One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery) (12 page)

M
ae had enjoyed her night with Tammy enormously. It was like the sleepovers they used to have in middle and high school when they talked about boys for hours, a scene often repeated over their seventeen-year friendship. This time, though, they had something more than gossip and rumors to discuss. Tammy’s database from Local Love really came in handy.

Five minutes after Tammy arrived, Mae asked to see Ben’s profile.

“What makes you think I have it?”

“C’mon, you have it. I know you do. He got to see mine.”

“Already? You work fast,” her alleged best friend said.

“No, my profile, remember? You gave Ben a copy. If you have a profile for him, I think it’s only fair to let me see it.”

“Well, I did bring some files with me from the office,” Tammy said in her faux reluctant voice. She reached for her bag but Mae got there first.

“Some files? Looks like there’s only one.”

“I know.” Tammy dropped all her pretenses. “I knew you’d want to see Ben’s profile, so I brought the file with me. Real professional, right?”

“Don’t worry.” Discretion was a major issue in her line of work. “I won’t tell anyone I saw it. I promise.”

Mae read Ben’s information, wondering why Tammy hadn’t kept him for herself and why he was still single. He grew up in Rosedale but attended Green Road Academy instead of public school. He went to Texas for college, then started law school but had obviously changed his mind partway through. He then entered the police academy and returned home to work in the sheriff’s department. When criminal allegations drove the former sheriff from the job, Ben stepped in as interim sheriff. He won the office in the next election. At thirty-two, he was the youngest sheriff in the history of Rose County. His profile said nothing about his romantic history.

Tammy flipped the page over. On the other side, in the optional section, were fill-in-the-blank statements. One caught Mae’s eye. The item read, “I think long engagements are ...” Ben had written “stupid.”

“How funny.” Mae pointed out the engagement comment to Tammy. “He seems like such a cautious type. I would have guessed he’d be all about long engagements.”

“He was engaged to his college girlfriend, Katie Hudson, for years. She was involved in youth ministry, always going on mission trips. On one of the trips, she met a handsome young doctor. They flew from Guatemala to Vegas to be married.
She called Ben to tell him right after the honeymoon.”

“Wow. That sounds like a country song; a bad one.
How do you know all this anyway, Tammy?”

“I have my sources,” Tammy said looking at Mae out of the corners of her eyes. Mae laughed.

“Why didn’t you go out with Ben after he applied to your service?”

“He really is cute, isn’t he? I suppose I do date quite a few of the men in my database
.” Tammy grinned.

Mae rolled her eyes.

“Ben is really a great guy. There’s nothing wrong with him at all, except this.” Tammy pointed to a line near the bottom of the page.

“Oh, I get it.” Ben had checked “allergic to cats” and noted that he disliked them. “It’s because of Gladys, Knight, and Pips.” These were Tammy’s three Siamese cats. She preferred to think of their constant yowling as singing and had named them after Gladys and her backup singers.

“Yes, he’s not a cat person. We wouldn’t be pet compatible. He’s yours if you want him. I was trying to save him for you anyway.”

“Does he have a dog?”

“He had an old basset hound that died a week after his fiancée dumped him.”

“Good Lord. Poor guy.”

“All that happened about four years ago. He got heavily involved in his work after that. He’s dated a little bit since, but isn’t serious about anyone.”

Mae remembered the previous day and her face started to heat up. “So, who are you dating these days, Tammy?”

“Jim Goddard. You know, the head of that big construction company that’s doing those historical renovations in Nashville.”

“And?” Mae knew that Tammy firmly believed in dating more than one man at a time.

“Once in a while I go out with Carter Drake. He’s one of those guys who swoops in when he’s in town, takes me out to fabulous restaurants and then disappears for weeks. Then sometimes I go out with Johnny Temple. He’s real cute. We have a lot of fun together, but Mom doesn’t like him much. I like him, though. He’s great in bed.”

“Tammy, you aren’t sleeping with all of them, are you?”

“Not quite.” A demure look crossed her face.

Mae
chuckled.

When they stopped laughing, Mae said, “I think it’s time you picked one of your beaux and had an actual relationship, one lasting more than a few weeks. You’re almost thirty, my friend. There’s no time like the present.”

“You’re a fine one to talk, aren’t you?”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve never had a long-term relationship. Noah and I were engaged. We bought this house; we even moved in together. He gave me a ring. Seriously, you do know why you aren’t bonding to any of these guys, don’t you?”

“Why?”

“I think it’s because of your dad.”

