Murder Mystery (untitled) – Chapter One .
Hey Hon? I’ve gotta take Bear to the groomer’s today. Don’t wait up. I’ll be late.
Okay, no worries.
The “Bear” in question was a 10-year-old 150-pound Great Pyrenees nearing the end of the line. Hearing his name, Bear only deigned to raise a lazy head off crossed paws and loll out a pink tongue panting. This didn’t sound like a treat or a walk, so, no sense getting too excited. But he did like going to the groomer’s. A stiff brush through thick fur? Yep, heaven. That was one luxury Bear could definitely get on board with.
You know, we might have to look for a new place to take Bear. That crazy groomer’s got the HOA up in arms again. No parking in the alley. And you can’t even walk up and knock on the door anymore. You have to wait in your car and call her cell. They even had to put up a sign: “Don’t ring bell. Reactive dogs. Disturbs the neighbors.”
Wow. Maybe we should give that new Dog’s World place a call? You know, just in case?
Yeah, always good to have a Plan B. See you tonight.
See ya.
********
The groomer in question had worked out of her home for a few years now. When this never-ending remodel first started, they’d even had the downstairs bed and bath converted to a dog-wash and waiting room to accommodate the steady stream of canine clients. A commercial linen service delivered fresh towels weekly. Julieanne never even had to leave the air-conditioned comfort of her own home if she didn’t want. She could monitor what was going on outside with the aid of the remote control cameras they’d had installed on both ends of the house. Just wait for her cell to buzz. Then unlock the front door at the click of a mouse. Everything slick as a whistle. The way it should be.
Now if they could just get those goddamn meddling HOA pricks off their case, life would be perfect. And @YourLuxuryPetExperience could really take off.
<End of Chapter One.>
Yeah, I know: Needs more bulk. More breadth, more depth.
But hey, you gotta start someplace.
Plus, it’s time to take Bear for a walk.