Nonstop Spaniels (Novella) (3 page)

• • • 

Ricki came up with a list of half a dozen animals—four dogs and two cats. I brought Pete back to PetForYou the next day to pick them up.

Ricki was there. So was Ideman, blocking our way into the shelter at the other entrance. “I don’t know about this,” he said.

“Please,” Ricki urged.

“You’d better wait another day,” he insisted.

I had no choice but to agree. “It’ll be okay,” I assured Ricki. “You’re not going to put these guys down tonight, are you?”

“I don’t just do that randomly,” he insisted.

I wasn’t so sure.

But as it turned out the animals I’d come to rescue weren’t found dead at the shelter the next morning.

Dr. Dan Ideman was.

He’d been stabbed with a scalpel—like the one I’d seen in Ricki’s veterinary bag.

Heck, he was a vet. There were plenty of scalpels around his adjoining animal hospital.

Yet I wasn’t surprised when the cops zeroed in on Ricki as their primary suspect.

Chapter 3

I first heard about Dr. Dan Ideman’s death the next morning when Nina arrived at HotRescues. As we often did, Zoey and I had come in early to make sure enough staff and volunteers were there to clean enclosures and conduct initial feeding of our inhabitants. All had been going well as usual, but I’d chipped in to help, also as usual, washing some of the quickly emptied bowls and throwing dirty rags and towels into our large washing machine.

Then I’d returned to my office where I’d left Zoey. I was going through the computer files of our most recent adoptions to ensure I’d uploaded all pertinent info from the applications for later follow-up when Nina popped her head inside my door.

“Lauren, have you heard the news?”

I looked at her. “About what?”

“The vet Ricki’s doing her internship with. He’s dead.”

I stared. “But I just met him the day before yesterday.” I realized immediately how stupid that sounded and shook my head. “What happened?”

Nina shot me a sympathetic grin. “They aren’t saying yet—or at least they weren’t when I first heard about it.”

We both hurried upstairs to our conference room, where one of the two TVs at the shelter was located. The other one was in the central building in the older kennel area, which was now our security building. That was where whoever was on security duty slept upstairs each night, and we also had a special room downstairs for monitoring the security cameras posted all around the kennel areas.

A couple of the local TV stations still had news programs on at this hour, and I switched to one of them.

The story was apparently a big deal, or maybe it was an otherwise slow news day.

But I wasn’t exactly surprised when the team of reporters at the anchor desk began discussing it—and said that the authorities were speculating it was a homicide.

“Further details as we learn them,” said a young guy in a suit as he smiled at the camera.

I wanted to learn them right now.

I considered calling Antonio Bautrel. The boyfriend of our security director, Brooke Parnall, was a detective with the LAPD—not in the Robbery-Homicide Division, but in Gangs and Narcotics. Even so, he was generally able to obtain information on investigations in other divisions and sometimes let me in on how they were progressing.

That was very useful to me at times. Unfortunately I had gotten involved in attempting to solve murders recently, not by choice but because first I, and then some close friends and acquaintances, had become the main suspects. Would I get involved this time? I had a sinking feeling that I might. I’d been there during an argument between Ricki and the victim, and I hadn’t been the only one to overhear it.

If Dan Ideman’s death turned out to be murder, the authorities would be looking at my cherished HotRescues volunteer Ricki as a suspect.

In fact, she’d been the first, and only, suspect who’d come to mind when I’d thought about the possibilities. Of course I didn’t really know Ideman or who his friends and enemies were—except for Ricki’s advisor, Frank Ellingsone. He’d been a friend. With any gripes? I had no idea.

Well, all this was just speculation. I didn’t want to investigate another murder and I wouldn’t. Unless I had to. For Ricki’s sake.

I received a frantic call from Ricki late that morning.

Yes, unfortunately the cops apparently considered her a person of interest, if not their prime suspect—yet.

Here we go again.

• • • 

First things first, though. Ricki hadn’t been taken into custody, but she had undergone one interrogation and anticipated more.

