“Yummy? What’s a Yummy?” Officer Bill looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.
“My dog,” I let out a sigh. “Come in and you can meet him and see he’s not abused.”
Bill followed me into the house, and Yummy began to yip as loud as he could inside his carrier. Bill looked at me.
“That’s your dog? His yip can’t possibly travel very far. You have another dog?” He looked around the room.
“Nope, just Yummy.” I opened Yummy’s carrier, and he ran up to Bill and barked.
Bill laughed and picked him up. Yummy settled into his arm.
“Bill, please sit down and maybe we can figure this out.” I smiled and motioned to the couch.
“Thanks,” Bill sat and Yummy jumped down and headed for me. He dropped at my feet.
“You may be right about a false report. I see there are full bowls of food and water, and your dog isn’t running for them. He looks as if he missed you.” He jotted in his notebook and looked up at me, “You have any enemies?”
“In this town. Are you serious? Everyone gets along.” I glared at him feeling annoyed again.
He shrugged. “The complaint was anonymous, but very detailed. The person insisted the animal be taken to the shelter for adoption. The shelter is closed today, so the report came to us. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
I bit my lip and squinted when I looked at Bill. “Are you taking Yummy?”
Bill laughed. “Absolutely not. I can see Yummy is well taken care of and can’t possibly annoy a neighbor. I do know it was an adult that complained so you might want to watch your back. Maybe someone is angry over a book purchase.” He grinned at me.
“I doubt it. They could return a book.” I smiled feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
He stood, smiled, and made his way to the front door. Before opening it, he turned and asked, “How’s Laci?”
“Doing great and loving school. I’m going to video chat with her later.”
His smiled broadened. “Please tell her I said hi, and I’ll see her next month.” He stepped through the doorway, and I closed the door taking a long, slow cleansing breath.
I picked up Yummy and said, “That was close boy, who could do that to us?” He barked back at me.
I knew the grill was busy and decided to send Georgie a text rather than call. I needed to talk to her about what happened. Could Officer Bill be right and I had an enemy? That made me uncomfortable, and I paced the living room with Yummy at my heels. I picked him up to place him out in the puppy run and for the first time I looked around the yard before I walked out.
Chapter Eight
My alarm woke me Monday morning before Yummy began to whine in my ear. I sat on the edge of my bed, and Yummy jumped from the bed to the box I placed next to the bed and then to the floor.
“You fit in well,” I laughed and he barked. I never thought I would enjoy having a pet around, but Yummy was special. I understood why Inga had him and several before him all bearing the same name.
The coffee pot started as I let Yummy out for a quick run then I headed for my shower. Yummy always sat down on the rug outside my shower. I think he likes being close to me. I dressed, filled a travel mug with coffee, put Yummy in his carrier, and headed for the book shop.
Besides the ordeal of the police accusing me of being an animal abuser, yesterday was a great day. Laci and I video chatted for nearly an hour. It will be wonderful to see her in a few short weeks. She blushed a bit when I told her Officer Bill said hello. Maybe there is something going on that she didn’t share with me. After all, she is nineteen and grown although she’ll always be my baby.
Georgie called me back during a lull in business, and we agreed with Bill that perhaps I had acquired an enemy. I think it was Claudine, but Georgie thinks it might have something to do with Inga’s murder. When she said murder, I shuddered. We still have no clue how Inga died. Georgie said she would call Dot today and she told me two of Inga’s cousins checked in at Sadie’s Bed and Breakfast. Georgie thinks they’re second or third cousins here for the reading of the will. We’ll see. Things are happening in Heavenly Corners that don’t usually happen. We have a quiet, quaint town.
I parked behind the store and picked up Yummy’s carrier. I was about to slip my key into the deadbolt on the back door when I noticed quite a few scrapes near the keyhole that were never there before this morning. The lock was old, and the scratches allowed the bare metal to shine through. I didn’t even think about it twice as I remembered Officer Bill’s words. “Do you have any enemies?” I climbed back into my vehicle and dialed 9-1-1 on my cell. Within minutes, I heard sirens. I lay my forehead on the steering wheel.
Annie Ryan, you have managed to get yourself into another predicament that needs sirens and flashing lights. When will my life be calm and peaceful? It used to be peaceful before…before I inherited Yummy. Bill and Georgie are right. I have an enemy. Maybe one besides Claudine.
I lifted my head when I heard the siren stop wailing and a car
