Trouble at the Animal Shelter: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “Hi, Reverend. Ready to order?” Roxie asked.

  “I’ll take what Doc’s having. Looks good. Thanks, Roxie.”

  “May take a little longer than usual. We’re really jammed right now. Just want you to know up front, so you won’t think I forgot to turn in your order.”

  “Not a problem, Roxie,” the reverend said. “It’ll get here when it gets here, and that’s fine with me.” She walked away to place his order, and he sat back in the booth, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

  “Reverend, looks like you got the weight of the world on your shoulders today. Want to talk about it?” Doc asked.

  “This is a difficult time for me,” Reverend Barnes said. “One of my parishioners was murdered last night. I feel close to all of my parishioners, but I was particularly close to this one.”

  “I heard that a woman by the name of Maggie Ryan was murdered last night. Can’t believe there’d be two murders on the same night in this small town, so I’m assuming that’s the woman you’re talking about. Would I be right?” Doc asked.

  “Yes, I just can’t believe anyone would want to murder Maggie. She not only taught school to most of the people living in this town, but she also was a strong believer in the way of the Lord. The other parishioners and I are devastated by her death. I visited her twice weekly, and we prayed together. It’s just a tragedy,” the reverend said.

  “I hear she had a lot of dogs out at her place. The director of the Cedar Bay Animal Shelter was here a little while ago, and Kelly made a plea on its behalf for people to adopt the dogs, donate whatever anyone could afford, or even foster a dog or two for a while. Thought I’d go over there after lunch and see if I can help,” Doc said. “You said you prayed with her when you visited her. What in the world was she doing with all those dogs? I heard she had around thirty.”

  “She did. I know that’s way over the limit set by the county, but she felt compelled to open her heart and her house to dogs. She found them at different shelters on the Internet, and people brought them to her. When I went over there, she let them out in the yard, so we could pray together without all the commotion they created.”

  “Since I only came to Cedar Bay a few years ago, it’s not surprising that I never met her. Did she have any relatives?” Doc asked, taking the last bite of his pork chop.

  “Not that I know of. She was a spinster, and after she retired from teaching, she pretty much became a recluse. Just her and those dogs. One time she mentioned something about a friend visiting her from time to time, but I don’t know who that was.”

  “Sad thing when someone kills an old woman,” Doc said. “Sure doesn’t make sense to me. If she was a recluse, wonder how she got the food to feed all those dogs.”

  “She told me once she loved the Internet, because she could get whatever she needed for the dogs delivered to her home, and she didn’t have to leave it. As for your question about relatives, I don’t think she had any since she told me once she’d named me as the beneficiary of her estate, although I doubt she had very much in the way of an estate. She sure didn’t live that way. She even gave me her will for safekeeping and told me to use the money for the good of the church. Guess I probably need to get it probated. I’ll call Lem Bates this afternoon and make an appointment.”

  “What about a funeral? Is there going to be a big do at the church?”

  “No. She told me on a number of occasions that if anything ever happened to her she wanted to be cremated and didn’t want any type of a service to be held. She was afraid everybody she’d taught would feel they should pay their last respects to her, and the service would end up turning into a zoo. As religious as she was, she didn’t want to be the reason something like that might happen. She may have been right. She was always thinking of other people. Maggie really was one of the finest people I’ve ever known.”

  “Sounds like it. I’ve got to go, Reverend. It’s been nice talking to you, but if I want to get out to the shelter before my next appointment, I better leave now,” Doc said as he got up from the booth, taking his check with him.

  “I need to leave too. I’ve got things I need to do, and I’m sure this open booth is going to make someone happy.”

  Together, they walked over to where Molly was standing at the cash register. “Doc, here’s the recipe you wanted. Kelly asked me to give it to you and apologize for not being able to talk to you a little more, but she said to tell you she’s really busy today.”

