“Kelly, I think you worried needlessly and underestimated Ginger. I’m sure she’s just happy that you’re happy, but I think it’s nice you’re making her part of the wedding. It will give her something positive to look forward to after the death of her daughter, Amber.”
“I took some cookies to Marcy. I haven’t seen her since Jeff was killed and I wanted to express my condolences.”
Mike simply looked at her. She squirmed under his gaze for a moment, then said, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You just thought you’d take her cookies and express your condolences? Kelly, be honest. We both know the reason you went out there wasn’t to give her some cookies. Well, spill it. What did you find out?”
She told him about her conversations with both Marcy and Gabe. “Mike, two things bother me. Number one, it sounds like Marcy has no idea Gabe’s in financial trouble, if he is. I sure would like to find that out. And secondly, I don’t think this is a good time for Brandon to be making a major decision like whether or not to build a hotel and spa on the ranch property. It almost sounds like Gabe is trying to strong-arm him. Do you think Gabe is doing this to try and get his hands on that three million dollar life insurance policy? I don’t know. Maybe he’s trying to convince Marcy that the money should be used to build the project instead of saving it to pay for Brandon’s education. I know it sounds crazy, but she sure seems to be under his influence.”
“Let me think about it,” Mike said. “I wonder when he found out she was the beneficiary on the insurance policy? I suppose I could ask her, but that would alert her to the fact that I’m becoming suspicious of Gabe and I’m not sure I want to do that. I’ll eat dinner and sleep on it. Maybe the answer will come to me in the middle of the night.”
“Marcy told me she’d told him about the insurance money when he brought up the subject of helping to finance the hotel and spa. Mike, one more thing. When I left I walked by a silver colored car in the driveway. I assume it was Gabe’s and it had a bumper sticker on it that read, ‘Oregon Needs Lumber.’ I remember seeing that same sticker on the silver colored car that was in Marcy’s driveway the day I visited the old shack and then in Portland when I saw them at the hotel. Do you think he could be the one who wrote the threatening note that was left on my windshield?”
“Could be, Kelly, could be. Don’t know how I can get a sample of his handwriting, but I’ll keep it in the back of my mind. Now I’d like to seriously think about dinner.”
“Okay, let me see what kind of a rabbit I can pull out of my hat tonight!”
CHAPTER 17
The next morning Kelly quietly got out of bed and went into her office. The more she thought about her conversation with Marcy, the more curious she was to find out if what she had read on the Internet was true – that Gabe Lewis was in serious financial trouble. The only thing she could think to do was visit the kennel his wife owned, since she couldn’t think of an excuse she could use for visiting the lumber mill. Maybe someone at the kennel could tell her something.
She turned on her computer and booted it up. She remembered that Gabe’s wife raised both yellow and chocolate Labrador Retrievers. The chocolate labs were known for being superb hunting dogs, particularly for pheasants and ducks, and while the yellow labs were also fine hunting dogs, it seemed like more and more people bought them to be family pets rather than for their hunting ability.
Kelly pulled up the Lewis Kennel website on her computer. The picture at the top of the site showed a chocolate lab in a marshy area with a duck in its mouth. Beneath it were the words “World Champion Hunting Dogs.” The site showed dogs that were currently available, their lineage, the awards the sires and dams had won as well as the dates that future litters would be available. There was even an application form on the website. It was an expensive and impressive site. Below the accomplishments of the hunting dogs were pictures of yellow labs and their contented family owners. There were a number of favorable testimonials from happy owners. Kelly wrote down the telephone number and the address of the kennel, along with the manager’s name.
*****
A few hours later while she was at the coffee shop, Kelly said, “Roxie, I need to make a phone call. It looks like this is a pretty good time to do it. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
“No problem. Take your time. Enjoy the quiet before the lunchtime crowd hits. I can handle it.”
I don’t know what I’d do without her. It’s been ten years now and she’s the best waitress anyone could ask for. The customers love her and she has such an infectious warmth about her, I think half of the customers come here just to see her. I’m so glad she and Joe were able to work out their problems with Joe’s son, Wade.
She thought back to when a kilo of marijuana had been found in Wade’s school locker and he’d been expelled from school, not only for having the marijuana, but for selling it to other students. It had not been an easy time for Roxie and Joe.
Kelly walked into the storeroom, took her phone out of her purse and called the kennel. “Hello, this is Kelly Conner. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to come to the kennel today. I’m thinking about getting a dog for my fiancè for Christmas and I have a number of questions. I’ve never owned a hunting dog before.” She listened to the voice on the other end for a moment. “I can be there about three this afternoon. Would you give me directions to the kennel? I’ll be coming from the south.”
She wrote down the directions, said goodbye, and walked out into the coffee shop. Just then the front door opened and Doc walked in. “Doc, what are you doing here? You always come at noon and it’s only 11:30.”
The grizzled retired doctor bent down and scratched Rebel’s ears, then took a seat at a table. “Kelly, I wanted to talk to you before the crowd got here. Got a minute?”
“For you Doc, sure. What’s up?”
“Well, first of all I want to tell you how honored I am that Mike wants me to stand up with him when you two get married. That’s special to me.”
