Groomed for Murder (Going to the Dogs) (3 page)

BOOK: Groomed for Murder (Going to the Dogs)
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Brooke’s stomach twisted into hard knots. This kind of publicity could ruin her.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Trudy Sommers. Please welcome Kristin Wright-Davis and her toy poodle Mimi. They’re joining us today on
Pet Speak
because Mimi seems to be out of sorts. I sense she’s upset over a recent trip to the groomer.”

“Yes, she was just at Pawlish two days ago, that cut-rate place. They were callous and unkind to my darling sweetheart.” Kristen’s baby talk to Mimi grated on Brooke’s nerves like the shriek of a siren. The dog licked Kristen’s face.

“Cut rate?” Callie exploded. “I’ll shave that damn dog bald. How dare she go on TV and defame your business! I think you should sue that witch for slander!”

Instead of anger at Kristen’s malicious behavior, a confident calm settle over her. She could smooth this over. It would just be a matter of talking to Kristen to encourage her to see reason. This was grim, and certainly not good for her business, but it could be fixed. The longer the woman blubbered, the more Brooke was sure she could be convinced to see it Brooke’s way. She just needed to know she mattered.

“Mimi’s telling me she is mortified by the terrible cut she got there, and I’d say it would be best if she got some therapy.”

“Kristen Wright-Davis,” Callie snarled it like a four-letter word. “She’s consulting a pet psychic? I don’t need a psychic to tell me the woman is nothing but a con. But, of course that pretentious, narcissistic bitch would choose to go on TV to defame your business.”

“I’m getting something else,” the pet psychic said as she gazed at the dog. “She thinks the owner of the place where she got her bad trim should be punished.”

“She does?” Kristen cooed. “What a clever girl. What does she think is a good punishment?”

Punishment? As if she’d done one thing wrong! Kristen would never accept the blame, and now something dreadful was about to happen. It was coming, bearing down on her like a speeding train. She clutched her stomach, the terrible feeling there spreading like a disease. In another second or two everything was going to change, and nothing in her world would ever be the same again.

“A lawsuit.”

“Yes,” Kristen said, snuggling the dog up to her face. “I am going to sue Brooke Palmer for everything she’s got.”

Chapter Two

Drew mercilessly smashed the round, black ball with ruthless precision, placing the shot perfectly on the squash court. That bastard Kevin Jensen had to really scramble to return it. No way was he losing this game. That corner office was his. He’d worked sixty to eighty hours a week since he’d landed this job.

The carefully executed ploy worked perfectly, and Kevin was thoroughly knocked off the T, far away from the prime spot on the court to wait for the next serve. With a triumphant shout, Drew smashed the ball past Kevin’s reach, but well within the court, and won the match. He pumped his first in victory.

He’d never played squash against Kevin, but in their firm of Wright-Davis, Benson and Carey, Kevin was his only competition for the coveted partner slot that had recently become available.

When their boss, Roger Wright-Davis, had called Drew at the crack of dawn and told him to get his ass-kicking clothes on, Drew had been groggy and confused until he learned that he and Kevin would be competing for a case on the squash court. It was unorthodox, but Drew wasn’t going to argue. When one of the partners called and told him to appear, he didn’t keep him waiting. Wright-Davis was the founder of the company and the head honcho. Drew didn’t know what case was on the line, but as the top billable lawyer in Mergers and Acquisitions, Drew was sure it would be worth a hefty chunk of bonus money.

The fast track wasn’t for wimps and complainers. All he had to do was keep impressing the partners. And he’d just beat out his stiffest competition. He grinned at Kevin as they shook hands.

“Way to dominate the T, Hudson, you bastard,” Kevin growled. He took the loss in stride and exited the court with a salute of his racket. Roger waited outside, sitting on one of the benches people used to wait for an open court.

Drew grabbed up a towel from his gym bag and mopped his face.

“Good job, Hudson. You are my top billable guy.”

Drew nodded as his breathing got back to normal. “What is this case, anyway?”

“First of all, I need your word that none of this information makes it to the public or will be mentioned around the office.”

“You have my word.” Drew was vibrating with anticipation.

“I want you to get Brooke Palmer of Pawlish to settle out of court.”

“Polish?” Was Roger speaking gibberish?

Roger lifted his hand and waggled it in explanation. “No,
Paw
lish. You know, as in dog paw? It’s a dog grooming salon my wife used to frequent until that damn toy poodle of hers got a bad cut and had to get therapy. If you ask me, she’s just pissed because the Palmer woman refused to put up with her crap.”

