Murder at the Dog Training Academy Read online

  “Just come with me to the grand opening on Saturday. Check the place out. I’m sure you would love it. I know Princess would.” Nikki laughed as the dog put her paws up on her shin. “She thinks she’s one of the big dogs.”

  “That’s for sure.” Sonia rolled her eyes. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Great. We’d better get to our walk before it gets too late.” Nikki started to guide the dogs away, then paused. “Sonia, you know Briana Murrow, don’t you?”

  “Sure. The Murrows live down the street.” Sonia raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “Tom’s having a little trouble with her fiancé Matt. He just took off yesterday without any warning and left all of his tools behind. Have you ever met him?” Nikki patted the top of Coco’s head to keep him calm.

  “Oh, that fiancé of hers?” Sonia shook her head. “There’s no chance I would see him around here. We’re not even allowed to speak of him.”

  “That bad, huh?” Nikki shook her head as the dogs tugged her forward. “I guess we’re ready to go.” She laughed as she hurried down the driveway half-pulled by the eager dogs.

  Chapter 2

  Coco led the charge towards Pooch Park. It was well-lit and the paths were wide, which gave the dogs plenty of room to roam. As the evening air gained even more of a chill, Nikki shivered. She thought about what Sonia had said about Matt. Had Tom done his research into Matt before choosing him? He did offer to do the job for the lowest price, maybe there was a reason for that.

  After walking through the park, Nikki steered the dogs in the direction of the Murrow house. Curious, she wanted to see if there was any unusual activity at the home. As she approached it, she realized she wouldn’t be able to see much. The property sat behind a gate, and a long, curved drive. The landscaping was certainly nice. She continued past the gate as a set of headlights flashed towards it. A red sportscar stopped in front of the gate, with music blasting. The noisy vehicle held Nikki’s attention as a guard stepped out of the guardhouse and walked over to speak with the driver.

  “I’m here to see Briana.” The man in the driver’s seat leaned towards the security guard. “I know she’s in there, Vick, just let me in.”

  “I can’t do that.” The security guard shook his head. “Sorry Mr. Garlind, but Briana isn’t here.”

  “She’s not answering my calls, Vick. I need to see her.” He pushed his dark hair away from his eyes and lowered his voice.

  Nikki couldn’t hear anything he said at that point, and the dogs continued to tug forward. She guessed the security guard would spot her watching soon. As she walked away, she glanced back in time to see the security guard wave his hand at the man he called Mr. Garlind. The sportscar then pulled away from the gate and sped off down the road. As she returned each of the dogs to their homes, she chatted briefly with their owners that were home, then continued on back towards Sonia’s house. A squirrel crossed the street and Princess strained against her leash in an attempt to catch it.

  “Settle down, Princess.” Nikki shortened her leash a bit to make sure that she couldn’t run out in the street. “Yes, Tom could work with you.” She smiled at the thought. She was very protective of the dogs she walked, really all dogs, and animals. She didn’t trust many people around her dogs. But Tom she trusted without question. She still used some of the techniques that he taught her when she volunteered with him at the animal shelter, and was eager to learn even more from him. As she walked up the driveway to Sonia’s house, the front door swung open, and Sonia stepped outside.

  “There’s my Princess.” Sonia smiled as she held her hands out to the little dog.

  Princess pranced right up to her, and gave a final leap at the last minute.

  As Sonia caught her in her arms she laughed, and lifted the dog up to her chest. “Look at you, so happy now that you’ve had your walk.” She tipped her cheek towards Princess so that the dog could lick it. “Yes, I missed you, too.”

  “She had so much energy today.” Nikki grinned and snapped a picture of the two of them.

  “Come in, Nikki, I have some tea and cookies ready.” Sonia left the door open for Nikki as she carried Princess inside.

  “Thanks, I’m starving.” Nikki hung up Princess’ leash then followed Sonia into the living room.

