Witch Doggone Killer

by Paula Lester

  The guard shook his head. “I have my phone, though. I’ll keep a list on it.”

  Crosby nodded and dug out a business card. “Perfect. You can text me the list at the end of your shift. Thanks.” He turned away from the guard, caught my arm, and steered me back toward the fountain. “What do you suppose that was all about?”

  I bit my lip for a second, pondering. “I don’t know. But I have to admit my first thought was Steve was trying to get some kind of performance-enhancing drug out of that room.”

  “Yeah. Me too. And Arthur Wiggins used to get Steve the clearance necessary to get the drug.”

  “So, not everyone would have wanted Arthur dead. If he was involved in some shady dealings that had to do with the dog show, certain people would have been on the receiving end of that.” I felt shocked to my core at the thought that our small town’s biggest source of pride—the dog show—may have been tainted by back room deals and illegal drugs given to the poor dogs who had no say in it. Anger followed swiftly on the heels of the shock, and I balled my fists. “I’d like to find out who was on the receiving end of Arthur’s goodwill and who wasn’t.”

  Crosby nodded. “Seems like a good trail to follow. I’ll do some digging.” He nodded toward the conference room door, where judges were starting to file back in. “You’d better get back to your orientation. Keep your ear to the ground and let me know if you find out anything useful.” He paused and grinned. “About the case, not show judging.”

  I nodded and squared my shoulders as I marched back into the room. This time, I’d definitely be paying more attention to the judges’ gossiping than to the president’s judging guidelines.

  Chapter 9

  After the orientation, I looked for Crosby for a few minutes around the arena. Not finding him, I headed to the clinic to check on things. I found Jeremy in the treatment area getting ready to do x-rays on a limping puppy.

  He gave me a heart-stopping smile. “Hey, boss. How are things in dog show world?”

  I flopped onto an office chair we kept by the microscope and threw back my head. “So boring,” I groaned. It was true. The second session of orientation hadn’t been any more interesting than the first. And I hadn’t even gotten any good gossip or new suspects to share with Crosby. After the incident with Steve and the guard, I’d been looking at all the judges with suspicion, wondering who among them may be involved in a nefarious dog-drugging ring. Just the thought of it made me so angry I could spit.

  “Well, you haven’t missed much around here.” Jeremy picked up the puppy and stroked her head. “We’ve been pretty slow.” He gave me an apologetic look. “But I’m glad you’re here now.” He shifted his weight from side to side a few times and looked down at the fluff ball he held. “I wanted to ask you something.”

  I picked up my head and gave him my full attention. “What’s up?”

  “Well, this isn’t exactly business-related. And feel free to tell me to jump off a cliff if it’s totally inappropriate.”

  My stomach did a weird little flip at his words. What was Jeremy about to say? I wanted to encourage him to go on, but my throat had suddenly decided to be uncooperative.

  “Would you like to go out to dinner with me?” He finally looked up from the puppy and met my gaze. “On a date?”

  My mind raced, mulling over ridiculous things instead of directing my mouth to answer. Jeremy had asked me out. On a date. In fact, he’d said the words “on a date,” so there was no way I could rationalize my way out of it. A date. With my employee.

  Suddenly, I thought about what Crosby had said to me the day before. That the town gossip was that something was going on between me and Jeremy. Was it possible that Dory Weston, the biggest gossip-slinger in Superior Bay, was a witch too? Had she somehow seen the future? I shook my head. That was ridiculous. If Dory was a witch, I was a prima ballerina.

  “Oh, okay. That’s totally fine. I completely understand. Forget I asked.” Jeremy turned toward the x-ray room.

  I realized Jeremy had taken my head shake as a negative answer and surged to my feet. “I didn’t mean no. I was just trying to clear my head.”

  Jeremy turned back toward me, hope apparent in his expression. “Yeah, I understand. Why don’t you take some time to think about it? You don’t have to answer now. I know there’s a lot to consider.”

