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Wicked Wildlife
A Cozy Corgi Mystery
by Author Mildred Abbott
Cozy Corgi Mystery, Book 8 is NOW LIVE!
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Fall gives way to winter in the Colorado mountains, ushering in snow, pumpkin spice, the bugling of elk, and murder…
Estes Park bustles with tourists and locals for its Halloween celebration, and Winifred Page and her corgi sidekick, Watson, are enjoying their favorite pastries as they greet trick-or-treaters outside the Cozy Corgi Bookstore and Bakery. But a chilling afterhours break-in at the charming bookshop leaves Fred and Watson shaken, especially with its connection to a recent poaching incident in the national park. By daybreak, on a cool morning walk through town, Fred discovers the body of one of the poachers…
When Fred’s close friend, park ranger Leo Lopez, asks for her help in proving the innocence of a fellow ranger, Fred and Watson join the investigation. But with every uncovered clue hinting the police have the right person, Fred must uncover a mystery whose webs reach into the past and her experiences over the past year.
Even amid the beauty of the snow covering the mountains and the twinkling lights of the beginning holiday season, Fred and Watson won’t make it to Thanksgiving without facing dangers and revelations that will change their lives.
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Excerpt
Wicked Wildlife
One
Under the muted pastels of sunset, a high-pitched wail cut through the crisp air. Beside me, Watson issued a low grumble from his chest and stuffed his muzzle between my thigh and the picnic blanket. I scratched him on the top of his head, then tickled one of his foxlike ears. “If you’re trying to block out the noise, you might want to bury these, not your nose.”
Watson sat up with a chuff, cast me an annoyed expression, and waddled over to his favorite national park ranger. Well… actually one of his favorite people in the world in general. I doubted the park ranger aspect mattered to my grumpy little corgi.
“Here, is this what you need?” Leo Lopez took the tips of Watson’s ears and gently folded the tips down.
Watson only looked up at him in adoration.
“If I tried that, he’d give me the cold shoulder for a week.” I gestured toward the red bandanna tied around Watson’s neck. “Of course, you get away with dressing him up as well. So what else is new?”
Leo simply grinned.
Another high-pitched wail made Watson wince again, and Katie, my best friend and business partner, elbowed me in the side before pointing. “Look!”
Leo and I both followed her gesture. The three of us—four, counting Watson—were spread out over a blanket on the far side of a meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park. Though no sun remained, the edges of the rugged snow-tipped Colorado mountains glistened with a soft dusty pink that transitioned to purple and then a deep blue, revealing the first few stars of the evening twinkling high above. A movement caught my attention at the base of the mountains. A bull elk stepped from the shadows of the pine forest and into the clearing, then lifted his head. The pink hue of sunset illuminated his crown of antlers, and a cloud of fog seemed to billow from his mouth as he elicited yet a third wail.
“I find it beautiful now, but the first time I heard it, I thought someone was getting murdered.” Katie paused until the elk finished its cry. “Did you know what makes the elk’s bugling sounds so strange is that they’re actually whistling through their nose and roaring through their mouth at the same time?” She started to nod in satisfaction, then narrowed her gaze at Leo. “Of course you already knew that, Smokey Bear. Why do I even bother with animal trivia when you’re around?”
He winked at her. “I can feign shock and surprise if you’d like me to.”
“Oh, shut up.” Katie chuckled and reached across me toward Leo. “Give me your mug. I’ll fill up your hot chocolate. That is if Watson will allow you to free one of his ears for a second.”
“Watson nearly went into hysterics when the bugling started last month. We were dead asleep, and then suddenly a couple of those ultrasonic wails happened right outside the bedroom. Pretty sure he thought we were going to be eaten alive.” I chuckled at the memory of Watson, wide-eyed and pounding his tiny forepaws on the side of my bed, demanding that I wake up and take care of things. “The bugling season was over by the time we moved up here last year, so he’d never experienced it before. Honestly, it startled me as well. I hadn’t heard it since I’d visited Estes Park as a kid.”
The elk bugled again, silencing us. In truth, the sound was rather creepy—like a scream, whistle, and guttural groan, creating some otherworldly song—but also hauntingly beautiful. Especially combined with our majestic surroundings. Possibly it was my imagination, but there seemed to be a sadness in the tone. Maybe it was because I knew it was one of the last of the season. October only had one more day and like the few remaining gold leaves on the aspen trees, this would be one of the last elk calls until next autumn.
