ppp cove 06 - criminals on vacation (2 page)

Poppy brought the conversation back to Carmella’s car. “Do you have baby powder and maybe a make-up brush? If we find something, we can press tape to it to preserve the prints.”

“Sure, dear. Let me go gather them.” Carmella returned with the items Poppy had requested and together they headed outside. Poppy dusted a very light coating of powder over the driver’s side door handle.

“Hmmm,” Poppy noted, “no fingerprints. They may have worn gloves. It would be difficult to find a stray hair. You may have to just consider yourself lucky that it’s back and undamaged. Do you have a security camera that watches your house?”

“Oh, I do! Only, I think it points to the front door and maybe the back door, not the driveway on the side. It’s more about break-ins. Though, there’s nothing on the windows either, now that I think of it. I guess we weren’t being thorough enough when we invested in the security system.” She sighed, feeling defeated.

“How about we go get some lunch and take your mind off of this. We can catch up on a few more things.” Poppy hoped to cheer her friend up a bit, but she wasn’t sure a simple lunch would do much more than pacify her for a few hours.

“Right, let me get my purse, and we’ll put this stuff away.” The women headed back inside.

Chapter 4

Klondike Mike wrapped a piece of meat with string. After it was secure, he tied a loop around the top for the pull string. They’d lure the dog to them and make catching her easier. All they had to do was sit and wait for the dog to be put outside, and then they’d toss the slab of beef they’d bought toward the dog. The dog would grab on, or try to, and they’d pull the string closer to them. Once the show dog got close enough, they’d grab it and run. It smacked of genius, and Jimmy was more than pleased with the idea. They’d gone to a local market, grabbed a cheap piece of steak that was on sale, and out the door they went. They’d have this job finished in no time with their brilliant plan.

Sitting near the hedges, hidden by the brush, the men sat and waited. It took forever, but finally after what felt like hours, the door opened and the dog was let outside.

“Yes,” Mike whispered, ready to take action and get out of there.

Jimmy quietly called to the dog. “Here doggy, doggy….”

Mike tossed the meat and string into the yard. The little dog turned on hearing the movement and then came to investigate. It inched closer, sniffing at the lure.

“That a girl,” Jimmy whispered. “Pull the string, Mike.”

Mike yanked the string a few inches, hoping the dog would follow.

Anastasia moved closer, sniffing the meat again, and then turned tail and headed back to the house.

“What?” Mike spoke louder than he intended. The dog spun around and started to bark at the noise.

“Let’s get out of here, before somebody sees us,” Jimmy urged.

Walking back to their car, they each blamed the other. “Why did you buy the cheap meat? That show dog probably only eats filet.” Mike groaned.

Defensively, Jimmy shot back at him. “Well, maybe you should have cooked it and seasoned it, made it a little more appetizing. Nobody wants raw steak for dinner.”

They made their way to their waiting car and sat motionless. They needed a better plan.

Mike scratched his head and turned to his partner in crime. “Hot dogs, why not hot dogs? They’ll be cheap, but I’ll bet we could leave a trail of them, leading her to us.”

“You can’t give a dog hotdogs! It would be like cannibalism.” Jimmy shook his head, horrified that Mike would even think of that.

Mike wanted to smack him. “You idiot, they aren’t made from dogs. They’re made from pigs and turkeys and stuff.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” he said with a snicker.

“Come on,” he said, pulling the car away from the curb. They’d grab something to eat and then try another tactic. They’d get that dog yet. It seemed silly, but it was important for them to be successful. They were rebuilding their profile, no job too small. After one of their last mishaps, their reputation took a nosedive.

At least this guy was giving them a chance. It was good money too, and all for a dog. Go figure. After stopping for a snack of double cheeseburgers, they decided it was easier to bring the dog a cheeseburger than go for hotdogs. They ordered an extra and were on their way back to the house. They’d have to sit and wait, but they were determined to snatch the dog this time.

Jimmy and Mike huddled in the brush, just at the edge of the yard. The homeowner was aiming for privacy with the row of trees and bushes, and it worked out perfectly. It was a good place to sit and watch unnoticed.