“Dog therapy? She’s suing a dog grooming salon? Why?” Had he heard this right? From the look on Roger’s face, he had. This is the case Roger was assigning him? His hand fisted on the soft terry of the towel, heat forming in the pit of his stomach, tightening his chest. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a joke. He’d worked his ass off for the firm, and to be assigned a small-potatoes case against a dog salon was insulting.

“Well, the dog was slated for competition, and one of the employees at the place botched the cut. I can’t blame the poor girl. That is one annoying, spoiled, fidgety dog.”

“But you intend to go through with this suit.” Drew was hoping Roger would say, “Ha ha, just kidding,” and give him the real case.

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re not married, so you wouldn’t understand. Kristen won’t let this drop until she gets what she wants. I tried to talk her out of it. She wants this woman ruined. But I do not want this to go to court. It’s embarrassing enough that we’re even filing this, especially since that TV show broadcast it all over freaking Times Square.”

Roger really intended to pull him off multi-million dollar mergers to handle a suit against a dog salon. And what the hell was a dog salon anyway? “If I’m successful, I get the partnership. What if I’m not successful?”

“I don’t like failure. Figure out a strategy and get it done.”

“It’s a slam dunk.”

“Make it so.”

“Who gave her the idea to sue in the first place?”

Roger snorted and rose. “A dog psychic. Now, hit the showers and get to work.”

On his way to the showers, Drew shook his head at the ridiculousness of this assignment. Dog psychics and traumatized poodles. Jeez-us. His phone rang. He fished it out of his bag and answered.

“Hello, big brother.”

He smiled, suddenly feeling lighter. “Emma. Hey, kid,” he said his voice softening. “How have you been? How’s school?”

“Good, but I’m getting anxious to finish.”

“Hang in there. You’ve only got five months to go.” He couldn’t believe his baby sister would be graduating from college in the spring.

“I need to see you today. Can you meet for lunch?”

“Today?”

“Yes. It’s important. You’ve cancelled quite a few times.”

He had cancelled frequently because of work. He shuffled his feet. Emma did deserve his time. He had totally been involved in working his tail off so Emma could go to Princeton, and so they would be secure. It had been his father’s deepest wish that both his children would attend Princeton. Drew wasn’t about to fall short of his father’s dreams.

“All right. Give me an hour. Where?”

“How about a place on Lex so you will be close to work? I wouldn’t want you to go into withdrawal,” she said, her voice filled with sarcasm.

“Very funny.”

“I’ll meet you at Black Shack Burger in an hour.”

Black Shack was known for their sweet potato fries, and he had ordered them and a cheeseburger by the time Emma walked through the door…followed by a tall, bohemian-looking male with shaggy dark hair, wide-set grey eyes, and a diamond stud in his ear. He had musician written all over him. Startled, Drew watched as the guy put his hand to his sister’s lower back and steered her through the crowd. Immediately his big-brother protective instincts popped up like soldiers holding the line.

A smile broke across Emma’s face when she saw Drew, and her sisterly love for him shone out of her deep blue eyes. His heart skipped a beat as he realized how much she looked like their mother, right down to the blonde hair and soft braid draped casually over her shoulder. A lump lodged in his throat when she threw herself at him as he rose from the booth to greet her.

“Drew. I’m so glad to see you,” she said as they hugged each other tightly. Finally, she broke the embrace and turned to the man behind her, saying, “This is Ben Cross. Ben, my brother and hero, Drew.”

Her comment warmed him inside, but he didn’t think he was anybody’s hero. “I don’t know about the hero part, but I am her brother.” Drew took the hand Ben offered for a firm shake.

“I’ll order, honey, so you can catch up with your brother.”

Emma slid into the booth, snatched up one of Drew’s fries, and popped it into her mouth. “Wow, you look all corporate lawyer in your five hundred-dollar black striped suit, accessorized by the latest pink shirt and maroon tie.”

“It’s actually a thousand.”

“Oh. Big spender. Well, I guess you’re worth it.”

He smiled indulgently at the teasing in her eyes. He turned to glance toward Ben waiting at the counter and then back at her. He lifted his brows. Emma smiled that “I’m-in-trouble-but-you-love-me-anyway, right?” smile that never failed to make him crazy. “What’s up that you had to see me today?”

“Cuts right to the chase.”

“He looks like a musician.”

“You sound like dad with that disapproving tone.”

“For all intents and purposes, I am more of a father to you then a brother.” He’d been the one to help her through her teenage years, the heartache over boys, the prom, the unruly teenage angst. He’d been there for it all. He’d had to be tougher than a mere brother would ever think of being.

She sobered. “And it wasn’t fair. I was only twelve. It put a lot of strain on you.” She reached out and covered his hand, her eyes full of memories.

