The Case of the Prescient Poodle Page 4

“But it’s such a new company. Who’d want to buy it?”

  “Who do you think?” my mother said, nodding at the dinner table where Abby was snuggling with Victor Rollins, the CEO of Middleton Enterprises.

  “You think Victor would be interested?” I said.

  “Victor would probably be willing to give you one of his arms to buy Wags,” my mother said. “A successful startup he’s already got the exclusive distribution rights to? Think about it, darling.”

  “That’s exactly why I want out, Mom. So I don’t have to think about things like that.”

  “Point taken,” she said, nodding. “But I’d be shocked if Victor wasn’t interested in buying it.”

  “What about Abby?” I said.

  “What about her?”

  “We need to make sure she’s taken care of,” I said. “I feel like we’re pulling the rug out from underneath her.”

  “From what I’ve seen tonight, I don’t think Victor is going to let Abby get very far away,” my mother said. “And she’s obviously doing a wonderful job as CEO. He’d be crazy to remove her.”

  “But it’s such a big change,” I said.

  “Trust me, darling,” my mother said. “If there’s one thing Abby is good at, it’s dealing with change. And it’s not like we’d be moving to another planet. I’m sure we’ll figure out a way to stay in touch with her.”

  “I wonder what the company is worth,” Josie said.

  “I wouldn’t have a clue,” Chef Claire said, then shrugged. “And that’s probably another good reason for us not to be involved in it.”

  “Excellent point,” Josie said.

  “I have no idea what it’s worth,” I said, frowning.

  “It’s in the neighborhood of fifteen million,” my mother said. Then she caught the look we were giving her. “It’s really not that hard to calculate.”

  “You’ve been talking to Gerald, haven’t you?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

  “Maybe a bit,” she said, deflecting. “After your comment on the boat this afternoon, I had a chat with him and showed him the document Abby shared with us on the boat.”

  “You knew I wanted out,” I said.

  “It really wasn’t that hard to figure out, darling. I was just waiting for you to find the courage to bring it up.”

  “Fifteen million?” Chef Claire said.

  “Yes,” my mother said. “And Gerald suggested that we also ask for some Middleton stock to sweeten the deal. He’s so smart.”

  “We’re each going to make three million?” Chef Claire said, stunned.

  “And undoubtedly leave several million more on the table,” my mother said. “That is something to consider. But that’s where having the Middleton stock comes in. You know, to soften the blow of walking away from all those future earnings.”

  “Is this going to be a problem for you, Mom?”

  “Absolutely not,” she said, waving it away. “At my age, I don’t need the hassle. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a rounding error.”

  “A rounding error,” Josie said, laughing. “You’re my hero, Mrs. C.”

  “Thank you, dear. That’s very sweet,” my mother said, beaming at her. “Are you sure you two will be okay with that sort of deal?”

  “Three million?” Josie said. “Yeah, I think I’ll be able to manage.”

  “It’s three million more than I thought I’d ever have,” Chef Claire said. “But it sort of feels like I’m stealing it.”

  “Nonsense,” my mother said. “You saw an amazing business opportunity, put a plan together, then executed it. You’ve earned every nickel.”

  “That’s right,” Josie said, laughing. “We were prescient.”

  “Not to mention incredibly lucky,” I said.

  “Well, there is some luck involved I must admit,” my mother said. “But like they say, luck is merely a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”

  “They say that, do they?” I said, laughing.

  “I’m sure they do,” my mother said, glancing at Max who was approaching our table with a very sad look on his face. “What on earth is the matter, Max?”

  Max sat down and placed a hand on mine.

  “I just got a phone call,” he said.

  “Oh, no,” I said. “What happened?”

  “A seven-point earthquake just hit Mexico,” he whispered. “I need to fly out first thing in the morning.”

  “I can’t believe it,” I said, shaking my head. “Man, we can’t catch a break, can we?”

  “It does seem like there’s a force out there that’s trying to keep us apart,” Max said.

  “But we’re not going to let that happen, are we?” I said, brushing his face gently with the back of my hand.

  “We most certainly aren’t,” he said. “And I would like to take this opportunity to show you how committed I am to that idea.”

  “We should probably wait awhile,” I said, flushing with embarrassment. “At least until the party thins out a bit.”

  Max laughed and grabbed my hand and gently pulled me to my feet.

  “No, you idiot. I’m not talking about that. Follow me.”

  Max led me to the edge of the pool and positioned me in the moonlight. I glanced around, thoroughly confused. Then he removed a small box from his pocket and dropped to one knee.

  “I know I’m probably doing this way too early, but as soon as I figured out who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I decided there was no reason to wait. I can’t imagine my life without you at the center, and I think it’s time we got started doing just that. Suzy, will you marry me?”

  I flinched, then stared at him as tears streamed down my cheeks. I looked at my mom who was bawling, then at Josie and Chef Claire who were also tearing up. I managed a small nod, then took a step back to give Max room to slide the ring on my finger. My sandal caught the edge of one of the pool tiles, and my knees wobbled. I windmilled my arms in an attempt to recover my balance, teetered on the edge, then toppled backward into the pool. I surfaced, choked and spit water, then used both hands to brush the hair back from my face.

