Candy Canes & Corpses Read online

  “What are you going to do with her?” Matt asked, a look of surprise on his face.

  “I’m going to take her home with me,” I said.

  “I don’t know,” he said hesitantly.

  I pulled out my cell phone and punched in the number to the sheriff’s office. I had called it enough to know it by heart.

  “Hi Sarah,” I said, speaking to the afternoon dispatcher. “This is Lynley Richardson. Is the sheriff around?”

  I covered my phone with my hand and looked at Matt. “You can go and get the dogs,” I said. “Aja and Bean. I’ll be taking them with me.”

  Chapter Three

  A retired captain of the U.S. Navy, I was used to barking out orders. It didn’t matter to me that the sheriff wasn’t one of my crewmen or that I had no authority on land. To me, he was being ridiculous, and being out at sea for months at a time, being sensible was one of my top priorities. It just wasn’t in me to sit around and watch him mistreat these poor dogs for his injudicious investigation for what I was sure were trumped up charges.

  Carl Foisom, the long-time, and in my opinion, often misguided and border-line corrupt sheriff of Walnut Ridge and I hadn’t agreed on much of anything since I bought the Christmas tree farm and moved in. Our loose association was a tedious one filled with lots of connect the dots—it was his family that had owned the paper mill that had polluted the watershed that channeled the water to the creek that irrigated my land. Run-off waste water from the paper plant’s use of lime and from plants dying around the tributary had made the water alkaline. Christmas trees didn’t grow in alkaline soil.

  Neither does nearly anything else.

  Consequently, my land was nearly bare. And it wasn’t that I blamed Sheriff Foisom for my problems, guess I should have checked it out more thoroughly before I sunk my life’s savings into it. But somehow, he seemed to think that I blamed him, or at least that was how I felt he acted toward me.

  “Sheriff,” I said when he finally picked up the call.

  “Ms. Richardson,” he answered back, formality in his voice, it didn’t make me back down.

  “I understand that you are having Mr. Greely’s dog put down.”

  “We don’t have a place to house her, and no one wants her.”

  “I do,” I said. “I’ll take her.”

  “She’s old, Lynley. No telling what she’s got. Old Man Greely didn’t take good care of himself or that mangy dog.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the dog,” I said. “And Mr. Greely never mistreated her. He loved her.”

  “I didn’t say mistreat,” Sheriff said. “And I’m not questioning how he felt about the old mutt.”

  “She isn’t mangy and she isn’t a mutt,” I said. “And what’s this about Joe having an argument with Mr. Greely about their dogs.”

  “Who told you that?” he asked.

  That made me wonder how many people he had told.

  “Is it true?” I asked.

  “I can only report what I’ve seen,” he said.

  “What was the argument about?”

  “The dogs,” he said, irritation in his voice.

  “What about the dogs?” I said, letting him know I was irritated with him as well.

  “What exactly is it you want, Lynley? If you called me to talk about Greely’s dog, I ain’t got the time. I’ve got a murderer to process. A job to do.”

  “If you think that throwing people and animals in cages willy-nilly is how a sheriff does his job,” I said, “I can see why Joe is running against you.”

  He snorted. “Not anymore, he’s not,” he said. “And I’ve got to go. I’ve got work to do.”

  “Before you get back to your job,” I emphasized the last word, and hoped he noticed my sarcasm, “call Matt and tell him to release Mr. Greely’s dog to me.”

  “Fine,” he said. “You want her, you can have her. But I suggest you get her checked out first, though,” his voice didn’t convey any genuine concern, “no telling what she’s got. Might need a shot or something.”

  “I know what to do,” I said. “And, just so you know, I’m picking up Joe Lanese’s dog, too.”

  “Hold on,” he said, his voice getting louder. “That dog is a material witness.”

  “What is wrong with you people?” I asked, noting that he was saying the same thing Matt had said to me. “You think that dog’s going up on the witness stand and say that Joe killed Mr. Greely?”

  “Don’t be silly, Lynley.”

  “And how is Aja a material witness if Bean isn’t?”

