Yorkie Doodle Dandy Read online

  Yorkie Doodle Dandy

  Yorkie Doodle Mystery 1

  By Belinda White

  Copyright 2020 Belinda White

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Yorkie Doodle Dandy (Yorkie Doodle Mystery, #1)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  A Familiar Epilogue (From Yorkie Doodle)

  A Note From Belinda

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  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people.

  Chapter 1

  “I still can’t believe you’re taking Opie instead of me.”

  Amie gave an exaggerated sigh even as she folded another pair of slacks and put them into her suitcase. Things had changed between us since she fully came into her powers. She used to look up to me. I used to be the leading witch of our little twosome.

  Not anymore. My magic couldn’t hold a candle’s flame to her raging inferno.

  “I’m not taking him, Ruby. He’s a presenter. You know that.” She paused to turn toward me. “And I did try to get you a seat, you know. It isn’t my fault they were sold out.”

  Yeah, who knew that a bounty hunter seminar would be so popular in the tri-state area?

  “But I could really use it. Isn’t there any way you can get me in? Maybe I could stay in the room with you guys and just listen in on the sessions from the hallway?”

  Amie just gave me a look. Okay, that sounded wrong, even to me. But dang it, I wanted to know those new techniques in taking bond runners down too.

  “Look, I’ve packed my voice recorder, and I’ll record every session for you. That’s really all I can do at this point.”

  Like recorded voices would show me the moves I needed to know. “Will you also promise to take notes and show me everything you learned when you get home?”

  She grinned at me and crossed her heart with two fingers. “Promise. And if I miss something, Opie will be a good backup.”

  That didn’t help matters, in my opinion, and I wasn’t quite done yet. Mom wasn’t the only one that could rack up the guilt level. “You do realize that you are leaving me here to prepare for the whole Fourth of July shindig on my own, too, right? That isn’t really fair, either, just so you know.”

  That got me another of her looks. “You know as well as I do that our moms are handling most of that. We’re just providing the space for it. Being the halfway point between them makes us the logical place. Not to mention all the outside space we have here to spread out.”

  She kind of had me there, but it brought up another good guilt-laden point. “All that means is that you are sticking me here to deal with not one Mom but two. That isn’t fair.”

  Amie sat on the bed and patted the space beside her. I sat.

  “I’m sorry you’re not coming. When Boswell came up with this ticket and the offer for Opie to present at this thing, it was just too good to pass up. You know that, right? We’re a team, and we need to keep up with things on the bounty hunting front. I’ll share everything I learn as soon as I get back, and then you’ll be all brought up to speed too. And now that we know these seminars are a thing, we’ll watch for the next one so we can get plenty of tickets for all of us to go. Okay?”

  I thought about it. Even if I protested more, it wasn’t going to change anything. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair. Take the whole awesome magical powers thing.

  "Then I guess you’d better get downstairs. Opie should be getting home from work just about any time."

  Amie threw her arm around my shoulders for a quick hug. “I’ll bring you a souvenir if that will make you feel better.”

  Now there was a thought. Maybe I’d get something out of this after all. “I could use a new taser.” Then I paused. “Or maybe another set of handcuffs?”

  She laughed as she stood to finish packing. “I’ll see what they have and surprise you.”

  I did like surprises. Maybe this wouldn’t turn out so bad, after all.

  A couple more items went into her bag, and then she took a last quick look around her bedroom. Everything that she’d laid out to pack was already in the bag. Amie shut it and then walked over to me, bag in hand.

  There was another issue that I didn’t bring up. I’d miss her. Yes, she’d only be gone a few days. But those days were in the middle of the week, and Arc had to work. I wasn’t used to being on my own. I could probably count on my fingers the number of days that Amie and I had been away from each other. I know I could if I used my toes too. For an entire lifetime, that’s saying something.

  We both had our fellas now, and that was bound to change, eventually. That had been the main reason I’d been so gung-ho for all of us to buy this little estate. It was the perfect way to keep us all together, while still giving us the privacy we needed.

  I was okay with her being in another house, although even that had taken some getting used to. But her being a whole state away was hard to swallow.

  “You’ll keep an eye on Destiny for me while we’re gone, right?”

  “Reowr.”

  And no, that last comment didn’t come from me. It came from the little calico bundle of fur known as Destiny. I glanced over at the cat. “She probably thinks you should ask her to keep an eye on me.” And truthfully, Amie had probably already done that, now that I thought about it. But I wasn’t going to let that thought derail me. I had to establish some ground rules with the little Goddess-cat. “But perhaps she hasn’t considered who would be responsible for dispensing food and water. Not to mention the whole litter control thing.”

  Destiny’s eyes slowly turned to mine. There was a very calculating look in them.

  Amie giggled. “Just try not to kill each other, okay? You know where her food is, and the litter too. I stocked up on both, so you should be all set until we get back.”

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak at the moment. This shouldn’t be this hard. It was only for three blooming days, right?

