Dog Days Murderous Nights: Winnona Peaks Mysteries Book 1 (5 page)

“You know I’m not sure, but that reminds me of something.” Christy said, picking up the camera. She started quickly sifting through the shots, looking for something.  “It’s not there!”

“What’s not there?”

“Well right before you got there, J.W. was showing me a picture of this gorgeous beagle and was letting me know that the beagle was favored to win among certain circles.  Mrs. Deswood overheard what he said and threw quite the fit.”

“So?” Gregory said.  Christy reached over so Gregory could look at the back of the camera where you could view the thumbnails.  “J.W. had a picture of the beagle.  It was a really great shot.  The picture is gone, now.”

“Well, unless we can find some fingerprints or DNA on the body we don’t have a strong case.  The best thing to do would to be get a confession.”

“Well then, we’ll just have to get a confession,” Christy said with a nod.  “What am I doing!  I have to be up in three hours and I’m drinking coffee.  Mr. Binks, you are positively a horrible influence on me.” Christy got up and dumped the rest in the sink.

“Well, I guess you’re lucky that you only have to put up with me for a couple days, Ms. Roberts.” Gregory raised his coffee cup.  “I’m still going to fix that door.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.  The wind rips that thing out of the wall all the time.  You’d think I’d learn. Good night.” He watched her fade into the dark hallway.  “I’m still going to fix that door,” he mumbled to himself again.  He knew she was independent but he needed to fix something.  Anything.  He closed his eyes and remembered the last time he stood over a body in Dallas with red and blue lights flashing in his face.  He tried to block it out with the memory of Christy’s hair dancing in the kitchen lights at midnight.  He sat and enjoyed the French Roast.  Gregory never slept much anyway.

Chapter 10

Christy had never been to a dog show before. Carpeting and waist high curtains for as far as the eye could see. All AKC royal blue.  Diana was right.  It felt just like a three-ring circus with all the animals barking and adults jostling for position at the registration tables or in the stands.  Well that and the vendors.  It looked like a state fair where the only requirement is that you sold something with dog somewhere in the product name.  It was an ocean of products for dogs. Leashes, seats.  You name it and someone had it for your dog.  There were people selling pet insurance. Kennels that specialized in dogs with anxiety.  Therapy dog services for humans.  It was astounding.  It was definitely a circus.

Except in a circus all the animals stayed in a cage back with the rest of the performers.  There were just dogs barking everywhere!  She didn’t know where to even begin.  Gregory said they had to get a confession out of Nori and at first they were stumped at how to snoop around without raising suspicion. Then Christy remembered that J.W. told Hailey to arrange for the VIP passes to be kept at the judges table.  She figured that she could talk her way into letting Gregory have a pass.  She just didn’t know where the judge’s tables were. Gregory was scanning the area for any sign of Nori.

“Do you always where a navy blue polo?” Christy asked.

“Nope.  Just most of the time.  I have eighteen in my closet,” he answered, still scanning the room.

“What do you do on day nineteen?”

“I wear my olive green one so that when people like you ask the question I can say I wear a different color once and a while.”

“Seems kind of boring.  You see any signs of Nori?”

“You mean the old lady holding a dog?  Yea, she really stands out in this crowd. Why couldn’t we have tried to sneak up on her at a cat show?” Gregory said.

“Just keep, oof-” Christy was looking backwards at Gregory and not quite where she was going.  She bumped a blonde woman taking a small drink from her water bottle.  Water splashed all down the front of her as she spun around, scowling at whoever bumped into her.  It was Hailey.

Recognizing Christy, she snapped, “What are you doing here?” shaking her hands free of the water and trying to wipe down her own V.I.P. pass and clipboard.

“Jeez, why are you always biting her head off?  Half the town is here.  What’s the big deal?”  Gregory said.

Christy put her hands up in surrender. “No, I understand.  Hailey is busy and I bumped her in the arm.  I hope I didn’t mess up your clipboard.  Are you a judge now?”

Hailey took a moment to consider them both, weighing something in her mind.  Christy understood grief but this look was different.  More calculated. Hailey was tapping her pencil on the clipboard out of nerves, and after glancing around and shooting a look to the ceiling, she finally eased up.  “I might be crazy, but J.W. would have wanted me to do the right thing.  J.W. invited you, Christy and I’m going to honor that.  You might as well come along too.”  She waved at Gregory and started down a narrow hallway with less traffic.  She gestured in their direction to follow her.  A safe distance from being heard Christy whispered to Gregory, “If we get caught with box seats or something we won’t be able to snoop around and try and catch Nori.”

