M For Murder

Part 3

Deal Sealed

In the darkness, a phone is dialed, few rings, then the receiver is picked up. "Murders R Us. You nab.." "Shut up! I never said kidnap the girl!" "I didn't kidnap anybody! I'd never do nothing that low-down and mean!" Voice 2 chuckled then said, "I'm not going to wait much longer. If I have to get rid of Bow Wow, I will. And I'll see that the same thing happens to YOU!" Voice 1 snarled, "Keep your collar on! I've got it all set up tonight." "Good..now everything is going great." The phone is slammed down and the callers retreat.

The Papillons are sitting on the couch in the lobby while Sam paces back and forth. The sisters whimper then Sam faces them. Faith asked, "Any sign of her?" Sam sighed, " Tex and I checked everywhere. Tex is really not very happy." Hope wailed, "She just vanished into thin air with that clown!" Sam replied, "That's about the size of it. Now, can we get back to answering my questions? So Cousin Calvin hadn't been here in years?" The sisters nodded. "But the Colonel's been back every year?" Charity, "Comes on the anniversary like clockwork." Sam thinks for a moment before he said, "Funny thing to celebrate." Faith sighs, "Not when you think of how much money he makes." Sam stops pacing and looks at Faith before he faces the French window. "Now that's a tell-tale sign. I'll bet Clamskey means more to this Miss Beaupree than a bucket of clams." He thinks. "How about it Faith?" Sam asked. "How about what?" Faith asked. "You got hots for the Colonel?" Faith gasped before she quickly snapped, "The hots? Really, Mr. Slade, I don't know WHAT you're talking about! And if you don't have any further questions...." She rises but the German Shepherd growls and blocks her exit. "But I do, Miss Beaupree." Charity said briskly, "Really, Mr. Slade, couldn't these questions wait until morning?"

Sam turned away from them and sighed before wheeling around and got in their faces. "We got a killer running loose in this hotel somewhere. He might strike again! This time it might be you!" The Papillons wail as Lila entered the lobby. "Okay you can hit the hay." Sam said. Hope cocks her head, "But you just said..." "Beat it!" Sam barked before the little dogs raced up the stairs. "Hey sometimes you have to be tough." Sam thought before facing Lila.

"You got it?" he asked. "I felt like a crook." Lila replied. "Well, I felt like a heel grilling 'em down here while you got it. You got it didn't you?" Lila nodded before holding up the key. Sam snatched it before he said, "You're the greatest, doll." The Shiba Inu sighed before she said, "Sam, there's something else. The Wiltons have the room right next to the Beaupree sisters' room. I could hear them arguing. Mr. Wilson said something about not paying him enough." Sam perked his ears up and thought for a moment before he answered, "Hmm...not unusual for married couples." Lila touched Sam's neck before she continued, "Sam, if we ever get married, we won't argue like that, will we?" Sam gave her a grin before replying, "Not if you do like you're told." Lila withdrew her snout before she said angrily, "Sam Slade!" Sam said quickly, "Just kidding. We'll put the kibosh on all the arguing, got it? Anything you say goes!" He hugged her warmly before she put her paws on her hips. "Then go upstairs, lock your door and climb into bed. It's much safer!" Sam threw his paws into the air before barking back, "Lila baby...there's a killer running around. He might strike again and it's my job to stop him. I'm spending the night right here." Lila rolled her eyes before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh Sam, you're so brave! So fearless! So..oh Sam!" She kisses him passionately before heading up the stairs. Sam stands there frozen with love before his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Lila giggles before running into her room. Sam gets up and thinks, "I've got to humor her." Then Verna rushed down the stairs, past Sam and into the kitchen.

Sam watches her get a big drink of water before he knew he had to ask her some questions. He trotted over to the Silky Terrier before he said, "Good evening Miss Clamskey." The terrier yelped before whipping around. "Oh Mr. Slade, it's just you!" "Tell me something. If Colonel Clamskey was to die, who would inherit his fortune?" Verna shorted before she replied, "Looking for a motive when the crime hasn't been committed yet?" Sam shook his head no before he answered, "Just trying to keep on top of things." Verna replied, "I see. Well, the Colonel has been very fond of telling us that he is leaving his fortune to ITS." "Its what?" Sam asked as he cocked his head. "ITS is an acronym. He's leaving it to the International Taxidermists Society." Verna snapped. "Oh I get it! Sam pauses before he answered, "No I don't. What is he, some kind of.." Before he could finished Verna said, "Taxidermist? My brother dabbles. He likes to stuff things. Especially his wallet. He loves to watch our expressions when he says what he's doing with money." Sam replied, "But I hear you got an interest with his money." Verna snapped, "That's right. Cousin Calvin and I each owned a third, with Horace owning the final third. The only trouble is, Horace doesn't like sharing. So this year Cousin Calvin and I came to force him into giving us our fair share." Sam nodded before asking, "How's it going?" Verna rolled her eyes before she answered, "Go ask Calvin!" She flipped her nose into the air before trotting off. Sam chuckled before he though "Females! But I better find Miss Holgrave and get to the bottom of this!" He trots up the stairs.

After Sam left the lobby, the clown popped up from behind the desk. It looked around and chuckled. A rope was between the jaws. It walks to a screen made from wheat stalks and looks at it before it heard Horace's footsteps. It dashed behind the screen and Horace trotted into the lobby holding a note. "Alright I'm here! You wanted to meet me so come out! If this is a joke this is not very fun..." Before he could finish the clown popped out from behind the screen. Horace started backing away from it as it came closer and he spoke nervously, "Looks like the costume designers finally got something done. It looks just like my cousin, nice and colorful." The clown snarls and lunges. Horace yelped and tried to wrestle it off of him. "We had our meeting so good night!" Horace growled as he threw the dog down. He tried to run for the stairs but it blocks his path and pushes him toward the French window. Horace drops the note and trips over a chair. The clown pounces on him and ties his arms up. "What are you doing!? Stop that!" The clown swings the window open and the wind blasted into the lobby. "Don't you dare!" Horace snapped. The clown smiled before it pushed him over the side. "Nooooooooooooooooo!" His voice faded into the thunder and the lighting. The clown laughed before it heard some one coming. It dashed down the stairs and under the desk.

Few minutes later, Sam appears and he thinks to himself, "Funny! Couldn't find Miss Holgrave anywhere. Didn't see ANYBODY anywhere! Something is very fishy." Then he sees the note that the Colonel dropped. "What's this?" he mutters. "Midnight..lobby.. be there or be square. Colonel Clamskey, I'll be!" Sam looks around and sees the opened window. He goes to close it then he thinks. "Hold on! That window was closed before I left!" He opened it back up with the thunder, the lighting, and the wind greeting him. He looks down the cliff to see Horace dead on the sandy beach. He closes the window slowly before he thinks, "I guess Cousin Calvin will have company in the cooler." Then his nose told him someone was in the room. He sniffs the air before creeping slowly to the desk. "Alright you criminally careless mongrel! Come up with your paws up!" To his shock, Holly appears with a frighten expression. Thunder clashes and the wind howls. To be continued....