  Chapter 2

  Arc really came through for me that night. He must have known I was upset because he threw in an impromptu mid-week date night. We didn’t have those very often.

  Of course, it helped that I didn’t have anything for dinner fixed when he came home from work, and that I hadn’t really done any hardcore grocery shopping for a while. In other words, food was pretty scarce in the house at the moment. Something to add to my to-do list for the morning, but that didn’t help us tonight.

  But even so, I like to give credit where credit is due. See the best in people, and all that. So, in my mind, Arc totally took me out to eat to get my mind off Amie. It worked pretty well too. Food usually does with us Ravenswinds.

  At least, it worked until he brought the sore subject back into the conversation.

  “So, what are you going to do to fill your next three days?”

  I took a deep breath. It was hard for me to admit that I really relied on Amie as a guidepost for my daily duties. Whether I liked it or not, she was kind of the team leader right now.

  “Well, I called Boswell and Vincent today, but neither of them has any open cases at the moment.” Personally, I kind of thought that was odd. A part of me wondered if Amie hadn’t told them not to give me anything until she got back. But that was just a gut feeling. No way to confirm it. But then, my gut is usually right. And it’s just the kind of thing she’d do too.

  Like I couldn’t handle a
case on my own or something. I so was up to that challenge. But if they wouldn’t give me a case, I couldn’t very well prove myself, now could I?

  “You could go grocery shopping,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “Maybe do a little baking?”

  I laughed. Yeah, I wasn’t a baker. “Don’t worry, I’ll go shopping in the morning. But don’t think you will be coming home to all kinds of delicacies for the next few nights. You know my abilities in the kitchen are limited.”

  He grinned at me. “Yes, but it would be a prime opportunity to improve on that, wouldn’t it? You could totally make up some cool snacks for the big party coming up. Show your mom what you’re made of, and all that.”

  Arc had a point. It would be good to see Mom’s face if I had a whole passel of delicious snacks already prepared when they got there. Still, it sounded like a whole lot of work too. And not pleasant work, either.

  “We’ll see. If I get totally bored, I might give it a shot.” I hesitated. “Or, you could take the next couple of days off, and maybe we could go away too?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Not gonna happen. We’re slammed at the firm right now. Dad and Uncle Merlin need me now more than ever.”

  I arched an eyebrow at him. “Anything I could help with?”

  Arc swallowed and took a long sip of wine before answering. Like I didn’t know that was a delaying tactic.

  “I take it that’s a no, huh?”

  He sat the glass back on the table. “It isn’t that I wouldn’t want you to help me.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. “But we’re a legal firm. All of our records and files are highly confidential. We can’t go showing them to anyone who doesn’t work at the firm.”

  I opened my mouth, but he didn’t give me a chance to get even a single word out. “And no, Dad wouldn’t be willing to hire you on as a temporary. Besides, you’ve got enough on your plate with the whole bounty hunting thing. We still have to come up with that balloon payment for the estate at the end of the year, you know.”

  “But I’ve already said there aren’t any cases right now. What am I supposed to do with myself?” Three days was starting to seem like an eternity.

  “Maybe do some spring cleaning? Some yard work?” His face brightened. “Hey, that’s it. You’ve been talking about putting in a flower garden. That would be perfect! Imagine how jealous Amie will be when she sees how pretty you’ve made the front of the barn.”

  The thought came racing into my brain like a runaway locomotive. “No. Not a flower garden. A witch’s garden.” I started bouncing in my chair. “Oh, that is perfect. And I know just the spot too. I’m sure Mom will let me get some plant samples from the farmhouse and the woods.” I smiled over the table at him. “Thank you, Arc. You’re just about the sweetest guy a gal could luck into.”

  He groaned. “You’re going to want me to help, aren’t you?”

  What can I say? He knew me so well.

  THE NEXT MORNING, I got up when Arc’s alarm clock went off. That wasn’t like me at all. But I knew how much work was in store for me in the next few days, and dang it all, I wanted that garden well started before Amie got back.

  I wanted that garden to be a symbol of what I could do all on my own. Well, maybe with a little muscle from my man, Arc. But mostly, all me.

  I’d made out my list the night before. I could pretty much get everything I needed from the farmhouse. And Mom would clue me in on where to get the rest. She knew things like that.

  “Just don’t forget to get groceries, okay? We need some food in the house. Today’s a big court day, and I will be too tired to eat out tonight. Can you at least try to have dinner ready for me when I get home?”

  With my plan in hand, I was feeling somewhat invincible. “Sure. I can do that.”

  “Good.” He kissed me goodbye and left.

  A glance at the clock let me know that I still had time to catch Mom at home. A short phone conversation later, and I had her full permission to gather what I needed from the farmhouse. She was giving me two of each plant and a small box of labeled seeds that she’d been saving for me.

  I think I went up in her estimation a little with my request. And rightly so. I should have thought of this sooner. Every witch needs a garden. I knew I was starting the planting a little late in the season, but then my man was an Earth witch. I was pretty sure he could help things along a bit to make up for the late start.