“We just have to roll with it and hope for the best,” Gregory mumbled, as they caught up to Hailey.  A room opened up to a reception area far away from the crowd.  A table was set up with light refreshments on one end and toward the middle was a man in a hunter green coat and conservative necktie who held a clipboard next to a stack of names and lanyards.

“Well, hello Hailey.  We are all just devastated about J.W.  We weren’t even sure we were going to see you today.  We’d fully understand if you sat out this show.  Such a tragedy.” He said to Hailey as she approached. She smiled slightly and waved at Christy and Gregory. 

“Yes, well I think it’s better if I try to stay busy at the moment.  There will be so much to plan with the family later.  Mr. Reynolds.  J.W. arranged with you yesterday to have a Christy Roberts as his guest in section three?”

“Why yes, he did.  I have her pass right here.”  He picked up a lanyard with a laminated V.I.P. pass attached.  Christy put it around her neck.

“Well, she is here also with a guest.  They were both at the house when J.W. died and I think he would have wanted―”

“Why of course! And by the way, Hailey.  Those were some great shots you took of my Reginald earlier.” Mr. Reynolds quickly grabbed another V.I.P lanyard and handed it to Gregory.  “Any dog lover is welcome.  This day is really dedicated to J.W. so anything we can do to make it easier for you, Hailey, please just let us know.”  Hailey nodded and  turned quickly to find a tissues and dab her eyes, leaving Christy and Gregory with Mr. Reynolds.

Christy asked, “Can you tell me when Mrs. Nori Deswood’s Skye Terrier Mable would be showing?” Mr. Reynolds shook his head, sadly, watching Hailey and glanced down at his roster and schedule.  “Well yes, Mable did well in the preliminaries so she will be showing in the second round.  You will be sitting in the judges’ circle so if you just take this schedule, you should be able to see a stunning view of the show.”  Someone else came up to the table and Christy and Gregory met up with Hailey as she tried to make a hasty exit out of the room. 

“Hailey, wait. I didn’t know you were a photographer too,” Christy called, trying to set up a truce.

“Look, I didn’t want to get you those passes, but J.W. would have wanted it.  I’ve kept up my end, now just leave me alone.”  Her lip was quivering again. 

“We never meant to hurt you.”

“I know.” An announcement came over the PA for the next class to come to the on-deck waiting area.  “It’s just a very busy day.  Enjoy the show but please don’t ask me for anything else about J.W.” She nodded and walked down the hallway.

“Let’s go find our seats,” Gregory said.  Christy nodded.  “I had an aunt that used to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Hide hooch in her water bottle.  We all thought she was a health nut.”

“Oh, I’m sure it was somebody’s mouthwash not quite working,” Christy answered as they made their way back into the fray.  Gregory let it go and pointed to their seats on the ground floor.  They settled in to one of the best views in the house.

“I knew you were supposed to come with J.W.,” Gregory said as the crowd quietly clapped for a basset hound.

“Oh, well, I think you misunderstood Hailey—” Christy looked down at her hands in her lap.”

“No, I heard him invite you.  That lady with the little dog was stomping off the porch right as we walked up.  He even called himself a recovered Casanova.” Christy didn’t know what to say.

Gregory looked back out at the dogs.  “Don’t worry.  I’m not applying for the job.  I’m just here to sell coffee, remember?” The music started and they settled in and started enjoying the show, despite the circumstances that brought them there.  Christy was glad to be rescued by the distraction.

Chapter 11

Nori didn’t know what to do. What was the hostel owner doing sitting in the judges section!  It looked like a set-up and she was terrified that Ms. Roberts was going to sway the judges for sure. Why did she have to snap at her like she did yesterday?  She didn’t know that J.W. was talking to her because she was a judge!  But there she was sitting in the judges section with that other guest from the hotel. They seemed to be quite chummy over there, too. What goes on at that bed and breakfast?  No wonder J.W. didn’t think he had a chance with her.  That muscle-bound jerk said he was just recently back to town. With those two up there, she thought Mr. Muscles could be a ringer spying on the talent here for the upcoming, “Heart of Hartford” show.  No wonder J.W. was whispering to Ms. Roberts and showing her those pictures on his camera. What was he going to say about Mable?  Her only prayer was that she wasn’t going to be a judge for Mable’s class of dog in a later round. 

