Murder of a Stacked Librarian: A Scumble River Mystery by Swanson Denise

Author:Swanson, Denise [Swanson, Denise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2013-09-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Truth Is Stranger

Than Fiction

Skye backed slowly away from the door, afraid the stress of the wedding had finally made her lose her mind and she was hallucinating. The dog in Earl’s arms looked a lot like a furry ballerina. Along with a tulle skirt, it was wearing a tiny rose-colored tee with a heart-shaped chiffon appliqué and itsy-bitsy pink ballet slippers on each of its four paws.

The bell rang again, followed by a series of urgent knocks, and Skye reluctantly approached the window to take another peek. She pushed the curtain aside and nearly had a heart attack. Earl’s face was pressed against the glass, distorting his already decidedly odd features into a grotesque parody of himself.

Earl spotted Skye at the same time she saw him, which pretty much removed the option of pretending that she was out. Even as she recognized that she shouldn’t, she unlocked the dead bolt. It was probably a bad decision, but she couldn’t hurt the peculiar little man’s feelings by snubbing him. Not being completely crazy, she left the chain on and opened the door only a crack.

“Miz Skye, I’s so glad you’re to home.” Earl’s usual mossy grin was lacking. “Youse gotta tell me what to do with it.”

“It being the dog?” Skye guessed, then added, “It is a dog, right?” Knowing the Dooziers’ proclivity for inbreeding, she was half afraid the tiny creature Earl held in his arms might be his niece. His brother Elvis’s wife had given birth rather recently.

“A course it’s a pooch. Her name’s Sugar Plum.” Earl shoved his camo trucker hat farther back on his head and scratched the bald spot he revealed. “Whatcha think it was, one of my kids?” He hooted at his own wit, making a sound that was a cross between an owl in heat and a whooping police siren.

“No.” Skye laughed weakly. “Certainly not.” She added quickly, “I’ve just never seen an animal like it before. What breed is she?”

“Hell if I know.” Earl held the small canine up and examined it. “Looks like some kinda mix of a bunch a those itty-bitty dogs that those rich women on TV carry around in their pocketbooks.”

“True.” Skye nodded. The pup did resemble a spoiled rich girl’s purse dog.

“Alls I can say is accordin’ to that biddy over to the south a me, this here dog belongs to her daughter and costs a lot of moolah and she’s gonna have a shit fit if she finds out I have it.” He twitched his bony shoulders. “Glenda said we could get rid of it by havin’ it stuffed and givin’ it to you for a weddin’ present. Sort of a conversation starter.”

“No!” Skye squealed at the thought of the cute little puppy being mummified. “A wedding gift should never be something prepared by a taxidermist.”

“Then what should I do with it?”

“Give Sugar Plum back to her owner,” Skye advised, glancing at her watch. She had to leave for the police station in fifteen minutes.

“I tried,” he griped, hitching up his neon orange sweatpants.

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