After what felt like forever, the little white dog was let outside. They heard the dog’s owner talking at the door. They waited to see if she came outside. Just their luck, she turned around and closed the door, leaving the dog to do its business.

Mike quickly removed the burger’s wrapping, tied it to the string, and tossed it toward the dog. “Come here, doggy,” he whispered.

The dog took the bait, sniffing out the food. Mike handed the string to Jimmy. “Pull it in slowly. I’m going to jump the dog and snag her.”

“Okay, got it.” As he took the string, he pulled it closer. The little dog followed the burger.

Mike sprung from the bushes and belly flopped almost on top of the dog. The little dog yelped and ran. As Mike hit the ground with a thud, he reached out and got a hold of one of the dog’s back legs. “Got her,” he said.

The dog turned to nip at the hand that held her and snarled.

“Oh, no you don’t.” He pulled the dog closer, and then scooped her up as she yelped up a storm. “Run!”

Jimmy and Mike took off, just as the dog’s owner opened the back door. She saw them push through the hedges and screamed. Carmella jolted out the door, chasing after them. All she saw was the car they jumped into, but she didn’t get a full tag. Crying over the loss of her dog, she ran back home and called the police. If she knew what direction they’d headed, she could follow them, but they’d be long gone before she could grab her keys, start her car, and get out of the development. Her prize dog, her winning companion, and her very best friend had just been dognapped!

Chapter 5

When Poppy’s phone rang, she was surprised to hear from Carmella again so soon. She was half way between a shriek and a sob. “They got Anastasia, Poppy. They took my dog. Somebody is messing with me; first my car, and now my dog. I called the police to report it, but they’re taking their sweet time getting here. Like it doesn’t matter, she’s just a dog. She’s no ordinary dog! She’s my baby.”

Poppy tried to soothe her friend. “Oh, dear; I just got home. Let me see what’s going on here. If my father can keep watching the counter, I’ll head back as soon as I can. It’s going to be alright. We’ll figure this out.”

“He did it. I know it was him. Peter is behind all of this, I’m certain. I’m going over there and demand that he returns her,” she said, feeling stronger with a plan.

“Wait for the police. You can tell them that you suspect your ex-husband may be involved and hopefully they’ll check it out. Please don’t go over alone. I’ll be there soon.” Poppy sighed on hanging up the phone. “Dad, I need to run out again. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Martin smiled and nodded. “Sure thing, besides there’s only one check-in scheduled for today.”

Poppy scanned the book. There was only one name, Mike Donovan with one other adult. That should be easy enough. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

It didn’t take long for her to return, and by the time she arrived Carmella was talking wildly fast, trying to convince herself Anastasia would be fine and home soon. Her panic and anxiety were bubbling at their peak.

“Have the police been here yet?” Poppy asked.

“No, it’s like my needs don’t matter. Don’t they understand that she was kidnapped? I don’t think that they’re taking this seriously! My poor, precious girl is gone.” Her voice cracked and went up an octave.

Poppy placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder. She knew how important Anastasia was to Carmella.“We’ll figure this out. Okay, tell me everything you know, what you saw, and where it happened.”

Carmella went through the details of seeing the men, trying to chase them, and seeing their car. “Two men, the car was some plain sedan, I don’t know what make or model it was, just a regular family car. I wish I got the tag. I was just so flustered, in a panic, and I didn’t pay attention like I should have.”

Poppy headed to the backyard to see if she could spot anything. They found the burger tied to a string, but didn’t want to touch it in case there were prints. She bent over, analyzing the imprint of the crushed grass. “He looks pretty big, wide even. There’s a large area where he was. What’s this?” She pointed out the section she was looking at.

A small pack of green foiled gum, Freshen Up, blended into the grass. It was a brand she hadn’t seen in a long time. Did they even still make it? She didn’t remember seeing it at the store recently. Would he have to find it online at one of those retro candy places? “Can you please get me a plastic bag, Carmella, and a soft cloth of some sort? Ooh, tongs would be better. I’m going to pick this up for evidence. Hopefully, the police will be here soon.”

