The Case of the Overdue Otterhound Page 14

  “Is that a problem?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head. “Some dogs don’t produce until after they start whelping. But just to be on the safe side, why don’t you grab some of the newborn puppy formula just in case she has any problems nursing?”

  “It’s her third litter,” I said. “She’s probably got this figured out by now, right?”

  “That would be my guess,” Josie said, stroking the dog’s head. “What a good girl.”

  “Now, we wait,” I said, getting to my feet. “You want to do shifts tonight?”

  “No, I’m not missing this,” Josie said, laughing.

  “Me either.”

  We spent the rest of the day dividing our time between double-checking that everything was ready for our departure and keeping a close eye on Gabby. After the puppies were born, Josie and I planned to stick around until we were sure they and their mom were okay. Then Josie would perform the leg surgery. After we headed to Cayman, Sammy and Jill would have primary responsibility for the Inn and the puppies, and another vet who lived about an hour away would be on call as well as onsite three days a week. Five o’clock came and went, and when the clock hit six, Josie tossed a ten-dollar bill on my desk.

  “Thanks,” I said, holding the bill up. “I’m gonna have this one framed.”

  “Are you sure you guys don’t need us to stick around?” Jill said, poking her head into the office.

  “No, we’ll be fine, Josie said. “It’ll be just like the good old days when we used to do this sort of thing all the time.”

  “We don’t mind,” Sammy said, peering over Jill’s shoulder.

  “No, go home and enjoy your evening,” I said, waving them off. “But if you don’t feel like cooking tonight, Chef Claire is doing Tex-Mex up at the house.”

  “Really?” Sammy said, glancing at Jill. “What’s she making?”

  “Does it matter?” Josie said, laughing.

  “No,” Sammy said with a grin. “She won’t mind?”

  “She’ll love having the company,” I said. “But if you don’t mind, take these two bruisers with you.”

  “Sure,” Jill said. “Captain. Chloe. You ready to head up to the house?”

  Both dogs glanced at us and stayed right where they were.

  “Snack?” Jill said.

  Captain and Chloe hopped off the couch and raced to the door.

  “The magic word,” Josie said.

  “We’ll bring you some dinner,” Jill said, then closed the door behind her.

  “Okay,” Josie said, grabbing a fresh bag of bite-sized from my desk. “Let’s do this.”

  We headed for the Otterhound’s condo and sat down on either side of her. She was panting hard and seemed anxious. But she licked both our hands and produced a contented moan when Josie slowly ran her hand along her distended stomach.

  At eight-thirty, the Otterhound stretched out on the nesting area and took a few minutes to find her most comfortable position. Soon after, the first puppy’s head emerged.

  “So far, so good,” Josie said, watching the scene closely.

  “This is always such an amazing thing to watch,” I said, mesmerized by what I was seeing.

  The first puppy emerged completely, and Gabby maneuvered her head next to the puppy. She gently tore the amniotic sac open, then bit the umbilical cord in half.

  “She’s a total pro at this,” Josie whispered.

  “Unbelievable,” I said, shaking my head. “I want one of my own.”

  “A puppy?” Josie deadpanned.

  “Shut it.”

  The Otterhound began licking the newborn puppy, and I watched for a couple of minutes. Then my mouth dropped open. I glanced at Josie who was also staring at the puppy, stunned.

  “Now that’s a game-changer,” I said, my neurons on fire.

  “So much for a litter of Otterhounds,” she said, laughing. “Who do you think the father is?”

  “It’s probably going to take a few days to be sure, but I’m going to guess a Rottweiler by the name of Stinky.”

  “Sofia Rossi’s dog?”

  “Yup.”

  “How could she and Skitch Friendly let that happen?” Josie said. “They’re going to be cute dogs, but they’re sure not going to sell for big bucks.”

  “They obviously weren’t paying close attention to what the dogs were doing,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

  “Because they were busy doing something similar with each other?” Josie said, glancing over at me.

  “That thought did just cross my mind,” I said, staring down at the puppy.

