Drool Baby (A Dog Park Mystery) (Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries) by Carol Ann Newsome, C.A. Newsome Read Free Book Online Page A

thing is to tell Lia."
    "Do you think that's a good idea?"
    "I'm not looking forward to it. But I learned the hard way not to keep secrets from her. I won't go through that again."
    "And after that?"
    "We check out Bailey's meds. I don't recall them being on the inventory sheet for the items we took from her house. Likely they're still there. If they
    are, then anyone could have got at them at any time. That means Bailey could have sent her friend Frank to doctor them before he came to you with this
    story. Do you understand?"
    "You mean Frank and Bailey could be pulling a con job on us?"
    "Exactly."
    "So why bother to test her medicine?"
    "You never know what we'll find out. Maybe something conclusive. Maybe a fingerprint."
    "So how do we start?"
    "Look, all of this has to be kept off the clock. I can't bring it into the department or Roller will blow a gasket. After that, he's going to pull Bailey
    out of the psych ward and put her in jail so she can go to court. He is not going to want to reopen a case that's resolved as far as he's concerned, not on
    a flimsy theory by a mentally ill perp. He'll say it's up to her defense to investigate that. I doubt Bailey can afford a lawyer who would invest that much
    in her case.
    "I can help you, but I can't act as a police officer or use department resources. I might be able to pull in a favor with the fingerprint tech, but that's
    about it.
    "If lab results suggest we investigate further, we need to narrow down the list and do deep background checks on the most likely suspects. Deeper than I
    could do last summer. We'll have to find people who knew them years ago."
    "Lotta work."
    "Yes."
    "And we say nothing to anyone except Lia?"
    "Exactly. I'll call you after I talk to Lia, and we'll figure out how to get started. I've got to think about this."
     
     

~ ~ ~
     
     
Friday, August 31
     
    Renee is too outrageous, Lia decided as she studied the drawing she was making for the ebullient socialite. Lia was sitting on the wood floor of her living
    room with her back against the mission style couch. She had a drawing pad braced against her knees. Chewy and Honey snoozed comfortably on the sofa.
     
    She'd met with the petite brunette at her East Walnut Hills home overlooking the Ohio River. Renee's house was placed outermost on a curve in the river,
    giving her a clear view of both the eastern and western horizons. The view from the flagstone patio was a breathtaking panorama of the sinuous river and
    the hills of Kentucky on the other side. Below she could see the B & B Riverboat paddling along on a lunchtime cruise. Off on the right was the Big Mac
    Bridge, a pair of elegant yellow arches reminiscent of the first McDonald's restaurants. Past that was the Roebling Suspension Bridge, a prototype for the
    Brooklyn Bridge that caused Lia to occasionally mistake New York for Cincinnati in a certain television commercial. Renee's collie, Dakini, lay in the
    middle of the yard, queen of all she surveyed.
    Lia looked over the piece of land Renee had set aside for her solar marker. "You've picked your spot well," she'd told the fun-loving woman. "First thing I
    think we should do is plant a ten foot PVC pipe where you want the pillar. The equinox is coming up, and this is something I can do in a hurry. With the
    pole up, we can figure out where the markers should go for the equinox. That will give us an idea how we're going to lay out the whole piece."
    "How exciting! We should have a sunrise party, and breakfast afterwards."
    "A party?" Lia nearly stammered at the thought.
    Renee's eyes danced. "No need to get nervous. Just you and me and some pre-dawn lattes. Harry will join us for breakfast, I'm sure. Company for breakfast
    will give Esmerelda an excuse to show off her eggs Benedict. She makes it with smoked salmon. It's to die for."
    "That would be lovely. Now tell me what you had in mind for the design."
    "You mustn't tell anyone."
    "It'll be our little secret."
    "The standing stones I