Doggie Day Care Murder Read Online Free PDF

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    â€œWe’re always happy to meet new people and new dogs,” she said. “Tell me about yours.”
    The surest way to make friends among the crowd I ran around with was to ask exactly that. Of course in this case, Candy wasn’t asking about my Poodles. Alice’s Berkley was the dog she was interested in.
    â€œHe’s an eighteen-month-old Golden Retriever named Berkley. Beautiful, smart, very well-meaning. Great with kids, but he needs his exercise. I’m glad to see that you have outdoor paddocks. He loves to run around outside.”
    â€œMost of them do,” Candy said with a quick nod. “We want happy dogs here, and happy dogs are ones that aren’t bored. We think happy dogs lead to happy owners.”
    Good lord, I thought. Another cheerleader. Between the two of them, Steve and Candy generated enough intensity to power a hot-air balloon.
    â€œI should mention,” I said, “that Berkley isn’t actually my dog. He belongs to a friend, Alice Brickman. She’s the one who’s looking for a day care situation for him. But she’s not particularly knowledgeable about dogs and she was afraid she wouldn’t know what to look for, so she asked me to come and see what I thought.”
    â€œSo that makes you, what . . .” Candy said with a smile, “a surrogate dog owner?”
    â€œNot at all.” I laughed at the idea. “I have my own dogs as well. Five Standard Poodles. You know, the big ones?”
    â€œI love Standard Poodles! They’re the best. Do you put them in those crazy clips? The ones that make them look like they belong in the circus?”
    â€œSometimes,” I admitted. “When they’re showing, they have to be trimmed that way. But once they retire, I just keep them in a regular sporting trim.”
    â€œYou have to meet Bailey,” said Candy. “She’s going to love you.”
    â€œOur in-house groomer,” Steve explained. “Bailey’s in charge of keeping all our dogs’ ears clean and nails trimmed. And of course, if a client wants a full bath and trim for their dog, she can do that too. But I’m afraid she never gets to work on anything quite as exotic as your Poodles.”
    Candy grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway. “Come on. The grooming room is down here. Bailey’s going to be thrilled to meet a real Poodle expert.”
    â€œI’ll leave you now,” said Steve, lingering behind. “Once Candy has you in her clutches—”
    â€œSurely you meant capable hands, didn’t you?” she threw back over her shoulder. Our headlong progress didn’t slow down in the slightest. “Don’t worry, if Melanie has any more questions, I’m sure I’ll be able to answer them for her. Go on back and lock yourself in your office and do whatever it is you do when I’m out here working.”
    It didn’t take an expert, or a relative, to discern the edge in that comment.
    â€œI’m doing accounts payable this morning,” Steve said mildly. “I’d be happy to trade jobs if you like.”
    â€œMe, do the books? Not on a bet. I’d be comatose inside of fifteen minutes. Here we are.”
    Candy stopped in front of a glass-paneled door. Sadly, when we paused, I had to catch my breath. What can I say? I used to be more fit before I had a baby.
    â€œNice meeting you, Melanie.” Steve turned and headed back toward the door.
    â€œLikewise,” I called after him.
    â€œYou’ll like Bailey,” Candy said, as she pushed open the door. “She seems all shy and quiet at first, but once you get to know her, she never shuts up. Plus, she absolutely loves dogs. The two of you are bound to get along splendidly.”

4
    S hy and quiet was an understatement, I thought, ten minutes later, as I walked back around to the front of the compound where my car was parked. Bailey had barely said more than a dozen