Wheeling to show up again. If we were there, and we asked the right questions, that might give us a way to bring it all up.”

  “So I guess we should start by finding out when Wheeling is going to stop by, huh?”

  “I guess.” Ellie couldn’t think. It was hours past her normal bedtime and she was exhausted from all the sneaking around. The fact that James Bond had scared the living daylights out of her didn’t help. “Look, I know this is tough, but we’ll handle it. Arlene isn’t a bad person, she’s just misguided. We’ll work it out.”

  Viv sniffed back a tear and pushed from the table. “I know she’s a pain; Adrianne, too. But after you, they’re all I have. Just promise you’ll help me sort this out. Please?”

  Ellie walked to her side and gave her a hug. “Vivian, I’m on—”

  “I know. You’re on vacation.”

  “And so are you.” Taking a step back, she gazed at her best friend and saw the exhaustion and desperation in her eyes. “I’ll do what I can, okay? That’s all I can say.”

  Chapter 6

  Ellie stepped into her new one-piece chocolate brown Karla Colletto swimsuit. After taking a good look in the full-length mirror on the inside of the bathroom door, she smiled. She’d let Viv drag her up and down Fifth Avenue to stores that supposedly had designer togs for fifty percent off. After digging through the racks, she’d found a suit marked down because it was last year’s model. The minute she saw it, she knew it was the right choice. Better still, it was under a hundred dollars, when it had originally listed for over two.

  The gold piping accentuated her bust while shrinking her rounded tummy and flaring hips. The rich brown color also complemented her milky white skin and looked great with her coppery curls. She’d been worried about sunburn, but Viv had even found her an expensive sunscreen specially formulated for pale complexions.

  All in all, she’d spent close to a thousand dollars on new clothes that day, but Viv had convinced her it was worth it. The Hamptons was one place you couldn’t wear hiking boots or canvas casuals and still fit in with the trendy tourist crowd.

  “Turn around again. I wanna see your bottom.”

  She gazed at Rudy, who was watching her from the fluffy turquoise throw rug on the sand-colored tiles. “And why, pray tell, is my bottom worth another look?”

  “Because you’ll be on the beach, and you might meet a man there. He’ll want to inspect you from all angles.”

  She huffed out a breath. “I’m not interested in meeting a man, especially one who wants to inspect all my angles. I already have a great guy at home. I don’t need to mess around with another.”

  “Sure you do. Who knows? He could be your Prince Charming—isn’t that what the perfect man is called in the human world? And he’s gonna want to check out your bottom.”

  “And why would I want to meet a Prince Charming whose barometer for finding his princess is her bottom?”

  “ ’Cause he’d be a real man, not that wussy doofus dick you’ve fallen for. Now turn around.”

  Grinning, she did as ordered. As far as she knew, Sam loved her bottom, her middle, and her top, but she’d do anything to shut her boy up and get him off this crazy topic.

  “You need more.”

  More bottom? “Okay, that’s it. We’re finished critiquing my figure. It’s time to start our day.” Determined to get moving, she charged into the bedroom. “We’re supposed to meet Viv and T on the terrace for breakfast, then walk to the beach. We’re on vacation, remember?”

  “It didn’t sound much like vacation last night. You were grillin’ that DEA guy like a real cop.”

  “I was simply satisfying my curiosity about Arlene and Dr. Sleazeball. It didn’t mean I had any intention of running my own investigation.”

  Sitting on the bed, Ellie grabbed her regular tote and the new straw bag she’d found when she bought the suit, and began transferring essentials: first, her cell phone, then her high-grade sunscreen that promised to bronze while it protected, a tube of lip gloss, a couple of dollars, tissues, two bottles of water, and a small folding dish. After adding her new peach-colored beach towel, she stuck her sunglasses on top of her head and stood.

