Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Dianne Harman Page A

Winston. I’ve
had him since he was eight weeks old. I don’t know if Roger told you, but I’ve
been taking him home with me after work. My three boys love him, and they
really wanted to keep him. My wife put her foot down, saying that five dogs
were more than enough.”
    “You have five dogs and
three boys? Good grief, I don’t blame her. Should Winston and I meet out here
or in the lodge?”
    “Right here is fine. After
you’re introduced we’ll go in the lodge. He’s completely housebroken and
trained.” He walked over to the SUV and opened the rear door. “Winston, come.”
    Liz’s breath caught in her
throat as she looked at the beautiful boxer jumping out of the SUV. He had four
white stocking feet and a blaze of white on his face, along with a full white
collar. She bent down and put out her hand. Winston walked over to her, sat,
and licked her hand. He held out his paw to her and they shook. She looked up
at Ed. “He is just beautiful. I can’t believe he wanted to shake hands with
me.”
    “Along with training my
dogs as guard and attack dogs, I like to teach them some tricks. Dogs like
Winston look pretty threatening to children, so when a child can make them do
tricks, they aren’t so afraid of them. Let’s go in the lodge. You can tell him
to follow you.”
    “Winston, follow,” Liz
said. Winston stood next to Liz and walked into the lodge with them, ignoring
Brandy Boy who was asleep on the porch. “Would you like a cup of coffee, Ed? I
can make some in just a few minutes.”
    “No thanks. I have a
couple of other deliveries to make today, so I need to get back. I’ve written
out a list of commands you can use for Winston. Roger mentioned you own the
lodge and the spa. He said you had living quarters of your own below the lodge.
Is that where you plan on having Winston sleep?”
    “Yes. I put his bed down
there, and I also bought another one. Do you think it would be all right if I
put the other dog bed over there in the corner of the great room?”
    “Liz, let’s be honest.
Winston is here because he’s primarily a guard dog who will be guarding you.
Yes, he knows tricks, but that’s not why Roger wanted you to have him. He
wanted to make sure you were protected at all times, however, if Winston isn’t
with you, he can’t protect you. I can see from just driving in here that this
property is an invitation to someone thinking about committing a crime. Anyone
could enter this property.
    “You have a fence, but
it’s more of a fence that enhances the looks of the property rather than being
a fence built for protection. I’m certain, given the nature of your business,
that an electric fence is not an option, nor is a gate at the property entrance
that would have to be unlocked. I’m also sure your guests need to feel free to
come and go as they please, and it would probably frighten some of them if they
had to pass through a locked gate. Quite frankly, living here on your own, I’m
rather surprised there aren’t some types of security devices in place for your
protection. Things like motion activated exterior floodlights or a video
security camera would be something you might want to consider having
installed.”
    “When my husband was
alive, I never thought about it. I have a handyman who’s here during the day,
but at night there are just the guests and me. I suppose a deranged guest could
stay here, but I’ve never had any problems. In all honesty, I have thought
about getting a dog for protection, but I never got around to it. I’m sure you
saw the St. Bernard asleep on the porch. Obviously he’s not much protection. I
have to admit I’m glad Roger took care of it.”
    “I don’t know what your
relationship is with Roger, but he must care a great deal about you to buy one
of the dogs I train. Believe me, they don’t come cheap. My business supports my
family, and I have a reputation on the West Coast as being the number one
trainer of guard dogs. I met Roger years ago