The Case of the Caged Cockers Read online

  The Case of the

  Caged Cockers

  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: 978-1-942691-07-5

  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 Islands Doggy Inn Mysteries

  The Case of the Abandoned Aussie

  The Case of the Brokenhearted Bulldog

  The Damaged Po$$e Series

  American Midnight

  Larrikin Gene

  Sneaker World

  Summerman

  The Duplicates

  Other books

  Divorce Hotel

  Either Ore

  To Reggie

  Chapter 1

  On a frigid, snowy Thursday, Thanksgiving came and went. The entire day was filled with great conversation in the company of good friends in a warm house and a menu that even the all-too-modest Chef Claire had to admit was one of her best. Friday’s dinner was a repeat of the previous day’s turkey with all the fixings that was as good if not better than the original. Between the two dinners, Josie and I embarked on a wild flurry of snacking that shattered all of our previous records for gluttony and bad table manners that caused my mother, at one point on Friday afternoon, to wonder out loud who the alien was that bore a striking resemblance to the daughter she had raised.

  We had dressed for Thanksgiving dinner, but by the time the pumpkin trifle and an apple pie topped with a brandy caramel sauce that was a total knee-buckler were served, Josie and I had swapped out our dinner attire for the snacker pants we were still wearing when the weekend rolled around.

  The pants were taking quite a beating this year but seemed to be holding up.

  Friday started with a breakfast turkey quiche that disappeared in ten minutes. That was followed later in the day by a turkey sandwich, a bowl of pumpkin trifle, a hot turkey sandwich with gravy, a slice of apple pie, then another sandwich in that order followed by a long nap.

  Or as my mother called it; a tryptophan coma.

  I had to hand it to her. She was definitely on her game this holiday season.

  Friday night, Chef Claire made a turkey gumbo that brought tears to my eyes.

  Saturday, she made two different kinds of turkey soup. One was a traditional version; the other was a rustic Italian tomato bread soup with homemade turkey sausage. Josie and I were still debating which one was better, but since there was still half a pot left of each, we weren’t in any hurry to make a final decision.

  On Sunday night, I hit the wall and was officially turkeyed out. Josie had agreed, but I think she lied to me because the next morning I’d caught her in her office at the Inn gnawing on a turkey leg.

  Now I was sitting at the dinner table across from Josie and wondering aloud how was it possible for me to be hungry. Chef Claire came in from the kitchen carrying a tray filled with bite-sized appetizers that were steaming hot. She set them down on the table, and I stared down at the tray, then looked up at Chef Claire.

  “I’ve wanted to test this idea out for a long time,” Chef Claire said.

  “Well, if you’re looking for two guinea pigs to try it out on, you’ve come to the right place,” Josie said.

  “What are they?” I said, staring lovingly at the fresh baked objects that were no more than two inches long.

  “Try one, and then you tell me,” Chef Claire said.

  Needing no encouragement, I picked one up and popped it into my mouth. As I chewed, a flood of memories raced through my head.

  “That’s incredible,” I said. “How did you do that?”

  Chef Claire beamed with pride and selected one from the tray. Josie followed suit. As she chewed, she stared at Chef Claire.

  “I call them One Bite Thanksgiving,” Chef Claire said.

  “Good name,” I said, nodding. “Because that’s exactly what they are. I swear that one bite reminded me of Thanksgiving dinners from years ago.”

  “How is this possible?” Josie said, reaching for another.

  Chef Claire grabbed one of the one-bite wonders and carefully cut it in half.

  “I made a Chinese dumpling dough, and then I layered a thin slice of turkey, stuffing, mashed and sweet potatoes, and cranberry, then put a dollop of gravy over the top and sealed them tight. I did these on the stovetop, but I have another batch steaming at the moment.”

  I picked up one of the halves and examined it carefully. How it was possible to recreate an entire holiday dinner in an object that was less than an inch high was beyond my comprehension abilities, but I certainly wasn’t going to argue the point.

  I decided to postpone my earlier decision about being turkeyed out for another day and helped myself to another. Just as I was reaching for my fifth one, my phone rang. I wiped my hands and mouth and answered the call.

  “This is Suzy. A delivery at this time of night?” I looked at Josie. She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t think we ordered anything for delivery tonight… What do you mean the contents are expiring?”

  I frowned, and Josie sat back in her chair listening closely.

  “Yes, I see… Who is this?”

  The call ended abruptly, and I set my phone down on the table.

  “That was odd,” I said. “Whoever that was said there’s been a delivery at the Inn and it’s outside the door. And they said we should hurry up and get it because the contents are expiring.”

  “That is odd,” Josie said. “It’s so cold out there I can’t imagine what could possibly spoil before morning.”

  “Yeah,” I said, starting to reach for another of the appetizers. Then I stopped. “Unless it’s alive.”

