Read Online Murder Most Howl: A Paws & Claws Mystery by Krista Davis - Free Book Online
Authors: Krista Davis
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ice crystals on it had to mean he wasn’t a real person. No one could sit there covered in ice and snow like that. He’d freeze to death.
Wait a minute. What a coincidence that he was sitting where tourists would find him. Had Val counted on someone making a fuss and thinking the guy was real?
The face seemed odd, almost like a mask, yet vaguely familiar. I had to call Val to find out for sure. If he was a fake, I would be the butt of a joke that no one would ever let me forget. But I hadn’t bothered to bring my cell phone.
This time, Trixie allowed me to pick her up. Gingersnap and I walked back to the inn. No one sat at the front desk, and the melted snow hadn’t been cleaned. I wondered where Casey was. Maybe he was getting a snack in Oma’s kitchen.
I set Trixie down and used the phone on the desk to call Val. She answered with a sleep-fogged voice. While I felt a little bit bad about waking her, she deserved it if she had left that fake body out there without telling me.
“Val, did you arrange for a second body to be found with the poison bottle?”
“Huh? Who is this?”
“It’s Holly. Is the guy on the bench one of your props?”
“What are you talking about?”
A shiver ran through me. “Are you kidding?”
I heard her moan. “I don’t joke at five thirty in the morning.”
Was it that late? Guests would be rising soon! “I’m going to call Dave. He won’t be happy if you’re lying about this.”
Her words were measured. “Holly, I do not know what you’re talking about. Where is this guy?”
“On a bench near Tall Tails.”
I said good-bye and phoned Dave Quinlan. Officer Dave, as he was fondly known around Wagtail. He sounded almost as groggy as Val. But his voice cleared up as soon as I told him I thought we had a problem and described the man on the bench. “You’re sure he’s dead?”
“I’m not even sure he’s real, but Val insists that he’s not part of the mystery weekend.”
Soft giggling caused me to turn around. Myrtle and Weegie were watching something in the Dogwood Room. Oh boy. Guests were up and about but I didn’t smell coffee yet. “Dave,” I said into the phone, “meet me in front of Tall Tails in ten minutes.”
“Okay.” He hung up.
Trixie and Gingersnap had joined the group in the Dogwood Room. I walked over to see what was going on, dismayed to find that Puddin’, Weegie’s poodle, was licking Casey’s hand. He was splayed on the sofa, dead asleep, not unlike the first time I had met him. One arm hung off the edge, and his stockinged feet relaxed on the armrest.
Trixie joined Puddin’ in licking his hand, and Gingersnap kissed his face.
Suddenly, Casey shouted, “Seventeen seventy-five!” and jerked up to a sitting position. He blinked at us. “Did I fall asleep? Nooo,” he wailed. “I have an exam this morning.”
The front door opened. Shelley and the cook came in with a blast of frigid air.
Casey pushed his glasses on his face, grabbed the books that lay about him, and hurried to the front desk.
“Isn’t he adorable?” whispered Weegie to Myrtle. “Reminds me of that boy who played Harry Potter. We could help him study.”
“And let someone else be the first to find the clues? No, ma’am. We got up early to win, not to tutor some kid who—”she raised her voice so he would hear “—should have been studying all along and then he wouldn’t be in this fix.”
“All right,” conceded Weegie. “I do have to let Puddin’ out anyway.”
But I noticed that when Myrtle wasn’t looking, Weegie whispered something to Casey about helping him when they came back for breakfast.
The scent of coffee brewing finally filled the air, making me reluctant to head back out into the predawn darkness and cold. But Dave would be there any minute.
I headed for the stairs in a rush but Shelley nabbed me. “Holly!” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I have a little problem and could use your help.”
Uh-oh. This day wasn’t
Wait a minute. What a coincidence that he was sitting where tourists would find him. Had Val counted on someone making a fuss and thinking the guy was real?
The face seemed odd, almost like a mask, yet vaguely familiar. I had to call Val to find out for sure. If he was a fake, I would be the butt of a joke that no one would ever let me forget. But I hadn’t bothered to bring my cell phone.
This time, Trixie allowed me to pick her up. Gingersnap and I walked back to the inn. No one sat at the front desk, and the melted snow hadn’t been cleaned. I wondered where Casey was. Maybe he was getting a snack in Oma’s kitchen.
I set Trixie down and used the phone on the desk to call Val. She answered with a sleep-fogged voice. While I felt a little bit bad about waking her, she deserved it if she had left that fake body out there without telling me.
“Val, did you arrange for a second body to be found with the poison bottle?”
“Huh? Who is this?”
“It’s Holly. Is the guy on the bench one of your props?”
“What are you talking about?”
A shiver ran through me. “Are you kidding?”
I heard her moan. “I don’t joke at five thirty in the morning.”
Was it that late? Guests would be rising soon! “I’m going to call Dave. He won’t be happy if you’re lying about this.”
Her words were measured. “Holly, I do not know what you’re talking about. Where is this guy?”
“On a bench near Tall Tails.”
I said good-bye and phoned Dave Quinlan. Officer Dave, as he was fondly known around Wagtail. He sounded almost as groggy as Val. But his voice cleared up as soon as I told him I thought we had a problem and described the man on the bench. “You’re sure he’s dead?”
“I’m not even sure he’s real, but Val insists that he’s not part of the mystery weekend.”
Soft giggling caused me to turn around. Myrtle and Weegie were watching something in the Dogwood Room. Oh boy. Guests were up and about but I didn’t smell coffee yet. “Dave,” I said into the phone, “meet me in front of Tall Tails in ten minutes.”
“Okay.” He hung up.
Trixie and Gingersnap had joined the group in the Dogwood Room. I walked over to see what was going on, dismayed to find that Puddin’, Weegie’s poodle, was licking Casey’s hand. He was splayed on the sofa, dead asleep, not unlike the first time I had met him. One arm hung off the edge, and his stockinged feet relaxed on the armrest.
Trixie joined Puddin’ in licking his hand, and Gingersnap kissed his face.
Suddenly, Casey shouted, “Seventeen seventy-five!” and jerked up to a sitting position. He blinked at us. “Did I fall asleep? Nooo,” he wailed. “I have an exam this morning.”
The front door opened. Shelley and the cook came in with a blast of frigid air.
Casey pushed his glasses on his face, grabbed the books that lay about him, and hurried to the front desk.
“Isn’t he adorable?” whispered Weegie to Myrtle. “Reminds me of that boy who played Harry Potter. We could help him study.”
“And let someone else be the first to find the clues? No, ma’am. We got up early to win, not to tutor some kid who—”she raised her voice so he would hear “—should have been studying all along and then he wouldn’t be in this fix.”
“All right,” conceded Weegie. “I do have to let Puddin’ out anyway.”
But I noticed that when Myrtle wasn’t looking, Weegie whispered something to Casey about helping him when they came back for breakfast.
The scent of coffee brewing finally filled the air, making me reluctant to head back out into the predawn darkness and cold. But Dave would be there any minute.
I headed for the stairs in a rush but Shelley nabbed me. “Holly!” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I have a little problem and could use your help.”
Uh-oh. This day wasn’t
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