Terrier Terror, page 19
There were six other Airedales in the competition. I vaguely recognized two of the other dogs’ handlers. To my surprise, Valerie was handling one of hers—probably a brother of Bella, the infamous in-heat dog in last year’s competition. As I watched the two in their trip around the ring, I could detect no limp or hesitation in her step. They looked perfectly matched in pace. I was probably the only person in the immediate area who was watching her and not her dog.
The judge, Tamara Barnes, was giving off positive vibes during her up-close-and-personal inspection of Eeyore, which, due to the Airedale size, took place on the floor, not a table. Her facial expressions reflected that she had found Jesse’s dog to be particularly striking. Then again, I could be reading her all wrong. For all I knew, she could be noticing graffiti on his fur that I’d overlooked. As Eeyore circled her, I was a little self-conscious of my own footwork, though Eeyore’s gait had seemed nice and even. We made our own journey around the ring, then he stood proudly making perfect eye contact with me. He held that position for what seemed like an extra-long time. I looked at the judge. She nodded at me, looking straight in my eyes.
At that moment, I knew my initial take on her had been correct; she had chosen Eeyore as the winner. A few minutes later, we were collecting his enormous blue ribbon. Valerie’s dog came in third.
Jesse gave me a big hug and gave Eeyore an even bigger one. I stepped aside and left him to take the praise as he was photographed with the dog while holding up the ribbon.
“Hey, Allie,” Jesse called after me. “You’re the best!”
“Thanks,” I said returning his triumphant smile. He was scheduled to talk to the police in just twenty minutes. There was no way he could be acting so carefree about the upcoming interview if he had anything to hide.
I’d only taken a couple of steps from the ring before I saw Cooper watching me, looking downhearted. I crossed the distance between us.
“I hope you don’t feel like you were cheated out of showing Eeyore.”
He shrugged. “It was the only decision I felt I could make, under the circumstances.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You’re not to blame. You’re pretty much the only person here who’s kind enough to talk to me.” Cooper looked as if he’d been crying. “All I did was to try to stop Terrington’s bleeding. All I got in return for trying to save his life was to be identified as the chief suspect. I feel like I’m tied up on a railroad track, and a train’s heading straight for me.”
“I’m sorry, Cooper,” I said again. “Why don’t you skip the show tomorrow? Go to a movie, or take a drive in the mountains. Something to get your mind off all of this.”
“I can’t. Kiki hired me to supervise the teardown tomorrow afternoon. She just wanted me to agree to bow out today, but I’m showing the Bull Terrier and the Scottie anyway. We all know Eeyore was the only high-profile dog with a shot of winning Best in Show. He’s also the last shot I had at making something of myself. It’s like my ex was always telling me. ‘Nice guys finish last.’”
I got a lump in my throat as we exchanged goodbyes.
Baxter had mentioned last night that he was meeting with the Mayor of Fort Collins for publicity photos. I knew he’d want to hear about Eeyore’s victory. I headed for his office. The door was ajar, so I quietly pushed it open a little farther to see if he was still in a meeting. I spotted Baxter and Kiki in an embrace, with Baxter pushing her away. I could tell by the look of anger Baxter flashed at Kiki that she had kissed him when he wasn’t expecting it.
“Allie,” he said as I stepped through the doorway.
Kiki’s cheeks grew red. “Sorry, Allie,” she said. “This...um...this isn’t what you think. I was merely giving Baxter a little kiss to thank him for the hard work he’s done for my father and me.”
“A lot of people have been working really hard to pull off this dog show. I doubt you’re kissing anyone else on the lips.”
“You should leave, Kiki,” Baxter said.
I glared at her.
“I just...I lost my self-control for a moment.” She turned and stared into Baxter’s eyes, her own eyes pleading. “I can’t help myself. I have feelings for you, Baxter.”
“They’re not reciprocated, Kiki. I’m in love with Allie. You knew that. And my feelings for Allie are never going to change.”
