Sunflowers and Sabotage Read online

  It seemed Elsie was the last vendor to arrive. She had reserved a table. The show organizer, Terry, I presumed, had placed a folded placard that read Elsie's Sugar and Spice Bakery on the table. We were right next to Viv's Pet Boutique, where a thirty something woman with a rhinestone studded t-shirt was hanging sparkly dog collars on a rack.

  "Morning," the woman chirruped. "I'm Vivian and of course you are Elsie. I've been to your bakery many times, as you can probably tell." She patted her slight paunch, then pulled a few business cards out of a display. "Here's my card. Call me sometime. I would love to sell some of your custom dog treats in my boutique. I'm right here in Chesterton."

  Elsie and I each took a card. I now had two business cards for dog supplies, even though I had no dog. Elsie forced a grin. "Not sure if I'd have enough time to make extra treats but sure, we can talk sometime." She stuck the business card in her pocket. I knew Elsie well enough to know that she would never consider the notion. She liked too much to be in control. I personally thought the idea had merit.

  I lifted the card. "Thank you, my boyfriend has a dog and—" I motioned to a black collar with punk rocker silver studs. "I might have to buy him that very rock and rollish collar. I think Bear would like it."

  "How fun," Vivian said. She seemed to be one of those cheery types, which I didn't mind, but she would probably get on Elsie's nerves quickly. "Your boyfriend's name is Bear?" she asked.

  Elsie snickered as she busied herself setting up the table.

  "Actually, the dog's name is Bear. He'd look great in the collar, but I'll have to think about it. Nice meeting you."

  Vivian's attention was diverted away from our conversation as a small group of people wandered along the vendor tables, stopping to check out products and all looking toward one person for her opinion and approval. It seemed Avery, the woman with the champion cocker spaniel, had quite a fan club. The other women shuffled along next to her, all vying for her attention. It reminded me of the popular girls in high school who were always being followed by a set of groupies, all waiting for a sliver of attention.

  Vivian waved to Avery before she even reached her table. The tall man who had been scrunched in the backseat with her dog show equipment tagged along with the group but seemed more interested in his breakfast burrito than in the wares being sold along the path. He was wearing an orange shirt advertising Hart's Feed and Grain. He looked like the kind of guy who spent the day tossing heavy bales of hay around a barn.

  "I guess she's sort of the queen around here," I muttered Vivian's direction.

  "Who Avery? Yes, absolutely. She has a lot of clout. One mention on her blog and your products can go through the roof." She pointed out a pair of paw socks, cute and dainty with little stars. "Avery once mentioned that she had bought Belvedere a pair of my special paw socks to keep his feet warm in winter. I sold out of every pair and had a waiting list a mile long."

  "Wow, that definitely is clout. That tall man walking next to her, is that her husband?"

  Vivian glanced my way. "That's Barrett Hart. His family owns Hart's Feed and Grain. They have the best selection of dog food in the county. They aren't married. Just dating."

  "Yes, I've heard of Hart's Feed and Grain. Well, I came to help, so I suppose I should get to it. Nice talking to you." I returned my attention to our table.

  Elsie handed me a box of cat shaped dog cookies. "Put these on that tray," she instructed.

  "Yes, m'am," I answered back. "Although, as a cat lover, I'm not sure how I feel about these cat shaped treats. They seem to be crossing the line of political correctness," I teased.

  Elsie laughed. "Just make sure all the pointy ears are going in the same direction. They look better that way."

  In the distance, a voice came through a loudspeaker announcing the winner of the toy breed class. Applause followed and a few of the surrounding vendors, including Vivian, clapped and cheered, even though we were far from the action on stage.

  Vivian smiled my direction. "Juju Bean is one of my clients. The cutest little silky terrier ever." She pointed out her extra bling-worthy dog collars. "She's wearing one of my rhinestone creations for the show. They don't usually like extravagant collars in the show, but they make an exception for the toy breeds. They're so cute when they're all dressed up."