“Do you think Esther Ickes would be willing to be my lawyer?” Ricki asked. She was now with me at HotRescues, apparently using it as a haven. She was even dressed like a regular volunteer in her yellow HotRescues T-shirt.

I’d motioned her into my office as soon as she’d arrived so I could hear what had been going on since I’d seen her last, the night before. We sat at opposite ends of the sofa in the conversation area across from my desk since it was less formal, and I felt sure she needed companionship as much as guidance right now.

“Let’s find out.” Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Esther. She was a senior attorney who had helped not only me but other people I knew, including some of those I’d worked to prove weren’t guilty of murders. She was delightful and smart, and I loved hearing how she fooled lawyers who were younger than her into believing she might be senile—and then watching her romp all over them in court.

Esther had heard of the veterinarian’s death and had paid attention since she wondered, because he ran a shelter too, if I knew the guy.

“We met, just the day before yesterday,” I told her, then explained the circumstances, including his supervision of Ricki for her internship.

“I take it she’s a suspect,” the wise elder lawyer surmised, “and that she needs some legal help.”

“Seems that way,” I said.

“When can I meet her?”

Smiling, I nodded at Ricki and passed her the phone so they could discuss logistics. Meanwhile, I bent down to pat Zoey, who lay on the rug at our feet. My dog looked up, gave a little licking motion to show pleasure, then snuggled back down again.

When Esther and she were done talking, Ricki handed me back my phone. “I’m meeting her at her office in about an hour.”

“Great,” I said. “Although I had hoped you’d accompany me back to PetForYou this afternoon.”

“What!” Her deep-toned face paled a little, and she looked shocked.

“First,” I told her, “I assume you didn’t kill Dr. Ideman.”

“Of course I didn’t.” Her face suddenly lightened, and she smiled at me. “Are you going to figure out who did, Lauren?”

“I’ll look into it.”

“You’d really do that for me?”

She’d been around here long enough to hear about some, if not all, of the times I’d been able to solve some murders to make sure people I cared about didn’t remain the primary suspects.

“Well, yes,” I said, and was happily taken aback by how fast she leaped off the couch and bent to hug me. She even startled Zoey, who stood up and growled till she realized it was only Ricki who’d moved, and she bent her head apologetically and approached Ricki for a pat. “But seriously, Ricki, I’m also concerned about all the animals who are at PetForYou. Who’s in charge now that Ideman’s gone?”

She looked pensive. “I can guess, but honestly? I don’t know.”

“I’ll figure it out and go from there. But who’s your top choice?”

“I’ve heard that PetForYou is a nonprofit corporation, so it has to have some kind of board of directors and all to run it, doesn’t it?”

“Most likely,” I agreed. “Do you know who’s on the PetForYou board?”

“No, although maybe Mr. Ellingsone is. And there’s a girl who’s about my age who is a volunteer. I’ve heard that she’s the granddaughter of the man who started PetForYou in the first place. Her name is Ellie Hankley. I gathered that Dr. Ideman bought the property that includes the shelter, veterinary clinic, and house when her grandfather was ill and needed to sell it. He wasn’t a veterinarian but loved the idea of having a vet right there for the shelter, and that helped him decide who to sell to. He remained a volunteer there until he died. He’d also gotten Ellie to start volunteering. I’m not sure how it all worked, but apparently he said that the conditions of the sale were that the shelter remain rent-free to the nonprofit corporation that ran it, and that someone in the family had to remain on the board. That’s Ellie now.”

I wondered, under those circumstances, how Ellie had gotten along with Dan Ideman. Was she another potential suspect?

That was the way my mind worked. Until I could rule them out, everyone I learned of who knew the victim was possibly the killer.

Including the person I was trying to help.

Ricki left soon after that conversation, heading to Esther’s.

I stayed in my office for a while, doing as I now always did when I was looking into a murder. I put together a computer file that contained any suspects I knew about. I then ordered them by putting the most likely at the top and least likely at the bottom.