I fought down the leap of joy that my heart took at hearing Baxter’s statements, wanting to remain stern. “We’re a committed couple. Why don’t you get that?” I asked.
Kiki snorted. “I don’t see a ring around your finger. It’s not like I’m trying to break up a marriage.”
“We own a house together,” Baxter pointed out.
“You’d never know that if you were just watching your behavior. I don’t see any spark whatsoever between you two.”
“Only because you don’t want to see it,” I said. “You’re determined to fool yourself.”
She stared at the floor, her cheeks red. After a couple of seconds, she straightened. Her eyes misted. “I’ve made a fool of myself.” Kiki swiped at one of her eyes. “Well, I gave it my best shot. As they say, you can’t blame a person for trying. I’ll stay out of your hair as much as possible from here on out.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Baxter said.
She left, battling tears.
Baxter and I exchanged glances. “I’m sorry, Allie. I just...didn’t see that coming.”
“I did, but I didn’t think she’d be quite that aggressive. But then, you are pretty irresistible.”
“Animal magnetism?” he asked with a grin.
“Okay. We’ll go with that.” I looked again at the door, imagining Kiki’s inner pain as she crossed the room, worrying about how she’d cope. “She’s been defending you from Davis’s making you the fall guy. I hope this doesn’t undo that.”
“Me, too.” He massaged the back of his neck. He’d been getting so little sleep. “I can’t wait for tomorrow afternoon to come. You were right. I should have turned down the job. It wasn’t worth the meager earnings. Whatever happens between now and Sunday evening, this will be a black mark on my resume.”
“On the bright side, we’re getting to know Eleanor. I really believe that we can bring all of this neighborhood squabbling to an end.”
“Or not. It could just get worse. She could decide we were behind the spray paint. And the powder in her Poodle’s crate. The same way we hadn’t expected her to lash out at us over the cat getting locked in our barn. She has a history of overreacting.”
“That’s a possibility, too, Bax. But no matter what, we’ve got each other. We’ll handle it.”
“True. You’re the love of my life. And I don’t care if anyone else can sense that when we’re together. Just as long as you do.”
“The same—”
Someone rapped twice on Baxter’s door and opened it. Valerie.
We both took a big step back.
“Sorry to interrupt your...personal moment. There’s a photographer who wants to take our photos, Allie.”
“Okay.”
“Nice suit, by the way. I hope you brought an extra one, in case we get poured upon again. It’s always better to be overprepared than unprepared. There’s no downside to being ready for whatever comes one’s way.”
Unless that mind-frame of hers is what makes her so insufferable, I thought.
“I’ll see you later,” I told Baxter, truly regretting Valerie’s timing. “Eeyore won first-place in the Airedales.”
“That’s great to hear,” he said.
After collecting a gorgeous Westie, probably Sophie’s brother, Valerie led me to a photography booth near the front door of the building. Jesse was there with Eeyore. The photographer took a couple more shots with me joining Jesse and Eeyore. He waited while Valerie’s and my photos were taken.
Valerie thanked the photographer, and we walked up to Jesse. “Well, it looks like both Dog Face and Eeyore will win,” Valerie said. “Thanks to your dog causing my Bella to be less than a year out from whelping five puppies, your Eeyore is in an excellent position.”
Jesse raised an eyebrow. “To win the Terrier class?”
“Yes. Especially considering that judges are typically loathe to name the same dog best in the division.” She patted her Westie. “My Constant Constantine here won Best of Show last year, so he will probably come in second in the Terrier class to your Eeyore.
“By that way of thinking, maybe Eeyore will win Best in Show.”
Valerie snorted. “That’s too much for an inexperienced dog.”
“I’m not so sure. Allida here is something of a natural.”
“I agree with you there. But Allie doesn’t have the credentials yet to crack into the Best of Show.”
“You know what, Jesse?” I said. “I think Valerie is right. It was a true honor for me to win the Airedale grouping with Eeyore. But it was deeply disappointing for Cooper. Furthermore, it would be all the more impressive for the judges to show him with a second presenter. You might want to seriously consider using Cooper from this point on. He needs the work, and he has the credentials.”
