Dogged by Death

by Laura Scott

  “Men. What do they know?”

  “Right?” Erica echoed. “Jim is a great guy, truly, but he has no idea how fast two young kids can wear you out. Having Tink just adds to the chaos. Not that I’d give Tink up for anything, you understand. She’s a great dog. It’s just more things to juggle, that’s all.”

  “I hear you.” Ally finished with the laceration and stepped back from the table. “Okay, hold onto Tink while I get the antibiotic ready.”

  Erica nodded. Ally went into the medication cabinet for the meds, then grabbed a small cone and returned to the exam room.

  “Hold her tight,” Ally directed. She injected the antibiotic. Erica winced when Tink let out a tiny yelp. But then it was over. Ally threaded the cone in place, which Tink clearly didn’t like one bit. “Sorry, Tink, but this is necessary for at least five days.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Erica said. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  “I know you will.” Finally, she handed Erica the bottle of antibiotics. “I want you to start the antibiotic first thing tomorrow morning, okay? Give her a pill twice a day until all the medication is gone.”

  “Is it okay to hide it in peanut butter?” Erica asked. “She’ll eat anything if peanut butter is involved.”

  “Of course, that’s not a problem. But if Tink starts to act funny, like she stops eating, or has vomiting and/or diarrhea, I need you to call me right away. That could be an indication the infection has gone into her bloodstream.”

  “Okay, I understand.” Erica offered a watery smile. “You’re a great vet, Ally. Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome.” Ally led the way back to the main area. She tallied the care she’d provided, then took off a ten percent discount before printing out the invoice.

  Erica paid, but frowned and tapped the invoice where the discount was noted. Ally had to keep her prices stable for accounting purposes. “You didn’t have to do the discount,” she protested. “I know this is your livelihood, and if you weren’t here, I’d have paid Hanson or whoever else bought the place.”

  “I know, but I have no idea when I’ll get into the Bluff Salon for a cut, so wanted to do something for you as my friend.” At the moment, Erica was the only real friend she had in town, if you didn’t count her grandfather and the WBWs. “I only listed the discount because my fees are all preset for tax purposes. The last thing I need is to get audited.”

  “Thanks again, but next time, don’t worry about adding a discount.” Erica gave her a quick hug. “Let’s make sure to reschedule our lunch date, okay? I miss having a girlfriend like you.”

  It was Ally’s turn to feel choked up. “I’d like that, Erica. Very much. I could use your advice on a few things, too.”

  “Great. I’ll call you.” Erica picked up Tink. “Thanks again for being here for me when I needed you.”

  “Anytime,” Ally assured her. This was the best part of her job, helping pets when they needed care the most. Ally unlocked the door, waited for Erica to leave, then closed and locked it again.

  Despite her slow day, June was looking to be a great month for Furry Friends. And for the first time since she’d returned home, Ally was beginning to feel like a real member of the community.

  Ally forced herself to clean up the messy exam room, just in case she had another emergency in the near future. When that was done, she went to get Roxy from the apartment.

  “Sorry, girl,” she said when the dog greeted her with enthusiasm. “I’m sure you need to get outside, right?”

  Roxy jumped excitedly and bolted down the stairs to the landing area. Ally clipped on the leash, thinking of the coyote Erica had encountered.

  At least Roxy was big enough to scare them off, but coyotes were also known to hunt in packs, and a pack of coyotes could easily bring down a dog Roxy’s size.

  Since she’d taken longer than anticipated in caring for Tinker Bell, Ally figured Roxy deserved a good walk and took her down Main Street. Knowing the coyote had hidden beneath the weeping willow was enough to avoid the lakefront. It was a beautiful night and relatively peaceful despite the earlier events of the day.

  Ally still couldn’t believe Anita Jones had been murdered. She shortened Roxy’s leash, keeping the dog close to her side.

  Better to be safe, right?

  Roxy sniffed the air but didn’t growl at the couple of pedestrians they passed along the way. Ally couldn’t help but remember how Roxy had growled at the man leaving Anita’s house.

