Trouble at the Kennel (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery #9)
Dianne Harman
CHAPTER 1
“Mike, our trip to Cuba was amazing. I’m so glad we went. I still can’t believe I’ve been to Italy and Cuba, and in both places, I got involved solving a murder! I wonder what the chances are of something like that happening. The only down side was that it involved a lot of travel. Kind of a hurry up and wait at all the airports. I can’t seem to sleep on an airplane, and last night was no exception.
“I know it’s early, but I’d like to go directly to the boarding kennel and pick up the dogs. I really missed Rebel and Lady,” Kelly said, as they began the drive from the Portland airport to their home in Cedar Bay located on the central coast of Oregon.
“I missed them too,” the burly greying county sheriff said. “We’ll go there first, but you better be ready to get out your checkbook. That place is really pricey. The first time I ever saw it was when we took the dogs there on the way to the airport. Any place that has a video camera so you can watch your dog on your iPhone and has a lake behind the barn that was created just for the dogs has got to be expensive. Don’t think very many people have it as good as the dogs that stay there do.
“Anyway, back to our trip. When I booked the trip to Italy, I was thinking more of food, wine, cooking, and seeing the sights of Tuscany rather than spending most of my time in an Italian police station helping the chief of police solve a murder. Of course, the Signor who owned the cooking school, did tell us when we left that we were always welcome to come back, and he wouldn’t charge us because he was so grateful to us for having helped catch the person who murdered his wife.”
“I’d happily go back there, plus we did get to spend some time in Florence, and I loved that part of the trip. As far as I’m concerned Mike, it really was kind of like the honeymoon we never got to take right after we were married.”
“I agree and you have to admit that Cuba was amazing. The setting was kind of like something you’d read about but never expected to see. Even though I got caught up in helping to solve the murder, I did love the fly fishing. That was pretty spectacular.”
“Mike, the one thing I regret is that we couldn’t bring Cayo, the stray cat that kind of adopted me, back with us. After all, he’s probably responsible for saving my life. I got pretty attached to that little guy. I know it’s probably for the best, but…”
She was interrupted by Mike who said in a no-nonsense tone of voice, “That was simply out of the question. Two dogs are enough. We are not starting a zoo and that’s final.”
“All right. I know that tone of voice.”
As they drove down the highway towards Cedar Bay, they spent time reminiscing about recent events and how good it would be to get home. “I know you’re not going to like this, but if I could have, I also would have brought Caesar home with me from Italy. I think he would have thoroughly enjoyed living with all of us, but I know that big dog will have a good home with Dominico and his two boys. Hope his wife likes big dogs.”
“Kelly, I’m serious. Two dogs are plenty. Lady’s a very well behaved dog, actually her name fits her perfectly, and there is no doubt in my mind that Rebel is an old soul. Nothing upsets that dog, but we’ve peaked on animals. I can’t imagine what we’d do with another one. Don’t forget, as Beaver County Sheriff, I have to keep the county safe, and you have to keep making people happy by feeding them the comfort food you serve them at Kelly’s Koffee Shop. With all the time our jobs require we just wouldn’t have time to care for a third dog or a cat. Nope, two dogs are definitely enough for us.”
They were about twenty minutes from the kennel when Mike’s cell phone rang. Although drivers in Oregon can’t legally talk on a cell phone while operating a vehicle, there’s an exemption for law enforcement personnel, and Mike took advantage of it. “This is Sheriff Reynolds.”
He listened and then said, “I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, Mike, not business. I thought we were going to the kennel.”
“We are, Kelly,” Mike said grimly. “That was one of my deputies. He’s there right now. Your friend, Mary Barnes, the owner of the kennel, has been murdered. Her daughter’s on her way there right now. Kelly, there’s something else I need to tell you. Whoever did it opened the gates on the dog kennels and released all of the dogs. Mary had two people who stayed at the kennel at night, and they’ve been able to round up several of the dogs and fortunately Lady was one of them. She’s all right, however, Rebel hasn’t been found, so keep your eyes peeled. Maybe we’ll see him on the way there.”
“Oh, no, no! Not Rebel. He knows not to go in the street, but he doesn’t know this area at all, and he’s probably confused. Mike, we have to find him.”
“Kelly, I have to investigate Mary’s murder. If we can’t find him on the way there, you take the car and start looking for him.”
“I just had a horrible thought. The kennel’s only about a mile from the freeway. I hope none of the dogs went in that direction.”
“So do I, sweetheart, so do I.” Even though Mike was driving his own car rather than his official patrol car, he justified his high rate of speed as part of getting to the scene of a crime. In a few short minutes they pulled up to the Doggie Love Kennel and saw the blue and red flashing lights of several sheriffs’ cars. Mike and Kelly jumped out of their car and ran up to a deputy who was standing nearby.