  “Princess has been a little wound up lately.” Sonia sat down on the couch and settled Princess in her lap. “I’ve tried to take her on short walks, but I think she’s getting a little bored around here. I am considering a playgroup, but some of those puppy parents can be so snippy. Once Princess barked at a Teacup Poodle and I’m pretty sure there’s still a pending lawsuit.” She rolled her eyes.

  “You should really check out Tom’s facility. There’s so much for Princess to do there, and Tom can help her with walking on the leash. He is such a talented guy, I promise. He’s so kind to the dogs too, he’s never harsh. Bring Princess, and see how she likes it.” Nikki perched on the couch beside Sonia. “I’m sure that she would have a blast.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure if all of those activities will be safe. I wouldn’t want Princess to be trampled by all the bigger dogs.” Sonia pet Princess and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “I have to make sure she is safe.”

  “Trust me, Tom would never let her be in danger. He has specially designed every activity there to ensure every dog of all sizes will be safe. He taught me so much when I worked with him. He isn’t like some other dog trainers. He doesn’t take a stern approach. He’s very friendly with the dogs and bases his approach on positive reinforcement. They all listen to him, he has a way with dogs.” Nikki picked up a cookie and bit into it. “Oh, these are so good.”

  “Ordered from Chelsea’s Bakery by the Bay. Peanut butter.” Sonia winked. “All right, I’ll consider joining you on Saturday.” Sonia gave Princess a pat on the top of her head. “If Princess is brave enough to give it a go, I guess I can be, too.”

  “Wonderful! I can’t wait for you to meet Tom. He’s so nervous about the opening, but I know it’s going to be great.” Nikki finished her cookie, then drained her cup of tea. “I think those dogs wore me out more than I wore them out tonight.” She stretched her arms above her head. “I’m ready for a good night’s sleep.”

  “That sounds like a good plan.” Sonia smiled as Princess crawled onto the couch and curled up. “It looks like Princess has the same idea.”

  “I went past the Murrows’ house on our walk.” Nikki stood up and grabbed another cookie. “There was a guy looking for Briana. His name was Garlind?”

  “Garlind.” Sonia nodded as she stood up as well and walked with Nikki to the door. “Martin Garlind is the man that Briana was supposed to marry. The Murrows and the Garlinds planned the marriage when the kids were still in high school.”

  “An arranged marriage?” Nikki narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t realize that still happened.”

  “It wasn’t exactly an arranged marriage. The families have known each other for a long time and so the kids were close. Briana and Martin began dating on their own, but once they did, the families encouraged it and began to plan for their futures together. Martin even took a job working under Briana’s father, Preston. Let’s just say things got a little messy when Briana called things off.” Sonia shook her head. “Kids these days have a mind of their own.”

  “That’s for sure.” Nikki recalled her own mother’s advice about her dog-walking job. She had many reservations about it, but Nikki loved working with the dogs. “It must have been awkward for Briana’s father to fire Martin.”

  “No, it was awkward that he didn’t.” Sonia pursed her lips. “It’s caused quite a rift between Preston and Briana. It’s not easy raising children, that’s for sure. You make sure you get some good rest tonight.” She smiled. “As hard as you work you need it.”

  “Thanks Sonia.” Nikki stepped out through the door and waited to hear the sound of the lock behind her. Sonia lived alone, and although Princess adored her and had a strength and stron
g will that often surprised Nikki, she didn’t think the little dog would be a match for any burglar that might be lurking. Since she’d begun walking and pet sitting Princess, she and Sonia had become close friends, despite their nearly fifty-year age difference. Nikki considered her to be one of her closest friends. It meant a lot to her that Sonia trusted her with Princess, she just hoped that she would be willing to trust Tom, too.

  After Nikki walked the dogs the following morning she stopped in the local café for a quick breakfast. She hadn’t heard from Tom yet that morning and hoped that was good news. Maybe Matt had showed up for work and everything would be smooth sailing for the grand opening. As she sat down at a table, her friend and owner of the café Gina walked over to greet her.

  “Hi Nikki.” Gina smiled as she pulled a pen from behind her ear. “No friends with you today?”