  I opened my mouth to say I didn’t need time. In that moment, I wanted to go out with Jeremy, regardless of what it may do to my business. But Catherine came into the treatment area, and I bit my tongue.

  “Oh, hi, Dr. Morgan. Are you going to be seeing patients this afternoon?” Catherine winced. “Not that I have any to put over into your column. But maybe someone will call?”

  I shook my head, eyes darting back to Jeremy. He grinned and headed into the x-ray room. “No, I just stopped by to see if anybody needed me for anything. I’m going back to the arena for more judge orientation.”

  Catherine nodded. “Are you having fun?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly use the word fun, but it’s interesting. Even eye-opening.” With one last glance toward where Jeremy had disappeared, I sighed and headed toward the front of the building with the receptionist. “I’ll see you later. Text me if you need anything.”

  She nodded, and I left, feeling a twinge of regret that I hadn’t been able to answer Jeremy. But, as I walked back toward the center of town and the arena, I decided maybe it had been a good thing Catherine interrupted us. Jeremy was probably right that I should spend some time considering my answer before I gave it to him. In the moment, I’d wanted to say yes and not worry about the consequences to my business, but that wasn’t very responsible. I should definitely sit down and give it some more thought before agreeing to a date with my associate vet. I decided I should talk it over with Aunt Dru too. She was good at helping me work my way through such problems.

  I should talk to her more about the Arthur Wiggins investigation too. Especially the troubling information about drugs possibly being used on the dogs. In fact, I should have her start digging around for information from her friends. Aunt Dru was friends with everyone within twenty years of her age living in Superior Bay and half the people in Red River. If something nefarious was going on with regards to the dog show, she should be able to ferret out some information about it.

  Yes, I’d talk to Aunt Dru as soon as I got home later. Crosby was helpful, and so were Aly and Julia, but I needed all the brainpower I could get. I was starting to feel a bit nervous about my own position on the killer’s potential victim list. If someone had killed Arthur because of the dog show, I was vulnerable. After all, I was now in the exact same position he’d been in.

  I needed to solve this and fast.

  After the afternoon orientation had wrapped up, I made my way to the guarded supply room, where the same guard as earlier stood with his arms crossed, ever vigilant.

  “Hi,” I said. “I was wondering. Do I have access to that room?” I nodded toward the closed door behind him.

  He regarded me, his gaze sharp. “You’re a judge. And a vet. So, yes. You can go in anytime.”

  “Great. I’d like to go in now, please.”

  The guard pulled out his phone, punched at the keyboard, and then slipped it back into his breast pocket before pulling out a key. I was glad to see he was taking the recording duties Crosby had given him seriously. He unlocked the door, opened it, and stepped aside.

  With a fluttering stomach, I went in and jumped a little when the guard closed the door behind me. I flipped on the light switch and looked around. The room was basically a large storage closet with metal shelves lining the walls floor to ceiling. The shelves were loaded with bottles, and I perused them, not really sure what I was looking for.

  I saw antibiotics, supplement pills, injectable B-vitamins, and bags of IV fluids along with injection supplies, alcohol swabs, and bandaging materials. A frown played on my lips as I ran my fingers over a set of bottles. Who was in charge of administering this stuff t
o the show dogs? Some of it, like the antibiotics, should really only be used with a prescription. Of course, the way the laws were written in Michigan, a dog owner could give any of the meds I’d seen in the room themselves legally. I hadn’t come across any controlled substances. But ethically—well, that was another story.

  I was going to have to do some digging and see how these medications were handled. My clinic had never been approached to be in charge of medicine for the show dogs in the past. Were the Red River vets in charge? Or was there no professional monitoring going on at all?

  Opening the door a crack so I wouldn’t bash into the guard, I peeked out and spotted Crosby across the atrium talking with Sarah. With murmured thanks to the guard, I headed toward my friend. By the time I got to him, Sarah had wandered off.

  Crosby greeted me with a smile. “How’s it going?”