  “Tell her thanks, and it wasn’t a problem,” Doc said as he followed the reverend out the door. The reverend looked at his watch and hurried to his car. Doc noticed something fall from the reverend’s wallet as he was putting it in his back pocket. He stooped down and picked up the piece of paper. “Reverend,” he called out, but Reverend Barnes was already in his car heading back to his church.

  Doc looked down at the piece of paper and thought Why would the reverend carry this in his wallet? That’s strange.

  CHAPTER 7

  When Doc walked into the Cedar Bay Animal Shelter he said to the young woman who greeted him, “Hi, I’m Doc Burkhart. Heard you have a number of dogs that were brought in last night that need a foster home for a few days. Thought I’d see if I can help you out. Could you show me where to go?”

  “Yes, that would be wonderful. My name’s Sherri, and I’m a friend of someone who volunteers here. I told her I could help for a few hours, so I don’t know much. The dogs that were brought in last night are back this way. They’ve been sectioned off from the other dogs for the time being.” She led Doc out the door and over to the far side of the building where he was greeted by dogs of every breed and kind that were confined in a large fenced-in exercise area. All of them seemed to be barking and running around at the same time. They presented a scene that could only be described as mass pandemonium.

  If I had to work here with all this commotion, I’d go crazy, he thought. Glad there’s people like Sherri in the world, because I’m one of those who would rather write a check and take a dog home to some peace and quiet.

  He spent the next twenty minutes walking along the fence looking at the dogs. When he spotted a bulldog puppy, he remembered he’d often thought they were cute, and how he’d always thought he’d get one someday. He let out a low whistle and to his surprise, the little bulldog ran over to the fence, sat, and started wagging the back end of his body. His stubby little tail was so short it could barely move. Drool ran out the side of his mouth and collected in a puddle next to his front feet. He became so excited he started running around in circles, unable to contain his excitement that someone had noticed him.

  Okay, that’s it, Doc thought. I’ll take him home with me tonight. Hopefully they can keep him until I can pick him up after the clinic closes for the day. I just hope this will be okay with Liz. Dogs are kind of a new thing for her, and while I know she loves Lucky, I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about another dog in the house. Anyway, it’s just for a few days. I’ll tell her when I get back to the clinic. I remember she said she was jammed this afternoon seeing patients in her psychology practice.

  He stood up and walked over to where Sherri was talking on her phone. She turned to him when she ended the call and asked, “Find one you can foster for a few days?”

  “Sure did. I’d like to foster that little bulldog puppy. Any chance I could leave him here for the rest of the afternoon and pick him up when I get off work? I’d be here around 6:15 this evening.”

  “Of course, and thank you so much. He’ll be ready for you. Actually, even though I’ve only been here for a few hours, if I could take one of them home with me, he’d be the one. He’s one of the friendliest dogs I’ve ever seen.”

  “I sure hope so,” Doc said. “I’ve got a yellow Lab at home that hasn’t been around other dogs all that much, and he’s pretty spoiled. Hope the two of them can work it out.”

  “I didn’t see the house where the dogs came from, but I’d think if the puppy could get along with thirty or so oth
er dogs, he could get along with one,” Sherri said. “I’ll put a big note on his photo that he’s going to be fostered this evening.”

  Doc took his wallet out of back pocket and said, “Happened to go to the bank this morning, so I have a little more cash with me than usual. Here’s my contribution to the shelter. You’re doing good work here. Keep it up and thanks.” He handed her five $20 bills and walked out to his truck, leaving the astonished young woman looking after him.

  When he got back to the medical clinic he and his wife, Liz, jointly operated, he walked into her reception room and said, “CeeCee, any chance I can talk to Liz before she gets tied up with patients?”

  “Sure, Doc, she’s reading a file getting ready for her first appointment of the afternoon. You have a couple of minutes.”

  He knocked lightly on the door to Liz’s office and heard her say, “Come in.” He opened the door and walked in.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” she said to her husband of nearly two years. “How was lunch? I would have joined you, but I got tied up with someone who was having a crisis. Unfortunately, that took precedence. How’s Kelly?”