  “No, I’ve already done my morning walks.” Nikki grinned. “No trouble today.” The last time she had brought a dog along with her to the café it had caused a bit of a commotion, mostly because everyone wanted to pet him at the same time. “I could use a cup of coffee and toast and eggs please.” She patted her stomach. “Those pups know how to work up an appetite.”

  “Coming right up.” Gina jotted down her order.

  “Thanks Gina.” Nikki sat back in her chair.

  “Don’t look now but a certain detective is heading your way.” Gina smiled, then hurried off towards the kitchen.

  Nikki’s heart skipped a beat as her gaze swept the diner. Sure enough, Quinn walked straight towards her.

  “Hey there, stranger.” He set a cup of soda down on her table and smiled. She was always startled by how handsome he was.

  “Quinn.” Nikki smiled as she met his striking blue eyes. “It’s so nice to see you.”

  “Is it?” Quinn tipped his head to the side.

  “Of course, it is.” She laughed as she gestured to the chair across from her. “Sit, please. Why are you so serious?”

  “I haven’t heard much from you.” Quinn sat down across from her, though his eyes remained locked to hers. “I just figured you had a lot on your plate.”

  “Here I was thinking the same about you.” Nikki’s cheeks flushed. She had made an effort not to call too often, and not to text. She didn’t want to come off as clingy, and as much as she wanted to spend time with him, she knew that his job could be very demanding, and she didn’t want to interfere with that. “Quinn, I know how busy you must be, how important your work is.”

  “I enjoy spending time with you, Nikki.” Quinn broke out into a smile as he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m the one that’s being clingy. I guess I just assumed you had lost interest. If you did, I’d rather you just tell me.”

  “Not at all.” Nikki took a sharp breath and reached across the table to grab his hand. “Oh Quinn, please don’t think that.” Her own words echoed back to her, sounding a bit desperate. “I mean, I enjoy spending time with you, too. It’s just that I’ve been helping my friend Tom get his business going. He is building a dog training and agility facility in town. Literally building it, from the ground up.” Nikki sighed. “It’s been a bit of a mess.”

  “I heard about that. People are pretty excited about it.” Quinn traced his thumb along the back of her hand. “I understand. I’m sure that’s a big project to be involved in.”

  “It is. And I love it, but sometimes it’s a little overwhelming.” Nikki gazed at him. “I’m sorry if I made it seem like I wasn’t interested. I am.”

  “I’m glad.” Quinn glanced away, then cleared his throat. “I actually heard from Tom today. He called the station and asked for me.”

  “He did?” Nikki’s eyes widened. “Why?”

  “I guess maybe you mentioned me to him?” Quinn sat back in his chair. “Anyway, he said that he wanted to file a missing person’s report.”

  “Is this about Matt?” Nikki frowned. “He still didn’t show up?”

  “I guess not. I explained to him that an adult has to be missing for a certain amount of time before we can file a report. But I told him I’d check into it, as a favor.” Quinn shrugged.

  “That’s so nice of you, Quinn.” Nikki shook her head. “I’m sorry he called, I’m sure that everything will turn out fine.”

  “Maybe. It does seem a little suspicious since he left all of his tools and van behind. It’s been a very slow week so far, it’ll give me something to do.” Quinn smiled and picked up his soda. “Speaking of work, I’d better get back to it. It was nice to see you, Nikki. Maybe we could grab dinner after the grand opening?”

  “That would be great. Thanks again, Quinn, I’m sure you’ll be able to put Tom’s mind at ease.” Nikki nodded to Gina as she carried her plate over to the table.

  “I’ll let you know if I find anything out.” Quinn leaned down towards her.

  Nikki tipped her head up, ready to meet his lips for a kiss.

  Quinn plucked a napkin from the dispenser on the table then straightened up.

  “These cups always leave a puddle in my car,” Quinn mumbled, then hurried out the door.

  “I saw that!” Gina laughed as she set the plate down.

  “Ugh, that was mortifying.” Nikki covered her face with her hands. “Do you think he noticed?”

  “Those puckered lips? I’m not sure how he could have missed it.” Gina grinned and nudged her shoulder. “Don’t worry, he didn’t notice.”

