After lunch, Dixie, B.J., Stephanie, and I waited in Dixie’s RV. Monica Jill wanted to see the new calf and volunteered to go and bring Dr. Morgan back.
Aggie was curled up on my shoulder, like a parrot, while Rex snuggled in my lap. I stared down at the cute bundle of fur and realized I was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. If Archibald Lowry’s will left this little dog to someone else, my heart will have a poodle-sized hole. These thoughts prompted me to turn to Stephanie. “Did Mr. Lowry’s attorney mention anything about his will?”
Stephanie looked at me with compassion. “Eli doesn’t think he made arrangements for the dog,” she paused, “which seems really weird.” She looked sad. “Eli thought the cousins, Mary and Fergus Kilpatrick, might want him.”
I hugged Rex close. “Maybe they’d let me buy him?”
Dixie patted my arm. “Honestly, I can’t believe Archibald didn’t make arrangements for his dog.”
B.J. sat on a swivel chair and ate chips and tuna fish sandwiches, which Dixie had thoughtfully brought in case we weren’t fans of the Scottish cuisine. “I read somewhere it’s hard to get dogs into the United Kingdom. Don’t they require pets to be quarantined for six months?”
Dixie shook her head. “That was true years ago, but they’ve relaxed their laws considerably and it’s a lot easier to travel with dogs, cats, even ferrets.”
“Six months? That’s a long time to be away from your pet.” I looked down at Rex and gave Aggie an extra cuddle. I couldn’t imagine leaving my dog for half of the year.
“The United Kingdom had a really harsh ban in place for years to prevent rabies. But for the last two decades, they have made it a lot easier to bring animals into the country.”
“Easier?” Beau snorted. “Isn’t there a three-week wait period?”
Dixie nodded. “Three weeks from the time your dog is vaccinated, plus you have to have blood work done and…” She shook her head. “I used to know all of the rules when I was actively showing my dogs. Crufts is the British equivalent to the Westminster Dog Show. Preparing Leia and Chyna for that was a full-time job.” She sighed. “They have something called the PETS Scheme. There’s a list of approved countries that are allowed to bring pets into and out of the country. In addition to the vaccinations and blood tests, your dog will need to have your vet complete a certificate and then your dog has to be treated for tape worm.”
“They even have rules about the ink the vet can use,” Beau added.
“You’re joking?” B.J. asked.
“Sadly, he isn’t.” Dixie shook her head. “They take this very seriously and if your pet’s documentation isn’t completed properly, that’s it.”
I looked down at Rex. “I guess that means I’ve got at least three weeks before the Kilpatricks will be able to take him.”
Stephanie reached across and gave my hand a squeeze. “We’ll figure something out before then.”
There was a knock on the door of the RV and Addison, Monica Jill, Dr. Morgan, Max, Lucky and Jac entered.
“My God, that calf is just the cutest thing.” Monica Jill washed her hands in the sink and then sat down at the table next to B.J. and helped herself to a sandwich and chips. “It has the biggest brown eyes and longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen.”
“Hmm.” B.J. rolled her own eyes and took a swig of her coke.
“What?” Monica Jill looked at her.
“How many calf’s eyelashes have you seen?” She stared at her friend.
Monica Jill hesitated a moment and then chuckled. “Okay, well maybe that’s the first calf I’ve ever seen up close and personal, but it was still cute.”
We laughed.
Dr. Morgan washed his hands and then joined us at the large table. “It’s certainly the first calf I’ve ever seen up close and personal.”
“You and Maisie were definitely close.” Dixie chuckled. “Tell the girls about your first calf delivery.”
Dr. Morgan blushed, but told about the calf being twisted and how he had to turn it so it could be delivered.
B.J. squirmed. “You mean you had to put your arm all the way inside—”
“Yep.” Dr. Morgan nodded.
Addison helped herself to food. “I think the calf is adorable. I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up.” Dr. Morgan answered a few questions while he ate his sandwich and chips. When the others were done, I asked the question which had puzzled me at the time.
“What were you looking at on your phone?”
“And who did you call?” Dixie asked.
Dr. Morgan swallowed before answering. “I called my dad. He grew up on a farm and used to tell us stories about delivering cows and sheep.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “He told me what I would have to do and then I watched a YouTube video.”
“Isn’t technology wonderful.” B.J. drank her Coke. “You can find a video on practically everything.”
When everyone was finished eating, we were ready to get down to business.
Dixie looked across at Addison. “Addison, can I trouble you to take the dogs for a walk?”
Addison hopped up and eagerly got the dogs leashed.
Beau rose. “Let me help you.”
He and Addison secured all of the leashes and then headed outside.
When the door closed, B.J. wiped her mouth. “Well, I’ll go first.” She glanced around before she continued. “That chauffeur was halfway lit up before he even got into the tent for lunch. He keeps a flask in his jacket which he refills with liquor from the back of the limo.”
