One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery) (10 page)

M
ae resolved to concentrate on her own life, since Ben clearly didn’t want her help with the case. She dialed Joe’s cell to check on the remodeling but got no answer, so she called his home number and spoke with his wife. Her name was Denise, but since the full name Denise Dennis was such a mouthful, everyone called her Neesy. She somehow managed to run Joe’s contracting business and keep his books, while staying home with four small children. She gave Mae a quick run-down on the next phase of the remodeling. However, Joe was working on his mother’s house and wouldn’t be back at Mae’s for a while, she said. Mae asked Neesy to send her a bill. Their conversation was almost over when Mae asked, “Neesy, has Joe heard from Silas Mead lately?”

“Ruby’s brother? Funny you should ask. They hadn’t talked in years, ever since Silas moved out west, but he called last week and left Joe a message. I think he may be back in town, because he left a local phone number on our machine.”

“Could I have the number? I’d like to ask Silas something.”

Neesy gave her the number and they said goodbye. Mae wondered if she should give Ben the number or if she should just try calling Silas herself. Although she was leery of making
the sheriff angry again, she decided to call Silas and then tell him if she learned anything useful. Maybe she could get something relevant from Ruby’s brother and it would be her chance to get back in Ben’s good graces.

Silas answered the phone on the second ring, in a shaky voice. Mae reminded herself to be tactful.

“Hi Silas, it’s Mae December calling, Ruby’s neighbor. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your loss.”

“Thanks Mae, I appreciate that. How did you get this number, by the way?”

“From Neesy Dennis. Did you know that I was the one who found Ruby?”

“Her body? Yes, the grapevine’s still going strong around here.” Silas gave a short bark of a laugh. It was devoid of humor.

“Anyway, when did you get back into town, Si? Did you get to see Ruby? Where are you staying?”

“Well, aren’t you the inquisitive one?” Silas always had a sharp tongue. “I’ve only been here a few days. I came back at Ruby’s request. She said I could crash with her, but I preferred to stay at my friend Jon’s instead. My partner, Terry, is with me. Ruby said she needed to discuss something important, but I never got a chance to find out what.” He sounded close to tears. “We planned to meet the other day, but she never showed—I guess she couldn’t.”

“Well, you take care, Silas. I am truly sorry for your loss. I’ll let you go.”

“Goodbye, then.”

Mae put the phone down and stood in her kitchen, deep in thought. Her reverie was interrupted by slamming car doors and scraping metallic sounds. She looked out the window to see the painters unloading their ladders. She let them in and double-checked the color of the paint. The soft gold should look beautiful in the dining room, particularly in the evening. After making sure they had everything they needed, she opened some windows and placed a fan in the laundry room doorway to blow any fumes away from Tallulah and her babies. Mae preferred to be out of the house when workers painted or stained so she decided to take her mother’s dogs with her and go to her parents’ house. Kudzu and Lil’bit, Suzanne’s Jack Russell terriers, were always happy to go for a ride. They jumped into the backseat of her Explorer when Mae opened the door, but as soon as they were inside, they leaped up into the driver’s seat.

“You ride in the back, or you don’t ride at all,” Mae tried to convey this as sternly as she could. Kudzu obediently hopped in back, but his sister, Lil’bit, continued to sit in the driver’s seat, wearing her cutest expression.

“Don’t give me that look.” Mae couldn’t help softening when she noticed the dog’s stumpy little tail wagging away. “Fine. You can ride shotgun. It’s the best I can do.”

Lil’bit reluctantly moved to the passenger seat, where she assumed a hunched and dejected pose.

“I think you were robbed of the Oscar for best actress, Lil’bit. Let’s go see Mama.”

Her mother’s car wasn’t in the driveway so she walked back to the studio, a separate building at the back of the property, to see if Daddy was working at home. He
was at his desk, reviewing the proofs for his new book, a retrospective of his photos of Country Music legends. He met Mae’s eyes with a smile. Mae’s breath caught for a minute. The lines on his face were highlighted by the sun. Her tall, handsome father was getting old. She had inherited his thick, wavy blond hair, but his now had a lot of silver mixed in with the gold.

“Can we come in?” Mae tried to hold the dogs back with one foot. Lil’bit squeezed past her, followed by her brother.

“Please do, sweetie. I’m sick of looking at this. I’d much rather see your pretty face. Let the dogs run out in the yard.”

“Daddy, you know how Jack Russells are. They’ll smell the fresh dirt around the new fountain and start digging everything up.”

“We may as well get it over with then. Sit down and tell me what’s new.”

Mae shooed the dogs out and closed the door behind them. She sat down in one of his comfy old chairs and filled him in on the case, reminding him again of the confidentiality of the information.