  As Nikki took the last bite of her breakfast, her cell phone rang. The sight of Tom’s name made her muscles tense.

  “Hi Tom.”

  “Nikki, this is terrible. I had to hire someone new, I can’t keep waiting for Matt to show up.”

  “I understand. I don’t know what happened, but this is terribly unprofessional of him. Quinn told me that he would update me if he found out anything about Matt.” Nikki put some money on the table to cover the bill and a tip, then walked out the door with the phone still pressed against her ear.

  “That’s good, but I can’t be patient. If I don’t get this stuff done, I’m never going to be able to open on Saturday.”

  “You’re going to open.” Nikki glanced at her watch. “I’m heading over now to help you get everything ready. Deep breaths.”

  “More like hyperventilating.” Tom sighed and hung up the phone.

  When Nikki arrived at the building, she saw a whole new set of workers. Not only were they new, there were many more of them.

  “Tom, it looks like you have a lot of help now.” Nikki smiled as she walked up to him.

  “Yes, and I’m paying twice as much.” Tom winced. “At least it might get done on time, though.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m here to help you with whatever you might need.” Nikki gave him a quick hug.

  “You’re a lifesaver.” Tom pointed around the side of the building. “The concrete still needs to be poured for the back patio, but before they can do that I really need the ground to be pretty clear of debris. If you can just look it over and grab any trash, small rocks, sticks, that kind of thing, that would be great. Just leave the trash bags by the side of the building, my dumpster is full, so I’ll need to dump it somewhere else. The less time these guys have to spend on jobs like that, the faster this will get done. I hope.”

  “I’m on it.” Nikki nodded, then jogged around the side of the building. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of the fertilizer that still hung in the air. It was certainly a strong smell. The space behind the back door had a wide overhang, which would mostly cover the patio once it was built. At the moment it only covered several bags of cement piled high and waiting to be mixed and poured. As she went through the area sweeping and picking up the trash, she began to feel herself relax. With Quinn on the job, she knew he would figure out what happened to Matt in no time. With all the workers on the job, the building would soon be finished, and the grand opening would go off as planned.

  Chapter 3

  For the rest of the week Nikki spent most of her free time with To
m. In between walking dogs, she helped him choose the final touches for the interior space and the outdoor training area. By the time Saturday morning rolled around, there were still a few things left to do. She had also not heard any news about Matt.

  “Balloons.” Tom cringed. “I forgot to pick up the balloons.” He looked at his watch. “We open in two hours, and I need to be here to sign for some deliveries. I knew something was going to go wrong. First, I ran out of time to finish the back patio. The concrete would never have dried in time anyway, but I knew that wasn’t all. I knew I was forgetting something. I guess this is it.”

  “Don’t worry, I can go grab them.” Nikki smiled as she dusted off the knees of her overalls. She’d been in the dirt adding the last of the flowers to the garden.

  “Nikki, there’s no way they will all fit in your car. I was going to take the van.” Tom reached into his pocket. “And of course I have no idea where my keys are.”

  “It’s no problem. I can just walk them over. I have to walk Coco anyway. His owner is working extra hours, so he arranged for some extra walks. I can combine the trips.” Nikki shrugged. “It’s a bit of a longer walk, but Coco will love it.”

  “It’s a lot of balloons.” Tom raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

  “I walk numerous dogs at a time, multiple times a day. I think I can handle a few balloons.” Nikki grinned and gave his shoulder a light punch. “I’m on the job.”

  “Nikki, I couldn’t have pulled this off without you. Thank you so much.” Tom met her eyes. “There’s no turning back now. We’ll open the way we are, and hopefully we will be met with some understanding and excitement.”

  “It’s going to be great.” Nikki waved to him as she headed back to her car.

  Nikki drove across town, determined to get Coco, get the balloons, and be back in plenty of time to help Tom with the final touches. As she drove, her cell phone began to ring. She ignored it until she parked in Coco’s street. When she checked the missed call, she found that it was from Quinn. As she collected Coco, she called him back.