One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery) (20 page)

Paul
a gave him a quick nod over her shoulder and disappeared around the corner. Ben went back to his office and sat down at the desk with a thump.

Not a single solid suspect left. Joe Dennis, David Allison, Terry Lerner, Silas Mead and James Connolly—all of them dismissed.

He thought through the timeline again. Ruby was alive when David left her house around 11:30. Laura Connolly dropped the babysitter off at 12:30, possibly 12:40. If Laura went over to Little Chapel Road after that (which would have taken her about fifteen minutes) killed Ruby and dragged her body into the grove (which would have taken another half hour). It would have been at least 1:30 by then and she had a good half hour drive back to her house. No way could she have gotten into the shower until at least 2:00 a.m. If James Connolly was telling the truth, both he and his wife had been at their house at 1:00.

Ben
wondered if it was even worthwhile to bring Laura in. If they indicted both of them, they couldn’t be compelled to testify against each other and he didn’t have a single piece of physical evidence linking them to the crime. They needed to find someone else who had a motive strong enough to kill.

T
he phone rang as Mae walked into the house after volunteering at the elementary school.

“Have you sold all your puppies yet?” Mae’s sister, July, asked.

“I have deposits on two of them, so one female and two males are left.”

“Perfect. Fred and I have decided to let the boys have a dog. They each need their own so they won’t fight over it.”

“They’re at a good age for the responsibility. I’m guessing you want the puppies for their birthday?”

“Yes, that’s what we were thinking. I know the puppies aren’t ready yet. Could the twins come and
see their puppies next week? Then you can let us know when they are ready to leave their mother.”

“I can’t believe the twins will be nine already. Do you want me to hold the two males for them?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. Nathan and Parker will be thrilled. Olivia already knows, but we want to surprise the boys. Don’t say anything to them, okay?”

“I won’t, but isn’t Olivia going to want a pet of her own?” July’s daughter usually got what she wanted, but she was such a charming little girl, no one really minded.

“Six is too young for a puppy. We’ll probably get her a lovebird for her birthday in June.”

“You better plan on a pair of them. Love is pretty hard to come by alone, even for a bird
,” Mae laughed. A familiar yap came from her front step. “I have to go, Jules. I think Elvis is here.”

“Who?”

“Elvis. Ruby’s dog. Robin must have let him out. I’ll call you later.”

The yapping continued as Mae walked over and opened the door. The nervous little dog jumped when he saw her but kept on barking.

“Quiet down, Elvis.” She picked him up and grabbed a leash.

She clipped the leash on Elvis’ collar and started to walk him back to the Fannings’ house. Deputy Phelps’ car was still parked in her driveway. Mae stopped to tell him where she was going. He got out of the car and stretched.

“Should I go with you?” he asked eagerly.

“No, I’m just taking Elvis home. I don’t need an escort. Thanks, though.”

Mae walked Elvis down the driveway and turned toward the Fannings’ house. She wondered when David Allison would get around to finding his own place. It must be quite a strain for Robin to host a house guest for so long, Mae thought. She picked Elvis up, carried him to the front door and tapped on it. No one answered. Mae waited a few minutes and then took Elvis around to the back, thinking Robin might be in the kitchen.

The back screen door stood open a few inches. Mae pushed the door open a little
, thinking she’d just put Elvis inside. The back entry was empty except for hooks holding sweatshirts and hoodies. Mae unhooked the leash from Elvis’ red collar and was about to release him into the house and leave when she heard Robin’s laugh from the other room.

“Laura, you crack me up sometimes. Mother got her driver’s license pulled? What in the world was she doing? She wasn’t drinking, was she?”

“No. Apparently, she was driving along Hart Road. God knows why she was out past ten at night. She told me she was sleepy, probably dropped off for a second and when she came to, she was driving in a cornfield. Then she saw a large piece of farm equipment right in front of her and collided with it. The farmer ran out, collared Mother and brought her into the house. He called the sheriff’s office and they sent a deputy out.”

