Trouble at the Animal Shelter: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Page 8

  “Hi, Wayne, it’s Mike Reynolds. Sorry I missed your call, but I was talking to some people who I sense are a little skittish of law enforcement personnel, and I didn’t want any distractions. Do you have something for me?”

  “Given the number of dogs in the Ryan household, I’m not sure this is relevant, but my department did some more testing today on what we found in the house, and there was an unusually large amount of meat byproducts.”

  “Chief, what do you mean by that? You lost me.”

  “We’re pretty sure the byproducts came from dog treats, and Mike, there was a lot of meat byproduct material in the bags of possible DNA material we took from the house. As a matter of fact, I had two of my men go back out there today and vacuum the kitchen, the living room, as well as the bedroom where we found the decedent’s body. They filled several bags with dog hair and more meat byproducts.”

  “All right, what do you think that means? Does it have anything to do with the fire or the murder?” Mike asked.

  “Not precisely. Here’s my thinking on it. We know Maggie Ryan had over thirty dogs in the house. I find it hard to believe a couple of them, maybe a lot more than that, would allow a stranger to come in the house and murder the person who fed them. That part has bothered me from when we first found the body. I think whoever did it enticed the dogs with dog treats, and that’s where all the byproducts we found came from. If my thinking is correct, it means a couple of things. Are you with me?” the chief asked.

  “I am, but I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

  “We know the dogs were in the house when the murder was committed because your deputy, Brandon Wynn, let them out when he got there. My thinking is what better way to get in a house than giving the dogs huge amounts of treats. Amounts large enough that the dogs would be distracted and not notice someone going in the bedroom and murdering their master.”

  “That’s a plausible theory. What’s the second thing?” Mike asked.

  “If someone brought that amount of dog treats into a house, he or she had to know there were a lot of dogs in the house. To me, that means that the person was known to the decedent or had been there before. Think about it Mike. No one would randomly go into a house that had that number of dogs in it unless they had a plan.”

  “And you’re saying the plan was to distract the dogs with the dog treats, so he or she could murder their owner. You’re also saying there was nothing random about the murder or the fire.”

  “Yes. I don’t think we can come up with the brand of dog treats, because the byproducts were pretty generic, so although I certainly am not telling you how to do your job, but if it was me, I’d start looking at who would know how many dogs she had, in other words, someone known to her.”

  “Since we didn’t find any signs of forcible entry, I’d have to agree with you.”

  “Wish I could tell you our tests came up with the name of the murderer, but that didn’t happen. Good luck on this one, Mike. It’s really bizarre.”

  “My sentiments exactly, Chief. Thanks for the input.”

  “No problem. Keep me in the loop,” he said before ending the call.

  As in all cases, one thing led to another, and in this case, it looked like a dog treat was the reason the murder was allowed to take place. While he was mulling it over, Mike remembered Lem had called. He called him and a moment later heard his secretary say, “Lem Bates’ office. May I help you?”

  “This is Sheriff Reynolds. I’m returning Lem’s call.”

  “Good to hear from you, Sheriff. I’ll tell Lem you’re on the line.”

  “Mike, thanks for getting back to me so quickly,” Lem said when he got on the line.

  “Not a problem, Lem. I’m assuming this has something to do with your meeting with Reverend Barnes. Would I be right?”

  “That you would be. It was interesting and went pretty much like I thought it would go. After the niceties were over, he told me he was there to begin the probate proceedings for Maggie Ryan’s will. He took the will he had from his briefcase and handed it to me. It was the old will which named him as the beneficiary.”

  “What did you do then?”

  “After I made a point of studying it I told him, that yes, at one time that had been Maggie’s will, but she had executed a newer one, and the will he had was voided by the subsequent will. I had the newer will on my desk and showed it to him and pointed out the date Maggie Ryan had executed it and told him that my secretary and I had acted as witnesses.”

  “How did he take it?” Mike asked.

  “He was shocked. He couldn’t believe she’d drawn up a new will and never told him about it. He kept saying, ‘But I went over there twice a week. How could she do this to me?’ It was as if he felt he had a right to her estate, and that he had been counting on it. And Mike, the thing that’s been bothering me ever since this came up is that in the first will Maggie Ryan named him, not the Church of Loving Grace, as the beneficiary of her will. I asked him about that.”

  Mike interrupted Lem, “How did he answer?”

  “He said he’d told Maggie it was better for him to do it that way, so he could give her money to church projects without having to go through various church committees to get approval.”

  “Lem, you’re the lawyer, not me. Have you ever drawn up a will, before or since, that named an individual person as a beneficiary with the intent being that the beneficiary would give it to a charitable organization such as a church?”

  “Never, and here’s the interesting thing. I didn’t draw up the first will. I was on vacation when it was drawn up by an attorney over in Jackson who was filling in for me while my wife and I were away. I looked at the work he’d done when I got back, but there was so much for me to absorb I didn’t think much about it. I filed it and when I drew up her new will, I thought it was rather strange, but I decided she’d told the lawyer filling in for me that’s what she wanted to do. If I’d drawn it up, I would have questioned it. Mike, I’m not particularly suspicious by nature…”

  “Lem, as I said earlier, you’re a lawyer. Of course you’re suspicious, but go ahead.”