  “Oh, you know. As well as can be expected since I’m worried for my life and those of the show dogs.” I felt a pout take over my face and felt irritated with myself. Pouting seemed to be my default expression lately, and I didn’t like it. I forced my lower lip back to its regular position.

  Crosby studied my face. “What do you mean worried for your life? You think whoever killed Arthur may come for you?”

  “I guess the thought had crossed my mind, since I took over his position on the judging panel,” I admitted. I told him about the drugs I’d just seen in the supply room and how I couldn’t figure out how any of them would be performance-enhancing for the dogs, but that I still couldn’t shake the feeling there was something bad going on there.

  “But we don’t know for sure that Arthur’s murder had anything at all to do with the dog show,” Crosby argued. “Don’t forget about his real estate dealings. A lot of folks really disliked him because of his monopoly on apartment buildings and high rent.”

  “Yeah, I remember.” It would take a lot for me to forget all the time spent worrying and fretting about the rent hikes on my clinic. And that still wasn’t really over because I had no idea who was going to be taking over Arthur’s holdings. I had the feeling Mike Gentry may be keen on hiking rent almost as much as Arthur had been if he somehow managed to gain my building.

  “How about getting some dinner?”

  “Hmm?” Crosby’s voice had interrupted my thoughts, and I hadn’t processed the words.

  “Dinner? With me? We can go to the Grill or hit Antonio’s if you want something different.” He looked around. “I’m about ready for a break from this scene for a while.”

  His question reminded me of Jeremy’s date proposal, and I sighed, causing Crosby to give me a questioning look. I rearranged my expression into eagerness. “That sounds great. I’m actually starving. Let’s just go to the Grill, though. I don’t feel like going home to change for Antonio’s.”

  Crosby’s eyes dropped to his own uniform and he nodded. “Good call. It’ll be easier to unwind at the Grill too.”

  That decided, we made our way out of the arena and strolled along the boardwalk the short distance to the Grill. The dinner crowd was just starting to show up.

  Before we were ten steps into the room, Tammy Curtis popped up in front of me. She ran the farm up the road where Aunt Dru and I got our maple syrup. She lived just past Crosby. “Willow!” She grabbed my hands and squeezed. “I just heard the news. Congratulations on being a dog show judge, honey! What an honor.”

  “Oh. Thank you.” I smiled as brightly as I could. Tammy was a sweet lady. When I was a kid, she’d babysat me sometimes when Aunt Dru went out. “I’m still getting used to the idea, really.”

  “You should get used to it fast.” The gravelly voice came from over Tammy’s shoulder. I recognized her husband’s burly tone. Bear Curtis lived up to his nickname in looks and attitude. He was huge, with upper arms the size of small logs and a head full of curly black hair. He balanced his wife’s sweetness almost totally with a constant sour attitude. “That show has been a joke for years. It’s needed somebody to get in there and clean it up. I hope we can count on you to do that.”

  Tammy gave a gentle reproachful look to her husband and tsked. Turning back to me, she shook her head, sending dangly ruby earrings swinging. “Don’t listen to him. He skipped lunch and has low blood sugar.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Honey, go order your burger and fries. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  But Bear didn’t budge. He didn’t stop glaring at me either. I felt Crosby move closer to my side and felt grateful for his support.

  “I’m serious, girl,” Bear rumbled. “There’s dirty politics at play in that show that need to be rooted out. I hope you’re up to the task.”

  “What kind of dirty politics?” Crosby stepped forward so he was partly in front of me.

  I shoved him over. Bear was gruff and could be intimidating, but I’d known the man all my life and wasn’t afraid of him. And I didn’t need Crosby standing in front of me like some kind of bodyguard. I could handle Bear Curtis fine.

  “Well, it’s just that we’ve been hearing rumblings for a few years now,” Tammy said, her tone conciliatory. “People have been saying the show isn’t fair anymore, that’s all. That people can buy their way onto the podium.”

