Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Chapter 14

We continued to chat about the case for two hours, but didn’t come any closer to any solutions. Eventually, we decided to give up for now and see if a good night’s sleep gave any of us any better ideas. Besides, Monday was the day of Andrea’s funeral, and Sprinkles had asked us if we could go. We said yes, obviously. Besides, who knew? Maybe we’d find out something that we didn’t realize was important while we were there.

All dressed in black, we put a black bandana on Sprinkles and loaded him up into Sophie’s car with the three of us. We arrived at the church about twenty minutes before the ceremony was about to start, and as soon as we arrived everyone started fussing over Sprinkles.

“Oh the poor dear.”

“It’s so good of you to bring him here to say goodbye.”

“I hope you find him a good home, there’s no one better in town to take care of him right now.”

“What a sweet little dog.”

As everyone fawned over him, Sophie, who had been holding his leash, eventually got separated from Charlotte and I, and we began to wander through the throngs of people.

“I wonder how many people are here to pay their respects, and how many simply want to gossip?” Charlotte asked, looking around. It seemed as if the whole town had shown up. Andrea Dottory had never really been liked around town; she started too many spiteful rumours about people to really have any friends. And I was sure her popularity levels would drop even further if she’d heard what Sprinkles had told us last night. I figured Charlotte was right, most of the people here must have shown up just to be able to tell their friends that they were at the murdered woman’s funeral.

I sighed, watching from afar as Sprinkles got all the attention in the world. His tail wagged low and slowly as Sophie led him towards the entrance to the church. Hopefully they wouldn’t mind a dog being in there for the service.

Suddenly, I looked over and saw a familiar face coming over.

“Fancy seeing you two here,” Jason Black greeted Charlotte and I with that cocky little grin of his.

“Hi, Jason,” Charlotte said.

“So I guess you’re here covering the funeral?” I asked him. “Still more interesting than the post office’s new paint job?”

“Sure is!” he replied.

“That’s a little bit… macabre, don’t you think?”

“Well, I’m a journalist. Not all news is good news. Also, the post office paint job has been pushed back to being the third biggest news story this week!”

“Behind Betty adding cheesecake to the menu this summer?” I asked.

“Wait, Betty’s making cheesecake this summer?” Charlotte interrupted.

“Apparently,” I replied.

“Score!”

“No, I forgot about that story,” Jason grinned. “I’m also writing a story about catfishing people online. Although the editor told me he might not run it, he likes my enthusiasm for actually coming up with stories. But actually I have a source inside the police station that tells me they suspect a gang is using Willow Bay as a hideout to move drugs.”

“Seriously?”

Jason nodded. “Yes, catfishing is an important issue these days,” he said with a straight face. I could have punched him.

“Not that, no one cares about catfishing. The drug thing!”

Jason grinned. “Don’t tell anyone, it’s supposed to be secret until the new paper comes out on Wednesday. But yeah.”

“Just FYI, a “source inside the police station” in Willow Bay is like four people,” I told him. “Your sources may appreciate a broader description if you expect them to give you more info in the future.”

If I wasn’t mistaken, it looked like Jason’s face began to fall for just a split second before he laughed.

“Well, it looks like I still have a lot to learn about small towns. Good call, Angie, thanks,” he replied, winking at me. I felt a blush crawl up my face and wanted to curl up into a hole and die. Why did my face always have to betray me?

“Why is this gang using Willow Bay though? And is it pot they’re moving?”

Jason shook his head. “No, harder stuff. Although, presumably, they’re probably also moving some pot, since it’s so easy to get in Washington now. But from what I understand it’s mainly cocaine. They’re getting it from California, moving it up here to store it, and then shipping it out east somehow, without anyone noticing. I don’t know why they picked Willow Bay, honestly. It’s kind of far from the interstate, it’s small, but then again maybe that was the point, to get pretty rural. Who knows. Maybe my source will let me know when they catch them.”

I smiled slightly. “Who knew Willow Bay had such interesting things to write about after all? I’m starting to think it’s you.”

“I’m starting to think it’s me, too, honestly,” Jason laughed. “But seriously, not really. In case you were thinking of actually blaming that on me.”

This time it was my turn to laugh, despite myself. Fine, he was a little bit funny.

“Hey, Angela, I think the service is about to start,” Charlotte suddenly said, dragging me back towards the church. Was it bad that I’d completely forgotten my sister was even there? Oops.

We made our way to the entrance of the Willow Bay Church. Inside, I found Sophie standing against the wall, towards the front of the church, with Sprinkles next to her. Charlotte and I made our way over just as the pastor made his way to the front of the room to begin the service.

Sprinkles spent the whole service sitting at attention, his eyes focused on the pastor. I had to remind myself that even if Andrea Dottory wasn’t exactly Mother Theresa, she had loved Sprinkles and taken good care of him, and he had loved her back. This must have been hard for him.

At one point I took a moment to look around the packed church. The only family Andrea had was her niece, sitting in the second row. She couldn’t have possibly looked more bored.