  “Smooth,” Josie said, shaking her head.

  “Shut it. Oh, crap. I dropped the ring.”

  “Well, this is going well,” my mother said, staring down at me. “That was a yes, right?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said, beaming at Max. “It’s a total yes.”

  “Thank ya, Jesus,” my mother said looking up at the heavens.

  “Okay,” Josie said to Chef Claire. “You help Esther Williams out of the pool so she can give her fiancé a big kiss. I’ll see if I can find the ring.”

  I climbed out of the pool with Chef Claire’s assistance then Josie dove into the pool, searched the bottom, and surfaced moments later holding the ring. Max gently slid it onto my finger, and I stared down, dripping water, and beamed as it glistened in the moonlight.

  “It fits perfectly,” Max said, holding my hand up to the light.

  “It certainly does.”

  And it felt fantastic.

  Chapter 7

  I pulled into a parking spot in front of the terminal and turned the jeep off. I immediately leaned over into the passenger seat to give Max a kiss and a long hug he returned before hopping out of the vehicle.

  “I wish you weren’t leaving,” I said, watching as he slung a garment bag over his shoulder.

  “Me too,” he said, walking around to the driver’s side to give me another kiss. “Hopefully, I won’t be gone too long.”

  “What are you going to be doing down there?”

  “They want me to help coordinate the initial relief efforts,” Max said, glancing at his watch. “There’s going be at least a dozen organizations helping out, and we want to make sure everyone’s pulling in the same direction.”

  “Any idea how long you’ll be gone?” I said, fiddling with my engagement ring.

  “I’ll have a better idea once I get on the ground,” he said, again glancing at his watch. “I’ll give you a ca
ll as soon as I can.”

  “Go,” I said, nodding at the terminal. “You’re running late.”

  He gave me a final hug and kiss then started off with a wave. He stopped and called out.

  “And if you get a chance, start thinking about wedding dates,” he said, then took a few steps before stopping again and looking back at me. “Or we could just sub-contract everything out to your mom.”

  I laughed and continued to stare after him until he disappeared from sight. I started the jeep, then grabbed the directions to Jennifer Jensen’s place Gerald had written down for me last night. Ten minutes later, I turned into a residential neighborhood and located the comfortable single-story home tucked away on a cul de sac. I parked in front of the house and was about to ring the doorbell when I heard the sound of voices and splashing water coming from the back of the property. I followed a stone path around the outside of the house to a kidney-shaped pool that dominated the backyard.

  A man and a woman were sprawled out on a two-seater lounge chair, and I headed in their direction. They were still wet from their recent swim and had towels draped over their shoulders. Both were drinking Caybrew, a local beer I enjoyed, especially in the late afternoon on really hot days. But since it was just after nine in the morning, I’d be politely demurring should I be offered one.

  The man spotted me, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and I picked up the unmistakable scent of weed. They both grinned up at me, and the man offered me the freshly-lit joint that was the size of an egg roll.

  “Hey,” he said. “Want a hit?”

  “No, thanks,” I said, smiling as I shook my head. “It only makes me hungry.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” he said, still holding the joint in the air.

  “I have a strict policy against using performance-enhancing drugs,” I said with a small shrug.

  “Okay,” he said, confused. “How about a beer?”

  “Thanks, but no. I never drink before noon.”

  “You got a lot of rules, don’t you?”

  “Not really. Just a strong will,” I said, smiling at the couple.

  “Yeah, me too,” he said. “But I’ve got a really weak won’t.”

  He and the woman cackled. He handed her the joint, she took a long, slow drag on it, and I waited several seconds until she exhaled and her eyes were able to focus on me.

  “Are you here for the party?” she said.

  “No,” I said, glancing at three people who were lounging in the shallow end of the pool. “Actually, I’m looking for Jennifer Jensen.”

  “I think she’s in the house,” the woman said. “Just head on in. We’re pretty informal around here.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “Have fun.”

  “Oh, we will,” the woman said, laughing.

  “Yeah, and if you change your mind about partying, just stop back. We’ll be here. It’s gonna be a non-stop, all-day rage.”

  “Excellent. It’s good to have goals,” I said, giving them two thumbs up as I wheeled around and headed across the patio toward the back door.

  I knocked on a set of sliding glass doors and waited. Then I knocked again and eventually slid one of the doors open and poked my head inside.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  Then I heard the sound of bare feet padding across tile, and a woman came into view. She was probably in her late twenties with close-cropped pink hair that caught me by surprise when I first saw it. She frowned when she saw me and came to a stop a few feet away.

  “Hi. Can I help you?” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

  “Hi, I’m Suzy Chandler. Are you Jennifer Jensen?”

  “I am.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’d like to start by offering my condolences about your parents.”

  She stared at me, dry-eyed, then nodded.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. Then she glanced down at my hand. “That’s a beautiful ring.”

  “Thanks,” I said, grinning down at it. “I just got engaged last night.”

