“I’m surprised. I’ve never heard of a background check being made on prospective purchasers. I thought if someone wanted one of the dogs, they just paid the money, and that was it. Is that practice common for all kennels that breed hunting dogs or is it just the policy at this kennel?”
“Mrs. Lewis owns and runs this kennel. Between you and me, with the lumber industry being in a slump and Mr. Lewis’ business in real financial trouble, I would think she’d just want to take the money from any potential buyer, but not her. This kennel is her passion and she feels strongly about it. You can’t just buy a dog and take it with you. She requires references and checks them out herself. I’ve told her we should just sell the dogs and get the money for them, but she won’t do it.”
“Is she thinking about getting rid of the business?”
“No. Believe it or not, right now it’s a lot more profitable than Mr. Lewis’ lumber business. I heard he needs a couple of million dollars real soon or he’s going to have to declare bankruptcy. The rumor is he could barely make payroll last week. I shouldn’t be telling you all of this, but I’m so worried the kennel is going to close if his business goes under. Mrs. Lewis is the most wonderful person in the world to work for. I would hate for her to lose her house or the kennel business because Mr. Lewis made some bad investments.”
“I’m getting the feeling you’re devoted to her, but not so much him.”
“Let’s just say from everything I’ve heard, she deserves a lot better, but then again, you never heard anything from me.”
“Don’t worry, Angie. I don’t know either one of them, so it really doesn’t make any difference to me.”
Guess the information I discovered on the web was right. According to Angie, Gabe Lewis is definitely having financial troubles.
Sounds of dogs barking and yapping made talking difficult and they walked back to the kennel entrance. “Angie, I don’t know anything about hunting dogs, but these dogs are beautiful. How do they get trained to hunt? Do you do something special to get them used to the sounds of gunshots?”
“Buyers have two options. They can train the dogs themselves or we can do it for them. Most of the buyers who train the dogs themselves have had hunting dogs before so they know what’s involved. We keep the dogs for six months when we do the training. Mrs. Lewis has two men who do nothing but take the dogs out each day and work with them. The dogs are trained with live birds that are planted in a field so they hear gunshots every day, and eventually they get used to it. When they’re returned to their owners, they’re fully trained to hunt.”
She opened the door to the second building. “This is where we keep the yellow labs. Most hunters prefer the chocolate labs to the yellow labs. The yellow labs are more social and are particularly good with children. We generally sell them to families.”
The layout of this kennel was exactly like the one they had just left, but these dogs were far more interested in Angie and Kelly than the ones in the first kennel. Tails wagged and noses were pushed up against the enclosures, begging for human attention.
“These are simply adorable dogs. I can’t imagine a child walking out of here without wanting one. It must really be hard for them to wait until Mrs. Lewis checks the parents’ references.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I misspoke. She only does that with the chocolate labs. I think every child who comes here would leave in tears if they had to wait to be approved. No, she doesn’t ask for referrals for the yellows, but she still wants to meet with the families. I remember once she turned down a family and I didn’t blame her. She saw the little boy trying to pull a puppy’s tail when she was talking to the parents and they weren’t looking. That family left without a dog. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis don’t have any children and I kind of think she regards the dogs as a substitute for the children she never had. She’s fiercely protective of them.”
“Is there a price difference between the chocolate labs and the yellow labs?”
“Yes. The chocolates are much more expensive, even though the yellows are all from champions, just like the chocolates. I think she keeps the prices lower so families can afford them. If a hunter wants a dog from a top hunting lineage, money’s probably not a problem for him. I know she really enjoys seeing the happiness that her dogs bring to the families that buy a yellow lab.”
“Angie, why is that little puppy at the end all by himself?”