  “Thanks, Mike, I’ll make sure I remember the next law enforcement joke I’m told, so I can tell it to you. Anyway, I was left with the impression that he was panicked. I don’t know what his situation is, but I got the feeling he was devastated by the news, far more than the situation warranted. Sure, it meant that his church might not be able to do some projects he felt were important, but it seemed to be more personal than that. I don’t like to think of a man of the cloth having ulterior motives in a situation like this, but I have to tell you that’s what I’m thinking.”

  “I appreciate your telling me this, and like you, I have no idea what his situation is, but I think I better find out. I’ll let you know if I find out anything. One more thing, Lem. Is it okay with you if I tell the people out at the animal shelter about Maggie Ryan’s will?”

  “Yes, actually that will save me a trip. I started the probate proceedings this afternoon by filing her will with the court, so it’s public knowledge now.”

  Mike had one more stop to make before he went home. He needed to tell the Cedar Bay Animal Shelter that it is going to be the recipient of Maggie Ryan’s estate.

  CHAPTER 18

  Mike parked his car in the visitor’s parking lot at the animal shelter and was glad to see the lot was almost full. He was hopeful it meant a lot of people were adopting or fostering the dogs that had been brought over from Maggie Ryan’s home.

  He knocked on the door that had the word “Office” stenciled on it and heard a female voice say, “Come in.” He walked into the small office and saw Jenna Lee sitting at her desk. They’d met from time to time over the years and had waved to each other at the Ryan home when Kelly had been helping Jenna transport the dogs to the shelter.

  “Sheriff, it’s good to see you. At least I prefer seeing you here rather than the way we met the other night. Please, have a seat,” she said
gesturing to the chair across from her desk.

  “Jenna, I’m hoping from how crowded the parking lot is that you’re getting a lot of people to come in and look at the new rescues.”

  “We’ve been lucky. Kelly announced it at the coffee shop yesterday, and the newspaper and our local radio station have really been great about helping us get the word out. The good news is that almost half the dogs we brought in from the Ryan home have been fostered or adopted. Now if we can just make it through the next few days. I’m playing a game of Russian roulette with our finances here. We’re always hard up for money. In fact, I’m the only paid employee, and if my husband didn’t support us, I couldn’t afford to work here. To say I’m paid a small salary would be an overstatement.”

  She ran her hand through her thick dark hair and said, “Fortunately I love dogs. Always have and always will. I’m just a sucker for them. There’s something about helping a living thing who only wants affection from you that keeps me going. These animals don’t have voices, so I’ve pretty much become their spokesman, or spokeswoman, if that’s the more politically correct thing to say. I simply can’t understand how anyone could abandon their pet. I know some animals get lost or escape through an open gate, but I think they’re in the minority, and those are usually the ones whose owners find them within a day. I’m scared to death we’re going to have to close this shelter because of the influx of all these dogs.”

  She paused and then continued, “It’s not just the number of dogs that we have and how much money it costs to feed them. I found out last week that our water pipes are leaking. The plumber I called to look at them said they need to be replaced as soon as possible, or they’d burst. He gave me a quote of $10,000. There is no way I can afford to have them repaired. We simply don’t have the money.”

  “I’m glad you’re sitting down, Jenna, because I think what I’m going to tell you is going to make your life a lot easier, and certainly make the lives of the dogs you care for a lot easier.”

  She looked at him, obviously confused by what he was saying. “Mike, I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m not surprised. I just talked to Lem Bates, and he said I could tell you that Maggie Ryan left her entire estate to the Cedar Bay Animal Shelter, and so saying, I rather imagine I just made your day.”

  She looked at him in shock for several moments and then began to cry. “I’ve been praying for a miracle, and this is it. I can’t believe it,” she said as tears ran down her cheeks. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a box of Kleenex.

  Mike gave her some time to digest what he’d just told her and then said, “Jenna, it gets better. Maggie lived in the old farmhouse that had been in her family ever since they’d come to Cedar Bay. She has no relatives, and since she never had to buy furniture or pay for the house, she invested her money, and from what Lem told me, quiet wisely. Evidently the only thing she spent money on was her dogs. He told me with the sale of the house, and as you saw, there was some damage to it from the fire, but not much, it seems the estate will be just a little under a million dollars.”

  He watched as her jaw dropped in amazement. Tears continued to run down her cheeks and soon they turned dark from being mixed with the mascara she wore. She made no attempt to brush them away. It was as if she was incapable of doing anything but continuing to look at Mike with a shocked expression on her face.

  “Sheriff, I’m sorry, but I never expected anything like this. It’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened. I guess she really liked dogs, and that’s why she left it to us. Do you know anything more?”

  “No, Lem and I think she knew if anything happened to her, the dogs would be brought here. And I’d also bet she knew that you didn’t have the funds to care for thirty additional dogs. Did she ever adopt a dog from here?”

  “No, the first I knew about her dogs was when I got the call from your deputy.”

  “Well, that doesn’t surprise me. She probably felt this shelter was too close to home and worried that someone might discover she was way over the three dog limit and would report her to the county authorities.”