The three of us sat on our picnic blanket, huddled in sweaters and under other blankets against the growing chill, a hint of snow in the air. There’d been a slight lull in the tourist traffic between high summer, kids returning to school, and the couple of weeks surrounding the elk fest which took over Estes Park to celebrate the bugling season. Katie and I had been so busy at the Cozy Corgi Bookshop and Bakery that we had very few moments like this to relax and revel in the astoundingly beautiful place we called home and be with friends who were family.
As the elk disappeared back into the shadows of the forest, Leo glanced at me once more, his hand never stopping its caress over Watson’s back. “I hadn’t even realized. You and Watson have been in Estes Park a year now.”
“Almost.” I nodded. “We moved here last November.” That was a marvel as well. I looked between him and Katie, remembering the moment I’d met each of them. Katie, behind the candy counter of Sinful Bites, offering me chocolate, her smile wide and her hair frizzy. I should’ve known in that moment we’d be best friends. And then Watson and I meeting Leo as we’d entered the national park for the first time. I’d barely been able to string an intelligible sentence together at the sight of his ridiculously handsome face. A wave of gratitude swept over me, and I reached out from my place between them, patting each one on the knee. “I’m so glad Watson and I made the choice to move to Estes. I knew I wanted to be closer to family and open the bookshop, but I never dreamed I’d find…” My throat constricted taking away my words.
“Ahhh…” Katie wrapped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me close. “We love you too, you big sap.” Despite her giggle, I caught the hint of emotion in her words as well.
Leo scooted closer so he could follow her gesture, putting his arm over Katie’s and my shoulders and squishing Watson between his and my legs. Watson didn’t even grumble. “It’s true. We do. Honestly, I loved living here, loved my job, but I didn’t really feel connected before you, hadn’t quite been able to call it home. Then Winifred Page and her sidekick Watson showed up, and everything just clicked into place. Turns out you’re the glue.”
There was no chance I’d be able to speak after that.
“Glue?” Katie leaned forward so she could look around me. “Let’s not call Fred glue. How about… icing? She’s the icing that holds…” She shook her head. “No, that doesn’t work.” She slapped my thigh with her other hand. “Ice cream! She’s the ice cream that holds the ice cream sandwich together.” She grinned, then scowled, clearly dissatisfied.
Leo considered. “How about she’s the binding that holds the book together.”
“Now that’s good. Perfect for our little bookseller.” I could feel Katie pat Leo’s arm over my shoulder. “Although, she could also be…” She snapped her fingers rapidly. “What’s that envelope called in the Clue game? You know, the one where you put the cards of murderer, the weapon, and the room.”
“I think it’s called an envelope,” Leo answered smugly.
“Well, whatever,” Katie responded with another scowl, before looking at me. “That’s another part you didn’t anticipate when you moved to Estes, huh? That you’d become the resident Nancy Drew.”
“You can say that again.” Though I hadn’t expected to discover such amazing friends, that aspect was much less surprising than the bevy of murders I’d stumbled across over the past year.
“Speaking of, it’s been a little over a month since—”
“Don’t you dare say it!” I smacked my hand over Leo’s mouth with a laugh before he could finish that statement. “There’s no reason to jinx anything.”
He muttered something behind my hand and made a show of waggling his eyebrows.
Katie giggled and scooted away so it was easier to face us. “He has a point, Fred. Tomorrow is Halloween. It’d be a perfect night for murder.”
Leo repositioned once more, so the three of us were spread out over the blanket again. “That may be true for most places, but Halloween in Estes is about the least scary thing I’ve ever seen. If there was any night to count on not getting murdered, I think Halloween is the one.”
Watson remained at my side, lifting his head to make sure Leo was near but then drifting off again almost instantly.
“I like that answer.” I pointed to Leo. “Let’s go with that. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night’s celebration. A bunch of cute kids and pets in Halloween costumes wandering around downtown. It’ll be fun. No murders needed.”
“I agree.” Katie shimmied happily. “Plus I have a new recipe I’m going to try out on everyone tomorrow. Can’t have another murder take away from that.” She considered. “Come to think of it, it’s amazing how many of my recipes get overshadowed by murder.”
“Katie, my dear, I’ve not seen a murder yet that can overshadow your baking.” Leo smiled warmly at Katie, and for the millionth time I wondered if something much more than friendship was going on between my two best friends.
