To Collar a Killer by Lee Charles Kelley

Author:Lee Charles Kelley [Kelley, Lee Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: cozy, dogs, forensics, mystery, women sleuths
Published: 2007-07-14T06:59:53+00:00

26

Not only was Sherry Maughn dead, but telling my story to the cops killed most of my morning as well. Luckily, Carl Staub showed up, not too long into the ordeal, and I took him aside and explained things to him in private—and I mean every thing.

He nodded, shook his head, then let me go.

I finally picked up Roark around eleven and got back to the kennel in time to take Frankie and Hooch—fresh from their baths—to the pediatric ward for canine therapy with the kids.

On our way out to the woody, Mrs. Murtaugh told me that Kelso had gone into Camden, hoping to check into a motel or a bed and breakfast. “I didn’t know he was in show business,” she said as I got the dogs into the back of the wagon.

“Show business?” I said, coming around the front.

“Yes. He said to tell you that living up here was cramping his style, and that he wanted to stay someplace closer to town so he could sample the local talent.”

I laughed but didn’t explain the reference.

We got to the hospital at noon, and Frankie and Hooch fooled around with the kids for a while. Some of the tykes—the ones not hooked up to IV stands—love to ride Hooch. The staff allows this as long as there’s a nurse or volunteer to keep one hand on the little buckaroos. Hooch doesn’t seem to mind playing “horsie,” either. In fact, I would say that he actually enjoys it, as long as they don’t grab his ears too hard. When we were

TO COLLAR A KILLER

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through I took the dogs up to the cancer wing, hoping to visit Jill Krempetz, but we got turned away. She was still in recovery from Sunday’s surgery, a nurse said, though she wouldn’t tell me what kind of surgery it was or when I could see her.

We were about to leave when I heard her voice coming from a nearby room. “Who’s that? Is that you, Jack?”

The nurse tried to stop me, but the dogs and I brushed past her into Jill’s private room.

“Sir,” said the nurse, coming around in front of me again,

“you can’t be in here, especially not with those dogs. She needs her rest.”

“They’re therapy dogs,” I said.

“Let them come,” Jill said, with as much force as she could muster. “I want to talk to him.”

The nurse shook her head and said, “I’m going to have to call the doctor about this,” then left the room.

I told the dogs to lie down, then sat in a chair next to the bed.

“How’s it going?”

“How do you think?” She laughed sourly. “I just got my other tit chopped off. I’m starting to feel like I did back when I was the flattest girl in junior high.” She tried to laugh again but couldn’t quite pull it off.

She put her hand out for me to hold. I held it. Frankie and Hooch got up and came over to comfort her. I let them.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said.

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