Free Death in the Casino: Target Practice Mysteries 5 by Nikki Haverstock Page B

stairways at the bottom of each aisle that you could use to get to the arena floor.
    More chairs were at the bottom then a row of tables that separated the row of chairs for the shooters. Scanning the archer seating area, I spotted Loggin's tall frame. Then, glancing behind the tables, I found Mary with her smooth black bob.
    I started down the cement stairs but Moo hesitated. He carefully sniffed the stairs then walked his front paws down several stairs then paused and finally lifted his back paws to join the front.
    "Come on, Moo. You know how to walk down stairs. Come on."
    He lifted his head to stare at me, his jowls flopping side to side as he shook his head then lowered it to inspect the next few stairs. Slowly we inched our way down to the arena. Step, step, step, pause. Step, step, step, pause.
    People giggled and pointed, while a few snapped pictures.
    Moo was a large and clumsy dog, so I let him take his time. When we got to the base of the arena stairs, we had to step up and onto the black metal stairs that had been rolled into the arena.
    I had stepped up and started down when Moo jerked me back. He was edging away from the metal stairs and sat down.
    "Come on, Moo. It's okay."
    People watched us, and my cheeks flamed up in embarrassment. The practice session was about to start, and people were milling about waiting to start.
    A few of the pro male compounders were watching as I begged Moo to continue. He extended his front feet onto the platform at the top of the black stairs, but his rear legs refused to budge. I begged and pleaded in a whisper for him to move. He extended his front paws to the top stairs, his belly resting across the entire platform, but his back paws stayed.
    "Come on. Be a big boy."
    Moo responded with a dramatic moan. He wasn't in pain; it was a noise he reserved for moments when he didn't want to do what I asked him, like getting off the bed or taking a bath. I pulled a little more, and he raised his head and let loose with a long groan of displeasure.
    Heads whipped around at the noise. This was not worth the embarrassment. I looked at the stands, and at least half the people were watching.
    I went back over the platform and started up the cement arena stairs. "Okay, you win this time."
    Moo didn't budge but looked over his shoulder at me and whined.
    "I think your dog's stuck."
    I leaned to the left to see a couple of the male archers were at the bottom of the metal stairs. Two of them had Andersson jerseys on, which made my embarrassment both less and more.
    "He's just being a big baby."
    I picked up his back feet and wrestled with the weight to get them back underneath his belly. Moo was docile and did nothing to help me as I maneuvered his feet. Then I squeezed by him and started down the stairs. I tried to pull him down.
    When he lifted his right front paw I was ecstatic--until he placed it over my shoulder and started leaning into me.
    "No, no, down. Moo, down."
    I reached up for his right paw, and he placed his left paw on my other shoulder and pushed his chest to mine. He lifted his snout and let out a long cry that reminded me of a dying bagpipe.
    I reached out for the railing, steadying myself with one hand while clutching the packet of papers with the other. He let out another whine and rested his head on his paw as my knees started to buckle under his immense, furry weight.
    Mary's voice called up to me from the floor of the arena. "What are you doing?"
    "Help, Mary. Take this." I tried to reach down with the jacket-wrapped stack of papers. "Please hurry."
    A hand took the bundle from my arm, and I grabbed the railing as Moo continued to moan and whine his angst.
    "Everyone is staring, Di." Mary sounded disapproving. "They're about to start practice."
    "You think I'm doing this for fun? Help me, I'm stuck."
    Moo was resting his chin on top of my head as he carried on, and all I could see was black and white fur.
    A voice I didn't recognize called out. "Ma'am, you can't block the