A Dog Gone Murder by Elaine Viets

Author:Elaine Viets
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-10-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

“Josie, I know it’s six in the morning, but can you come over right away?” Jane’s phone call woke her up.

Even half-asleep, Josie heard the urgency in her mother’s voice. She dragged herself out of her deep Saturday slumber and said, “Mom, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“It’s not me,” Jane said, her voice low and quick. “It’s Frank. The police are parked outside. They’re at Mrs. Mueller’s house right now, but I’m afraid they’ll be here next. A police officer is on my front porch and another one is parked in the alley at the back gate. We’re surrounded!”

Josie fought back a giggle at the idea of her law-abiding mother surrounded by cops like a fugitive, and reached for her jeans. “I’m getting dressed now, Mom,” she said. “I’ll be at your house in ten minutes.”

“Make it fifteen, Josie. You don’t want a ticket. The police are everywhere.”

Josie washed her face, ran a brush through her hair, and decided that would have to do.

Ted was awake now. “Who called?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Mom,” Josie said. “She’s afraid the police are coming after Frank. I’d told her to call anytime, day or night.”

She slipped on her flats and grabbed her purse.

“Wait! I’ll go with you,” Ted said.

“No, please, stay home. I need you here with Amelia. I don’t want her to wake up alone after last night. Besides, somebody has to feed the animals. I’ll call if I need you.”

Josie admired her husband’s curly brown sleep-rumpled hair and muscular shoulders. She kissed him and wished they could go back to bed for sleepy Saturday love. But Jane needed her.

On the way down the hall, Josie looked in on her daughter. Amelia was asleep in her purple bedroom, one arm around her cat, Harry. Festus and Marmalade were sprawled across the foot of the bed. The big dark Lab and the orange tabby left Amelia penned into a space the size of a baby’s crib.

Amelia’s coral party dress hung on her closet door. The stain had come out. Josie had made sure of that before she went to bed last night. She’d washed and ironed the lace dress, finishing after midnight. Now the dress was as good as new, but Josie was worried about the damage to her daughter.

Amelia had stood up to her classmates and left the party. Through no fault of her own, her brave move brought the police and the ambulance. Josie thought Ted’s arrival at the Rivington house had probably saved Jared, but the partygoers would blame Amelia for shutting down their fun. Kids could be cruel.

But Amelia isn’t alone, she told herself. Ted and I will help her. But how much can we help her in the closed tween society?

She’d worry about that later. Right now, Josie had to help her mother.

Ten minutes later, she was at Jane’s flat. A dark blue Summerdale patrol car was parked in front of her mother’s house.

Behind it, a shiny navy Crown Victoria screamed “unmarked police car.” The car’s big, square trunk intruded into Mrs.

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