Leo was already at the end of a long, hot day. “Just a minute here. How much money are we talking?”
“When you combine the prize money and the money we would have garnered from selling Miss Genevieve's puppies…”
“Assuming she wins the Lone Star Classic. I hardly think we should be expected to cover future winnings.”
“Fine. If we are talking about her litter of pups, depending on the number, it will run you from four to eight thousand dollars."
That didn’t seem too bad. A little high, but we could manage it.
“Per pup.”
Maybe not. Rhoda Warren turned on her heel and walked back to the door. She held up the paper once more, rattling it. “You will be hearing from my lawyer.”
We stood there dazed for a moment as the door slammed shut. The sound of the ocean waves restored a momentary sense of peace, but Gwen finally spoke up. "I never liked that woman and now I know why."
Through the window, I watched Rhoda make her way back home, fighting even the piles of sand beneath her feet. “Something like that couldn't possibly hold up in court,” I said. “Could it?" In my mind, this was the definition of a frivolous lawsuit.
"The thing is,” Leo said, now pulling his tie off and loosening his shirt collar. “If she did sue us and won, it would totally bankrupt the boys’ college fund.”
"Now don't you worry about our boys’ college fund,” Gwen said from the kitchen as she wiped Coco’s face. “They're both going to get scholarships anyway.”
We were startled by more banging at the door. Leo started to answer, but this time his mother put her hand on his shoulder. "I'll handle this." My mother-in-law was a public school teacher who had spent years in the trenches. If anyone could handle a bully, it was she. We expected a showdown between Gwen and her neighbor, but instead, a young man in a dog catcher’s uniform stood before us.
"Excuse me, ma'am. We've had a report of a stray dog in this neighborhood who—," The young man began to blush and stammered slightly. "Who has been reported to be...worrying other dogs in the neighborhood."
"Oh, my." I guess the politically correct phrase around here for jumping the fence for a dog in heat was “worrying”.
"Our report says that the dog lives at your residence. Also, you had him out without a collar and identifying tags. Do you have a large brown Weimaraner who answers to the name of Butch?"
"We do."
"I see." The young man pulled out a form from inside his battered metal clipboard case. He ripped the form off of a pre-printed pad and handed it to Gwen. "Then it is my official duty to issue this citation for your dog's uncontrolled behavior and improper registration."
Thanks to Rhoda Warren, Butch was now officially busted.
Chapter 3
Sitting at her kitchen table, Gwen read through the citation after the dog catcher left. She chewed on her lower lip and shook her head in disgust. "Just amazing. You live right next to a person and never know what they’re actually like. That woman has a lot of nerve doing something like this.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Did you know she has quite a reputation around here? When she and her husband lived in that house together, all kinds of things were going on, if you know what I mean. He cheated on her. And if that wasn't enough, she cheated on him. All the neighbors were talking about it. You probably won't believe this, but there are a lot of shenanigans going on here on in these Galveston beach houses. Sure, there are plenty of families, but there is plenty of single people here, too. You have your tourist crowds, and then you have the people who live here year round. Let me tell you. I could write a book about some of the stuff I hear about."
Leo's eyebrows went up. "Is there something you need to tell me? You’re not a part of the ‘shenanigans’ are you, Mother?"
"I'm just saying, what kind of marriage do you have when both members cheat on each other and feel like it's justified? It's just crazy. That’s what she told Julia, three doors down. She felt justified going out on her husband when he went out on him. I was married to your father for many years. Good years and bad ones, but I would never have cheated him.”
Leo's parents had been married for twenty-five years when Leo’s father died. Since that time, Gwen had never really taken an interest in anybody else. She was still very attractive and incredibly intelligent, but she didn't seem to be looking. My mother-in-law preferred to stay loyal to Leo's father even after his death. As Gwen continued talking, Coco’s solitary cry could be heard from the next room as she woke up from her nap. While I walked down the hallway to her, the cry turned into a deep wail. I lifted Coco from her crib, noticing right away that she felt warm. If Coco was coming down with something, I would have to use a doctor here in Galveston.
