Dogged by Death Read online

  At this rate, she might as well have his number on speed dial.

  Chapter Five

  As usual, Noah did not look happy to see them. She wasn’t sure why—after all, Gramps was helping him solve the murder. If Gramps was right about the first forty-eight hours being critical to solving a crime, the clock was ticking.

  “You just happened to drive through the library parking lot and found Marty’s car?” Noah’s tone dripped with sarcasm.

  “Yep.” Gramps looked smug.

  “Gramps comes to the library every Wednesday,” Ally added in an attempt to smooth things over. “And we drove around a bit because I wanted a closer parking spot so Gramps wouldn’t have to walk as far.”

  Noah’s green gaze bored into hers. “I thought I told you to leave the investigating to me?”

  “I am!” Ally spread her hands. “It’s not my fault I found the body and then drove past the dead man’s missing car.” From their vantage point, she could just barely make out Appletree Lane behind the grocery store, located kitty-corner from the municipal building. “I’m surprised you didn’t check here earlier, after all, it’s within walking distance of Marty’s place.”

  “The killer likely drove the car here, figuring it’s close to the center of town.” Gramps squinted and gave a nod of satisfaction. “From here, he or she could walk just about anywhere without capturing anyone’s attention.”

  A tiny muscle twitched near Noah’s left eye and, for a moment, she thought he might lose it. To his credit, he didn’t. Instead, he leveled each of them a stern look. “Listen, both of you need to butt out of this. It’s a murder investigation, not a hobby.”

  “We’re not trying to be involved,” Ally hastened to reassure him. “Right, Gramps?”

  Gramps grunted in a way that indicated he’d do whatever he pleased. And if that meant butting in, he’d do exactly that.

  “Noah, do you need anything else? I’m sure Gramps is anxious to get into the library.”

  Gramps let out a snort. “I’m fine right here. You going to look inside the car? Search for clues?”

  Noah sighed again. At least the corner of his eye had stopped twitching. “The crime scene techs are on their way. It would be a huge help if you would go inside. I don’t want any chance of the crime scene becoming contaminated.”

  Ally knew Gramps would prefer to stay out here and watch, but she put her hand firmly under his arm. “We’re going.”

  Her grandfather reluctantly walked beside her. “If the killer was smart, he or she would have wiped the car clean of fingerprints.”

  “But criminals aren’t always as smart as they think. Besides, there could be other evidence besides prints. Hair fibers, that kind of thing.” It made her smile to think that the interior was likely full of short golden-brown hair from Roxy. “Not our problem, right?”

  “It is if I’m still a suspect.”

  “You’re not a suspect, Gramps.” And probably never were, until you got all hyped up and called a lawyer. For being so smart, Noah had played right into that one.

  They crossed the parking lot and headed inside the blessedly cool building. The library was a two-story structure with an elevator that led up to the children’s section, which had a play area surrounded by children’s books. “What do you feel like reading today?”

  “True crime.” Gramps didn’t hesitate to thump his way straight over to the section of the library where the crime novels were located. Shaking her head with frustration, she decided to go check out a couple of romantic suspense books. Back when she’d lived in Madison, she’d been too busy to read. Considering her lack of appointments at the clinic, it appeared this would be a good time to get caught up with her favorite authors.

  Ally found two books and quickly checked them out. Since she didn’t have a library card, she went through the process of signing up and received a temporary card until the real one was ready.

  Gramps was still perusing the shelves, no doubt having trouble finding something he hadn’t already read. She took a seat in a chair off in the corner of the room and opened her book.

  “Can you believe someone murdered Marty Shawlin?”

  “It’s terrible, isn’t it? I heard his ex-wife walked away with a lot of money after their divorce.”

  “Really? She took him to the cleaners?”

  “Yes. I also heard they have a potential suspect.”

  A pair of female voices caught her attention. Glancing up from her novel, Ally scanned the area. A group of ladies who looked to be about her mother’s age stood in a cluster at the end of an aisle. When Ally looked in their direction, they all quickly shut up and averted their gazes.

