Trouble at the Kennel (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery #9)(16)
“Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.”
“You looked so familiar to me when you walked over, and I just remembered that I’ve seen you at your coffee shop. I’ve been there for breakfast several times. I’m Jack Powell,” he said, extending his hand.
“Yes, I’m the owner of Kelly’s Koffee Shop. Again, thanks for taking the time to educate me about pit bulls. I’ve got to be going because I want to see a couple more shows. I’ll look forward to seeing you sometime at the coffee shop.”
CHAPTER 13
Kelly sat in the grandstand next to the show ring where the Yorkshire terriers were going to be shown. She pulled out her iPhone to access the Internet and see if she could find out what was special about the breed besides their long silky coat. She learned the breed had been very popular in England during the Victorian era, particularly for its ability to catch rats. It now ranked sixth in popularity in the United States.
The site she was looking at went on to say that originally the bluish-grey dogs were mostly owned by members of the working class, particularly weavers. A lot of facetious comments were made about their silky coats being the ultimate product of the weavers’ looms. At about ten pounds, it was a breed that was very good for today’s modern apartment and condominium living. She smiled to herself thinking about Lady and Rebel who were big dogs, and knew that Skyy was also going to be about their size. Her dogs easily outweighed the Yorkies by seven or eight times.
She had about fifteen minutes before the next round of Yorkies were to be shown, so she picked up the dog show paper she’d been given when she’d paid her entrance fee and glanced through it. A headline caught her attention and she read “Any Truth to The Rumor About Duchess the Yorkie? By The Dog Who Nose.” There was a cartoon drawing below the headline of a Yorkie with a dog next to it that resembled a bloodhound with its nose on the ground, sniffing. Kelly smiled and thought that was a pretty cute way to do the column. She remembered when Noelle had told her about the prize-winning Yorkie who had allegedly gotten pregnant at Doggie Love Kennel, Noelle had mentioned the name “Duchess.” She began reading the three paragraph article.
“Yorkie dog breeders are wondering if there’s any truth to the rumor that Duchess, the Yorkie terrier with the most Championship points, is pregnant and the owner doesn’t know who the father is. The Dog Who Nose contacted the owner who declined to speak about it.
Several knowledgeable Yorkie breeders have suspected that Duchess is pregnant, particularly since she hasn’t been entered in the show being held this weekend at the fairgrounds. The Dog Who Nose says that Duchess’ owner always shows her at local shows, if for no other reason than to bring her to the attention of people who might want to buy one of her puppies.
The Dog Who Nose is pretty sure the rumors are true. No Duchess at shows and no mention of Duchess’ puppies up for sale – a combination that almost insures that Duchess is pregnant, but not by the stud her owner was hoping would be the sire. Stay tuned and when The Dog Who Nose has more information, you’ll be the first to know.”
Wow, Kelly thought. This really is a different world. I’ll bet the owner isn’t too thrilled with this article. And to think that everyone who comes to this show can pick up the newspaper and read about Duchess.
When she put the paper down she noticed that the dogs were being brought into the ring by their handlers. Each of the dogs that was trotting around the ring had been fluffed, combed, and carefully groomed. She smiled, thinking they looked like they should be sitting on chaise lounges having champagne served to them by attentive maids or butlers. These dogs didn’t look like they belonged to the working class, but instead would be more at home with a member of the aristocracy.
While she was sitting there mulling over the grooming of her dogs, which was practically nonexistent, versus the Yorkies’ grooming, she overheard a conversation taking place behind her.
“Susie, it’s good to see you,” a woman sitting behind her said as the woman named Susie sat down next to her. “Kind of interesting that Lisa doesn’t have Duchess in the ring. I remember Lisa saying that Duchess was going to be coming into heat. Makes me think that the article by The Dog Who Nose might be right. Have you heard anything? Is that why they’re not here?”
Kelly realized they were talking about the woman Mary had been concerned was going to sue the kennel, the one Noelle had mentioned.
“Probably,” the woman named Susie answered. “A good friend of mine works for Dr. Simpson, and he confirmed that she’s pregnant, but evidently Lisa is furious about it.”
“Why would she be furious? From what she gets for the puppies that are in Duchess’ litters, I’d think she’d be ecstatic.”
“Normally she would be. I guess you didn’t read the article very thoroughly because there’s a little problem with this pregnancy. I know you’re discreet, Gina, but I would appreciate it if what I tell you isn’t repeated. You know how people in the dog world like to gossip. The mere scent of a scandal and the rumors start. I really don’t want to get involved in something like that, plus I promised my friend I wouldn’t say anything.”
“I understand. Susie, you know you can trust me. What’s going on with Duchess, and no, I just glanced at the article.”
“Well, from what my friend overheard Lisa telling Dr. Simpson, it seems like she went to her nephew’s wedding about a month ago. The woman she usually uses to dog sit Duchess became ill and had to cancel. She called several people she knows who have champion dogs, and they all said the best kennel for boarding, if you had to do it, was the Doggie Love Kennel. She left Duchess there over a weekend.”