by B R Snow
“Indifference like she gets from her cat?” Josie said.
“Cat? Jessica doesn’t have a cat,” Jerry said, laughing. “She has a pet snake. A ten-foot python she keeps in her living room. The only time you’d see a cat in her house would be if she was feeding it to the snake.”
“That’s disgusting,” I said.
“She keeps the snake as a reminder,” Jerry said. “It’s a metaphor for her approach to life. Stalk, devour, digest, then move on.”
“You’re joking, right?” Josie said.
“I wish,” he said, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. “Jessica’s been known to trash the reputation of a lot of people she worked with after she’s moved on.”
“And that’s why you want a copy of today’s tape?” Josie said.
“That’s part of it,” he said. “Mainly I’d like to have it because it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Josie said.
“Yeah,” he said, studying Josie’s expression. “From what I’ve seen, I believe you will.”
“Take care, Jerry,” I said. “Thanks for all your help.”
“Suzy, Josie, it’s been so nice meeting you,” he said, bowing slightly. “Today was great. You know, I’ve been thinking about adopting a dog, and now I know just the place to find one when I’m ready.”
“Just let us know,” Josie said. “What kind of dog are you looking for?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about getting a Rottweiler, but now that it looks like Jessica is leaving, I’ll probably go with something a bit smaller. Those Springer Spaniels looked pretty good.”
“Good choice,” Josie said.
“Don’t forget about sending me a copy of that video,” he said, handing Josie one of his cards.
“You mean the video that was shot by some unknown person in the audience?” Josie said, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s exactly the one I’m talking about,” he said, waving goodbye.
We watched him make his way toward to the exit, then I turned to Josie.
“You wouldn’t,” I said.
“He probably just wants it as a keepsake,” Josie said.
“A keepsake?”
“Yeah. A reminder of a special event in one’s life.”
“I know what it means, Josie. But if we agree to delete it, and then it shows up later on, won’t Jessica and her lawyers know where it came from?”
“Suzy, there were several hundred people here today carrying Smartphones. Good luck proving it came from me.”
I thought about it, then nodded.
“You got a good point there,” I said. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
“By now, I’m surprised you need a reminder,” she said, punching me hard on the shoulder.
“Ow!”
“You thought I forgot, huh?”
Chapter 17
The arena had pretty much emptied out by the time we retrieved Captain and Chloe. I hugged my mom on her way out, helped our crew pack up, then we chatted with Jill and were happy to hear that five dogs had been adopted during the day. Then Josie and I headed back inside the arena and made our way to the converted supply closet where Alexandra was finishing up the last of her paperwork. Chloe sat down next to me as I worked my way into the cramped space and stood next to the small desk. Captain and Josie were relegated to the doorway since there was no absolutely no room for them.
“I’m almost done,” Alexandra said, scribbling notes furiously on a series of forms.
“Long day for you,” I said.
“Yes, for a show this size there would normally be at least three judges, but I managed to get through it. And it was a very good show,” she said, tapping the forms into a neat stack and sliding them into her bag. “Did you have any luck finding the people who are trying to steal Lucky and Lucy?”
“No, we completely whiffed on that.”
“And nothing has happened at the Inn?”
“Absolutely not. And we called every half-hour to get an update,” I said. “Your dogs are fine. And Josie and I would like to invite you to stay with us until you leave for home.”
“Out of concern that those people will try again?” Alexandra said.
“That’s part of it,” I said, shrugging. “But we thought you might be more comfortable there than in a motel.”
“I’m quite used to motels,” she said, smiling. “I really don’t want to put you out. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“At least stay for dinner when you stop by to pick them up,” Josie said.
“That I can do,” Alexandra said.
Chloe emitted a soft guttural growl that lasted several seconds.
“What’s the matter, girl?” I said, rubbing her head. “I know we’re a bit late with your dinner, but there’s no need to grumble.”
Chloe continued her low growl. I glanced around the closet and looked at Josie. She didn’t see me because she was looking down at Captain who was also beginning to growl.
“What the heck is up with these two?” I said.
“No idea.”
Then Chloe starting barking and stood on her back legs with her front paws planted on the desk. She was staring up at the open ceiling, and her barks turned into a snarl. I glanced up, caught a glimpse of a hand, then saw one of the boxes on the catwalk above begin to drop. I jerked Chloe back by the collar with one hand and used the other to pull Alexandra out of her chair. She stumbled forward a few steps before Josie caught her, and the box from above loudly crashed on top of the chair where Alexandra had just been sitting.
“Okay, this is not good,” I said, as I heard the sound of footsteps on the catwalk. “We need to get into the hallway where at least we’ll have a roof over our heads.”
“You and Chloe just saved my life,” Alexandra whispered, staring at the box.
We got Captain and Chloe settled down a bit, and I kept listening to the sound of fading footsteps.
“What do you want to do?” Josie said.
“I’m not sure,” I said, glancing up and down the hallway. “Chief Abrams has already gone home.”