  Having only been back in Willow Bluff for the past six weeks, there were many locals she didn’t know. None of the three women looked familiar, but clearly they had opinions about Marty’s murder. Seeing her, they quickly moved out of earshot.

  It took all Ally’s willpower not to follow them so she could keep listening. Sounded as if the divorce had been more acrimonious than she’d originally believed. And who was the suspect they’d mentioned? Hopefully not Gramps. Although as far as she knew, Gramps was the only one Noah had interviewed down at the police station. But that was only because Gramps was stubborn down to the bone.

  “Found one!” Gramps made his way toward her, leaning heavily on his cane. He flashed the cover of his book.

  “The Evil Within? Really, Gramps? Won’t that give you nightmares?”

  “Bah. There ain’t nothing worse than ’Nam.” He jutted his chin toward the checkout desk. “Are you ready to go? I’m hungry.”

  “Of course.” Ally rose and helped Gramps over to the library checkout counter.

  “Hello, Oscar.” The woman behind the desk greeted him warmly. She had to be at least twenty years younger than her grandfather but acted as if they were old friends. “I see you found another true crime story. There’s a new one that should be here within the next couple of days. I’d be happy to put a hold on it for you, if you’d like.”

  “I would, indeed.” Gramps’ blue eyes twinkled. “I appreciate you always keeping an eye out for something I enjoy reading. Thanks, Rosie.”

  “You’re very welcome.” Rosie quickly checked the book before handing it back. “See you next week?”

  “Of course.” Gramps tucked the book under his arm. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  They left the library, stepping into the warm June sun. Ally shortened her stride for Gramps’ sake. “Do you have all the single women in this town running after you?”

  “What can I say? I’m a catch.” Gramps preened a bit as they walked toward the Lakeview Café.

  “More like the local heartbreaker,” Ally retorted.

  Gramps shrugged, not looking a bit repentant. “Not my fault. But it doesn’t matter. Not a one of them can hold a candle to Amelia.”

  Shaking her head, Ally found herself wondering if Noah’s team had finished processing Marty’s car. Since the parking lot was located in the back of the building, she couldn’t see if they were still around.

  Reminding herself that they had agreed to stay out of it, she pushed her curiosity aside and focused on sharing a nice lunch with Gramps.

  “So, who do you think killed Marty?” Gramps asked after their server had taken their order and brought their raspberry lemonades.

  She eyed him over the rim of her glass. “We’re supposed to leave it alone, remember?”

  “Bah.” Gramps waved a hand. “Where would that detective be without us?”

  Ally silently admitted that Gramps had a point. How long would poor Marty have lain there on the floor if she hadn’t agreed to walk Roxy? She shivered and tried not to focus on the gory details. “I’m sure Noah is doing a fine job. We have no idea what he’s accomplished already, since he isn’t about to confide in us.”

  “I was thinking that maybe the events unfolded in a different way,” Gramps mused.

  Intrigued in spite of herself, she leaned
closer. “What do you mean?”

  “Like maybe Marty parked his car here because he was meeting someone in town. Maybe they ended up going back to his place to get something, some paperwork or something he’d forgotten, only that’s when the murderer knocked him over the head and then slipped out the back.”

  Ally eyed her grandfather thoughtfully. “That would make sense, since Roxy was in her crate when I arrived. I thought it was odd for the dog to be crated while Marty was still at home.”

  “Exactly.” Gramps’ blue eyes gleamed.

  “I’m sure Noah has considered that possibility.”

  “Maybe. Regardless, I think we should talk to Anita Jones about what other poor unsuspecting souls she sicced Marty on.” Gramps looked far too excited about the prospect. “We might pick up on something to help your detective figure out whodunit.”

  “He’s not my detective.” Ally glanced around the café in search of their server, hoping their lunch would arrive soon. “Besides, what do you know about questioning a witness?”

  “I read.” Gramps tapped the library book sitting on the table between them.