“It couldn’t be helped and, look at you. You were worth every sleepless night.”

“And you worked hard to get through college and law school. You supported me every step of the way, even when I was a bitch, and I will eternally be grateful. I can now pursue my dreams because you gave up yours.”

“I didn’t give up my dreams, Emma.” This topic made him immediately uncomfortable.

“Yes, you did. You would have pursued a different path, if you hadn’t had to make a living to support us.”

“What path do you think I would have taken?”

“We both know you are more interested in justice and would have used your law degree for something other than acquisitions and mergers.”

He shrugged. “I made goals and achieved them. That’s what is important.” But she was right, that rage was still there in his gut and solidly locked in the back of his mind. The bastard who had killed his parents hadn’t paid enough. That had formed his goals back when he was young and naïve. He’d wanted to save the world. Now he was dedicated to saving his little piece of it.

“You must love your work because you’re always so busy.”

“Mergers and acquisitions is a cutthroat, dog-eat-dog business. You have to become top dog to compete. That takes a lot of hours.”

She nodded and looked away towards the counter. Her eyes softened with tenderness when they settled on Ben. The light caught something bright on the ring finger of her left hand. His heart twisted in his chest as he looked down at the ring.

“You’re getting married.”

Her head snapped back up and she looked down at the ring. Holding it up, she smiled softly, her eyes filled with joy. “I guess this rock does give it away.”

“This is what you wanted to tell me?”

“Yes. But I wanted to wait to tell you in person. I wanted you to meet Ben so many times, but you cancelled.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. I’m so in love with him, and you don’t have to worry about me anymore. He’s a very rich violinist, old family money, and has an offer from the New York Philharmonic. Ben is graduating from Julliard in December, and I’m opening up my own art gallery this summer in SoHo.”

The genuine emotion in her eyes made him suddenly remember that little girl who had fallen to pieces the night their parents had been killed. When had she grown into this beautiful, confident woman?

Ben came back to the table and set down the food. He eyed Drew. “She told you.”

“Not really, I saw the ring.”

“Emma, there was a reason I wanted you to take the ring off. I planned to ask your brother’s permission before you broke the news.”

“But I didn’t want to take it off. It’s a symbol of our love.”

Ben smiled indulgently.

He had no words to describe the strange sense of loss that had settled into his bones, but he had to put a grudging tick in the pro column for this guy as a brother-in-law. He looked at Emma and the hopeful expression on her face. He sighed. “I give you my blessing.”

She smiled and pulled Ben into the booth. “Now it’s time to talk wedding preparations.”

Drew groaned. Speaking to Brooke Palmer would just have to wait until tomorrow.

#

“Doggies don’t get apple cinnamon muffins, Roscoe. That wouldn’t be good for your finicky digestion. You get…” She pulled out one of her homemade dog treats like a magician producing a rabbit from a hat and gave it to her beloved dog with a flourish. Although bulldogs were known for their strong jaw and bite, he accepted it delicately. He collapsed on the floor and started to crunch into the “margarita.” She’d made the treat in the shape of a rounded margarita glass, used yogurt coating and vegetable coloring to make the green-colored drink complete with simulated salt around the rim. “Just don’t turn me in for contributing to the delinquency of a canine.” She chuckled. She cracked herself up.

“Now you be a good boy, and when I get back, I’ll take you for a quick walk before I go to work.” He stopped long enough to cock his head at the word walk. She bent down and stroked his silky head with affection. “You are the cleverest boy.”

Roscoe had been with her ever since she was thirteen. He was so much a part of her life. She couldn’t imagine him not in it.

“I’m going to take these muffins and this casserole next door.” Roscoe continued to crunch on his treat. Her next door neighbor was going in for surgery, and Brooke had made a few things to tide the family over until she returned from the hospital. Her neighbor’s husband was not very good in the kitchen. Brooke went to the next door neighbor’s and knocked. When the door opened, she stepped inside just as the elevator dinged and the door began to open.

#

Drew Hudson searched the floor for the correct apartment number. No matter how many times he’d called the woman for an appointment, she hadn’t called him back. She’d already been served with the lawsuit papers, but hadn’t contacted the law firm to discuss the particulars.

When he found the correct apartment, he knocked and the door gave way. “Hello,” he called out, but there was no answer. “Anyone there?” Still no answer. Concerned, he pushed the door a bit wider and glanced inside.

The apartment drew him in like he was coming home. An oversized couch decorated with quirky pillows that were made out of different textures caught his eye. The tenant of this apartment knew how to add warmth and character to her living space by adding a few simple, well-chosen elements.

BOOK: Groomed for Murder (Going to the Dogs)
12.07Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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