My main problem right now was that I didn’t even have enough information to include many possible suspects, or to determine the order of those I was aware of. Not yet.

I decided what my next step would be, before running off to PetForYou to check to make sure the animals were all okay.

I called Detective Antonio Bautrel.

Chapter 4

I was sitting behind my desk now. Zoey had moved over to be closer to my feet.

Antonio answered his phone nearly immediately. “I was going to call you in a while, Lauren. I knew you’d want whatever lowdown I had on the Ideman homicide—right?”

“You know me too well.” I rolled my eyes. I didn’t like being predictable. But in this instance, it made sense, especially since Antonio was now a good friend and knew a lot about me and how I’d come to stick my nose into more police investigations than I wanted to. A lot more.

“I’d have assumed you’d want to be kept informed even if I didn’t know that a person of interest just happens to be a HotRescues volunteer. And, yes, I’ve met Ricki. A few times. Don’t ask my opinion on whether I believe someone like her could be guilty of murder, since you know I can’t respond.”

His statement, though, suggested to me that he thought she couldn’t. Not that I’d tell him so.

“But the fact that the owner of a pet shelter was the victim—well, I knew you’d be interested.”

“You could say that,” I agreed.

“And you know what I officially need to tell you.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “That you can’t share any information,” I said.

“Right. And—”

“And I should back off and not get involved.”

“Guess I have nothing more to say, then.” I could hear the smile in Antonio’s voice.

I looked down at Zoey, who was standing, wagging her tail at me. “Good,” I said. “Although if you happen to hear anything about the investigation that’s interesting but not classified or whatever . . .”

“I’ll be in touch,” he said and hung up.

• • • 

I had just parked in the lot for the PetForYou veterinary clinic. I wasn’t nearly as concerned about how the animal hospital located on this property would survive without its former owner as I was about how the shelter would function and care for its inhabitants. But I figured a stop in the veterinary clinic might help me learn about anyone else who might have wanted to get rid of Ideman.

I entered through the same door as I had before. The waiting room was occupied by a similar crowd to last time—people sitting on benches around the circumference with their pets either on their laps or on the floor, or hidden in crates beside them.

This time, when I went up to the reception desk, I didn’t ask for Ricki. I knew she wasn’t here, and I’d decided while driving here to act like the concerned shelter administrator that I was. That would give me enough reason to be here.

The young woman in the blue lab jacket was probably the same one who’d greeted me before, although I hadn’t paid much attention to her looks nor the nametag on her pocket. “Please sign in,” she said. This time I observed her more closely. Who knew what relationship she might have had with her former boss? Something that could have resulted in her killing him?

Her tag said her name was DeeDee. She filled out her lab jacket, at least on top, although her matching slacks seemed to hang loose on her. I suspected that her hazel eyes didn’t always look so sad, nor was her face so pale despite the abundance of makeup she wore

“I didn’t bring a pet to be seen today, either,” I said. “I was here the day before yesterday to meet Dr. Ideman. I heard what happened, and I’d first like to offer my condolences to all of you, including whoever has taken over running the veterinary hospital.”

“That would be Dr. Gerald, but he isn’t talking to anyone today other than patients who already had appointments.”

“Not the press? I understand that. But I’m sure he’s talking to the police.” I regarded her quizzically.

She, in turn, seemed to study me. “Are you with the police?”

“No, I’m just making an observation, but there are always exceptions.”

Her gaze suddenly darted over my shoulder, and I figured a pet owner had shown up behind me. Usually, I’d be accommodating and try to get out of the way.

But not now, when I had a goal that wasn’t being met. “Tell you what,” I said. “I’ll come back to meet with Dr. Gerald another time. I’m actually here because, as a shelter manager myself, I want to offer any assistance I can to make sure that the PetForYou shelter animals will all be handled well despite the loss of its chief administrator. If you tell me who’s in charge now, I’ll go back there and meet with him or her.”