  “Bean? Who is that?” the Sheriff asked.

  “Look, Carl,” I said, getting more disgusted with him by the minute. “Half the folks in this town got a dog. And I can’t think of one person here that wouldn’t go to any length to see about one if they were in need.”

  “What does that mean?” he said.

  “It means, come election time people might tend to show you how they feel about you locking up innocent dogs because you think it might be a witness to a murder.” I lowered my voice. “Wondering then who they’d think was silly.”

  There was a huff on the other end, and moment longer than necessary of silence. “Take the damn dogs,” he said. “Both of them. And don’t call pestering me anymore with your threats.”

  He hung up.

  Wasn’t long before Matt came from the back with Aja and Bean on a leash following behind him.

  When Aja saw me, she came running over, Matt let go of the leash and she drug it behind her. I stooped down and gave her a hug. “You alright girl?” I glanced over at Matt. “They had you all locked up in here.”

  She barked and licked my face. Freedom felt good to her.

  Matt was still holding onto Bean. I walked over to her and her eyes locked with mine. “Hi Bean,” I said. “You wanna go home with me?” She didn’t move. She kept her eyes on me as I edged closer. I didn’t want to upset her, I was sure I wasn’t unfamiliar to her. She sat on her hind legs, her tongue hanging out. I bent over and whispered in her ear. “I know what you’ve been through, and I’m going to take care of you now.”

  That old dog acted as if she knew just what I said. She took a tentative step forward and looked up at me. I ran my hand over her to gently stroke her and set her at ease, but could feel her coat was matted.

  “My goodness,” I said. “She’s a mess.” I looked closer. “Is that blood?” I asked.

  Matt shrugged. “I dunno.”

  “And this?” I pulled something off her coat and rolled it around in my fingers, then put it up to my nose. “Lime?” I picked up her paws, one at a time and found they were covered with it.

  Matt shrugged again.

  I shook my head at Matt, and looking down at Bean, I said. “C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up.” I took her leash out of Matt’s hand. “Is Molly downstairs?”

  “She should be,” Matt said, seemingly unsure of the groomer’s schedule. “But I don’t think she has any open appointments today.”

  “Let me worry about that,” I said, giving him a firm nod. “Do I need to sign any paperwork or anything?”

  “Sheriff just told me to give them both to you.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Well, I guess Aja isn’t too important of a witness if you just let her go like that.”

  “I’m just doing what I’m told,” Matt said.

  I didn’t want to fall out with Matt, I knew there’d be times when I’d needed him to look after Mopsy. Didn’t want any bad blood between us, but he needed some guidance.

  “Most times, Matt,” I said as gently as I could, “it’s a good thing to do your own thinking.”

  I took the three dogs and headed downstairs. I needed to get Bean cleaned up. Plus, it seemed to me that she was the one that was a material witness. I couldn’t be sure that whatever was matted in her coat wasn’t evidence.

  I decided to take a small detour and call on Dr. Nance before I found Molly.

  Dr. Theodore Nance was the town’s veteri
narian. He had office hours, but a lot of his time was spent out in the valley on house calls. I had my fingers crossed that I’d find him with his “Doctor’s In” shingle turned.

  “Hey, Doc,” I said. I had put a smile on my face before knocking on his office door. I hoped it would put him in a good mood. Sometimes, the old country doctor could be quite grumpy.

  “Hi Lynley. How are you?” He looked up from his desk. I thought I saw a faint smile.

  “I’m good,” I said. “But I need you to have a look at my dog.”

  “Mopsy?” he said and tried to peek around me. “Is she alright.”

  “She’s good,” I said. I ducked out of the door and grabbed Bean who I’d left in the hallway. “I have a new dog.”

  “A new dog?” he said and smiled. “A puppy?”

  I stuck up a finger telling him to hold on then ducked back into the hall and led Bean into the office.

  “Oh Lynley,” he said, the smile on his face fading away. “I know that dog.” He shook his head. “You don’t want her.”