“We’re both happy you agreed to do it. You’re one of our favorite people, but I have a feeling that’s not why you wanted to talk to me.”
He rubbed his hands together and looked out the window, clearly agitated. In a few moments he turned back to her and said, “No. Something very strange has happened. You know I don’t have a television out at the ranch and I rely on my computer to keep me up on the news and current events. You also know all about my past and how the California State Medical Board revoked my license to practice medicine after I was acquitted in the criminal trial for manslaughter in a case involving the death of a young teenage girl who I had performed an abortion on. You also know that the girl’s parents sued me in a civil trial and won a three million dollar judgment. I told you how I didn’t want to lose all of the antiques and the other assets I’d inherited from my family, so I came up here to live off of the grid. I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t be able to find me and so far they haven’t.”
“Yes. I remember you telling me about it.”
“Well, for some reason last night I was playing around on the computer, kind of bored on a Sunday night, and I pulled up the California State Medical Board site. Evidently they have a new chairman who feels there’s a critical shortage of doctors. He went through the files of every doctor whose license had been revoked in the last ten years and reinstated two hundred and thirty-three doctors.” Doc became very quiet. “Kelly, I was one of them. According to the web site, my license has been reinstated, and I’m free to practice medicine again.”
Instinctively, Kelly jumped out of her seat and hugged him. “That’s the most wonderful news I’ve heard in a long time. I am so happy for you! Now what happens?”
“I don’t know. It never occurred to me that something like this would ever happen. After I read it several times not believing what I was seeing, I pulled up the requirements for physicians to practice medicine in Oregon and guess what? Because I now have a valid license in Cali
fornia, a state which has some of the toughest qualifications in the United States for a physician, I can be licensed to practice medicine in Oregon without any problems. It’s pretty much a reciprocity thing. All I have to do is fill out a couple of forms and submit them. I guess I’m in shock. I really don’t know what to do.”
“Doc, have you ever told Liz about your past?”
He looked away from her and rubbed his forehead. He paused and then said, “No. I told her I was a retired physician. She never asked me for any details.”
“You like Liz, don’t you?”
“Yes. Actually, I like her a lot. Why?”
“Doc, you need to tell her everything you’ve told me. If your relationship is going to develop, she needs to know about your past.”
“Kelly, I’ve been afraid that if I told her, she wouldn’t want me at the clinic any more, and she probably wouldn’t want to see me outside of the clinic on a personal basis.”
“From what I know of Liz, I really think you’re underestimating her. She’s not a shallow person. Do you think she’s developing some favorable feelings for you?”
“I think so, although our relationship has never gone beyond kissing and hugging. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like it to become more than that. I feel I don’t have much to offer a woman. I mean how many women want to be with a grizzled old man who failed as a doctor and a father?”
“First of all you didn’t fail as a doctor. I’m sure you were a very good doctor and you told me that what happened to the young woman wasn’t your fault and wasn’t a result of the abortion you performed on her. Secondly, you didn’t fail as a father when your wife divorced you. Your children went with their mother after the trial, but since you’ve been living off the grid, you haven’t pursued finding them and developing a relationship with them. Maybe it’s time to do that.”
“Kelly, want to hear a crazy pipe dream of mine?” Doc said with a faraway look in his eyes.
“Shoot.”
“Well, last night after I found out about it, I thought, wouldn’t it be something if Liz and I could operate a clinic together? I could be the general practitioner doctor and she could be the psychologist. Then…” he said, as his voice drifted off.
“What’s the then… Doc?” Kelly asked.
“Well, maybe we could kind of make the partnership one that wasn’t just work related. Anyway, that’s part of the pipe dream.”
The door opened and Kelly looked up and saw Liz coming into the coffee shop. “Doc, think your pipe dream just walked through the door.” She waved Liz over to where they were sitting.
“Liz, Doc has been telling me some wonderful news. He told me you were the next person he wanted to share it with.” Doc stared at Kelly with a thunderstruck expression on his face.
“Doc, I was with a client when you left and I didn’t get a chance to thank you for meeting with that very difficult woman I asked you to see. Thanks. And what is this wonderful news?” Liz said, sitting across the table from him.
“Uh, Uh,” Doc stammered.
“I’ve got to go. Roxie’s waving at me. See you later,” Kelly said, winking at Doc as she got up.
“Roxie, don’t take Liz and Doc’s order for a little while. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“No problem. It’s your coffee shop. I just follow your orders,” she said, grinning.
After Doc and Liz had been sitting at the table for an hour and a half, Kelly told Roxie it was probably time to go over and take their order. She walked back to Kelley and said, “Doc wants to talk to you before he leaves.”
“Did he say what it was about?”
“No, he just said and I quote, ‘tell her she’ll be real proud of me.’ He was grinning when he said it and so was Liz.”
Doc and Liz stood up and walked over to the cash register as the last diner left the coffee shop. “You two better get out of here. Don’t you have patients to see?” Kelly asked.
“Kelly, Liz and I’ve been talking all this time. I told her everything and she said she already knew all about it. She told me she’d Googled me before she took me on as a volunteer. Can you believe she knew all about me and never said a word?”