Monica Jill banged her hand on the table. “Well, that’s not right. He shouldn’t be drinking and driving. That’s just plain dangerous.”
“Well, I certainly won’t be riding with him,” B.J. said. “He kept implying that he knew things about people.”
“What sort of things?” Dixie asked.
She shrugged. “I never could get him to say. Trust me, I tried everything to get him to talk, but he just kept drinking from his flask and saying how he knew things and he was going to show them.”
“Who’s them?” I asked.
She shrugged. “He wouldn’t say. He would just take a swig from the flask and grin.” She shivered. “Anyway, he definitely knows something, but I couldn’t get anything out of him.”
Monica Jill raised her hand. “I’ll go next if that’s alright.” She looked around.
We all nodded.
“I think Mary and Fergus are a nice couple, but boy are they hard to understand.” She shook her head.
I glanced at Stephanie and stifled a laugh, but I wasn’t quick enough to escape Monica Jill’s notice.
She huffed. “Now, I know I have a bit of a southern accent.”
“A bit,” everyone said at once and then laughed.
She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know what y’all are talking ‘bout. I sound just like you two.” She pointed to Stephanie and me.
We exchanged glances and then shook our heads.
Monica Jill waved us off. “Well, I still say, those two are hard to understand with those thick Scottish accents.”
“Which one of them was actually related to Lowry?” I asked.
“Mary said Lowry was her cousin.” She shook her head. “Although, thankfully, I didn’t see the slightest bit of a resemblance.” She paused. “Where was I. Oh, yeah, Well, they asked a lot of questions about Tennessee and the dogs.”
“Was this their first visit to America?” B.J. asked.
Monica Jill frowned. “Now, that’s interesting. They said it was, but I got the distinct impression that maybe they’d been here before.” She paused. “At least, it sounded like Fergus had.”
“What made you think that?” I asked.
“We were talking about America and he mentioned something about Vegas that sounded like he’d been there once. I must have looked puzzled, because Mary said he had always wanted to go to Vegas and looked forward to going while they were here.”
B.J. pursed her lips. “Maybe Fergus made a trip to Vegas without Mary. You know what they say, ‘what happens in Vegas…’”
We shrugged.
Monica Jill sighed. “I have to say, I didn’t really like Mary and Fergus and I got the distinct impression they think they’ll inherit.” She frowned. “I didn’t want to disappoint them, but I think they have certain…expectations.”
Stephanie shook her head. “They may have expectations, but from what I gathered from Eli, ah…Mr. Goldstein, it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to contest the will.” She glanced at Monica Jill. “I’m sorry, were you done?”
“Oh yes. That’s all I got. You go right on ahead.” Monica Jill took a sip of her water.
“Eli didn’t want to share the contents of Archibald Lowry’s will, but he did say apart from a few legacies for the housekeeper, butler and a few others, the majority of his money was slated to go to various charities.”
“Nothing for the cousins?” Dixie asked.
Stephanie shrugged. “Not that he mentioned. However, on Monday I can go and get a copy from the probate court.”
Dr. Morgan raised his hand to go next. When he’d returned to check on the calf, he’d had a chance to talk to Mai. “Mai hasn’t been on the estate long, but she mentioned there are some really strange things going on.”
“Strange how?” Dixie asked.
“She said Archibald Lowry wanted her to sell the stock.”
“What’s unusual about that?” I asked. “I don’t know anything about farms or animals, but surely people do that all of the time?”
Everyone nodded.
“He probably got in over his head with all of his Scottish Laird business,” Stephanie said.
Dr. Morgan frowned. “That’s what I said, but the weird thing is that he didn’t want her to tell anyone she was selling them.”
“Why would he do that?” I looked around.
Dixie shook her head.
Monica Jill frowned. “I’ve had people who want to buy land anonymously, because they’re afraid the price will go up, but I’ve never heard of selling stock anonymously.”
“Did she know if he was planning to move?” I asked.
Dr. Morgan shook his head. “Apparently Archibald Lowry wasn’t forthcoming when it came to the hired help.” He blushed. “I asked her out to dinner next week and I’ll try to find out more then.”
B.J. smiled. “Aww…shookie shookie.”
Mr. Morgan’s color deepened. “I’m merely trying to do my part toward the investigation.”
“Of course, you are.” Monica Jill smiled and gave his arm a squeeze. “I’m really happy for you. She’s just the cutest little thing.”
Dixie shared the incident we witnessed between the butler and chauffeur. We were going to try and get a word with the housekeeper before it was time to leave to get dressed for tonight’s festivities.
I stood up and that’s when someone outside screamed.
We rushed from the RV to see that a crowd had gathered near a portable john. We pushed our way past everyone only to see Paul Carpenter take a few steps, stumble forward and then collapse on the ground. Similar to Archibald Lowry, he had a large amount of blood around his chest.
Dr. Morgan pushed his way through the crowd, knelt down and felt for a pulse. After a few minutes, he shook his head. “He’s dead.”
Dixie placed her head in her hands. “Not again.”