Now we were really getting somewhere.
CHAPTER
20
“THEN WHO TOOK MY DOG?” Tamra cried out as her mom comforted her.
Zareen remained silent, her eyes glued to the food container.
“What’s going on?” The trainer walked into the dogs’ room. “Why is everybody staring at the food? How is that going to help find Daisy?”
“Could you then enlighten us with what will help us find Daisy?” Shelby asked in an innocent tone, although it was clear she was hoping he’d slip up and tell us what he did with her.
If he’d taken her.
Or was it Zareen?
“I’ve been—” Emerson began until he caught sight of Lestrade’s badge. “You called the police? Was that really necessary?”
Hmm. Emerson appeared to be more upset than Shelby about Lestrade’s company. Maybe that was because he was the one who took Daisy! He was here yesterday afternoon! It was him!
I stared at Shelby, waiting for her to arrest him or whatever it was that she did when she captured her perp.
Captured her perp? Great, I was even starting to sound like her.
“We needed to do something,” Mrs. Lacy explained. “Detective Lestrade is a friend of the family and offered her assistance.”
“To sit and do nothing,” Shelby said under her breath, but I nudged her. She needed to stop wasting her energy on Lestrade and start figuring out how the trainer (or Zareen) did it.
“Yes.” Lestrade nodded at Emerson. “Well, I’m going to reach out again to the shelters and see if Daisy has shown up. Please call me if you discover any real evidence.”
Unbelievable. She walked right by Emerson. Completely clueless that he was one of our main suspects.
Now it was only up to Shelby to figure out what happened. Fast.
Emerson gestured for us to follow him into the living room. “So I went to several pet stores in the neighborhood to deliver some flyers.”
Shelby perked up. “Really? Did you find anything out?”
Emerson did a double take at Shelby and took a step back. Probably not wanting to get mowed over again like yesterday. “Everybody was upset to hear what happened. Daisy is a celebrity to dog groomers. Although if Daisy had her collar, someone—”
Shelby cut him off. “Would’ve called, yes. We’re aware of that.”
Why wasn’t Shelby asking the most pressing question: Did he do it? I was tired of discovering clues but not really getting anywhere. I wish she’d just sit them both down and question them until they broke. Something, anything to move us forward.
Zareen gasped suddenly. “I’m so sorry, John!” she exclaimed. “With everything going on, I forgot to tell you that Zane is at the park. He said that if you wanted to join him and his friends, you could meet them there. I can show you where they are on a map.”
“Oh, thanks.” I felt torn. While I was thrilled to get an invitation, I didn’t want to abandon Shelby. “But I should stay here and help.”
“It’s okay,” Shelby said. “You should go play with your friends.”
“I don’t—”
“Really, it’s fine, Watson. Go have fun.”
I was a little disappointed by her reaction. It seemed like she wanted me to get out of there (and her way). I thought I was being helpful, but maybe I wouldn’t even make a good assistant, let alone a detective.
I turned to follow Zareen to another room, but Shelby stopped me in the hallway. “Before you leave, I would appreciate if you assisted me with a somewhat urgent matter regarding our trainer friend.” Her voice was low. “Shouldn’t take too long.”
I nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
This was it! This was the moment when she was going to finally make the trainer confess what he’d done. We were getting close! That was why it was okay for me to leave. The case was on the verge of being solved!
Zareen took a map of Central Park out of a drawer. I thought it looked big from the street, but seeing how much of Manhattan the park took up made me a little intimidated to venture into it by myself.
“It’s fairly easy to find the courts at the Great Lawn,” Zareen explained as she drew a path for me. Maybe for her, but all I could see were the other routes I could take instead that would leave me completely lost.
“Uh, thanks, this is really helpful.”
She gave me a forced smile. “You’re welcome. I hope you have fun.” She pressed her lips together, like she was holding back a sob.
“Are you okay?” I patted her back.