  "I'm sure Juju Bean wore your collar with pride," I said and then turned back to a slight scowl from Elsie. She motioned to my half filled tray, letting me know I needed to stop socializing and start working. Sometimes I wondered if the relationship with Dash was truly the thing that was giving Britney anxiety.

  Avery stopped at Vivian's table. She and her followers spent a good deal of time checking out the collars and socks and other baubles displayed on the table. In the meantime, we were gathering our own crowd of customers, both two legged and four legged. It seemed the two legged were somewhat disappointed to arrive at the Sugar and Spice Bakery table and find only dog treats. It dawned on Elsie that she'd made a mistake by not bringing along some of her people cookies too.

  "Pink, I hate to ask this of you, but do you mind if I race back to the bakery for some real cookies?"

  "Probably a good idea because I get the feeling some of our customers are willing to nibble on the peanut butter dog treats just to get a bite of one of Elsie's cookies."

  She pulled her purse out from under the table and put it on her shoulder. "I'll be right back with chocolate chip and lemon cookies."

  "Oh, and bring some of those caramel ones, the ones that require a great deal of finger licking," I said.

  "It might be too hot out here for those. They'll melt into a gooey mess."

  "Your point?" I said with an impish grin. "Besides, I was requesting those just for me. Stop in at the flower shop to make sure Ryder isn't being overwhelmed with orders. I wasn't expecting any wedding clients today, but you never know when one will walk through the door."

  "Right, check on Ryder and some chocolate chip, lemon and a few caramel for my hardworking assistant. I'll be back in half an hour."

  Chapter 8

  Elsie returned with the cookies, and after finger licking my way through a caramel one, I wandered over to the show stage. The various category champions had been chosen, and it was time for the grand champion to be named. The blue ribbon winners from each category had to strut around the stage and stand at attention on a table to be examined for breed perfection. As I reached the stage, the adorable silky terrier was just leaving, and the highly anticipated Belvedere was about to make his entrance.

  Avery walked onto stage but looked a tad less confident than I'd seen her when she strolled the park with her entourage. As much as she tried to keep the straight posture and easy walk of a dog handler, she seemed to be struggling to get Belvedere to cooperate. Belvedere was a stunning blue roan cocker spaniel with wavy ears and a lush coat. Unfortunately, a mouthful of something had his snout and jaw moving up and down and in every direction.

  The crowd held a collective gasp. The woman next to me leaned closer. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that dog has his snout filled with peanut butter," she muttered.

  I nodded. "You're right. Seems kind of strange she would feed him that just before he went on stage."

  "There's no way Avery gave him that peanut butter," she said, still in a low voice. The entire crowd had fallen silent. It seemed breaths were being held as Avery struggled to lead her preoccupied dog around the stage. The dog was still working on the peanut butter as Avery lifted him onto the table for the judge's inspection. Avery looked beyond despondent and, at the same time, a little hot under the collar. A sheen of red anger seemed to be rising along her neck and over her round cheeks.

  The judge, an older woman with short gray hair and a pink blouse, seemed both amused and confused. Belvedere just couldn't relax his jaw enough to stand still for the judging. They were dismissed fairly quickly, a gesture that sent a low moan of shock through the onlookers. I wasn't a dog show expert, but it seemed the grand champion wa
s about to give up his title.

  Avery marched off the steps and headed back to her trailer. Her boyfriend, hands in pockets, shuffled reluctantly behind, keeping a bit of distance between him and the angry dog handler.

  Ellen Joyner and her poodle were called onto the stage next. Pebbles, the standard poodle, trotted proudly around the stage, her gray pompoms bouncing spritely with each step. She stood as still as a statue for the judge. The woman took her judging duties very seriously as she checked Pebbles' teeth and back and tail. The crowd seemed impressed.

  I glanced at the woman who I'd chatted briefly with. She was wearing a green cap and a pair of dog paw print earrings. "I suppose Belvedere's misfortune is going to be Pebbles' good luck. She is a very striking dog," I said.

