The Case of the Brokenhearted Bulldog Read online

  The Case of the

  Brokenhearted Bulldog

  A Thousand Islands Doggy Inn Mystery

  B.R. Snow

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either used fictitiously or are the product of the author’s imagination. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written consent of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher are illegal and punishable by law.

  Copyright © 2016 B.R. Snow

  ISBN: 978-1-942691-06-8

  Website: www.brsnow.net/

  Twitter: @BernSnow

  Facebook:facebook.com/bernsnow

  Cover Design: Reggie Cullen

  Cover Photo: James R. Miller

  Other Books by B.R. Snow

  The Thousand Island Doggy Inn Mysteries

  The Case of the Abandoned Aussie

  The Damaged Po$$e Series

  American Midnight

  Larrikin Gene

  Sneaker World

  Summerman

  The Duplicates

  Other books

  Divorce Hotel

  Either Ore

  To Laurie and Stella

  Chapter 1

  I stretched out on one of the lounge chairs surrounding the massive swimming pool. Being late September, the pool was empty, and I knew that after this annual end of summer soiree ended, the pool would be covered and the lounge chairs stored away until May. Or if winter behaved like the last person at a party who refused to take the hint and leave, the chairs might not make another appearance until June.

  Chloe, my gorgeous Australian Shepherd Josie and I had rescued from the River a few months ago, took my prone position as an invitation to climb up on my full stomach and stretch out. I groaned from her weight, but couldn’t say no to her. I pulled myself into more or less an upright position and Chloe took the hint, moved down, and repositioned herself until she was draped over my legs. She propped her head on top of her crossed front paws and surveyed the scene.

  A couple of hundred people filled the lawn of the Clay Bay Yacht Club. It was an interesting mix of locals, summer residents, and boat owners and their crew about to depart for warmer climates. Dozens of dogs mingled through the crowd on the prowl for food and friendship. I surveyed the scene and reviewed my notes for the speech I had to make later. I hated public speaking more than just about anything, but since John Gordon, owner of Gordon Yachts and president of the Clay Bay Yacht Club, always included a fundraising component for the Thousand Islands Doggy Inn rescue program as part of his annual end of summer party, it was the least I could do.

  This year, John had donated a brand new fishing boat that retailed north of a hundred thousand dollars. And all summer people had been buying five dollar raffle tickets for a chance at winning it. As of this morning, the total number of tickets sold hit the thirty thousand mark. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars would shelter and feed a lot of dogs, and we owed John big time. A three-minute speech to thank him for all his support barely scratched the surface.

  But that didn’t make the thought of speaking in public any more appealing. Or less frightening. I shuffled my note cards, put them back in my pocket, and stroked Chloe’s head. She closed her eyes, and I was about to do the same when Josie, my best friend and business partner, wandered in my direction.

  As always, every pair of eyes she walked past followed her movements. A man I didn’t recognize continued to stare at Josie as he walked with his wife along the edge of the pool and almost fell in. His wife grabbed his sleeve at the last minute, and he successfully windmilled his arms until he caught his balance. She seemed to regret saving him from the cold water because she scowled and left her embarrassed husband standing by himself.

  I stifled my laughter, but Josie hadn’t seen any of it. Her focus was on the heaping plate of food she was carrying. She plopped down on the lounge chair next to mine and settled in. Chloe shifted positions and stared intensely at Josie’s plate.

  “Sorry, Chloe,” Josie said, reaching over to stroke her head. “This is people food.”

  Chloe barked once. She knew exactly what Josie was saying, but she didn’t like what she was hearing.

  Josie and I laughed. Chloe kept staring at the plate, but Josie was resolute. Chloe woofed one more time, but her heart wasn’t in it. She was beaten, and she knew it.

  “Chef Claire outdid herself,” Josie said. “These barbecue shrimp are amazing. Did you try them?” She devoured another one, then caught the expression on my face. “Dumb question. Forget I even asked.”

  Josie momentarily forgot my deep and abiding commitment to avoid eating anything that comes from the water; either salt or fresh. But since she’s in the process of working her way into an appetizer-induced coma, I’ll forgive her temporary loss of memory.

  “I know you must have gone to town on the cheesesteak sliders,” she said, grabbing a deep-fried stuffed mushroom from her plate.

  “Yes,” I said, rubbing my stomach. “And the mushrooms, the Italian sausage and peppers, and the chicken-corn fritters.”

  “Did you try the bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with blue cheese?”

  “Yeah,” I said, holding my stomach. “I had a couple.”

  Josie raised an eyebrow at me as she chewed.

  “Define a couple,” she said.

  “Eight. Maybe ten.”

  “Lightweight,” she said, selecting another shrimp from her plate.

  She held the plate out toward me. I shook my head and continued to rub my stomach.

  “Okay,” Josie said. “More for me.”

  Her ability to consume prodigious amounts of food without gaining a pound continued to baffle me. I’d made a solid effort today to keep up with her, but who was I kidding? If she hadn’t decided to become a veterinarian, she would have had a bright future as a competitive eater.

  “It’s a nice turnout,” Josie said. “John’s gone above and beyond what anybody could expect.”

