No Bones: Dead & Buried Mysteries, #1

By Annie Bassett, Mandy Broughton and Monica Shaughnessy

Ruby Nash’s life has gone to the dogs. Since her husband passed, her once-thriving canine search and rescue business has hit the end of its leash. But when her mother, Donna, asks for help investigating her fiancé, Cecil’s, disappearance, Ruby leaves no bone unturned, roaming outside the boundaries of the law. But she’s caught faster than a three-legged cat at a dog show. With her tail tucked firmly between her legs, she and her remaining cadaver dog, a Weimaraner named Sasha, return to her tiny hometown of Dead & Buried. It’s a Texas speed trap with more buried secrets than citizens. 

Determined to help her mother find the truth about Cecil's disappearance, Ruby and Sasha begin an investigation of Dead & Buried’s crazy characters, digging up more trouble than a dog full of fleas. But without a body, it’s devilishly hard to pin down the murderer. Can she find Cecil and get out of the doghouse alive? More importantly, can she keep from eating too much pie on the job? 

No Bones is a barking good time. Full of Texas sass, small town charm, and plenty of downhome cooking, the Dead & Buried Mysteries are cozies with bite. Dog bite.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dead & Buried Books
• Release date: May 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9780989497572

Book preview

- 1 -

Found and Lost

SASHA’S NOSE WIGGLED AS she tried to catch the scent of decomposition. The wind off Lady Bird Lake blew in from the west, combing the water, making it difficult for the Weimaraner to find the dead body. The slow drizzle didn’t help either. The dog lifted her paw, hesitating near a thick patch of greenery.

Ruby Nash studied the white flecks of fur on Sasha’s muzzle, just visible in the dusk. The cadaver dog was an old girl, a veteran, but still had some energy—a necessity for a search and rescue canine. Where is it, girl? she asked Sasha. She hoisted her backpack higher. Did you find something?

Sasha looked at Ruby with pale-blue eyes, communicating uneasiness. Her flat-gray coat glistened with droplets of water. Her long, undocked tail hung limp.

Ruby smiled, encouraging her. Where is it, girl? she repeated. This time, she emphasized the question with upturned palms. Come on, girl. Austin PD is watching. I know you can do it. Keep trying.

Sasha looked to her right and sniffed. She trotted to the base of an oak tree, nose still in the air. A couple of detectives in suits loitered nearby, search maps in hand, waiting for the dog to uncover their DB—a Mr. Enrique Sanchez—and turn their missing-persons case into a possible homicide. The tip on Mr. Sanchez had come in this morning.

Can she find it? Officer Kirby asked. His breath left his mouth in a white fog. Winter weather had finally settled on central Texas.

Ruby eyed the tall, gangly patrolman as he approached. Heck, she had shoes older than him. She bit her tongue and turned to Sasha. The dog loped farther down the shore, checking a scent near a tree line. The small bell on her vest rang, barely audible over the distant roar of traffic from Cesar Chavez Street. The metal ting stopped and started several times. Ruby frowned. She didn't like Sasha’s recent turn of uncertainty.

Officer Kirby cleared his throat and spoke again. Think she can find it, Ms. Nash?

"Mrs. Nash. Ruby wiped wet hair from her face. The mist had turned her brunette waves even darker. If there's a body here, officer, she'll find it." Thinking to follow Sasha, she marched forward, sinking her right foot in mud. Her emerald-green Wellie boot made an awful sucking sound when she pulled it out. She tried for more solid ground and succeeded. Officer Kirby followed behind her like a puppy, a second dog at the crime scene. Great.

Let me guess, she said to him, you’re my civilian detail. You’re here to make sure I don’t mess with anything. The glow from Officer Kirby’s cheeks confirmed her suspicion. Guess they gave me this shiny badge for nothing, she said, tapping the laminated square clipped to her backpack strap.

Sergeant Lewis will be here soon with Hope, he said, changing the subject. That German Shepherd’s never missed a body.

That you know of. As Ruby traveled the hazy shore, she stepped lightly. The wet ground held.

Officer Hope has an outstanding record. She—

I know the dog’s record. I’m the one who trained her, Ruby snapped. But she's across town at another site. Lucky for you Captain Stewart called when he did, otherwise your chances of recovering Mr. Sanchez this evening would’ve dropped with the rain. She lifted the hood on her coat and gazed at the sunset over the lake. Gray clouds streaked through the reds and oranges, darkening the sky.