Tammy sat very still, hardly breathing. She never talked about the fact that she had lost her father to a heart attack when she was in elementary school. Tammy’s mother had told Mae about it years ago.

“I think you’re afraid to get too close to one of these guys, in case you might lose him.”

“Oh, Mae,” Tammy’s husky voice broke. “I still miss him.”

“I know, honey. It’s been a long time, though. Isn’t it time to choose someone to be serious about? Your dad would want you to have someone who loved you.”

“Maybe.” She tilted her head. “Isn’t it about time for you, too?”

“I don’t know. I still miss Noah. We were true soul mates. I don’t know if I can get that close to anyone else. I sure haven’t so far.”

“I think you should give Ben a chance. I know Ben’s brother and sister-in-law quite well. They really love Ben. He’s excellent with their boys and because of them, he’s started coaching baseball. Ben really suffered after Katie ditched him, but he grew up a lot. Mae, he even loves dogs! Plus, he’s cute and not a skirt chaser. At least he hasn’t chased my skirt.” Tammy smiled.

“Okay. I’ll think about it. But he’d have to ask me out and that’s not going to happen, at least not now.”

“Maybe you need to let things happen instead of deciding ahead of time how they’re going to play out.” Tammy’s eyes twinkled.

They ordered and ate a huge pizza and shared a bottle of Chianti while they talked about other things, finally getting to bed around one in the morning. Mae slept like a baby.

In the morning, after
Mae did her kennel chores, Tammy told her she had to get to work. She said she’d come back for another night if Mae needed her.

Mae put all the big dogs out in the front pasture for some playtime. Titan and Toulouse, the French bulldog, played in the fenced barnyard together. Tallulah cavorted with them for a short while and then went back to her puppies. Mae was updating her kennel website when Ben called.

“Hello, Mae. This is Sheriff, er … Ben Bradley calling. I talked with Terry Lerner, Silas’ partner, yesterday. He’s admitted to trespassing on your property and leaving the threatening note. I need to know if you want to press charges.”

Mae hesitated. “I’m not sure. Tell him I’m going to think about it and would like him to call me tomorrow. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to let him worry for a while.”

“Not a bad idea. I’m going to have him followed to see what he does. I’ll have Deputy Phelps posted at your house, too, in case he tries anything else.”

“I’ll be here for the rest of the day. I have a lot of work to do. Don’t worry. I’m not working on the case. I’m trying to stay out of it.”

“I appreciate that, Mae. Did you know Ruby’s funeral is tomorrow? Dory put it on my calendar.”

Mae said she planned to attend and asked him to have Terry call her after the service.

“Goodbye, Ben Bradley.” Mae hung up the phone. She sat thinking for a long time about what she should do about Terry Lerner.

T
he morning of Ruby’s funeral a gray mist lay on the grass in shredded veils. Mae hadn’t slept well, despite the officer watching her house. An idea about the case was hovering just out of reach, but she didn’t have time to lie in bed and think. She put on some sweats and went downstairs to take care of the dogs.

As Mae went from one dog run to another, she thought of the dogs in her care that would be leaving soon. Two of them were going home tomorrow, which would mean less work. Still, Mae knew she’d miss her boarders. There were many wonderful breeds of dogs and caring for them gave her the chance to observe all their characteristics.

She was having a problem with Tallulah, who seemed to be losing interest in nursing her puppies. This was a perfectly normal reaction once the babies started to get their needle sharp teeth, but it was happening way too soon. Tallulah needed to hang in there for at least another two weeks. Puppies did best if their mothers nursed them for four to five weeks, but they could survive and thrive on only three weeks of nursing, as long as they were fed carefully from then on.

Mae cleaned the dog runs and fed
her dogs, all the while thinking about the funeral. Silas would be there. She dreaded seeing Silas’ partner, Terry, and hoped Silas would have the sense not to bring him. David Allison, Steven Fanning, and Steven’s wife, Robin, would all attend. Joe and Neesy Dennis would also be there. James Connolly would probably attend, as his duties involved the handling of the will. Ben was going, too. Mae envisioned him taking a very low profile. He’d most likely stand at the back of the church and not even come to the cemetery.

The service was scheduled for eleven a.m. Mae dressed with care in a slightly longer than usual black dress, black heels and an off-white A-line coat. After twisting her dark blonde hair up, she put on a pair of pearl earrings. Finally she grabbed her favorite umbrella, black on the outside and blue with white clouds on the inside. The rain came down in sheets of solid gray as she drove to Rosedale.

Rolling into the parking lot of First Presbyterian, she saw her parents, her sister with her husband and several neighbors standing nearby. They all greeted one another pleasantly, though the mood was somber.