  No matter what Noah thought, she was convinced Roxy had the ability to sniff out Marty’s and Anita’s killer.

  The murders had to have been committed by the same person. What were the odds of two different murderers being in the same town killing people in the same neighborhood?

  The Lakefront Café wasn’t very busy, maybe because it was just after ten o’clock on a Friday night. The dinner rush was over, and there was only a scattering of people still sitting outside.

  When she reached the opposite end of Main Street just past the grocery store, she stood for several minutes near a small grassy area, waiting for Roxy to do the deed. Unfortunately, Roxy wasn’t interested. With a sigh, Ally turned to head home. “You better go number two pretty quickly here, Roxy. We are not having a repeat of this morning, understand? You can do your business in other places besides Marty’s front yard.”

  Roxy glanced up at her, waving her stumpy tail, but then pulled on the leash as if anxious to move. Ally sighed, hoping the dog wouldn’t hold off until reaching the clinic.

  As they approached the municipal building, Roxy began to growl.

  “Not now, Roxy,” she said, tugging at her leash. Ally would have thought the dog simply didn’t like the narrow alley between the municipal building and the restaurant, but the dog hadn’t reacted like this on the first pass.

  Roxy planted her large feet and continued growling, staring in the direction of the alley. Roxy was so intense, Ally couldn’t ignore her.

  “What is it, girl?” Since the dog wasn’t going to leave the area, Ally moved closer to the narrow opening. Gathering her courage, she called out, “Who’s there?”

  No response.

  Roxy’s growls escalated in volume, and the boxer continued to pull at the leash. Ally wanted to run away, but Roxy didn’t budge. Ally took one more step forward, trying to see if anyone was lurking in the darkness. The opening between the municipal building and the Lakefront Café was so narrow, it was impossible to tell.

  She considered releasing Roxy’s leash, so the dog could chase down whoever was bothering her, but feared that would only get her and Roxy in trouble.

  “Who’s there?” Ally called again, louder this time. She took one more step forward, reaching the narrow opening, when she saw the shape of a man along with the glow from the tip of a cigarette hanging low at his side.

  Worse was the gun in his other hand pointed at the center of her chest.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The murderer!

  Ally froze, her jumbled thoughts coming to a screeching halt. As she stared at the man mostly hidden in the shadows, she tried to get a clear look at his face. Kevin Kuhn? Or Eli White? She’d only met each of the men once. If this guy was Nick Calderone, she wouldn’t recognize him at all.

  Roxy’s low-throated growls never let up. Ally gasped in horror when the muzzle of the gun dropped toward the dog. She drew Roxy closer to her side, trying to push the dog behind her legs, determined to throw herself in front of the animal to protect her if needed.

  “I knew I should have shot the dog when I had the opportunity.” The man’s voice was low and flat, lacking any ounce of emotion.

  Ally swallowed hard. “You mean the day you killed Marty Shawlin?”

  The muzzle returned to her chest. “You and that dog have been nothing but a problem for me.”

  “That’s because Roxy knows you killed both Marty and Anita Jones.” Say it, she silently urged. Ally wanted to hear him admit to killing them.

  �
��Marty got what he deserved, same as Anita. You and that stupid mutt are next. You’ll need to come with me.”

  Yeah, that was so not happening. There were less than a handful of people sitting on the patio just a few yards behind her. If she started screaming, one of them would come running.

  But what if this guy was able to get a shot off before anyone arrived? He could shoot twice and run, disappearing long before anyone could catch him.

  Her instinct was to encourage him to keep talking. And to draw him from the shadows to get a look at his face. His voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. “It’s too late to kill me. I’ve already told the police about you sneaking out of Anita’s house through the back door. I gave them a very detailed description for their file.” That was a bold-faced lie as she hadn’t gotten a good look at his face.

  But he didn’t know that.

  The glowing tip of his cigarette dropped to the ground.