DeeDee looked relieved. “Honestly? I’m not sure. But at least one member of the board of directors is there this morning. She stopped by to let us know.”

“Who’s that?” I asked.

“Ellie Hankley. And you can be sure she’ll do a good job following up on Dr. Ideman’s work here.”

“I’ve heard of her,” I said. “Didn’t her grandfather start PetForYou?”

“That’s right. She really loves the animals. Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .” She waved for the person standing behind me to come forward.

Which was fine with me for now.

I wanted to go meet Ellie Hankley.

• • • 

Since I wasn’t with Ricki this time, I was greeted immediately when I walked through the gate to enter the shelter by a woman wearing a white shirt that had a PetForYou logo in the center. I didn’t think she was the person I wanted to talk with, unless I was mistaken about Ellie’s more youthful age. “I’m sorry. We’re closed today,” she said.

“I understand,” I responded. “I’m here partly to offer my condolences, and partly to offer my assistance. I’m Lauren Vancouver, chief administrator of HotRescues, and I’ve come here primarily because I’m concerned about what will happen to the animals in the shelter now that its owner is gone.”

“They’ll be fine.” The woman sounded insulted. “We’ll all be fine. But right now, while all this is going on—” She seemed to wilt suddenly. “It’s hard,” she whispered brokenly.

Maybe my first impression of Dan Ideman had been mistaken, colored by Ricki’s difficulties with him. At least one person appeared to be mourning him.

“I’m sure,” I said, the sympathy in my tone genuine. “And I didn’t mean to imply that you all weren’t already dealing with things the best way you can. Even so—well, since you’re here I assume you’re an animal lover. Surely you can understand why another animal lover who might be able to help out would offer to do so.”

“I guess.”

“Is Ellie Hankley around? I was told she was on the board of directors and was here.”

“Who told you that?” The sadness in her voice had been replaced with suspicion.

I didn’t want to get that veterinary receptionist in trouble, so I just said, “It was on the news.” Since the media reported on, or at least speculated about, everything they considered news- or scandal-worthy these days, how could she dispute that?

She didn’t. “Oh. Well, yes. Follow me, and I’ll take you to her.”

• • • 

Ellie Hankley, sitting behind the small, ornate antique table that apparently served as a desk in the PetForYou office, was like a paradox—a young adult in charge of an old and established situation.

The space was just an ordinary corner room in the shelter’s tiny office building. There was a computer on that table, and chairs that looked a lot more modern than that one striking piece of furniture.

Since this shelter had been in existence a decade or more longer than HotRescues’ seven years, I figured there were paper files somewhere regarding the hundreds of pets that must have been adopted out before computer records.

And so far I was impressed with the clean, apparently well-staffed facility and its inhabitants that seemed cared for at least adequately, even if I hadn’t been favorably impressed with its now-deceased owner.

“I’m so glad to meet you, Lauren,” Ellie said when I introduced myself. “Please, sit down.” She gestured to one of those chairs and I complied.

She had huge blue eyes set in a pretty oval face devoid of makeup. Her blond hair was shoulder-length and straight, with a part down the middle. Her voice was shaky and high in tone. She wore an open white vest over a beige knit shirt that identified her not as a board member but as a PetForYou volunteer.

“I heard that you were here yesterday with Ricki,” she continued. “I already knew that Ricki volunteered at HotRescues, and now that—well, it looks like I’m in charge here, at least temporarily, until our board meets and either confirms I’m it or elects someone else now that Dan is gone . . .”

“You’ll be it,” said a male voice from over my shoulder. I turned and saw a guy also in his early twenties come through the open door. Once he got inside he stopped, looked at me, and lowered his head sheepishly. “Sorry.”

I wasn’t sure what he was sorry about. “Hi,” I said in a tone I hoped sounded friendly. I wanted to be as nice as possible to everyone I met here since I was after information. “I’m Lauren Vancouver.” I stood and offered my hand for a shake.

