Last But Not Leashed, page 17
“How much?”
“He’s offering twenty thousand dollars,” I repeated.
She rolled her eyes, a habit I was becoming familiar with. “No. How much is our split? I might end up doing all the work, you know.”
“You’ve got a point.” How would we be able to figure this out? I didn’t want to have to keep track of my hours, or meetings, or phone calls.
Rainbow stared at me. She still wore those fake eyelashes. “I could probably do this solo. Why do I need you?”
Good question. I was beginning to wonder that myself. However, Rainbow answered her own question without prompting.
“It’s, like, why am I working in the kitchen instead of out here?” A mischievous look betrayed how young she was despite the makeup and flashy clothes. “They would have fired me already except I’m family. I suppose I’m sort of a smart aleck. And impatient.” She fidgeted with the salt and pepper. “I get fired a lot.”
“I don’t,” I said. “I’m persistent, and capable of listening for a long time.” I threw that in because Rainbow already appeared distracted. “I’ll gather all sorts of information about Sookie—who she hung out with—and see if she left any clues to follow.”
“That’s chill,” Rainbow said, staring out the window.
“When do you want to start?”
The girl lined the salt and pepper up. “Tomorrow night. Your place.”
Like it or not, I had a partner.
After I returned to my apartment I played with the dogs, put them through basic obedience commands, and straightened up a bit. All the while I kept wondering why the heck I thought I could help find Glenn’s money. I suppose I like a challenge.
Once the boys settled down onto their dog beds, I settled in with my personal laptop and went directly to the tracksookiesheist website. At least ten other inquiries had been posted, all of which were directed to the information section. On that page was a bare-bones coming-and-going timeline of Sookie’s final weeks. Serious inquiries would be answered and required the signing of a confidentiality agreement. At that point, an extensive file would be made available.
Not sure whether to proceed, I called Gramps.
I didn’t expect him to start laughing.
“Sorry, Katie,” he said as he pulled himself together. “But wasn’t our last conversation about you not having enough free time? Now you want to jump into an investigation?”
Hearing this from his point of view, I began to cringe.
My silence made him back off a bit, worried he’d hurt my feelings. “You took me by surprise, Katie. Tell me you don’t have to pay to do any of the investigating?”
“No, there are no fees involved.” I wasn’t sure about any expenses, but didn’t want to muddy our conversation with too many facts.
He continued questioning me. “You can quit anytime?”
“Anytime.”
“So basically you’re trying to win twenty thousand dollars by solving the mystery of the vanishing money. Along with other random strangers who are running their own separate investigations?”
“Right.” I decided not to mention solving Sookie’s murder, too.
As if he could read my mind, Gramps cautioned, “Don’t go trying to solve that woman’s murder, now. Leave that crime to the police.”
Since he couldn’t see me, I crossed my fingers and told a little fib. “That’s the plan.”
“If I can help, let me know,” he told me. “But don’t take any chances, you hear me? You are irreplaceable, Katie. Totally irreplaceable to me.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Cindy said as soon as she heard. “I’ll tell you anything I can.”
“You don’t think it’s crazy?” I’d called her after speaking to Gramps, probably for a little validation.
“Heck, no. The chief mentioned Glenn’s reward offer yesterday to my sister. Glenn’s got no money to hire private investigators. He’s got legal issues to settle before he can sell the condo.” Cindy paused for a breath. “It still doesn’t make me feel sorry for him.”
Mari’s response when I called her was much more specific. “I know you’re pretty good with our computer, but I’m not sure about this level of expertise.” In the background a television blared.
I’d expected this from her. “There are tons of websites that help with all kinds of fraud.”
“Wait a minute. Let me turn this down,” she said. Immediately the background noise leveled off. “Okay, that’s better. I wish I had time to help, but six puppies are a handful.”
“That’s all right. I’m going to try to work with someone on this—a computer hacker, and a mathematical genius to boot. If we’re successful we’ll split the reward.” I thought Mari would be happy, but instead she sounded skeptical.
“Who is it?”
“Ahhh, it’s Rainbow. You know, Luke’s cousin? She came to the New Year’s party.”
“Rainbow?” Mari repeated. “Tight skirt, tall boots, and flirty. False eyelashes?”
I made my voice sound upbeat. “Yep. That’s her.”
“So, Kate, who told you that girl was a computer genius?”
“She did.”
After fending off more questions, I started to do some preliminary fact-gathering. To keep track of my thoughts, I pulled out a small whiteboard from storage and propped it up on the sideboard table. Armed with multicolored dry erase markers, I started in.
Why did Sookie take her husband’s assets? There were a couple of obvious answers. She wanted all the money and also some revenge on her husband. According to Daffy, Sookie made the bulk of the money during their marriage. There was a hint that Glenn was living off his wife.
Knowing Glenn the way she did, Sookie knew he’d be coming after her with everything he had. There must have been an escape plan in place. Was she running alone, or with someone? In this computerized world, how could she truly disappear?