  “Yeah, a little too much.” Ally took another sip of her tangy raspberry lemonade. “Enough talk about murder. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

  “Tillie wants to play cribbage, but I’d rather you drive us over to chat with Anita.”

  “Gramps.” She sighed. “I just don’t think that’s a good idea. Noah will be upset if he finds out we did that.”

  “Who cares? He’ll get over it.” Gramps sat back in his seat. “Especially if we help him solve the case.”

  Their meals arrived, and the conversation turned to less morbid topics. As Ally finished with her salad, her phone rang.

  The number wasn’t familiar, maybe a potential client? She answered in a professional tone. “Hello, this is Dr. Winter.”

  “Where’s Dr. Hanson?”

  Good grief, would anyone in this town ever figure out Hanson was gone and not coming back? “I’m sorry, he’s retired. I’m Dr. Winter and am happy to help.”

  There was a slight pause, then the caller said, “I have a problem. My black Lab, Smoky, ate my sock.”

  Ally stood and moved away from the table so there was less background noise. “A sock?”

  “Yes.” The poor girl sounded as if she might cry. “It’s not a large sock, just goes up to my ankle, but I caught a glimpse of the red toe part hanging out of his mouth as he ran away. By the time I caught him, he’d already swallowed it.”

  “I see.” Fortunately, she’d been through this scenario before. “Okay, listen, fabric like that isn’t good for dogs, it will glom together and cause a bowel obstruction, which in turn will require surgery. My advice is that you give him some hydrogen peroxide right away, to make him throw up.”

  “How much hydrogen peroxide?” There were sounds in the background that made Ally think the caller was rifling through the bathroom closet.

  “How much does Smoky weigh?”

  “Seventy pounds.”

  “Okay, no more than forty-five milliliters of peroxide, then, that’s the max. Do you have a syringe like for giving animals liquid medication? It will work better if you can get the peroxide way into the back of his mouth, he won’t drink it voluntarily. If that doesn’t work, call me back, you’ll need to bring Smoky in.”

  “I will, thanks.” The girl hung up.

  Ally hurried back to the table. “I have a possible emergency coming into the clinic, so we’ll need to leave.” She glanced around for the server to pay their bill.

  “I already took care of it.” Gramps pushed himself upright.

  “Gramps, I wanted to pay.” It didn’t feel right to have her grandfather buying her meal. She might not be swimming in cash, but she wasn’t so bad off she’d mooch off her grandfather.

  “Next time.” He tucked his book beneath his arm, then turned back to glance at their empty table. “You know, I can just sit here for a spell and wait for you.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Why, so you can go talk to Anita?” The flash of guilt in his gaze made her roll her eyes. “Yeah, no. I don’t think so. Besides, I have a grooming pickup later this afternoon anyway but don’t have a specific time, so it would be better if I drove you back to the Legacy House now.”

  “Okay, fine.” Gramps heaved a heavy and thoroughly disappointed sigh.

  The walk back to the municipal building parking lot took longer than the drive to the Legacy House. There was no sign of Noah or Marty’s car, which she imagined had been towed away. Gramps looked thoughtful, and she couldn’t help being worried about what new scheme he was cooking up. It wouldn’t surprise her that he might find a way to talk privately with Anita Jones.

  The more she thought about it, the more she realized it might be better if she was the one to take Gramps over to speak to Anita. At least that way she could make sure he didn’t get too far out of line.

  Noah couldn’t tell them who they were allowed to talk to, right?

  Right.

  “Tell you what, Gramps. When I finish up at the clinic, I’ll drive you over to see Anita Jones.”

  He glanced at her in surprise. “Oh yeah? What made you change your mind?”

  She didn’t dare tell him the truth. “I owe you for lunch, this is the least I can do.”

  “Okay, that would be great.” His blue eyes gleamed again, and heaven help her, she could tell he was already creating a list of questions to ask the woman.

  Yep, much better to go along with him than leave him on his own.

  “I’ll call you later,” she promised as she walked Gramps up to the door.

  “Oscar! You’re just in time for lunch.” Harriet beamed at him, as Ally helped him over the threshold.

