Trouble at the Kennel (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery #9)(29)
A few minutes later the chubby affable bearded veterinarian entered the exam room. “Good seeing you Kelly. I think I recognize this new addition to the family.”
“Yes, I know you’ve already met her. Mary Barnes' daughter asked if I'd take her for the present time. When I called to tell you about her, you said I should bring her in to make sure everything was okay with her even though you’ve examined her before. I just want to be doubly sure, and your receptionist said she was ready for her Bordatella vaccine.”
“No problem. Give me a minute.” He picked up the wiggling ball of fur and spent the next few minutes examining her.
There was a knock on the door and the receptionist opened it. “I'm sorry to bother you, Doctor, but Mrs. Collins is on the phone. She sounds hysterical.”
“All right. I'll take the call from here. This is getting old. I'm sorry, Kelly, but I probably better take this one. I'll just be a minute,” he said as he picked up the phone. “This is Dr. Simpson, how is Duchess doing?”
Kelly could clearly hear Lisa's voice, and agreed with the receptionist, she sounded hysterical. “Doctor, I'm so worried. Duchess doesn't look good. She has a very sad look in her eyes.”
The doctor rolled his eyes heavenward. “Mrs. Collins, we've talked about this several times before. You're going to bring Duchess here to the clinic a couple of days before her due date, so if she encounters problems giving birth, I can take care of her. A sad look in her eyes is not something that causes me to be concerned.”
Again Kelly could clearly hear Lisa. “Doctor, this is absolutely the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I'm still so angry, and frankly I'm glad that horrible woman was murdered. It serves her right for allowing something like this to happen to my baby. She deserved to die for the pain she’s caused me and my precious little Duchess.”
“Well, Mrs. Collins, that's a matter of opinion. Try not to worry. Duchess is going to be fine. Dogs are a lot hardier than we give them credit for. I'm with a patient, so I really need to go. We’ll make the arrangements for boarding Duchess at the clinic when it’s a little closer to her due date.” He hung up the phone and turned to Kelly.
“I know how attached people get to their pets, but lately it seems like I've had more than my fair share of them,” he said turning back to Kelly.
“I overheard a couple of people talking about her at the dog show at the fairgrounds last Friday,” Kelly said. “Evidently one of the other dogs at the Doggie Love Kennel impregnated Duchess. They mentioned that Mrs. Collins was very worried that the dog that did it might have been much larger than Duchess, and it could cause problems for her during the birth process. From what they were saying, it sounds like she was really angry.”
“She still is. I understand her concern, but there's nothing she can do about it. We discussed Duchess having an abortion, but Mrs. Collins’ personal beliefs stopped her from doing that, and I respect her feelings. It's just a very difficult situation. Mary's kennel has sure had its share of problems lately. Pit bull problems, Duchess' pregnancy, Mary's death, the dogs being released from the kennel, and then the attack on the Reston dog. Poor dog is still recuperating here at the clinic.”
“I spoke with Sandy Reston the other day. I understand that it was her husband's dog, and he was quite upset about it.”
“That's putting it mildly. He's kind of a strange guy.”
“I don't know him. Tell me about him.”
CHAPTER 23
“Kelly, I really don't like to talk about my patients or their owners. I hope you can understand that. Why do you want to know?”
“Doctor, we go back a long way. You know I'm married to the Beaver County Sheriff, and I think you know that I've helped him solve some of the murder cases that have occurred in and around Cedar Bay. The death of Mary Barnes is a very strange case. It seems like there are a lot of people who might have a motive for murdering her. Several of them involve dogs which are probably patients of yours.”
“That very thought has been keeping me awake the last few nights.”
“If I made a promise to you that I would never tell anyone about any conversation we might have, could you trust me enough to give me your thoughts? I think you could really help us with this investigation.”
Dr. Simpson was quiet for several moments, obviously deep in thought. “Kelly, I've known you a long time, and I trust you. I probably would feel better getting this off my chest, but I must insist my name be kept entirely out of anything that might come about as a result of this conversation.”
“If it would make you feel better, I won't even tell Mike.”
“He seems like a good man, although I've only met him a couple of times. Go ahead and tell him whatever you feel is relevant, but please don't say you heard it from me.”
“That's more than fair. I won't use your name as being a source.”
“Since I'm the only veterinarian in town, I pretty much know all the dog owners. You know my feelings about Lisa. She was in shock and very, very angry when I confirmed that Duchess was pregnant. Do I think she qualifies as a suspect? I honestly don't know. I suppose she might have been angry enough to commit murder, but I have a hard time seeing her as a killer. I also have a hard time seeing her as the person who let the dogs loose at the kennel.”