Ellie joined us at this side of her table. “She’s the head of HotRescues,” she said excitedly. “Lauren, this is my boyfriend, Spencer Quivara.”

“Hi, Spencer.”

“Hi. Ellie, soon as you’re through could I talk to you about the supplies? They’re low.” Spencer wasn’t wearing a PetForYou volunteer shirt but a blue denim workshirt also over jeans. His tousled hair was an even lighter shade than Ellie’s blond, which could have been artificial. His nose protruded from a youthful face that he’d apparently tried to age a bit with some beard stubble, but it was pale enough that it hardly showed.

“Of course they are.” Ellie sounded not like the bright, cheerful person she’d initially given the impression of being, but as if she were someone much older and more cynical.

What was going on?

She looked at me. “I need to go take a look. Would you mind coming with me?”

“Not at all. In fact, I’d love for you to show me around. I saw some of the facility with Dr. Ideman and Ricki during my initial visit, but—well, I admit I’m here out of concern for the animals now that the shelter administrator is gone.”

“Sure,” she said, her serious frown replaced by a smile. “I’d be delighted to give you a tour.”

“It’s a wonderful shelter,” Spencer added. “Did you know it was founded by Ellie’s grandfather Edward?”

“Yes, I’d heard that,” I responded as I followed Ellie out the door. We were followed by Spencer.

At first, Ellie showed me their outdoor kennel area, where a few other people walked around—apparently all volunteers, from their shirts. Despite the shelter being closed today to visitors, the animals still required attention and care.

The shelter was multileveled as it went up and down the hillside. As I’d seen from the glimpse I’d had visiting here with Ricki, the enclosures were full, from the litter of really cute, energetic cockapoos that had just turned eight weeks old and were available for adoption, to an older Great Dane and, in between, a Brittany spaniel mix and a cocker spaniel mix.

Of course I fell for them all and wanted to make sure they were all rehomed as quickly as possible—and not just the ones who’d been here the longest that I’d offered to take to HotRescues since I’d gotten the impression that Dr. Dan Ideman wasn’t averse to putting long-timers down to make room for more.

That thought made me ask Ellie, as we stood outside the Brittany’s enclosure and I reached in to pet him, “Is PetForYou a no-kill shelter?”

“Of course,” she said without hesitation.

“But I had the impression that Dr. Ideman was against joining the NKLA Coalition.”

“Yeah. He was.” Her tone had grown hard again, but she didn’t look at me as she headed along the paved walkway toward the next enclosure.

I saw Spencer catch up with her and take her hand. His gaze back at me wasn’t something I could interpret, but I had the impression he wanted me to change the subject.

I spoke to the dogs we visited soothingly, and also talked to the cats inside the separate building where they were housed. Not as nice as the one at HotRescues, but it was adequate.

Then we reached a metal shed. Ellie glanced first at Spencer before turning her wilted smile on me. “This is where we keep most of our supplies.” She opened the door.

The shed was nearly empty, holding only about a dozen bags of food and several stacks of cans in one corner.

“Looks like you do need more,” I observed, again catching Spencer’s gaze. He looked troubled.

Ellie looked mortified. “I . . . Well, we’ve had a lot of donors but some of the money . . . I mean . . .”

“She means that Dr. Ideman felt comfortable using donations for things other than feeding the animals, since he provided all the needed veterinary care.” Spencer’s tone was matter-of-fact, but his gaze was sympathetic as he leveled it on Ellie.

“Spencer’s helped the board look at the finances,” Ellie said almost proudly. “He’s a CPA and works for—”

“A major firm, but that doesn’t matter,” he said. “What does matter is that you guys get those donors together and bring some more contributions in.” He smiled encouragingly.

“But I don’t know if they—” She glanced toward me, then away, as if she once more was embarrassed for this place her grandfather had founded, and which was now apparently foundering.

And I wondered, no matter how young she was, or how sweet she looked, if that had been sufficient motivation for her to kill the most recent shelter owner, Dr. Ideman.