  “Why did you kill Anita? After all, she covered for you the morning of the murder. Did you know that? She denied seeing anyone leave Marty’s house that morning.” Ally knew she was starting to ramble but couldn’t seem to help herself. “Is that why she had to be silenced? Because you thought she’d eventually talk?”

  “Take a step forward now, or I’ll shoot you where you stand. And the mutt, too.”

  An empty threat, at least she hoped so. “Roxy isn’t a mutt, she’s a boxer. And you won’t shoot me in front of witnesses. After all, isn’t that why you want me to come with you?”

  “Get over here, now,” he demanded in a low hiss. He moved just enough that a sliver of light provided a brief glimpse of his face.

  Eli White!

  “By the way, does Ginny know you’re a murderer?” Ally sensed someone coming up behind her and fought a surge of panic. What if Eli’s accomplice had shown up? Kevin Kuhn? Was he armed, too?

  But then she recognized a familiar woodsy scent.

  Noah!

  Before she could say a word, Noah rushed out from around her, pushing her back with one hand, and stepping in front of her. He’d placed himself directly in the line of fire as he faced the killer. Despite the bitter fear coating her tongue she was touched by his actions.

  “Put the gun down, Eli,” Noah said sternly. “It’s over.”

  For a split second no one moved, then Eli whirled and ran.

  Roxy lunged forward, straining at the leash in an attempt to go after him. Noah took off in pursuit, and Ally only hesitated a moment before releasing Roxy’s leash. “Get him!”

  The dog was fast and closed the gap quickly. Eli turned and looked as if he might try to shoot Roxy, but the dog’s large jaws locked on his ankle, pulling backward and tripping him up.

  Eli hit the ground hard. He dropped the gun, and the revolver skittered across the pavement far out of reach.

  In a heartbeat, Noah grabbed him, wrenching his arms behind his back and placing cuffs around his wrists. “Eli White, you’re under arrest for the murder of Marty Shawlin, Anita Jones, and the attempted murder of Dr. Ally Winter. You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be used in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided free of charge.”

  Ally heard all of this as she caught up to Noah, Eli, and Roxy. “Good girl, Roxy,” she praised, kneeling beside the boxer and giving her a huge hug. “You’re such a good girl.”

  “Do you understand your rights?” Noah asked, pulling Ed White up to his feet.

  “That dog bit me,” Eli whined. “I wanna press charges against the owner.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “I don’t see any blood, so the injury can’t be that bad. And of course, you can press charges, but I highly doubt the judge will be impressed when he hears you threatened the owner of the dog at gunpoint.”

  “And threatened to shoot Roxy too,” Ally added, clipping the boxer’s leash and rising to her feet. “He told me he should have killed Roxy from the beginning. And he said that Marty and Anita both got what they deserved.”

  “I heard,” Noah admitted. He used his phone to call for backup. When the dispatcher promised to send a squad, he pocketed the phone. He grinned at a scowling Eli White. “It’s always nice when the bad guy confesses in front of a detective and a civilian witness.”

  She hadn’t realized Noah was close enough to hear everything that had transpired.

  “I wanna lawyer,” Eli said loudly. “I’m not talking until I get a lawyer.”

  “Okay, that’s fine,” Noah said in an affable tone. “But I’m going to warn you it’s going to take a minor miracle to get out of this one. We have your confession and by the time we’re finished matching DNA evidence? You’ll be looking at life without parole.”

  The blood drained from Eli’s face and he fell silent.

  DNA evidence? Ally found the news very reassuring. “Why are you here, anyway?” Ally asked addressing Noah. “I thought I was all alone.”

  Noah sighed. “Because, despite what you and your grandfather think, I have been working the case. Eli White and Kevin Kuhn were both high on my list of suspects, especially after Anita’s murder, so I’ve been following both of them, trying to catch one of them doing something illegal.”

  Her eyes widened. “You suspected Eli or Kevin all along?”

