by B R Snow
“I thought I might,” he said, handing me the beagle. “It’s such a beautiful day.”
“Yeah, good call,” I said. “Are the house dogs outside with the rest of the gang?”
“They are,” Sammy said. “Should I get a condo ready for the beagle?”
“Yeah, but let’s leave her out for a while. She’s had a tough morning. Why don’t you come get her in my office around lunchtime?”
“Will do,” he said, handing me the beagle before grabbing the hose.
I headed for my office and set the dog down on the couch. The beagle sat up on her haunches and cocked her head at me. I laughed when I saw the expectant look on her face and picked her up and set her down on my desk.
“You are an inquisitive little thing, aren’t you?” I said, scratching her ears.
With the beagle watching my movements closely, I fired up my laptop then searched for the Pontilly Family Circus. I found their homepage and started scrolling. When I landed on the page that displayed photos of some of the featured acts, my initial suspicions were confirmed, and I immediately placed a call to Chief Abrams.
“Hey,” he said. “How was breakfast?”
“Unbelievably good,” I said. “She put chunks of fresh strawberries and pecans in the batter.”
“Don’t tell me that,” he said.
“You asked.”
“What’s up?”
“Are you still out on the water?”
“No, we just docked, and they’re removing the body as we speak.”
“Why don’t you swing by the Inn? I’ve got something to show you.”
“I’m a little busy at the moment,” he said. “Can it wait?”
“Sure,” I said. “As long as you don’t mind waiting to find out the identity of the dead woman.”
“I’ll be there in five.”
I was still studying the circus’s website when the Chief arrived. He sat down across from me and gently lifted the beagle onto his lap. He stroked her back until the dog rolled over. The Chief then began a tummy rub that soon lulled the dog to sleep.
“What do you have for me?”
“The dead woman is Samantha Pontilly,” I said.
“Okay,” the Chief said, frowning. “I assume you’re going to tell me how you know that.”
“Have a look,” I said, turning the laptop toward him.
The Chief read from the screen then scrolled and read some more.
“A circus performer?”
“Her family’s circus,” I said. “That has just started a summer tour and is traveling by boat.”
“Boat?” the Chief said.
“We saw the boat this morning,” I said. “And then I saw someone throw something overboard. At the time, I assumed it was a garbage bag. But we were too far away to get a good look at what it was.”
“And you think it was the woman and the beagle that were thrown off the boat,” he said.
“It’s the only thing that makes any sense,” I said. “Right?”
“I guess,” he said, frowning. “The website says she had a dog act.”
“Yeah, Samantha’s Pack of Wonder,” I said. “It looks like there are nine dogs who perform all sorts of tricks. But I don’t think the beagle is part of the act.”
“I wonder why anybody would want to kill her,” the Chief said.
“I have no idea,” I said with a shrug. “But the Pontilly family has had their circus for close to a hundred years. They’re now in their fourth generation. And Samantha was the daughter of the guy who runs it.”
“And they’re doing a summer tour up and down the River?” he said, shaking his head.
“They are,” I said. “The family was originally based in Croatia, but most of the circuses with wild animal acts have been banned over there as well as a lot of other places they used to tour.”
“So, they bought a boat and decided to tour the U.S. and Canada?”
“That’s what it looks like. I can’t believe they haven’t been banned on both sides of the River by now,” I said. “They still have elephant and big cat acts. Disgusting.”
“Yeah, I’ve never been a fan of those,” the Chief said. “I can only imagine what those animals must go through.”
“The tour starts in Brockville in a few days,” I said, grinning at him.
“You want to go to the circus?”
“Well, I would like to check it out just to see if anybody is looking for the dog.”
“And do a little snooping while you’re there?”
“Only if we have time,” I said, giving him a coy smile.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid if you see somebody mistreating one of those animals?” he said, raising an eyebrow at me.
“C’mon, Chief. You know I can’t do that.”
Chapter 3
At three o’clock, I met Josie in the registration area, and we headed outside to wait for the architect who was helping us design the rescue center we were building on the hundred acres of vacant land my mother owned directly behind the Inn. Apart from the fencing that was rapidly going up around the perimeter of the property and a large barn that was beginning to take shape, the spring rain and mud had slowed our progress, and we hadn’t gotten as far along with our plans as we had hoped.
Truth be told, Josie and I hadn’t made it any easier with our constant tweaks to the detailed drawings the architect had put together based on our earlier decisions. We were about to review round six that everyone hoped would be the final version.
We both waved when the architect, a local man named Stan Bule, parked in front of the Inn and hopped out carrying a set of rolled plans.
“Hey, Stan,” I said, shaking hands with him. “Thanks for coming out again. Hopefully, this will the last time we put you through another round of changes.”
“No problem,” he said, grinning as he shook Josie’s hand. “But I am happy I decided to bill this job by the hour.”
We headed across the empty play area and opened the gate on the far side that led to the acreage. I closed the gate, and we waited for Stan to unroll the plans on a nearby tree stump.
