“Probably not,” Kinney said. “Whiskey’s bark is terrifying. I think twice about coming into my own house.”
Finally, Robin smiled. She took a bite of the granola bar and chewed. “But he’s a good dog, right?” she mumbled through a mouthful.
Kinney nodded. “He’s a magnificent dog. Truly. But he’s also had some hard times and I need to work on increasing his confidence again.”
The teen went over and sat down beside Whiskey. He put his long nose on her leg without a moment’s hesitation. The puppies were climbing all over him, but he didn’t move an inch.
Kinney looked at Marilyn. “You used to breed shepherds, right?”
Marilyn nodded. “Twenty years ago. They got too much for me. So many big, shedding dogs.”
“One big, shedding dog might not be so bad.” Kinney smiled over her cup. “I can connect you to a wonderful rescue. You could have a well-trained dog in no time.”
Looking from Keith to Robin, Marilyn asked, “Would that help, honey? If we got a big dog like Whiskey?”
Robin gave the last of her granola bar to Whiskey, and then leaned down to kiss him between his big ears. His tail beat happily and he licked her face. “Yeah. If I get to choose the dog, and it’s just like Whiskey, I’ll stop asking to move.”
Marilyn reached across the counter, squeezed Kinney’s hand and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Getting off the stool, Kinney said, “I’ve gotta run, but I’m hoping you’ll consider participating in the City’s breeder showcase at the Fourth of July festival.”
Leaving her card on the counter, she collected Whiskey’s leash from Robin. Marilyn walked her down to the sidewalk, giving Kinney a chance to say more. Turning, she scanned the street for any sign of Wyatt Cobb, but the coast was clear.
“Do you mind if I ask you for more details about the break-in?” she asked.
“There isn’t much more to say, really. Unfortunately, Robin got home first and found the family room window broken. We realized a puppy was missing, and reported it to the CCD. The very next morning, our pup was sitting outside in a cardboard box on a heating pad. Honestly, I assumed a kid did it and his mother forced him to bring it back.”
“That sounds plausible,” Kinney said. “Did anyone from the City call you about it?”
Marilyn shook her head. “I called them to confirm the pup was home and that was that. But then a few days later, I got a letter approving my request to build an outdoor kennel. I’d been applying for years with no luck so I didn’t want to rock the boat by asking more questions. That’s a big reason I don’t want to move. I’d never get the same chance again.”
“Probably not,” Kinney said. “I’m so glad you get to stay and expand.”
“Thanks to you. I have to put my daughter’s needs first, but it would have broken my heart to leave Dorset Hills. Despite how silly it’s becoming, it’s my home and always has been.” She squeezed Kinney’s arm again. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m so glad you tripped outside my house today.”
“Me too,” Kinney said, setting off with Whiskey. “I couldn’t have banged my head in a better place.”
“I hope your day looks up,” Marilyn called after her.
“It’s already pretty much perfect,” Kinney called back, smiling as Whiskey trotted along at her side.
Chapter 13
Clarence Dayton tried to slam the door closed but Evie was quicker, shoving her foot in the crack. The pink sandal was in remarkably good shape, considering what it went through on Runaway Farm and now during undercover dog police work. Kinney had laughed when Evie called them her “lucky” shoes, but she was starting to reconsider her regulation work boots. Now that she was assigned to reception, her uniform wasn’t required and she could probably make an effort to dress a little better. She hadn’t worried much about her appearance, either in social work or as a dog cop. Sensible was the name of the game. But now she wondered if she’d been hiding behind her uniform and casual attire. Evie, Remi, Sasha, Ari and Andrea MacDuff managed to be fully engaged with the Rescue Mafia and look great at the same time. It seemed to open doors.
It certainly did today. Evie gave a little squeal and Clarence flung back the old oak door with a resigned sigh. “I thought we finished our business, young lady. I came out of retirement to attend your ridiculous Easter event and apparently helped save a number of exotic animals in the process. Doesn’t that earn me some peace?”
