Davis, Krista - Murder, She Barked - A Paws & Claws Mystery (A Paws and Claws Mystery)

“I’m sure she will. And she has that fabulous fur bed to lounge on in your room.”

“A most thoughtful gift from your grandmother.” He gazed up at the empty, lifeless windows of the building again. “A lot of people in Wagtail think this place is haunted. No one wants to buy it and renovate it.”

“That’s silly. Ghosts don’t exist. Besides, I heard Philip might be interested in acquiring it.”

“How can you be so sure ghosts aren’t real?”

I flipped it around on him. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“I know they make for good TV shows.”

I laughed. “I’ll agree with that. I like a good scary show as much as the next person, even though I know it’s only fantasy.”

“We’ll find out soon enough. I’m bringing a team of ghost hunters to town to check out this old place. They’re going to film a show here. Did you know that several murders took place in this building?”

“Jerry was murdered in his house. Do you think he’s haunting it?” I asked.

Mr. Luciano pulled a snazzy phone from his pocket and made a note. “That’s an excellent point. I have to see if I can get into Jerry’s house. Thanks for mentioning it.” He zipped Gina’s stroller shut. “I’d better get her back for some rest.”

“See you later!” I hugged Trixie. “I have to get you over to the vet for a once-over. Have you had your shots?”

She licked my chin.

“Let’s go get that collar.”

The woman who helped us the day before greeted us warmly. “Trixie! Your leash is ready . . .” She tucked her chin in, aghast. “What’s this? You went to Prissy’s store?”

I explained about the strange middle-of-the-night dognapping and the new collar and leash.

“Sweetie, are you okay?” She patted Trixie, making cooing sounds. “That’s terrifying! A dognapper in Wagtail? Maybe that’s what happened the night Sven died. Maybe someone was trying to steal Dolce! He has dog royalty in his genes.” One eye squinted a little as she looked Trixie over. “Honey bunch, you’re as cute as can be, but somehow you don’t strike me as a show dog.” Speaking to me, she said confidentially, “They’re always a little haughty. Like they know they’re stars.”

She checked out the leash closely. “This is definitely Prissy’s cheap, excuse me, inexpensive line. No one else in town carries this brand.”

Maybe Dave could find out to whom she sold it. I certainly wasn’t taking Trixie into her store again.

“Shall I set you up with another collar?”

“Yes, and I think I’ll take a little halter, too. Just to be on the safe side. That might take a dognapper longer to remove.”

Half an hour later, Trixie pranced out in her new halter, collar, tags, and leash. I supposed I could have used the brown collar, but it seemed tainted to me. Oh no! I was beginning to be superstitious like Oma!

“From now on,” I said to Trixie, “if someone tries to remove your collar, you have my permission to bite him. If I have to buy a new collar and leash every day, we’re going to go through my savings much faster than I expected.”

She stood on her hind legs to smell the shopping bag, which contained some sample treats for her and Twinkletoes to try.

I broke one in half and gave her a piece.

In the grassy middle of the shopping area, I spotted Zelda with a Great Dane and a basset hound, undoubtedly Dolce and Chief. “Zelda!” I waved at her.

She turned her back and released the dogs in a fenced play zone. There was no way she hadn’t heard me.

Thirty-five

I crossed over to Zelda. “Zelda, hi!”

She turned her back to me again. A definite snub.

I tried again. “Zelda, is something wrong?”

She didn’t rotate away from me this time but kept her eyes on the dogs, who were racing in wild circles. “I thought we could be friends, but I clearly misjudged you. I work for your grandmother and that’s all, okay?”

“I don’t understand.”

She closed her eyes briefly, as though pained, and pointedly averted her gaze when she said, “A friend doesn’t go stealing the guy her girlfriend has a crush on.”

Duh . It finally dawned on me. “Philip!”

“Philip!” she mimicked. “Yes, Philip.”

“How could you possibly have heard about that already? You went to the memorial service over in Snowball, and you can’t have been back for more than an hour.”

“Wagtail is a small place, Holly. Sneeze and half the town will catch your cold.”

Trixie yelped at me. I opened the gate to the play area and released her. She took off running behind Dolce. Silly me. If Zelda had Dolce, she must have seen Ellie. “How did Ellie know?”

She scowled. “Your Aunt Birdie stopped by Ellie’s place to crow about having made the perfect match. I hear you’re moving to Wagtail, and the wedding will be in the spring, if not in the snow over the holidays.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “I’m not seeing Philip. He’s nice enough, but I wouldn’t go behind your back like that. I was stuck at the inn when Aunt Birdie brought him over. What could I do? I tried to be polite, and the next time I see him when Aunt Birdie isn’t around, I’ll make it very clear to him that I’m not interested.”

She cocked her head like a puppy. “Really?”

At that exact moment, Dolce trotted over, joyfully lifted his paws, and whapped them on my shoulders. The two of us tumbled, my purse and the little shopping bag flew through the air, and I landed on my back.

“I’m so sorry!” Zelda extended her hands to help me up. “Are you all right? Dolce knows he’s not supposed to do that, but he has the zoomies.”

“I’m fine.” I stood and brushed myself off. I wasn’t sure whether the grass stains would come out of my dress, but otherwise I felt fine.

Trixie already had her nose in the shopping bag, snarfing the free treats. “Trixie!” The paper bag clung to her head when she bolted. The sight of her running with a bag on her head excited the other dogs. Chief howled and tried to catch the inexpensive leash, which was falling out of the bag.

I ran to rescue Trixie. She wriggled, trying to get away from me. When I removed the bag from her head, she shook as though she were wet.

Zelda worked at gathering the contents of my handbag. “I hope you didn’t lose anything. I found lipstick, lip balm, a couple of pens, and your wallet. I don’t see your cell phone.”

“I left it at the inn. Thanks for picking everything up for me.”

She blinked hard. “I should apologize for ignoring you. I just thought . . .”

“No worries about that. Besides, I’m not moving here, and there’s no wedding planned, with Philip or anyone else.”

“Not even Ben?”

I threw my hand up in mock surprise. “You knew about Philip, but you didn’t hear that Ben sent me a break up text?”

“That’s horrible! A text? Who does that?”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about the red roses in my room. If she could snag Philip, she’d know soon enough that he was a romantic. I tucked the cheap leash into the crumpled and beat-up bag. Zelda chattered, but I didn’t hear what she was saying. Something nagged at me. A bag from Prissy’s shop. I’d seen one recently. Kim!

Kim, who had no dog that I knew of, had purchased something there the day before and offered Trixie a treat. I called Trixie. “Excuse me, Zelda, I think I have to pay Kim and Ben a little visit.”

I snapped the leash onto Trixie’s collar, and we hurried back to the inn. I found Oma in her office and asked for directions to Kim’s father’s cabin. She frowned at me but marked it on a map. Borrowing one of Oma’s golf carts, I loaded my purse in the compartment in front of the seats and hustled away from Wagtail on a country road, Trixie riding by my side like she’d done it all her life.