  The woman nodded. "Yes, Ellen and Avery have been rivals for a long time. Ellen has wanted this win badly, but Belvedere is a hard dog to beat. Not today, however. I think you're right. Looks like the judge is going to pick Pebbles."

  A few of the final contestants strutted around stage. To me, they were all wonderful dogs but then I loved animals in every shape, color and size. Apparently, showing that she was a good sport, Avery and her boyfriend, Barrett, returned to hear the judge announce the winner.

  The cute little judge in her pink blouse, looking as if she was about to announce the winner of the presidency, walked up to the microphone. A few minutes passed as Terry rushed on stage to lower the mic so that the judge could reach it.

  "The runner up for the 2019 Chesterton Dog Show is Bailey, the basset hound." A long eared, droopy cheeked basset hound climbed up the steps on his stumpy legs with his owner. He was adorable and wrinkly and seemed to understand that he had just won a ribbon. His owner, a man with a long ponytail and sandals, leaned down to pet the dog and give him a treat. He stood off to the side as the judge stretched up to the microphone again. Terry carried over a large blue ribbon and silver trophy complete with handles and fancy engraving.

  "And the grand champion of the Chesterton Dog Show is Pebbles, the standard poodle."

  Aside from Ellen's squeals of delight, the first sound from the audience was more of a gasp than a cheer. Slowly though, the applause began, and people started cheering for the poodle and her beaming owner.

  Pebbles sat still as a statue as the ribbon was attached to her collar. Ellen walked up to the microphone. Her voice wavered from the excitement. "As most of you know, I've been working toward this win for many years. I knew Pebbles was going to bring home that blue ribbon one day."

  "You cheated!" Avery screamed from the audience. The crowd fell silent.

  Barrett put his hand on Avery's shoulder as she moved toward the stage, but she shrugged it off. Avery pointed up at Ellen. "You sabotaged Belvedere's performance by giving him peanut butter. Don't deny it. I know it was you."

  Ellen looked around the crowd for support, but Avery was the big fish in the group and it seemed people were ready to come to her defense. "Cheater," someone yelled. "Saboteur," another person said.

  Ellen rolled her lips in an attempt not to cry. "No," she said weakly into the microphone. "No, I didn't. I never went near Belvedere. It wasn't me," she insisted. I didn't know the woman well, but she seemed to be sincere in her denial. Still, she was the person to benefit the most from Belvedere's peanut butter fiasco.

  To add to Ellen's misery, the Cramptons, who were obviously not fans, walked up to comfort Avery. Belinda pointed angrily up at the stage. "Pebbles does not deserve that ribbon because you cheated."

  Ellen clutched her trophy and Pebbles' leash and ran off the stage sobbing. It was a sad, unsettling ending to the event, but Terry forged ahead. She walked up on stage and forced a smile as she leaned down to the microphone. "We're going to play some music through the loudspeakers if anyone is interested in dancing. We'll be serving root beer floats too, so stick around and have some doggone fun." Her enthusiasm was as forced as the grin on her face. It seemed the final award had drawn a cloud over the entire event.

  I walked back to Elsie's table to help her sell off the rest of her goodies so we could head back to Port Danby.

  Chapter 9

  It had been a long morning and afternoon. Elsie had sold off the last dog treat and after a contentious finale, the competitors and vendors were packing up to head home. There was little to pack up at our table, trays were stacked and decorative doilies brushed off for reuse. Elsie still had a stack of business cards so she wandered off to hand them out to some of the visitors.

  Vivian, who had been a congenial neighbor throughout the day, even watching our table when Elsie and I stepped away for a bite to eat, needed some help packing up. I lent her a hand.

  "This is so nice of you." She handed me a box. "If you could just stack the dog socks in here, I'll start packing up the collars. I feel like I didn't sell as many as I expected. I think the shocking end to the show put a dreary mood on the shoppers."

  "It was an unusual ending, that's for sure," I noted.

  "Vivian," a somewhat distraught voice said.

  Vivian and I both looked up from our task. Melody was looking downright baffled. She was holding Pebbles, the champion poodle, on a leash.

  "Why do you have Pebbles?" Vivian asked. "Where's Ellen?"

