Chihuahua Conspiracy

Chapter Nineteen

One week later…

My mom held a microphone to Nan’s face, beaming at her with daughterly pride. “And to think, it only took you two weeks to plan this gorgeous affair.”

My grandmother wore her hair in a French twist and sported a bold red lip. She’d even commissioned a special gown to wear to the gala. Silver beaded pawprints lined the neck and sleeves of her pink satin dress, creating a stunning effect.

Despite the quick event planning turn-around, it seemed all of Glendale had shown up to support Nan’s fundraiser for the Community Animal Shelter. Half the people from our neighboring towns, too. My mother and her cameraman had also shown up to film a human-interest piece for the local news.

Yeah, it was a pretty big deal.

While Mom interviewed Nan, I did another round through the house. Yes, we’d decided to use our own home as the location for the event tonight. Mr. Gables from the downtown council also helped to secure a series of large, impressive-looking tents, which we’d set up outside to expand the venue’s workable space.

The charity gala included a catered dinner, silent auction, and the chance for attendees to write generous checks to support our shelter. We’d arranged to have all the VIP players inside the house so that it would be easier to keep an eye on them. If all went according to plan, we’d be able to oust a weasel before the night was through.

I’d chosen to wear a little black dress, so I could sneak around if it became necessary. A hands-free communications device had also been tucked into my ear so that Octo-Cat and I could keep each other updated throughout the evening. As long as I made it look like I was discussing something related to the gala, then I could speak freely and without question.

We’d blocked off the upstairs to discourage guests from exploring the upper floors and also to help hide Octo-Cat where he sat perched near the spindles that lined the hallway. His job was to watch the guests below and report what he saw via our FaceTime voice call.

He’d actually been the one to come up with the idea for tonight’s ambush. Nan and I had just seen to the details. Paisley, too, by keeping everyone’s spirits up with her constant optimism and kindness.

She believed the bad guy would be caught and that we would all win Detective once and for all.

And I chose to believe that, too.

“The eagle has landed,” Octo-Cat rasped in my ear. He’d been joining Nan for her spy movie marathons lately and had picked up the lingo quickly. Since no one could understand him but me, I preferred he speak plainly—but I guessed whatever made this fun for him was okay by me.

I turned toward the foyer just in time to see our target, the shelter’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Mr. Leavitt, enter my home. He wore a very becoming black tux and an enormous grin that stretched from cheek to cheek.

“Hello, stranger,” I said after I made my way over to him, hating the taste of those flirtatious words in my mouth. My heart belonged to Charles and Charles alone, but still I needed to get our prime suspect to play straight into my hands and was willing to do whatever it took.

Well, within reason, that is.

“You and your grandmother have really outdone yourselves,” he exclaimed as I led him toward the cash bar we’d set up in the dining room. “This place looks fabulous!”

“It doesn’t just look fabulous. It is fabulous,” I responded right on cue. Nan and I had practiced my role in this charade many times, and while I didn’t have an exact script, I knew all the points I was expected to hit as quickly and naturally as possible.

“We’ve already raised over twenty thousand dollars just from the table reservations alone. By the time the silent auctions and donations come in, we could be over one hundred thousand. Not bad for one night’s work, huh?”

There, I’d said all the most important things. Nan would be so proud if she were here to witness my debut performance.

Mr. Leavitt’s eyes widened with poorly concealed avarice. If he’d been carrying a drink, I imagine he may have choked on it. Instead, he merely stuttered his next words. “O-o-one hundred thousand dollars? You don’t say.”

“Oh, but I do.” I placed a delicate hand on his shoulder and laughed. “It turns out people are very generous when it comes to saving the animals.”

“Yes, I’ve always thought so.”

The bartender handed him a glass of white wine and refilled my seltzer and lime. I wasn’t much of a drinker under normal circumstances, but tonight I needed all my wits about me. I also needed to redirect Mr. Leavitt to the foyer so that Octo-Cat could keep an eye on things as they went down.

“Excuse me for just a moment,” I said, drawing my phone out of my strapless clutch and pushing send on the message that I had already composed earlier that evening.

Smiling up at Mr. Leavitt, I said, “There. Now that that’s done, let’s enjoy the party. I have so many people I’d like to introduce you to. Did you know Nan was a famous Broadway actress back in her glory days? She has many wealthy friends from her time in the city, and several of them came out to support her—to support the shelter—tonight.”

“Fantastic,” Mr. Leavitt said and took another sip from his glass.

A loud tapping followed by a burst of microphone interference filled the room, causing everyone to fall silent.

“Excuse me, excuse me, ladies and gentlemen,” Nan cried into the mic. “I just wanted to say a huge thanks to a donor who asked to remain anonymous. She just gave us a fifty-thousand-dollar donation, single-handedly putting us over our fundraising goal for the evening. Thanks to her big heart, the shelter can stay open for another two full years and we can help all of Glendale’s stray pets find their forever homes.”

Everyone clapped politely. Some even gasped in awe.

What an amazingly generous gift… had it been real.

“Oh, this night has already exceeded our wildest expectations,” I gushed to Mr. Leavitt, continuing the carefully planned facade. “Nan and I had hoped our little gala would be a success, but we had no idea it would raise so much money.”

Nan snaked through the crowd and joined the two of us in the foyer. “Mr. Leavitt,” she enthused. “I wanted to hand you this check personally. A fifty-thousand-dollar donation. Can you believe it?” She pressed the check into his hand, which was my signal.

“A problem with the vegetarian dinner option?” I shrieked into my headpiece. “No, no, no. We can’t have that, especially not at a fundraiser for animals. I’ll be right there.”

I pressed my Bluetooth device to imitate ending a call and then turned toward Nan with a panicked expression. “C’mon, I think this one might require both of us. It was nice seeing you again, Mr. Leavitt. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“It’s all you, bud,” I mumbled into the headpiece as Nan and I rushed outside. “Operation Red Dot is in full swing.”