Murder, She Barked

Where could she have gone?

The door to Heel opened, and Mr. Luciano stepped out. “What’s going on?”

I had to stop, however briefly. “My apologies for the noise, Mr. Luciano.”

He tightened the belt of his black satin bathrobe. “Do you need help? Is there anything I can do?”

“No. Thank you.” I said softly, hoping we weren’t waking everyone. “Everything is fine.”

Almost, anyway. I took off running as quietly as possible along the hallway. At the main stairs, I listened. No barking. No pitter-patter of little paws. I ran up the stairs to my floor. No sign of Trixie.

I trotted downstairs to the main floor and looked in Oma’s private kitchen. No dog. Breathing hard, half from fear and half from rushing around, I hurried through the library, the hallways of the cat wing, the sitting area, and back upstairs to my fancy quarters. My last hope was that she had returned to the balcony where we had slept. I stumbled down the stairs and back through the hallway on the second floor. No sign of Mr. Luciano this time. I held my breath as I rounded the corner. The blankets and pillow remained undisturbed.

Gingersnap barked inside Oma’s apartment.

“Shh, Gingersnap! Everything is okay.”

I kept saying that to pacify everyone else. Meanwhile, my nerves had stretched to their limit. “Shh.”

It didn’t help. Gingersnap barked like she’d seen a squirrel run through Oma’s apartment.

As quietly and reassuringly as I could, I said, “It’s all right, Gingersnap. No barking.”

She still barked. Woof, woof, woof. Woof, woof, woof. Oma must be awake by now. I dashed down the stairs.

“Casey, could I have a key to Oma’s apartment?”

His lips pulled tight, grim. “I’m not supposed to give them to anybody.” But he handed me a ring of keys. “It’s the pink one.”

I staggered back up the stairs, anxious to halt Gingersnap’s incessant barking. Woof, woof, woof.

I slid the key into the lock, twisted it, and opened the door to a dark apartment. Gingersnap butted her head into my thighs and refused to budge. At least she wasn’t barking anymore. I stroked her head and gave her a big hug.

How could Oma have possibly slept through that? I managed to evade Gingersnap, who continued to demand my attention, and tiptoed over to Oma’s bedroom. Could she have slept so deeply that she missed the commotion?

Gingersnap burst past me and leaped onto the bed. She wouldn’t sleep through that!

“Oma, I’m so sorry.”

She didn’t respond.

“Oma?”

Nothing.

My heart sped up again, beating like it would fly out of my chest. I flicked on the light.

Thirty

No Oma. Except for the wrinkles Gingersnap had probably caused, I didn’t think her bed had been slept in.

I looked around in case she had fallen. Although I found no sign of Oma, there, on her dresser, in plain sight, lay cruise brochures. Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan. I flapped them down with irritation. Either she was planning a vacation or Holmes knew all along that Oma was ready to let the inn go. Rose had probably confided in him. Why hadn’t Oma come right out and told me? It seemed so obvious to me now. She was ready to retire and sell the inn.

Where was she, though? I had seen her go into her apartment and heard her lock the door. There was no way she could have left, unless she escaped through a window and rappelled down the outside of the building.

I had to be losing my grip. First Trixie vanished, and now Oma. Aha. Of course. Oma must have departed while I was out looking for Trixie.

Releasing a huge sigh, I left, taking Gingersnap with me so she wouldn’t start barking again. I locked Oma’s door and returned the keys to Casey, suddenly feeling very, very tired.

“Do you know where my grandmother went?”

Casey’s eyes rounded, wide with fright. “I haven’t seen her.”

“She must be here somewhere. Maybe she’s making hot milk so she can sleep.”

“Where’s your dog?”

“I don’t know. With Oma, maybe? I’m so tired. Just watch, I’ll head over to the kitchen and will find the two of them having a grand old time eating a midnight snack.”

“I saw the blankets. Why are you sleeping up there?”

“To keep an eye on her.”

“That didn’t turn out very well.”

Little smarty-pants! “Thank you. Now I feel so much better,” I said sarcastically.

He handed me my phone, which he must have rescued after Trixie kicked it over the balcony. “You’re lucky the phone didn’t break. But you’re going to feel worse. I’m sorry. I read the message.”

I flicked it on. I hereby rescind all prior proposals of marriage.

I laughed too loud and clapped a hand over my mouth, hoping I hadn’t woken anyone.

“It’s funny?” Casey repositioned his glasses.

My entire body shook with laughter. In fact, I couldn’t stop laughing. It was too weird. I’d been offended by the original proposal, and now I had been electronically dumped!

Casey looked at me like I had lost my mind.