“No.” A tear started snaking its way down her cheek. “I know that everybody thinks I did it. But I didn’t. I love Daisy. Sure, it’s hard always being second-best to your little sister. Even my dog can’t compete with hers. But why would I do this? How could I have done it? You probably don’t believe me, but I’ve been home this entire time, except to walk Roxy. I couldn’t have taken Daisy.”
A wave of guilt overcame me. I’d thought Zareen was guilty almost immediately. While the trainer was starting to look more and more like our culprit, I still had Zareen in my mind as not entirely innocent. Seeing how torn up she was made me realize that there was no way she could’ve done it. She was too upset to be guilty.
“You want my opinion? I think Tamra did it.” She looked like she believed every word she was saying. “She always wants attention. And she usually gets it. Dad promised to take me to Paris for my birthday. But she’s always wanted to go. I know if Tamra throws the whole woe-is-me routine about Daisy being ‘missing,’ he’ll cave and agree to take her, too. I overheard her last night crying to him. He asked her what would make her feel better, and she replied ‘nothing.’ Then he said, ‘Well, how about I take you to Paris with us?’ ”
“What did Tamra say?”
“I don’t know. I walked away.” Zareen clenched her jaw. “I’ve always had to share my birthday with Zane. Now I have to share my present with Tamra.”
I used to envy the kids at the post who had siblings. Every time they moved, they automatically had someone to rely on. Sure, I had Mom and Dad. Then, when Dad left, all I had was Mom. It would’ve been nice to have a sibling as well. But after witnessing Zareen’s misery, I was wondering if maybe that wasn’t the case. Maybe it was better to be on your own.
“I’m so sorry, Zareen,” I said, trying to comfort her. “I can’t even begin to understand how difficult this has been for you. Listen, Shelby can be a bit rude, but she knows what she’s doing. She’ll find out who did this and will clear your name.”
“You really believe in her?” Zareen asked.
“Yes.” I knew Shelby wasn’t going to rest until Daisy was found.
“Thanks, John.” Zareen wiped away her tears. “I shouldn’t tell you all of our family drama, but I really appreciate you listening. I’m rarely heard around here.”
I gave her shoulder a little squeeze before I headed back to the living room with my map in hand.
“I’m curious about what you do.” Shelby was in the middle of talking with the trainer. Mrs. Lacy and Tamra were looking at the online message board they’d put up about Daisy to see if anybody had seen her. “I have an English bulldog who is an extraordinary animal, and you’re one of the best trainers, obviously.”
Shelby was slathering on the charm.
Her voice began to rise. “I’d love to pick your brain, if you don’t mind?”
“Sure,” Emerson replied cautiously. “What would you like to know?”
“Well”—Shelby dropped down to her knees and then knocked over a chair—“oh, I’m so sorry. You know what?” At this point her voice was practically a yell. “Am I disturbing you, Mrs. Lacy? Is there somewhere I could talk to Mr. Emerson in private?”
Emerson looked like a deer caught in headlights. I doubt many people would want to be stuck in a room alone with Shelby.
If he only knew what her real motive was.
Mrs. Lacy glanced up from the computer screen. “Yes, you can use the dining room,” she repli
ed, distracted. “We’ll be here if you need anything.”
“Wonderful!” Shelby stared at Emerson until he finally relented and got up. I followed them into the large dining room with a table that seated twelve.
“Shut the door behind you, Watson.”
I obliged.
Then a big smile spread on Shelby’s face.
“Watson, please lock the door.”
CHAPTER
21
This was it.
I knew Shelby had figured it out and was going to make Emerson confess. She’d find Daisy, and the Lacys would get to be a family again.
And I couldn’t wait to watch it all unfold (and just in time for me to catch a game with Zane).
“What can I do to help?” Emerson sat down at the head of the long table. Either he was a really good actor or he was oblivious of what Shelby had up her sleeve.
Shelby pulled up a chair right next to him, preparing for her interrogation. “First, can you explain to me why you lied to the Lacys about where you were the last few days?”