  “She’s fine. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there was a murder in town last night. A retired school teacher, guess she’d become almost a hermit, was murdered in her home. That was bad, but then it looks like whoever killed her set fire to the house, probably trying to cover up the murder. One of Mike’s deputies got there in time to alert the fire department, and they were able to put out the fire without a lot of damage to the house. Interesting thing was the old lady had some thirty dogs in her house. They were all taken to the Cedar Bay Animal Shelter. Guess Kelly helped transport them there.”

  “Oh, that’s terrible news. Do they have any idea who did it?”

  “Not from what I heard. Guess the shelter is really overloaded with dogs. They were asking for volunteers to foster some of the dogs.”

  “Okay, Doc, I know you well enough to figure out there’s more to this conversation than just keeping me up to date on the latest news in Cedar Bay. Anything you want to tell me?”

  “You ever been around a bulldog?” he asked with a sheepish look on his face.

  “Can’t say that I have, but why do I have the feeling I’m probably going to be?”

  “Well, with your permission, I told the shelter I’d like to help them out. See, there was this little bulldog puppy, and I’ve always been a sucker for that breed. I kind of told them I’d be back after work to pick him up and take him home for a couple of days. You know, just until they can get things under control. What do you think?” he said looking over at the far corner of the room so as to avoid making eye contact with her.

  “Doc, Lucky is the first dog I’ve ever been around, and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about having a dog. Since we’ve been married, as you know, I’ve become completely devoted to him, so sure, let’s take the bulldog in for a few days and see what happens. Feel better, now that you fessed up?” she asked grinning.

  “Yeah, I sure do. I think the little guy will be fine with Lucky. I’m just not sure how Lucky is going to react to him. He’s been pretty spoiled by us. Anyway, I told them I’d be there after the clinic closes this evening, around 6:15. Can you go with me or do you have a late appointment? If you do, I’ll circle back and pick you up.”

  Liz looked at the calendar on her desk and said, “It looks like I can go with you, barring an emergency. My last appointment is at 5:00 this evening. I’m assuming since the dog’s owner died, we don’t have a name for him. Right?”

  “Probably. Just looking at him, I don’t think he could be more than two or three months old. Wonder how she got him, but we’ll probably never know. Think about it, and we’ll come up with a name on the way there. See you then,” he said as he walked out of her office and closed the door behind him.

  CHAPTER 8

  When Liz and Doc got to the shelter that evening, he walked over to the volunteer he’d met, Sherri, and said, “We’re here to pick up that little bulldog I talked to you about earlier. What do I owe you?”

  “Not a thing. Everyone’s been so generous we’re not charging anything for the people who are taking dogs to foster or even adopt right now. I’ll have Sam get him for you.”

  A few minutes later a young man with a big smile on his face walked up to Doc and Liz with a squirming little bulldog puppy in his arms. “If I could have taken one home, he’d be my choice. There’s just something about him, but my mom would kill me.

  “We already have two dogs and a cat, and she’s told me in no uncertain terms we aren’t getting any more pets. I’m leaving for college in a few weeks, so I really can’t get a dog now and abandon it almost immediately. Would you hold him while I get a dog bed for him? We had a big donation of them, and we’re giving one to everybody who fosters one of the dogs,” he said as he handed the puppy to Doc.

  Liz clipped the leash they’d brought with them to the collar the shelter had put on the puppy, then Doc put him down and walked him over to a grassy area.

  “Doc,” Liz said walking with them, “I think he looks like a Max would look. How about that for his name?”

  Doc looked down at the puppy who was busy communing with nature and said, “It fits him. He does look like a Max. That’s his name from now on, or until we return him to the shelter,” he said looking over at Liz.

  She smiled and said, “I think that’s a nonissue. I have a feeling not only are we a two-car family, we’ve just become a two-dog family. How do you think we should introduce him to Lucky?”

