The Fashion Hound Murders (18 page)

Josie was too proud to borrow it from Alyce, though her rich friend would lend it without question. She felt sad and guilty that her daughter had to fret about the family finances.

“I want you to enjoy your childhood without worrying about money,” Josie said.

“Everybody worries about money,” Amelia said. “Even the rich kids at school are having problems. Mason isn’t going to Aspen for Christmas. Her family can’t afford a ski trip. Jessica got her allowance cut. She used to get twenty dollars a week and now she acts like she’s broke on five dollars.”

“She is, by her standards,” Josie said. “Did she save any of her allowance?”

“She spent it on clothes and junk,” Amelia said. “Donna’s father lost his job and her mother fired the maid. Donna has to clean her room and change her sheets. You’d think she was a slave or something. I’ve been doing chores all my life.”

Only if I nag you, Josie wanted to say.

“So we all worry about money,” Amelia said. “Harry’s part of our family and I want to keep him well.”

“Me, too,” Josie said. “I’m proud that you are so responsible. Put your money away. Taking care of Harry is my job.”

Josie was relieved when two phones—her cell and their home line—rang at once, ending that conversation. Amelia checked the home phone display on the living room extension. “It’s Grandpa! I’ll talk to him.”

Josie answered her cell. At first, she didn’t recognize the caller’s girlish voice.

“It’s me, Traci. Alyce’s neighbor with the little dog. You told me to call. Is it okay? Are you fixing supper or some-thingy? Your vet, Dr. Ted, just left. What a sweetie.”

“How is Snowball?” Josie asked.

Now the girlish voice turned sad. “Dr. Ted says you were right. Snowball is a puppy mill dog. He suspected she was raised by that breeder who just got arrested, what’s his name?”

“Jonah Deerford. He’s out on bail now,” Josie said.

“That man better not come around me,” Traci said. “He’ll be safer in jail. I swear I’ll kill him. What he did to my poor little dog was brutal. Do you know why Snowball walks funny? She was cooped up in a wire cage. It didn’t have a regular floor. She wasn’t let out to run and play. She spent her little puppy life balancing on those wires. When she got tired, her leg fell through the holes in the cage floor. How scary is that?” Josie heard Traci’s tears for her dog’s pain.

“That’s cruel,” Josie said.

Traci was wound up now, eager to deliver her news. “You know why Snowball is afraid of the television? Dr. Ted says it’s because she never heard a TV before. Can you believe that? She doesn’t know what a phone is, either. She’s not housebroken because puppy mill puppies just go in their cages. Sometimes they sleep in it.”

“I’m so sorry,” Josie said.

“Dr. Ted says she’s a bright little animal and she likes people, despite what they did to her. Well, one person, anyway. He says if I am patient and loving, I can help her live a normal life. There’s nothing physically wrong with her, except she’s too skinny, and she has fleas and an ear infection. He gave her medicine for that. He says she’s lucky. Some puppy mill dogs are born with deformities or they have rotten teeth. I have to give her a special diet so she can build strong bones and put on weight.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Josie said.

“I know I should have listened to you and Alyce and not bought Snowball. But now I have her and I’m going to make her better. So I guess her story has a happy ending, doesn’t it?

“We just have to stop those puppy mills. Dr. Ted hates them. He says puppy mill owners should go to jail. I think prison is too good for them. What if a judge lets them off with a slap on the wrist? It happens, you know. I read it on the Internet. People like Jonah Deerford should die, slowly and painfully.”

“Uh,” Josie said

Traci was still talking nonstop. “Dr. Ted is working to change the laws. He says people are animals, too, and he doesn’t believe in killing them. He wants to make it more difficult to run puppy mills and for the bad puppy breeders to keep the profits. He thinks their money should go to the shelters that rehabilitate the puppy mill dogs and cats. Hit them in the wallet, he says. That’s where they really hurt.

“Dr. Ted wants me to write a letter to my state representative saying we need a stricter puppy mill code and the money to enforce it. We have to have more inspections of breeding facilities. I gave Dr. Ted two hundred dollars for his rescue group.”

“That’s nice,” Josie said.

“It’s the least I can do,” Traci said, with the fervor of a new convert. “That’s how much I spent on dog clothes. Dr. Ted works with rescued animals. He also volunteers his time to do low-cost spaying and neutering. He’ll even lower his bills if you’re in financial need, which I’m not. Isn’t he nice?”

