Free One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery) by Lia Farrell

she drove back up her driveway. Tammy’s car was parked outside. They both ran into the house, laughing.
    “What now?” Tammy was out of breath.
    “Look what I found.” Mae held up the plastic-encased phone with a flourish normally accorded an Oscar envelope.
    “Ruby’s?”
    “Um hum and it’s just like mine, so I should be able to charge it.” Mae got a pair of thin latex gloves from under the sink in order to remove the phone from the bag. She pushed buttons on the phone until she found the calendar. Ruby’s date of arrival back home was listed as March fourteenth and her appointment the next morning was with the road commissioner. At one o’clock, the calendar showed a meeting with Ruby’s attorney, followed by a doctor’s appointment.
    “Well, I think this could be your chance to get to know our handsome single sheriff,” said Tammy.
    “What are you talking about?”
    “You need to take this to Ben. Maybe he’ll even let you help with the investigation.”
    “Tammy, you’re brilliant. I’ve been thinking I could help him and maybe even catch the perp. That’s what they call them. I’ve been getting more and more upset about how Ruby died. People are acting as if she practically asked to be killed, all because she didn’t want Little Chapel Road widened. She was a human being, and she didn’t deserve to die like this.”
    Tammy smiled. “You’re right, Mae-Mae. She deserved better.”
    “That reminds me, I’d better call Dory and tell her I found the phone. She’ll probably want me to bring it in right away.”
    “Go ahead, Mae. I need to get back home.”
    Tammy waved and was out the door before Dory answered.
    “Dory, I found it! Ruby’s cellphone. It was in the garage. Should I bring it in?”
    “Could you bring it in the morning? We have a meeting with CSI and the deputies first thing tomorrow. After that you can probably meet with Sheriff Bradley.”
    “That’s perfect. I’ll see you then.”
    Mae dug her charger out of the kitchen drawer and plugged it into a wall outlet. She stuck the other end into Ruby’s phone and left it on the counter.

 
    Chapter Nine
March 21
Mae December
    B y 7:00 a.m. Mae was up, showered and dressed in black denim jeans, a blue sweater, and silver earrings. Putting her hair in a twist, she turned around to check her backside in the mirror. The black pants made her look five pounds slimmer. She’d even remembered lipstick. Tammy would be proud.
    She ran downstairs, took her dogs outside and fed the boarding dogs; then she came inside and fed Tallulah, Titan and Thoreau. After filling her coffee mug, she poured the whole pot into a large coffee urn and sliced a loaf of apricot-walnut bread. She was headed down the driveway by twenty after seven. The sky was pale blue with high cirrus clouds. A whole cluster of crocuses lay face down in the mud by her mailbox, casualties of the heavy rain. How quickly spring storms passed by in the south. Flowers paid the price, gone before their time. Like Ruby.
    Mae arrived at the donut shop by seven thirty. By seven forty-five, she had hot coffee, homemade bread, donuts and best of all, Ruby’s phone, to share with the sheriff. The previous night she had placed the recharged cellphone in an envelope, carefully using her latex gloves to avoid smudging any fingerprints.
    Mae struggled to open the Sheriff’s office door with her hands full. “Dory, did the meeting already start?”
    “Yes, honey.” Dory held the door open for her.
    “Could you please stick your head in there and tell the sheriff I have coffee and donuts for everyone? This bread is only for you, unless you want to share.”
    “Oooh, apricot-walnut?” Dory held it up to sniff. “Your mother gave me some last time I visited. It’s delicious. Thank you. I’ll keep this. It would be wasted on those scoundrels.” She stashed the loaf in her desk drawer. “I’ll go see what I can do about getting you into the meeting.” She left the reception