Liz smiled up at him and said, “Did you really think I would take someone on to be a volunteer and counsel patients at the clinic I’ve worked so hard to build up without checking them out? I’ve known about you right after the first time we talked.” She turned and looked at Kelly. “I understand I have you to thank for this and I do. Doc and I’ve decided he should work at the clinic as a general practitioner. Doctor Amherst has been talking about retiring forever, but he always felt he had a duty to the citizens of Cedar Bay and worried about what would happen to them if he quit. The nearest doctor is up in Sunset Bay. I think he’ll be very happy to have a new doctor here in our town.”
“That’s absolutely wonderful,” Kelly said, hugging Doc and then hugging Liz.
“Uh, Kelly, there’s a little more to it,” Doc said grinning. “Liz, mind if I tell her?”
“No,” she said slipping her arm through his. “Actually I know Kelly and I know how intuitive she is. I don’t think you need to tell her anything about us. I think she already has the big picture. Thanks, Kelly. I was being way too subtle with Doc. Anyway, I just decided he should be taken off the eligible bachelor list.”
Kelly stood looking from one of them to the other. She wiped a tear out of her eye. “This little town has had its share of bad things happen lately, but hearing this wonderful news from the two of you goes a long way to make up for them. I wish you both every happiness in the world. I can’t wait to tell Mike. He’ll be thrilled!”
Liz walked out the door. Doc followed her, and then turned back, “Kelly, I can never thank you enough. You’ve changed my life.”
“Thanks, Doc, but not so. You’ve paid your dues and you deserve every bit of this happiness. Enjoy it!”
When she closed the door after them, Roxie was standing there, a smile on her face. “I’m gathering that this is happy news. Would I be right?”
“Roxie, this isn’t just happy news. This is simply the best news I’ve heard in a long time. Sit down for a moment. I’m sure Doc won’t mind if I share it with you.”
CHAPTER 18
Later that afternoon, Kelly left the coffee shop and headed towards the Lewis kennel location, about forty miles north of Cedar Bay. I can’t believe what just happened with Doc and Liz. I wish I was a writer. That would make a great story with a fairy tale ending. I wonder if Mike will be standing up with Doc at his wedding if this budding romance continues. I’m so happy for both of them. When I left home this morning I thought I’d check out the kennel and see if I could find out anything about Gabe’s finances. Maybe I should buy a puppy for Doc as a congratulatory gift. He mentioned one time he was thinking of getting a dog. Don’t see him as a hunter even though he’s a crack shot. Think a yellow lab family style dog would be more to his liking.
She followed the kennel manager’s directions and forty-five minutes later she saw the sign for Lewis Kennels with a picture of a yellow lab and a chocolate lab on it. She drove down the tree-lined driveway and noticed the large kennels at the end with fully enclosed dog runs leading out from the buildings. It was a much larger operation than she’d expected. She saw an office sign, parked her minivan, and walked into the office.
An attractive middle-aged woman wearing bifocals with a chain attached to them was sitting at a desk looking at a computer, her brow furrowed in concentration. A wall with pictures of hunting dogs on it was behind her desk which was cluttered with framed photos of hunting dogs. Blue ribbons and photos of medals were attached to almost all of the photos.
“Hi, I’m Kelly Conner. I called earlier today and made an appointment to come by and look at some of your dogs. Are you the person I talked to?”
“Yes, I’m the one you spoke with. My name’s Angie Scott. I’m the manager and welcome to Lewis Kennels.” She pushed her chair away from the computer. “Le
t me show you around. Are you interested in a chocolate lab or a yellow lab?”
“Well, when I called you this morning, I was thinking of buying a chocolate lab for my fiancé. He’s a hunter, but then a friend of mine just shared some great news with me, so now I’m thinking of getting him a yellow lab as a present.”
“I’ll show you the dogs that are currently available. We have a couple of new litters, but we don’t allow our dogs to leave the kennel until they’re at least eight weeks old.”
“That surprises me. I thought when puppies were six weeks old they were old enough to be separated from their mothers,” Kelly said as they walked over to the kennel located to the left of the office.
“Most people do think that and believe me, I get asked that question a lot,” Angie said as she opened the door of a kennel building. “We’ve found puppies do much better when they’re separated at eight weeks. It seems those extra two weeks makes a lot of difference in their overall health. Anyway, here’s the kennel where we keep the chocolate labs.”
They walked down a center aisle with wire enclosures off to each side. In some of the enclosures, dams were nursing pups, in others there were two or three dogs of various sizes and ages.
“You can see we have a doggie door at the back of each enclosure. It opens onto an outside fenced dog run so the dogs are free to go in and out whenever they want. The building is heated as the nights get pretty cool this time of year. We have extra heat lamps that we use for the new litters.” She stopped and waved her arm in the direction of the enclosures on her left. “The puppies in these three enclosures are from the same litter. Both the dam and the sire were Bird Dog World Champions. A couple of them are already sold. Mrs. Lewis is checking the references on a couple of other potential buyers. She’s very picky about who gets her dogs.”
Murder at Jade Cove (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 9