Page 52 of A Spot of Trouble
A furrow formed in Violet’s forehead. “Really?”
She glanced up at the dry-as-a-bone sprinkler head directly above her.
“Really,” Sam said.
Ethel remained suspiciously silent.
Violet crossed her arms. “Honestly, Sam. If you and Cinder want to join the class, just say so.”
“We’re not here for yoga,” he said, trying his best to hammer the point home.
“Then what is it?” She gave him a dry smile. “Are my yoga clothes flammable? Are you about to give me another ticket?”
The crowd of retirees tittered behind him.
Sam had a good mind to leave, but his sense of professional responsibility prevented him from doing so. He was going to have to write a report on this when he got back to the station. Like it or not, he couldn’t leave without taking a look at the sprinkler system.
“As I mentioned before, I’m here to inspect the sprinklers. Carry on with your class.” He turned to go, and immediately heard an extra set of Dalmatian paws padding behind him. Sprinkles, no doubt.
“Sprinkles, come back here,” Violet said.
Sam knew without bothering to look over his shoulder that the Dalmatian was still trotting behind him. Fine. Sprinkles’s antics weren’t his problem. She’d be enrolled in obedience lessons soon enough anyway.
After checking in with the receptionist, Sam located the control panel for the sprinkler system. He checked the settings and wiring while Sprinkles danced around Cinder, trying to entice her into a game of chase by rolling onto her back and batting her paws in the air. Cinder remained as stoic and professional as ever, but kept shifting her sweet brown gaze to Sam.
Please,she seemed to say.
Cinder wasn’t supposed to play while she was on duty, just as she wasn’t supposed to have treats. But Sam’s efforts to get her to let loose a little at home had been unsuccessful thus far, so he was tempted to cut her some slack. It would be good for her to act like a regular dog. A few minutes couldn’t hurt.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Take five, and then we’re out of here.”
Cinder’s mouth curved into a huge doggy grin and she darted toward the lobby with Sprinkles in hot pursuit. Sam’s heart gave a little twist.Good dog, he thought. She deserved to have a little fun. It wasn’t as if they were on a legitimate call. Violet’s elderly friends had obviously decided to play matchmaker and decided dialing 911 was the most effective way to do it.
He sighed. Ethel probably wasn’t going to like what came next.
The yoga class was transitioning into a pose that Violet calledmurder victimwhen Sam strode toward Ethel’s mat. He didn’t know much about yoga andmurder victimdidn’t sound very Zen, but he knew better than to question it.
No distractions, remember?
He directed all his attention toward Ethel, who seemed to be purposefully avoiding his gaze. “Can we have a word, please?”
“I can’t talk right now. I’m supposed to be dead,” she whispered and scrunched her eyes closed tight.
What kind of nutty yoga class was this?
“Sorry, Ethel. I’m afraid it can’t wait,” Sam said.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Cinder and Sprinkles curled up next to each other on Sprinkles’s yoga mat. He couldn’t help but smile, but then he noticed Violet watching the dogs too. Her blue-green eyes twinkled until her gaze met Sam’s. They both promptly looked away.
“Ethel, we need to chat.” If she refused to stand up and have this conversation someplace more private, they’d have to do it right there. Sam squatted beside her mat. “Did you call in a false report about the sprinklers?”
Ethel’s eyes flew open. “Of course not. They were malfunctioning. Ask Mavis and Opal. They’ll tell you the same thing.”
I’ll bet they will.
He narrowed his gaze at her. “How were they malfunctioning?”
A nearby senior citizen shushed him. Sam felt a headache coming on. Then he was enveloped by the delicious scents of warm vanilla and candied sugar as someone gave his shoulder a sharp poke.
