Dog in a Manger
by
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There
was a rusty, faded blue Chevy pick-up in the parking lot when Lisa arrived at
Before
Lisa got to the back door of the clinic, Jody Moore pulled up and climbed out
of her minivan. Jody hustled across the
parking lot her face beaded with perspiration.
She looked like she had been up all night as her hair was disheveled and
her lab coat half buttoned. She wore
scrubs to work every day. She had a
worried look on her face.
“What’s
the matter Jody?” Lisa asked.
“My
kids wouldn’t get up this morning. Teddy
has a sore throat and wants to stay home.
I got him situated and the others all decided they had sore throats
too. My husband said he’d stay home with
them.”
“I
guess you’re lucky that he was available.
What would you do if he weren’t home?”
“My
in-laws live next door. His mom doesn’t
work so she’s usually available for babysitting.”
“I
don’t know how you do it. Three children
would drive me crazy.”
“That’s
why I come to work every day, no matter what.
I love my job.”
Jody
and Lisa had been working together for five years. Jody had saved Lisa’s neck more than once in
the small animal clinic during the past.
She was an expert at handling animals.
One of Lisa’s greatest fears was being bitten and scratched by a
cat. Jody could tame even the angriest
cats. She’d look the cat in the eye and
start talking to it, fussing at the growling ones; then she would scratch the
cat on the head. The nervous ones always calmed right down. She was a natural with dogs too. They always loved her. They wagged their tales and were most
cooperative. ‘Course it probably had
something to do with the handful of treats she kept in her pocket. Jody was also responsible for keeping the
clinic stocked with drugs and supplies.
Lisa
started reading the charts hanging on the outside of the cages for each
animal. She checked to make sure that
they had received their morning meds and then wrote orders for Jody to
follow. Jody scooped up the first patient,
a small terrier. She clutched the dog
between her breasts, resting it across her belly. Lisa took its temperature and examined it
briefly.
“Dr.
McAdams, Alison told me to tell you to come up to the front office before you
leave. She has some things to give you,”
Jody said.
“What
could she possibly have to give me?” asked Lisa.
“She’s
up there running medical records on the printer. I suppose she’s going to try to tell you what
to do too.”
“Ya mean she’s been bothering you, too?
Jody
shrugged, “I just work here. I try to
please everyone.”
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About the Book
Physicians, veterinarians, and
dentists, all busy professionals, are often victims of white collar crime. Overloaded schedules make them prime targets
for embezzlers. Veterinary clinics,
which stock their own pharmacy, lose thousands of dollars worth of inventory to
employee theft each year. In addition
to theft of inventory there is also potential for drug abuse.
Dog in a Manger is an
entertaining tale about a vet clinic, which falls prey to an elaborate
embezzlement scheme. Learn in detail how
easy it is to manipulate computer records as the office manager teaches another
employee how to embezzle without getting caught. The embezzler entices a veterinarian
recently recovering from drug addiction to push prescription drugs in order to
boost income. The plan backfires when
the veterinarian in on the scam gets addicted to narcotics. His addiction causes him to get involved with
a hard- core drug dealer. The embezzler
finds that she is in way over her head when she confronts the dealer.
Dog in a Manger has a refreshing
new theme. A mystery suspense story
where the main venue is a country vet practice.
The plot is intertwined with fascinating veterinary medical stories and
a crime drama. Veterinarian, Lisa
McAdams unhappy about many of the changes being made at the clinic,
inadvertently discovers that records are being tampered with and
falsified. She enlists the help of a
detective when she realizes what has been going on behind her back.
About the Author
Katherine Lancaster is a native
born Virginian. She received her riding instructor’s certificate from Morven Park International Equestrian Institute in 1976 and
taught riding and trained horses for fifteen years professionally. She graduated from George Mason University
with a BS in Biology in 1987. With four
children in tow, she attended Virginia- Maryland Regional College of Veterinary
Medicine, graduating in 1992. She now owns
and manages her own veterinary practice in northern Virginia and lives on a
farm with five horses, four dogs and two cats. When she is not working or
writing she enjoys fox hunting, skiing, hiking and sailing.
Dog in a Manger is her first novel, however, she has always loved writing fiction and has
a gift for telling stories. Her many
experiences with animals and their owners have given her special understanding
and insight into animal and human nature.
She is currently working on a sequel to Dog in a Manger. Her goal in writing is to educate her readers
about veterinary medicine while she tells an entertaining mystery suspense
story.