A Shot in the Bark: A Dog Park Mystery

Saturday, May 14

"Ho, Lia, isn't that your young man treading the path to our little heaven?" Terry gestured towards the access road.

Bailey's bemused expression suggested she had yet to get the hang of Terry's flowery vocabulary.

"My young man?" Lia asked dubiously.

"Ah, yes, our stalwart officer of the law and his newly acquired canine companion. I'd take the lovely Viola, but then the poor lad would have no excuse to bump into our resident artist."

Lia rolled her eyes. "Have you been talking to Anna? Why don't you two go back to passing notes in math class?"

"Oh, but this is math class. And one plus one equals?"

Lia smiled sweetly and handed him two plastic grocery bags. "One plus one equals Jackson and Napa crouching on the other side of that picnic table as we speak. Time for latrine duty, Teddy."

Terry headed for his relieving dogs.

"Teddy?" Bailey asked. "I thought he was Terry."

"Lia's little joke," Anna responded. "She says with little round glasses he'd be a dead ringer for Teddy Roosevelt."

Bailey squinted at the sturdy figure bending over to retrieve Jackson's daily present. "Maybe, I've never seen a picture of Roosevelt from this angle."

Jim chuckled. Viola bounded up and playfully body slammed Honey. Honey took off after her. Chewy started barking. Fleece, as usual, ignored everyone.

"Okay, Little Big Mouth, enough," Lia stated firmly.

Peter walked up. "Little Big Mouth?"

"Chewbacca. It's what I call him when he annoys me."

"I thought he was Chewy?"

"His full name is Chewbacca Wonder Pup, Master of Confusion."

Peter raised his eyebrows.

"His name was supposed to be Chewy," Lia responded to the unasked question. "Marie breeds Schnauzers and she informed me that Schnauzers have too much dignity for such a silly name." She patted her thigh, rubbing Chewy's ears when he propped his front paws on her legs. "She hadn't met you yet, had she, Little Man? Anyway, I gave him a name full of consequence."

"And is Honey just Honey?"

"Oh, I couldn't elevate Chewy and leave her behind. She's Honey Bunny Sunny-Side Up."

"Huh," was Peter's only response.

"Why Detective Dourson!" Catherine announced herself as she moved in next to him. "What brings you to our tiny corner of Cincinnati?"

"Dog's gotta run." He shrugged and used the gesture to dislodge Catherine's hand from his biceps.

"So you're not here to ah - investigate - anyone?" Her emphasis on 'investigate' held prurient notes.

Bailey cleared her throat to stifle a laugh. Anna nudged her and Bailey nudged back.

"Should I be investigating anyone?"

"We're all as innocent as lambs and doves, Detective. I don't think you'll find any guilty consciences here," Catherine announced loftily.

"Oh, I don't know," mourned Anna. "I have to confess to murdering a hot fudge sundae last night.

"Really," said Peter gravely. "And did that murder include cannibalism?"

"Why Detective Peter, you found me out! But you can't prove a thing."