“Okay, I think I’ve captured what you want,” he said. “And I like your idea of putting walking paths throughout the place. Visitors will be able to get up close and personal. Assuming that you won’t have dangerous critters wandering loose around the property.”
“No, we won’t,” I said, glancing at Josie. “That’s what the caged areas are for.”
“So, if I bring my kids out for the day, I won’t have to worry about them coming face to face with a black bear?”
“Only through a thick set of bars,” Josie said. “Were you able to make the changes we wanted to those?”
“I was,” he said, pointing at the plans. “I increased the size of the large animal areas to an acre each, but I had to cut the number down to a dozen. But I was able to keep the acre you wanted for raccoons and other critters.”
“Good,” I said. “We expect to get a lot of stray or injured small animals.”
“That’s going to be one big cage,” he said.
“Well, you know how Josie is,” I said. “She needs her space.”
“Funny,” Josie said.
“And to get the overall look and feel you want, you’re going to have to build several barriers and some additional security fencing. It’s not going to be cheap.”
“Yeah, we know,” I said. “Fortunately, my mother is on a bit of a spending spree at the moment.”
“I heard,” he said, laughing. “An eight-foot ice sculpture of the happy couple?”
“How did you hear about it?” I said, frowning.
“I got it from Freddie, who got it from Chief Abrams, who got it from your mom,” Stan said.
“News travels fast,” Josie said.
“C’mon, let’s walk over to the pond,” Stan said, rolling up the plans. “I think you’re going to like what I did with it.”
We followed him and walked until I wa
s breathing heavily and dripping sweat even though the temperature was in the mid-sixties. Eventually, we came to a stop at the edge of an enormous, spring-fed pond that sat in the middle of the property. When Josie and I had first begun talking about the rescue center, we hadn’t put much thought into how the pond might be incorporated into the overall plan. But at Chef Claire’s suggestion, since fish and birds were such a big part of our local wildlife, we decided the center should highlight them. Stan again unrolled the plans, and we sat down at the edge of the pond to review his latest version.
“If I were you, I’d stock the pond and let the kids fish,” he said. “And it won’t take much to attract all sorts of waterfowl. Add in a bunch of squirrels and some tame deer, and you’ve got yourself something special.”
“What are those things?” Josie said, pointing at several notations on the plan that appeared to be sitting in the middle of the pond.
“Those are the aerators we talked about,” he said. “They’ll help maintain the oxygen levels and keep the pond ice-free in the winter.”
“Cool,” I said, nodding as I studied the plan. “And what’s that thing on the other side of the pond?”
“You mentioned that it might be nice if people had a chance to kick back and maybe have a picnic while they’re here. So, I thought we might build a natural amphitheater on the bank on the far side,” Stan said. “You do realize that it’s turning into a nature reserve as much as a rescue center, right?”
“We thought we’d try to do both,” I said. “And we should be fine as long as we only put animals out here that won’t eat each other.”
“Or people,” Josie deadpanned.
“Yeah, thanks for the safety tip,” I said, making a face at her. “I like it, Stan.”
“Yeah, me too,” Josie said. “So, what’s the next step?”
“Finish all the fencing, get a couple of dozers in here to move some dirt around, and then turn all your summer hires loose with rakes and shovels,” he said, rolling up the plan. “And you’ll need an experienced crew to handle the construction of the cages. A black bear or a mountain lion getting loose and prowling around out here is not a good idea.”
We walked back to the Inn, said our goodbyes to Stan then headed inside where Chloe and Captain were rolling around on the floor with Queen B. The Newfie playfully draped one of his enormous paws over the beagle, and she almost disappeared from sight. I glanced at Jill who was watching the dogs from behind the registration counter.
“How are they getting along?” I said.
“They’re doing great,” Jill said. “What are you going to do with the beagle? Sammy and I have been talking about getting another dog, and she is adorable.”
“We’ll let you know as soon as we can,” I said. “Hopefully, as soon as we get back from the circus.”
“Okay,” Jill said, staring at me like I’d lost my mind. She turned to Josie. “Should I even ask?”
“Probably not,” Josie said, shaking her head. “Are you guys all set here? The Ringmaster and I need to get ready for dinner.”
“Yeah, we’re good,” Jill said. “But your schedule is packed tomorrow. You start with an eight o’clock spaying.”
“I’ll be here,” Josie said, heading for the back door. “Enjoy your evening.”
“Would it be okay if we took the beagle home with us tonight?”
Josie and I looked at each other and shrugged.
“Sure, why not?” she said. “Have fun.”
We headed up to the house to shower and change then drove to C’s. I parked in back, and we entered through the kitchen where Chef Claire was in the middle of a conversation about the evening’s specials with her staff. She gave us a brief wave then we headed for the lounge and took a seat at the bar. Millie, our head bartender, greeted us with a big smile then poured two glasses of wine. I took a sip and glanced around. Then I noticed the look on Josie’s face and followed her eyes to the front door where my mother was chatting with our hostess.
