by B R Snow
“That really doesn’t make me feel a lot better,” Alexandra said.
“I’m sure it doesn’t,” I said. “But it does increase the chances that they’ll make another mistake. Like the one they’re about to make on Tuesday night.”
Josie and I provided an update on what had happened since Alexandra left the arena with the dogs.
“Do you really think they’ll show up Tuesday night?” Alexandra said.
“I do. They’re motivated, and we just gave them the opportunity they think they’ll need.”
“To steal the dogs, yes,” Alexandra said. “But that doesn’t deal with my other problem. The one where someone wants to kill me.”
“But if we catch them in the act trying to steal the dogs, then we’ll be able to remove that threat as well,” I said. “I really think we’ve got a great chance to wrap this up Tuesday night.”
“You’re convinced that the people who want to steal the dogs are the same people who are trying to kill me?”
“I’d be shocked if it wasn’t, Alexandra.”
“Yes. I’m sure you’re right. I need to call Harold to see if he can cut his business trip short,” she said, getting up out of her chair.
Alexandra headed for the guest bedroom to make the call and Josie stretched out in front of the fire next to the dogs. Captain raised his head briefly, then draped one of his front paws over her shoulder and went back to sleep.
“You’re thinking about organizing a greeting party for our visitors on Tuesday night, aren’t you?” Josie said.
“Yeah. I thought we’d start with Chief Abrams and Rooster. Maybe Chief will ask the state police to send somebody as well.”
“So, I get to spend Tuesday night in the condo area sitting in the dark waiting for a couple of dognappers to show up?” Josie said.
“I suppose it would be okay for you to stay in the reception area.”
“Not a chance,” she said, yawning. “If I’m going to be down there all night, I’m spending it with the dogs.”
“Bring along a couple bags of the bite-sized Snickers to keep you company,” I said.
“You can bet on that,” she said, closing her eyes.
“Before you ask,” Chef Claire said. “I’ll be working. And Al and Dente will be in the lounge with Rocco keeping a very close eye on them.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you,” I said.
“Good. I hate disappointing you,” she said, laughing. “I don’t want to get anywhere near them. That is unless you catch them. And if you do, my softball bat and I would love to have a little chat with them.”
Alexandra walked back into the living room wiping tears from her eyes. She slumped down into a chair and dropped her head, her shoulders shaking.
“What happened?” I said.
“My husband said it’s too late for him to change his plans,” she said, continuing to sob. “In fact, he said his trip needs to be extended.”
Josie sat up and looked at me. The idea that a husband wouldn’t drop everything he was doing to get home after his wife had gone through what Alexandra had seemed callous.
“He’s such a workaholic,” Alexandra said. “And this just confirms what I’ve always known. Everybody plays second fiddle to money. I’m sorry you have to sit here and watch me blubber like a baby.”
“Don’t worry about that,” I said. “What’s the business deal he’s working on that’s so important?”
“He’s been trying to close a big endorsement deal with a company that sells a variety of dog products. We thought we had it wrapped up a few weeks ago, but the company is having second thoughts about using Lucky and Lucy. Apparently, their internal market research indicates that the popularity of Golden Retrievers has peaked, and they’ve started looking at using a different breed.”
“What’s the company’s name?” Josie said.
“Fetch and Tug.”
“Good company,” Josie said. “We sell some of their products. What breed is the company thinking about using?”
“Chesapeake Bay Retrievers,” Alexandra said.
“Like the one that Glen and Abby Wilson have?” I said, the hairs on the back of my neck starting to tingle.
“Not like it,” Alexandra whispered. “They’re thinking about using their dog.”
“Well, maybe the dog’s second place finish today will help change Fetch and Tug’s mind,” Josie said, glancing over at me.
“That would be wonderful,” Alexandra said through a half-grimace, half-smile. “But I’m afraid the process has gone too far for that to make any real difference.”
“Did your husband have any suggestions about what you should do?” I said, still having a hard time believing that the man wasn’t already on an airplane heading this way.
“I explained that I’d be staying here for a few days. And I told him that you were quite confident that we would be able to put an end to this on Tuesday night. As soon as he heard that, he relaxed and told me he was going to stay put. So, I told him not to worry and that I was in good hands. But he suggested that I head to my sister’s on Wednesday instead of going home. Then we made plans to connect next week in Massachusetts. I’m judging another Sporting Group show outside of Boston next Saturday.”
“Where does your sister live?” I said.
“She has a horse farm outside of Saratoga Springs.”
“Just to be safe,” I said. “If we don’t get them Tuesday night, I think you should probably hire some security to keep an eye on you and your dogs until you can reconnect with your husband.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Alexandra said, pushing herself up out of the chair. “I hate to do this, but I’m exhausted, and I think I’ll turn in.”
“Don’t you want to have dinner first?” Chef Claire said.
“Perhaps I’ll have a bite to eat later if I wake up. But it’s been a very long and trying day.”