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Mable.” Nori cooed at Mable as she put some finishing touches on her coat before her appearance in the ring. “That silly beagle won’t steal your limelight for long.” All Nori could do was stand by and watch.  “Oh, she did it again.  Look, Mable, the hostel owner is pointing at Snoopy’s Tempting Delight on the stand.  And her!  Taking photos of that stupid dog!  The other guest!  She’s a photographer here?  This is a downright conspiracy.  She didn’t say that last night when we all were being interrogated by that awful police woman after J.W. was hauled away.  What a terrible night.  Oh!  Look, Mable!  Her shirt says she works for Canine Philosophy!  But why is she taking that picture?  J.W. told me that he just sold the rights to the shots of the beagle he took last week?  What is she doing now?  That’s kind of crass to be stealing J.W.’s thunder when his body isn’t quite cold yet.  Mable, I know I was so rude to him, but—“

“Ladies and Gentleman,” the announcer boomed across the arena.  “We must sadly announce that one of our judges suddenly passed away, last night.  Some of you judges may have seen his assistant, Hailey, has been picking up some of the slack for all of us.  We are all so grateful for her hard work, here today, at such a difficult time.  It also makes sense why J.W. chose her.  Say hello to the youngest executive director of the Augustine Canine Foundation.  It is J.W. Augustine’s non-profit that promotes the health and well-being of dogs around the world.”  There was faint applause as a small spotlight displayed Hailey at the head table. The announcer continued.  “J.W. has had such a huge impact on our judging community.  His memory will live on through Hailey.  So right before we move to the next class, we’d like to have a moment of silence to honor his memory.”

“Oh, Mable, I just can’t do this.  I don’t care if we lose the kennel.  There has to be another way than going through this humiliation.”  Nori took the moment of silence as her cue to exit the arena.  Christy just happened to catch a flash of red and gold out of the corner of her eye with a little white dog scampering at her heels.  Christy bumped Gregory’s shoulder and quietly pointed as they both watched a sliver of light come into the area from the exit door where Nori was scooping up Mable before leaving the building.

Christy and Gregory followed right after the moment of silence ended.  Nori hadn’t thought it all the way through because she exited the back of the building where a chain-link fence prevented anyone from entering without a key to the gate.  It also prevented anyone from leaving.  Nori was desperate.  It was hard to breathe. “Oh, Mable, this day just can’t get any worse.”  It was also the area where employees were allowed to smoke so she swept the cigarette butts off onto the ground, sat down and proceeded to cry.  Mable tried to lick the chin of her master to make her feel better.  “Oh, no, you don’t want Mummy’s make-up on your fur.  The last thing we need today is to be disqualified for using a foreign substance on your coat to make you glisten.  No, you just have to show them you are better than the beagle!”

Christy and Gregory walked through the exit door to find Nori sitting on the smoking bench talking to her dog.  Seeing that she was crying, Christy rushed over to try and offer her a tissue she had from her purse.  “Nori, it’s Christy from Alfie’s—“

“Oh, sure you are. You’re Christy from Alfie’s and I’m the Maharaja!” she babbled through her tears.  “How do you get off, lying to me about being a judge!” She stood up accusing Gregory.  He was really confused.  Nori lost it and just stood there heaving whole body sobs.  Her typically pristine face was melting into a clown face of streaked mascara. Christy ignored the outburst and tried to get Nori to sit down again, offering her a tissue.  She took the tissue and sat back down. “Oh, I’m sorry.” 

Christy gently patted her on the shoulder.  “Sorry for what?”

“I’m just sorry you have to see me like this.  It’s just—J.W.’s death really shook me up.  I must have been the last one to see him alive and I was arguing with him.  He was such a nice man.  I asked him to reconsider Mable to win.  He just smiled at me and offered to take Mable’s picture. He told me that he could put in a good word for me at Canine Philosophy.”

“He took your picture?  Last night?” Gregory asked.

“Yes!” she said, taking another tissue from Christy and blowing her nose. “He’d said he’d publicize Mable whether or not she won because he knew how important it was to me.  Now he’s dead.  I’m not sure how I’m going to save my—” Nori stopped short of telling the hostel owner how close to the brink of bankruptcy she was with the kennel.  The thought of losing everything struck her again and she went back to deep sobs.