The Comfy Canine Murder Case Read online

  The Comfy Canine Murder Case - A Paige Moore Mystery - Book 2

  Adele M Cooper

  Copyright © 2019 by Adele M. Cooper

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1: The New Resident

  Chapter 2: Comfy Canine Training School

  Chaoter 3: The Body

  Chapter 4: Connections

  Chapter 5: New Clients

  Chapter 6: Approaching Trouble

  Chapter 7: Bad Luck

  Chapter 8: Suspects

  Chapter 9: Fallout

  Chapter 10: Looking for Answers

  Chapter 11: Truth and Lies

  Chapter 12: No Coincidence

  Chapter 13: Ambush

  Chapter 14: More Clues

  Chapter 15: Empty

  Chapter 16: Request for Help

  Chapter 17: The Coded Journal

  Chapter 18: Otter Crest Loop

  Chapter 19: Confusion

  Chapter 20: Suspicions

  Chapter 21: Searching for the Truth

  Chapter 22: Fight or Flight

  Chapter 23: Answers

  Chapter 24: To the Future

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also from Lirios Publishing

  Chapter 1: The New Resident

  About the Author

  1: The New Resident

  With the scent of fresh air filling her nose and a warm mug of coffee between her hands, Paige Moore opened the window of her small home and looked up and down the street. Frowning to herself, she checked her watch.

  It was almost eight thirty, and she had better things to do with her time than wait for her visitor all morning.

  As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Paige sighed. No, actually, she didn’t. It was hard being a divorce lawyer in the tiny town of Otter Rock. Whereas once, when she lived in the far larger city of Portland, her time would be taken up with several clients in a single day, now she was lucky if she got several clients in a single week.

  Which was exactly the point, she reminded herself. She had drowned herself in paperwork and exhaustion, until she was forced, by her doctor, to stop. Now, here she was, the famous divorce lawyer in the middle of nowhere, with only her name to draw clients from the surrounding towns.

  Sometimes, Paige missed Portland fiercely. She missed the hustle and bustle of the city, where there was never a dull moment because something was always happening. Being here, in Otter Rock, reminded her of her more peaceful childhood, and of the friends and family she loved…but, sometimes, she got a little bored.

  Though, maybe that had to do with the exciting case she had helped solve not long after she had settled down here. Solving the murder of Cynthia Johnson had given her an adrenaline rush as she pushed to find the clues and catch the culprit. She hadn’t felt that excited about something since she had been in Portland.

  Maybe, Paige thought wryly, I should have gone into law enforcement instead.

  Yet, she had to admit that maybe it hadn’t been the only thing that had made her heart hum with excitement. There had also been…

  As if her thoughts had summoned it, a patrol car turned the corner and began driving down the road, stirring clouds of dust on the dirt road. Paige straightened, taking a sip of her coffee, watching the car as it slowed to a stop outside her apartment. She couldn’t restrain her smile as the tall form of Jack Lewis pulled himself out of the driver’s seat.

  She had known Jack Lewis a very long time ago when they were both teenagers in Otter Rock. They had become firm friends, but they had lost contact when Paige had left him behind in Otter Rock, more intent on chasing her dreams than to look back at who had stayed. When she had returned home, she had been stunned to realize that her childhood friend had become the sheriff of this small town.

  It was with Jack that she had solved her first murder. As proud as Paige was of that case, she couldn’t help but wince when she remembered just how much trouble they had gotten into; at one point, she had feared Jack would lose his badge for involving her, a civilian, in a murder investigation.

  Now, seven months later, Jack was still the sheriff, Paige was beginning to settle more into the small community around her and the two of them were navigating the waters of the romance that had sprung up between them. She smiled and leaned out the open window.

  “Should you be drinking that?” Jack asked as he approached, looking pointedly at the cup she held in her hands.

  “One cup isn’t going to hurt me,” Paige said, tossing her head. “I’m allowed one to start the day.”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Just one, then. Any more than that, and I’m getting your mother involved.”

  Paige gasped in mock horror. “That’s a low blow, Jack!”

  He just grinned unrepentantly. Paige smiled back, pleased that they could joke about this; three months ago, when she had a meltdown right in front of Jack because she had taken on too much work, she had scared him half to death. He hadn’t been happy to discover that it was moments like that which had driven her to leave Portland in the first place.

  Jack entered the building, and Paige met him at her door, opening it for him as she eyed the basket in his arms.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Just wait and I’ll show you,” he said, looking pleased with himself.

  Paige frowned at him. “Does this have anything to do with the surprise you keep saying you have for me?”

  Jack had driven her crazy, over the last week, when he kept telling her that he had a surprise for her, but she had to wait and see what it was. She hadn’t understood why she had to wait so long, and he had been firm about not telling her until the time was right, whenever that would be.

