Barking Detective 04 - The Chihuahua Always Sniffs Twice Read Online Free PDF

into his office, which was as modern and composed as the rest of the building. A burnished teak desk dominated the room. Bookcases lined one wall, while his diplomas were mounted on the other. The outside wall was all glass and looked out over the bay, glimpsed through a scrim of evergreen trees. Hugh motioned us to sit on a couch covered in buttery black leather and seated himself in a matching swivel chair behind the desk.
    “I don’t think I’ve ever met a private detective,” he said. “Let alone such an attractive one, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
    I didn’t mind one bit, but just said, “Thanks. It’s nice of you to take the time to talk to us.”
    “Get to the point, Geri,” Pepe told me. “That is why we are here.”
    I pulled out my notebook. “Could you tell me more about what happened with the dogs?” I asked.
    “Sure,” said Hugh. “It didn’t amount to much. Someone scattered some chocolate-chip cookies in the yard. Yolanda knew chocolate was poisonous for dogs, so she wanted me to check them out.”
    “And the dogs were OK?”
    Hugh nodded. “There wasn’t enough chocolate in those cookies to kill a dog. They’d have to eat dozens to suffer any truly serious effects.”
    “So if someone wanted to poison the dogs,” I said, “they really didn’t do a very good job.”
    “That’s correct,” said Hugh. “Henry was the only dog we were concerned about. Just because he’s older. We decided to keep him overnight for observation.”
    “And how is he doing?”
    “He’s fine. Ready to go home.”
    “Ask him about Mrs. Carpenter,” Pepe reminded me.
    “What can you tell me about Mrs. Carpenter?” I asked Hugh.
    Hugh pointed to a framed photograph on the wall surrounded by his diplomas. It showed an older woman with white hair, styled in the pageboy that was popular among movie stars in the forties. She was draped in white furs, dripping with diamonds, and surrounded by four cocker spaniels.
    “That’s Lucille Carpenter right there,” he said. “A magnificent woman. She was very particular, too. She expected the highest quality of care for her animals.”
    “Well, she seems to have found it with you,” I said. “You’ve got a very modern clinic here.”
    “Thanks to Lucille,” he said. “This was just a dumpy little small-town clinic before I met her. She tore it down and hired an architect to design this building. She really knew how to get things done. Smart as a whip; learned a lot from her husband—he was a general contractor.”
    “Oh,” I said. “I thought he was a farmer.”
    “You must mean Chuck Carpenter. He was her second husband. I’m talking about her first husband, Fred. He built several large shopping malls in Seattle.”
    “I see,” I said.
    “After he died, she moved here to Sequim. Said she wanted a little more sun in her life.”
    “I heard there are three hundred days of sunshine in Sequim,” I said.
    “You heard right,” said Hugh. “That’s why we are able to grow lavender here.
    And speaking of lavender, are you staying for the lavender festival? It’s this weekend.”
    “I wasn’t planning on it,” I said. “Tell me about it.”
    “There are booths in town selling lavender products, and more booths at the fairgrounds serving lavender-themed food and products, and musical groups playing all day long. Then there are buses that take people around to tour the various lavender farms.”
    “Sounds fascinating,” I said.
    “If you’re interested, I could arrange a special, private dinner with a focus on lavender,” Hugh said. “I know quite a few restaurant owners.” He paused. “If you decide to stay around.”
    “I think we’ll be back in Seattle by the weekend,” I said, “but I appreciate the invitation.”
    “Well, if you change your mind, just give me a call,” he said, standing up. He scribbled a number on the back of one of his professional cards. When he handed it to me, he pressed it into my palm. I swear I