Bark Up and Smell the Coffee Read online

  “No,” Willow said, confidently. “It won’t be boring. You’ll do your job and come up with exciting content this week. I know you can. Terry was right before when she said that it felt like it was time to move forward. And we’re all going to move forward.”

  Wednesday returned to her feet. The three women gathered together, allowing themselves to be enthusiastic. The animals danced around their feet.

  “Lady Valkyrie is going to compete and be amazing. I’m going to make sure of it. Wednesday, you’re going to make this the best week of your life in all aspects. And Terry, you and I are going to find nice dates.”

  “I feel like we should all put our hands in the center and yell, go, team,” Wednesday said.

  “I feel like we should get to work,” Willow said. “We’ve got a lot to do!”

  3

  “Very funny,” Griffin said. He tried to keep a straight face, but the mirth was evident in his eyes.

  “I thought it was,” Willow said with a smile. She set the bacon-wrapped screwdriver on the counter, proud of the joke she had come up with based on their last interaction.

  She poured them both a cup of coffee the way they liked it, and they both took a sip. Telescope was chomping on his breakfast in the corner while the humans talked. This was the easy routine that they had fallen into since construction got underway. Griffin would visit her kitchen, they would chat, and then he would begin building.

  “That’s exciting about Lady Valkyrie,” he said, focusing on the other news that she had told him. “Do you really think she could go all the way?”

  “I do,” Willow said, nodding. “She’s a perfect specimen of Irish setter, and she makes the obstacle course look easy.”

  “Tell me a little more about this dog show,” he said, setting down this coffee. “Because I thought in most shows, dogs just walked around in a big circle, and the judges touched them one at a time.”

  Willow chuckled at this not entirely inaccurate description of a dog show. “Shows that focus on breeds often do that, but the Field Club Championship is more of an athletic competition. They have to complete obstacle courses as part of their judging.”

  “Like the Olympics but for dogs?” Griffin asked.

  “That’s not a bad way of looking at it,” she said.

  She checked that Telescope was still set with his food while Griffin tapped his mug. Finally, he said, “I watched that movie you recommended the other day.”

  Willow grinned. She had suggested an action comedy that she came across on Netflix. She liked all the quips that the characters came up with and was sure he would too. She also figured that Griffin would admire the architecture of the historic buildings – even if most of them did end up exploding in the film.

  “Well, Tele suggested I watch it,” Willow said, giving credit where it was due. “I was being indecisive and had him point a paw at the title I should pick.”

  Griffin nodded. He looked at the ground and then met her eyes. “Maybe we should watch one together sometime?”

  Willow paused. That sounded an awful lot like he was asking her out on a date. No. That couldn’t be it. She must have been misreading the situation. His offer was just part of comradery they shared after being involved in a murder investigation and rebuilding a house.

  “I don’t know,” Willow said, trying to deflect the awkward feelings she felt. “Could Tele pick out another movie as good?”

  The dog looked up from his food and tilted his head.

  “Maybe,” Griffin said, picking up his mug again and hiding behind it for a moment to take a sip. “But I have been thinking about how the construction is almost done. And about how I’m going to miss talking to you like this. I’ve really enjoyed chatting with you before I got to work.”

  “I’m glad you said that,” Willow said, cheerfully. “Remember how I said that I might have another project for you?”

  “Yeah,” he responded, though this time he looked unsure instead of happy.

  “I’ve been thinking about adding a doggie spa to the place. It could be attached to my office here on the first floor, and we could adapt the bathroom.”

  “This is the project you were talking about?” he asked.

  Willow nodded. “The main Pineview groomer is retiring, and this is a prime opportunity for me to expand my business. Dogs can work out and then be washed to smell nice. That’s a great idea, isn’t it?”

  “I know you talked about this before and said you possibly wanted to do it someday. I didn’t think you planned on doing it so soon.”

  “I didn’t know there would be a need for a new groomer in Pineview,” Willow said. “But if I don’t jump on it now, then the need will be filled.”

  Griffin began pacing around the kitchen with his cup in hand. “How do I ask this delicately?”

  “You want to ask about the money?” Willow said with a smile.

  “Yeah,” Griffin said, stopping and turning to face her. “I thought you had just enough money to do the training areas and a few rooms of your house. I know there were even a few household projects that you decided to put on hold because you wanted to save money.”

  “And I decided that all my bedroom and guest room need are a coat of paint each,” Willow said. “I’m not losing out there. I don’t really need to show off my master bedroom.”

  Why did she add that part at the end? Griffin didn’t need to know that part. Feeling insecure, she covered it up with a laugh.

  “But how are you going to pay for the spa?” He added quickly, “Believe me, if I could do the work for free, I would. You did make sure that I wasn’t arrested for murder.”

  “Griffin,” Willow said, moving closer, “I would never ask you to do work for free. You’re my contractor. I’m supposed to pay you.”

  “But we are a little more…” he said, moving his hands as he spoke. “I mean… we are friends.”

  Willow wasn’t quite sure what to make of his pauses. She took a step away, but repeated, “I would never ask you to work for free.”

  “Well, then, where is the money coming from?” he asked, crossing his arms.