  “You too?” I asked. “What is it with everyone not wanting Bean around anymore? Doesn’t anyone have any sympathy for this dog?”

  “No, I don’t mean it like that,” he said. “I mean . . . she’s sick.”

  “Sick?” I repeated. “How sick?”

  “She has cancer.”

  Chapter Four

  I sat in my truck with it running and the heat on to wait for Bean. I knew it would take Dr. Nance a while to examine her for any evidence. Enough time that I could have headed back up the ridge to drop Aja off with Andy and take Mopsy back home. Instead, I’d left them both inside with Molly, even with the heat on I didn’t want them out for that long in the cold.

  I watched as people walked up and down the street, popping in and out of stores, greeting others they passed, some standing on street corners lost in conversation and seemingly oblivious to the cold. But I couldn’t move. I felt numb—so bad about everything that had happened that morning and now the news about Bean made me feel even worse.

  Poor Bean. She’d lost her owner and I thought I was going to make it all better for her by giving her a new home. But now it seemed like she wasn’t going to be around long enough to enjoy it.

  I probably would have sat there until I thought it was time to go get Bean if I hadn’t had seen Bobbi coming out of the bank.

  How did she get to Albany and back so quickly?

  I turned off the truck, good thing, I guessed, I wasn’t doing anything but wasting gas. I climbed out and closed the door. I called out to her.

  “Hi!” she waved and started my way.

  “Hi yourself,” I said as I met up with her.

  She wasn’t dressed for the weather. It seemed to me that she had just grabbed the first jacket she’d seen and ran out of the door. She was shivering.

  “What in the world are you doing here?” I asked. I took off my scarf and wrapped it around her neck. “I thought you were going to Albany.”

  “Thanks,” she said and tugged on the scarf. “Didn’t have to go.” She grabbed my arm, relief washed in her face. “I found a lawyer.” She glanced in my car. “Where’s Aja? You didn’t pick her up yet?”

  “Uh . . . I did . . . And I left her and Mopsy with Molly.”

  That wasn’t the truth, but I didn’t know how she would feel if she knew I was getting Mr. Greely’s dog. I’m sure any mention of the man, and it would send her over the edge.

  “Oh, you didn’t have to get her groomed,” she said.

  “No. No.” I shook my head and swallowed. “I didn’t.” I gave her a weak smile. “I had some errands to run, and I didn’t want to leave them in the car.” I glanced up at the sky, trying to show her that weather was a factor in my decision. “I’ll get them when I’m done.”

  Lying was hard. I changed the subject.

  “So, you found a lawyer without going to Albany?” I asked. “How did you do that? It wasn’t the one here was it?” I glanced over at the law office. I just knew she hadn’t gone with the town lawyer.

  “No. You know better than that.” She made her eyes wide. “I found one when I was driving down the ridge headed to the highway.”

  “What? Did he have a sign saying, ‘I’m a lawyer?’”

  “No,” she said and hit my arm. “He was headed into town. He’d been hiking up at Cutters Trail.”

  “Oh, that’s a serious hike,” I said. “He must be pretty fit.”

  “He is. But I’m sure he’s pooped now. Said he was up there by 4am.”

  “Had to have been to make it all the way over there and back,” I said.

  “Yeah. So, I gave him a ride back into town. I guess he left his car down here.” She glanced over my shoulder and that made me turn to look. “He’s waiting for me,” she said.

  “Waiting?”

  “I had to get his retainer. Pretty steep.” She drew in a breath and patted her purse. She leaned into me and lowered her voice. “But worth every penny of it.”

  “He can get Joe out tonight?” I asked.

  “No.” Bobbi shook her head, her eyes already red, they seemed to mist up with her words. “Joe has to go in front of the judge to have a bond set. Might be a few days even. The lawyer said he could talk to the prosecutor, maybe make all of that happen quicker.”

  “That’s good,” I said. “What’s his name?”

  “His name is Clark Bingham,” someone from behind me said. I turned around and looked into a pair of eyes, blue as a cloudless summer sky.

  They left me speechless.