Silas and his grandmother, Henriette, were in the vestibule of the church welcoming everyone. The
y were the only people left from the great Mead family. Ruby and Silas’ parents had both died in their early fifties. Their mother had succumbed to breast cancer after a long battle. Three months later, a heart attack took their father.

Mae waited in line to say hello to Henriette, whose husband raised racehorses and farmed tobacco. People said the family fortune originated from moonshine, back in the twenties and thirties.

Mae had known Ruby’s grandmother since the sixth grade, when Henriette was her Junior Cotillion instructor. Although she hadn’t liked the class, especially the ballroom dancing, she had always loved Miss Hen.

“I’m terribly sorry for your loss.” Mae clasped her small hand.

“Thank you, Mae, and thank you for coming.” Henriette Mead had a warm resonant voice. Everyone knew that she had opposed her son’s decision to give the Little Chapel Road property to Ruby. She loved both her grandchildren and wanted the property split between them. Today she appeared so small in her dark gray dress with white gloves. After all the losses Henriette had already endured, Ruby’s funeral was going to be an awful ordeal for her.

The service was simple and quiet. After the conventional remarks, the minister asked if anyone would like to talk about Ruby. Her brother rose and went to the front of the sanctuary.

“Ruby was my sister.” Silas gazed out at the congregation with a half-smile. “My big sister. I looked up to her and followed her around like a puppy. I adored her. I remember her well as a kid. She was always getting into trouble. Once, when she was only fourteen, she took Dad’s car out for a drive. She got into a fender bender with his new Caddie and Dad was so mad I thought he’d kill her. She always got the beer for the high school parties, often from Dad’s private stash. My sister had a vibrant and fierce personality. I will always miss her. My family is much diminished without her spirit.” His voice broke; he appeared close to tears.

After he stepped down, two others spoke about Ruby. One was a teacher who remembered her skipping school but always getting decent grades. Joe Dennis talked about what fun he and Ruby had as teenagers. He spoke quietly and was obviously struggling with his grief. David Allison didn’t speak, which was a little surprising.

After the closing prayer, the organist played a familiar tune. As the mourners passed down the receiving line, Mae tried not to look at the man who stood next to Silas. She assumed it was Terry Lerner. She was still furious with him, but this wasn’t the time or place for a confrontation.

When Mae got to Henriette Mead, Ruby’s grandmother thanked her again. “I know you found Ruby. I’m glad she’ll be laid to rest now.” She then turned to Annie and Jason Van Atta, who were behind Mae in line, to thank them for coming.

Almost everyone at the church service followed the hearse out to the cemetery. The wind rose and Mae’s hair curled into tendrils around her face. They stood by the
open grave as the funeral attendants lowered Ruby’s coffin into the dark red earth. David Allison walked slowly up to the grave, picked up a spade and threw a handful of dirt on Ruby’s coffin. Others came and dropped single flowers. Then Ruby’s grandmother, with the help of Silas, lowered a large bouquet of red roses on top of Ruby’s coffin. Tears poured down Henriette’s face. “May you find peace at last, Ruby girl.”

To Mae’s immense surprise, Ben stepped up to the graveside. He wore a charcoal gray suit and a white shirt with a gray and black striped tie. His hair was combed back from his forehead, and his expression was serious.

“Hello. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ben Bradley, Sheriff of Rose County. I don’t suppose many of you thought I’d speak at this event, or even attend. I wanted each and every one of you to know that my whole staff is working very hard to find the person who did this to Ruby. We’re getting closer to making an arrest every day. This will not be an unsolved case.” Ben’s voice resonated with quiet passion.

People whispered in shocked tones. Everyone was surprised to see the sheriff speaking out at her funeral. It was a controversial act, probably intentionally so. If the perpetrator was near
by, the sheriff clearly wanted him, or her, to be worried.

Mae’s neighbor, Robin Fanning, stood next to James Connolly and whispered in her brother-in-law’s ear. He looked down and shook his head. As people began leaving, Mae moved closer to them and heard him say, “Of course I know it was wrong, Robin. I regret the whole thing.”

As Mae turned to leave, Henriette touched her sleeve. “I’m glad our young sheriff spoke out. Many people think no progress is being made. I’m not of that opinion. Ruby was my granddaughter and I loved her dearly. I’m glad to hear Sheriff Bradley isn’t giving up.” She gave a little grin. “He reminds me of an old hunting dog we had many years ago. That dog would track a fox or coon for ten, twelve hours. He always got the game in the end.”