When I entered the kitchen, Leo was standing at the window watching the boys playing out on the beach. "Coco's warm." He turned to the two of us and extended his hands, palms up. I handed our little girl over for him to feel the warmth radiating from her tiny body.
"Hey baby, how are you?" At this point, Coco would usually smile at her dad. Today, she simply responded with an earsplitting howl.
"Oh my, our little lady doesn’t feel well." Gwen pursed her lips as she spoke in a tone tinged slightly with baby talk. She put her hand on Coco’s forehead. "She's running a fever. Her nose is running, too. Would you like me to call my doctor?"
What Gwen was offering was very kind, but I debated for a moment. Coco went to a pediatrician and Gwen was referring us to someone who was, I was sure, a general practice physician.
As if Gwen could read my mind, she patted me on the shoulder and said, "Don't you worry. Doctor Salazar knows a little bit about taking care of babies. He’s seen a few in his day."
"You're still going to him?" Leo asked.
"He's a great doctor. Yes, he's a little old, but he knows what he's talking about, and he can take care of our Coco."
"It's probably nothing. Maybe we don’t even need to take her to the doctor."
"With these little ones, ear infections can set in fast. It might be a good idea just to have him check. Shall I make the call?"
"Why not?"
Chapter 4
"Yes, your mother-in-law was right. This little girl has an ear infection." A small silver medical instrument gleamed in the overhead light as Dr. Salazar pulled it away from Coco’s ear. She squirmed in my arms, not liking that thing in her ear. "How long has she been acting like this?"
"Just for the last two days. We’re here visiting my husband's mother. She's a patient of yours, Gwen Fitzpatrick?"
It had been a long day and a half as we waited for Coco’s appointment. None of us had slept much the night before. Dr. Salazar, a small man with warm brown skin and a head of white hair, straightened his starched lab coat. His examining table was covered in worn green vinyl, and the rest of the room looked sterile but well-used. "Mrs. Fitzpatrick was my son’s biology teacher. We go way back. I’m proud to say he is now finishing medical school. A promising future that started with teachers like your mother-in-law." Doctor Salazar beamed. "Besides Coco having an ear infection, are you having a good time here in Galveston?" This was a typical question to ask a summer tourist.
"Yes. The beach is wonderful, and it's great that the boys are spending so much time outside instead of in front of the television."
"So many young people need more time outside. Our Galveston beach can provide plenty of wonders for kids. Have you been to Moody Gardens or down to the Pleasure Pier?"
“Yes. We’ve been to both.” The Pleasure Pier was a glittering boardwalk amusement park with a Ferris wheel that made you feel like you were floating over the sea. We’d been to that attraction several times. The boys had been outside every single day, and they both looked healthy and happy. Galveston was great, but there were also things to watch out for like the red tides and undertows. That kind of hazard never seemed to get mentioned in the travel brochures.
I continued, "We even brought our dog, Butch, and then he lan
ded us all in trouble.”
“What did he do?”
“He ran off, and well, to put it politely, spent a little time with a dog show poodle. Butch is a Weimaraner, and now he’ll be a proud papa."
Dr. Salazar laughed, indicating he understood. “That couldn't have been a good thing."
"No, and the owner, Rhoda Warren, has threatened to sue us because her dog is pregnant. Tell me, do veterinarians perform dog abortions?"
"I never thought about it." He pulled at his ear in thought. "I suppose they could. Anything could be removed, but it would be an awful shame."
"She's promising a big lawsuit. A lawsuit is not something we can handle financially right now."
A look of surprise came into Dr. Salazar's eyes. "It can't be all that bad."
"Seriously, I wish we had never met this woman. She’s awful. You would think that we burned down her house or something."
"No telling how people will react to such things."