“Oh, Clarence,” Evie said, as she brushed by him and beckoned to Kinney and Remi. “How can you say no to three lovely ladies who want to visit?”
“Easy,” he grumbled. “No. And another thing? No.”
“You haven’t lost your charm,” she said, leading everyone to the kitchen. “Just be glad I brought Kinney Butterfield and Remi Malone instead of Cori.”
“I like Cori well enough,” he said, following them through his own home. “She mostly leaves me alone and when she shows up she doesn’t talk much.” He looked around at them. “You’re all talkers. I can tell.”
“I’m not,” Kinney said. “If I go a whole day without saying a word, it’s a good day.”
“Me too,” Remi said. “I have social anxiety.”
“And yet you’re both talking,” he said, shaking his head as he filled the tea kettle. “You must want something. People always want something in Dorset Hills. As if giving up my family’s estate and our legacy weren’t enough.”
“You’re right, we do want something,” Evie said. “And I’m hoping you want the same thing: to oust Mayor Bradshaw.”
The kettle overflowed but he didn’t turn off the tap. “Don’t play with an old man’s heart, Evelyn.”
“It’s just a hope and dream at this point, Clarence,” she said. “I’m hoping you can help us make it a reality.”
The three women sat around his oak table in chairs that had been abused by generations of pets. He turned off the faucet, poured out the overflow, and then put the kettle on the stove. After turning the gas on high, he turned. “Now you can talk all you want, ladies.”
Kinney put her elbows on the kitchen table. “I work for the CCD, sir.”
He raised his hand. “I know that. Let’s start by assuming I know just about everything. Being a much-pitied hermit has the effect of bringing out chatty people with casseroles and gossip.”
“So, the recluse role is all a ploy,” Evie said, smiling. “To keep yourself fed and amused.”
“We should have brought a casserole,” Remi said, lifting Leo into her lap.
Clarence withered each of them in turn with dark eyes through round spectacles. “Maybe the casserole ladies are hoping for a slice of my inheritance, who knows? You’re more likely to get my attention with well-planned plots and schemes.”
“It’s not much of a plan, as yet,” Kinney said. “All we have is a string of stolen puppies. Purebred pups from some of the best breeders in town.”
“I didn’t see that in the news,” he said, turning back to the stove as the kettle squealed.
“The mayor told me right after the Easter festival,” Evie said. “But when I asked him about it later, after I got over my concussion, he acted like I was crazy.”
Clarence poured hot water into a teapot. “You are crazy… for going to Bill directly. Now he knows you’ll start poking around. Because you lovely little hellions can’t stop doing that.” He dropped teabags into the pot and smirked over his shoulder. “That’s the only reason I tolerate you.”
Kinney picked up the story. “So, like you said, we started poking around. Four different breeders have lost a puppy and had it returned the next day under mysterious circumstances. One practically admitted the City bought her silence. Two others got sudden approval from the City to expand their kennels, which had been withheld before. There’s construction going on at three sites.”
“Puppy thefts, buy-offs, and cover-ups, alas.” Clarence placed tea cups and saucers on a tray. “It’s a bit extreme even for Bill Bradshaw,
isn’t it?”
Evie nodded. “Very. Keeping breeders quiet won’t be easy, even with substantial bribes. Their love of their dogs might even run deeper than love of their kids.”
“It should,” Clarence said. “Children are just a necessary evil. Dogs are a joy.”
“No argument here,” Kinney said, smiling. “But so far we haven’t found any breeders whose pups didn’t come back. And we have no idea at all about possible motives.”
“My best guess is that someone wanted to steal the Dog Town magic and use our best bloodlines to bring cachet to a different town,” Evie said. “Then when City Hall found out, they probably apprehended the thief and bought off the breeders to keep panic from rising.”
Clarence waved away Kinney’s gesture of help and carried the tray of rattling china to the table. After he set it down, he shook his head. “Good theory, but you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.”
“Mr. Dayton, what do you know?” Kinney asked, watching him pour tea with a hand that shook slightly. “We’d love a nudge in the right direction.”