  “Well, since the back yard at the ranch is fenced, I think we’ll just let him out there and put Lucky there as well. Lucky’s been around Kelly’s dogs and was fine with them. I think it’ll be okay, at least I sure hope so.” He looked down at the puppy who was jumping on his leg and begging for attention. “Max, training starts now. Off. Off,” he said firmly pushing the dog into a sitting position. “Sit, Max, sit.” Even though he was wiggling, the little puppy sat looking up at Doc with adoring eyes. He’d found his person and didn’t want to disappoint him.

  Doc looked over at Liz and said, “Piece of cake. This one’s going to be easy to train. I can feel it in my bones. Max, come,” he said as he walked to his truck, the dog dutifully walking as fast as his stubby little legs would let him.

  “I’m going to remind you of this moment in a few weeks after you’ve been up several times a night with him, cleaned up his accidents, and lamented about all your things that he’s chewed up,” Liz said laughing.

  “Liz, I’m going to put the dog bed on your lap, so you can make sure he doesn’t jump out and end up on the floor of the truck causing an accident.” All the way home Max stayed in his dog bed and licked Liz’s hand and face, showering her with doggie kisses.

  When they got home, Doc turned the engine off, walked around to the passenger side, and took Max out of his dog bed. “Okay, Max, it’s show time. This is when you get to meet Lucky. Break a leg.”

  Doc held Max in his arms and strode around to the side of the house. He opened the gate and set Max on the ground. When he walked away, Max started yipping, not wanting to be left alone. Liz went into the bedroom where they kept Lucky’s kennel, opened it, and let him out into the back yard through the sliding glass door. Doc joined her as they watched the two dogs sniff and circle each other. Within minutes Lucky was lying on his back and Max was happily jumping on him. As they continued to play, Liz turned to Doc and said, “Think we’re home safe, Doc. Looks like there’s not going to be a problem.”

  “Thank heavens. I know I don’t show many emotions, and my ex-wife would have been the first one to tell you that, but I’ve been a nervous wreck all afternoon about this.”

  “I know, Doc. That’s what makes me a good psychologist and why our marriage works. You don’t have to tell me or explain your emotions to me, because I pretty much know what’s going on inside your head all the time.”

  He took her face in his hands and said, “Thank y
ou for just being you. I never thought I would be happy again after that debacle in Southern California, and I owe it all to you.”

  “You are more than welcome, but I think you have to give a lot of the credit to Kelly. She’s the one who believed in you and cleared your name. Actually, she’s the one who knew before you did that you’d be right for me, so I guess we both owe her a big thank you.”

  “And,” Doc said pulling away from her, “She’s also the one who gave me Lucky and is kind of responsible for that little bundle of energy we just brought home. Speaking of which, I need to go out in the garage. I had a small wire kennel for Lucky when he was a puppy, and I put it up in the rafters. Might as well get Max kennel trained sooner rather than later. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Just leave them outside until I get back.”

  *****

  After dinner was over and the dogs were asleep on their beds, Doc remembered the piece of paper that the reverend had dropped on the ground after lunch. For some reason, it bothered Doc, and he decided to go into his office and take a look at the website that was written on the paper.

  He typed the URL address in and looked at the graphic that appeared on the screen. Certain he’d made a mistake, he retyped the address and the same graphic come up again.

  Why would the reverend have this website written on a piece of paper in his wallet? He’s the last person in the world I’d think would be looking at an online gambling site. That makes absolutely no sense at all.

  While he was trying to figure out what the connection could be, his cell phone rang. “Doc, it’s Kelly. I went over to the shelter after work and took a bunch of food. Figured all those volunteers could use some. I had a lot of frozen cookie dough in the freezer and when it slowed down a little after lunch, the staff and I baked cookies and bagged them for the volunteers. I think they appreciated it, but that’s not why I’m calling. I hear you have a new addition to the family. Any truth to that?”