  The Otterhound nuzzled the puppy close to her, and it soon began nursing. Then Gabby rested her head on the blankets as she waited for the next one to arrive.

  “If they were having an affair, that certainly opens up a whole bunch of possibilities,” Josie said. “I mean if you buy into the idea that Friendly’s death wasn’t an accident.”

  “It certainly does,” I said, my mind racing.

  “Rossi has an ex-husband, right?” Josie said.

  “She does.”

  “And there’s a good chance he could be mobbed up?”

  “Given who her father is and the sort of business she’s in, I’d say it’s definitely a possibility.”

  “A jealous ex-husband with a rifle?” she said, gently stroking Gabby’s head. “Good girl.”

  “I can see that,” I said, nodding. “A stray bullet from a hunter. It would be logical to assume it was just an accident.”

  “So, instead of his death being tied into the leasing rights, we could be looking at jealousy as the motive?” Josie said, holding out the bag of bite-sized.

  I waved the bag away and stared off into the distance. Then my neurons exploded, and I flinched.

  “Don’t do that,” Josie said, startled and holding a hand to her chest. “What is it?”

  “I don’t think it’s one or the other,” I whispered.

  “I’m going to need a little clarification, Suzy.”

  “I think it might be a bit of both.”

  Chapter 20

  By the time Gabby had finished delivering all six puppies, it was past midnight. Josie did an extensive examination of the Otterhound, pronounced that she and the puppies were all in great condition, then stood up and stretched.

  “Good job,” I said, staring lovingly at the sleeping puppies.

  “We might be looking at a new breed,” Josie said. “What should we call them?”

  “Rotthound?”

  “Not bad,” she said, shrugging. “Otterweil?”

  “Weilerhound,” I said, nodding.

  “Oh, I like that one,” she said. “Okay, now that we’ve solved that, I’m going up for a shower, a snack, and bed in that order.”

  “Good plan. Lead the way.”

  I slept hard and dreamt deep and woke the next morning to the smell of bacon. I headed straight to the kitchen with my head pounding from an idea that had surfaced and begun to marinate just before I’d drifted off to sleep. I found Josie and Chef Claire in their pajamas sipping coffee along with four dogs who were on point and staring up at the frying pan on the stove. I greeted all four dogs then poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed my phone as I sat down.

  “Uh-oh, she’s got that look,” Chef Claire said, reaching for a handful of bacon.

  “Yeah,” Josie said, pouring maple syrup over her stack of pancakes. “She really shouldn’t do that on an empty stomach.”

  “Shut it,” I said, making a call. “Hey, Chief. Yeah, it is early. She did. Six beautiful puppies. What are you doing at the moment?...Well, instead of heading to the office, why don’t you swing by the house and have breakfast with us? Pancakes and bacon…Great, we’ll see you soon. Oh, would you mind stopping to pick Rooster up on your way?…I’ll explain it all when you get here…Funny. Yes, you can eat first.”

  I set my phone down and reached for a plate.

  “Rooster?” Josie said, frowning.


  “I need his advice,” I said, munching a slice of bacon. “You know, I think it might be a nice day to go cross-country.”

  Josie and Chef Claire stared at me, then at each other.

  “Did she hit her head last night?” Chef Claire said.

  “Not that I noticed,” Josie said, then looked up from her pancakes. “Have you finally lost the plot?”

  “Well, as bad as skiing is,” I said, through a mouthful of pancake. “It sure beats trying to walk in that stuff.”

  “Okay,” Josie said, shaking her head as she reached for the plate of bacon.

  A few minutes later, Chief Abrams pulled into the driveway, and he and Rooster made their way up the driveway. I met them at the door and ushered them inside.

  “Good morning,” Rooster said.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said.

  “Yeah, the Chief really had to twist my arm,” Rooster said, sitting down in front of the plate of food Josie had created for him. “I was just about to make myself some toast.”

  “This looks fantastic, Chef Claire,” the Chief said, rubbing his hands together.

