Read Online Murder Most Howl: A Paws & Claws Mystery by Krista Davis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Krista Davis
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starting well. “Is it an urgent crisis or can it wait an hour?”
“It can wait. What’s going on?”
“There’s either a dead man or a prop on a bench outside but I’m not sure which it is.”
“Good heavens!” Shelley waved her hands horizontally. “No problem. This can definitely wait. Did you call Val?”
I nodded. “She says it’s not a prop.” I sprang up the stairs to my apartment as fast as I could, swapped my nightgown for a turtleneck, opened the dog door so Twinkletoes could come and go as she pleased, grabbed a warm coat for Trixie, and hurried back downstairs. Trixie was agreeable about putting the coat on and dashed out the door with Puddin’ at the first opportunity. Gingersnap parked herself just inside the door, her eyes trained on the stairs as if she expected more guests to wake soon and didn’t want to miss them.
The blizzard had died down but snow fell so heavily that it still obscured vision. I stepped out on the porch, where Myrtle and Weegie had paused to pull on gloves.
“My goodness, Myrtle,” said Weegie. “Maybe we should have a cup of coffee first. I can’t see my own hand.”
“If we wait, someone else will snap up all the clues.”
“I doubt anyone else is crazy enough to be out in thisweather.” Weegie looked over at me. “What are you doing out here?”
I paused a beat too long. What could I say? There might be a man frozen to a bench? “I have to meet someone.” That was true!
But my moment of hesitation caught Myrtle’s interest. She knocked her elbow against Weegie’s, then pulled her hat down on her head more firmly. “She’s putting out clues!”
I had to hurry but I took the time to deny it. “They were all out yesterday.” I said good-bye, suspecting they would follow me anyway. They did. Puddin’ ran ahead with Trixie, who raced along the sidewalk in the direction of the bench.
I was pleased to see that the streetlight shed more light on the man now that the wind had died down.
Dave was already there and leaning over to examine the man more closely. Formerly a naval sailor, Dave lived in Wagtail and kept an eye on it, even though the sheriff’s headquarters were on Snowball Mountain. Early to mid-thirties like Val and me, Dave had grown up in Wagtail. Sometimes he had a hard time convincing the older folks who had known him as a little boy that he was an adult now and in charge.
He straightened up and asked, “You’re sure this isn’t some kind of stunt for Murder Most Howl?”
Myrtle lunged forward. “Of course it is! There’s the poison bottle that disappeared last night.” She grabbed the bottle and waved it in the air, doing a little dance. “I told you the early bird gets the worm. Or in this case the poison!”
Dave looked on in horror. “Ma’am, I’m afraid I have to take that. It’s evidence.” He held out his gloved hand for it.
Myrtle clutched it to her and looked at me. “Isn’t this one of the weapons?”
I was pretty sure that it was the same bottle Val had used the previous night. I glanced at Dave. “I think it is one of the pretend weapons for the game.”
Dave frowned. “So this guy could be a fake after all? May I please see the bottle?”
Myrtle stood her ground. “No! We found it fair and square.”
“Ma’am, I am the local law enforcement officer. Now hand me that bottle.”
Weegie nudged her friend. “Better do it, Myrtle.”
The second Dave took it into his hand, he threw a dirty glance at me. “You knew this was a prop, and you called me out here anyway?”
“Just because the bottle is fake doesn’t mean the man couldn’t be real,” I protested.
Val arrived at that moment and overheard me.
I looked at her, hoping with all my might that the guy really was a prop. She might pull my leg, but she’d have to be honest with Dave.
A screech shuddered out of her mouth. “Good heavens. He’s not part of the game!”
Behind me, Weegie exclaimed, “You mean that’s a real person?
“It can wait. What’s going on?”
“There’s either a dead man or a prop on a bench outside but I’m not sure which it is.”
“Good heavens!” Shelley waved her hands horizontally. “No problem. This can definitely wait. Did you call Val?”
I nodded. “She says it’s not a prop.” I sprang up the stairs to my apartment as fast as I could, swapped my nightgown for a turtleneck, opened the dog door so Twinkletoes could come and go as she pleased, grabbed a warm coat for Trixie, and hurried back downstairs. Trixie was agreeable about putting the coat on and dashed out the door with Puddin’ at the first opportunity. Gingersnap parked herself just inside the door, her eyes trained on the stairs as if she expected more guests to wake soon and didn’t want to miss them.
The blizzard had died down but snow fell so heavily that it still obscured vision. I stepped out on the porch, where Myrtle and Weegie had paused to pull on gloves.
“My goodness, Myrtle,” said Weegie. “Maybe we should have a cup of coffee first. I can’t see my own hand.”
“If we wait, someone else will snap up all the clues.”
“I doubt anyone else is crazy enough to be out in thisweather.” Weegie looked over at me. “What are you doing out here?”
I paused a beat too long. What could I say? There might be a man frozen to a bench? “I have to meet someone.” That was true!
But my moment of hesitation caught Myrtle’s interest. She knocked her elbow against Weegie’s, then pulled her hat down on her head more firmly. “She’s putting out clues!”
I had to hurry but I took the time to deny it. “They were all out yesterday.” I said good-bye, suspecting they would follow me anyway. They did. Puddin’ ran ahead with Trixie, who raced along the sidewalk in the direction of the bench.
I was pleased to see that the streetlight shed more light on the man now that the wind had died down.
Dave was already there and leaning over to examine the man more closely. Formerly a naval sailor, Dave lived in Wagtail and kept an eye on it, even though the sheriff’s headquarters were on Snowball Mountain. Early to mid-thirties like Val and me, Dave had grown up in Wagtail. Sometimes he had a hard time convincing the older folks who had known him as a little boy that he was an adult now and in charge.
He straightened up and asked, “You’re sure this isn’t some kind of stunt for Murder Most Howl?”
Myrtle lunged forward. “Of course it is! There’s the poison bottle that disappeared last night.” She grabbed the bottle and waved it in the air, doing a little dance. “I told you the early bird gets the worm. Or in this case the poison!”
Dave looked on in horror. “Ma’am, I’m afraid I have to take that. It’s evidence.” He held out his gloved hand for it.
Myrtle clutched it to her and looked at me. “Isn’t this one of the weapons?”
I was pretty sure that it was the same bottle Val had used the previous night. I glanced at Dave. “I think it is one of the pretend weapons for the game.”
Dave frowned. “So this guy could be a fake after all? May I please see the bottle?”
Myrtle stood her ground. “No! We found it fair and square.”
“Ma’am, I am the local law enforcement officer. Now hand me that bottle.”
Weegie nudged her friend. “Better do it, Myrtle.”
The second Dave took it into his hand, he threw a dirty glance at me. “You knew this was a prop, and you called me out here anyway?”
“Just because the bottle is fake doesn’t mean the man couldn’t be real,” I protested.
Val arrived at that moment and overheard me.
I looked at her, hoping with all my might that the guy really was a prop. She might pull my leg, but she’d have to be honest with Dave.
A screech shuddered out of her mouth. “Good heavens. He’s not part of the game!”
Behind me, Weegie exclaimed, “You mean that’s a real person?
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