Eleven

My breath caught in my throat. How could this be happening? All kinds of strange scenarios ran through my head. Was this the real Gustav Vogel? Was he an impostor? Could there be two people by that name?

I swallowed hard. Maybe I had misunderstood. I didn’t think so, but I asked anyway. “I’m sorry? Your name again?”

He spoke slowly. “Gustav Vogel. V-O-G-E-L. I was supposed to be here yesterday but was detained because I was mugged.”

That sounded way too familiar. Two Gustav Vogels, and both were mugged? “I’m sorry to hear that.” I faked a smile. “Thank you. Would you excuse me for a moment?”

I hurried into the office and phoned Officer Dave, all the while keeping an eye on Mr. Vogel through the open door.

“Dave,” I whispered. “I have a Gustav Vogel trying to check in.”

After a moment of silence, he said, “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny.”

I heard him suck in a long breath. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, but this better not be some kind of gag.”

I hung up, feeling annoyed. I had never tried to trick him before. This wasn’t in the least bit amusing for me either.

I returned to the desk.

“Is there a problem?” asked Mr. Vogel. “Perhaps I could speak to Liesel Miller. She is expecting me.”

“She’s out at the moment but should return soon. There’s just a little bit of confusion. May I see your identification?”

There. That should solve it.

“As I mentioned, I was mugged. I do not have my driver’s license because my wallet was stolen. The police were kind enough to give me a copy of their report. Perhaps that would help you?”

He handed me a pink sheet of paper. The writing was faint, as though it had been the third carbon sheet and the officer hadn’t pressed quite hard enough. “This is dated yesterday.”

“That is correct. Had it not been for this misfortune, I would have arrived here yesterday. But I was hospitalized for the night.”

“I’m so sorry. Perhaps you would like to sit down?” I gestured toward the love seat.

“I should like to lie down if I could please be shown to my room.”

Dave turned up at that exact moment, panting like he had run from wherever he had been. I was relieved to see him because he had spared me having to tell this man, assuming he really was Gustav Vogel, that we had given his room away.

Dave asked if he could borrow the office. Naturally, I consented. The two men entered the little room behind the desk and the door closed.

I picked up the phone and called Oma’s friend, Rose Richardson, who owned several rental properties. “Rose, I’m in desperate need of a room. Are all your places full?”

“Funny you should mention that. I have a darling one-bedroom bungalow that wasn’t rented this week. Seems most of the people came to Animal Attraction with friends and needed more than one bedroom. I was just telling your grandmother about it.”

“Oh! She’s there?” I should have realized. Rose and Oma were thick as thieves. “Where are you? Can I send someone over to pick up the key?”

“Liesel is just on her way back. I’ll send it with her.” Her voice faded as though she was talking to Oma and not into the phone. “It’s the yellow cottage on Pine Street. Close to Hot Hog.”

I heard Oma say, “I know the one. It’s very cute. Tell Holly I’ll be back in five minutes.”

I thanked Rose, hung up, and let out a heavy breath. One crisis resolved. Sort of.

Ben walked in at that moment with Huey. “There you are! Holly, we need to talk.”

We certainly did. But Dave would surely be finished with the second Gustav Vogel shortly, and Oma would be back any minute. It couldn’t have been a worse time. “I’m a little busy at the moment. Maybe we can meet for coffee or lunch in an hour?”

He flushed pink. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. Actually, I have a lunch date. I want to borrow Twinkletoes, but I can’t find her.”

I smelled a rat. Twinkletoes and Ben did not get along. Not at all! “For heaven’s sake, take Huey. You’ve ignored him since last night. And he’s such a great dog. He has behaved like a perfect angel.”

“Um, no. It has to be Twinkletoes.”

“Why? You do recall that you don’t like each other. Right?”

“I may have told Laura that Twinkletoes was my cat.”

“May have?” I giggled.

“Okay, so she’s a cat person, not a dog person.”

“What a great start to a relationship. You’re lying to her already. And the only cat you know is Twinkletoes, who hates you!”

“Hate is such a strong word.”

“Don’t you think Laura will notice when Twinkletoes spends lunch hissing at you?”

The door behind me opened. Dave and the second Gustav Vogel exited the office. Just as Mr. Vogel rounded the desk to the reception lobby, Oma walked in through the sliding glass doors.

They looked at each other, and if it had been a movie, heavenly music would have played. Maybe Macon was right about us making up our minds in ninety seconds to four minutes. I wasn’t sure it had taken them that long.

Gustav nodded at Oma and held out his hand. “Gustav Vogel. You must be the lovely Liesel.”

I hoped Oma wouldn’t faint. In a big rush that alarmed the dogs, I hurried to her side, ready to catch her.

Oma stared at Gustav for a long moment as though she were looking at a ghost. She shook his hand. “I thought you were dead.”

Gustav laughed. A nice, hearty chuckle. “I must misquote Mr. Twain. As you can see, reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

“I have to sit down. I did not expect this.”

I walked with Oma to the love seat just in case she should topple. Gustav promptly sat next to her.

Trixie and Huey, probably sensing treats from Oma, wagged their tails and sniffed them.

I hustled over to Dave and whispered, “So, what’s the story?”

Ben sidled up to us to hear what was going on.

“I called the police to confirm. He’s on the up and up. On his way here, Gustav was jumped and mugged. They took him to the hospital as a precaution because the mugger did a number on him.”

“So who is the other guy?”

“What other guy?” asked Ben.

Dave raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “Beats me. How am I supposed to investigate a murder if I don’t know the identity of the victim?”