“Yes,” Josie said.

It’s all she could manage before Traci said, “Oops. Look at the time. My husband will be home soon and I haven’t started dinner. I have to feed him and my puppy. I just wanted to thank you for suggesting Dr. Ted. I feel so much better about Snowball. If you need a good vet, I recommend Dr. Ted.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Josie said. “I’m glad you called. Thanks for telling me about Snowball.” But Traci had already hung up.

Josie was about to call Dr. Ted when Amelia came running into the room.

“Grandpa says Harry could be really sick and we should call the vet. He says he’ll pick up the bills. That can be my Christmas present.”

“That’s not much of a present,” Josie said.

“A healthy Harry is the only present I want,” Amelia said.

Chapter 21

“Hunk alert!” Amelia said, peering between the miniblinds out the front window. “Major hottie on the porch.”

Josie was horrified to see her daughter had mastered Mrs. Mueller’s spying technique. Amelia was lifting a blind by one finger for a better covert view.

“Amelia, what are you talking about?” Josie kept her voice low.

“I think Harry’s new vet is about to knock on the door,” Amelia whispered. “This dude is sizzlin’.”

“Amelia Marcus!” Josie gave her daughter a glare that should have lasered the freckles off her nose. “If you start any of your stupid matchmaking talk, I won’t answer the door. If Harry dies, it will be your fault.”

A chastened Amelia retreated to her room. Josie opened the door and her eyes widened. Her daughter was right.

Dr. Ted was a hunk. He was a strapping six feet tall. A red plaid lumberjack shirt emphasized his broad chest. His jaw could have been designed with a T-square. He had on jeans and well-worn Timberland boots. Dr. Ted wasn’t outrageously ripped like Stan. He was a normal, average hunk with melting brown eyes. And Josie was melting like ice cream in August.

Easy, girl, Josie told herself. Wipe off the drool and reboot your brain. If you fall for this vet, there is definitely something wrong with the man.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Ted. Thank you for the new client.”

“Come in,” Josie said, pleased she could manage those two words. “I heard from Traci how you helped Snowball.”

“I didn’t do anything but examine her dog. She’s going to have to do most of the work. But I think she has the patience and motivation to work with Snowball.”

Modesty. A good quality in a man, Josie thought.

“How can I help you?” Dr. Ted said.

“I’m worried about my daughter’s cat.” She described Harry’s symptoms.

“Could be serious, could be minor,” Dr. Ted said. “Won’t know until I see the little guy. Do you have a pet caddy?”

“Yes.”

“Would you put it outside the door of his room? I don’t want to spook him, but I may have to take him to the van for an X-ray.”

Josie led Dr. Ted down the hall to Amelia’s room. Her daughter was on her bed, petting her lethargic cat. Harry’s eyes widened and his ears pricked up, but he stayed there.

Ted deftly turned Harry to expose his belly and expertly probed it with his fingers. “I think the little guy is constipated. He’s probably in pain. But I’d like to take an X-ray first.”

“Did he break a bone?” Amelia was white with fright.

“No, but pets sometimes swallow strange things. I worked on a dog that ate a needle and a cat that swallowed a plastic bag. Sometimes there’s a mass blocking the intestines. I don’t think your cat has those problems, but I have to check.”

While he talked, Josie handed him the pet caddy. Dr. Ted efficiently packed Harry into it. Harry gave one faint meow and they were out the door. Dr. Ted loped to an oversized blue van. On the side was ST. LOUIS MOBO-PET and a cartoon trio—a dog, a cat, and a bird sitting on the cat’s head. Giant letters announced TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF VET VISITS—WE COME TO YOU. The phone number was the size of a spaniel. The van was large enough that Dr. Ted could enter without ducking his head.

“Do you think Harry will be okay, Mom?” Amelia paced the living room like a worried parent.

“I’m sure Dr. Ted will do his best,” Josie said, wishing she could say something more reassuring.

Dr. Ted was back in ten minutes, carrying a blue gym bag and Harry’s caddy. He was smiling. “Well, that wasn’t too bad,” the vet said.

Harry’s annoyed meows said otherwise.

“What has your cat been eating?” he asked.

“Cat food,” Josie said. “The dry kind. We had a coupon for a bag of it.”

“Any soft food—canned food?”

“No,” Josie said. “But the dry food is a good brand.”

