The Dog Did It -- A Whodunit

Life on the California coast is sweet, until Gabe Chance loses his job, his car, and his beachfront apartment, all thanks to the lousy economy. Things look bleak. An old girlfriend’s husband is killed. The cops call it an accident, she calls it murder. Then she calls Gabe to find the killer. He doesn’t know anything about finding killers; he has a hard time finding a clean shirt! Then, without warning, Gabe’s mother dies. That’s bad, really bad. But she left a fortune he never knew about, which is good. Really good. But, she left some strings attached that aren’t good: his childhood home and a dog, neither of which he wants. To get the money, all he has to do is live in one and take care of the other. Aaarrggh! What's an out of work, penniless guy, with no car and no place to lay his head gonna do? Duh.