The Scottie Barked At Midnight by Kaitlyn Dunnett Page B

Liss retrieved from the end table, was enough to have Dandy and Dondi prancing in a circle around her, eager for their next adventure.
    She clipped the leashes to their collars and set out. If she arrived at Valentine’s RV a little early, she’d have time to ask a few pertinent questions before her appointment with the wardrobe mistress.
    Ten minutes later, Liss was seated in the motor home’s comfortable lounge area, a mug of hot chocolate in hand. Valentine had set Dandy and Dondi loose to sniff the more interesting corners of the RV, tossed their leashes onto a pullout countertop extension in the midcoach galley, and joined Liss on the sofa.
    â€œThis is some rig,” Liss said.
    â€œI like it. Plenty of cupboards, closets, and other storage space. Adequate bathroom. Big bed.” Valentine shoved her glasses back into place a millisecond before they slipped off the end of her nose. “The only tricky part is finding parking. With the slide-out sections I expand to use nearly three times as much space.”
    Liss gestured toward the computer workstation that was hardly standard equipment for RVs. It had been built into the space where a U-shaped dinette would normally be located. “What, exactly, is it that you do?”
    Valentine chuckled. “I travel around the country taking pictures and creating specialty calendars for groups, especially those used for fund-raisers.”
    â€œAnd you can make a living at that?”
    â€œI can, although I wouldn’t say it was a good living.”
    Good enough, Liss thought. From the entrance she’d been able to see the length of the vehicle, clear into a master bedroom dominated by what looked like a queen-size bed. Valentine’s home also boasted a combination convection oven and microwave in the galley, blackout roller shades on all the windows, and at least two TVs. At a guess, this rig had cost her upwards of $250,000—more than most Maine people paid for a house.
    Dondi trotted up to them and put one paw on Valentine’s knee. She laughed and scooped him into her arms. “How’s my favorite boy today?”
    Dondi licked her face. Dandy hopped up onto the sofa beside them.
    Liss turned so she could see Valentine’s face, tucking one leg beneath herself. “Deidre believed a competitor spirited Dandy away.”
    The hand stroking Dondi’s back stilled. “Yes, she did.”
    â€œAny idea which one she suspected?”
    â€œI wish I did.”
    â€œDo you know if any of the other contestants have had any trouble?”
    For a long moment, Valentine was silent. Then she set Dondi aside and moved from the couch to the chair in front of her computer. A few clicks brought up a photograph.
    Liss rose and went to stand behind her. The picture on the monitor showed a jumble of objects inside a closet. “What is all this stuff?”
    â€œMo Heedles’s equipment. The props she juggles in her act. Or rather, this is what was left of them after somebody got into her suite and wrecked them.”
    â€œWhen did this happen?”
    â€œThursday. Mo was out all day. She decided to take advantage of our location and go skiing. When she came back and opened the closet where she had everything neatly stored, she found this mess.” Valentine depressed another key to start the slide-show function, and similar images appeared, one after another, on the computer screen. “She didn’t want to call the police. I don’t think she even reported it to hotel security. But she wanted a record of what had been done to her.”
    â€œFor an insurance claim?”
    â€œI doubt she has insurance. All I can tell you for certain is that she asked me to take these pictures before she cleaned up the pieces.”
    Image after image of broken and battered objects flowed past. What had once been colorful silicone balls looked as if they’d been stomped on. Wooden clubs had been reduced to splinters.