“I’m sure it is,” Dr. Ted said. “Your cat is definitely stopped up. I brought the materials for an enema. Do you have a bathroom we can use—and a tub?”

“Amelia’s bathroom will be fine,” Josie said, and showed him the room. He began unpacking the blue bag.

Amelia opened her mouth to protest, then quickly shut it.

Josie said under her breath, “Your cat, your bathroom.”

“Great first date,” Amelia whispered. “What are you going to do next time, shoot rats at the dump?”

“It’s not a date,” Josie hissed. “He’s here for your cat.”

“Right. That’s why he keeps staring at you.”

“For that remark, you can also clean up the bathroom,” Josie whispered.

Josie found a stack of old towels, folded up Amelia’s purple rug, then put down an old one. Amelia talked to Harry, who was still imprisoned in the caddy. Dr. Ted opened a prepackaged enema and brought out the cat.

“Is that a Fleet Enema?” Josie asked.

“You can’t use the human product for cats. It’s too high in phosphorus. This one is specially designed for felines.”

Ted wrapped Harry in an old towel, with only his rear end sticking out. Harry meowed in protest and wiggled around until his head was peeking out and his rear was safely hidden.

After soothing words and a brief struggle, the vet administered the solution, then gave Harry a pat and set him on the floor.

Harry ran for the litter box.

“Let’s give him some privacy,” Dr. Ted said. They filed out of the room and stood in Josie’s living room.

“He should be okay, but if his functions don’t resume normally, bring him into my office or give me a call,” Dr. Ted said. “You’re feeding him good food, but some cats require soft food as well as dry. Give him a few spoonfuls of canned food every day and we may be able to prevent this situation from happening again.”

“Thank you,” Josie said. “How much do I owe you?”

“Two hundred dollars.”

Josie gulped. She hoped she had enough in the bank to write him a check.

“Or you can donate twenty-five dollars to the Humane Society of Missouri and then go out with me for coffee.” Amelia pumped her fist in a “yes!” motion.

“I don’t want favors,” Josie said.

“You’re doing me the favor,” he said. “Let’s go check on Harry.”

Amelia ran ahead and peeked into her bathroom. “He’s using the litter box.”

“Good,” Dr. Ted said. “Let’s leave him alone. He’ll be pretty grumpy for a bit and he may not want you near him, but he’ll forgive you when he feels better.”

Josie wrote him a check and asked, “Would you like to have that coffee here, Dr. Ted? I have fresh brownies.” She didn’t add that her daughter had made them.

“Might as well,” he said. “I can be here if Harry needs me.” He saw the alarm in Amelia’s face and said, “Not that I’m expecting a problem. Now I’d like to wash up, if I could.”

“The cat-free bathroom is down the hall on the right, Dr. Ted,” Josie said, and prayed she hadn’t left any bras hanging in there.

“My name is Ted,” he said as he went down the hall.

Josie turned to Amelia. “Go upstairs and visit your grandmother. She’ll want to know all about Harry. I’ll call you when Ted leaves.”

Amelia went upstairs without a word. Josie nuked the brownies and made coffee for Ted. He stood with her in the kitchen and talked. When she started to take the food to the living room, Ted said, “I like the kitchen better.”

“I’m not much of a cook,” Josie confessed.

“I am,” he said. “I like to cook. The kitchen is the heart of the house.”

A man who liked to cook. He was perfection. Josie liked that he felt comfortable talking in a kitchen. To her that meant he was good with people. At some of the best parties, the men and women gravitated to the kitchen, where they swapped stories and drank. The stuffed shirts stayed in the living room.

As she set sugar and milk on the table, Josie checked Ted’s left hand for a wedding ring or that other deadly give-away, the white line that signaled a married man on the prowl. She didn’t see either, so he was genuinely single, or a good liar.

While Josie poured their coffee, they exchanged the obligatory personal histories. Ted said he was single, with no children, no ex-wives or committed girlfriend—or, in the case of Josie’s last serious lover—an ex-girlfriend who should be committed.

“Do you have an aspirin?” Ted asked.

“Are you okay?” she asked. She thought he looked a little pale.

“I’m fine. I think I might be coming down with the flu. I’ll probably go home after my shift.”

“Do you live nearby?” Josie asked.

“My veterinary clinic is on Manchester Road, about three miles from here,” he said. “I live a block behind it with a black Lab and a cat. I take them both to work.”

“What kind of cat?”