Valerie shook her head. “That’s the wrong strategy. You’d be pulling the judge’s attention away from your dog and onto the handler. Cooper has the wrong kind of credentials. He’s a murder suspect. No way will the judges award a dog he’s showing with Best in Class, let alone Best in Show. If he turns out to be guilty of killing off his arch rival in the ring after he presented the Best in Show, Fort Collins Dog Club will never outlive that kind of ignoble press coverage.”
“You’re trying to use negative psychology on me now, aren’t you?” Jesse said. “You want to trick me into ditching Allie.” He faced me. “Allie, you’re still Eeyore’s presenter.”
Just then I realized Cooper was right behind me. He must have been close enough to overhear our conversation; he was clearly livid.
“So I’m too tainted to present a dog at a competitive round? I’m not innocent until proven guilty? I’m to be shunned until proven guilty?”
“Sorry, Coop,” Valerie said. “I always call things as I see them. It’s not personal. I would foresee the same outcome for anyone in your predicament. That’s just the way things are. Nobody wants to link their name and their dog’s name with a longshot who’s a prime suspect in a murder.”
“In other words, I should help everyone here out and recuse myself from showing my dogs whose owners haven’t already shunned me.”
“I didn’t say that. But that is precisely what I would do in your shoes. Furthermore, I would never have set foot in this venue. I care too much about the reputations and experiences of all the dogs and their owners. I think you’ve been playing the martyr card for too long.”
Cooper wore an expression of utter rage as he glared at Valerie. She merely stared back at him, her hands on her hips. Cooper was within an armlength of her. Valerie was not backing down one iota. Without saying a word, he pivoted and stormed out the door.
I sighed with relief. Only then did I realize I’d been holding my breath. “I was afraid he was going to hit you.”
“So was I.” Her entire body shook as she exhaled. “Maybe I should consider biting my tongue sometimes.” She gave me a tentative smile. “It’s hard to teach an old dog like me new tricks.”
Chapter 26
Later that afternoon, the Best in Terrier competition began. The Skye Terrier was adorable. He had black fur on his huge pointy ears and his muzzle, and light gray, long fur everywhere else. If you squinted at him, his ears looked like the wings of a black bird that had alit on his head. There were twenty different breeds of Terriers in the ring, counting Eeyore. We were arranged from largest to smallest, so Eeyore was going first. It was nerve-wracking to present a dog with Marsala and her Bull Terrier, plus Valerie and her beautiful Westie, competing against me. Those two were the true veterans of the dog-show circuit, and I knew they wanted to continue their reign. Not only did I not have their experience, but it felt like the blind leading the blind. I was presenting a rookie to the ring in a competition with veteran, prize-winning Terriers. Plus, I would be complementing the gait of a dog that took strides longer than mine.
Despite my insecurity and self-doubt, when Eeyore’s inspection ended and it was his turn to traverse the ring, my heart suddenly filled with joy. Here I was, having the opportunity to sprint alongside a perfect specimen of his breed in his very first competition. Why feel anything less than bursting with pride at my good fortune? We circled the judge, and she gave me the out-and-back command. Just then, Baxter approached the ring directly across from my position. We beamed at each other.
And so off Eeyore and I went, loping along the oval-shaped fence in a victory lap, regardless of the final results. Eeyore once again posed perfectly. The judge’s and my gazes happened to meet. She had an odd look of alarm. I got the feeling she was torn by how impressed she was with Jesse’s dog.
We waited for all twenty dogs to have their turn. I couldn’t get rid of the thought that the judge had appeared to be conflicted. It became time for the judge to make her cut. I led Eeyore forward when signaled by the judge, and we again circled the ring for a second look along with Marsala’s Bull Terrier and Valerie’s Westie. I was shaken by the judge’s expression as Eeyore strutted past her. I could only hope it was my imagination, but she looked deeply embarrassed.