But then again, that matched everyone else in the room pretty well. I was pretty sure one guy in his late teens at the back of the church was actually playing Pokemon Go. Oh dear, buddy. There’s a time and a place, and this was neither.

When the ceremony was over, I took Sprinkles over to the casket for a minute while Charlotte and Sophie waited outside. I gave him a last moment alone with his human, who had raised and loved him, and then we went back outside. I saw Charlotte and Sophie and waved at them, but before I managed to walk over to them my path was blocked my Kelly Dottory.

I looked up at her in surprise. Her arms were crossed, she was obviously mad.

“Ummm, hi?” I tried.

“This is the dog, right?” Kelly said to me, pointing at Sprinkles. He lowered his ears when he heard the tone of Kelly’s voice, and I instinctively put a protective arm on him.

“This is Andrea’s dog, Sprinkles, that I’m taking care of, yes,” I replied cooly.

“He is cute. Really adorable. You need to give him to me, he’s mine.”

“We’ve been over this,” I explained calmly, secretly glad that I had witnesses. “I’m taking care of Sprinkles until I can find him a responsible home.”

“I am responsible,” Kelly whined, stamping her foot on the ground. It absolutely did not look adorable in a woman in her mid-20s.

“Well, I’m not taking applications yet,” I said, trying to placate her. I noticed people staring; she was causing a scene. Charlotte and Sophie moved back towards me.

“I don’t care! I’m Andrea’s heir, I get all her stuff, and I want a doggie to play with.”

“You can’t have him,” I told her firmly. Suddenly, with a quickness I didn’t think she had in her, Kelly reached forward and grabbed the leash. She pulled, and I yanked it back away from her, hard, making sure not to hurt Sprinkles.

When she opened her hands, Kelly let out a shriek. Her hands were red and raw where I’d pulled the leash away, I’d inadvertently given her rope burn. I hadn’t done it on purpose, but I also certainly wasn’t sad about it. How dare this woman come here and try to take Sprinkles by force?

“I’m done. We’re going home,” I said, turning around. Sprinkles began to follow me when suddenly I felt something grab my hair.

“No! You can’t do that! You BITCH!” Kelly screamed as she pulled my hair back. I yelled, off balance, and falling to the ground. Suddenly, I heard the sickening thud of bone on bone, and Kelly released my hair.

I was dazed for a split second until I realized what had happened. Looking up, Kelly was holding her mouth, screaming as blood poured out of the wound. Sophie stood between the two of us, a bit of blood on her fist.

“You don’t come near Angela again, you hear me?” Sophie told her. “Or Sprinkles. Or any of us.”

Had what I thought happened seriously just happened?

It certainly looked like it had. Sophie always had a temper, but damn. To actually punch a girl in the face, even if she had grabbed my hair and was pulling me down to the ground, that was hard! Even for Sophie!

“What’s going on here?” suddenly came a familiar, booming voice. I looked to where it came from and saw Chief Gary’s form making his way over.

“She punched me in the face,” Kelly sobbed, her voice muffled as she hid her face in her hands, nodding at Sophie.

“Is that true, Sophie?” Chief Gary asked, and she held out her hands.

“Yes, but only because she deserved it.”

“That’s not actually an excuse, you know. Officer Shaw, please arrest Sophie and take her in to the station.”

“What?” I cried out. “You can’t do that!”

“I’m sorry Angela, but I have to.”

I looked over at Taylor, who was awkwardly walking towards his girlfriend.

“It’s fine, it’s just a misunderstanding,” Sophie said to him, holding out her hands. I knew Taylor wouldn’t arrest Sophie if she put up a fight, and Sophie must have known that as well. Her capitulating was just her trying to save her boyfriend’s job. “Besides, I like the handcuffs,” I heard her whisper to Taylor, whose face went beet red. Even I had to grin.

“Excuse me, Chief Gary,” I heard a voice say. It was Jason.

“Yes, Jason?” Chief Gary replied, visibly annoyed. “I don’t have any comment right now, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, no, not at all. I just wanted to tell you, I took video of the whole thing. If you have a look, you’ll see that Sophie here was actually acting in defense of a third party, Angela, who was attacked first.”

Chief Gary looked suspiciously over at the phone Jason was handing him, then motioned for Taylor to wait a moment while he watched the video.

“Why isn’t it obvious? I’m here bleeding and she’s not! She attacked me!” Kelly cried, and the murmur of the crowd around us showed they disagreed.

“Only because you attacked me first,” I shot back.

“I did not!”

“Well there’s video of it, isn’t there?”

Chief Gary was intently looking at the video Jason had shot. I heard my shout, then the punch, then Kelly’s screams. The video suddenly stopped, and it seemed like every single person in earshot was solely focused on Chief Gary.

“The video makes it clear who the aggressor was. Shaw, uncuff Ms. Mashimoto please,” he ordered. “I’m sorry Sophie.”

“No problem,” Sophie replied casually. I knew this was far from the first time she’d ever gotten into trouble.