“We understand,” I said. “Sleep well.”
She smiled at us, whistled softly, and Lucky and Lucy woke up and followed her as she left the room.
“What sort of husband doesn’t come running when his wife goes through something like that?” Josie said.
“One who is very focused on making money,” I said.
“I remember her making a comment about their relationship before,” Chef Claire said. “It sounded like she was describing a business partnership rather than a marriage.”
“Well, they have two adult kids,” I said. “So they’ve obviously been married a long time. The relationship has probably changed over the years.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Josie said. “But still. I think not coming home is a crappy thing for him to do.”
“The Fetch and Tug deal must be worth a lot of money,” I said.
“And you’re thinking that the Abby and Glen Wilson might be doing everything they can to make sure nothing happens that could screw it up?” Josie said.
“I’m trying not to think that,” I said.
“But you’re failing miserably, right?” Chef Claire said.
“I certainly am.”
Chapter 19
Temperatures in the low thirties combined with cold rain and a brisk north wind always limits the number of activities one might agree to participate in on a day like this. But this type of weather, that kept most people tight-lipped and hunkered down whenever they stepped outside seemed appropriate for a trip to a funeral home.
Josie and I, wearing hooded rain slickers, pushed forward across the parking lot holding our struggling umbrellas at a thirty-degree angle in front of us to fend off the wind and rain.
“When do we leave for Grand Cayman?” Josie yelled above the howling wind.
“Not soon enough.”
We finally reached the covered entrance to the funeral home and shook the excess water off our umbrellas and slid them into a stand outside the door. Moments later, my mother parked under the covered area and hopped out of her car. An attendant handed her a ticket, and she handed
over a five to the young man. He hopped in the car and drove off. My mother smiled, then frowned at the confused look on our faces.
“Hello, ladies,” she said. “You two look like a couple of drowned rats. For the record, it’s not your best look.”
“Since when does Godfrey offer valet parking, Mom?”
“Ever since it started raining, darling,” she said, the smile returning.
“Funny. I guess I never noticed before,” I said.
“Have you ever been here before on a rainy day?”
“That must be it, Mom. How are you doing?”
“I’m wonderful, darling. Still basking in the glow of the success of our recent events and the associated publicity.”
“So the council and business owners are happy?” I said.
“They are delighted,” she said, then changed gears. “Okay, Suzy. I know how you can get when you see things like this. Try to control yourself, please.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your rather delicate sensibilities,” my mother said.
“Delicate sensibilities? I’m going to need a little clarification, Mom.”
“Try not to throw up in the casket.”
Josie snorted and waved to Godfrey Anderson, the owner of the funeral home, as she stepped inside. We followed her, and I removed my rain slicker and handed it to Godfrey. He’d bought the mortuary from his father a few years earlier and was a nice man who performed what I considered one of the worst jobs on the planet with a quiet, dignified professionalism that had earned him the respect of virtually everyone in town. But he constantly reeked of cologne that reminded me of a pine-scented disinfectant. I’d always assumed he was trying to overcompensate for spending so much time working with formaldehyde and other tools of the trade, but maybe he just liked the smell of pine.
I got a whiff of the cologne, spent a few seconds pondering the embalming process, and felt my stomach churn.
We briefly chatted with Godfrey, then entered the main viewing area where an open casket at the other end of the room was surrounded by various floral arrangements. I glanced around and couldn’t help but notice attendance was light. I spotted Rooster sitting quietly by himself in the front row and approached.
“Hi, Rooster,” I said, giving him a hug. “I’m so sorry about your brother.”
“Thanks, Suzy. I appreciate that.”
“You’re wearing a suit for a second time this week. That must be some sort of record.”
“Tell me about it,” he said, chuckling. “You know, I’ve spent the last fifteen minutes sitting here trying to feel worse than I do. Shouldn’t I be grieving?”
“I’m sure you are in your own way, Rooster, I said, sneaking a quick peek at the casket.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever known a bigger screw up who completely wasted their life,” he said, then sighed loudly.
I snuck another quick look at the casket, then felt my breakfast start working its way up my throat. I pressed my stomach with the palm of my hand and focused on my breathing.
“Is that your cousin?” I said, surprised to see him here.
“Yeah, he was released this morning,” Rooster said. “The state police aren’t looking at him for the murder, and I decided not to press charges for criminal trespassing and B&E.”
“That was a very kind thing to do,” I said.
“After what happened to my brother, I just couldn’t go through with having him locked up,” Rooster said. “I think I’m getting soft in my old age.”
“I always knew you were a big puppy. So, what’s he going to do now?”
“He is going to do exactly what I told him to do,” Rooster said, glancing over at Coke Bottle who was sitting by himself in a long row of chairs that stretched along one wall. “I gave him another stack of cash, the last one he will ever get from me by the way, and told him that he needed to leave Clay Bay and never come back.”
