Silence Is Golden (A Pet Psychic Mystery No. 3) by Shannon Esposito Page B
Authors: Shannon Esposito
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Blackbeard's Bountiful Treasure. Impossible to beat right now."
Guess that would be someone I needed to talk to. "Well, good luck to you and Princess."
"Thanks."
I led Goldie over to the dog she had pointed out. "Beautiful golden," I said, standing to the side. "Is he yours?"
The lady in the apron didn't glance up from the dainty foot she was trimming invisible hairs off of. "Nope, I'm just the handler. Bo belongs to Tara Scarpetta." She lowered the dog's paw and rubbed her hand gently along his leg, finally looking up at me, pride evident in her smile. "He's a champion." Then she glanced down at Goldie, her gaze moving to the shaved area exposing her stitches. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, is that Goldie?"
Bingo. A hit. "Yes."
She fell down in front of the dog, and took her face in her hands. "Oh, you poor thing." She kissed the space between her eyes. Goldie accepted the attention with grace and a few licks of her own. "Terrible, terrible, losing Victoria like that. I'm sure she's traumatized. Goldens are very sensitive creatures. Form strong bonds with their people." She motioned to the shaved area on her side with the stitches. "Is that from the car hitting them?"
"Yeah, doesn't seem to bother her too much. I was told it might hurt her show career, though."
"Probably would. I mean, even if it's not in the rules, some judges might not be willing to overlook such a big scar."
I nodded in understanding. So, whoever killed Victoria also probably ended Goldie's show career? That was convenient.
She sniffed as she gave Goldie one last scratch behind the ears and stood, shaking her head. "Poor thing."
"She seems to be a fighter. Getting better every day." I tried to give her thoughtful sadness the space it deserved, but after a moment of silence, I had to ask the question. "So, you knew Victoria?"
"Well, yeah, everybody on the show circuit did. Victoria and Goldie were a great team, giving Bo here a run for his money."
"I'm kind of new to this whole show world. Can I ask what kind of atmosphere these competitions have? Are they friendly rivalries?"
The woman snorted as she ran a comb through Bo's shiny fur. The dog shifted his curious gaze to me, and I noted the signature sparkle in his eyes.
"You remember high school? All the gossip, rumors, backstabbing?"
Not really. I never went to a public school, but to keep her talking I nodded.
"Well, it's like that but with more money, power, politics and teeth. And I'm not talking about the dog's teeth, either."
I crossed my arms. "That doesn't sound very friendly. So, Victoria and Bo's owner—this Tara Scarpetta—they didn't get along?"
She shook her head. "That's an understatement." She glanced around and lowered her voice. "They were always accusing each other of sabotaging the other's wins."
"How would they do that?"
"Well, you didn't hear this from me and no one could prove it, of course, but Bo got really bad diarrhea before his last show at the Boca Kennel Club and Tara swears Victoria poisoned him."
I stared at her. "That can't be true, can it? I mean, Victoria loved dogs, she wouldn't harm one."
She shrugged. "Victoria loved her dog. And winning." Then she sighed. "Tara can be a little dramatic, but I don't think she'd say something like that if she didn't believe it was true."
I glanced down at Goldie. Just how important was winning to Victoria? Important enough to make an enemy out of someone she didn't realize was dangerous? "Is Tara here today?"
"Yeah, she's around here somewhere."
I reached out and stroked Bo's soft fur. "Thanks for the help and good luck today."
She nodded and gave Goldie one last scratch before her attention was back on Bo.
I circled around the grounds looking for Will. It would probably be a better idea for him to talk to Tara officially, in case she turned out to be a suspect. I didn't want to mess anything up.
Finally spotting him talking to a couple of serious looking men in suits, I stood off to the side and waved
Guess that would be someone I needed to talk to. "Well, good luck to you and Princess."
"Thanks."
I led Goldie over to the dog she had pointed out. "Beautiful golden," I said, standing to the side. "Is he yours?"
The lady in the apron didn't glance up from the dainty foot she was trimming invisible hairs off of. "Nope, I'm just the handler. Bo belongs to Tara Scarpetta." She lowered the dog's paw and rubbed her hand gently along his leg, finally looking up at me, pride evident in her smile. "He's a champion." Then she glanced down at Goldie, her gaze moving to the shaved area exposing her stitches. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, is that Goldie?"
Bingo. A hit. "Yes."
She fell down in front of the dog, and took her face in her hands. "Oh, you poor thing." She kissed the space between her eyes. Goldie accepted the attention with grace and a few licks of her own. "Terrible, terrible, losing Victoria like that. I'm sure she's traumatized. Goldens are very sensitive creatures. Form strong bonds with their people." She motioned to the shaved area on her side with the stitches. "Is that from the car hitting them?"
"Yeah, doesn't seem to bother her too much. I was told it might hurt her show career, though."
"Probably would. I mean, even if it's not in the rules, some judges might not be willing to overlook such a big scar."
I nodded in understanding. So, whoever killed Victoria also probably ended Goldie's show career? That was convenient.
She sniffed as she gave Goldie one last scratch behind the ears and stood, shaking her head. "Poor thing."
"She seems to be a fighter. Getting better every day." I tried to give her thoughtful sadness the space it deserved, but after a moment of silence, I had to ask the question. "So, you knew Victoria?"
"Well, yeah, everybody on the show circuit did. Victoria and Goldie were a great team, giving Bo here a run for his money."
"I'm kind of new to this whole show world. Can I ask what kind of atmosphere these competitions have? Are they friendly rivalries?"
The woman snorted as she ran a comb through Bo's shiny fur. The dog shifted his curious gaze to me, and I noted the signature sparkle in his eyes.
"You remember high school? All the gossip, rumors, backstabbing?"
Not really. I never went to a public school, but to keep her talking I nodded.
"Well, it's like that but with more money, power, politics and teeth. And I'm not talking about the dog's teeth, either."
I crossed my arms. "That doesn't sound very friendly. So, Victoria and Bo's owner—this Tara Scarpetta—they didn't get along?"
She shook her head. "That's an understatement." She glanced around and lowered her voice. "They were always accusing each other of sabotaging the other's wins."
"How would they do that?"
"Well, you didn't hear this from me and no one could prove it, of course, but Bo got really bad diarrhea before his last show at the Boca Kennel Club and Tara swears Victoria poisoned him."
I stared at her. "That can't be true, can it? I mean, Victoria loved dogs, she wouldn't harm one."
She shrugged. "Victoria loved her dog. And winning." Then she sighed. "Tara can be a little dramatic, but I don't think she'd say something like that if she didn't believe it was true."
I glanced down at Goldie. Just how important was winning to Victoria? Important enough to make an enemy out of someone she didn't realize was dangerous? "Is Tara here today?"
"Yeah, she's around here somewhere."
I reached out and stroked Bo's soft fur. "Thanks for the help and good luck today."
She nodded and gave Goldie one last scratch before her attention was back on Bo.
I circled around the grounds looking for Will. It would probably be a better idea for him to talk to Tara officially, in case she turned out to be a suspect. I didn't want to mess anything up.
Finally spotting him talking to a couple of serious looking men in suits, I stood off to the side and waved
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