“The people who are willing to spend the money on these dogs, and even the yellows aren’t cheap, want to breed them. There’s a lot of money in stud fees and litters. As I said earlier, these dogs are all from champions and highly desirable. That poor little guy had one testicle that didn’t drop. He can’t be shown and should never be bred. That way his unfortunate characteristic will never be passed on to future generations. Mrs. Lewis took him to the vet we use and he said there was an operation a veterinarian could do that would allow the testicle to drop, but he felt it was unethical and he wouldn’t do it. She agreed with him. We just found this out yesterday and she hasn’t quite decided what to do with him.”
“How much do you want for him?” Kelly asked, putting her hand through the enclosure and petting the young pup while he wagged his tail and licked her hand.
“Why, are you thinking of buying him?”
“I wasn’t when I walked in, but yes, I think he’d be perfect for my friend.”
“Let me call Mrs. Lewis. I’m sure his price would be considerably less than the other dogs because of his condition. Let’s go back to the office.”
“You go ahead. I’ll stay with this little guy and get to know him.”
“All right. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Ten minutes later, Angie returned, smiling. “Mrs. Lewis said you can have the puppy for $300.00. You’re really lucky. That’s much less than what she usually charges, but she doesn’t think it would be good for business if people saw a dog with that condition here in our kennel. They may worry that litters from some of the other dogs will have the same problem. She’d like to meet you, but she was just leaving for a meeting with her lawyer. She said you can take the puppy now, if you’d like.”
Kelly turned to the puppy. “Well, little guy, guess you were meant to be Doc’s.” She stood up and said, “Angie, do you have an old dog bed and some dog food I could buy? When I came here I never thought I’d walk out with a puppy and I can’t take him to my friend without some food and a dog bed.”
“Kelly, you’re not the first one to have this problem. I keep a few dog beds here for people like you. I can give you some puppy food as well. Actually, it would probably be better if he stays on the puppy food for a few days before he’s introduced to something new. It could be hard on his little tummy and I rather doubt your friend would want to deal with that problem.”
“Thank you so much. I can pay with a credit card or check. Which do you prefer?”
“A check would be fine. Just make it out to Lewis Kennels. That way it will at least go in her account, not his.”
Ten minutes later Kelly put the dog bed on the back seat of her minivan and went back inside the kennel. She came out holding a squirming little yellow lab puppy that was showering her cheek with wet doggy kisses.
“Well, little guy, hope Doc likes you as much as I do, but if he doesn’t, I think you can come home with me. Maybe it’s a good thing I stopped on the way here and left Rebel at home. At the very least, I better wash my hands before I see him. He may begin to doubt my loyalty to him when he smells you all over me.”
She drove to Doc’s ranch and was glad to see his truck parked in front of his house. When he heard the minivan pull into his driveway, he opened the front door, and walked over to it.
“Is there some sort of occasion for this visit Kelly, although you know you’re always welcome out here? Seems to me you haven’t come out here too often, and when you do, it’s usually for something important.”
She opened her door and stepped out of the van with a strange look on her face.
She took a deep breath and opened the back door of the van. “No, Doc, everything’s fine. I brought you a congratulatory gift and I’m just a little nervous about it.” She scooped the wriggling puppy up in her arms and turned around. For a moment there was no expression on Doc’s face, and then he broke out in a wide grin.
“He’s absolutely beautiful. Kelly, you must have spent a fortune on him.” He reached out and took the puppy from her. “Welcome to your new home, boy. Oops, I didn’t even check. Is it a guy?”
“Well, kind of. Here’s the thing.” Kelly explained the circumstances of how and where she’d gotten him at a reduced price. She didn’t tell him who Mrs. Lewis was. There wasn’t any reason to.
“Fine by me. I’ve been thinking for a long time that I needed to have a dog. It can get pretty lonesome out here. I just never got around to buying one and it looks like you saved me the trouble. Okay, little guy, I’m going to put you down so you can get familiar with everything and you probably need to take care of some business after that drive from the kennel.”