  Chapter Five

  “Hello,” he said and stuck out his hand for me to shake. “Clark Bingham, attorney-at-law.”

  His eyes were clear, bright as the sun and his smile just as warm. I stared at him with a grin on my face.

  Bobbi gave me a push.

  I looked at her and back at Clark, his grin matched mine. “Hi,” I said, and nothing more.

  He had on a red and black plaid lumber jack’s jacket and blue jeans. His hiking boots looked more like work boots than ones needed to walk a grueling trail, and appeared new and expensive. He had streaks of white across them but not much evidence of going through any of the mountain’s underbrush. Probably all of that wiped clean trudging through the snow.

  “This is my neighbor and friend, Lynley Richardson,” Bobbi spoke up. She grabbed my arm, and like a puppeteer swung it up so my hand met his and we could shake.

  “Oh, you live up on the ridge, too?” he asked, holding my hand a little longer than necessary.

  I didn’t say anything.

  “She has a farm up there,” Bobbi answered for me again.

  He asked another question never taking his eyes off me. “And what kind of farm does she have?”

  “She grows trees.”

  “Trees?” he asked.

  “I try to,” I said, finally having the presence of mind to formulate words. “Christmas trees.”

  “Well, ho, ho, ho,” he said.

  That made me giggle.

  “She came into town to pick up our dog,” Bobbi said.

  “Oh,” he said and looked down.

  “I have to get her from the kennel,” I said and pointed.

  “Well, perhaps we’ll talk again,” he said. “I might need you to be a character witness for Mr. Lanese.”

  “Call him Joe,” Bobbi said. “Everyone does.”

  “Joe,’ he repeated and nodded his head. “I might need you as a character witness for Joe. Someone that can vouch for the type of person he is.”

  “Anyone in town could do that,” I said. Then I remembered how easily Matt had seemingly been persuaded that Joe might have done something wrong. “Most everyone,” I corrected.

  “So,” he rubbed his hands together and swung toward Bobbi. “I need to go over and speak to my client and then the sheriff. See what he has on him. Then we can go to my office.”

  “In Albany?” I asked, blinking my eyes trying to keep his from distracting m
e again.

  “Yes,” Bobbi answered. “I’ll still need to go there. Sign papers and everything.”

  “I didn’t come prepared to take on a new client,” he said and gestured to his clothes. “But we can do this another day.”

  “No. It’s fine,” Bobbi said, then she turned to me. “Can you still take Aja home and check on Andy?”

  “Yes, of course,” I said. “Take care of what you need to do. I’ll make sure everyone’s okay.”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “I’ll see you again—Lynley, right?” he said and looked at me, blue eyes sparkling.

  “Yep, it’s Lynley,” I said out loud with a nod. And in my mind, I thought, Yes, and I hope I do see you again.”

  “Okay, bye,” Bobbie said.

  I stood and watched them as they walked over toward Town Hall and disappeared inside. Then looking at my feet, trying to will them to move, I wondered why I’d made such a fool of myself in front of that man. It wasn’t like I hadn’t ever seen one before. I’d been on ships with scores of them.

  Although they were scarce in our neck of the woods.

  I let my eyes go from my feet to my watch and left out a huff.

  I was sure Doc Nance hadn’t finished up with Bean yet. I glanced over at my truck and decided not to waste any more gas. There were plenty of things in town I could do to pass the time.

  I wandered over to the general store. Once inside I thought about picking up some things for Bean. Another leash. Dog food. I knew that now, having two dogs, what I had at home wouldn’t be enough. Maybe even get her a bed.

  I walked over to the pet section and stood and stared at the items on the shelf. Play toys. Ceramic and aluminum bowls. Bright red leashes. I ran my hand over the red and green plain cloth that covered a pillow bed, then saw next to it a quilted orthopedic one.

  “That’s what I should get,” I said out loud, reaching over to check the price. “It would make her last days more comfortable.”

  Then I thought, all those things would be unfamiliar to her. She needed to have her own things. She needed to be comfortable in her last days. So, I left there not buying anything and went to the post office to pick up my mail.