I got up, stretched out on the sofa, and thought it through. An FBI agent had once told me disappearing is harder than you think, especially if you lug a lot of personal stuff along with you. Sookie was smart. She would have known that.
Which still didn’t tell me why she was murdered.
All that thinking must have worn me out because I fell asleep, only to be awakened by soft whines.
Three pairs of doggy eyes were staring at me. A quick glance at my watch told me why. The trio thought I’d forgotten the before-bed bathroom break. Standing in front of me, Desi towered over the crew with thick shoulders and a massive head. Having Desi gave me an added level of security but also served to remind me that if someone wanted to steal Mr. Pitt, I might need it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The next morning, I watched as all three dogs once again romped around and did their business. Mr. Pitt interacted with Desi as nicely as he played with Buddy, a far smaller dog. When I called, he immediately responded. I scratched his silver head, noticing how well he was healing from his wounds, both physical and emotional. I only wished Cindy and the shelter had had more success in tracking down his owner. An alert had also gone out to veterinarians in New York, New Jersey, and Staten Island, along with notices on social media.
With the animals taken care of and busy playing with their toys, I showered, pulled on my scrubs, and “commuted” to work.
After coffee, my first half hour was always the same: checking lab reports and emailing or calling clients. When Cindy stuck her head in, I assumed she wanted to go over today’s schedule. Instead, she shut the door, sat in the chair opposite my desk, and waited for me to finish my call.
“Something up?” My rapidly cooling coffee sitting next to the computer beckoned. I hated to drink it when it got cold and had that floating layer of who-knows-what on it.
“Did you start your snooping yet?” Cindy’s enthusiasm for the reward money far outpaced mine.
“Only brainstorming at the moment,” I told her. “This is much more complicated than I thought.”
Cindy agreed then added, “My sister confided something to me last night that Bobby let slip. Since it has to do with missing money, I wanted to share it. However, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Sookie.”
“You never know. What is it?”
She leaned in closer even though we were alone in the office. “You know that new guy in town, Mr. Gambino?”
That surprised me. I took a long sip of coffee and answered, “What about him?”
“He’s missing a large quantity of Bitcoin. Someone ripped him off. Bobby heard a rumor that he’s got experts going through his business computers here and at his other homes, trying to find out what happened.”
“How much is a large quantity of Bitcoin?”
“Forty million dollars’ worth. Give or take a million.”
My understanding of Bitcoin hovered around zero percent. Not only that, but I couldn’t see any way it might pertain to Sookie—except it was missing money. I knew there were many different electronic currencies, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. I made a note to mention the theft to Rainbow and started work.
Waiting in exam room one was an older couple with a middle-aged mixed-breed poodle, whose patchy coat and round belly signaled a problem.
Mari had triaged these clients, taking a preliminary history as well as recording the female dog’s vitals.
The owners had brought Licorice in because of shedding and a thinning coat.
“I don’t know why she isn’t better,” the wife told us. “She’s on a daily supplement for a thicker, healthier coat, and we bathe her with an all-natural shampoo. Is it stress? Because we wait on her hand and foot.” Both owners took a moment to pet their dog, her pink zirconia-jeweled collar sparkling under the exam room lights.
Going over Mari’s notes, I said, “Is Licorice taking any other medicines or supplements? Maybe for itching?”
They both looked puzzled. “No, she’s not particularly itchy, although her skin seems dry.”
Sometimes owners gave their dogs over-the-counter medications with an anti-inflammatory in them. Inappropriate steroid use had to be ruled out as a cause of what I suspected might be Licorice’s problem.
“What about eating or drinking more water?” In the notes, the owners denied seeing that.
“Well, she’s gaining a little weight, but aren’t we all?” The husband patted his own belly. His wife didn’t seem amused.
Trying to unmask symptoms in animals sometimes goes astray because owners misinterpret signs or multiple people feed or water the pet. “How many times do you refill her water each day?”
“Twice,” said the husband. “Maybe two or three times,” the wife said almost simultaneously.
Licorice was drinking a lot. Now we were uncovering an important symptom. “Do you both routinely feed and water Licorice?”
They answered, “Yes.”
“And are you keeping track of who does what?”
They looked at each other. “Well, not really,” the wife said. “I like to keep food in her bowl all day, in case she’s hungry.”
“Me too,” her husband echoed.
“I’m suspecting that Licorice has an endocrine problem that is responsible for her thinning coat. Often there is a cluster of symptoms, from the potbelly and darkening of her skin to drinking and urinating more. It’s called Cushing’s syndrome, or Cushing’s disease. Mari will give you a pamphlet and some information to take home.”
The husband cleared his throat. “How serious is it?”
My patient looked up at her owner, sensing his concern.
“It is manageable. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I need to confirm her diagnosis with some lab tests.”
“Do we have to leave her?” Fear reflected back at me from their voices and their faces.
I shook my head. “We can draw the preliminary labs today, and then go from there. If they are suggestive of Cushing’s, we’ll need to determine which of the two types she has, adrenal or pituitary. Those tests will require her to stay here at the hospital for timed blood tests. You’ll drop her off in the morning and pick her up at night. Once we have our test results, we can go over a treatment plan.”
