One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery) Read Online Free Page B

room-temperature water. After turning off the TV, she forced herself to walk upstairs and climb into bed. Her sleep was restless and troubled by terrible dreams.
    When she went back downstairs in the morning, she found a note Patrick had left on top of the tarp covering her kitchen table. His note said Tallulah had eaten a grilled cheese sandwich and he’d be back later to help her look for Elvis. Mae remembered Patrick’s frowning face in the middle of the night. Oh, God, did he say he couldn’t find Elvis? Her stomach contracted with worry.
    She flew out to the kennels with her cellphone in hand, praying Patrick had found Elvis before he left, but his dog run was empty. Patrick was often a source of mixed feelings. On the plus side, he had fixed Tallulah a grilled cheese sandwich, which she ate. One worry was off her mind. Tallulah would be able to nurse her puppies. Tube feeding them would have been an around-the-clock challenge. However, Patrick must have released Elvis for a quick run and the Pomeranian had never been trained to come when called. He certainly didn’t need to be running loose with a crime scene down the street. She called Patrick and thanked him for getting Tallulah to eat.
    “What happened to Elvis?” she asked.
    “I stopped back about eleven last night, but you were crashed, so I let Elvis out for a minute. He ran into the kitchen and barked so loud I thought he was upsetting Tallulah. I grabbed him and tried to put him back in the kennel, but he got away. I’m so sorry, Mae. I tried to wake you. You were pretty out of it.”
    “It’s okay. July left me two sleeping pills last night. That must be why I slept as hard as I did. That little demon probably did upset Tallulah, but now we have a free-range Elvis situation on our hands. Did you see which way he went?”
    “He darted straight up the hill and into the woods. I tried to find him, but I couldn’t see a thing in the dark. I knew I’d be too tired to play in my tournament today if I didn’t get some sleep, so I had to go.”
    Patrick worked constantly on his standings in disc golf, hoping to go pro by the summer. Apparently, it was of vital importance for him to participate in all the tournaments possible. She sighed, wished him luck and got off the phone.
    Mae stood in her unfinished kitchen and considered her options. She could drive around and look for Elvis, but he wouldn’t surrender easily. However, she had seen several good-sized coyotes in the valley recently and he’d be no match for them. Mae grabbed her granddad’s old walking stick out of the hall closet and was on her way out the back door when the unmistakable sound of Joe’s decrepit work truck chugged up the drive. She ran out with the walking stick clutched in her hand.
    “Whoa there, Hon. Where’re you going with that weapon?”
    “I’m trying to find Elvis. He’s been missing since late last night.”
    “Now, darlin’, it’s time you realized the King is dead.” Joe grinned. He must not have heard about Ruby yet, Mae thought or he wouldn’t be so lighthearted. Joe and Ruby, although they had clashed in recent times, had a history. He had been crazy about her back in their younger days.
    “Joe, I’m looking for Ruby’s dog. Patrick let him out late last night. Ruby’s … Oh, I can hardly tell you what’s happened. I found a body yesterday.” Her voice broke. “It was Ruby’s body. Someone killed her.”
    The grin slid off his face, and she reached out to hold him. A shudder passed through his body as he grabbed Mae’s shoulders.
    “Why wouldn’t she listen to me?” He sounded angry. “I told her to watch out for that guy. She always did everything the hard way.”
    Who was he talking about? Before she could ask, the sheriff’s car pulled in behind Joe’s truck. Sheriff Bradley and an overweight, redheaded deputy got out of the car. Joe released his grip on her shoulders and turned to face the sheriff.
    “Hey, I hope I’m not interrupting