My heart was thrumming. We were called to the center of the ring. Tamara pointed three at Constantine, Valerie’s prize-winning Westie last year. Then she pointed two at Eeyore, not even glancing at him or me, and one at Chardonnay, Marsala’s Bull terrier.
“Hooray!” Marsala shouted to the heavens.
Kiki did the honors with the microphone, of announcing the names of the dogs and their owners. She’d seemed especially delighted as she called out Marsala’s name.
I met the judge’s eyes again. She was blushing, and she immediately averted her eyes. My every instinct was telling me the judge had been forced to choose the wrong winner. I shifted my gaze to Valerie. She was looking at me with sorrow in her eyes. I assumed she felt that her dog had been cheated, yet she shook her head and said, “Sorry.”
Limping only slightly, Jesse entered the ring, and I immediately ceded the leash to him, ignoring that he shook his head. He pulled me into a hug. “Will you look at that,” he said, still grinning ear-to-ear. “A rookie presenter and a rookie dog took second place in the Terrier division.”
I forced myself to smile. “Yep. Pretty cool.”
Valerie walked up to Jesse. “Eeyore should have won. He was the best dog, and Allie was the best handler.”
She strode out of the ring, without waiting for photos, congratulating Marsala, or saying a word to the judge.
“Huh,” Jesse said.
I was getting a lump in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him about the judge’s suspicious reactions. It wasn’t as if I could prove anything, and if I’d been mistaken about what someone was thinking, it wouldn’t be the first hundredth time I’d done so.
Jesse and I congratulated Marsala, who was kind enough to give me a big hug. “You did a great job, Allie. You really had me worried.”
I gave Jesse the leash and left the ring. Baxter met me and gave me a quick hug, saying, “Great job, darling. I really thought you had it in the bag.”
“So did I. And so did Valerie.”
“Eeyore has that x-factor. Still, you can’t really argue with the decision,” Baxter said. “Marsala’s Chardonnay is also an outstanding specimen.”
“True.”
Baxter, per usual, got a call on his phone. I spotted Valerie, who still looked fit to be tied. Just as I was turning away, I spotted an Airedale puppy on leash near her feet. I gave Baxter a quick, “See you later,” as I headed over to talk with Valerie.
“Tamara isn’t much of an actor,” she told me in lieu of a greeting. “I doubt we’ll see her in the ring again anytime soon.”
I tore my eyes away from the puppy. “Do you think she accepted a bribe?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
“I’d like to think she didn’t.”
“Jesse’s Airedales are gorgeous specimens. That’s why I held back on selling one of the females of Eeyore’s brother’s puppies.”
That was enough of an invitation for me; I knelt and petted the adorable little furry baby. “You mean this adorable puppy is Dog Face’s?”
“Speak of the devil, here you are.” I stood up. Jesse grinned at me and said nothing. He bent down and petted the puppy. Valerie shook her head, as if annoyed.
“Jesse, I haven’t been proud of my behavior for quite a while,” Valerie said as Jesse straightened his shoulders. “For what it’s worth, our Airedales probably scooted their cages together without assistance. I should have been much smarter than to hire the imbecile who brought Bella when she was in heat and cost me the chance to show her this year.”
“She’s a fine dog. A real winner.”
“She is. And I have something for you. Retribution, at long last.” She handed him the leash of the Westie puppy.
“Is this one of Dog Face’s puppies?” Jesse asked, looking positively stunned.
“Yes, and she’s yours if you want her. I denied you your right to take your pick of the litter. But she was returned to me. The buyers had to relocate in Asia and couldn’t have a dog there.”
I looked at her in surprise. She’d only just told me that this was a puppy she’d chosen not to sell.
“What’s her name?”
“Calliope Can Dew,” spelled like the morning ‘dew.’ But with your track record, I suppose you’ll rename her something dreadful like Watch Out Below.”
Jesse grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll stick with Calliope. Calli for short.”
“Good decision.” Valerie studied my eyes. “Allie, let me know if you want to handle my agility dogs on a permanent basis.”