  “Like a dog,” Josie said, scrambling to her feet.

  We raced outside and headed down the stairs until we reached the back entrance of the Inn. There was nothing on the back porch, so we raced around the side until we reached the front. Near the door was a cardboard box wrapped in a flimsy cotton blanket. Josie knelt down and pulled the blanket back. Tears immediately welled in my eyes when I heard the soft whimpers coming from inside the box.

  I opened the front door and turned the thermostat way up as Josie carried the box into one of the examination rooms.

  “This is bad,” she said, carefully reaching into the box. “There are six of them. They can’t be more than four weeks old.”

  “Can you save them?” I said.

  “Well, we’re certainly going to do everything we possibly can,” Josie said. “Grab a bunch of blankets and towels.”

  She pulled out her phone and located the number.

  “Sammy, it’s Josie. I need you here now. Do you know where Jill is?...That’s great. Bring her along. Get over here immediately.”

  She ended the call and refocused on what was inside the cardboard box. I returned with the blankets, and she spread them out one at a time on the floor and gently placed one of the pup
pies on a blanket and wrapped it loosely. She repeated the process until all six puppies were safely cocooned.

  “Okay,” she said. “Remember to remind Sammy and Jill when they get here that they can’t rub or pet them until we’re sure frostbite hasn’t set in.”

  “But they all have some degree of hypothermia, right?”

  “Yeah, let’s hope that’s as bad as it gets. But I’m worried about one of the front legs on the little guy on the left. He’s showing signs of some serious tissue damage.”

  “You mean he might lose the leg?”

  “It’s a possibility, Suzy,” she said. “But for now let’s focus on making sure he doesn’t lose his life. We need to deal with the hypothermia first.”

  I stared down at the dazed expressions on the cocker spaniel’s faces and heard their whimpers as I continued to fight back the tears. A few minutes later, Sammy and Jill raced inside the exam room and glanced down at the six puppies wrapped in blankets on the floor.

  “You got here fast,” Josie said, cradling two of the puppies to her chest. “Both of you take a puppy and hold it like this.”

  Sammy and Jill each cradled a puppy, and I picked up the other two. I briefly outlined what had happened as the four of us sat on the tile floor and did our best to get the puppies’ core temperature up.

  “Thanks for coming in,” I said.

  “No problem,” Sammy said, glancing at Jill. “We just happened to be watching a movie together tonight. I guess it was lucky that we were in the same place when you called.”

  Josie looked at me and grinned. Sammy and Jill had been seeing each other for at least three months, but they continued to believe that no one had figured that out yet. The main ingredient in a grilled cheese sandwich was a better-kept secret. This seemed like as good a time as any to pop that balloon.

  “Sammy,” I said.

  “Yeah.”

  “We know.”

  “Know what?”

  “About you and Jill,” I said.

  “You do?” Sammy said, glancing at Jill.

  “I told you,” Jill said, glancing nervously back and forth between Josie and me. “I’m sorry we didn’t say anything. We weren’t sure how you guys would react.”

  “Has your relationship impacted your work?” Josie said.

  “No,” Jill said.

  “Or the way you treat the dogs?” Josie said.

  “Absolutely not,” Sammy said.

  “Well, there you go,” Josie said, glancing down at one of the puppies stirring in her arms. “This little guy is starting to come around. She’s licking my hand.”

  “Mine too,” I said.

  Josie handed one of the dogs she was holding to Jill and stood, still holding the puppy with the damaged front leg close to her.

  “Okay, I think it’s safe to slowly remove the blankets,” Josie said. “But if they start shivering again when you do, immediately wrap them back up. Suzy and Sammy, I need you to carefully check each puppy for potential frostbite. You’re looking for signs of tissue discoloration, blisters, or swelling. And if they react in pain when you touch them, make a note of that area. If you find any of those symptoms, you’ll need to run some warm water no hotter than 108 degrees and start by gently patting those spots with the water. Then wrap a dry, warm towel around them. If the spots look particularly damaged, go ahead and put a heating pad wrapped in a towel against it. But you can’t rub or pet those spots the way you normally would. Pat, but don’t rub. ”

  “Got it,” I said, already pulling back one of the blankets to begin my examination. Then I glanced up at Josie. “Where are you going to be?”

  “Surgery,” Josie whispered. “I’m going to need your help, Jill.”

  Jill gently set the puppy she was holding down next to Sammy and stood. She followed Josie out of the exam room and headed for the back of the Inn where our surgery area was located. I knew what that meant and felt another round of tears streaming down my cheeks.

  “What kind of monster leaves a litter of puppies outside in a box on a cold night like this?” Sammy said, gently rolling one of the puppies over onto its back.

  “Actually, Sammy. I think whoever did this was trying to figure out a way to save them,” I said.

  Sammy thought about what I said for a moment, then refocused on the puppy he was examining.