  “Maybe,” he said with a wink. “Come on, let me inside, I need to put this down.”

  Paige, insanely curious, opened the door further and allowed Jack inside. When the flap of the basket opened slightly as Jack moved, she ducked her head to try and see inside, scowling at Jack when he moved so that she couldn’t.

  “Don’t try and spoil it,” he chided, laughing at her. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you waiting too much longer.”

  Paige had the grace to blush. She wasn’t known for having much patience, though she would always claim that it was because she was just interested in finding the answers to her questions.

  Jack set the basket on the table and stepped back.

  “Okay, you can look now,” he said, sweeping his arm in the air before him.

  Paige wondered if this was some sort of practical joke, but she couldn’t see a joke lasting for a whole week just for some sort of punchline. Frowning, she opened the lid of the basket and peered inside.

  Only to drop it in shock when she saw what was curled up, dozing, inside.

  “A dog?” she gasped.

  Jack grinned, pleased at her reaction. He had known Paige would be surprised, and he had already prepared all his arguments.

  “A beagle, to be exact,” Jack said, lifting the lid up again. The tiny dog inside, having been disturbed from its slumber when Paige opened the basket the first time, blinked open its large eyes to look up at them.

  Paige leaned over to look at it. It tilted its large, round head; its ears flopping as it got clumsily to its feet. As it woke up, its brown tail started to wag.

  “What…why?” Paige asked, looking lost.

  Jack couldn’t help but feel pleased that he had managed to catch her off-guard
. Paige was clever, and it was difficult, sometimes, to surprise her. He reached into the basket and carefully lifted the puppy out, showing off its white belly and the dark fur on its back.

  “Paige, meet Barkley,” he announced.

  Paige snorted in surprised amusement. “Barkley? Really, Jack?”

  “You don’t think it’s a good name?” Jack asked in mock offense.

  “I think it’s obvious,” Paige said, her voice dry. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

  “Boy,” Jack said. He held the puppy out to her. “Here, you take him. He’s yours now.”

  “I get that…but why?” Paige asked.

  Jack thought about all the reasons why he had spent the last week adopting this puppy for Paige. He wasn’t a fool; he had noticed how his girlfriend was having some difficulty settling down in Otter Rock once more, especially after the excitement of the murder case.

  He hadn’t brought it up with Paige. Part of him was afraid of what she would say and what she would decide to do. He didn’t want to hear her say that she wanted to return to Portland, where he would no longer be able to see her. If that was what she truly wanted, then he would have no choice other than to accept it.

  But that didn’t mean he couldn’t try and make things a little easier for her in the hopes that she would decide to stay.

  “You live out here on your own; I thought you might like some company,” he said with a shrug.

  She shot him a suspicious look, almost as though she was looking through him to see the real reason behind it. He just shot her a smile.

  “I’ve never had a dog,” Paige said. Jack had to laugh; he could see the truth of that by how awkwardly she was holding the beagle puppy. “I wouldn’t have any idea how to look after one. I don’t think this was a very good idea, Jack.”

  Jack didn’t let that faze him. He had known she would say something like that.

  “Why not just give it a try?” he suggested. “If you don’t like Barkley, we can find a family to adopt him. But just try, first?”

  “What would I even do with him?” Paige asked, frowning.

  “Feed him, pat him, take him for walks,” Jack suggested.

  That was, admittedly, another reason why he had decided to get Paige a dog. She would have to take Barkley for a walk every day, which would give her the opportunity to get out of the apartment and away from her paperwork for a little while. It also didn’t hurt that it would force her to see more of the beauty of Otter Rock around her, reminding her of the nature that she had loved as a child.

  He just wasn’t going to say that. He didn’t want Paige to think he was trying to manipulate her.

  “But what will I do with him while I’m at work?” Paige asked.

  “You can train him so he’ll be able to go into the office with you,” Jack said. “Also, your parents said they were happy to dog-sit for you.”

  She gave him a look of mock betrayal. “You already went to my parents and asked them about this?” She paused and an expression of real outrage crossed her face. “I’m an adult, you didn’t need to ask my parents for permission to get me a dog!”

  “No, I was just asking them if they would be able to help out if you needed it, since I knew you’d bring work up,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “You’re running out of arguments, Paige.”

  He probably shouldn’t have said that; he knew her well enough to know that she would take it as a challenge. He could already see her gearing up to argue more.

  At that moment Barkley barked, a high-pitched sound that startled them both, and wriggled in Paige’s arms. Paige, startled, tightened her grip on him and was not prepared for the puppy to lift his head and lick her on the nose.

  Jack couldn’t help but laugh. The expression on Paige’s face was hilarious. After a moment of shock, she scrunched up her nose and wiped it with the back of her hand.

  “Yuck,” she said. “Do all dogs do that?”