Emerson furrowed his eyebrows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was tending to a very sick aunt. How dare you—”
“You were on an American Airlines flight en route to LaGuardia Airport when the Lacys were trying to get ahold of you. You missed your connection in Dallas because your flight from Cozumel was delayed due to weather. That’s why you didn’t pick up your cell phone. You had planned to be back by morning, and they would’ve been none the wiser.”
The color drained from Emerson’s face, save for his still-sunburned nose. “I wasn’t …” His lips kept moving, but it appeared that he had lost his voice (or his nerve— probably both).
“Let’s skip the charade where you pretend that I’m wrong and get down to business: who took Daisy?”
“Wait!” I cried out. “You mean he didn’t do it?”
Shelby looked disappointed in me. “Of course not, Watson. He was on a plane when the crime occurred. That’s about as solid an alibi as they come. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have an accomplice.”
No! I was positive the trainer did it.
But the only other real lead we had was Zareen, and she didn’t do it.
I let out a little moan before slumping over the chair nearest to Shelby.
“It’s his first case,” Shelby explained to a confused Emerson.
“Listen,” Emerson said slowly, as if he knew that every word out of his mouth could be used against him. “I had nothing to do with the disappearance of Daisy. I adore that dog. I’ve been running myself ragged posting flyers and talking to anybody who could help.”
“Which is exactly what a guilty person would do,” Shelby replied. “Now, let me ask you again. Why did you lie to the Lacys about where you were?”
Emerson looked at the door, probably planning an escape. He then leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. “They would’ve been upset at me for leaving so close to a show, even though I knew I’d be back in plenty of time. It was sort of a last-minute vacation. I got a deal online for this trip—as you can imagine, I don’t make a ton of money. I wanted to do something nice for my new girlfriend.”
“So wouldn’t rigging the competition get you a ton of money?” Shelby fired back.
“What?” His face was scrunched up, and I kind of felt bad for the guy. Here he was, working for a very wealthy family, and the only way he could afford a vacation was to scour the Internet for deals. It must’ve been hard to keep up with the Lacys. “I’d never hurt Daisy, or any dog. I love what I do. It doesn’t give me a lot of free time, but I would never—and I mean never—do anything to Daisy.”
“You have all the elements of someone who is guilty: motive, keys to the apartment—you were in the apartment yesterday and could’ve taken the food. Am I correct?” Shelby asked, but I was fairly certain that was a rhetorical question because everybody in the room already knew she was right.
“I have keys because I walk the dogs during the day when the girls are at school. No one would—” It was as if a light had turned on over his head.
“What?” Shelby leaned forward so she was only inches away from him. “What are you thinking? You know something!”
He shook his head. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“Well, the only other people who have access to the apartment are the staff and the family.”
“Correct.”
“Right before I left, I was working with Roxy. That dog has been really challenging—I’ve never experienced such a stubborn animal. It’s amazing such a tiny dog can make so much noise.” (So far his story checked out.) “Zareen came up to me and said she wanted to start entering her in competitions. I advised her against it. At this stage, Roxy isn’t ready. One bark at a judge and it’s over.”
“And?” Shelby prodded him, getting as impatient as I was to find out what he knew.
“Now, listen, Zareen’s a good girl, but she’s going through a rough time. She got upset and stormed out of the room, but the last thing she said to me was, ‘I wish someone would take me away from this family, or at least get rid of that goody-two-shoes dog.’ ”
“No!” I gasped. “There’s no way Zareen did it. She told me earlier and, well, I believed her.”
I did. Didn’t I?
Shelby turned her attention back to Emerson. “How peculiar that this is the first time you’re bringing this up.”
“I was too preoccupied with my vacation, and I didn’t really think of it at the time. Zareen is prone to outbursts, so I simply chalked it up to that. Then, when I returned, I was so focused on finding Daisy it didn’t even occur to me until now.”
A rattling came from the dining room door. “Why is the door locked?” Tamra asked on the other side as she began pounding on it. “Shelby! Open up!”
