The Fashion Hound Murders (19 page)

“Striped. Like your Harry, only orange. Her name is Marmalade. Her owner couldn’t afford to pay for her treatment and wanted the cat put down, but I couldn’t do it. I liked the cat better than the owner. I offered to forgive the debt, but he wouldn’t take her home. Said she ate too much.”

“That’s so nice of you,” Josie said.

“A lot of vets do that,” he said. “Besides, Marmalade earns her keep. She’s a blood donor. She’s saved two cats hit by cars.”

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Josie said.

“My black Lab, Festus, is another donor. He doesn’t mind needle sticks, and he gets extra treats for each donation. Festus loves food. My partner, Chris, says I’m making him lazy. That’s pretty hard to do. Some Labs are bone lazy and Festus is one of them.”

“Your partner, Chris?” Josie was suddenly alert. Was her hunk gay?

“My business partner,” he said. “Christine. She’s married and has three children, a cockatoo, and a standard poodle.”

Josie heard a barking sound. Ted grabbed for the phone in his pocket.

“Sorry,” he said to Josie. “That’s my cell ring tone. Chris’s son programmed it. I have to take this call. I handle mobile emergencies till midnight.”

Ted went into the room. Josie could hear him say, “Uh-huh. Uh-huh. What does it look like? Okay, keep Snowball out of the garage. And you stay inside, too. Don’t go out and don’t turn over that bucket. I’ll be there as soon as I can. It could be poisonous. I won’t be sure until I see it. I’ll have to check if there are any more. I’ll be there as soon as I can. No, you don’t have to pay me. Consider it an extension of today’s visit.”

“Sorry, I have to leave,” he said. “Traci found a snake in her garage and trapped it under a bucket. It might be poisonous.”

“Are you going to kill it?” Josie asked.

“No,” he said. “I’ll remove it for her. I don’t want her—or the snake—getting hurt. Thanks for the brownie. Could I fix dinner next time? I’ll call you.”

Chapter 22

“I’ll call you.”

Those were the three little words Josie wanted to hear from Ted. The only thing that sounded better was his statement, “I’d like to fix you dinner.”

A man who cooked. Who was kind to animals. A dude who was “sizzlin’,” in Amelia’s words. What more could a woman want? All because the cat needed to be unplugged. Thank you, Harry, Josie thought. You’ve rescued my love life.

Josie was sure she’d never be interested in a man again after she’d refused to marry Mike. Her fling with Stan the Man Next Door was more to please her mother. Stan looked as though he’d stepped off the cover of a romance novel, but he didn’t make her heart beat faster. She’d spent more exciting nights with a phone book. She’d been briefly interested in Jerry, but that was another romantic dead end.

But Ted was definitely interesting.

Josie wondered whether Ted really would call her again—and if so, how soon.

Let’s be realistic, she told herself. You, Josie Marcus, are not much of a bargain in the marriage market. You’re a thirty-one-year-old single mom. You have no money, a lot of debt, and a ten-year-old daughter with a smart mouth. You cannot compete with an unattached twentysomething. You are not exactly Angelina Jolie. Men’s jaws don’t drop when you enter a room. In fact, your career is shopping at malls without being noticed. And you are very good at that.

So why should Ted look at you twice? Even the brownies you gave him were made by your daughter.

But he did, and he wants to see me again, she thought. Josie wandered happily around her flat like a dazed teen after her first kiss. What would it be like to date a man like Dr. Ted? She’d watched the way he’d handled Harry. Was he as masterful with women as he was with constipated cats?

Cats! Amelia! I promised my daughter I’d call her after the vet left. She was still upstairs with Jane.

Josie dialed her mother’s phone. “How are you feeling, Mom?” she asked.

“Better,” Jane said. “My arm hurts, but the doctor says it’s healing nicely. There’s no sign of infection. I felt well enough to give Amelia a cooking lesson. We’re making pot roast with carrots and potatoes.”

“A perfect winter meal,” Josie said.

“I hope so,” Jane said. “The weather has been so unseasonably warm lately.”

“Mom, I’d eat your pot roast in August.”

“Only because you can’t cook anything else,” Jane said. “Is that man finally gone?”

“Dr. Ted left, if that’s who you’re talking about,” Josie said. “I promised to call Amelia when he did. You can send the kid back down, if you want.”

“As soon as dinner is ready. She’ll bring you pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. Are you dating that man?” Jane sounded vaguely angry.

“Not yet,” Josie said. “Besides, his name is Ted and he’s a doctor.”

