Deadly Décor (A Caprice De Luca Mystery) Read Online Free PDF

been a bad thing. Bella’s headed in a direction I don’t approve of. I’m trying not to judge her, but she doesn’t want to give any thought to my suggestions, so there’s nothing I can really do to help.”
    “Except listen.”
    “Yeah, I know. And I will. Still, this isn’t the place to have the conversation we were having, not when someone is liable to come outside at any time.” She looked toward the house, worried about Bella, yet knowing she couldn’t help her at the moment. Maybe later, when her sister was in the mood to take advice.
    Caprice checked her watch. “I’m going to call my vet. He has a small practice and often goes in to feed the animals himself on weekends. Maybe I can catch him.”
    “You’re good friends?”
    “After all the animals I’ve taken in, I’d say so. He’s done me favors and I’ve done him a few. Sometimes somebody will drop off a stray at his practice. When he can’t find them a home, he calls me. Let’s see if she’ll come out of the tomatoes so I can look her over.”
    Caprice stretched out her hand toward the dog again. “Come on, girl. We won’t hurt you. Let’s see how big you really are.” She gently smoothed her hand over the dog’s head, and the cocker didn’t flinch from it. That was a good sign. She ruffled her ears, made more soothing noises, and took a step back, encouraging her.
    Seth apparently understood one person at a time was enough for a frightened animal and quietly stepped back too. It didn’t take long until Caprice had her arm around the dog. Soon she was running her hands over her, looking for problems other than the obvious.
    “It’s a she,” she said with a grin.
    “She looks like she’s been outside for a while.”
    Caprice slipped her phone out of her lime-green Capris, scrolled through her contact list, and hit Call. She was grateful when she heard Marcus Lang’s deep tone ask, “Hi, Caprice, what’s up? Something wrong with Sophia?”
    “Nope, she’s good. But she may be in for a visitor. I found a dog.”
    “Of course you did,” he said with a hearty laugh.
    She could envision Marcus’s black face in a wide smile, his laughter reaching his almost black eyes. He was big and burly but had gentle hands and a deep respect for animals. He’d earned his degree at Colorado State and come back to Pennsylvania to practice. His family lived in York, but he’d decided to open his Furry Friends Animal Clinic in Kismet. There was another clinic in town. However, there, animals were treated more like numbers. Marcus treated them like people.
    “What kind of dog?” he asked.
    “A cocker. She looks like she’s been outside for a while.”
    “I’m at the office now, catching up on paperwork. Do you want to bring her in?”
    “That would be wonderful. You’re wonderful.”
    “You and my mother think so,” he said in a wry tone. “See you as soon as you can get her here.”
    After she ended the call, she asked Seth, “Do you mind dropping me and the pup at the vet’s? If you get called away, Nikki can always come pick me up.”
    “No problem. Do you have any ideas on how to get her into my truck?”
    “My guess is, she’s starved. I’ll find something inside, and we’ll lead her with that. What do you think?”
    “I think you’ve done this before.”
    “A few times,” she admitted. “She looks like the kind of dog who should belong to someone. Marcus can check for a chip.”
    “A chip?”
    “A computer chip that’s inserted under the skin. Some owners have it done in case their dog or cat runs away. If someone takes the animal to a vet or shelter, they can scan for it. It connects animals to their owners. Hopefully she’ll have one. Can you stay with her while I find something innocuous for her to eat?”
    “And if she tries to run off?” he asked.
    “You’ll think of something.”
    He laughed.
    Caprice’s easy banter with Seth was one of the reasons she liked him so much. They could be light and funny