“Do you think it sounds suspicious that Ruby asked her brother to come home?”

Her father sat back in his chair and swiveled back and forth a few times. “I don’t think Silas would get involved in anything shady. That man has always been honest to a fault. He fought with his father about being gay, but he didn’t lie, even though coming out cost him the property. Their dad left everything to Ruby, because of his contempt for homosexuals. After that, Silas moved away. If he says he came home at Ruby’s request, I’m sure it’s true.”

Mae leaned forward in her chair. “Do you think you or Mama could pass all this along to the sheriff for me? He’s very upset with me for getting involved in this case.”

“I think your mother is perfect for the job, sweetie. I’ll ask her as soon as she gets back. I’m glad you came by, though. I’m almost done with this book and I wanted to talk to you about my next project.” He stopped and looked at her.

“What is it? Do you need my help with something?”

He shook his head. “More like your permission, actually. I’ve been thinking about putting together some behind-the-scenes shots from the Opry and the Bluebird. You know,
images of the songwriters and session musicians. Would you be all right with me including Noah in the book?”

“Of course I would. Actually, I’d be pleased for him. Do you have any pictures of him working?”

“Yes, I took several. Do you remember Uncle Phil’s friend with the recording studio in Rosedale, John Ayers?”

Mae nodded. “Noah took me there a few times when he and Uncle Phil were co-writing. Mr. Ayers introduced Noah to a lot of industry people. He’s a nice man.”

Her father tapped the photo. “Sure is. I was out at his place on a shoot for Artesian Records a while back, and Uncle Phil and Noah were in the barn. I could hear them laughing and I got curious so I went out there and they were goofing around, coming up with the worst lyrics you’ve ever heard. They were a little slaphappy and I started taking pictures.” He smiled at her. “Just looking at all the photos made me realize that the songwriters and musicians don’t get much of the glory in the end. It all seems to go to the singers. I’d like to pay them a tribute, but I don’t want this to be painful for you.”

“It’s certainly bittersweet, but I’m happy Noah will be part of the project. You don’t really need my permission, but I’ll be fine.”

“Good to hear.” He rose to his feet, patted her knee, and started to leaf through the stack of photos again. “I came across some pictures of you and Noah, but there was one person I don’t know.” He held the picture out to Mae. She took the photo from his hand and studied it.

“Do you recognize this man?” he asked.

The man in the photo was blond and heavyset, not fat but muscular, with a thick neck. He was standing beside the barn, looking out toward the open door.

“No, I don’t think so.”

Dad handed her three more pictures. “Are you sure?” He tapped the top of the stack. “In this one he’s looking right at you.”

Mae took a second look, but the man was a stranger. The picture had been taken almost three years earlier. She was younger in the photos and quite obviously in love.

“Sorry, Daddy. I have no idea who he is. I only had eyes for Noah back then.”

He smiled and nodded. “It sounds like you might be moving on a little bit. This sheriff character could be interesting.” He tilted his head inquiringly.

“I guess so. He read me the riot act last night, though.” Mae stood up. “I need to get going.”

“Thanks for coming by, hon. Remember, sometimes a bad reaction from a man is better than no reaction at all.”

They hugged and said goodbye. As she was backing out of the driveway, Mae saw dirt flung high in the air from two different areas around the new fountain. Mama would be peeved at Kudzu and Lil’bit’s antics, but given all the construction going on at Mae’s place and a crime scene down the road, Mama’s dogs needed to stay at home.

O
n her return from her parent’s house, Mae picked up a turkey and cheese Panini from her favorite deli to take home for lunch. She sat down on the laundry room floor with Tallulah and her babies and ate the sandwich. Holding first one puppy and then another, Mae thought again about how much the dogs had helped her recover from Noah’s death. They were still a joy whenever she came home.

But even the puppies couldn’t fully distract her from the thought that
nagged at the edge of her mind. She called her father.

“Hi, Daddy. I’ve been thinking about that guy from the photographs some more.”

“Did you remember something?”

“Not really, but maybe you should ask around. Mama might have seen him before, or Mr. Ayers may know him.”

“Good idea, hon. I already asked your mother, but I’ll call John Ayers and Sheriff Bradley. Something about the guy reminds me of a case I did some police photos for.”

“Let me know what you find out, will you?”

“Will do, Mae. Bye.”

After the call, she decided to take a run down the street and up the big hill behind her house to give Rusty some exercise. He was a big dog with high demands for activity and Mae wondered, not for the first time, why busy people who lived on small lots got such large dogs. She changed into sweats and an old t-shirt and got the Rhodesian Ridgeback out of his kennel.