Shelby strode over to the door and opened it.
On the other side, Tamra held up a piece of clear glass.
“We have another clue!”
CHAPTER
22
Shelby grabbed the piece of glass without any caution. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Yes—it’s part of the picture frame that’s missing!” Tamra replied excitedly.
As much as Emerson wanted to point fingers at Zareen, maybe Zareen had a point: Tamra certainly was getting a lot of attention from this. Her demeanor had gone from mourning and worried to giddy.
But would she bring us a clue if she was the one to hide Daisy? Didn’t she say that Daisy hardly ever barked? Maybe, just maybe, Daisy was still in the house! Yes! Tamra was the one who smuggled Daisy’s dog food. She was setting Zareen up. It was all making sense to me.
I needed to get Shelby away from everybody so I could share my theory with her, but she jogged off with Tamra upstairs. I followed to find a woman dressed in an actual maid’s uniform (I thought that was only in the movies!) dusting the bureau.
“Karina,” Tamra addressed the maid, “please show us exactly where you found this.”
The maid nodded, unaware of the excitement that finding a piece of glass had caused. “I was going to vacuum the rugs. When I bent down to plug in the vacuum, I saw the glass under the bureau. I picked it up, didn’t think anything of it, and that’s when you came along, Miss Tamra.”
How convenient for Tamra to appear right when the piece of evidence, which she had to have planted, was discovered. If memory served, I believed it was Tamra who realized that the frame was missing in the first place. She also basically accused Zareen of knocking it over because she sleepwalks.
It was all coming together.
At this point, I could only hope that Shelby wouldn’t fall for it.
Shelby knelt down and looked behind the bureau. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it yesterday.” She clenched her teeth together. Shelby probably wasn’t used to missing anything. But she had.
“Shelby, can I talk to you?” I asked in a low voice, hoping I coul
d tell her that I figured it all out before she swooped in and declared that Zareen had done it.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Lacy came upstairs, with Zareen behind her.
“Look what Karina found!” Tamra handed her mother the glass and gave a quick glance at Zareen.
She was so ready to set her up. I couldn’t stand by and let an innocent person be accused of something that they didn’t do. This wasn’t fair! Zareen had been through enough.
“Shelby …” I tried to get Shelby’s attention as she was busy measuring the length of the bureau. Then she bent down to measure the small sliver of hardwood floor between the rug and the wall.
“What is it, Watson?” Shelby took a step back and looked at the bureau with her head tilted in one direction and then the other. She then took a few paces from Zareen’s room to the bureau.
No, no, no … She needed to know there was a conspiracy afoot!
“Can I talk to you?”
“Yes.” Shelby closed her eyes and walked into the bureau.
Zareen studied Shelby’s actions with tears welling up in her eyes. She knew what was coming.
If only I could get Shelby alone.
“Oh, this?” Mrs. Lacy attention finally went from Shelby to the glass that was placed in her hand. “You know it wasn’t expensive. It’s only a frame.”
“But!” Tamra said excitedly. “It was broken during the night that Daisy went missing. We all know that Zareen sleepwalks, so she must’ve broken it!”
“It wouldn’t be the first time Zareen has broken something, honey.” Mrs. Lacy gave her older daughter a warm smile, but Zareen returned it with a grimace. “It’s just a broken picture frame. It doesn’t really mean anything.”
“Actually, it does,” Shelby interrupted. “How would a frame break when there is carpet on all sides of the bureau, except for the back? It would’ve had to have been a precise hit to this small opening, and there’s only one angle that would work.”
“Shelby,” I warned her. “I really need to talk to you.”
“In a minute,” she said, dismissing me.
All eyes were on Shelby. She went to the entryway of Zareen’s bedroom and began to shuffle her feet as she walked forward. Her foot hit the thin runner that ran along the majority of the hallway. She then slowly pretended to fall. Her body moved in a deliberate, almost graceful manner as her shoulder hit the corner of the bureau where the broken frame would’ve been the night of the crime.