“Do I need to remind you that getting the heck out of here would be an outstanding choice?” Josie whispered.
“Hang on. Just give me a second to think.”
Then the lights went out.
In the total darkness, the only sound I could hear now was the low, steady growl coming from both dogs.
“What is it with these people and light switches?” Josie said.
“Shhh.”
Moments later, the emergency lights came on and an eerie dim wash of light filled the arena. I heard the sound of movement coming from inside the large storage area where the Zamboni was kept.
“Alexandra, I need you to do us a favor?” I said.
“You do?”
“Yes. Could you take Chloe and Captain out the emergency exit you’ll see about fifty feet down the hall? It’ll take you right outside.”
“Good plan,” Josie said. “I strongly suggest we tag along.”
“Hang on,” I said, placing a hand on Josie’s forearm. “Here’s my phone, Alexandra. Call Chief Abrams and explain what happened. When he gets here, just get in the police car with the dogs and wait for us.”
“What are you going to do?” Alexandra said.
“I have an idea,” I said.
“Geez, I really hate it when that happens,” Josie said.
“Please don’t do anything crazy,” Alexandra said.
“Listen to her, Suzy,” Josie said.
“Shhh,” I said, placing a finger to my lips. “Go ahead, Alexandra. As long as those people are inside the arena, you and the dogs will be safe.”
Alexandra nodded, and we gave the dogs a quick pet then handed their leads to her. She started to walk away, then stopped and turned back.
“You know, maybe I will accept your generous offer to stay with you,” she said.
“Good call,” Josie said.<
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Alexandra briskly walked off with the dogs, and we waited until we heard the emergency exit door open and shut. Then I looked at Josie.
“Okay, just follow my lead,” I said.
“You mean like doing something really stupid?”
“Funny. Just keep your voice down.”
I slowly started working my way down the hallway. Josie followed close behind. Then she stepped on the back of my sneaker, and it came off.
“Sorry about that,” she whispered. “Maybe we should take that as a harbinger.”
“A harbinger?” I said, kneeling down to put my shoe back on.
“Yeah, an omen of something very bad that’s about to happen.”
“Shut it,” I said, resuming my slow walk down the hallway.
When we reached the door to the storage area, I stopped and slowly tested the handle. It was locked.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” I said.
“That we can go home?”
“No, it means there’s a good chance they might be trapped in there.”
“That’s good,” she whispered. “All we need to do is wait for the Chief.”
“We need to do one thing before he gets here,” I said.
“Disagree.”
“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Where on earth are you going?”
“Shhh.”
I trotted down the hallway to the converted closet then grabbed the letter opener I’d noticed earlier on the desk. I headed back and ignored the angry glare Josie was giving me.
“This door has one of those cheap button locks. All I need to do is work this into the keyhole, and it should pop right open.”
“You are so gonna pay for this, Suzy.”
“I’m well aware of that. Now, keep your voice down and try to follow my lead when we get in there.”
I jammed the letter envelope in and fiddled with it for a few seconds before I heard a soft click. I turned the handle and pushed the door open partway. I looked over my shoulder and nodded for Josie to follow me. I crouched as I stepped inside then worked my way to the right. Through the dim light, I could see stacks of boxes and bags containing supplies. The Zamboni sat in the center of the room, and the hockey boards were stacked along one side of the large space.
“Lots of places to hide,” I whispered.
“I’m glad to hear that. Pick a good one,” she whispered.
“Relax. They’re not after us.”
“Not yet.”
Near one of the stacks, I heard what sounded like cardboard being slid across concrete. It didn’t last long, but it was clear that one of the boxes had moved.
“Okay, they’re definitely in here,” I whispered. “Here we go.”
I took a few steps forward, cleared my throat, and spoke in a loud, clear voice.
“See, there’s nobody here. I told you that box just happened to fall off the catwalk.”
I waited for Josie’s response but got nothing out of her. I punched her on the shoulder.
“Ow,” she whispered. “What was that for?”
“That was your cue,” I whispered.
“Oh. Okay, I got it,” she whispered, then said in a big voice. “Sorry about that. You know me, always looking for conspiracies.”
“You watch too many cop shows. Nobody is after Alexandra. All they want to do is steal her dogs.”
“You think the dogs will be safe while they’re staying with us?” Josie said, glancing around the storage area.
“They’ll be fine, but I am a little worried about Tuesday night. We’ll all be at that thing.”
“What thing?” Josie whispered.
“How would I know?” I whispered back. “A thing. Just make something up.”
“Oh, that’s right,” she called out. “I completely forgot. That’s the night of the awards banquet. And they want all of us to be there, right?”
“Since we’re getting an award for the Inn, we can’t really leave any of the staff behind, right?”
“No, that wouldn’t be fair.”
“I just wish the guy who’s coming to fix our security system could get here before Wednesday,” I said.
“There’s no way he can move it up?”