Katie shimmied again. “You know what, I can’t disagree with you there.” She grew serious. “Are you going to be able to make it down tomorrow?”
Leo shrugged. “I’m not really sure. Hopefully.” He gestured toward the forest. “Depends on what happens.”
I looked between them. “Why, what happened?”
Katie sucked in a breath, aghast. “Oh! I forgot to tell you.” She gestured toward Leo but answered for him. “There was another poaching incident yesterday.”
I turned from Katie to gape at Leo. “Seriously? How many is that this month?”
“Six. Another elk this time.” All levity from the moments before fled his tone, and his expression became hard and angry, making him look more like a man in his early thirties than he normally did. “And the police are doing the bare minimum possible and say that it’s because of our incompetence.” He winced in way of apology at me. “You know I try not to say anything bad about Wexler, but… it’s getting old.”
Despite ending things with Sergeant Wexler months ago, I felt my cheeks heat at the mention of him. “I don’t blame you. And I know you and Branson have never seen eye to eye on the poaching.”
With a sigh, Leo shook his head, his anger transitioning to annoyance. “Of course, there’re a few rangers who think it’s just part of the job, that there’s only so much we can do, so I can’t put all the blame on the police force.”
“At least you’re not alone now. That new ranger…” Katie snapped her fingers again.
“Nadiya,” Leo provided.
“Right!” Katie pointed at him like he’d just won a trivia game. “You said Nadiya is really taking it on as a cause, so you’re not quite as alone in the fight like before.”
“That’s true. She is. But still…” He sighed and shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t mean to ruin a good night. We haven’t been able to do this in a while. No reason to make it depressing.”
We were quiet for a minute, only the gentle breeze cutting through the branches and Watson’s soft snores breaking the silence, until Katie giggled again.
Leo and I both gave her quizzical glances, which only made her giggle harder.
“I’m sorry! I really am. It’s just that… It’s awful that we were joking around about murderers a few seconds ago but then got all serious around the animals getting killed.” She held up a hand toward Leo. “Not that poaching should be a laughing matter.”
She had a point.
“You’re right.” Leo shrugged. “But there’s something, for me at least, that gets to me about animals. Maybe it’s because I’m a park ranger, but… animals don’t ask for any of this. They’re just going about their lives. We’re the ones who intrude, the ones who hurt them. Granted, I’m not saying hunting is bad when done responsibly, and I’m not saying humans deserve to be murdered either, but….” He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know… people as a species get into all this drama and twists and turns and lies and secrets and all that jazz that goes behind murder a lot of the time. Animals don’t do that.”
“Tell that to Bambi.”
I flinched and looked over at Katie at her unexpected comment, unable to hold back a laugh. “What?”
“Bambi.” Katie looked between Leo and me as if the explanation should’ve been obvious. “When the bear ate Bambi’s mother. Just saying, I don’t think Bambi would’ve made a distinction between human drama and the bear being hungry. Either way his mother died.”
“Katie, what weird non-Disney version of that film have you seen? A hunter killed Bambi’s mom.”
Katie narrowed her eyes at Leo, then looked to me for confirmation.
I nodded. “That’s true.”
“Really?” Katie tapped her chin. “Wonder what movie I’m thinking of? Maybe Cujo.”
“That was about a killer dog, and most definitely not Disney. It was based on a book by Stephen King.” I laughed again. “I have to say I’m surprised. After all this time, I never would’ve expected it. I thought the trivia queen knew everything. It seems you have an unusual gap in the movie knowledge category.” Although, Katie had experienced a rather unusual childhood, so that might be an explanation.
His mood brightening, Leo stage-whispered in my direction. “Quick, let’s go to your house, dig out Trivial Pursuit, and beat the trivia master while she’s having an off night.”
“None of that.” Unamused, Katie straightened. “So movies aren’t my strong point. I’d say that’s a good thing. There’re much more important things to do in life than stare at a screen all day.”
I couldn’t help myself. “Don’t your frequent binges into the wormhole that is the Google search engine require a screen?”
Katie practically sputtered. “That’s different! That’s… educational!”
Leo and I both laughed and then laughed harder as Katie scowled. Between us, Watson gave an annoyed huff.
