Darkness as the phone rings. No one picks up the phone. Number Two smiles for it has killed Bow Wow. Thunder claps as Number Two puts down the receiver.

Everyone is in the lounge waiting for Sam Slade. Mr. Slade told everyone to meet him there. Lila paces in front of the front desk. The Shiba Inu looks worried. Mortimer is sitting in a chair with his head leaning on the arm. Tex is standing by the French window watching the storm. Mr. Wilton, Rodney, and Rhonda are lying on the couch. Holly is at the front desk typing on a typewriter. Verna is lying by the coffee table. Adelaide is sitting down on the floor reading her bird guide. Mortimer growls before he said, "I wish you'd stop that infernal typing, Miss Holgrave!" Holly looked up with sad eyes. "Letters must be written. Ms. Clamskey what's your middle initial? I need it for this corporate report." Verna sighed, "Its D." Then the dogs heard Sam's paws on the hardwood floor.

Sam appeared and he said to Holly, "Lay off the keys for a bit Ms. Holgrave." The Dalmatian snuffled. "But working calms me down." Sam leans on the desk before he spoke, "You're been rattled by all this, haven't you gorgeous? Tell me again why you were down here the night the Colonel took his dive off the balcony?" The timid dog looked at everyone before she sighed. "I heard him leave his room and go downstairs. I could sense trouble." Sam gave a swish of his tail before he replied, "Checking on the old boy?" Holly's ears went back in a defense way. "I was worried that's all." She snapped lightly. Sam looked as if he didn't take it. "Sure...to be upset that the man you love has been murdered." Holly gasped before she gave a snort. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about." She looked away from the detective and the chair she sat in swiveled with its back to the shepherd. Verna looked surprised, "You loved my brother? My dear, I thought you had better taste." Sam grabbed the back of the chair and turned it to where Holly faced him. "It wasn't the Colonel you loved, was it?" Holly glared, "I plead the fifth!" Sam laughed half-heartily. "You can plead the whole freaking Bill of Rights, but sooner or later it's going to come out." Lila had stopped her pacing and looked at Holly. "You must have loved Calvin!" Holly growled at Sam, "You can't prove anything!" Sam smiled. "Yeah? What about this?" He holds up a small necklace. Holly looked at it before she said, "Where did you get that from?" "Cousin Calvin's room. I guess he was going to spring it on you. It's gold doll. Real gold and it's engraved." Holly sniffled, "Oh Calvin!" Sam reads what it says, "To Holly my Dolly. Love, Cal." Lila cross the room and comforts Holly. "You're right Mr. Slade. If I knew who killed Cal I would kill that bastard myself." Sam gives the necklace to the sad she-dog. Lila clips the necklace on for Holly. Holly sighs before she weeped quietly.

Sam turns to the Beaupree sisters. "And you three? One of you had Horace's heart. But which one? The Colonel kept coming back just for that reason." The Beaupree sisters gasp before Charity snapped, "He wasn't our type." Sam smiled, "Not yours Charity you feisty gal. And not yours either Faith." Faith and Charity looked at Hope. "Hope?" Hope frowned before she snapped, "Hardly knew him." Mortimer piped up. "Hope stop lying! You know it's true. You dumped me for his money!" "Don't say that. Just cause he gave me a weekend a year...I couldn't help it." Mortimer was then standing in front of her. "I could have given you EVERYTHING! But you only gave me a broken heart!" "I'm sorry Mortimer, dear. Can get you a glass of milk?" Mortimer glared, "Laced with arsenic?" Faith snapped, "Hope wouldn't do anything like that! Why we're as sweet as songbirds." "Birds don't murder Miss Beaupree." Adelaide Twitterman spoke with a smart touch. "What about birdwatchers?" Sam arched an eyebrow at the small dog. "You think I had something to do with this insane mess! I've never met them before." "Maybe but I'm just saying because Horace loved stuffing birds." Adelaide gave a tsk and a disgusted look. "He's a wicked dog and he should be stuffed." Sam then turned to Mr. Wilton.

"Mr. Wilton could you have murdered the Colonel?" The lab snapped at him. "Really Mr. Slade! At a time like this and in front of the pups!" Sam laughed. "Pups... they're not pups. They're actors! Just like you Mr. Wilton." "I ought to punch your nose herder!" "Cool the jets!" Lila snapped. "You're all employed by Factor Actors. She hired you to play as her family. Found the receipt in her purse." The others looked confused unsure of what to think. Rodney piped up, "Hey we got a make a few bucks to." Rhonda yapped, "A job's a job." Sam then tackled the lag and pinned him. The lab struggled but couldn't break free. "What was her real name?" Mr. Wilton stopped struggling. "She said her name was Grimsworthy. Gretchen Grimsworthy."

Verna gasped, "I should have known!" Charity yapped, "Of course! But she was thinner then." "And her fur was black." Hope added. Adelaide cocked her head. "Should have known what?" Verna faced her. "Gretchen Grimsworthy was the first cook of Horace's first restaurant. She sold him the recipes for the clams that made him famous." Sam cleared his throat. "Wrong. He stole them. She never got anything." Faith nodded, "She came here the first weekend. Angry when she asked to see Mr. Clamskey." Charity spoke up, "We heard them fighting. Then she left and we never saw her again." Adelaide barked, "Then she must have killed the Colonel!" Tex cocked his head, "Then strangled herself?" Holly asked, "But why kill Calvin?" "But she couldn't have. She was in the room watching Godzilla with us." Mr. Wilton said. Tex snapped, "Who kidnapped Caroline?" Tex's and Sam's eyes met. Sam winked and Tex was the only one to see it. Faith cried, "But it doesn't make sense." "To you folks it doesn't. But when you've been in the business, you get to see a pattern. Everyone had a reason to kill the Colonel. Everyone had an opportunity to kill Cousin Calvin and Mrs. Wilton. But who's the one that can do all three?" Sam said before Verna replied, "The only thing we know is that it was one of us!"

As the others talk and tell what they think, Sam is lounging on the couch thinking, "So which one is it? I know their secrets. We know Mr. McGrath hated Mr. Clamskey for taking his girl. She's not much of a prize to me. Little dogs... err. Then there's Verna Clamskey. How'd you like to be in HER class? She makes Cinderella's stepmother look like Mary Poppins. What about Tex? Is he really as down home as country biscuits and gravy or is there a killer hiding deep inside him...very deep inside. Adelaide's got this thing for birds but the world's got enough turkeys, right? And Miss Holgrave? The perfect secretary. But hell hath no fury like a secretary who's boyfriend gets wiped out in the first scene. But then there's Gretchen Grimsworthy a.k.a. Mrs. Wilton. The cook crazed with revenge. She waits 12 years for what? And would she really strangle herself? But can't forget Caroline for she's had much time to think." The dogs start heading upstairs to their rooms. Tex waits then before Sam leaves he barks to get his attention.

The German Shepherd turns and faces him. "What about the ransom money at midnight?" "That would be a real shame if the plan gets messed up. But come on pal lets get some rest before the action starts." The two trot up the stairs. Thunder clashes and lighting lights the darken room. A dog is waiting under the staircase. "The 10,000 dollars will be mine. No one else can get it. It'll be waiting calling my name." It smiles with an evil grin before it laughs to itself. Sam stops before they reached the top. Tex looks at the German Shepherd. "What is it?" Sam looked behind him before he looks at the hound. "Nothing I thought I heard something." Then as the two reached the landing a dark shape crosses the lobby to the kitchen. Lighting streaked the skies again and the dog froze. "Just the stupid storm." It gave a swish to it's tail before it disappeared to the hidden staircase.