“As for you, Miss Dottory, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you were overcome with grief and made a bad decision.”

“Why aren’t you arresting her?” Kelly whined.

“You’re lucky I’m not arresting you,” Chief Gary shot back. “Angela here didn’t deserve to be attacked for taking care of a dog that’s in her care, and she may still choose to press charges.”

Kelly’s protests turned into no more than a whimper.

“Now, I suggest that everyone move on,” Chief Gary announced in a booming voice. Slowly the crowd that had gathered began to disperse, as the residents of Willow Bay muttered among themselves. We were absolutely going to be the talk of the town for the next day or so, no doubt about it.

“Son, I’m going to email myself this video from your phone,” Chief Gary told Jason.

“Sure thing, Chief,” Jason replied, winking at me. Chief Gary noticed it, and frowned, moving his focus to the small screen of Jason’s iPhone.

“Right. Angela, please come and see me sometime in the next few days if you want to press charges,” Chief Gary told me, but I could tell from the expression on his face and the weariness that just exuded off him that it was the last thing he wanted to deal with. Especially with the murder and the suspicion of gangs in town.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” I told Chief Gary, with a smile. “I’m fine, I think we can just let it go.”

“Alright, thanks for letting me know so quickly, Angela,” Chief Gary replied, but I knew he was secretly thanking me for making that decision. I nodded, and a minute later he left.

“Seems like I’m always getting you guys out of trouble,” Jason said, a glimmer in his eye. I scowled at him.

“We were doing fine without you.”

“Really?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “If your best friend being taken away in handcuffs is your idea of ‘doing fine’, I’d hate to see what a bad day looks like.”

“That’d be me being taken away in handcuffs,” I joked, and earned a punch in the arm from Sophie for that one.

“That’s not funny.”

“I dunno, you didn’t seem to mind the handcuffs too much, at least not with Taylor putting them on you.”

Even Sophie couldn’t hide the blush that time, and I grinned.

“Anyway, thank you Jason,” Sophie told him. “Despite Angela’s claims to the contrary, I do appreciate you keeping me out of jail, and an assault charge.”

“Anything for a friend of Angie’s,” Jason replied.

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that,” I muttered, but really, it was only half-heartedly. To be honest, I was glad that Jason had stepped forward and stopped Sophie from being arrested.

“How come you videoed that, anyway?” I asked.

“I’m a journalist. Just because I live in Willow Bay doesn’t mean I shouldn’t expect interesting things to happen here or there. This one’s going on the paper’s Facebook page.”

“Wow, that’s more work than anyone’s put into the local paper since, well, forever,” I had to admit. Jason was nothing if not motivated.

“Yeah, well, it turns out there isn’t that much to do in Willow Bay. There’s only so much investigative journalism you can do about the post office getting a re-paint. The lady at the hardware store kindly told me exactly what shade of red they ordered. It’s the same as the last one.”

I snorted with laughter. I actually felt kind of sorry for Jason; coming from New York City to Willow Bay had to be a change.

“If you want to be really investigative, find out exactly what flavour cheesecake Betty’s making for the summer,” I offered. “That’s what the people really want.”

“Wait, Betty’s making cheesecake this summer?” Sophie asked.

“Why is that what everyone’s most excited about?” Jason asked. “I tell people about drug smuggling and they ask about the cheesecake.”

“Haven’t you tried Betty’s cakes?” I asked.

“Not really,” Jason replied, shrugging. “I haven’t exactly been here that long.”

“Well, the two of you should go get some one day,” Sophie broke in, and I gave her a look that I hoped would make her wither into the ground. If ever there was a reason to break the “no magic in front of normal humans” rule, putting a spell on her to make her stop talking right now was definitely up there.

Jason grinned. “Maybe one day, hey Angie?”

“Yeah, one day,” I mumbled, the blush crawling up my face once more. What the hell, Sophie? She was supposed to be my best friend.

“Anyway, I gotta run. Lots of investigative journalism to be done.” With a wink at me and a wave at Sophie and Charlotte, Jason was gone. And maybe, just maybe I couldn’t help myself from looking at his butt as he walked off. His cute, perky, perfectly formed butt.

Stop it, Angela, I scolded myself. Just, stop.

“You’re supposed to be my best friend,” I said to Sophie, glaring.

“One day you’ll realize that was the best thing I could have done for you,” Sophie replied, laughing. “I think I proved I was your best friend by saving you from that Kardashian wannabe anyway.”

“Yeah, thanks for that,” I told her, grinning.

“No problem, she deserved it. It would have fully been worth going to jail for.”

“Well, regardless, I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Me too, really. Though I’d get to see a lot of Taylor,” Sophie added with a grin, and I rolled my eyes.

“Well, that was enough adventure for me for one day,” Charlotte said. “Let’s go home.”

I hadn’t even noticed that Sprinkles was so tired he’d lay down at my feet and was now fast asleep.

“I think that’s a good idea,” I replied with a smile, looking down at the sweet little dog.