“An
animal
doctor,” Jane said. “You don’t know what he’s been with.”

“You make it sound like Ted has fleas,” Josie said. “Do you know what he gets for a house call for a cat?”

“It would only upset me to know how much you’ve spent on that creature. Amelia told me that cat needed an enema. She said you paid good money for it. You could have given it one at home for free.”

“Cats don’t drink prune juice, Mom,” Josie said.

“I meant the old-fashioned way, with an enema bag and soapy water.”

“Trust me, Mom, there’s no way I could get near Harry with that. It would take four strong men to hold him down.”

“I don’t know why you insisted on bringing that wild animal into your home in the first place.”

Josie didn’t usually get angry at her mother. Jane was her free, always-on-call babysitter. Jane picked up Amelia at school whenever Josie needed her. But now something exploded, and Josie lashed out at Jane.

“Because your granddaughter loves that cat. Because she cried herself to sleep for months after her father’s funeral. Now she falls asleep with her arm around Harry and wakes up smiling. She talks about all the cute things Harry does. They chase each other around the flat. He’s the first creature she’s cared about since Nate died. If you love her, you should try to understand that.” Josie realized she was yelling at her mother. She didn’t bother to apologize.

To Josie’s surprise, Jane sounded contrite. “I’m sorry, Josie. You’re right. Amelia has been a little cheerier since she got that cat. I don’t like cats, but this isn’t about me.”

Josie thought there must be something wrong with her phone. Jane was actually apologizing. I should have spoken up sooner, Josie thought. I’ve allowed myself to be a door-mat for too long. I know Mom was angry when I came home pregnant with Amelia, but I’m not doing penance for the rest of my life. Amelia is the best thing that ever happened to me.

“Thanks for understanding, Mom,” Josie said. “Send Amelia down with dinner when she’s ready. If you need me to help carry the food, give me a ring.”

Josie hung up while she was still ahead. And just in time. Her cell rang. This time, Josie recognized the little-girl voice.

“Snowball saved my life,” Traci announced dramatically.

Josie couldn’t imagine the tiny bichon saving anyone, but she listened to Traci’s story.

“After Dr. Ted left, I dressed Snowball in another cute outfit. This one had red polka dots. I went to get her stroller to take her for a walk. I keep it in the garage.

“When I got outside, my little doggie was acting weird. I mean, weird in a different way. She was barking like crazy at the wood we keep stacked in the garage. Alyce said we should keep our firewood outside, but it’s too cold to run out there when we want to throw on another log.

“Anyway, Snowball was yapping her head off—even more than usual. I kept telling her to be quiet, but she wouldn’t shut up. She stood her ground on the garage floor and barked and barked. I went over to pick her up. That’s when I saw a snake’s head sticking out behind two split logs. I nearly screamed. We have snakes in South Florida, and I killed one with a shovel once when I lived with Mom in Arizona. But I didn’t know anything about Missouri snakes.”

Traci paused to take a breath.

“I picked up my little dog and threw her in the house. I was afraid she’d attack that snake. She’s very brave, you know. I was going to kill the snake, but I thought I’d better call Dr. Ted.”

Josie felt a flash of proprietary jealousy. “I thought you were married,” she said.

“I am. But this didn’t look like a Florida snake. I was afraid there was a nest of them in that wood pile. What if they thawed out when they got warm and came out of hibernation or something and were all over my garage? I thought I’d better consult Dr. Ted.”

“It doesn’t hurt that he’s cute,” Josie added. The words just slithered out.

“Sure doesn’t,” Traci said cheerfully. “He didn’t want me killing the snake. I’d trapped it under a bucket and put a cement block on top. I could hear the snake thrashing around. It was horrible. I ran inside and bolted the door.”

“You did?” Josie asked.

“I know, it was stupid. Like the snake could slide under the door. But it was a shock. I wasn’t expecting to see a snake in my own garage. We live in a nice neighborhood.”

“They have snakes, too,” Josie said.

“Well, yes. And rats. Dr. Ted said he was at your house taking care of your cat. Is your cat okay?”

“Harry is fine,” Josie said. “It was Dr. Ted I was worried about. He didn’t look good. He asked me for an aspirin.”

“He drank nearly a bottle of my Pepto-Bismol,” Traci said. “He wasn’t feeling well, but he helped anyway. Dr. Ted came straight over, just like he promised. He drank some Pepto, then caught the snake with a noose thingy that looked like it would strangle the snake but didn’t. Then he put the snake in a special box with airholes. He said the snake was poisonous.”