After carefully placing the gum into a plastic bag with kitchen tongs, Poppy looked for any other clues, heading to the tree line. There was nothing on the ground, nothing she could spot, but wait… there was something in one of the bushes. She’d rustled through the trees, poked around the shrubs, and there it was, the hamburger wrapper shoved in the brush. “Harrington’s,” she said. “I guess we’ll be paying them a visit to see if they have footage of their customers coming and going.”

“Do you think Harrington’s Fast Food Fry would have cameras?” Carmella perked up, feeling hopeful and grateful Poppy had taken the time to look for clues. She was having trouble focusing, and was anxious to tell the police what happened.

When a squad car finally pulled up, the officer looked less than thrilled to be called out to a dognapping case. He had more important things to do it seemed, in his mind. His swagger and sigh, made it more than clear.

Carmella spilled the information as quickly from her lips as possible. “…and I think my ex-husband is behind it. We should go to his house. He only lives a few blocks over.”

“So let me get this straight,” the officer started. “A small, white dog, a Shih-Tzu, named Anastasia-”

Carmella cut in. “A prize winning show dog.”

“Right, a show dog, white, small, was stolen from the yard. Two men were running away, you chased them, saw a sedan, no tag, and called us. Can you describe the men?”

“One was taller, wider, bigger, I don’t know, maybe just about six feet tall. The other was slender and smaller by a few inches. There’s not much to tell. Oh, Poppy, show him what you found,” she said, rambling faster than she’d meant to.

“Officer, I found a hamburger wrapper, the waxed paper kind from Harrington’s. They probably got it there today. Maybe they’ll have footage of who had been there recently.” She lifted up the bag with the gum. “I also found this, which is unusual. This isn’t a gum you can’t buy off the store shelf anymore, I don’t think.”

“Hey, Freshen Up, I remember that. You bit into the little square, and a little splash of juice…” he trailed off, reminiscing.

Growing restless, Carmella cleared her throat to draw the attention back to Anastasia. “Ahem, my dog?”

“Right, you said your husband, or, umm, ex-husband lives around here? Do you have his address? I’ll go see if there’s anything suspicious going on, or if the dog is over there.”

“I want to go with you,” she said boldly.

“Oh no, not happening. I’m not interested in dealing with a domestic. Exes rarely do well in the same place,” he said with a groan. “I’ll report back. Best I can offer.”

She frowned. “Can Poppy at least go?”

“This is police work, not soccer mom stuff. You ladies wait here,” he said, patronizing them.

Poppy rolled her eyes upward. This guy was a piece of work.  “Sure, right,” she said, pacifying him. Thankfully, her Reggie thought more of her.

The women waited for his return, gossiping about his tone and lack of interest. When he returned, there was no news. “Woman answered the door, hadn’t heard or seen anything, and there was no dog around, that I could see.”

Carmella sighed. “Thank you. What will you do now?”

“You could put posters up about your missing dog, but there’s not a lot to go on. You’ll have to hope she turns up and someone saw something.”

“That’s it?” She was horrified.

The officer shrugged. “It’s not like a kid went missing; big difference in the law books.”

“Maybe not to you,” she spit out with venom. “Anastasia is like a child to me.”

“Yeah, sorry,” was all he could muster.

Chapter 6

A blue sedan pulled up and parked in front of the office. Martin was sitting on a chair, just outside. “Hey there,” he greeted. “Welcome to Paradise Cove and Mini Golf.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I have a reservation.”

“You must be Mike Donovan,” Martin said, then stood to shake the man’s hand. “Come on inside, and we’ll get you checked in.”

A small, white dog barked and looked out the window of the sedan.

Martin turned around. “You got a dog? There’s an extra $50 cleaning fee for pets.”

Mike groaned. “Oh, yeah, sorry, I forgot to mention that.”

Martin spoke as he filled out a small card and then placed a paper before the big man to sign. “Sign where the ‘x’ is and just jot your car’s make and model information on the bottom line.”

The man was squirrely, looking around. He quickly filled in the information.

“It says here, there’s another adult. We just need the name of the other person staying in the unit,” Martin said.

Mike Donovan glanced over the counter. “You sell gum here? His name is Jimmy Long. We’ll only be around a few days. We’re visiting a friend in the area.”

Martin handed Mike the key and pointed to the area with gum and mints. “We don’t have much, what are you looking for?”