Sneak Peak: "STRUT YOUR MUTT" by Heather Weidner

Hundreds of dogs covered almost every inch of outdoor space at the Stony Point Fashion Park. Delanie Fitzgerald waded through a sea of dogs and humans to the large stage in the plaza area. She looked around for her partner, Duncan Reynolds. Not seeing anyone who resembled the computer geek who was the other half of the Falcon Investigations team, she stood on a low stone wall for a better view.

“Hey, there you are.”

She hopped down and turned to face Duncan and his sidekick, Margaret, a brown and white English bulldog. In the office, Margaret had two speeds, slow and napping. Today, she seemed more interested in all the other dogs.

“I’m glad you could come to support us,” he said.

“Of course. You and Margaret are like family.” Delanie scanned the crowd of people, many in elaborate costumes that matched their dogs. Delanie’s favorites were the superheroes and their sidekicks.

“We’ve got to get ready. Right after the Strut Your Mutt fashion show, Pickles will be signing autographs.”

Delanie furrowed her brow. “Pickles?”

“I sent you the link to the video. Pickles the Pug. She and her handler are social media influencers. She’s got a bazillion followers.”

“The dog’s a social media influencer?” Delanie looked at Margaret and then at the dogs who were milling around the plaza area.

“Yup. She built her following with funny memes and videos, and now she does appearances and product endorsements. Pickles is today’s headliner for Pooch-a-palooza. Evie’s here, too. She’s going to video Margaret’s fashion debut. And then she’ll grab us a spot in line. Margaret wants to meet Pickles.”

Delanie smiled. Evie Hachey was Duncan’s steady girlfriend. They had met a few summers ago at a comicon, and she was the perfect complement to her geeky partner, who did web design when he wasn’t getting computers to cough up information from the seedy corners of the Dark Web for the firm’s investigations.

“Make sure to get a good spot and lots of pictures. I’m going to set up an Instagram account and a webpage for Margaret tonight. The Adventures of Margaret the Wonder Dog.” He glanced down at his Apple Watch that looked like something out of the Dick Tracy comics. “We’ve got to get on stage.” Duncan shifted a large black backpack to his other shoulder and guided Margaret through the crowd.

The crowd, already five and six people deep, continued to grow. Delanie strolled toward the stage and found a spot near the large fountain.

Ten minutes later, the local weatherman, Zac Parker, and a woman walked up to the edge of the stage. “Hello, RVA,” he said. “Welcome to the first Pooch-a-palooza. Hey, you Richmond folks, you’re in for a treat today. Are you excited?”

The crowd roared, and dogs started barking.

“We’ll be starting the Strut Your Mutt fashion show in a few minutes. At two o’clock, Pickles the Pug will be here at the stage in front of the bookstore. She’ll be signing books and calendars. You won’t want to miss her. And then it will be time for everyone to get in on the act for the Furry Scurry of Paws on Parade at three o’clock. And Yappy Hour starts at all the restaurants and pubs here at four. Check out the drink and snack specials. So, who’s ready for some fun?”

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To read more about the investigation skills of Delanie Fitzgerald and her sidekicks Duncan Reynolds and Margaret the English Bull Dog, grab your copy of To Fetch a Villain today. See buy links in the right  column of this page.