  “Lady Valkyrie,” Willow explained. “If she wins the championship, there’s prize money and an advertising contract. I’d get a percentage of it, and it would more than pay for the renovations.”

  “Oh,” was all he said.

  “I’m not saying we should break ground right away. The championship isn’t that far off. But I’d like to keep you on for this new project.”

  Griffin nodded.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just surprised,” he said.

  Willow sensed there was more to the story and was about to ask him to elaborate. She trusted his opinion about the construction, and he knew more about Pineview than she did sometimes. She had been gone for several years before she moved back after her divorce and planned to do things on her own terms this time. Maybe Griffin knew something about the groomer that she didn’t. Maybe he knew about the issues involved in installing the tub necessary for bathing both Great Danes and Chihuahuas.

  She was about to question him when Telescope barked. A moment later her doorbell rang.

  “We’ll talk about this in a minute,” Willow said.

  Griffin just nodded. She rolled her eyes when she was sure he couldn’t see her. She didn’t like when he became secretive.

  She opened the door and saw Terry, but she was so unlike the happy Terry from the day before. Willow barely recognized her. She was no longer smiling and glowing with positivity. Her red hair was falling out of her bun, and she looked like she might pass out.

  Telescope ran to the door and sat next to Willow’s feet. She frowned. It was much earlier than Terry was supposed to arrive for training, and, in fact, it was an hour before the dog gym was supposed to open. Terry looked so upset that Willow was sure that something terrible had happened.

  She waited for Terry to speak and when she didn’t, Willow asked, “Terry, what’s wrong? Is it
Lady Valkyrie?”

  “Lady Valkyrie?” Terry repeated. “No. She seemed to take it better than I did.”

  “Take what?”

  “Seeing her like that.”

  “Who?” Willow asked. She didn't understand any of this. “Where is Lady Valkyrie?”

  “She’s in my room,” Terry said. “I thought she should rest. But I couldn’t stay still. I needed to move. I decided to go for a walk. I know the irony – another walk. But I had to do something.”

  “I’m glad Lady Valkyrie is safe,” Willow said. “But I’m not really sure what else you’re telling me.”

  “Of course, Lady Valkyrie is safe,” Terry said. “I don’t know about Polly, though. I should have asked about Polly. That’s what I should have done. I should have checked on Polly instead of coming here. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

  Griffin joined her in the entryway.

  “Who is Polly?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Willow said. “We haven’t gotten that far.”

  Terry leaned against the doorframe. Willow placed an arm on her shoulder.

  “Terry, who is Polly?” she asked gently.

  “Kaitlin’s dog.”

  “And Kaitlin is…?” Griffin said, trailing off to allow her to answer.

  They were both surprised by Terry’s answer to the pause. “Dead.”

  “Pardon?” Willow asked.

  “Kaitlin is dead,” Terry said. When the words were out of her mouth, there was finality to it. She seemed to look even sadder.

  “That does sound terrible, and we’re sorry that her death affects you so,” Griffin said. “But, now, who is Kaitlin?”

  “The owner of the B&B I was staying at,” Terry explained. “Kaitlin Janes. She died this morning.”

  “Oh no,” Willow said. “Is there something we can do?”

  “There might be,” she said. “You see, I saw her die.”

  Willow and Griffin exchanged a look. Willow could sense that Griffin had no more idea where this conversation was going than she did, but she thought he agreed that it was starting to sound more and more creepy.

  “You saw Kaitlin die?” Willow asked.

  “Lady Valkyrie and I were walking. It’s our usual morning route now. It’s on Main Street. There are lots of other dog walkers at that time. I saw Kaitlin ahead of us with Polly. I was debating whether I should call out to her or not. But then she started stumbling. She fell over and someone caught her. I was too distracted to see who. Everyone on the street ran over to her, but there was nothing we could do. When I reached her, I saw her nose was bleeding. And then… she died.”

  Willow shuddered. She didn’t want to imagine seeing someone that she knew die right in front of her.

  “An ambulance was called, and they took her away. They told us to leave, and I took Lady Valkyrie back to our room. I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know many people in town. But then I realized that I do know you,” Terry said. She stopped leaning on the doorframe and stood up straight. “And I remembered hearing about how you helped with a case before and caught a killer.”

  “I wish people would stop talking about that,” Willow murmured.

  “I thought you could maybe help again.”

  Willow shifted uncomfortably. “How?”

  “I want you to help me track down Kaitlin’s old boyfriend, Jack. Jack Grim. We have to find him.”

  “Terry,” Willow said, trying to be firm but reassuring. “I think it’s best if the police handle notifying the friends and family about her death. They have professionals who know how to do that sort of thing.”

  “Inform him of the death?” Terry said. “He knows about it all right.”

  “I don’t understand,” Willow said.

  “Me neither,” Griffin muttered under his breath.

  “I think Jack Grim killed her,” Terry said, grabbing Willow’s shoulders. “I want you to catch her killer.”

  4

  “Drink this,” Willow said, forcing a cup of coffee into Terry’s hand. She had brought the frazzled woman into her kitchen and was trying to figure out a way to get the full story out of her. She had her sit on one of the stools.