  “It’s pancakes and bacon, Chief,” she said, laughing. “Cool your jets.”

  “Yes, but it’s your pancakes and bacon,” he said, digging in.

  “Aren’t you sweet,” she said, sitting back down to eat.

  “Okay, Snoopmeister,” the Chief said. “I know you didn’t get me over here just to feed me. What’s up?”

  “I think I had a breakthrough last night.”

  “While the Otterhound was delivering?” the Chief said, frowning.

  “Yeah, that’s what started it,” I said, digging into my stack of pancakes. “The puppies aren’t purebred.”

  “They’re not?” Rooster said, pausing just before he took a sip of coffee.

  “No, they’re mixed breed,” I said. “And we’re not sure yet, but one of the puppies looks a lot like a Rottweiler.”

  I paused and looked around to see if that little nugget of information registered with either of them.

  “The Rossi woman has a Rottweiler, right?” Rooster said.

  “She does.”

  “And you think her dog might be the father of the puppies?” the Chief said.

  “I do.”

  “Good for the Rottweiler,” the Chief said, staring at me. “And this matters why?”

  “Horrible syntax, Chief,” I said, frowning.

  “Don’t start,” Josie said, adding some more maple syrup to her rapidly dwindling stack.

  “I think Sofia Rossi and Skitch Friendly were having an affair,” I said.

  “That sounds like a major assumption on your part,” the Chief said.

  “Think about it,” I said, my neurons firing on all cylinders as the coffee began to work its magic. “How could two people that interested in breeding rare dogs allow something like that to happen? They were both expecting a spring litter of Otterhounds. I think the dogs were left alone, and Skitch wasn’t aware that Gabby was in heat.”

  “And they weren’t paying attention to the dogs because they were busy doing other things?” Rooster said.

  “Yes. And Sofia said that she had seen Skitch a couple of months ago,” I said. “But she seemed coy about mentioning it, almost secretive.”

  “Well, he must have been to her place before because of what they were doing with the Otterhound,” Rooster said. “And Skitch did have a reputation as a player. But that was a long time ago.”

  “Before he decided to become a hermit?” I said.

  “Yeah.”

  “He had a truck and loved to fish and trap. So, he must have been away from the cabin quite a bit,” I said. “And since the rest of his family was stuck way out in the woods, there wasn’t much chance he’d get caught cheating.”

  “You’re right about that,” Rooster said, frowning.

  “So, your guess is that somebody figured out they were having an affair and decided to do something about it?” the Chief said, shaking his head. “I don’t know. That sounds like a total stretch, Snoop.”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  “You said the Rossi woman was divorced,” the Chief said. “Jealous ex-husband?”

  I shook my head, and Josie stared at me.

  “No?” she said.

  “No,” I said. “I don’t think that’s it.”

  “Then who?” the Chief said.

  “A family member,” I said, taking a sip of coffee.

  “Not that goofy son of theirs?” the Chief said.

  “Nope,” I said. “Definitely not Cooter.”

  “The daughter?” Josie said.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “The widow Friendly.”

  “Jessie?” Rooster said, scowling. “No way.”

  “I agree. I have to say that I see a few holes in your theory,” the Chief said.

  “Only a few?” Rooster said, laughing.

  I waited out the laughter by munching on a piece of bacon, then I took a sip of coffee, set my mug down and wiped my mouth. I leaned forward with both elbows on the granite island.

  “Imagine you’re a woman who’s spent her adult life stuck out in the middle of the woods pretty much cut off from civilization. And you only agreed to live that way because you had devoted your life to your husband and were raising two kids. But then you found out he’d been cheating on you. And all the while, you’re stuck living in the middle of nowhere chopping wood and tending a fire while he’s off doing who knows what. I know that would certainly make my blood boil.”

  “Mine too,” Josie said, nodding.

  “Absolutely,” Chef Claire said. “I’d be reaching for my softball bat.”

  “And you saw how quickly Jessie jumped on the idea of moving,” I said to Rooster.

  “She certainly did,” he said. “But who the heck did she talk into shooting Skitch?”