“Doc, I’ve got a dog bed and some food for him. There’s enough puppy chow here for another week or so. The kennel manager said to give him some of this chow for a few days along with whatever you’re going to feed him so his stomach doesn’t get upset. Where do you want me to put his bed?”
“At the foot of my bed. He might as well get used to me and the ranch from the beginning. I never did like to see a dog sleep in a garage, plus it gets cold out there this late in the year.”
Kelly took the bed into the house and walked down the hall to Doc’s bedroom. When she returned, Doc was holding the puppy, his face covered with doggy kisses.
“Doc, you’ve had him for all of five minutes and I think he’s already spoiled. Am I right?’
“Yep. It’s been a long time since I’ve had something to care for, now with Liz and this little guy, my world is suddenly changing.”
“Any idea what you’ll call him?”
“As soon as I saw him, I had one thought. I’ve been lucky that good things have happened to me in the last few days. I know it’s kind of an overused name, but from now on I’m calling him Lucky.” He put Lucky down on the floor where he proceeded to sniff his way around the house, going from one room to the next.
“Doc, you may want to close the doors to the other rooms. Fewer things for Lucky to get into.”
“Nope. His training has already started.”
“The one thing that kind of worried me was what you’d do with him when you go to the clinic and come to the coffee shop for lunch. That’s a long time to leave a puppy alone.”
“What makes you think I’d leave him alone? You take Rebel almost everywhere you go. From now on I’m taking Lucky everywhere I go.”
“Doc, think about it. You’re counseling people and pretty soon you’re going to be treating medical patients. Do you really think it’s a good idea to have a puppy or a young dog in the room?”
“I’ll keep a small wire kennel in the room and I’ll train him to go in and out of it. If someone’s allergic to dogs, I’ll have to see them in another room and I’m sure Rebel would love to play with him at the coffee shop.”
“Swell. I’m not so sure the customers are going to like two big dogs playing while they’re trying to eat. You do realize he’ll probably be about Rebel’s size when he’s fully grown.”
“That’s no problem. Kelly, Lucky will be so well trained in a few weeks, having him at the coffee shop won’t be an issue. And until he is, I’ll hold him or put him on a leash. Lucky and I are going to do just fine together.”
“Actually, Doc, I think Lucky is the lucky one. Having you for his master is probably as good as it gets for a dog.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Now get out of here. Time to start training Lucky. Does Mike know about this?”
“No. I didn’t even know this was going to happen until I saw Lucky. I better leave. It’s been a busy day and I’ve got a lot to tell him.” She walked over and instead of kissing Doc on his cheek, she kissed Lucky on the top of his head. “Goodbye little guy. Welcome to your new home.”
I’m kind of sorry I didn’t keep him. Rebel’s getting more and more attached to Mike. Maybe I should get a puppy and if I decide to get one, I think I know where to go and what breed to get.
*****
“Mike, I’m home. You won’t believe what happened today.”
“I’m glad you’re home, I was getting worried about you. I tried to call you on your cell phone, but it was turned off. Where have you been?”
“Well, I was so happy for Doc I bought Lucky for him and…”
“Stop.” He held up his hand. “I don’t have a clue who Lucky is and why you bought Lucky for Doc and why you were happy for Doc. Kelly, start at the beginning.”
She told him everything, starting with when Doc had come to the coffee shop that morning and finished with driving home from Doc’s a few minutes ago.
“Kelly, that’s wonderful. I’m really happy for him. I’ve met Liz a few times. Actually, she’s helped me with a couple of people I made a judgment call on. Told them they had a choice. They could see a psychologist or be tried for a crime. While she can’t tell me the details of her sessions with them, she does tell me whether or not they’re continuing to see her and how they’re doing. And to think that Doc will be practicing medicine again! I’m sure Dr. Amherst will be happy to hear that. He told me once how much he wanted to retire, but as the only doctor in Cedar Bay, he didn’t want to abandon his patients. Now he can simply shift them over to Doc. Everybody wins. I’d say you had a good day. Now, let’s talk about dinner.”