Rusty seemed to thoroughly enjoy running on Little Chapel Road. They went down to the river and then cut back up the hill along the ridge, arriving at the small stream that ran down from the hill above her house. After a short rest and a drink in the stream, Rusty seemed calmer. But on the way down the hill he abruptly stiffened and growled low. What a frightening specimen. No wonder these dogs could hunt lions on the Serengeti.

The big dog began to run down toward the house, pulling her at a terrible clip. By the time they reached her backyard, she was out of breath. “Rusty, what was that about?”

Remembering Elvis’ disappearing act, Mae turned to count the four heads in the kennels: Toulouse, a black French bulldog; Clementine, a mix; Baxter, a golden retriever; and Christensen, the Great Dane. They were all there and seemed fine. Then she caught sight of a small red ribbon on Toulouse’s kennel door. Her breath caught in her throat. Someone had tied red ribbons on each of the kennels.

She untied and removed them. She checked the dogs over carefully. They were unhurt but seemed a little agitated. Could it be some sort of practical joke? She put Rusty into his kennel and headed into the house. There was another red ribbon pinned to a note on the back door.

“MYOB or …” At the bottom of the note, there was a drawing of a dog lying on its side in a pool of red. Someone had left a death threat for her dogs. Feeling lightheaded, she sat down on the back steps and held on to the porch railing. She had to check on Tallulah, Titan and Thoreau. They were all inside. Did I leave the house open? She tried to turn the handle. The back door was locked. She dashed around to the front door. Also locked. Using her key, she went inside and called her dogs. Mae drew a deep breath of relief. Titan and Thoreau were unmarked by red ribbons.

What about Tallulah and her puppies? She ran to the laundry room. The pups were all nursing quietly. She picked them up, one by one. There were no ribbons inside the house. Carrying Little Red into the kitchen, she picked up the phone and called Mama.

“Mama, I’m sorry, I can hardly talk. I’m so upset. Can you or Daddy come over right away, please?”

“Mae, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been threatened and the person is targeting my dogs. It’s terrible, Mama. Whoever did this awful thing left a drawing of a dog in a pool of blood.”

“Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I’m not home. I’m in Belle Meade conducting an interview. I’ll send your father right away and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

Mae was in a panic. She called Tammy at work, asking her to come over as soon as she could.

“I’ll take a break now. I’m on my way.”

Mae paced the kitchen and then the driveway until her father and Tammy arrived. The three of them sat at the kitchen table, now clear of paint and tarps, and appraised the note.

“Do you think we need to call the sheriff’s office?” Mae asked.

“I do. Perhaps there’s a link here to Ruby’s death.” Tammy tapped the table beside the note with her shiny silver fingernails.

“I’m scared. Whoever did this is really angry,” said Mae.

“I must be getting senile,” Daddy said. “I’ve forgotten what MYOB means.”

“Mind your own business,” Tammy said. “It seems like something a woman would do. All those little red ribbons don’t seem like a man’s kind of threat.”

Mae’s father nodded in agreement. “You could be right. I also wonder if the intent is to damage Mae’s reputation.”

“Yes, I thought of that, too. If a dog was injured while in Mae’s care, her business would be destroyed.”

“Maybe someone who felt threatened by me looking into Ruby’s death left the wretched thing.”

“I agree.” Tammy’s breathy little voice sounded stronger than usual. “
Who has the most to lose by being investigated?”

Daddy wrinkled his forehead. “What about Silas? Because he was gay, he didn’t inherit the property. His father thought having a homosexual son made him look bad. Silas’ partner is also in town. I don’t think we can rule either of them out because of their interest in the
Mead property.”

“What about Joe?” Tammy asked. “If he killed Ruby and thought you might find out, he might have left the note to warn you off. Or maybe Neesy left it, trying to protect her husband. Joe does have a key to your house.”

“Tammy, that’s horrible. How could you say such a thing? I don’t believe either Joe or Neesy would do this. They’re my friends. There must be some other explanation. Besides, there were no ribbons inside the house, so having a key doesn’t put Joe under suspicion.”

Tammy continued, despite Mae’s plea. “Do you think Joe might have been having an affair with Ruby? You told me she was pregnant when she was killed, and Joe and Neesy have four kids—”

“Stop it. Joe is my good friend. He wouldn’t do this to me.”

“Ladies, I’m going to go out and look at the security of the outdoor kennels.”

“I’ll go with you.” Mae and her dad walked to the barn, while Tammy continued to study the note and the ribbons.