Licorice’s owners stared blankly at me. I’d given them a lot to digest.
“What’s an adrenal gland?” the husband asked. His wife glared at him, not wanting to feel embarrassed in front of me.
“Good question,” I said. “Before I went to vet school, I didn’t know much about them either. They are small endocrine glands that are located on top of each kidney and produce different hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. I think Licorice is producing too much cortisol.”
Although they both nodded, I suspected the information and medical language had overwhelmed them—and most likely frightened them.
Licorice lay down on the exam table, bored with all the talk.
“Here’s the important thing,” I said. “You’ve taken the first step to helping her. You brought her to the veterinarian.”
While writing up the exam notes on Licorice and my treatment recommendations, I couldn’t get the image of the couple’s faces from my mind. I’d seen those blank looks before. Clients often want simple answers, not understanding the complexities of the medical issue their pet is dealing with. It’s frustrating to all involved. How can I expect a pet owner to understand in twenty minutes a medical issue it took me four years of veterinary school to learn?
Chapter Twenty-Six
While I was between clients, I checked my phone messages and saw something odd. Rainbow had texted me to meet her for about fifteen or twenty minutes during my lunch. She included an address and urged me to tell no one.
I’d seen how impulsively my math whiz acquaintance behaved sometimes and already regretted tying myself to her.
“I’ve got to run a quick errand at lunchtime, around twelve thirty,” I told Cindy. “Any problem?”
She glanced down at her computer, squinted at the screen then picked up her reading glasses. Slightly vain, Cindy hated to admit she needed reading glasses at the age of forty-five. Once finished, she whipped them off and tucked them out of sight. “That should be fine. Our first appointment isn’t until one fifteen. It’s a new client, so Mari will be taking their history. Make sure you’re back by one thirty.”
“No problem.” I figured that would be enough time to gently ease Rainbow off team Kate, if necessary.
When 12:20 rolled around, I practically galloped out of the office, plugged the meeting address into the GPS, and took off. Mari was going to walk the dogs for me and enjoy some playtime with her own dog, Desi.
The address was in town, slightly past Main Street but still in the business/tourist area of Oak Falls. When the GPS told me I’d arrived at my destination, I eased into a parking space and jumped out of the car. To my surprise, I stood in front of the Overmann Organizing office. A second, smaller sign read ORGANIZATION, DESIGN, AND LIFE STRATEGIES. After visiting Sookie’s house, I’d assumed she worked out of her home office. Obviously, she booked enough jobs to rent a separate space.
Maybe Rainbow had a motive to her madness.
A chime dinged when I opened the door. Painted in fashionable shades of gray, silver, and white, the reception area radiated clean and fresh. Multiple fitted cabinets, many with opaque glass doors, surrounded the welcome desk. Stainless steel blended with painted surfaces, pulled together by industrial black-and-white photographs and line drawings of closets, kitchens, and offices. The computer on the desk displayed no tangled cords or ugly plugs in outlets to trip on or distract.
A door at the end of the waiting area opened and Elaine appeared. “Dr. Kate, what a pleasant surprise. Your friend Rainbow told me you might stop by for some help with your bedroom closet.” Her pleasant demeanor, calm and relaxed, welcomed me under the false pretenses cooked up by Rainbow. I felt guilty. What did Rainbow have in mind?
“Kate, I told Elaine you didn’t have much time today. Why don’t you guys talk? I’ve got to check on one of my online classes.”
“Sure.” Rainbow had obviously set this up so I would distract Elaine. Getting with the program I replied, “Sounds good. Can I tell you a little bit about my closet issues?”
Elaine smiled. “Sure, follow me.” We both glanced back at Rainbow, who had pulled a sleek tablet from her large purse and was busy scrolling.
Once inside, Elaine closed the door and sat down at a wide expanse of clean desktop, something I never seemed to achieve.
“Now. How can I help?” Elaine must have pressed something because a thin computer screen rose up from the glass.
Distracted, I said, “That’s neat. How did you do that?”
“Sookie ordered this desk from Norway, I believe. A lesson she taught me was that it’s a mistake not to be familiar with international designs.” Elaine positioned her fingers at the keyboard, ready to take notes. “Now, can you tell me the worst thing about your closet?”
Once I got started, it was easy explaining to Elaine how much I loathed my jam-packed, disorganized closet. We started talking about summer versus winter clothes, my work clothes, mostly scrubs, and what would make my life easier. We were deep in a discussion on how to prune down the contents when there was a knock on the door.
“Sorry to bother you,” Rainbow said. “But, Kate, you told me to watch your time. I think you’re wanted back at the clinic.”
A glance at my watch confirmed that I needed to leave. “This was so helpful, Elaine,” I said sincerely. “Can we continue at another time? Do you have my email?”
“Yes, and I’ll type up a summary and email that and a suggestion list for you. I’m so happy I can return the kindness you showed when I fell in the parking lot. That was so upsetting.”
