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could see his face, I could read what he wasn’t saying. “But you’re safe?”
    “I’m fine.” After a brief pause he asked, “What’s going on?”
    Here’s the deal—with Grey, it was best to just spit out the facts. In his line of work, word got around fast when his fiancée found another dead body.
    “First, I’m fine. Honestly. Darby, I, and the dogs, we’re all fine.”
    “Mel, stop stalling. What’s going on?”
    “Well, Darby and I found Dr. O’Doggle dead in front of Bow Wow. We called Detective Malone, and he’s on the case.”
    A heavy sigh rushed into my ear. It was the sigh that went hand and hand with him rubbing his head in frustration. “What do you mean by ‘found?’”
    I gave him the low down, and he grunted his disbelief. “I’m glad you’re okay. Be careful. A customer was possibly murdered in front of your shop. Keep your eyes open and stay aware of your surroundings. What did Malone have to say?”
    “You know Malone. He keeps everything to himself. Speaking of keeping things to themselves. Caro stole my brooch from Glitter.”
    Grey sighed again. Only this time with exasperation. “Mel.”
    “I know. It’s payback from when I got to Glitter first and convinced Zane I’d return it to Caro, but you’d think they’d have learned their lesson and made sure they returned the pin to the person who brought it into the store.”
    “Technically, Caro brought it into the store first.”
    “That was then. To have it cleaned. I’m talking about now. When I dropped it off for an appraisal. Big difference.”
    “Have you talked to Caro yet?”
    “You know we’re not talking. What you really want to know is if I’ve come up with a plan to get it back.”
    “No. That’s not what I was asking. Look, I have to go. I have a meeting, and I can’t be late. Promise me, if you see anything out of the norm, you’ll call the police. I should be home by Sunday at the latest.”
    “I promise. Keep safe. I love you.” I worked hard to keep the concern out of my voice. I hated this part of his job.
    “Be good and don’t pick fights. Love you, too,” he said before disconnecting.
    Notice I didn’t promise anything about not fighting.

Chapter Eight
     
    I HADN’T slept well. I’d dreamt that a UPS truck dropped off a shipment of green leashes, and I had to sort them in alphabetical order by buyer, which then somehow morphed into Grey, gun drawn, chasing a crazed painter who wore a white beret and a handlebar mustache (very creepy) down the back alleys of Chicago.
    After a quick bowl of Cap’n Crunch, I slipped on my favorite True Religion jeans, a pet-themed T-shirt (today’s read, “It’s all fun and games until someone’s wearing a cone”), and boots. I walked Missy around the block so she could do her business.
    I decided to leave her home today. The shop was bound to be crazy. Dr. O’Doggle’s death was all over the news, including the part about the dog leash and dropping dead at Bow Wow’s doorstep. You gotta love the media.
    Once Missy was settled, I grabbed my jacket and headed to the police station to give Malone the list of names. I parked in front of the building and walked inside. The uniformed clerk at the front desk looked up. I recognized her from the last time I had been there, the day Malone had brought Darby in for questioning.
    The clerk was a tiny wisp of a woman—all blonde hair, uniform, and gun. I sold dog bowls heavier than her. Since she was armed, I kept most of my smart-alecky comments to myself.
    “What can I do for you?” She sized me up.
    Did I mention she was all business?
    I flashed my trustworthy smile. “Detective Malone asked me to drop off some information.”
    She cocked a blonde eyebrow at me. “What kind?”
    “A list of names. It’s in regards to Dr. O’Doggle’s death.”
    “Hold on.” She picked up the phone. “Melinda Langston is here with information about the O’Doggle case.” She eyed me. “Will do.”
    “He’ll