  “I don’t get it. If we were home you’d be all over this case. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I promised Sam I’d back off of sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, and Wheeling and Bond said the same thing. I thought about it and decided the cops could do their thing without me. Now give me a break and let me finish getting ready.”

  She slipped into her cover-up—a gauzy knee-length white shirt—slid her feet into sandals, hoisted the new bag over her shoulder, and headed for the door. “Let’s get moving. We both need to eat, and we have to collect chairs and umbrellas before we hike to the beach.”

  “So, what are you gonna tell Viv?”

  She knew what Rudy wanted, but decided to play dumb. “Tell Viv about what?”

  “Stop actin’ stupid. You just said you were thinkin’ about last night. You should tell Viv how you feel and quit stringin’ her along.”

  He was right. After their interaction with the shady 007, Viv had complained of “brain pain” and gone immediately to sleep. Ellie knew she should have confessed that she didn’t think she should delve any further into this crime before her best friend closed her eyes.

  “Viv’s the one who’s hot on this case. She went to find Arlene early this morning so she could talk to her about Dr. Kent in private.” Taking the quickest way to the kitchen, they walked down the back staircase and into the rear foyer. “This is her ball game, not mine.”

  “Yeah, but she’s askin’ us for help. She doesn’t have the nose for clues, like you and I do.” He gave a doggie snort. “Finding that doctor’s killer is up to us pros.”

  “Nu-uh. No way are you and I pros. Detective Wheeling is on it, and so is DEA Agent Bond. It would be foolish to step on their toes.”

  “But this killing seems more confusing than the others we’ve run across. Don’t you want to know who did what?”

  “V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N.” She spelled the word carefully. “I can’t be any more explicit than that. Now be quiet. We’re almost in the kitchen.” They went through the laundry room and into the eating area, where she again spied a lovely breakfast
buffet. “Just give me a second to get your food out of the pantry.”

  “Are you talking to me, miss?”

  She jumped when she heard the question. Then she saw Rosa sitting in a far corner of the breakfast area. Surprised to find her there, Ellie shuffled over. She hadn’t seen the housekeeper since the night of the murder, but delicious food seemed to magically appear on the table for each meal, so she assumed Rosa’s daughters had done the cooking while their mother dealt with Arlene.

  “Um, no. I was talking to my dog.” She smiled. “I do it all the time.”

  “Ah, sí. So does Miss Arlene.” Sniffing, she dabbed her nose with a tissue. “She is mucho upset about losing el doctor. Pobrecita.”

  The housekeeper appeared so forlorn, Ellie couldn’t help offering comfort. Rosa had worked in this house a long time. The police must have questioned her, so there had to be something else on her mind.

  “And what about you? Do you miss him, too?”

  “El doctor?” Her cheeks turned dark red and her eyes narrowed. “No, never. He was not a nice man.”

  Shocked by Rosa’s vehemence, she squatted to be on eye level with the woman. “You didn’t like Dr. Kent?”

  Rosa fisted the hand holding the tissue and set it over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I just said.”

  “It’s all right, really. I didn’t know him at all, but I’ve heard things—things that make me want to agree with you.” She crossed mental fingers and lowered her voice. “I heard Dr. Kent dealt in illegal drugs.”

  Eyes wide, Rosa sobbed into the tissue. “Sí, sí. He is the one who gave my Maria the pills that made her sick.”

  Ellie blinked. Maria was the teen who’d OD’d on drugs? And she’d gotten them from Martin Kent? No wonder Rosa disliked the doc. But could she have killed him?

  “Oh, Rosa, are you sure about that?”

  “I know because my daughter, she told me. She was cleaning the waiting room in his office and she heard some of his patients talking about how good they felt after taking his medicine. She sometimes gets—como se dice—el dolor de cabeza—what you call the migraine, so she asked him about the drugs, and he gave her something. For no money, he say. He just wanted her to—to—” She shook her head. “I cannot talk about it. Miss Arlene, she might find out, and if she did she would be more sad than she is already.”