  “I already ate but wouldn’t mind having some of Ally’s brownies for dessert,” Gramps said.

  “Of course! And I have leftover apple crisp, too.”

  “Perfect.” Gramps grinned. “They were both very tasty.”

  Harriet blushed and closed the door behind him.

  Ally smiled and hurried back to her car. As she was driving back to the clinic, her phone rang again. She recognized the number from earlier. She pulled over to the side of the road and answered. “Hello, this is Dr. Winter.”

  “He won’t throw up,” the girl wailed. “I shot the peroxide into the back of his mouth the way you said, but Smoky still hasn’t thrown up!”

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll need to bring him to the Furry Friends Veterinary Clinic.” Ally hoped the girl was old enough to pay for the Lab’s treatment. “Bring your mom or dad with you, okay?”

  “They’re out of town.” The girl sniffled loudly. “But I have their credit card.”

  “That’s fine, then. See you soon.” Ally tossed her phone back in her purse and pulled back into traffic. Not that she wanted bad things to happen to people’s pets, because she didn’t. But all things considered, this was turning out to be a decent day for her business.

  She had just enough time to take Clover and Roxy out for quick bathroom breaks before Smoky arrived.

  The girl holding Smoky’s leash was older than Ally had guessed, in her late teens or early twenties. “Hi, I’m Rachel Turks, and this is Smoky.”

  “Hi Rachel, Smoky.” Ally held out her hand for the black Lab to sniff. He seemed friendly enough, not showing any discomfort after having eaten a red sock for a midday snack. “This shouldn’t take too long, why don’t you have a seat in the waiting room?”

  “Okay.” Rachel looked as if she wanted to cry but left Smoky in Ally’s capable hands.

  Ally took Smoky into the back, where she’d already prepared a syringe of apomorphine. She tied Smoky’s leash to a pole and set him in the oversized sink. Then she donned gloves, a paper gown, and a face mask to protect herself. When she was ready, she wrapped her arms around him and quickly injected the medication into his flank.

  The dog yelped and tried to squirm away, but she held tight.
Then she prepared herself for the inevitable results. Over-the-counter supplies like hydrogen peroxide to make a dog vomit weren’t nearly as powerful as apomorphine.

  Sure enough, it didn’t take long for poor Smoky to begin to vomit. She felt bad for him but knew it was for the best.

  “Good boy,” she encouraged. “Yes, you’re a good boy. We need to get that nasty sock out of there, don’t we? Yes, we do.”

  The sock came out amidst other stomach contents.

  “There, see? You’ll feel much better in the long run.”

  Smoky convulsed and vomited again, and she was horrified to find there was another ball of fabric in the bottom of the wash tub. Another sock? She picked up a scalpel and tweezers to pry the ball of fabric open.

  Two socks stuck together for a total of three.

  What in the world?

  Smoky threw up again, heaving up yet another balled-up hunk of fabric. By the time he’d emptied his gut, she had six socks of various colors yet all roughly the same size.

  Not a single matching pair among them.

  “Good thing Rachel brought you in today, Smoky, or we’d have been operating on you for sure.” Ally cleaned up the mess, including the dog, before walking him back out into the waiting area.

  “How is he?” Rachel tossed the six-month-old People magazine aside and jumped to her feet.

  “He’s fine, but do you realize he’d eaten six socks?”

  “Six?” Rachel paled. “I had no idea. I assumed they were lost in the dryer.”

  “Yeah, well, they weren’t. You need to keep your dirty clothes off the floor or anywhere he can get them.” Ally kept her tone stern. “Next time, he might need surgery.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause him harm.” Tears welled in Rachel’s eyes as she crouched down to put her arms around the Lab’s neck. “I love you, Smoky.”

  Ally felt certain Smoky would be in good hands from this point forward. “Let’s get you checked out, okay?”

  Rachel and Smoky followed her over to the desk. Ally printed an invoice and showed it to Rachel. The girl winced, but readily handed over the credit card that must have belonged to her parents, because the name Richard Turks was printed on the front of the card.