My purse began jingling from my ringing phone, ending our conversation. Dr. Salazar tore a small sheet of paper off of his prescription pad and handed it to me. Holding on to the prescription underneath the phone, I answered the call.
"Betsy, you'd better get home pretty quickly."
"Why, Leo? Coco has an ear infection, and I need to run to the drugstore to pick up a prescription."
"I can pick it up later. Someone's here to see us."
"Who?"
"The Galveston Police. Rhoda Warren has been found dead."
Chapter 5
"And so, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, you and the deceased had an argument over your dog's behavior. Is that correct?"
Detective Ernie Morton, from the Galveston Police Department, did not wear a uniform, instead wearing plain clothes of khaki pants, a crisp blue cotton shirt, and a blue tie with sailboats on it. His round stomach pushed the limits of the button closures, and his bald head shone in the overhead light. Galveston's police force was of course much bigger than Pecan Bayou’s, and this man was dedicated to the homicide division.
"That is correct."
"And she threatened to file suit against you for the unlawful paternity of her dog’s puppies?"
He made it sound like Butch had committed the murder. Butch was just being a dog. For that fact so was Miss Genevieve.
"Yes, she did."
"This must have made you and your husband very upset. Did she mention how much she was seeking in damages?"
I hadn't realized Leo had returned to the room after putting Coco to bed. I doubted she would stay asleep for long, because her antibiotics were still sitting at the drugstore. I was greatly comforted by Leo’s presence next to me on the couch. I'd been interviewed by the police many times before, but the investigator had always been my father. Having to answer to a stranger like this was unnerving. I always knew that whatever I did, short of an actual crime, my father would not put me in jail. I had no such assurance with this detective.
I forced a smile, trying to achieve a look of calm. "We were unsure of what the amount was, but it sounded like she was talking thousands of dollars." Leo placed his hand over mine.
"I'm not going to kid you." Detective Morton folded up his notebook. "This gives you quite a motive for murder. I'm hoping your family is planning to stay in town because I’ll probably have more questions for you."
“Didn’t anyone else have a motive,” I asked.
“She had a date the night before she died, but he had to get back to work. We have him on the business’s video at the time of death.”
As the detective started for the door, he turned around, Columbo fashion, and said, "Oh, and one more thing. I know this is a lot to ask, but I’ve already spoken to Rhoda Warren’s ex-husband. He’s adamant he doesn’t want the poodle taken to the animal shelter. He’s requested if you would be open to it, for you to take Miss Genevieve for a few days until he can get here to pick her up. He knows it is a giant imposition, but he has no one in the area he can call on. Do you think you would be agreeable to such a thing?"
Butch's ears perked up.
"I suppose we could. The only problem is, what if Butch tries to get friendly with her again?"
"From my understanding," a smile played on the detective’s lips as he said, "that horse is already out of the barn. I don't think it would do any harm."
"Then I guess, yes.” I looked over to Leo. “Is it okay with you?”
“Sure. I feel like we owe it to Miss Genevieve now that she’s carrying part of the family.”
"Thank you. Your cooperation will not go unnoticed. She’ll need to be picked up at the vet, and I have a key here so that you can get her dog food from Mrs. Warren’s house." Detective Morton fished a key out of his pocket and handed it to me. “We’ve finished our investigation of the deck, which was the crime scene.”
Leo watched the detective return to his car, and said, "I just hope my mother is okay with us having two dogs in her house."
"Maybe you should've asked her first?" Gwen had been in the bedroom with Coco during the interview.
"Maybe. But we’re dog sitters now.”
“Not just any dog sitters, but champion show dog sitters.”
~*~
A few minutes later after getting assurances from my mother-in-law that she would grin and bear two canines running around the house, I unlocked Rhoda’s front door.