  If not, I knew that Amie could. But then that would defeat the whole purpose, so that most definitely wasn’t part of my plan.

  Dressed in cutoff jean shorts and a tank top, I poured a little kibble into Yorkie Doodle’s bowl and topped off his water dish. Then I made my way to the farmhouse. Lucky for me, Aunt Sapphire and Uncle Archie had felt sorry for me being car-less and had gifted me Sapphire’s old car when she bought a new one. According to them, they wouldn’t have gotten much in trade-in value, anyway. They were probably right. My aunt was a lot of things, Goddess love her, but a good driver wasn’t one of them.

  The ten-year-old Ford Taurus didn’t have a lot of miles on it and was in perfect running order. But you wouldn’t know that to look at it. The poor car had definitely seen better days. Good thing I’m not too concerned with appearances, huh? At least not when it came to my mode of transportation.

  Wheels were wheels.

  I made quick work of digging up the live plants, and the seeds were right where Mom had said they’d be, waiting for me. It did me good to see the seed box with Amie’s name on it still sitting there when I took mine. For once, I was ahead of her. I liked that feeling.

  By eleven o’clock, I was pulling back into our driveway. Our resident ghost, Liz, was waiting for me as I got out of the car.

  “Hey, Ruby.”

  “Hey, Liz. Everything okay with you and Patricia?” We didn’t see as much of Liz now that her cousin, Patricia Bluespring, had moved her tiny home onto the back of the property. Liz spent most of her time there. Family is family, I guess. Even when you’re dead.

  She smiled at me. “Yup. We’re good. I just wanted to let you know that there was a visitor while you were out. The lady from the library was here.”

  “Mabel Morgan was here? What did she want?” Even as Liz gave me a small smile, I thought of myself. “Sorry, I keep forgetting that you can’t talk to regular folks.”

  “That’s okay. I have all of you now. That’s more than enough for me. But as for Mabel, I don’t know what she wanted, but she seemed really upset when no one was here. She even went back to the barn looking for you all.”

  “I’ll call her as soon as I get all this inside. Don’t suppose there’s any way you could help me carry them?” I knew the answer, but there was no harm in asking, anyway. Maybe things had changed since we last talked. Not that I thought that likely, but there were a lot of plants to carry in, so I still asked.

  She grinned. “Not unless having a cheerleader would help you? Ruby, Ruby, she’s our gal. If she don’t do it, no one shall! GOOOO, Ruby!”

  I was okay until she mimed the whole pompom thing. Then I lost it. When we were done giggling, she left me. Probably feeling guilty just standing around watching me work. I know I would if I were her.

  Once all the plants were on the barn’s back patio, I brushed the dirt off my hands and went inside with my precious box of seeds. I didn’t dare leave them outside until I was ready to plant them. Too many things could happen to the tiny little things.

  When I reached my kitchen to wash up properly, I found an uninvited house guest waiting for me.

  No, it wasn’t a burglar or anything like that. Although when I got a look at Destiny’s expression, I think I could have handled the burglar easier. Amie asked me to do one little thing for her, and I’d already screwed it up.

  “I’m sorry, Destiny. I’m really, really sorry.” I pulled out the small supply of cat food that I kept in my cupboard for her visits and poured her some in a saucer. Then I went to the fridge to get her some milk. That should make her happy. But there wa
s no milk. Or anything else other than the pet food.

  Once again, I’d forgotten about the shopping. Darn it. Now I would have to double back to town to get the groceries. And if I was going into town anyway, I might as well swing by the library and talk to Mabel in person. They closed from noon to one for lunch, and if I hurried, I might just catch her before she left.

  Yorkie whined at my feet, then threw an anxious glance over his shoulder toward Destiny. I followed his glance to see Destiny munching on her food, her tail swishing wildly.

  Yeah, that was not a happy cat.

  Yorkie’s eyes were pleading with me. I can’t say that I blamed him. I wouldn’t want to be cooped up with a ticked off Destiny, either.

  “But I’m going to a restaurant for lunch. Restaurants don’t allow dogs.”

  Another whine. And Destiny’s tail kept slashing through the air. She would be done eating soon.

  “Oh, all right. You can come.” I’d work something out. We might have to sit out on the patio to eat, but we could make it work.

  I hoped.

  Chapter 3

  I almost missed her entirely. She was just locking up when I pulled up to the curb in front of the library. Crazy Al was still preaching from his soapbox across the street. He’d toned it down a bit since all the trouble his sermons had caused last year, but not far enough down for me. The man needed to give it a rest.

  Maybe even get off his soapbox and try to be a part of the solution. Not just yell at others to do the work needed to clean up the town.

  Mabel started when she saw me getting out of the car. “Hey, Mabel, I heard you were looking for us.”

  She glanced around, then walked down the steps to my car. “How did you know that?”

  Oh, yeah. Umm. “A little birdie told me?” Close, if not entirely accurate.

  She just shook her head. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget that you all are witches. You’d have a way to know these things, wouldn’t you?”