  “He certainly has,” I said. “Have you seen him yet?”

  “Only briefly,” she said. “He seemed a bit distracted, but he’s probably just trying to get everything wrapped up for the season.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure he is,” I said, glancing down at Chloe who was focused on something on the other side of the lawn.

  “But he did say he had a surprise for later on,” Josie said, setting her empty plate on a nearby table.

  “There’s more?” I said.

  “Apparently,” she said, then stopped.

  I heard her trying to swallow a gasp and followed her eyes to the other side of the lawn.

  I recognized the man strolling our way along with a massive dog. They were both drawing a lot of attention and their progress toward us was slow.

  “Who on earth is that?” Josie said, staring intensely at the man.

  “That is the famous Summerman Lawless,” I said, climbing out of the lounge chair. “And the dog is Murray.”

  “He’s magnificent,” Josie said.

  “Are you referring to him or the dog?”

  “What dog?” Josie asked.

  I stared at her. It didn’t happen very often. In fact, I’d only see it three times before. But there was no mistaking what I was witnessing. Josie’s motor was running full throttle.

  “You said he’s famous?” she said, unable to take her eyes off the man wh
o continued to make his way across the lawn.

  “He’s a musician originally from the area. Do you remember the band Life’s Eclectic Nightmare?”

  “LEN? Sure, I remember them. Aren’t they the ones who died in a boating accident?”

  “Everyone in the band except for one member. That’s him,” I said, waving to him.

  “What’s he doing here?” Josie said, clambering out of her lounge chair to stand next to me.

  “He’s got an island a couple of miles downriver. He tries to get to the River each summer, but I haven’t seen him around this year.”

  “You know this man?” Josie asked, staring at me.

  “Sure, I’ve known him for years,” I said, shrugging. “He was ahead of me at school, but he’s pretty tight with my mom. I had such a crush on him when I was younger.”

  “I’d be shocked if you hadn’t,” Josie said.

  Murray spotted me and made a beeline for us. Chloe, completely unsure about what to do about the massive beast, barked, and then sat down near my feet and cocked her head. Murray stood on his back legs and gently placed his front paws on my shoulders.

  “Hello, Murray,” I said, vigorously rubbing his massive head.

  Murray glanced down and spotted Chloe. They spent the next few minutes checking each other out, decided they liked each other and began playing and rolling in the grass.

  “What a great dog,” Josie said, apparently noticing the gigantic beast for the first time.

  “Hi, Suzy. So good to see you.”

  “Hi, Summerman,” I said, giving him a hug. “Where have you been all summer?”

  “It’s a long story,” he said.

  “All the good ones are,” I said.

  “Yeah, you’re right. I spent most of the summer bouncing back and forth between Vegas and China.”

  “Well, I’m glad you made it here today,” I said.

  “John’s making me sing for my supper,” he said, laughing. “But for you and your rescue program, I’m happy to do it.”

  “You’re going to play?” I said. “That’s great.”

  I felt a small kick on my ankle and heard Josie’s soft cough.

  “Summerman, I’d like you to meet my best friend and business partner, Josie.”

  “Oh, yes. You’re the vet I’ve heard so much about,” he said, extending his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is all mine,” Josie said.

  I glanced at the expression on her face and shook my head.

  “Do I need to get the hose?” I whispered.

  “I’m a huge fan,” she said, ignoring me.

  I grinned and glanced down at the lawn to hide it. Josie was gushing, and I made a mental note to remind her about it later. And the only thing that was huge around here at the moment, apart from Murray, was the lie she’d just told him. Josie spent about as much time listening to music as I did eating fish.

  “Tell me about this magnificent animal,” Josie said, kneeling to rub Murray’s head. “A Newfie, Golden Retriever mix, right?”

  “Very good. Most people don’t get it on their first guess.”

  “Well, I’m a vet, so…”

  “Interesting,” Summerman said, studying Josie closely.

  I’m sure he thought Josie was incredibly interesting, but he was playing it very cool. Josie was so used to deflecting the attentions of men she didn’t find interesting, now that she was playing the role of pursuer and not getting the reaction she might have expected, she seemed unsure of herself. So for the moment Josie continued to focus on the dog.

  When in doubt, play to your strengths.

  “The woman who breeds them, calls them Goldenlands,” Summerman said.

  “I’ve never seen one,” Josie said, putting Murray into a leg kicking trance as she scratched his stomach. “In fact, I’ve never even heard of the breed.”

  “Yeah, I’m not big on sharing them,” he said, petting Chloe.

  Josie, confused, stared at him. It was the first time any expression other than unbridled lust had crossed her face for several minutes.

  “I own all of them,” he continued.

  “I don’t understand,” Josie said. “You own the entire breed?”

  “The breeder is the only one I’ve found anywhere, so I pay her a lot of money to take care of all of them and keep them off the market. Except for the one that’s currently under your spell,” he said, laughing. “Consider yourself lucky, Murray. I’d need to have four legs to get one of those.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” I whispered, then flinched from the quick punch to my knee Josie delivered.