“Sheriff, if it wasn’t for the ring on my finger I’d swear you care more about food than me, but then again, I’ve always heard that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Sure think it might apply to you. I’d like to ask you if you’d still want to marry me if I wasn’t such a good cook, but I don’t think I want to know the answer to that one. I remember something Lem said once about a lawyer never asking his client a question unless the lawyer knew the answer, because many a case is lost when the client blurts out something other than what the lawyer is expecting. I think it might be applicable here.”
“Why, Kelly,” Mike said with a playful shocked expression on his face. “I can’t believe you’d even think such a thing.”
“Let’s put it this way, Sheriff Mike, I’m not asking the question. As for dinner, how does stuffed pork chops, creamed spinach, a fresh garden salad, and that killer chocolate cake I make sound to you?”
“Kelly, would you think I’d become senile if I started drooling?”
“No. I’d say you were just a man who appreciates good food.”
CHAPTER 19
A few minutes before noon the following day, the door to Kelly’s Koffee Shop opened and in walked Doc with Lucky on a little blue leash. It was obvious to Kelly that he’d been one of the first customers at the pet store that morning. Everyone in the coffee shop oohed and aahed over Lucky and told Doc how cute he was. Rebel got up from his customary place on his bed near the cash register and sniffed the little puppy. Satisfied he wasn’t a threat to Kelly he got back on his bed and watched the puppy with a look of disdain in his eyes.
“Kelly, how about putting a little water in a saucer for Lucky? He’s had a busy morning at the clinic. Poor dog has had people fussing over him all day. I think he’s ready to spend some serious quiet time back at the ranch.”
“Here you go Lucky.” Kelly put the dish on the floor in front of him. “Doc, it may have been awhile since you’ve had a dog, but you need to make sure he’s got water. Poor little guy seems to be really thirsty.”
“I know, Kelly, but remember, the more he drinks, the more I have to get up and let him out and he’s too little to go outside by himself. Plus, we’ve got coyotes around the ranch and he’d make a nice
appetizer for one of them.”
“Well, Doc, you better get used to it. That’s part of owning a dog. How did he do last night?”
“Actually, better than I thought he would. I only had to get up once in the middle of the night to let him out and then again at dawn. I don’t think housebreaking him will be a big problem. I’m going to have to fix a couple of holes in the fence to keep the coyotes out. Other than that, I think we’ll get along just fine. Was Mike surprised you got me the puppy?”
“Not only surprised, but grateful I didn’t come home with one. He thinks Rebel is great, but he has mixed feelings about puppies. Thinks they’re cute, but knows they require a lot of work. He’s not sure he’s up to it. He likes to have a dog that’s already trained. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m getting a puppy when we get married.”
“As well trained as Rebel is, someone must have spent a lot of time working with him. I remember you telling me you got him when a drug agent was killed and Rebel had been trained by the agent as his drug-sniffing dog,” he said, reaching down and petting Lucky whose head was on his shoe. In a minute the little dog was snoring softly.
“If you’ve got a minute, Kelly, I’d like to talk to you.”
“Again?” she asked, sitting across from him. “After everything that happened yesterday, I didn’t think you’d need to talk to me for quite awhile.”
“This is about Brandon Black. He called me from school this morning and asked if I had a minute to talk to him. His dad had told him about his meeting with me and how much he trusted my judgment. Brandon said if his dad trusted me that much, he’d feel comfortable talking to me about something that was worrying him. He was at the ranch Sunday morning and Marcy was pretty excited because she’d received the proceeds from the insurance policy. Evidently she didn’t think she’d get it that fast. He said what worried him was that Gabe had come to the ranch that morning. He doesn’t like Gabe at all, because Jeff was honest with him and told him that the reason he was divorcing Marcy was because of the affair she was having with Gabe.”
Murder at Jade Cove (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 10