“I can just see Mother looking furtive and embarrassed.” Robin’s laugh rang out again. “Did they take her license right then?”

“Well, they might have let her get away with it, since she was sober, but when the deputy said he was considering taking her license, she called off-road driving a ‘trivial infraction’ and said something to the effect that traffic laws were ‘guidelines, not laws.’ I don’t think that went over very well. Now she has to go to court to have her license re-instated. She is super pissed off.”

Both women giggled as Mae put Elvis down on the kitchen floor. Then Laura spoke very softly. “Robin, the other one, where did you put it?”

“I put hers in the shed. Don’t worry. Nobody’s ever going to look there.”

Mae
backed out of the house, shutting the door as softly as she could. Her mind raced as she cut across the Van Attas’ front yard and ran back toward her house. She was sure Robin and Laura were talking about her shovel. She waved at Deputy Phelps, who was back in the car, and then went inside. Mae sat down in the kitchen to think. She needed to talk to Ben to see if he’d order a search of the Fannings’ shed.

When Mae called his office, Dory said Ben and Wayne Nichols were both questioning suspects, so she left a message asking Ben to call her cell immediately when he finished. Like always, there was work to be done in the kennels. Taking her phone with her, she went out to the barn and got to
work.

Annie Van Atta called
later. “I meant to ask you at the meeting. Jason and I want one of your puppies. I ran into your mother at Kroger yesterday. She told me I better call you right away, because they go fast.”

“She’s right. They do go quickly. If you want a female puppy, you’re in luck.”

“That’s fine. We’ve waited over a year now since Jasper died. I think a little girl dog is exactly what we need.”

The Van Attas were a childless couple. Jasper, their red poodle, had been their “baby.” He died of old age last year. Mae had wondered if they’d ever want a new dog.

“I’ll hold this puppy for you then. She won’t be ready to leave for several weeks, but if you and Jason want to meet her, you can come anytime.”

“Thank you. I’ll call and set up a time.”

“I know you’ll give her a wonderful home. I don’t mean to change the subject, Annie, but can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Did you and Ruby ever resolve your disagreement last fall? It was about Jason’s song, wasn’t it?”

Annie’s voice sounded very different when she answered. “Yes.” She gave a short laugh, devoid of humor. “If by ‘resolve’ you mean let her have her way, we did. It’s the only way anything was ever resolved with that woman. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but I can’t find much to say about Ruby that’s positive.”

“Thanks Annie. Call me whenever you have time to meet her.”

“Thanks. I’ll call you soon.”

Ideas were coalescing in Mae’s mind. She needed to tell Ben about the shovel and that Annie was still angry at Ruby. She seriously doubted that Annie would hurt anyone, but she wanted Ben to know. She felt a sudden qualm about the puppy. If Annie was involved in Ruby’s murder, should she have agreed to let the pup go to them? She sighed, realizing she’d already made the commitment.

Despite her momentary hesitation, Mae was happy to have found good homes for all five puppies. She dismissed her suspicions about Annie. She had known the Van Attas for years. They were good people. The puppy money would come in handy, of course, but she’d be glad just to have the pups in their new homes and away from hers. Ever since she had found Ruby’s body and seen the red ribbons in the kennel, Mae had felt a little less safe on Little Chapel Road. She was unsettled and would continue to be until Ruby’s killer was apprehended. She hoped it would be soon. She checked her cellphone to see if Ben had called. No luck.

After she updated her website, putting “sold” signs on all the puppy pictures, Mae straightened up the house a bit. While she was cleaning her bathroom mirror, she noticed that her hair was even wilder than usual. She appraised it with a critical eye. Sometimes she wondered why anyone would find her attractive with this mop. She thought briefly about driving to the sheriff’s office and trying to talk to him or Nichols about the shove
l. However, her out of control hair said she was clearly overdue for a trim. She called Kim, her stylist, to see if there were any openings. Kim said she could squeeze her in while her client’s highlights processed. Mae put on a hat and some lipstick and went out to her car.