The storm that blew in this morning stalled over downtown, he said. Expect more nasty weather.

Ruby and the officer continued along the shore toward Sasha. The dry ground turned soft again, plastering their feet in brown, sticky muck. Ruby chuckled at Officer Kirby’s black patent shoes. He’d turned them into lace-up mud pies.

I’m coming, girl! Ruby called to the Weimaraner. You’re not ready to quit, Sasha, are you? She smiled. Well, I’m not either.

I thought the dog was already retired, Officer Talkative said.

"Semi-retired," she answered.

The patrolman grunted, not quite in agreement. Wind's coming from the west, he said. Sergeant Lewis says the direction is important for the dogs. He tosses baby powder in the air to check the current. You ever do that?

I feel the wind on my face instead. She wiped the moisture from her cheeks. The hood was useless. I’m old-school, Officer Kirby. She tugged his elbow and stopped him. "I don’t tweet like a bird or throw anything back on Thursdays. If I like something, you’ll hear it from my mouth, not Facebook. Oh, and I wouldn’t know what to pin, even if I had an interest. I think coffee should cost a dollar, kids should say please instead of now, and marriage should last a lifetime. And I don’t, repeat don’t, need baby powder to tell me what I already know."

I-I’m sorry, he stammered. I didn’t mean to—

No, no. Ruby held up her hand. I’m the one who should be sorry. My mouth gets the best of me, especially when I’m having an off day. She sighed. Or an off year.

Officer Kirby nodded. For the first time this evening, he kept his mouth closed.

Christmas just wasn’t the same. And instead of getting a kiss from Steven at midnight next week, I’ll be getting a lick on the cheek from Sasha. She put her hands on her hips. Now I’m rambling.

Why don’t we keep walking?

Good idea.

They resumed their stroll along the lake, their shadows growing fainter with the deepening dusk.

Sasha zigzagged ahead, cutting between the bushes and the shoreline and back again. The bell tinkled merrily around her neck—a sound much too sweet for the mission. It would be dark soon. Too dangerous for her to be poking around the bushes.

Last time we used Hope, she found three teeth which led to the entire body being found. She’s a great dog.

Sasha stopped to lap from the lake. Tiny raindrops pricked the surface of the water.

You think she’s still got it? Maybe she’s too old, he said.

Maybe there’s something wrong with your tip. Ever think of that?

Officer Kirby lifted his cap and scratched his head. No, I hadn’t.

I don’t want my dog drinking from the lake. Might be contaminated with bacteria. Can you get me a bottled water and a dish from my car? She handed him the keys without waiting for his answer. She had water and a dish in her backpack, but this wasn’t about thirst.

Yes, ma'am. He righted his hat, squaring it on his forehead. But, you know, don’t touch anything if Sasha gets a hit. Promise?

Ruby held up three fingers. Scout’s honor.

Thank you, ma’am. He retraced his steps along the curve of the lake toward the detectives and the group of cars parked on the hill near Cesar Chavez.

Ma’am, she muttered under her breath. "At thirty-seven, I’m no miss. But I’m certainly not a ma’am. Sasha nudged her leg. The dog had returned, wet and muddy. Ruby stroked her floppy ears. At least give me until forty, right, girl?"

Sasha barked and whipped her tail.

Come on, she said, jogging ahead. Now that Officer Talkative is gone, I know you can focus on Mr. Sanchez.

Sasha caught up and ran alongside Ruby, easily matching her stride on spindly legs. Despite what Ruby had said to Officer Kirby, the Sanchez tip was probably credible. For Captain Stewart to call her, he must’ve been convinced of the source’s reliability. Austin PD really needed more than one dog, and in fact, they’d had more than one dog a few years ago, supplied by Nash Search & Rescue. But the recession hit them as hard as anyone else, and they’d had to scale back to one cadaver dog: Hope.

Ruby slowed to a walk, but Sasha stayed with her. She frowned, dismayed by the dog’s lack of initiative. Most dogs raced ahead, barely keeping the handler in sight.

A short bark stopped Ruby in her tracks.

Hope's here, she told Sasha. But I’m running out of my own. Why haven’t you found Mr. Sanchez yet?

Sasha sat on the toes of Ruby’s Wellies. It was an alpha move, but Ruby tolerated it while the dog worked since it built the canine’s confidence, something the Weimaraner had needed these last few months. She scratched the silver fur along Sasha’s back. A second bark—a happy, welcoming sound—came from the large, dark-coat German shepherd bounding toward them. The bell on the canine officer’s vest rang excitedly. Twenty yards behind them, a surprisingly chubby Sergeant Lewis floundered in the mud. Even through his heavy coat, she could see the outline of his belly. He’d put on weight these last couple of months.