  “Most rock stars collect things like houses and cars,” he said. “I collect these guys. Weird, huh?”

  “Maybe a little,” I said. “But if you ever change your mind, I’ll be more than happy to take a couple off your hands.”

  “I don’t know if my breeder friend would appreciate that. She’s pretty happy spending all day surrounded by unconditional love. But I’m sure I don’t have to explain that to you guys.”

  “No,” I said, nodding. “We get that one. Right, Josie?”

  “Huh?” she said. “Oh, absolutely.”

  “Look, I need to run,” Summerman said. “I need to do a quick sound check. But maybe I’ll see you guys later.”

  “Absolutely,” Josie said. “Maybe you could come over to the house for dinner sometime.”

  “I’d love too,” he said. “But Murray and I are heading off tonight.”

  “Some people,” I said, laughing. “The first day of fall arrives, and you’re out of here like you got shot from a cannon.”

  “Well, Murray and I have a travel commitment we can’t miss. Isn’t that right, Murray?”

  Murray woofed, and I swear he nodded his head.

  “Okay,” Summerman said. “I’ll see you later. Suzy, great seeing you as always.”

  I moved in to accept his hug.

  “Josie, it’s been a pleasure meeting you,” he said, extending his hand.

  “Absolutely,” she said, returning the handshake.

  “You ready, Murray? Let’s go see if we can find you a snack.”

  We returned his wave and watched them make their way back across the lawn. I snapped my fingers in front of Josie’s face.

  “Wow,” she said, continuing to stare at them. “Is it my imagination or did I just make a complete fool of myself?”

  “Absolutely,” I said, laughing.

  “Yeah, I was kind of repeating myself for a while there wasn’t I?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Shut up,” Josie said. Then she laughed and shook her head. “And to think I was beginning to wonder if my motor was still working.”

  “I’d say it’s working fine,” I said. “For a teenage girl anyway.”

  “Was I that bad?”

  “Absolutely deplorable,” I said, unable to stop laughing. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  “Woof.”

  Chapter 2

  We strolled toward the section of lawn where a small stage had been set up. People were already sitting in folding chairs or on blankets spread out on the grass. Like us, everyone seemed a bit sluggish from the amount of food they’d eaten. Several people were even taking advantage of the temporary break in the festivities to catch a short nap.

  A boat slowly approaching the main dock at the Yacht Club caught my attention. But calling it a boat was probably an insult. It was a magnificent yacht I estimated to be about seventy feet long. It was relatively short as far as yachts go, but it was sleek and cut through the water effortlessly. I nudged Josie and finally got her attention.

  “Look at that,” I said, unable to take my eyes off the craft.

  “Geez, John said he had a new boat arriving today. I had no idea his company built anything like that.”

  “Is that Alice?” I said, staring at the young woman who was standing on the bow preparing to toss a line to John who was standing on the dock beaming at the ya
cht.

  “It certainly is,” Josie said. “I guess she decided not to go back to school after all.”

  Alice had spent the summer as an intern for Clay Bay’s Chief of Police. But after dealing with the dead bodies of two murder victims, her interest in a criminology career had waned. I hadn’t seen her since her internship ended and had just assumed she’d gone back to school for her junior year. She waved and tossed the bow line to John. Judging from the size of the smile on her face, it appeared she’d taken quite a shine to being on the water.

  I guess spending time on a luxurious yacht has that effect on some people.

  “It’s amazing,” Josie said. “How much do you think something like that costs?”

  “Well,” I said, staring at the yacht now tied to the dock. “It’s not that long for a yacht, and it’s not as tall as you might expect. But knowing John, I’m sure it’s tricked out inside. I’ll guess somewhere near five million, maybe ten.”

  “Geez,” Josie whispered. “What a different life he leads, huh?”

  “Yeah, but I’ll stick with dogs,” I said.

  “Me too,” she said, following me toward the dock.

  John turned around when he heard our footsteps on the dock.

  “What do you think, ladies?” he said, making a grand gesture at the yacht.

  “It’s incredible,” I said.

  It was all I had to offer. Fortunately, it was all I needed. It was one of the most amazing boats I’d ever seen.

  “Did you build this one for yourself, John?” Josie asked.

  “Oh, no,” he said, laughing. “My tastes run much more pedestrian. We built it for a guy in Florida who wants to spend a year as a looper.”

  I nodded and looked up at the yacht.

  Looper was the name for people who circumnavigated Eastern North America by water on a route known as the Great Loop. Loopers usually started their journey in Florida in the spring, headed north up the Intracoastal Waterway along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and continued from there to The Chesapeake Bay. From there the usual route was to continue to New York and up the Hudson River until reaching the Erie Canal. Traveling west along the Canal takes you to Lake Ontario where loopers can access the St. Lawrence if they desire to experience our beautiful area, particularly the Thousand Islands where we live. At some point in the fall, loopers make their way west across the Great Lakes to Chicago and then begin the southern leg along the Mississippi, and other waterways, before heading east and eventually ending up back in Florida. The total route exceeds 5,000 miles and takes months to complete, longer if the looper’s trip includes extended breaks along the way.