“I wish I could say I was going to miss him,” I said. “But since he’s stolen dogs from us twice now, I’d be lying.”
“Yeah, I get that. Mean and stupid is not much of a way to go through life, huh?”
“Where do you think he’ll land?”
“He’s been talking about Florida,” Rooster said. “And that’s far enough away for me.”
I watched Coke Bottle as he removed his glasses to dry his eyes. Then he stared off into the distance in his own little world as he wiped the thick lenses with a cleaning cloth. Godfrey strode past him and Coke Bottle, startled, jerked violently in his chair. Then he pressed a hand against his chest and took several deep breaths to recover before putting his glasses back on.
“What an idiot,” Rooster said.
“And obviously scared of his own shadow.”
I snuck another peek at the casket. Repetition wasn’t improving my reaction. I turned and saw my mother approaching just as a thought popped into my head. I glanced down at the thick carpet, then whispered into Rooster’s ear. He listened carefully, then his eyes grew wide as he stared back at me. He nodded and was about to respond when my mother arrived.
“Well, look at the two of you,” she said. “Whispering like a couple of thieves.”
“Hey, Mom. I was just asking Rooster if he wanted to join us for a drink at C’s after the viewing hours are over.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” he said. “I’m going to need one.”
“I wish I could join you, but I have a meeting to go to,” my mother said. “Rooster, again I am so sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, Mrs. C. I appreciate you stopping by.”
“Hang in there, Rooster,” she said, patting his arm. “Darling, I need to run.”
“Me too, Mom,” I said. “I’ll walk out with you. I’ll see you in a bit, Rooster. And since he’s leaving town, bring your cousin along for a goodbye drink.”
“I’ll do that,” he said.
I walked next to my mother back toward the front door where Josie was already waiting. She was holding her rain slicker in her hand.
“I have the thing you call a car being brought to the front,” Josie said.
“Good thinking,” I said, grabbing my slicker off the coatrack. “And it’s an SUV.”
“It’s a noisy, leaky contraption that needs to be put out of its misery,” my mother said. “Please, darling, let me take you car shopping.”
“As soon as we get back from vacation, Mom. I promise.”
We walked outside and stood under the covered area as the rain and wind continued unabated. My SUV was the first vehicle to arrive, and the valet hopped out and gave me an odd look.
“What?” I said, handing him a five.
“You’ll see,” he said, heading off to retrieve my mother’s car.
Josie opened the passenger door, and a small flood poured out, soaking her feet. She glared at me.
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll catch a ride with your mom.”
“Sorry about that,” I said, taking a quick look inside the SUV to see where the leaks were coming from. “I’ll see you at the restaurant. Later, Mom.”
I gave them a quick wave and hopped in the driver seat. I made the drive to C’s dodging the rain streaming through a popped windshield seam while trying to keep my feet dry as water kicked up by my tires splashed through the hole in the floorboards.
The drive was short but extremely unpleasant.
Chapter 20
I entered the restaurant through the back door that led directly into the kitchen and found Chef Claire regaling two of her staff with a story about her days running a food truck on the West Coast. As opposed to the summer when the kitchen was hectic and loud, things were moving at a much slower and quieter pace that would continue most nights until spring arrived.
“Hey, Suzy,” Chef Claire said, staring at me. “Let me guess. You and Chloe decided to roll around in the rain.”
“My SUV sprung a couple of new leaks,” I said.
“How could you tell?”
> “Funny. Any chance you’ve got a change of clothes here?”
“Sorry. I just took everything I had here home to wash. The best I can do is one of the waitress uniforms.”
“Checkerboard pants and a black blouse?” I said, frowning. “I guess I can make that work.”
“They’re hanging in the closet next to the shower,” Chef Claire said.
“Thanks,” I said, removing my soaked sneakers and socks. “Any chance I could use one of your ovens to dry these out?”
Chef Claire stared at me in disbelief.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I said. “Never mind.”
“I’ve got a pair of sandals somewhere you can wear.”
“Perfect,” I said, heading off.
“Oh, Suzy,” Chef Claire said. “As soon as you get changed, I think table seven is ready to order.”
“You’re really not funny.”
“To quote our good friend, disagree.”
I made a face at her before heading off to change and another on my way out. I headed to the lounge and found it empty except for Rocco who was sitting in a chair in front of the fire laughing at Al and Dente. At the moment, they each had one end of a rubber chew toy in their mouths and were holding on for dear life in a game of tug of war.
Rocco did a double take when he saw what I was wearing.
“If you’re thinking about moonlighting to pick up some extra cash, I suggest you come back in the summer when things pick up a bit.”
“Everybody is a comedian,” I said, kneeling down to pet the dogs.
They tolerated me interrupting their game for a few seconds, then resumed their attempts to acquire sole position of the toy.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Coffee with a shot of brandy sounds pretty good,” I said, glancing around the empty lounge.
Rocco hopped up out of his chair and went to the bar. He returned shortly holding two large mugs.