Looking for Miss Genevieve’s dog food, I started for the kitchen, once again passing Rhoda’s pictures on the wall. As quiet as the house was, the pictures seemed to fill the room with their presence. It still bugged me to look at the tarnish on some of the frames. I reached and touched one of the most tarnished picture frames, and then read the inscription on the bottom. Mr. and Mrs. Julian Brewer. Hadn't the police officer said her husband's name was John? Wasn’t her last name Warren?
Not only was the name different, but now, as I looked closely, there were some physical differences. The man in this picture was shorter than in the other photo I’d seen. He also had a little more hair. That meant that Rhoda Warren had had two husbands, not one. With her attitude, I didn’t find this surprising. She wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Still, I was not one to judge her. Leo was my second husband. Sometimes it takes a while to get it right.
When I met Leo, I had been single for seven years. My first husband left me when I was near the end of my pregnancy with Zach. Having a person with Down syndrome in our family scared my first husband, Barry, and he feared our child would also have a disability. Like all children, even children with special needs, my son was perfect. Barry’s loss was my gain.
In a kitchen pantry, I found a bag of dog food, a brand that never graced the shelves of my grocery store, and folded over the heavy opening. Next to the pantry was a white feeding dish with pink hand-painted flowers on it. I wondered if a cabinet marked “Tiaras” for Miss Genevieve was anywhere about. She was a pampered dog.
I left Rhoda’s house and picked up Miss Genevieve from the vet’s office. When I delivered her to Gwen’s house, the poodle bounded out of the car and ran up the stairs to Butch, who had been slobbering on the living room window and barking loud enough to make the glass shake. True love wins all.
~*~
Although we expected Miss Genevieve to be with us much longer, Rhoda’s husband John showed up the next day. His navy suit jacket hung over his wrist in deference to the heat. His face had more lines in it than what had been pictured in the winner’s circle photos on Rhoda Warren’s wall. There was a touch of gray on each sideburn, and his eyes showed a warmth his ex-wife didn’t possess.
"I can't thank you enough for taking on Miss Genevieve for me. I was so afraid that if we put her in the pound, she would catch kennel cough or something even worse."
Tyler and Zach were in the kitchen getting Popsicles. Zach gave John Warren a sideways look. "You mean like another dog getting her pregnant?"
John petted Miss Genevieve. "Something like that. No matter how many awards she wins, or how many rhinesto
ne collars we put on her, when it comes right down to it, a dog is going to act like a dog.” Well, at least this man recognized Miss Genevieve was just a dog in a dog’s world, I thought, as he continued to speak. “If there is a female dog in heat, the male dogs will be sure to find her. Not unlike my ex-wife. I'm just glad, with all that's happened, Miss Genevieve seems to have come out of it unscathed.”
“What about the puppies?”
“I looked it up, and they are called Weimerdoodles. I might just keep them.”
“Can we have one?” Zach asked. Wasn’t having one large dog in the house enough? Now he wanted another? Spoken like a kid whose mother feeds the dog.
“Sure,” John said, not bothering to ask Leo or me first. “Listen, I know this is asking a lot, but I don't have anything set up to have a dog where I live. I'm going to have to change apartments, so I was wondering if you could just give me another week or two before I take custody of Miss Genevieve."
Leo and I exchanged glances. He spoke first. "It's okay with me if it's okay with my wife…and my mother. We’ll be leaving the beach in the next two weeks, so no longer."
Coco began crying in the next room. I turned, on instinct, toward the bedroom. She had taken a long nap that afternoon and was waking up with a roar. But before I left, I said, "Sure. What's one more dog? Can you excuse me just for a moment?"
In the bedroom, I changed Coco’s diaper. When I returned to the living room with her in my arms, the two men were still talking. Leo leaned over the counter in his swim trunks and T-shirt, the skin browned by the summer sun. I married a handsome man.
"Not wanting to sound insensitive at a time like this, I can’t help but wonder…your ex-wife was considering suing us over the pregnancy. Do you plan to continue the proceedings?"
Happy Homicides 4: Fall Into Crime: Includes Happy Homicides 3: Summertime Crimes Page 73