Maui Madness (Zoe Donovan Mysteries Book 7) Read Online Free Page A

the new dogs together and away from the others. You can use the large animal yard to exercise them since we don’t currently have any large cats in residence. I’d wait to adopt them out until we’ve had them for a few days and can be sure they are unaffected.”
    “Okay . I’ll call Scott and set it up.”
    “It sounds like Ellie is back , so I guess I’ll sign off, but call me if you find out anything more about the dead dog and squirrels. I’ll call Salinger as soon as I’m finished here. And don’t let the county bully you about the flyers warning people of a possible danger from poisoning. If they have a problem with our proactive approach, they can call me.”
    “Don’t worry. We can handle it,” Jeremy assured me. “You just have fun and enjoy your time off. It’ll be over before you know it and you’ll wish you could have relaxed while you had the chance.”
    “Yeah, you’re right, and I trust both of you to handle whatever comes up. You know me, though; I like to be in the middle of things. It never has been easy for me to sit on the sidelines.”
    “This is a good chance for you to work on that,” Tiffany encouraged. “Give Ellie a hug for me and say hi to Zak and Levi. Hopefully , they won’t bring home a bunch of fish that need cleaning. It’d be a shame to stink up that beautiful kitchen.”
    “If they have fish , they can stay in the outdoor kitchen until it’s time to eat them,” I assured her. “Oh, and can one of you call my dad and mom and tell them to keep their dogs away from the campground? I’ll be unavailable all day tomorrow, but I’ll talk to you both the day after that.”
    “ That’ll be Sunday, so we’ll be closed,” Jeremy reminded me. “I think Tank is on for the overnight shift and Gunnar is going to check in on things during the day.”
    Tiffany elbowed Jeremy. “I’ll come in. Call me at around nine our time and I’ll be here to give you an update.”
    I smiled. “Thanks . I’ll owe you.”

Chapter 3
     
     
    After I hung up with Jeremy and Tiffany, I went in search of Ellie, who I was sure I’d heard come in through the front door. I found her on the patio, talking to a young girl who looked to be native Hawaiian. She had a petite frame, a dark complexion, and straight black hair that hung past her waist. She was dressed in cutoff shorts and a bright orange tank top and looked to be no older than sixteen.
    “Zoe , this is Malie,” Ellie introduced us. “I ran into her while on my walk and we got to talking.”
    “I’m glad to meet you,” I said.
    “ Malie works for an organization that monitors and preserves the sea turtles and other wildlife in the area. I happened to see a turtle on the beach while I was walking and went to take a closer look. Malie was working in the area and stopped to talk. I mentioned that you owned your own foundation that rescues and rehabilitates animals native to the area where we live, and we realized that the two of you would have a lot in common, so I invited her to lunch.”
    “I’d love to talk with you about the work you do.” I smiled at the exotic young woman, who must be older than I’d first assumed. “I was just about to look for something to make for lunch, so the timing is perfect. We stopped at Costco yesterday, so we’re well stocked. What would you like?”
    “I enjoy all types of food,” Malie said.
    “My stomach is a bi t topsy-turvy,” Ellie admitted. “I guess I didn’t sleep all that well last night. Probably jet lag. I’m hungry, though. Maybe a seafood salad?”
    “Sounds perfect.”
    Ellie and Malie continued to talk as I headed into the kitchen to assemble the salad. We’d stopped at a local farmers market, so not only did we have both shrimp and crab, we had giant avocados, fresh tomatoes, leafy lettuce, and locally made dressing as well. It warmed my heart to see Ellie smiling. I’m not sure what Malie said to her, but the light, which I feared might be permanently