  “But why would they do it anonymously?” he said.

  “Now that’s a very good question.”

  Chapter 2

  I yawned and almost nodded off sitting in the chair behind my desk. I sat up straight, startling myself when my head fell forward, and I almost dropped the cup of coffee I was holding. Sammy was sitting on the couch with Jill draped across his lap. They looked very comfortable and were both snoring softly. We’d been going all night, and it looked like our efforts were going to pay off.

  Josie entered carrying her own cup of coffee and sat down in the chair across from me. She looked worn out but had a small smile on her face. She’d never admit it, but I knew she was proud of herself for saving the lives of the six puppies. Five of them were huddled together sleeping on a thick bed of blankets near the heating vent. The other puppy was still recovering from its surgery.

  “I hated having to do that,” Josie said, reaching for the candy jar sitting on top of the desk. “The poor little guy.”

  “He’s going to be okay, right?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” she said, unwrapping a piece of chocolate. “We’ll need to keep a close eye out for infection, but other than that I think he’s going to make it.”

  “I’ve seen lots of dogs who manage to get around pretty well on three legs,” I said.

  “Sure,” Josie said, nodding. “But it’ll take him a while to get used to it and find his balance.”

  “We’re going to keep him, Josie,” I said.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” she said, reaching across the desk to pat my hand.

  Again, I fought back another round of waterworks.

  “You did good,” Josie said. “And so did those two.”

  I glanced at Sammy and Jill who continued napping on the couch.

  “We’re going to have to come up with a good name for him,” Josie said.

  “How about Lucky?”

  “Well, he’s certainly that,” Josie said, unpeeling another chocolate. “How about Trey or Triangle?”

  “Nah, we can do better than that,” I said.

  “Wobble? No, I’ve got it. How about Tippy?”

  “No, that seems cruel. We wouldn’t want all the other dogs making fun of him,” I said.

  Josie raised an eyebrow at me.

  “No, we wouldn’t want that,” she said, laughing. “You should probably head up to the house and get some sleep. You’re starting to lose it.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, yawning. “How about Tripod?”

  “That’s good,” Josie said, nodding. “It calls out his unique quality without making fun of it. I like it.”

  “Okay, Tripod it is,” I said. “What time is it anyway?”

  “Six-thirty. Hey, Romeo and Juliet, wake up.”

  She nudged Sammy’s leg with her foot. Sammy and Jill both stirred, then Jill sat up on the couch blinking.

  “Good morning,” Jill said, rubbing her eyes.

  “You were snoring,” I said, getting up to pour coffee for everyone.

  “Sorry about that,” Sammy said.

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” I said, laughing.

  Jill seemed too tired to worry about it and leaned back and tucked her head against Sammy’s shoulder.

  “We need to talk about a schedule for the next week,” Josie said. “These guys are going to need a lot of attention.”

  “Let’s hope giving them a bath is at the top of the list,” Sammy said. “They stink really bad.”

  “Yes, they do,” Josie said. “We should be able to take care of that this afternoon as soon as I’m sure they’re out of danger.”

  “Puppies usually
don’t smell like that,” Sammy said. “They usually smell like, well, puppies.”

  Sometimes it was hard to argue with Sammy’s logic. And this time, I was simply too tired to try.

  “They’re from a puppy mill,” I said. “That’s the smell of abuse and neglect.”

  Josie nodded and took a sip of coffee.

  “I’ve never heard of anybody operating a puppy mill around here,” Sammy said.

  “That’s because Suzy and Josie would hunt them down if they were,” Jill said, laughing.

  There was no reason to argue with Jill’s logic. We would. And it looked like we might be forced to do just that.

  “A lot of those mills don’t sell in the same location where the dogs are bred,” I said. “The dogs are often sold in different towns or even other states.”

  “We’ll deal with those people later,” Josie said. “For now, we need to focus on the puppies. It looks like they’re about a month old.”

  “Dogs don’t start weaning until after five or six weeks, right?” Sammy said.

  “Correct,” Josie said. “That means they’ll need at least another week of hand feeding. Jill, can you make sure we have lots of the powdered milk supplement on hand?”

  “You got it,” Jill said.

  “They’ll need to be fed four times a day,” Josie said. “Let’s go seven, eleven, three, and seven. And if necessary, we’ll add a fifth late night feeding. They’re pretty malnourished at the moment, so I’d rather overfeed a bit for the next several days than the other way around.”

  “I think we should keep them together in one of the condos down here during the day, and then we can take them up to the house at night to keep an eye on them,” I said.

  Josie nodded, then glanced at Sammy when he cleared his throat.

  “You think it’s a good idea to keep moving them back and forth every day?” he said.

  “We can’t leave them alone all night,” I said. “I may be a bit of a fanatic when it comes to taking care of our dogs, but I’m certainly not sleeping down here.”