To Catch a Treat by Linda O. Johnston Page B

seemed so interested in her that I could only hope that not only was she for real, but so was what had happened here with the dog she was calling Go.
    A coincidence? If so, it was a huge one. I still couldn’t figure out how a dog stolen in LA could wind up here, in a town his owner was randomly visiting.
    My mind kept circling those questions as Neal knelt to play with Go. I stood off to the side with Biscuit and Billi while Janelle filled out the forms.
    â€œWhat’s really going on here?” Billi asked quietly.
    I couldn’t brainstorm with her now, with Janelle around, so I merely said, “I hope to figure that out.” But since I in fact felt sure this couldn’t be a coincidence, and I hoped it wasn’t some kind of weird game Janelle was playing, I wasn’t surprised when my thoughts came to rest on the two people Janelle knew from LA who’d shown up here around the same time as she had.
    She seemed very friendly with Delma. That didn’t mean Delma hadn’t played a really nasty prank on her buddy Janelle.
    But was the more likely candidate for stealing the dog and bringing him here Ada? Janelle had met her at dog parks. And something had seemed strange in their brief contact I’d observed.
    Still, why would a member of the clearly wealthy Arnist family steal anything—unless there was something behind the theft that I simply couldn’t see? And bring the dog here? Why? Was Janelle lying about everything? Or was my imagination just coming up with ideas that had no basis in any kind of reality?
    And no matter who it was who’d brought Go to this town, why hadn’t that person hung onto him? Even a really smart dog like a Lab wouldn’t have known to come to the town’s only animal shelter to be taken care of. T herefore, a person, maybe the dognapper, had to be involved.
    â€œHere we are.” Janelle sounded thrilled as she stood and handed the completed forms to Billi. “Can Go and I leave?”
    Billi, now standing closer to Janelle, skimmed the paperwork. “It looks in order, I think. Is that your cell phone number?” She pointed to the page.
    â€œYes,” Janelle said.
    â€œGood. I’ll be able to get in touch with you if I have any questions.”
    â€œDefinitely.” Janelle again knelt and hugged the dog—who was now, and possibly previously, known as Go. “Come on, boy. We’re out of here.” She looked toward Neal. “Can you drive us to my hotel?”
    â€œAbsolutely,” he said. “Let’s go.”
    At the door, with Go by her side leaning against her leg, Janelle turned back. “Carrie, I can’t thank you enough. Or you either, Billi. Look—I just want to spend some alone-time with Go tonight, but why don’t you all meet me at the resort’s bar about this time tomorrow? I’ll buy you all drinks. Maybe everyone in the bar—although I … well, never mind. I’m just so excited. Will you meet us there?”
    I’d probably buy my own drink and some others’, too, since I’d gathered that professional photographer Janelle wasn’t exactly wealthy and was paying, at the least, a hotel bill to stay here. But I wanted to learn as much as I could about the situation. And so I said, “Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

    I actually saw her much sooner the next day than I’d anticipated. Go, too.
    It was early in the morning, seven o’clock. I had just opened the Barkery, and Dinah was in Icing getting it ready to open, too. I was placing some of that day’s newly baked dog treats in the glass-fronted display case when I saw the front door open and heard one of the door chimes ring. It was Janelle who entered, with Go on a leash.
    Biscuit was already in her large, open-topped crate in a corner of the room. She stood up on her hind legs and woofed her greeting. At the same time, I maneuvered out from behind the display case