  “Mike, do you have any idea when we might get the money from the estate?”

  “None. Why don’t you call Lem Bates? He can give you the details and Jenna, I’m really happy the shelter is going to get the money. You do a wonderful job here on a shoestring, and now you’ll have a chance to do some things you’ve probably wanted to do for a long time.”

  “My head is spinning,” she said and then laughed. “Do you have any idea how happy this is going to make my husband? I know he was worried I was going to take the money for the water pipes here at the shelter out of our personal savings account. Not only did you make my day, or rather my year, you made my husband’s as well. Thank you so much.”

  “Thank Maggie Ryan. She’s the one who did it. Kind of sad she’ll never get to see the result of naming the shelter as the sole beneficiary of her will, but I guess none of us ever gets to see what happens when we leave our estate to someone or something. Oh, I have a question for you. Do all dog treats have animal byproducts in them or would it only be a certain brand?”

  “I haven’t really studied it scientifically, but from what I know, unless it’s an organic treat, all of them have animal byproducts in them. Why?”

  “The fire department took a lot of samples of things from the carpeting and flooring at Maggie’s house trying to figure out more about the fire. According to the chief, they found huge amounts of animal byproducts. His lab thinks it was from dog treats given to the dogs by Maggie’s killer, so he or she could gain access to the house and commit the crime.”

  Jenna was quiet for several moments and then said, “That’s interesting. I wonder if the dogs could identify the killer? A dog’s sense of smell is so acute I’d think if they were exposed to the murderer, they would react in some form or fashion. Usually dogs sense humans they can’t trust, and they indicate it by growling or some other hostile behavior, but in this case the fact that whoever it was gave them treats may cause them to react very positively to that person. I suppose it would depend on whether or not the dogs witnessed their owner being murdered.”

  “Kelly and I have a guard dog, and I trust his instincts completely. However, if he’d been given a lot of dog treats, I don’t know what would happen. Interesting situation. Jenna, it’s late and I need to get home. Again, I’m really happy for the animal shelter. I can’t think of a better organization to be the beneficiary of Maggie Ryan’s estate. I’ll be talking to you.”

  “Mike, thank you for being the bearer of good tidings. I think I need to go home and celebrate. This may just be the best day I’ve ever had.”

  “Don’t know how long you’ve been married, Jenna, but when I caught three big trophy fish in one day in Cuba and told Kelly it was the best day of my life, she reminded me that I should have said the best day in my life was the day I married her. You might remember that,” he said grinning as he walked out the door.

  CHAPTER 19

  “I’m home,” Mike called out when he walked into the house from the garage. It was unnecessary, because all three of the Reynolds’ dogs had immediately raced to the door knowing what his car sounded like. When Kelly heard their toenails bouncing on the hardwood floors she, too, knew Mike had arrived.

  After giving each of the dogs a quick pat on the head he heard the sounds of pots and pans coming from the kitchen and figured Kelly was fixing dinner. “Hi, sweetheart,” Kelly said without turning around. “I’ll be with you in a minute. I just got home and need to start a couple of things for dinner. If I don’t do it now, we won’t eat until midnight, and that’s way too late for both of us. Why don’t you change your clothes, and then I’ve got a lot of things I want to tell you?”

  “Will do, but I’ve got a few things to run by you as well. I’ll be back in a minute,” he said as he took a couple of dog treats from the cookie jar on the counter. “Come on guys, follow me
. I’ve got a treat for each of you.”

  He returned a few minutes later followed by the dogs. “Kelly, can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course, although you’d never needed my consent before.”

  “Well,” he said sitting down at the kitchen table, “I’ve been wondering if the dogs really like me or do they follow me because of the treats I give them?”

  “It’s probably a little of both,” she said diplomatically. “Lots of times they follow you around even though you don’t have treats for them. I think they’re pretty smart, but the sound of the lid being removed from the cookie jar might make them a little more prone to following you.”

  “Do you think we spoil them with too many treats?” he asked.

  “Probably, but they really are good dogs, so I don’t think we’re hurting them by spoiling them. I really don’t have a problem with any of them, although I will say it’s nice that Skyy’s outgrown the puppy stage of chewing on everything.”

  “Agreed. I’m exhausted, and could use a cup of coffee. If I make a pot will you drink a cup?”

  “Sounds good. Want to tell me about your day or want me to start?” she asked.

  “You start, and I’ll make the coffee. So, what interesting things did you find out? Have a chance to talk to that principal friend of yours?” he said as he measured out the water and coffee. He pushed the start button and then gave his full attention to Kelly.

  She came over to the table and sat down across from him. “Actually, Mike, I had quite a day. I’ll start with Sunny. She came to the coffee shop as usual, and it was really crowded, like there were no seats for customers, but I wanted to talk to her, so I told her we could sit in the storeroom, and I’d have Charlie make her usual Cobb salad and she could eat there, which she did.”

  “Kelly, I know this may come as a complete shock to you, but I’m not particularly interested in what she had to eat. What I am interested in is whether or not you learned anything about the Ryan murder. Well, did you?”