Cha-Cha

Cha-cha is a Shiba Inu. As a solicitor explained to Nigel Owen in Dead as a Scone, “a Shiba Inu is an ancient Japanese breed known for its intelligence, inquisitiveness, love of human interaction, infrequent barking, robust independent streak, and a compelling instinct to chase and kill small animals. Because of the latter, I recommend that you never take the dog outdoors without its lead.”

The solicitor added, “His name is Cha-Cha.” (Cha is the word for tea in much of the world.) In Dead as a Scone, Cha-Cha is decribed as “a small dog, perhaps fifteen inches tall, compactly built, with a thick reddish coat and patches of white on its neck, legs, and puffy cheeks. It had small pointed ears, triangular eyes, a rather impudent arched tail held high, and a smile on its face.”