Of course, Vic always maintained he was an honest Montreal businessman who owned funeral homes. He knew nothing about organized crime and protested that he had never been convicted of anything, not even a parking ticket—and that was true enough.”
“Did you ever hear anything about a dog?” Tree said.
“A dog?”
“Did Vic have a dog?”
“If he did,” Devereaux said. “I never heard about it. What’s a dog got to do with anything?”
________
When Freddie appeared in the kitchen, Clinton marched right over to her and demanded a good ear-rub, which she was glad to provide. Tree poured kibble into Clinton’s bowl and told Freddie about his early-morning encounter with Rex. “What did he say?”
“He said he was going to marry my wife.”
“Not me, I hope.”
“No, I was worried about the same thing. But it’s an earlier wife.”
“Kelly.”
“That’s the one.” Tree put Clinton’s bowl on the floor. The dog abandoned his ear-rub and went over for an exploratory snort of his kibble.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I don’t know,” Tree said, truthfully. “I have no idea anymore what’s a good idea and what isn’t. Rex says he’s lonely, and he doesn’t want to be lonely any longer. Having been lonely in my life, I know how he feels. It’s no fun. If Kelly gives him what he needs, I’m happy for him.”
“And supposing Kelly doesn’t feel the same way about Rex.”
“There’s not a whole lot I can do about it one way or the other—except support my old friend, and that’s what I intend to do.”
His cellphone rang. The LCD screen showed it was Edith Goldman.
“I’ve been trying to get hold of you,” Tree said into the phone.
“Where’s the dog?” Edith demanded.
Tree tried not to look at Clinton or Freddie when he said, “I told you before, Edith. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, Tree, I’m under a lot of pressure here. I have to find that dog. Vic was supposed to hand over a dog. That was the whole point of your meeting.”
“The whole point you never bothered to tell me about.”
“I’m offering a ten-thousand-dollar reward for the recovery of that dog.”
“You’re kidding. What’s so important about him?”
“Just do this for me, will you, Tree? You’re a private detective, find the dog. I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars, no questions asked. Just find that dog.”
The line went dead.
Freddie gave him the look , never a good thing. “Why do I suspect we’re in more trouble,” she said.
“You’re not in trouble,” Tree said. “If anyone’s in trouble, it’s me.”
“No,” Freddie said vehemently. “That’s what you don’t seem to understand. You don’t get into trouble. We get into trouble.”
“All I can say right now is that Edith is acting very strange, and I’m not certain why.”
“Because her client is dead, and the private detective she hired is lying to her about a certain dog.”
“For now, I’m hanging onto Clinton.” Tree said.
“He’s not your dog.”
“His owner is dead, and so for the time being the two of us are all Clinton has. If someone killed Vic Trinchera maybe they want to kill his dog, too. And I’m not going to allow that to happen.”
“There is always the traditional way of dealing with this sort of situation,” Freddie said.
“That would be the police,” Tree said.
“It wouldn’t be the first time someone has gone to them,” Freddie said. “It has been done before.”
“And what do you suppose I would tell them?”
“You would tell them that a Canadian gangster gave you a dog just before he was murdered. Now there are a number of people after said dog.”
“Don’t forget I’ve already talked to the police.”
“Talking to the Canadian police doesn’t count,” Freddie said.
“She says it does.”
“Not only did you lie to this Canadian so-called policewoman, but I highly doubt she has any jurisdiction here, and therefore is very
“Did you ever hear anything about a dog?” Tree said.
“A dog?”
“Did Vic have a dog?”
“If he did,” Devereaux said. “I never heard about it. What’s a dog got to do with anything?”
________
When Freddie appeared in the kitchen, Clinton marched right over to her and demanded a good ear-rub, which she was glad to provide. Tree poured kibble into Clinton’s bowl and told Freddie about his early-morning encounter with Rex. “What did he say?”
“He said he was going to marry my wife.”
“Not me, I hope.”
“No, I was worried about the same thing. But it’s an earlier wife.”
“Kelly.”
“That’s the one.” Tree put Clinton’s bowl on the floor. The dog abandoned his ear-rub and went over for an exploratory snort of his kibble.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I don’t know,” Tree said, truthfully. “I have no idea anymore what’s a good idea and what isn’t. Rex says he’s lonely, and he doesn’t want to be lonely any longer. Having been lonely in my life, I know how he feels. It’s no fun. If Kelly gives him what he needs, I’m happy for him.”
“And supposing Kelly doesn’t feel the same way about Rex.”
“There’s not a whole lot I can do about it one way or the other—except support my old friend, and that’s what I intend to do.”
His cellphone rang. The LCD screen showed it was Edith Goldman.
“I’ve been trying to get hold of you,” Tree said into the phone.
“Where’s the dog?” Edith demanded.
Tree tried not to look at Clinton or Freddie when he said, “I told you before, Edith. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, Tree, I’m under a lot of pressure here. I have to find that dog. Vic was supposed to hand over a dog. That was the whole point of your meeting.”
“The whole point you never bothered to tell me about.”
“I’m offering a ten-thousand-dollar reward for the recovery of that dog.”
“You’re kidding. What’s so important about him?”
“Just do this for me, will you, Tree? You’re a private detective, find the dog. I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars, no questions asked. Just find that dog.”
The line went dead.
Freddie gave him the look , never a good thing. “Why do I suspect we’re in more trouble,” she said.
“You’re not in trouble,” Tree said. “If anyone’s in trouble, it’s me.”
“No,” Freddie said vehemently. “That’s what you don’t seem to understand. You don’t get into trouble. We get into trouble.”
“All I can say right now is that Edith is acting very strange, and I’m not certain why.”
“Because her client is dead, and the private detective she hired is lying to her about a certain dog.”
“For now, I’m hanging onto Clinton.” Tree said.
“He’s not your dog.”
“His owner is dead, and so for the time being the two of us are all Clinton has. If someone killed Vic Trinchera maybe they want to kill his dog, too. And I’m not going to allow that to happen.”
“There is always the traditional way of dealing with this sort of situation,” Freddie said.
“That would be the police,” Tree said.
“It wouldn’t be the first time someone has gone to them,” Freddie said. “It has been done before.”
“And what do you suppose I would tell them?”
“You would tell them that a Canadian gangster gave you a dog just before he was murdered. Now there are a number of people after said dog.”
“Don’t forget I’ve already talked to the police.”
“Talking to the Canadian police doesn’t count,” Freddie said.
“She says it does.”
“Not only did you lie to this Canadian so-called policewoman, but I highly doubt she has any jurisdiction here, and therefore is very
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