Leaning toward Katie, I grabbed her hand. “Oh, sweetie. We’re just giving you a hard time. Honestly, I’m glad to know there’s one area where you have a few gaps. I was starting to wonder if you were human at all, that maybe the government had installed some high-powered encyclopedic software in your brain and…” A light in the distance caught my attention, and I refocused on the forest, close to where the elk had bugled.
There was nothing there. I must’ve been seeing things.
Then another quick flash. I pointed toward it. “Look. There’s something down there. Besides the animals, I mean. I could’ve sworn I just saw a flashlight.”
Leo stiffened instantly and looked toward the forest.
Several moments passed, the night once more undisturbed by anything other than Watson’s snores.
Just as I was about to decide I’d been wrong, it flashed again.
“Leo,” Katie whispered. “Your poacher.”
Leo sprang up, startling Watson awake, and started to rush back up the hill toward where we’d parked. “I left the walkie-talkie in the truck.” He’d nearly reached the ranger vehicle when a gunshot sounded.
All four of us, Watson included, turned toward the sound in the dark forest.
Then Leo tore past us, nearly leaping over the blanket in his haste. Springing up, Watson was instantly on Leo’s heels, and the two of them raced across the meadow.
Katie and I sat dumbfounded for a couple of heartbeats, then looked at each other. As one, we stood and began to follow.
“Leo! Stop!” Katie called after him as we ran.
Whether he heard and ignored her, or Katie’s voice was lost over the crash of underbrush beneath our feet, I wasn’t sure. Either way, he kept going.
The toe of my cowboy boot snagged on something and I stumbled. Katie reached out a hand, steadying me before I fell, and then we were off again.
By the time Katie and I were halfway across the meadow, Leo and Watson had disappeared into the darkness of the trees. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice yelled for me to calm down, to slow down. To take just a moment to figure out the right plan, because this wasn’t it. Clearly. Whoever was in the forest had a gun. The most dangerous thing Leo, Katie, and I had was a corgi. And while Watson could turn being grumpy into an Olympic sport, he was hardly deadly.
Even so, nothing broke through the adrenaline of the moment and our crazed rush toward the trees or the pounding of the heartbeats and footfalls thudding in my ears.
Katie and I paused at the edge of the woods, unclear where Leo and Watson had gone. The only thing I could hear for a few moments was our combined panting breaths. After a few seconds, Katie pointed off toward the left. “There!”
With the gesture, I heard Leo and Watson crashing through the underbrush.
Katie and I took off again in their direction. For the first time, fear trickled in, past the adrenaline and the excitement of catching Leo’s poacher. Because that’s what it was—excitement. Fear for Leo and Watson eclipsed all of that, and the voice in the back of my head grew louder, screaming, Gun! You’re all running toward a person with a gun!
Well, there was nothing to do about it then. I wasn’t about to leave Leo or Watson alone. It didn’t matter if I had no clue what I was going to do once I reached them. I continued our flight through the forest, still trying to think of options.
Pausing a couple more times to judge the sound of Leo and Watson’s trajectory, Katie and I followed and came to a screeching halt as we discovered them in another clearing, this one barely more than five feet wide.
Leo knelt over the prone body of the bighorn sheep, a bullet wound in its side.
Watson nudged the sheep’s nose with his own.
Leo looked up at us, his expression a mixture of grief and fury. “The poacher heard us coming, obviously, and ran.”
Katie took a step forward. “The sheep, is it…?”
Leo looked down at the animal, running a hand lovingly over the curve of one of its twisting horns. “Dead. Whoever the guy is, he’s a good shot at least. It was quick.”
Watson whimpered and looked back at me.
Kate and I walked over, and I knelt beside them, putting my hand on Watson’s back. “I don’t think we should stay here. We need to—”
Sound broke through the night from far into the forest. All of us went rigid and looked into the darkness. It could have been the poacher, the elk, anything.
Leo stood, angling toward the noise.
I shot out my hand and grabbed his wrist. “Leo, no.”
“Fred I’ve got to—” He started to jerk his arm away but stopped, his gaze flicking from me to Watson and to Katie. After a moment, his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. This was stupid. I shouldn’t have… put you all in danger.” With a nearly longing glance back toward the woods, Leo motioned the way we’d come. “Let’s get out of here. I doubt the poacher is coming back. I’m sure he’s not, but… whatever. Let’s get to the truck, and I’ll make the call.”
Catch up on the Cozy Corgi Mystery Series
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Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods. She’s not obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role in her personality.
Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a touch of kismet.
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