  “She didn’t talk anybody into it,” I said. “She did it.”

  “Okay, let’s take a breath here,” the Chief said. “Suzy, you’re making a very serious accusation. It’s one thing to say that she’d be furious if she found out her husband was cheating on her, it’s something else altogether to accuse her of murder.”

  “I know that,” I said, nodding. “But when we were at her place discussing the purchase of her property, she did something that I didn’t give a second thought at the time.”

  “What was that?” Rooster said, staring at me.

  “Remember when Cooter came into the cabin carrying the target he’d been shooting at?”

  “I do.”

  “And then Jessie explained to him right away what he was doing wrong. Nobody would know how to make adjustments like that to a rifle scope if they didn’t know their way around guns. Or how to shoot them. And she certainly had all the time in the world to practice out there.”

  “Yeah, I suppose she would,” Rooster said. “And living way out there, it makes sense that she’d be good with a gun.”

  “And the first time we went out there, she was holding a shotgun,” I said.

  “There’s still one major problem with your theory,” the Chief said. “Skitch was out on the River trapping. That means he had their truck.”

  “Maybe she hid in the back,” Josie said.

  “But how did she get home?” the Chief said. “We had his truck in custody for a few days after we found his body.”

  “Never mind,” Josie said, shrugging as she reached for a slice of bacon.

  “That’s way too far to walk,” Rooster said.

  “Maybe she got a ride,” I whispered.

  “From who?” the Chief said.

  “Whom.”

  “Don’t start,” Josie said, laughing. “You were doing so well.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Okay, Snoop,” the Chief said. “Who’s the mystery person she got a ride with?”

  “Herman Billows.”

  I glanced around as my comment hung in the air. The Chief scratched his head and frowned at Rooster
who was also nonplussed.

  “I think that Jessie found out about the affair, then Skitch told her that he had turned down Billows’ offer. Between those two things, I think she might have just snapped. Then, perhaps with some encouragement from Billows, she decided that getting rid of her husband was her chance to get out of that cabin. And make a little money doing it by agreeing to sell the lease rights.”

  “But how did she find out about the affair?” Rooster said.

  “My guess is that Billows told her,” I said. “You and mom said that he had done some research on both of you before he made the offer on your land, right?”

  “Yeah, we’re sure he did,” Rooster said. “He was pretty familiar with both of us right from the start.”

  “He probably did some digging into Friendly’s life as well,” I said. “And he somehow managed to text the daughter out of the blue. Do you know how long Billows has been hanging around?”

  “I wouldn’t have a clue,” Rooster said. “But it shouldn’t be that hard to find out. He must be staying nearby. Right, Chief?”

  “I’m sure we could figure it out,” the Chief said. “You think Billows might have followed Skitch one of the times he went to visit the Rossi woman?”

  “Yeah, I think he might have.”

  “And then Billows told Jessie about the affair and offered her the lease deal. As well as agree to help her take out her husband,” the Chief said.

  “Yeah, that’s what my neurons have landed on,” I said.

  “I gotta say, Snoop,” the Chief said, shaking his head. “When you jump to a conclusion, you certainly go for the gold.”

  “The Russian judge gave her a 9.5,” Josie deadpanned.

  “Funny,” I said, making a face at her.

  “It’s a fascinating theory,” Chef Claire said.

  “You really think so?” I said, glancing at her.

  “I do. There’s just one small problem,” she said. “How on earth are you going to prove it?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Chapter 21

  The question of how to prove my theory stuck with me through the rest of breakfast and continued to tug and nag at me as we headed down the path that led to the Inn. I held the back door open for everyone then followed them inside. Josie opened the door that led outside to the play area where the other dogs were playing tag and rolling around in the snow. Our four bruisers stared outside, then I swear they looked around at each other and shook their heads then headed toward the registration area. I led Chef Claire, Rooster and the Chief to the Otterhound’s condo where Jill was sitting with her back against the wall keeping a close eye on mom and her sleeping puppies.