  I felt my expression settle into a scowl. “That’s terrible.” I glanced at Crosby. “Do you think it’s true?”

  He shrugged.

  “It’s true,” Bear said. “Look at last year’s winner. Sprite the Labrador. I mean, he’s a nice dog and everything, don’t get me wrong, but he jerked the leash out of his owner’s hand and pranced around the ring like a puppy during the final showing.” He shook his big head from side to side, resembling a bear even more. “That alone should have landed him in the bottom of his class, not the winner’s circle.”

  That did sound unusual.

  Tammy swatted at Bear. “Come on, dear. Let’s leave these two alone. They obviously want to relax after a long day.” She smiled at me. “Congratulations again. Tell your aunt I’m going to stop by for tea sometime this week.”

  “I’ll tell her. She’ll be delighted.”

  We didn’t make it to a table before the next person, Lola Smith, who owned a quaint shop in town selling her homemade jewelry, jumped in front of us. “A veterinarian and a show judge,” she gushed. “Druida must be so proud of you!”

  “Well, thank you. I hope she is.”

  “Why, I just wish my grandson were as accomplished as you. I can’t get him off the couch long enough to hold down a job at all, let alone two such prestigious ones.” A sly look crossed her plump face, and Lola adjusted the shock of unnaturally blonde hair falling over her eyes. “But Jarod is handsome. And single. He’s just a touch younger than you, but that’s okay in today’s society, isn’t it?” She raised her eyebrows, looking expectant.

  I felt my eyes get wide, and I looked at Crosby, hoping for some support. If he jumped in front of me in an attempt to bodyguard this situation, I decided to welcome it. But he only smirked and walked away, heading for the bar. I shot imaginary daggers out of my eyes at his back for abandoning me.

  Lola still waited for my answer about dating her grandson. I opened my mouth, hoping to produce some suitably kind words of declination, when a shout from the doorway drew both our attention.

  “Dr. Morgan, there you are!” It was Catherine. “It’s Rocky. Arthur’s Jack Russell terrier.”

  She didn’t have to come closer for me to hear—the bar had fallen eerily silent, and everyone watched my receptionist. She didn’t seem to notice, keeping her eyes on me.

  “Is Rocky sick?”

  Catherine had been watching the dog while we waited for the lawyers to announce the terms of Arthur’s will. We had all been hopeful he would have provided instructions for his dog’s future care, but Catherine had said she’d keep the little dog if not.

  “No, he isn’t sick,” Catherine said. “Someone broke into my house and took him.”

  Chapter 10

  Crosby and I never got our burgers. Instead, w
e accompanied Catherine to her house, where Crosby examined the broken lock on the back door, and we all frowned at the empty kennel on the porch. Crosby crouched down to examine the area closely, snapped a few pictures on his cell phone, and scribbled down Catherine’s statement. “I need to go to the station and put in a report. That way, all officers will know to keep an eye out for Rocky.”

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” I put an arm around my receptionist and squeezed. She was paler than normal, and I felt a little tremor under my fingertips. I squeezed harder.

  She shook her head. “Al will be home in a few minutes. He’ll fix the lock. It was already loose, and he has a new one ready to go. Just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. But I called him at work, and he said he’s going to put an alarm on both doors too. I’ll be okay. I’m just worried about Rocky.”

  “We’ll find him,” Crosby assured her. “Give me a call if you think of anything else that could help us figure out who took him.”

  Catherine waved to us from the back door as Crosby and I got into his pick-up. Once we were on the road toward the police station, he glanced at me. “I wonder if the board will cancel the dog show over this.”

  I jerked my neck around to look at him. “Cancel the show? You really think they’d do that?” I couldn’t imagine such a development. If the board hadn’t canceled because of Arthur’s murder, why would they do so because Rocky had disappeared?

  Crosby shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  I thought for a minute, looking out the window. “You know,” I said finally, “this does seem to support my theory that Arthur’s death had to do with the dog show and not his real estate dealings.”