  Noah looked sheepish. “Well, I have to say the tidbits of information you and Oscar provided were helpful. And you’ll be happy to know Sheila’s boyfriend Nick has an alibi for the time frame of both murders.” Noah looked over as a squad pulled up. He pushed Eli toward the officer. “Get him processed and booked for the murders of Marty Shawlin and Anita Jones, as well as the attempted murder of Dr. Ally Winter. Oh, and let him call a lawyer.”

  “Will do, Detective,” the officer said respectfully.

  “I’ll be in soon,” Noah added, stepping back and watching as the cop guided Eli into the back seat. When the squad rolled away, he turned toward her. “I would like you to come in to give a formal statement, Ally, if you don’t mind.”

  Dizzy with relief at knowing it was finally over, Ally nodded. “Can I bring Roxy?”

  Noah’s expression softened. “Yeah, you can bring her. After all, she helped save the day.”

  “I’m sure you would have caught Eli yourself in a foot race,” Ally said, feeling the need to defend him. “You’re several years younger than he is.”

  “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Noah shook his head wryly. “I hate to admit you were right about Roxy knowing who killed Marty. When I heard her growling I was intrigued. Then I heard Eli’s voice and knew she’d nailed it.”

  “Yeah.” Ally rested her hand on Roxy’s head. “Told you she’d make a great police dog.”

  “No lie,” Noah admitted. “Come on, let’s walk over to the precinct.”

  Ally fell into step beside Noah, flashing a crooked grin. “Gramps is going to be so upset he missed all of this.”

  Noah paused, then said, “I’m probably going to regret this, but if you need someone to be with you as you make your statement—you know, for support—you have that right.”

  Ally’s heart swelled in her chest. “Really? You’d let me go get Gramps?”

  “He can only be there for support,” Noah cautioned, even though they both knew that her grandfather wouldn’t just sit quietly through the process. “But yes, you can get him.”

  “Thanks Noah.” She quickly leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be there soon. Come, Roxy.”

  On her way back to the clinic, she called Gramps to let him know what had transpired. She kept it brief, promising to fill him in on the way.

  He yelled into the cell phone. “I’LL BE READY!”

  Ally knew he wouldn’t miss this for anything. What was better than watching Dateline?

  Living it.

  * * *

  Ally helped Gramps inside the police station, thinking about how different it was now compared to the previous time they’d
been in for questioning. Gramps had gotten a kick out of being considered a suspect nearly two weeks ago.

  During the short drive over, he’d grilled Ally about her interaction with Eli White. “Good thing Noah was there to rescue you,” Gramps said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. “You could have been seriously hurt, young lady.”

  Better me than Gramps, she thought. “I know, but I wasn’t. And Roxy was the real heroine tonight. She grabbed Eli’s ankle with enough force to bring him down. His gun went flying and Noah was able to handcuff him.”

  “If your detective was smart, he’d get himself a police dog,” Gramps said. “Look at what a great job Roxy did in bringing a murderer to justice.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Noah was waiting at the front desk for them. He nodded at Gramps. “Oscar, good to see you.”

  “I’m glad to hear you made an arrest,” Gramps said, his gaze somber. “And I want to thank you for rescuing Ally.”

  Noah’s expression turned serious. “You’re welcome. I want you to know I had no idea she would end up in danger. Having her held at gunpoint is not something I ever want to see again.”

  The two men eyed each other for a long moment. “I believe you,” Gramps said, breaking the silence. “But next time, maybe you should have more faith in a dog’s ability to track a suspect.”

  “I will,” Noah promised. He turned to Ally. “Ready to give your statement?”

  “Yes.”

  Noah led them into the same interview room they’d used the day of Marty’s murder. This time, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Noah settled himself next to Ally, then gestured to the camera in the corner. “Just want to let you know this interview is being recorded.”

  “I understand.” Ally pushed a strand of her wild hair away from her face, wishing she’d taken the time to refresh her makeup.

  Which was a ridiculous thought.

  “Start at the beginning,” Noah suggested.

  She frowned. “You mean the day I found Marty’s body?”