Offering the first cup to her, he stared over his glasses. “You’re the cop, what does your intuition tell you?”
“That it’s something bigger,” Kinney said. “It was too neat and clean. The City is always sloppy. The Mafia manages to defeat them almost every time or at least figure out the game. This time it seems like a slick operation.”
“The mayor bragged to me about his new advisors,” Evie said. “After I turned down the job as chief of staff, he hired someone with no political experience. I couldn’t find any dirt on him, though.”
“No dirt just means he knows how to cover his tracks,” Kinney said. “There’s no such thing as clean politics.”
Remi shifted Leo in her lap, continuously stroking his ears. “Clarence, did you hear about missing puppies?”
He sipped his tea and smiled. “Just a whisper or six. And then they faded away, just as you said.”
“So there are more than we know about,” Kinney said. “Maybe some pups haven’t been returned.”
Clarence pinched a sugar cube with little tongs and dropped it into his tea. “Possibly.”
Evie gripped her delicate cup in both hands and her white knuckles made Kinney fear she’d break the china. “If we could expose this cover-up, we might be able to garner public support to oust the mayor.”
“Don’t get my hopes up,” Clarence said. “I’m on borrowed time already.”
A meow at Kinney’s feet startled her. A calico cat wove through her boots in a sinuous figure eight. Smiling, she scooped up the purring cat. She’d always had a soft spot for felines and had planned on getting one until Whiskey came along.
“That’s Ramona,” Evie said, releasing her chokehold on the teacup to pat the cat.
Ramona gave Kinney a headbutt, and then another and a third. “It’s like she’s trying to tell me something,” she said.
“Three headbutts ought to do it,” Clarence said. “For the sake of earning back my solitude, I’ll help her out: you’re thinking too small, all of you. The mayor’s schemes were more contained before. You need to look at the forest, not the trees.”
After Ramona settled in her lap, Kinney leaned across the table toward Clarence. “You know more, Mr. Dayton, I know you do.”
He stared into his tea for a moment. “I value my privacy more than anything, as you know. Getting involved goes against the grain.”
“What’ll it take?” Kinney asked. “For you to help us see the forest?”
His eyes rose to meet hers. “If you help me, Miss Butterfield, I’ll help you.”
“Of course. What can I do?”
“Marilyn Rossi brought me a nice tuna casserole the other day,” he said. “She told me you used some mediation kung fu on her daughter and the girl’s been a delight ever since.” He took another sip before adding, “Was that a one-off, or are you really that skilled at negotiation?”
Kinney leaned back in her chair, running her hands over Ramona’s warm body. It was too bad dogs didn’t come with a purr as well; it was very comforting. “I always thought mediation could be my superpower if I had more opportunity,” she said.
“I’ll give you that opportunity. I want the City to give me back decision-making control of the Dayton Estate. I want the last word on how it’s developed and used. They’re waiting for me to die so they can build a condo on the land, which is why it’s been left to practically go to seed. My grandfather was an honorable man and his legacy deserves to be honored, too.”
“I’d love to, sir, but I’m afraid my name is mud right now. I’ve been demoted for adopting a reactive dog, and I’m being publicly shamed in a remedial training class. The mayor’s office isn’t going to listen to me.”
He waved his hand. “I’m sure you’ll find a way. You’re resourceful and you have integrity.”
Evie poured herself more tea. “I think I can get you in the door, Kinney.”
Kinney pushed her chair back so that she had room to bend and give Ramona a kiss between her ears. She loved the scent of cat, especially since she’d owned shedding dogs that tended to smell like, well, dog.
“Count me in,” she said. “If we can get a meeting, I will work whatever mediation magic I have.”
Clarence’s smile came out in full for the first time, and it was unexpectedly charming. “Wonderful. Now come back to me in a few days and I’ll see what secrets the casseroles have revealed about the missing puppy plot.” He got up and led them to the door. “Just you, Miss Butterfield. Too much girl power jangles my nerves.”
“Let’s pop in and see Sasha,” Evie said, as they left the Puccini Café after lunch. It had been nice to hang out like regular people for a change. It always seemed like they were on one mission or another, catching up on their lives in stolen moments.