“Get ready,” Josie said.
“Yeah, I’ll do my best,” I said, staring at the object she was holding under one of her arms.
“Is that what I think it is?” Josie said.
“Yeah, she brought the binder with her,” I said, shaking my head.
“The dreaded binder,” Josie whispered. “Ten bucks she wants to talk about flowers tonight.”
“You’re on,” I said. “Since we’re in the restaurant, her mind is going to be on food. She’s gonna want to talk appetizers.”
Chapter 4
I glanced up from my menu and noticed that my mother had both hands on top of the binder as if she were protecting a puppy from falling off her lap. I did my best to ignore the expectant look she was giving me and refocused on my dinner choices. Freddie and Chief Abrams strolled across the dining room and sat down.
“What’s everyone having?” Chief Abrams said.
“I think I’m going to go Italian tonight,” I said, sliding my menu aside.
My mother voiced her displeasure with a quick intake of air.
“Yes?” I said, staring at her.
“Nothing,” my mother said.
I waited out the ensuing silence.
“It’s just that I’m not sure that someone who wants to fit into her wedding dress should be eating all those carbs.”
“I’m stress eating,” I said.
“What on earth do you have to be stressed about?” she said, drumming her fingers on top of the binder.
Everyone at the table glanced over at my mother then at each other with a grin. I let her question pass without comment, and our server approached to take our orders. When he departed, my mother flipped the binder open and leaned forward.
“Before our food gets here, I thought we’d take a few minutes to discuss a couple of items,” she said.
“What’s it going to be tonight, Mom?”
“Let’s start with appetizers,” she said, handing me a piece of paper.
I smiled at Josie and held my hand out. She shook her head and placed a ten-dollar bill in my palm.
“Sweet,” I said, tossing the ten on the table. “Thanks for playing.”
“What did I miss?” my mother said, frowning.
“We had a bet on what you wanted to talk about,” Josie said. “I went with flowers.”
“They’re next on the list,” my mother said, tapping the binder.
“Ha,” Josie said, snatching the ten back and sliding it into her pocket.
My stomach rumbled as I scanned the impressive collection of appetizers then slid the page across the table.
“That looks like a great list, Mom,” I said. “I assume you worked on it with Chef Claire.”
“Of course. They’re all one-bite items,” she said. “I wanted to avoid having to use cutlery before dinner.”
“Good call. You probably don’t want me holding a knife that day,” I said, then focused on Freddie. “Any update on the Pontilly woman?”
“Nothing new,” Freddie said.
“Pontilly?” my mother said. “Like the circus?”
“Yeah,” I said, frowning at her. “How did you know that?”
“They called the town council offices a few days ago,” she said. “Apparently, one of their tour stops canceled, and they’re looking to fill the slot.”
“What did you tell them?” I said.
“I didn’t tell them anything,” my mother said. “I was busy shopping for wedding invitations. Remind me to show you some samples after dinner.”
“Sure, sure,” I said, nodding. “Is the Council thinking about booking them?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, then raised an eyebrow at me. “Why do you care? You hate circuses.”
“No, I don’t,” I said. “I just don’t like circuses that have wild animal acts. You should book them.”
“Let’s back up a second,” my mother said, glancing around the table. “What sort of update are you talking about?”
“
You heard about the drowning this morning, right?” the Chief said.
“I did. Simply tragic. And a horrible way to start the season.”
“The victim was a woman by the name of Samantha Pontilly,” the Chief said. “She was the daughter of the guy who runs the circus.”
“And the family contacted you?” my mother said, taking a sip of wine.
“No, in fact, we haven’t heard a word from them,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with them all day, but the main number that’s listed on their website appears to be disconnected. And I have to say that made me a bit suspicious. I eventually called the Brockville police this afternoon. They said they’d head over to the circus and deliver the news that we found her body.”
“How did you know who the poor woman was?” my mother said.
“Suzy figured it out,” the Chief said.
“Of course, she did,” my mother said, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”
“It was easy. We found her dog on a channel buoy and put two and two together,” I said.
“Her dog was on a channel marker?” my mother said, bewildered.
“Yeah,” I said. “We saw their boat earlier, then found the dog. And we ran into the Chief and Freddie on our way home when they were recovering the body. Samantha’s photos were all over their website.” I turned to Chief Abrams. “So, nobody contacted you about a missing person?”
“Nope,” he said with a shrug.
“Weird,” I said, then focused on my mother. “When’s the open date on their schedule?”
“I believe it’s around the middle of June,” she said. “You can’t be serious about us booking a circus.”
“Why not?” I said. “The kids will love it.”
Josie snorted.
“Shut it.”
“Even though they have animal acts?” my mother said.
“I’ll just step outside while they’re going on,” I said, my mind racing. “And since we have her dog, we need to see if there’s someone there who wants to take her.”
“We don’t need to bring the circus to town to do that, darling. A simple phone call will do the trick.”