Mae gave her a hug. She had little bones, like those of a sparrow. Tears welled up in Mae’s eyes, more for Henriette than for Ruby.

The rain had increased in intensity during the service and Mae was forced to pull over several times on her way home. The trees along the road whipped back and forth in the wind. Once home, Mae changed into jeans and a sweatshirt and fixed herself a sandwich. Standing at the counter, she ate quickly, without really tasting the food. Putting on boots and a barn jacket, she took her three dogs outside. She had them trained to go to the bathroom on command. The magic words “hurry up” always did the trick. As soon as they were finished, she took them back inside and toweled them off. Titan and Thoreau went back to their beds and Tallulah went back to her puppies. Mae walked out to the barn to check on her boarders.

Mae made sure that all the dogs took a potty break, since some of them would go inside their runs when it rained. Then she checked their water dishes. After settling them back in their runs, she was about to lock the barn door when a thought struck her. Something she’d been trying to remember all morning had finally come to light. There was a shovel hanging on a hook to the left of the door. Mae turned on the overhead light to take a closer look. It was definitely not her old shovel. This one appeared to be new. The handle was shiny and reflected the light from the ceiling.

Why would a new shovel already have rust stains on
it? She bent down to take a closer look. The stain was gel-like. She reached out and then froze when she saw a tiny piece of hair embedded in the stain. Ben’s angry voice the day of the staff meeting echoed in her mind when he said Ruby had died of blunt force trauma. She was certain she had found the missing murder weapon. She turned off the light, walked out and locked the door. What on earth was that shovel doing in her barn?

Remembering that Deputy Phelps
was watching the house, she ran down to the car parked in her driveway and banged on the window. The rain was still pouring down.

“I need you to call the sheriff. I think I just found the murder weapon.”

While Mae waited for Ben to call, Beth Jensen rang to let Mae know about the neighborhood meeting, which would be held the next night at her house.

“Do you need me to bring anything?”

“No thanks. Glad you’re coming. See you tomorrow.”

As soon as she hung up the phone, it rang again.

“Hello, is this Miss December?” She didn’t recognize the man’s voice.

“This is she. Who’s calling please?”

“This is Terry Lerner, Miss December. The sheriff told me to call you this afternoon.”

Standing there, wet and cold, a wave of heat flew through her. She was furious. “Mr. Lerner, what do you have to say for yourself? What kind of person threatens innocent animals and a woman who lives alone?”

He was quiet for a minute and then he heaved a deep sigh. “The kind of person who thinks they’re protecting someone they love, I guess. I’m very sorry about what I did. I was afraid you’d draw attention to Silas with your investigation.”

“I know all about feeling protective,” her words spilled out. “When you threaten my dogs, you’re threatening my livelihood, as well as the pets I love. I can’t make money in this business if people think their dogs aren’t safe here.”

“Are you going to press charges? I really am sorry.”

“I’m not sure yet.” The doorbell rang and the dogs started barking. “Look, I need to go. I’ll let the sheriff know my decision.” She hung up and went to answer the door.

It was CSI Tech Johns. He asked Mae to show him the shovel. She led him to the barn and unlocked it. The rain came down with such intensity that every step she took made water splash up past her ankles. They stepped inside, and she flicked on the light.

“It’s right here. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch it.”

“Good,” He pulled a camera out of his pocket. He left the shovel hanging there, took several pictures and then pulled on his latex gloves. “Sheriff Bradley will be here soon. You can go wait in the house if you want.”

“Is it the murder weapon?”

“We won’t know for a while. We’ll need to analyze the blood at the lab. Why don’t you go dry off and change clothes? You look really cold.”

Mae nodded and went back to the house. Her teeth were chattering. Leaving her wet clothes on the bathroom floor, she put on a robe and dried her hair. She was carrying her wet things down to the laundry room when Ben walked in through the front door. Seeing him there just did her in. Mae dropped the bundle of laundry and threw herself at his chest. He bent down and wrapped his arms around her. They stood there for a minute without saying a word.

“You’re shaking,” Ben finally murmured. “Are you that cold?”

“No. Freaked out. I saw that shovel in Ruby’s garage the day I was over there looking for her cellphone. I think that’s what bothered me when I first woke up. I guess I noticed the shovel subconsciously but didn’t make the connection until today.”

“You look like you might be in shock.” Ben pulled back and observed her carefully. “Do you have any liquor in the house?”

“There’s some Jack Daniels in the liquor cabinet. In the living room.”

Ben pulled her into the living room and sat her down on the couch. He took the blanket off the arm of the couch and wrapped it around her.