  “Congratulations,” she said, then stared hard at me. “Have we met before?”

  “No, I’m actually here about your folks’ dog,” I said. “Polly.”

  “She’s dead, right?”

  “No, she’s not. I have her.”

  “What?” she said, confused. “How is that possible?”

  “We were fishing in the vicinity of the explosion yesterday. And right before the boat…blew up, Polly jumped into the water and swam toward us. She’s safe and sound.”

  Jennifer Jensen sat down and shook her head.

  “That dog,” she whispered. “I can’t believe it. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, sitting down across from her. “I’m not following you.”

  “There’s something very weird about that dog,” she said, finally managing to make eye contact.

  “She’s really smart,” I said.

  “She’s spooky smart,” she said. “But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m positive that dog has a sixth sense. It freaks me out.”

  “Sixth sense?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

  “It’s like she’s got some sort of psychic power,” Jennifer said, shaking her head. “I know that must sound really strange.”

  “Yeah, that’s the word for it,” I said, laughing.

  “You think I’m joking?” Jennifer said, her voice rising a notch.

  “No, but it does sound like a bit of an exaggeration.”

  “The last time my folks were here, my dad was sitting in a chair underneath that giant palm out by the pool. And all of a sudden, Polly started growling and barking at him. She finally got my dad’s attention, and we thought she just wanted him to take her for a walk. Two minutes after he got up from his chair, a giant coconut fell off the palm and landed right where he’d been sitting. I don’t know if it would have killed him, but it fell about sixty feet.”

  “It must have been a coincidence, right?” I said, frowning.

  “That’s what we all thought at the time,” Jennifer said. “Then three days later, one of my uncles who was visiting decided he was going to go windsurfing. Polly went nuts when she heard him say it, and she started barking and growling again. And when my uncle was loading his equipment into his truck, she went nuts and grabbed one of his ankles and wouldn’t let go.”

  “Really?” I said, leaning forward.

  “She tore up his ankle pretty good, and my uncle was furious with her,” Jennifer said. “He told my dad that he should consider putting the dog down because she must have some sort of brain tumor.”

  “What happened?”

  “We don’t know,” Jennifer said. “But two days later, his body washed up on shore.”

  “Wow,” I said, stunned. “That’s amazing.”

  “She was always doing stuff like that,” Jennifer said. “Another time she stretched out in front of the gardener’s truck and wouldn’t budge. It turns out that he’d gotten a flat tire, had started putting the spare on but had gotten called away. Then he forgot to put the rest of the lug nuts on. If Polly hadn’t done what she did, there’s a good chance the tire would have come off while he was driving home.” She exhaled loudly and shook her head as if trying to clear the cobwebs away. “That dog freaks me out.”

  “Does that mean you don’t want me to bring her here?”

  “I don’t want that dog anywhere near me,” she said.

  “Okay,” I said, frowning.

  “The dog knew the boat was going to blow up?” Jennifer said.

  “I think so,” I said. “She definitely made sure she got off the boat before it did.”

  “Was she barking before she jumped in the water?”

  “Actually, she was,” I said, flashing back to what I’d witnessed yesterday.

  “And they ignored her, didn’t they?” she said, shaking her head.

  “Yes, I believe they did.”

  “My folks had a hard time believing that a do
g could possess that ability,” Jennifer said.

  “Again, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” she said, slowly shaking her head. “I can’t believe they’re gone.” Then she exhaled loudly and did her best to perk up. “So, you’ll find a good home for Polly?”

  “We will,” I said, nodding. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s probably going to sound a bit strange.”

  “Stranger than a psychic dog?” Jennifer said, cocking her head at me.

  “Fair point,” I said, nodding. “What do you know about cockfighting?”

  She stared at me then laughed.

  “You weren’t joking. That is a strange question,” she said. “And my answer is probably going to sound even stranger. I know far too much about cockfighting than I care to admit.”

  “You do?” I said, completely taken aback.

  “It was a disgusting…let’s be generous and call it a hobby, that my father developed a fondness for during his travels in Asia.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Not really,” Jennifer said. “It’s cruel. While I’m not much of an animal lover, I despise seeing any creature tortured for so-called sport.”

  “Why do you think your father enjoyed it?”

  “Some people bet football. My father liked to bet on armed roosters. As you can imagine, it’s not part of our family legacy I like to talk about.” Then she frowned and stared at me. “How do you know about the cockfighting?”

  “After your parents’ boat exploded, several pieces of dead rooster landed on our boat,” I said, grimacing. “And us.”

  “Yuk,” Jennifer said, then shrugged. “He must have been bringing in some ringers he’d picked up during his travels.” She shook her head. “Anything to get a betting edge. He was worth a fortune, but nothing made him happier than winning a couple grand at a cockfight.”

  “So, there are cockfights held around here?”

  “I’m sure there are,” Jennifer said. “Why do you ask? You interested in trying your luck with the bladed warriors?”

  “Bladed warriors?”

  “That’s what my father liked to call them. He thought they were a noble breed.”

  “Noble, but not worth living?”