Dead to Rights

Joa

“Oh, of course.”

“Are you on the board of directors?” Joa

“No,” Marliss countered, “but one of my friends is. She said-”

“If it’s supposed to be confidential, then I don’t want to know what anyone said,” Joa

“But wait,” the other woman said hurriedly. “Don’t hang up. What I’m afraid is that Jeff Daniels has gotten himself it some kind of trouble with the Chinese authorities and that Maria

The word “hippie” might have gone out of favor in the rest of the world, but among old-time Bisbeeites it still accounted for anyone who veered ever so slightly out of the norm. With a mighty effort, a seething Joa

“Jeff Daniels went to China to bring home a baby,” Joa

“Joa

“No, you’re wrong, Marliss,” Joa

“Joa

“Maria

“That sounded like a threat.”

“As a matter of fact, it was,” Joa

She flung down the receiver and stood there glaring at it with as much loathing as if it were a coiled snake, one that might strike at any moment. Seconds later she was stabbed by an attack of remorse. How much of that blast of steam had Marliss actually deserved and how much should have gone to Eleanor Lathrop? One thing was sure, however. Joa

“Mom?” Je

Ignoring the wet towel, Joa

“But who was that on the phone?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Joa

“No, it was somebody else-someone who made me mad. You don’t need to worry. It has nothing to do with you.”

“But you hardly ever yell,” Je

Moving Je

Biting her lip, Je

“Well,” Joa

Je

Joa

Je

“Right,” Joa

“You mean I can go, too?”

“If you’re ready.”

Motivated, Je

“Good night, Je

She went into her bedroom and closed the door. A moment later it opened again. “Mom?”

“What now?” Joa

“How many apples are in a barrel?”

Joa

When the door closed for the second time and stayed closed, Joa

Smiling to herself, Joa

SIX

“ There you go, Sheriff Brady,” Dr. Reginald Wade said the next morning as a red-eyed Bebe Noonan led Tigger out into the reception area on a lead. As soon as he saw Je

“You’d think he’d been locked up here forever,” he said

“At home the two of them are inseparable,” Joa

The vet nodded. “Speaking of which,” he said. “It must have been close to twenty-four hours from the time that dog of yours and the porcupine started mixing it up before I was able to get after those quills. Fortunately, Bucky had Tigger under sedation and on an IV, so he came through it like a champ. By the way, I noticed that his chart called for a rabies vaccination. I gave him one while we were at it.”

Looking from Dr. Wade to Bebe Noonan, Joa

“Pay Terry, by all means,” Reggie Wade said. “I’m just helping out. Filling in until Terry has a chance to sort things out. Had our situations been reversed, I’m sure Bucky would have done the same for me and my furry patients. Putting Terry’s mind at ease about the animals is the least I can do.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Joa

Je

“Sure,” Joa

Je