  "That's what I was about to ask you." Pebbles licked Melody's hand. It was the first time I'd seen the dog do anything except stand or sit at attention. Melody pulled her hand away from the dog's snout. "Ellen brought Pebbles to me right after the show. She was upset." Melody shrugged slightly. "Understandably so. She asked if I could give Pebbles a walk and comb out while she rested. She said the whole thing on stage had given her a headache. She didn't want to leave Pebbles in her pen because she was worried Avery might do something to her. I haven't seen Ellen since. I knocked on her trailer and no answer. I've been wandering around looking for her. I was hoping you had seen her."

  Vivian shook her head. "I haven't seen her since this morning."

  "I have to say, I haven't seen her since she left the stage with her trophy and ribbon," I said. "Maybe she fell asleep," I suggested.

  "I thought that might be the case, so I knocked very hard and called her name. No answer. Well, thanks anyway. I guess I'll just keep walking Pebbles around until I find her. She'll have to show up at some point. She would never just leave without her precious dog." Melody walked away with the champion poodle in tow.

  "That's strange," Vivian noted. "I wonder where Ellen could be. I felt really sorry for her after what happened. I wasn't at the stage, but some of the other dog owners came by to tell me all about the peanut butter sabotage and the scene Avery made when Ellen and Pebbles won. Ellen has been taking the backseat to Avery's and Belvedere's rock star fame for several years. It's always Belvedere first and Pebbles as the runner up. I guess she finally just cracked and decided she had to have that first place ribbon. Just doesn't seem like something she would do."

  "Then maybe it wasn't Ellen," I suggested. "Maybe somewhere along the way, Avery has stepped on someone else's toes or, in this case, paws."

  "I suppose. Avery has mostly fans, but I'm sure there are more than a few people envious of her success." Vivian closed up the box of dog socks. "Guess we'll never know for sure, which is too bad because that means Pebbles' win will always be tainted. Some people will not even see it as a legitimate win. Poor Ellen," she lamented as she rolled up some stylish dog leashes.

  I was more than ready to head back to Port Danby, but Elsie was busy talking with a group of people. I knew she didn't get many free days away from the bakery, so I decided not to hurry her away from her conversation. I pulled my purse out from under our table to glance at my phone. There were several texts from Lola.

  "It would have been much less aggravating to just be abducted by those darn aliens," said the first text.

  The second one was more detailed. "The mad woman is actually rearranging the entire store. She thinks I'm showcasing the wrong items. I've been running the place without her for two years b
ut she's the one who knows which items should be showcased. Talk about a self-confidence shredder."

  Her third text was directed at me, no doubt because I hadn't commented on the first two. "I'm replacing you as my best friend because I'm in meltdown mode and you are ignoring me. So there. I might go across the street and sit with Kingston. He loves me no matter what."

  I wrote back. "I've been helping Elsie sell her dog treats. We were swamped with customers, and my phone was in my purse. Sorry I missed the meltdown, but I'll try to be around for the next melt. And Kingston would love a visit from his favorite person."

  A text came back quickly. "Yes, Kingston listened to my rant for about three minutes before getting sidetracked by a pair of sparrows in the tree outside the shop window. Surprisingly, I felt better after our little chat. Then I went back across to the antique shop and all the tension returned."

  "Sorry about that, bestie," I texted back. "If that's what we still are . . . hopefully."

  "I suppose I can forgive you this time. Especially because your crow was a decent stand in. Got to go. Apparently we are going to spend a joyous hour in the storeroom looking for 'ignored treasures'."

  "Good luck with that," I texted back. Elsie returned just as we finished the text conversation.

  "Everything all right back on Harbor Lane?" Elsie asked.

  "I don't know much about my flower shop or your bakery, but Lola is having one heck of a day with her parents."

  Elsie shook her head. "I can tell by the way you said it you don't mean a swell, good ole time. Lola just needs to roll with it."

  I couldn't keep a laugh from shooting out. Elsie's brow lifted. She looked a little hurt.