“I think the sheriff wants me to stay here,” Deputy Phelps said glumly when she told him she was leaving.

“I’m sure he does. I’m only going to get a quick haircut. You can go in the house if you need something to drink or to use the bathroom. Anytime,” Mae told him with a smile.

Having lived in Rosedale her whole life, Mae sometimes forgot to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings. Pansies and snapdragons filled the window boxes and planters along Main Street. All the old storefronts were freshly painted. If a person blocked out clothing or cars, this could have been a scene from a hundred years ago. Birdy’s Salon appeared quite retro, at least from the outside. Tammy’s mother, Grace, had updated the interior recently.

Grace had inherited the business from her mother, Birdy. Tammy had worked here until she started her dating service. Grace ran the salon. She was still a very pretty woman. Mae often wondered why she never remarried after being widowed so young. Grace looked up from the appointment book and smiled.

“Hello, Mae, I didn’t realize you were coming in today.”

“Hi, Ms. Grace.” Mae gave her a hug. “I called Kim on her cell with a hair emergency. She said she could work me in.”

“I’ll let her know you’re here, Mae. Do you want anything to drink?”

“I do if you have any sweet tea made. I wish you’d tell me how you make yours. It’s delicious.”

“Oh, child, you’d be horrified if you knew how much sugar I put in.” Grace laughed. “I’ll get you some.”

She returned with a tall glass of tea, garnished with a mint sprig.

Mae took a long swallow. “Absolutely delicious. Should I go put on a smock?”

“Yes, Kim will be with you soon. Have a seat after you get your smock on. Mae, would you turn your cellphone off, please? I’m trying to achieve a spa-like atmosphere.”

Mae suppressed a smile. A spa atmosphere was a bit of a stretch. She quickly checked to see if Ben had called. There were no messages. She set her phone on vibrate. As soon as she was done at Birdy’s, she would drive to the station. Changing into a smock, Mae found a seat near Kim’s station and said hello to her.

Kim was the cutest thing. She had a big pregnant belly, which on her little frame was adorable. After she greeted Mae, Kim put the last few foils on her client and took her over to sit under the dryer. When the woman stood up, Mae saw her face. It was Laura Connolly, Robin’s sister
. She must have left for her hair appointment directly from Robin’s house.

Laura talked and laughed with everyone in the shop. It’s hard to look your best with pieces of tinfoil all over your head, but she seemed to be in such a good mood, everyone smiled. Her body was as wonderful as ever. She went to the same Pilates class as July did and always looked extremely fit, even in an unflattering smock. Laura wasn’t as pretty as her sister, but she was very attractive in her own way.

Mae greeted Laura, who raised a hand on her way to the dryer. She was flushed and her eyes gleamed. Kim came back and asked Mae to take off her hat. She ran her experienced fingers through Mae’s hair.

“Are you sure you only want a trim? I could put some layers in and maybe do a deep conditioning treatment.”

“Would conditioning calm the wildness? The spring humidity is already kicking in and I feel like it’s getting bigger every day.”

“It should help. Don’t worry. I won’t take much length off.”

They went back to the shampoo bowl. Kim washed Mae’s hair, massaged her scalp and applied a conditioner that smelled like apples. Then Kim put a plastic cap over her hair and seated her under the dryer for fifteen minutes. What a nice change it was to have someone pamper her a little. She was lucky to have such a sweet friend.

While Mae sat under the dryer, she thought about what she had overheard at Robin’s house. If Robin had put the murder weapon in her barn, Mae couldn’t imagine why. Or when. If her shovel was in the Fannings’ shed, she had to know how it got there. She didn’t think Robin had any reason to want Ruby dead. She wanted Ruby and David to get back together so she could have her house back. On the other hand, she didn’t seem worried about David being the killer, or having him in the house with her kids. That meant Robin probably knew who the killer was.

Kim flipped the dryer up and took Mae back to the shampoo bowl for a cool rinse. She told Mae to have a seat in her chair and went to check Laura’s highlights.