Hair of the Dog by Laurien Berenson

Turk was nothing, a nobody.” He paused, pulling down a hard breath. “Alicia told me you showed Poodles.”
    â€œI do. I have a Standard puppy I got from my aunt. Margaret Turnbull?”
    â€œSure.” Bill nodded. “Fine lady. If you have a Poodle, you must have known Turk.”
    â€œNot well, but I knew who he was.”
    â€œEveryone knew who he was. Turk made sure of that. That boy could kiss butt better than a redneck politician. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that there wasn’t some razzle-dazzle there. Just that it was all on the surface. Like some of the dogs he showed. I don’t care how fancy a trim you put on a donkey, you’ve still got nothing but an ass underneath.”
    â€œYou didn’t approve of his methods, then.”
    â€œWasn’t up to me to approve or disapprove. I judge sporting dogs, Turk never came into my ring. Wouldn’t have done him much good if he had, but as it happened, it never came up.”
    â€œHow long did Barry and Alicia know each other?”
    â€œYou mean, when did they first meet?”
    I nodded.
    Bill sat back and thought for a moment. “I’m not sure I really know the answer to that. Turk’s been around a good long while, you know. Alicia and I went to shows together for probably eight years. We were married for six. Living in the same neck of the woods as Turk, I guess we were bound to go to most of the same shows. To tell you the truth, I didn’t pay that much attention.”
    There was a long pause. I wondered if we were both thinking the same thing. Maybe that had been the problem. Biff reached out with one large paw, snagged a rawhide bone, dragged it over, and began to chew.
    â€œI’ll tell you when Turk started making a play for Alicia, though, and that was last summer. He wasn’t even subtle about it. Following her around at shows, bringing her little trinkets. And all of this going on right under my nose, as if he wasn’t dealing with another man’s wife!”
    â€œWhat did you do about it?”
    Bill sighed. “Looking back, I guess I could have handled things a little more forcefully. Problem was, whenever Alicia and I were at the shows, I’d be in the ring judging. We’d meet for lunch, but other than that, let’s face it, she had some time on her hands.”
    He was speaking more confidently now, as if this were a subject he’d devoted a lot of thought to. “I guess my other mistake was that I didn’t take Turk seriously enough. The man had the moral fiber of a snake, I figured anyone with half a brain could figure that out. And Alicia was no dummy.”
    No, she wasn’t. Still, she’d allowed herself to be swept away by someone who’d showered her with romance and attention. When I’d spoken to Alicia, she hadn’t made it sound as though Barry’s moral fiber had been a determining factor.
    â€œSo listen,” Bill said earnestly. “I know you’ve been to see her. Did she seem okay to you?”
    â€œShe was tired,” I admitted. “Of course, in her condition—”
    â€œCondition?” Bill demanded. “What condition?”
    Damn, I thought. He didn’t know. And I certainly wasn’t the one who ought to be breaking the news.
    â€œWhat condition?” Bill repeated. “What’s going on?”
    â€œAlicia is pregnant,” I said quietly.
    â€œPregnant?” He slumped in his chair, his eyes large and round in his head. “Alicia’s pregnant? Are you sure?”
    â€œYes, she told me herself. The baby’s due at the end of the year.”
    â€œAlicia’s having a baby?” Bill shook his head, as if he hoped that would help the information sink in.
    â€œI’m sorry. I thought you knew.”
    â€œNo, Alicia never mentioned that. I’m sure she didn’t want me to feel—” His fingers tangled into a knot in his lap.