Murder, She Barked

Oma avoided my eyes and sipped her tea. When she set the cup down, she patted my hand. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”

It didn’t escape my notice that she deftly skipped over any mention of the state of her health. Maybe she didn’t want to talk about it in front of Dave. She certainly looked hale and hearty.

A couple with two chocolate labs strolled in and sat down at a table. Their dogs cast a couple of inquisitive sniffs in the Jack Russell’s direction, but she ignored them. Surprisingly calm, she watched Oma and me, as though she did this every day.

“Is that the latest fashion in the city?” asked Oma.

It never took long for passive-aggressive mothering to come out in my family. I laughed out loud. “I was sopping wet by the time I got here last night. When Rose called, she led me to believe it was a dire emergency, so I didn’t bother going home for clothes.” Hah. I’d been trained by the best. I’d just shifted the guilt to Oma’s corner.

“You’d better buy a few things. I can loan you jackets and sweaters, but you’ll need trousers. My waistline is a bit larger than yours. I’m sure you’ll want something more modern, anyway. There are a few cute boutiques in town. How long can you stay?”

Oof. I had to tell her sometime. “I, um, left my job. There’s no big rush to get back if you don’t mind me borrowing your computer. I can follow up on job applications from here.” How long would it take for a twisted ankle to be better? A week, maybe? I still had to get to the bottom of Oma’s health problems, if there were any. She might need me more than she was letting on. And if she insisted on closing her eyes to the things that were happening in Wagtail, it might fall to me to make sure the inn wasn’t in the middle of it all.

“Ohhh! This is wonderful.” Oma held her arms wide for a hug. I stood up and embraced her.

“I’m so glad to have you around for a while. Your Ben—he won’t mind?”

I sat down again and thanked Shelley for refreshing my tea. “I doubt it.” I had his car, though. That might upset him. He would have to use my car for the time being. “Did my eyes deceive me this morning or has the pedestrian zone been spruced up?” I finished the last bite of waffle, nicely coated with sweet blackberry syrup.

“It is charming, no? Wagtail obtained a few grants and made major changes to attract tourists. We didn’t want to bring industry here. This way we can preserve the natural state of Wagtail Mountain so everyone can continue to enjoy it. It was a perfect solution. We already had the pedestrian area. They call the grassy part in the center the green now.”

“Making Wagtail into a pet vacation destination was the boost we needed. The town is flourishing. Way beyond anything we anticipated. Wagtail is going through a development spurt.” Dave raised his open palm and gestured around him.

“The whole town? Not just the inn? Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

“I told you I had a surprise.” Oma appeared pleased with herself. “Can you believe I was able to keep it a secret? Of course, in the beginning, we didn’t know if it would work out. But dogs and cats are part of the family today. So much so that we’ve had a remarkable influx of residents. Land prices have soared. We’re having a little building boom. It’s all about lifestyle and living where pets are appreciated.”

“I wondered how you managed to get around the health code. Is it legal to have dogs in the eating area?”

Dave coughed. “Technically, the law doesn’t prohibit dogs or cats. There are rules and regulations, but they’re about food preparation areas. You’ll find that every eating establishment—”

Oma interrupted him, “And there are quite a few!”

“—has made special arrangements to provide for companion animals within the bounds of state law. In addition, we have passed an exception here in Wagtail which we’re trying to get through the state legislature so we’ll have more leeway.”

“Looks like a beautiful day after all that rain. If only Sven . . .” Oma’s voice trailed.

“Uh, Holly, where did you drive from yesterday?” asked Dave.

“A vineyard near Charlottesville.”

“Sounds nice.”

“It was.”

“Were you there with anybody?”

I looked at Oma, who shrugged.

“My boyfriend.”

“Anybody else?”

“Is this an inquisition? What are you getting at, Dave?”

He sucked in air. “I just feel like I ought to verify your whereabouts and the time you left there.”

I stared at him, momentarily speechless. “You can’t be serious! You think I was involved in Sven’s death? I didn’t even know him.”

Nine

“I’m not accusing you of anything. Still, it would be helpful if I knew you were elsewhere at the time it happened.”

It was my turn to look down at my plate—mostly so he wouldn’t see me trying not to smile. I’d bet anything this was his first murder investigation. “Got a pen?”

He handed me one, as well as his little spiral notebook. I jotted down Ben’s name and phone numbers.

“Thank you, Holly. I’d better get down the mountain to that car. Thanks for the breakfast, Liesel.”