When Mae set up her boarding business, she had a small barn built behind her house, fitted out with dog runs. There were four runs on each side. Each run had an area inside the barn and a small door at the back with a leather flap on it, leading to an outside run. This allowed the dogs to go out and do their business. The leather flaps kept the runs cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A wide cement pad ran down the middle of the barn. Each dog run was good-sized, with a top and a door. A fence beyond the barn enclosed the outdoor dog runs and a large grassy area. Two big wooden stable doors, which opened wide enough to get a tractor into the building, served as the barn’s entrance.

“Mae, can you lock the barn?” Mae’s father
asked as they approached the doors.

“Yes, I can lock it, but I don’t very often. I guess I will now.”

“You absolutely need to lock the barn, and I’ll get a lock for the outside gate. I’m also going to get some motion lights to put up on all four corners of the barn. I’m thinking of installing an electric wire on top of the fencing, too.”

“You really are taking this seriously then?”

“Yes, baby, I am.”

When Mae came back into the kitchen, Tammy said she was going over to talk to Neesy.

“Tammy, no.”

“I’m just going over to their house. I’ll tell her what happened and then watch her face. She may know something.”

Daddy came back into the kitchen. When he spoke, his voice was solemn. “I found a man’s footprints in the mud by the back door of the barn. I’m going to the hardware store to buy security equipment.”

“I guess I should call Ben.” Mae tried to keep her voice steady.

Tammy gave the note back to Mae and grabbed her things. Mae was exasperated at Tammy’s insistence on talking to Neesy, but still they hugged each other before Tammy left. Sitting alone in the kitchen, Mae dialed the sheriff’s office. Her hands were shaking from all the adrenaline in her system. The sheriff wasn’t available when she called so she left a message with Dory.

Mae rubbed the back of her neck for a minute. Then she started to cry. If Noah had survived the car crash, he’d be rubbing her neck and she wouldn’t be here alone. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what his hands felt like, when the phone rang. She jumped up, thinking it would be her mother.

Ben’s voice came forcefully over the phone. “Mae, do I need to send someone from the department over? Dory called. She said you sounded terrified.”

“Oh, Ben, I guess I am. Somebody came here while I was gone and left a threatening note. It has a horrible drawing of a dog in a pool of blood.”

“Was the note inside the house?”

“No. On the back door.”

“Have you checked the rest of the house? Are you alone? Have you told anyone else about this?” The volume of Ben’s voice rose with each question.

“I checked on the dogs, not the house. My mother’s arriving now.”

Suzanne came charging in. “Mae, are you all right? Who are you talking to?”

“It’s Ben, Mama. I’m okay.” Her mother reached for Mae and hugged her fiercely.

Pulling the phone from her hand, she said in a strained voice, “Sheriff, could you come out here? This child is white as a sheet.” She listened for a minute. “That’s fine. We’ll stay in the kitchen until you get here. Thank you.”

“Mama, you can let go of me now. Let’s sit down and wait for the sheriff.”

They sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Strange thoughts floated through Mae’s mind. Her mother was a petite woman, pretty in a delicate way. July looked much like her, with her smooth, dark hair and brown eyes. Mae had always felt like she didn’t fit in with them, even though her eyes were also brown. She always forgot how strong her mother was. She seemed to take most things so lightly that Mae was surprised when she got serious.

“Can I see the note?”

Mae laid the note on the table and they studied it in silence.

Mama’s eyes glistened with tears. “Honey, do you want to come and stay at our house until Ben gets this thing figured out?”

“I can’t. Tallulah and the puppies can’t be moved yet and I have four boarders right now, plus Titan and Thoreau. I refuse to allow this horrible person to drive me out of my home. Maybe I should change the locks. Daddy left for the hardware store to get some security equipment for the kennels. I could call and ask him to pick up new locks for the house, too.”

Just as Mae had finished speaking, Ben rapped on the door and walked into the kitchen.

Mama pinned him with a look. “Don’t you think Mae needs to get out of here? Could you please convince her to come and stay with me?”

“Let me look around first, ma’am.” Ben walked over to stand behind Mae. He touched her shoulder lightly. “Do you feel up to coming with me while I go through the house?”

Mae nodded and stood up. Titan walked right beside her and, as they walked past Thoreau’s bed, the old Rottweiler hauled himself to his feet and joined them. They opened the door to the laundry room to check on Tallulah and her puppies. Ben stroked Thoreau on the top of his head.

“Do you feel a draft coming down the hall?” he asked.

Mae looked down the hall and remembered opening the window for the painters. The hall window still stood open.

“Well, clearly they could have gotten into the house, but you didn’t see any ribbons inside, did you?”

She shook her head. Ben walked down the hall to examine the windowsill.

“Nothing leads me to believe that anyone got inside. I’m going to look outside for footprints. While I’m doing that, would you get the ribbons and the note for me? Make sure all the other windows are latched, too, okay?”