Sasha rose to greet her co-worker with a tail wag, but the other dog ignored her in favor of the scent. The shepherd had picked it up almost immediately despite the drizzle and the mud, and was beginning to crisscross the shoreline with urgency.

Hello, Hope, Ruby greeted the younger dog. The German shepherd zoomed past her. Goodbye, Hope. Damp wind hit her in the face, knocking her hood back. Still coming from the west, she muttered, wiping water from her eyes. No baby powder necessary. Thank you very much, Officer Talkative.

Hope dashed toward a decaying set of stairs, long out of use, her nose in the air. Sasha sneezed then followed in Hope’s footsteps, but at a slower pace. Once the two dogs disappeared under the wooden staircase, Hope let out a short, sharp bark.

That’s the fastest hit I've ever seen, she said to Sergeant Lewis.

He joined her, out of breath. His dark-navy uniform was immaculate from the knees up. From the knees down, he looked like a mud wrestler. You trained her well, Ruby.

You want another one? I’ve got my eye on a little German pup at the shelter.

Sergeant Lewis’s green eyes twinkled. It’s not out of the question.

Really? I thought funds were tight.

Hope let out another bark, this one louder. Sasha echoed her with a demanding woof of her own. Had the old girl really found the evidence, too? Or had she just been copying Hope?

To be continued, Sergeant Lewis said. He pointed to the ground. Now stay until I call you. Like her, he’d spent a little too much time with dogs.

Stay, Ruby. Good girl, she said under her breath. Ruby watched the officer duck under the staircase and give excited praise to Hope. Though gruff at times, Sergeant Lewis was one of the good ones, a true friend at the department. It killed her to stay on the sidelines. She switched weight from one foot to the other. Was it a body? A piece of a body? Was it even Mr. Sanchez?

Hope emerged and gave Ruby a You coming or what? stare.

Good dog, Sasha! Did you find it? she shouted. Okay, okay. Let me take a peek. One couldn’t hurt. When she stepped forward, her rear vibrated, startling her. She grabbed her phone from her back pocket, glanced at the caller—Donna Dalton—and swiped the screen. Hey, Mom, I'm on a job now-

Ruby, I need you. He's missing, and I can't find him, Donna said. Her voice had the huskiness of a recent crying spell.

Mom, slow down. Who's missing?

Donna caught her breath. Cecil, honey. He always comes to the café at twelve-thirty for lunch, and it's six now. No one’s seen or heard from him all day.

We've definitely got a body! Looks like Sanchez! Sergeant Lewis yelled. Way to go, Officer Hope! An instant later, he walked into the open, his cellphone to his ear. Soon, the rest of the detectives and patrolmen would arrive.

Mom, I’m at a crime scene. I can’t just drop everything, Ruby said. Besides, it’s late, and you’re nearly an hour away.

Okay, Donna said, holding in a sniff. I’ll look for him myself. But I don’t know where. Lotta empty land in this neck of the woods... Her voice trailed off. Cecil would never leave Dead & Buried. All he does is watch TV. Except for visiting Bobby, he doesn't go anywhere else. That’s why this is so strange.

Ruby, your dog is waiting, Sergeant Lewis said.

Mom, I gotta go. I’m really sorry, but I—

The call dropped. Ruby jammed the phone into her pocket and pulled a stinky sock from her backpack—Sasha’s reward for finding the body. Her mom would have to wait. After she raced to the staircase, she offered the dog her chew toy. The white gym sock once belonged to her husband. It became Sasha’s favorite shortly after he died.

Sasha clamped down on the sock, wagged her tail, and gave the fabric a few half-hearted tugs. Ruby returned the tug, trying to engage the dog. Hit rewards were vital in the search and rescue business. When Sasha tired of the game, Ruby excused herself and walked toward the shoreline to call her mother back.

Donna picked up on the first ring.

Mom, don't hang up again. Tell me what's going on. She held the phone in the crook of her neck, took off her backpack, and rummaged through it while her mother explained about the missing boyfriend.

Sasha cocked her head at Ruby, the limp sock hanging from her jaws. Sergeant Lewis had Hope in a full-out game of tug-of-war. Ruby remembered when Sasha had that energy. Sasha must have picked up on Ruby's sour mood because the dog pounced on her, knocking her sideways. The phone landed with a splat in the mud.

