Page 122 of Don't Cross Mo Ellery

“Leslie,” I call, trying to sound stern. She’s too jittery now, too on edge, I need her to keep the syringe hand calm and balanced. What calms her down, other than looking smart?

Charlie.

Who is currently sniffing some bushes where the poodles just peed.

Here we go. The moment has come. Here’s where we bring down the hammer of justice.

“Your Charlie really is such a spectacular specimen of dogdom,” I say, hopingdogdomis a word.

Leslie’s face softens, and she looks past me for a moment as the dogs frolic. Attagirl. “Those stupid poodles are suchshowboats,” she says, “but Charlie—he’s subtle, he’sunderstated. Deep down, he’s the one who really has the goods. He’s a champ. I’ve known it since he was a puppy.”

I shake my head. “You had me convinced that Cran’s murder was about the parking garage. But it wasn’t.”

“Thateyesore?” Leslie scoffs. “Obviously not.”

“It was all about being Dog Mom Extraordinaire, wasn’t it?” I say, pausing for dramatic effect. “The Great American Dog Show wouldn’t let Charlie compete because of his age and arthritis. They wouldn’t listen to reason. Andyoucouldn’t stand the idea of those poodles winningagain. So you had no choice. You had to get Cran out of the way to keep the poodles from competing.”

I look around to see if anyone is impressed at my sleuthing.

They are not.

They’re all watching Leslie’s syringe hand. No gasps or “wow”s or anything. I realize we’re in a tense moment, but come on.

“Hello!” I say. “I figured it out. Hannah, can you believe it? I’m good at this!”

Hannah gives a shaky thumbs-up.

Even Leslie isn’t impressed. “You make it sound sogauche. I tried the civilized way first. I used Hannah’s UPGRADE method. I did every one of those stupid letters. All the way from U to E.”

“Oh god,” Hannah whispers. “I shouldn’t have said E was for ‘execute.’?”

Leslie shoots her an irritated look. “No, you were right, Cran had to die. It was the only way to get the poodles off the board. I tried to deal: I paid my cousin to make sure the construction site failed the gas inspection. Then I met with Cran and told him if he fired Benny as the poodles’ handler, I’d clear things up with the gas company.”

“Should’ve gone with E for ‘enact,’?” Hannah rasps. “Or ‘effectuate’?”

“You bribed the gas company?” Merle asks from his spot on the grass.

“Yougot me fired?” Benny asks from inside the hole.

“Would you all please stop interrupting!” Leslie is clearly on the verge of a tantrum. “Ineeded Benny. He’s practically a dog wizard.”

Dog wizard! That’s what I said!

“But thatassholerefused to be Charlie’s handler for the dog show and onlydeignedto do some basic training. He said—” A cry escapes her throat. “He said—my wittew baby Charwie is tooold. And then hecheated on mewith those awful poodles.”

“Charlie’s a great dog, but his show days are over,” Benny calls up. “Also, Mo, I’m definitely slipping here.”

“Good!” Leslie snaps vindictively.

Meanwhile, a veritable tsunami of children has begun to flow out of the school across the street, and parents have started to turn the corner, and everyone is drinking in the scene.

Cool.

Cool cool cool.

Chapter 37

“Should we be waiting for you, Mo?” calls one of the parents, clearly not recognizing the urgency of the situation that is a murderer and a whole bunch of hostages standing around a sinkhole.