A swift look flashed between Randall and Bart, but Micheline heaved a sorrowful sigh. “Ah, Harley. Such a sweet, gentle soul, who was trying hard to be his best self. And he was devoted to me.” She placed a hand over her heart. “Which is why it hurt so much when he used our AAG server to send that awful email to the board members of Colton Oil.”
Leigh sent Spencer a reproachful look. “It wasn’t your fault, Micheline. You didn’t know what Harley was doing. None of us did.”
The three other AAG members moved closer to Micheline, as if forming a barrier between her and the outside world. Spencer knew when to call it quits. He wasn’t going to get any more information from them, about either Eliza or Harley. Did that mean his suspicions had gone away?
He looked around the large, comfortable room, taking in the smiling faces and the homey atmosphere. No, he had more concerns than ever about the AAG. But with nothing concrete, and no evidence, all he could do was watch and wait.
He left the ranch house and headed toward his vehicle with the faithful Boris at his heels. Turning back, he caught a glimpse of Randall and Bart watching him from just inside the front door.
“Making sure we leave?” Spencer commented as he opened the rear of the car and Boris jumped in. “You know what this means?” The dog thumped his tail and rolled his eyes. “That’s right. Now we have to go break it to Katrina that we didn’t get anywhere.”
While the thought of seeing her again was exciting, he wished it could be in different circumstances. His job meant he would have to be objective and explain that he had no reason to believe that there was any link between Eliza’s disappearance and the AAG. In reality, he couldn’t dismiss the feeling of discomfort that lingered as he drove away.
Chapter 3
Katrina knew about dogs. And her question, when one of her clients asked about getting a second pooch, was always the same. What would your dog think of that idea?
Like her customers, Katrina was a dog person. And dog people loved their fur babies. Sloppy kisses, wagging tails, furry snuggles and unconditional love were all very hard to resist. And if it was great to have one dog, why not double the magic?
Suppose your partner said, “I love you so much I’m thinking of getting another one just like you”? Usually, when she put it that way, her clients were able to see the situation from a canine viewpoint.
Now, after leaving the police station, she was taking Dobby home and expecting her own Holly to happily accept that she was no longer a single dog.
“You remember Holly, right?” She addressed the remark to Dobby, who was attached to a special harness on the rear seat of her car. “Long black ears? Cute face? Likes tummy rubs and chewing shoelaces? Hates motorbikes and mirrors?”
The two dogs had met once when Dobby had come to a grooming session at Look Who’s Walking. Although they’d gotten on reasonably well, Holly had only been a pup and they’d met on neutral territory. This time, things would be different...
Luckily, her years of experience had taught her exactly what she needed to do in this situation. Having called ahead, she’d arranged for Suzie, who had a key to her house, to collect Holly and take her out to the yard. When she pulled into the drive, her assistant was already waiting on the front step. As soon as Katrina lifted Dobby from the car, the excited dog recognized an old friend and strained to reach Suzie.
“Hey, fella.” Suzie slipped a treat from her pocket and Dobby scarfed it up like his life depended on it. “Holly’s in the yard.”
“Here’s the plan,” Katrina said. “We introduce them out there, let them play together for a while, then we take them into the house.”
“Okay.” Suzie sent her a sidelong glance. “How long will Dobby be staying with you?”
“I don’t know.” Having spent an emotional hour sharing her suspicions about Eliza’s fate with Spencer Colton, Katrina wasn’t ready to tell the whole story all over again. Not yet. “It may be some time.”
“Then we need to do this right.”
“We do.” There was a path at the side of the house that led to the yard, and Katrina walked ahead. Before they reached the gate, she paused and glanced briefly over her shoulder. “And thanks.”
“Anytime.” Suzie briefly placed a hand on her shoulder.
At the sound of Katrina’s voice, Holly let out a volley of barks and started hurling herself at the gate. Dobby, startled at such unseemly behavior, gave a yelp and tried to run away.
“Good start.” Katrina rolled her eyes.
Giving Holly the “sit” command, she opened the gate. Her dog was an excitable, but well trained, youngster. Holly squatted, quivering all over, waiting for the moment until she was given permission to move.
Once Katrina, Suzie and Dobby were inside the training yard and the gate was secured behind them, Katrina told Holly to “come.”
The dog, a nine-month-old bundle of black curls, scurried forward, wriggling with pleasure. Before
she reached her mistress, she spotted Dobby, and did the canine equivalent of a double take. The two animals stared at each other as though unsure what to do next.
Taking advantage of their confusion, Katrina reached into a storage tub and withdrew a couple of balls. She threw them across the lawn and both dogs sped off. After they had played a few chasing games, she offered them a piece of knotted rope and was pleased with the way they responded. Grabbing an end each, the two canines tugged away, tails wagging happily. Although they made growling noises, there were no signs of aggression.
“Pack rules state that Dobby should be dominant, even though he’s a neutered male,” she said. “But this is Holly’s house, so she shouldn’t be expected to relinquish her place. And they both need to know that I’m the boss.”