  “Yeah,” Jack said.

  Paige grimaced and put Barkley on the ground. The puppy instantly tore away, the movement of its short legs awkward and clumsy, so it wasn’t a surprise when it tumbled head over heels as it reached the carpet.

  Paige snorted. “I guess he’s cute.”

  “So you’ll keep him?” Jack asked.

  Paige glanced at him and rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll give it a few days, okay? But you can’t be mad if I decide to find someone else to adopt him.”

  “I promise,” Jack said.

  Paige turned to watch Barkley again. The little puppy barked again, its tail wagging wildly, as he shook his head, his brown ears flopping in his eyes. A smile came to her lips, and then she laughed when the tiny thing jumped onto the couch and promptly slid off again.

  Jack just smiled. No matter what other excuses he came up with, there had only been one true reason to adopt Barkley.

  And that was the happy smile currently on Paige’s face.

  Chapter 2: Comfy Canine Training School

  2: Comfy Canine Training School

  After Jack had left to go to work, Paige stood and watched as Barkley tumbled around on her floor, wondering what to do now. Had Jack given her any indication that he would do something like this? No. While she had been suspicious about the secret he was obviously keeping from her, she hadn’t even imagined that he would buy her a dog.

  As she had told Jack, she had never owned a dog before. Her parents had had a cat when she was younger, but she hadn’t had much to do with it, and it had mostly lounged around the yard and only come inside for food. But she couldn’t put Barkley outside; she knew enough about dogs to know that he would take that as an open invitation to run if she didn’t put him on a leash.

  What was she even supposed to feed him? She had no dog food, no bowls and no toys to keep him entertained either. What had Jack been thinking when he did this to her?

  She felt something fluffy crash into her ankle and she looked down to see Barkley sitting at her feet. He had barreled right into her leg. He was giving her a huge, doggy grin as he looked up at her. She could reluctantly admit that he was cute.

  Paige just wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with this right now. She was tired because she hadn’t been sleeping very well, and she couldn’t remember if she had eaten dinner the night before. She could barely take care of herself. How was she supposed to take care of a puppy?

  She looked back down. Barkley was still sitting there, looking up at her. With a sigh, she bent down, picked him up, and he gave her a happy yip, licking her chin before she could stop it.

  She wrinkled her nose. He might have been cute, but she didn’t care for that.

  “We’re going to have to make some rules,” she said to the puppy, and immediately felt ridiculous. She doubted the dog could understand her.

  Was he even trained? Jack hadn’t even told her how old he was, though she thought that was because he hadn’t been able to stay for very long. The tiny puppy certainly didn’t look very old.

  There was a way to figure out whether he had any training. She put Barkley on the floor again and pointed at him.

  “Sit,” she said in the most commanding tone she had.

  Barkley looked at her, barked, and then ran off. Paige sighed. Not trained, then. What was she supposed to do about that? She would have no idea how to train him.

  Then again…wasn’t there something like a school where owners could take dogs to be trained?

  Paige considered Barkley. He was trying to get up on the couch again, his paws slipping on the soft material. Something like that would be a good idea. She wouldn’t even know where to start, so getting a second opinion was a good idea.

  Did she even want to do that, though? Paige wasn’t even sure if she was going to keep Barkley. Training school would cost money, money that may not be worth anything if she ended up giving Barkley away.

  An acrid smell met her nose. Blinking, she looked around and gaped as she saw Barkley with one leg up, yellow liquid already running down the leg of her coff
ee table and pooling on the floor.

  “Barkley, no!” she cried, running over to pick him up.

  But he was already finished, and he yipped happily at her, unaware of what he had just done. Paige looked from him to the mess and sighed.

  Puppy training would probably be a good idea after all. At least he would learn to go outside while he was with her.

  She glanced again at the puddle and grimaced. She should leave that for Jack to clean up. This was his fault, after all. As soon as the thought occurred, she knew she wouldn’t do that to him, and she sighed and headed to the laundry to collect some cleaning supplies.

  Two days later, Paige put Barkley in her car and headed out to Newport. After some searching, she had discovered that the closest training school, called the Comfy Canine Training School, was there. As she drove to the port town, she couldn’t help but remember the last time she had been here.

  “This place brings back memories,” she told Barkley.

  Barkley barked at her. It wasn’t an answer, but Paige found that she didn’t mind. She had done some research online, which suggested that speaking to dogs would comfort them, so she had started speaking her thoughts out loud for him, even if he couldn’t understand. It was strangely therapeutic.

  Driving into town, she went past the apartment building that Avery Johnson had stayed in with his aunt and her partner following his mother’s death. She pressed her lips together. She wondered what had happened to Avery, in the end.

  According to gossip, he had been sent away to live with other relatives. Paige was relieved by this; she hoped that Avery was happier where he was now.