Ruby? You still there? Ruby? Donna’s voice called from the device.

Hang on, Mom, she shouted. You rascal, she said to Sasha.

Sasha bowed, her hind end in the air, and gave Ruby a playful growl. Translation? See? I still got it. She shook her head, thrashing the sock.

Ruby snatched the phone and wiped it on her pants. Sorry about that, Mom.

Donna continued, So then I called Cecil’s son, who hadn't seen him either. Ruby muttered uh-huhs and okays while she toweled Sasha down and fitted her with a warmer vest she’d pulled from the backpack. Wait, Mom. She put her hand on the phone. You need me for anything else, Lewis? she called to the officer.

When Sergeant Lewis waved her off, Ruby clipped a leash to Sasha’s collar and led the dog uphill toward Cesar Chavez and her parked car. After retrieving her keys from Officer Kirby, she let Sasha inside her Honda CRV, where the dog immediately curled up on the back seat and dropped the toy. Ruby pocketed the sock and listened to her mother as the CSU van pulled beside her. Dog work had ended; human work had begun. Time to go.

This is going to sound really bad, Mom, but which one is Cecil? she asked. She started the engine and cranked up the heat. Cold air blew from the vents. She’d been parked too long.

Honestly, Ruby, I know you're busy, but can't you remember a simple thing? You met him last year at Myrtle's funeral.

Ohhhh...the one with the drinking problem. Are you sure he didn’t just go to the bar? Sergeant Lewis knocked on her window. The sound startled Sasha, and she barked. The dog hadn’t heard him approach. Hold on, Mom, she said. She dropped the phone to her chest and lowered the window. You need help finding your keys, Lewis? Sasha only works with cadavers.

The sergeant’s smile beamed in the dark. The captain has good news. Hope’s performance tonight impressed him, and he wants to expand the K-9 unit again. We’re looking to acquire the best. And it’ll help with all the between-department requests for Officer Hope. If I let her go on every search she was requested for—Sergeant Lewis sighed—she’d never get any rest.

I only train the best, Ruby interrupted. She wanted to talk business, not hear a rehashing of Sergeant Lewis’s woes on overworking his dog. She glanced at the open hatch of the K-9 unit SUV. She could just make out the figure of the German shepherd inside the kennel.

Ruby Ann Nash, are you there? the phone squawked.

She brought the device to her ear. Yes, Mom. Let me call you in an hour. I'm almost done here. She hung up, told Sasha to stay, and exited the car. I always have time to talk money and dogs, she said to Sergeant Lewis. Now then, tell me what you need.

As he hit the highlights of the Chief’s plan—a full expansion of the K-9 unit over the next six months—Ruby’s thoughts wandered to her mother’s missing boyfriend. Then a chill ran down her spine, and it had nothing to do with the cold air or the steady rain that had begun to fall.

###

Ruby held the door open for Sasha. Ever since that burglary down the street last November, she made sure the dog entered their house first. Sasha padded in, sniffed the air, and walked to the fridge. Unless a bad guy was hiding inside, behind a gallon of milk, the house was clear. Ruby tossed her backpack by the door and kicked off her Wellies, making sure to keep them on the doormat. She’d wait until tomorrow to spray them down. She was too tired now.

Don’t feel bad about tonight, she told Sasha as she unbuckled the dog’s vest. Not everyone gets a hit every time. She laid her keys on the small knickknack table, ignored the stack of bills, and opened the fridge. Hungry, girl?

Sasha thumped her tail against the tile floor.

Ruby pulled out a plastic container labeled Sasha—high-fiber, neatly written in Sharpie. She tossed the lid in the sink and placed the food in the microwave for thirty seconds. The smell of chicken and sweet potato filled the kitchen. After she’d warmed the dog’s dinner, she stirred it and placed it on the mat on the floor. Sasha ate noisily while Ruby foraged for her own meal—a handful of crackers and a box of raisins.

She took her dinner into the dining room and sat at a rough oak table built for six. The green-and-yellow braided rug felt soft under her feet, just what she needed on a cold night like tonight. As she ate, she stared across the table at the head chair. A man's black field vest lay draped over the back.

Ruby rose from her seat and brushed her fingers along the coarse material. She breathed in deeply. While she couldn't smell Steven anymore, Sasha probably could. But one day, that scent would become too faint for even the best nose. And on that terrible day, they would come home, and