Murder in the meadow: A Talking Dog Cozy Mystery (Dog Detective - A Bulldog on the Case Cozy Mystery Book 11) by Rosie Sams

Author:Rosie Sams [Sams, Rosie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sweet Book Hub
Published: 2025-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

THE TRUTH IN THE TEA

The color hadn’t returned to Vivienne’s face as Lola guided her into the back room of the clinic. For all her prickly demeanor, Vivienne looked fragile now, her steps unsteady as she lowered herself into a chair. Sassy padded in behind them, her ears swiveling in curiosity.

“Sit tight,” Lola said, her voice softer than usual. She filled the kettle from the small sink in the corner and flicked it on.

Sassy hopped up onto a chair, her nose twitching. “Smells sweet. Snackies?”

Lola glanced over her shoulder. Vivienne was staring at the table, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles were white. Following Sassy’s gaze, Lola spotted a bag of donuts sitting on the counter.

“My blood sugar’s low,” Vivienne said. “Grab the bag.”

She was staring at the bag of donuts, and Lola put them on the table.

“Snackies!” Sassy whispered in delight.

Vivienne took one and began to eat as Lola made the tea. She placed two mugs on the table and sat down. Vivienne was looking a little better. She took another donut and offered the bag to Lola. “Have one.”

The Frenchie’s tail wagged furiously as Lola moved her from the chair and bit into the donut. She found it interesting that Sassy hadn’t gone to comfort Vivienne. This meant the little dog was not happy around her or that the donuts smelt too good to resist. No, it was the prior. Was this because Vivienne could be a killer?

“How are you feeling?” Lola asked.

“Still a little shaky.” Vivienne held the fresh donut in her hand.

“Eat,” Lola said gently. “It might help.”

Vivienne hesitated, then took a small bite. The sugar seemed to revive her slightly. She reached for her cup, her movements deliberate, almost mechanical.

“Vivienne,” Lola said, sitting across from her, “I need to know the truth. What’s going on?” She handed a bit of donut down to Sassy, who’d been pawing at her leg.

“I won’t talk about this to you.”

“Then I should take my suspicions to the police.”

The vet took a deep breath, the steam from her tea curling around her face. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Some ketamine was stolen from my practice about a month ago.”

Lola’s brow furrowed. “Stolen? Why didn’t you report it?”

“I couldn’t,” Vivienne said, shaking her head. “At my last clinic, one of my staff was stealing ketamine and selling it on the black market. I was nearly struck off the register because I was in charge of ordering supplies. They censured me, forced me to keep stricter records, stricter everything. If this got out, I’d lose my license.”

Sassy tilted her head, a donut crumb stuck to her snout. “She’s telling the truth,” she mumbled through a mouthful of icing. “Sad eyes, too.”

Lola leaned back, watching Vivienne carefully. “So, what have you been doing about it?”

Vivienne’s hands trembled as she set her cup down. “I’ve been adding ten percent to each operation. Hoping I could replace the missing ketamine without anyone noticing.”

“Why didn’t you just report the theft? That is different to a staff member stealing,” Lola pressed, though her voice remained kind.

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