“No, he’s booked solid. We’ll be able to keep a close eye on things the rest of the time, but Tuesday night the place will be unguarded. But all the dogs should be okay, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, we’ve never had a problem before,” Josie said. “I’m sure we’ll be just fine.”
“I’d ask Chief Abrams to keep an eye on the place, but he starts vacation on Tuesday.”
“Oh, that’s right. Where’s he going again?”
I glared at Josie.
“Who cares where he’s going?” I whispered.
“Well, excuse me for trying to add a little color to the story,” she whispered back.
“I think he’s going to Hawaii,” I said, refocusing. “Jimmy will be in charge while he’s gone, but he always refuses to leave the office.”
“Yeah, I heard he just sits at his desk and plays solitaire on his computer,” Josie said, then glanced at me.
Although I didn’t have a clue who Jimmy was, the cover story sounded plausible, so I shrugged and continued.
“Can we go home now?” I said.
“Yeah, sorry about freaking out like that. That box really scared me when it fell.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “But the maintenance staff needs to do a better job of storing stuff up there.”
I nodded at the door, and we stepped outside, closing the door behind us.
“Okay, I think that’s about all we can do for now,” I said.
“Then let’s go,” Josie said. “I’m starving.”
The lights in the arena returned to full power, and moments later we saw Chief Abrams walking down the hallway toward us. His gun was in his right hand by his side.
“Are you guys, okay?” he said, glancing around.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” I said. “What about Alexandra and the dogs?”
“They’re on their way home. I called Jackson, and he picked them up a couple of minutes ago,” he said, sliding his gun back into its holster. “You want to catch me up?”
We did, and he listened closely. When we finished, he glanced at the door to the storage area.
“They’re still in there?” he said.
“I think so,” I said. “They sure didn’t come through that door.”
“The parking lot is empty.”
“Then they must be on foot,” I said.
“Well, let me go have a look,” he said, removing his gun again.
“Why don’t we just wait for them to show up Tuesday night?” I said.
“Because they’re suspects in the murder of Rooster’s brother. And I can arrest them right now for unlawful entry and, if I get real lucky, attempted murder,” he snapped. “Are those good enough reasons for you?”
“There’s no need to get snarky, Chief,” I said.
“Just stay put here and out of the way,” he said, one-part cop, one-part father.
He slowly opened the door and stepped inside the now brightly lit area. I leaned against the wall and tapped a foot.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t just wait until Tuesday night and catch them red-handed,” I said, pouting.
“Unbelievable,” Josie said, shaking her head.
A few minutes later, Chief emerged from the storage area. He holstered his gun and took another look up and down the hallway.
“They’re gone,” he said.
“How the heck did they get out?” I said.
“Well, if my cop intuition is right, my guess is that they went out the door on the other side of the storage area.”
“Oh. I didn’t notice another door,” I said. “But in our defense, it was pretty dark in there.”
“You can leave me out of this one, Sherlock,” Josie said.
“Then we’re back to our Tuesd
ay night plan,” I said, smiling. “Oh, before I forget, Chief, you might want to keep a low profile during the day on Tuesday.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because you’re supposed to be heading for Hawaii,” Josie said.
“I am?”
“Yeah,” I said. “It just came up when we were creating the cover story.”
“Hawaii. Nice. Which island?”
“Does it matter?” I said, frowning.
“Probably only if I was actually going,” he deadpanned. “But I’ve always wanted to pretend I was going to Maui.”
Chapter 18
When we got home, we found Chef Claire and a still rattled Alexandra in the living room with the dogs. The four Goldens along with Captain and Chloe were all stretched out in front of the roaring fire but stirred when we entered. Except for Chloe, the dogs soon resumed their positions and nodded off. Chloe hopped up onto the couch and dropped her head in my lap.
“There’s my little hero,” I said, stroking her fur. “How are you doing, Alexandra?”
“I’ve been better,” she said. “But the wine seems to be helping.”
“Not to be too blunt, Alexandra,” I said. “But do you have any idea of who might want to kill you?”
“No,” she whispered. “Stealing my dogs is one thing, but trying to kill me is something else altogether.”
“Yes, it is. But can you think of anybody from the show today that could have been involved? You mentioned before that some people were jealous of your success,” I said.
Alexandra thought about my question for several moments before shaking her head.
“Petty jealousies are common. But murder is something else altogether,” she said.
“Maybe they were hired by someone else to get the dogs and kill Alexandra,” Josie said.
Alexandra flinched when she heard Josie’s comment. I considered Josie’s idea then frowned.
“No, I don’t think so,” I said, thinking out loud. “If they were contract killers, the results would be a lot better than what we’ve seen so far.”
“Better?” Alexandra said, staring at me.
“I’m sorry, Alexandra,” I said. “I didn’t mean it that way. If they were professionals, I doubt they would have gone about their business in such a slipshod way. Up to this point, we have somebody getting stabbed with a kitchen knife, and you almost getting conked on the head with a box. Instead of pros, I think we’re dealing with a couple of highly motivated amateurs.”