  Terry took a sip and then placed the mug on the island counter. Telescope touched her leg with his front paw, and Griffin deposited the dog into her lap. Petting the dog’s head seemed to calm her.

  Willow was glad because as she looked around her kitchen, she didn’t see much to offer the woman to soothe her. She sat on a stool opposite from Terry and decided to start from the beginning.

  “Why do you think Kaitlin was murdered?” Willow asked.

  Terry continued rubbing Tele’s fur and took a deep breath.

  “I know Kaitlin.”

  “Right,” Griffin said. “You said that she was the lady who owned the B&B.”

  “I’ve heard of her,” Willow said as she put things together. “She’s got the place you want to stay at if you’re traveling to Pineview with a dog. It’s very accommodating and canine friendly.”

  “One of the only places that is,” Terry said. “Which was why I had to stay there, despite my history with Kaitlin. And I have to admit that it wasn’t a great one. We used to be friends, but then we had a big falling out. Actually, she was the person I was referring to when I said that I finally cleared the air with someone. I thought things were finally going to improve between us, but now we won’t have the chance to move forward.”

  Willow placed her hand on the hand that Terry wasn’t using to pet the dog. She hoped it was comforting. She knew that she was much better at comforting her furry companions than human ones.

  “That sounds very upsetting,” Willow said. “And I can see why you’d want to believe there was a reason that she was taken from you that didn’t seem so random. But what you described before sounds like an illness.”

  Griffin nodded. “Her stumbling and nosebleed could have been an aneurysm.”

  “No. It wasn’t,” Terry said. “That’s what I meant when I said I knew Kaitlin. I knew all about her. We used to be as close as two people could be. I know all her medical history, and she didn’t have any conditions that would lead to this.”

  “But some time has passed?” Griffin suggested. “Maybe it changed?”

  “And sometimes people don’t like discussing their illnesses with others,” Willow said. “Or they don’t know that they have a condition until it’s too late.”

  “Kaitlin didn’t die of natural causes,” Terry said, shaking her head. “I know it.”

  Willow bit her lip. “It sounds as if the EMTs believes she did.”

  Some color returned to Terry’s face, but it seemed to come from anger. “If you could have seen her like that, you’d agree with me. You’d know that this wasn’t some sort of illness.”

  Willow looked at Griffin. It seemed as if Terry wasn’t accepting logic anymore, and Willow didn’t know what else to offer her. Griffin looked back helplessly and shrugged. It seemed he didn’t know what to do either.

  Telescope cuddled closer to Terry, and she accepted the affection. Then, something seemed to come over her. She gave Telescope a final pat on the head, then handed him back to Willow.

  Confused by what was happening, Willow hugged her dog close to her chest. Terry was getting to her feet, and Willow followed suit, still holding Tele.

  “You’re not going to track down Jack for me?” she asked.

  “I think this is something for the police to handle,” said Willow. “You might be misled by grief.”

  “I’m thinking very clearly,” Terry said, sounding more like herself. She began fixing her hair as she continued. “I’m almost certain that Jack killed Kaitlin, and I need to find him. I’ll just have to put training Lady Valkyrie on hold until I can settle this.”

  “Hold on just a minute,” Willow said, holding out a palm to indicate stop while still balancing her dog. “Let’s not do anything rash.”

  “I understand why you’re hesitant to believe
me,” Terry said, as she finished her hair. “But I know it’s true, and I have to do something about it. I owe it to Kaitlin.”

  Willow set Telescope on the floor to have full use of her hands. He sat on the spot she placed him, eager to continue watching the action. Griffin looked like he wanted to escape the conversation but was making no moves to leave Willow alone.

  “Why do you think that Jack Grim had something to do with her death?” Willow asked.

  “Do you recognize the name at all?” Terry asked. “Jack Grim?”

  Willow thought about it and frowned. “Now that you mention it, it does sound familiar.”

  “He was on a reality TV show and has made other guest appearances. He wrote a book, and he has a podcast that’s apparently pretty big right now.”

  “What’s he famous for?” Willow asked.

  “Being single,” Terry said wryly.

  “But he was Kaitlin’s ex-boyfriend?” Willow asked.

  “That’s right. And he’s made a career of being a bachelor. He makes his money telling people how to be successful on dates, but he can’t appear to be tied down. It wouldn’t be good for his image.”

  “But, they were exes, right? So, that shouldn’t affect his image now,” Willow pointed out.

  “You don’t know Jack. I did. I saw him and Kaitlin together, and it wasn’t good. He is capable of this. And especially after speaking to Kaitlin again, I know it could be true. And,” Terry said as if this were the nail in the coffin, “I saw him the other day. He’s in town.”

  “Okay. That does make things seem more suspicious,” Willow admitted.

  “I don’t know,” Griffin said, speaking up. “Being a secret ex-boyfriend isn’t a crime.”

  Both women glared at him. He held his hands up in defeat.

  “Forget it,” he said and headed over to the coffee maker to brew a fresh pot.

  Willow looked at Terry. She seemed so sure about Jack’s guilt. Willow wasn’t anxious to get involved in another investigation, especially when a crime might not even have occurred.