A Doggone Mystery at Last!

For some odd reason, I always seem to be approached by people who ask me to write a story about dogs. OK, maybe it’s because they see me running after my dog in the doggie park screaming, “Don’t eat that! Drop the dead thing! Now! I mean it, Now!”  But honestly, writing about dogs is the last thing I want to do. 

I still cry when I think of the ending to Old Yeller, and what about poor Buck in Jack London’s Call of the Wild?  No, I’m afraid some other author will have to muster the strength to do that. However, I can share the following dog related mystery that happened just a few days ago. And maybe you’ll be able to solve it, because my husband and I can’t and our dog is just not interested. 

When I’m not writing or swimming, I work part time for a pet sitting agency. Yep, we go into the homes of our clients, feed their dogs, let them out in the yard or walk them, clean up and head out.  Same with cats, except for the yard and walking part. I keep telling myself I’m doing this until my book sales start to generate income.

This week my husband and I were taking care of two small dogs. They were gated into the kitchen because the owner had just re-carpeted their living room with beautiful wall to wall white Berber. (So beautiful that we took our shoes off when we walked across it and wondered how long it would stay so pristine. If it were our house, I'd give it twenty minutes!) 

 The owners were out of town on their honeymoon. When we entered on the first day, the kitchen counter just had the dog food and a note for us. We fed the dogs, took them out, played with them, cleaned up and went home. We left one light on in the kitchen. The next morning when we returned, the gate was still up, the dogs were fine but the light was off in the kitchen and a different light was on in the living room. At first I thought it was a timer, but the light we left on in the kitchen was the one from the microwave and that does not have a timer. 

And then I looked at the counter. An un-wrapped wedding gift (a guest registry) was sitting on it. 

“See,” my husband said, “One of their friends or neighbors had the key and just dropped off a wedding gift. And maybe they switched the lights.”

I wasn’t so sure. “Who leaves an un-wrapped wedding gift and no card?”

My husband shrugged. “Who cares?”

Then, when I threw the empty can of dog food into the trash basket, I noticed something – it was the wrapping paper from the wedding gift. Someone un-wrapped it!  I was flabbergasted. 

“None of this makes sense. The owners wouldn’t fly all the way home and then leave again. And who would bring a wedding gift and un-wrap it?”

Again, my husband’s response. “Who cares? The dogs are fine.”

Well, maybe the dogs are OK, but I’m not. I’m the kind of person who needs closure. A simple note from whoever went into the house would suffice.  But their dogs are tight lipped and won’t give us a clue.

So, that leaves all of you! Please solve this mystery and post your responses. It’s driving me crazy!