“A copperhead?” Josie asked.

“I’m not sure. I don’t know snakes—except the two-legged ones. We had a bunch on our condo board. Dr. Ted drank more Pepto, then took the snake away. I can’t tell you how happy I was when he pulled out of our driveway. That snake gave me the creeps.

“Just think. If my little dog hadn’t started barking, that deadly snake could have bitten me. I could have died without my Snowball.”

Josie heard the tears in Traci’s voice. Was the redhead weeping for her dog, for her imagined near death, or simply reveling in the drama?

“You have a hero dog,” Josie said. “It’s only fair that Snowball saved you. You rescued her from a terrible life.”

“Now we’re even,” Traci said. “Except I’m going to see that nothing bad ever happens to Snowball again. I’ll do everything I can to stop people like that awful Deerford man.”

“I think the law will take care of him,” Josie said.

“That’s what Dr. Ted said. I wish I believed him.”

“Mom!” Amelia called. “I’m at the back door with two plates. Open up.”

“Gotta go,” Josie said. “My dinner has arrived.”

“Aren’t you lucky?” Traci said.

“Yes, I am,” Josie said. She helped Amelia set the food on the table. The pot roast was fork-tender. Josie praised her daughter extravagantly.

“I don’t like vegetables,” Amelia said. “And you don’t, either. So why do we like these roasted carrots?”

“Because they don’t taste like vegetables,” Josie said. “They’ve been braised in meat juice.”

Mother and daughter ate the last of the brownies. While Amelia checked on Harry, Josie cleared away the dishes. She figured it was only fair, since Amelia had cooked supper.

She was tired when she hung the dish towel on the rack and mildly disappointed. It was almost nine o’clock. Josie figured Dr. Ted wasn’t going to call tonight. She’d hoped he’d call, but she knew he was busy. She went down the hall to look in on Amelia and Harry.

Her daughter was in bed asleep with Harry in her arms. The cat opened one green eye, then closed it.

Josie smiled. All was well in her small corner of the world.

Chapter 23

“Mom, look. Harry is having breakfast with me,” Amelia said.

The striped cat was balanced on the edge of the kitchen table, his long tail draped over the side. He watched with intense interest as Amelia carefully spread grape jelly on her last bit of toast.

“Amelia, get that cat off the table,” Josie said.

“I thought you’d be happy he wasn’t scared anymore,” Amelia said.

The fearless Harry delicately dipped one paw into Amelia’s glass, then licked the milk off the pads on his foot.

“Isn’t he cute?” Amelia said.

“Adorable,” Josie said. “He’s had that foot digging around in his litter box and now he’s sticking it in your milk. Maybe I should just pour your milk in the toilet and you can both drink it.”

“Mom, that’s gross,” Amelia whined.

“Not as gross as having a dirty cat foot in your food. By the way, young lady, Harry’s litter box is overflowing after his adventures yesterday. You still have time to clean it before you go to school.”

“Fine. I’m not hungry anyway,” Amelia said. She slammed her milk glass in the sink, picked up Harry, and slung him over her shoulder. “Come on, Harry. Let’s go clean your litter box.” She stomped out of the kitchen. Harry stared accusingly at Josie as he rode Amelia’s shoulder to their shared bathroom.

So much for a sunny winter morning, Josie thought. It’s about to turn cloudy and cold. She drove her sulky daughter to school, then spent the day doing dull but necessary chores. She wanted Ted to call her. She jumped every time the phone rang. She stared at it, hoping she could make it ring. But he didn’t call that day or the next. Their encounter had seemed so promising. The weekend dragged along without a word from the brown-eyed vet. Harry stayed healthy, so she didn’t even have an excuse to call Ted.

But she watched her neighbor Stan and his new love, Abby. The little blonde he’d dumped Josie for drove a powder blue VW. It spent the whole weekend in Stan’s drive. Abby was round, shy, and pretty. Stan had said he’d met her in the supermarket checkout line. By the look of her, there must have been a sale on bakery goods. Josie was so embarrassed by that snide thought, she didn’t look at Stan’s house all Sunday afternoon. She was afraid she was turning into Mrs. Mueller.

By Monday morning, Josie had given up hope of ever seeing Ted again. She sighed, poured herself a second cup of coffee, and turned on the TV news in her bedroom. She nearly dropped her cup when she saw the story on the screen. There was Dr. Ted on television, standing next to his St. Louis Mobo-Pet van. He looked ruggedly handsome in a dark blue flannel shirt.