“I need to get home to Whiskey,” Kinney said. “I booked the day off so we could do some extra training. I’ve got Miracle Makeover class tonight and an assignment with James.”
“All the better,” Evie said, weaving through crowded noon sidewalks. “This is so well-timed.”
Main Street was always busy but the sunshine brought out the throngs—some with dogs, and others wanting to see those dogs. There were new brass structures shaped like circus poodles outside the shops that had hooks to hold leashes. You could leave your dog outside without worry in Dorset Hills. At least, that used to be true.
“What’s well-timed?” Kinney asked, still staring at the brass poodles. “I’ve got too many mysteries on my mind already, Evie.”
“Barbet!” Remi shouted, pointing. “French water dog. Non-shedding. Field retriever and excellent companion dog. Rare phantom coloring.”
Evie patted her arm. “No need to be nervous, Remi.”
“Who said I’m nervous?”
“You always start shouting rare dog breeds when you’re flustered,” Evie said “It’s endearing. Just give Leo a squeeze and all will be fine.”
“Okay, now I’m getting nervous,” Kinney said, as Evie pulled open the door to The Model Dog grooming salon. “What are you plotting now, Evie?”
“Just relax,” Sasha said, smiling a greeting from behind the counter. She had blonde curls, a pretty face, and a compact build. Her blue lab coat covered what appeared to be a grey knit dress, over matching suede boots. “This is an oasis of calm for dogs and humans.”
Lifting her nose, Kinney sniffed. “Lavender?”
“The most soothing scent.” Sasha came around the counter to help Kinney out of her coat. “Thanks for dropping by. There’s something I want you to see in the back.”
“Why am I the only one losing her coat?” Kinney asked. “I smell a set-up under all the lavender.”
Sasha pulled Kinney into the back room. “Make her a tea, Remi, will you?”
“I’ve had enough tea,” Kinney said. “I prefer coffee anyway.”
“Hard on the nerves,” Sasha said. “Enough coffee and you give off sho
cks.”
“Good, then maybe you’ll let go of my arm.”
They walked past two grooming areas and into a small room at the back. Inside, an old, cracked leather swivel chair sat like a throne.
Sasha gestured for Kinney to take a seat. “You remember my former life, right? I used to be a hairstylist for humans, rather than dogs. Now I only cut for friends, and you’re the only one who hasn’t been introduced to my scissors.”
Kinney clutched the big knot of hair at the back of her head. “I’m fine. I only get it cut once a year.”
Clucking sadly, Sasha slipped a robe over Kinney’s T-shirt and jeans. “That’s not good for woman nor beast. And a little bird told me you might have a high-profile meeting at the mayor’s office. I know from experience that he’s swayed by personal presentation.”
“The meeting isn’t even set up.” Kinney’s voice was shrill. “I highly doubt he’ll say yes.”
Evie held up her phone. “His office says it’s a go. He must be highly invested in whisking Clarence out of the way.”
Kinney sank into the salon chair, mostly because her knees got weak. “Oh no. I didn’t think he’d agree.”
“That’s how we all grow,” Evie said, leaning against the wall. “Overstretch, overcommit and then make it work.”
Remi put Leo in Kinney’s lap. “It’s just hair, Kinney. Your whole identity doesn’t ride on it.”
Maybe not, but she preferred to blend in. That way she could observe, rather than be observed. Looking too good would blow her cover. On the other hand, the mayor most certainly did judge based on appearances, and she was determined to hold up her end of the bargain for Clarence. If looking pretty swayed the vote, she’d suck it up.
Sensing the shift, Sasha picked up her scissors. “Just close your eyes and pat Leo. It’ll all be over in a few minutes. You have beautiful hair and all it needs is some shape.”
Kinney did as she was told and patted Leo, focussing on his ears. The satiny flaps got stroked so much they’d fall off one day if Remi didn’t get stingy with his attention.
Bold and Blue in Dog Town: (Dog Town 9) Page 11