Part 4 (2/2)
Suzie shakes her head again and stands up to pace. ”That cant be. Oscar has been watching it and no cats have made a move to get close to it.” Suzies companion, a not so bright golden retriever, keeps his senses trained on the buried object on Opals collar. Its hidden near their house next door.
”Jester seems to think he knows what Oscar is up to.”
”We have to be more careful when we talk about these things. Cats are too quiet when they move around. They could be listening right now.”
Yogi rolls again in the long gra.s.s, then asks, ”Any news for me? Hows Barney? Is Pluto still living with him?” Winona added a second dog to her family after Pluto was homeless when his person, Mitch, was arrested for theft.
”I just came from the dog park and Barney gave me some disturbing information.” The bulldog is Suzies main source of information since he lives with Winona, one of the humans tasked with overseeing the safety and secrecy of the powers of the keys and hidden object. ”He told me the humans are thinking of destroying everything.”
Yogi yelps in surprise. ”Why?”
”I think it has to do with Plutos person, Mitch. There are untrustworthy humans who want to take advantage of the powers.”
”We cant let them be destroyed.”
”I know. But we also have to offer protection to the people who have the keys. There was another death. A murder. At the home of one of the keys. If the humans cant keep the information safe, we have to at least protect everything from being destroyed.”
”Without time travel, wed all be stuck right where we are. Dont the humans see that? Dont they understand the good they can bring to the world?” Yogi whines.
Suzie agrees. There is too great an opportunity within reach for the humans to give up this potential power. In the right hands, the world could be saved from their own destruction. The cats only see the bad that could come from keeping the powers alive, but Suzie knows that with the dogs help, everyone could benefit.
It is now up to Suzie and the other dogs who know about the secret to make sure the keys and the hidden object are never destroyed, but also dont fall into the hands of dangerous individuals.
CHAPTER 11.
Maggie hears Clem park in the garage and close her car door. Shes home early, probably because theyre having company.
”How was Two Sisters today?” Maggie asks, towel in hand, drying vegetables for the salad when Clem walks in.
”It picked up this afternoon. Sunday mornings are always slow.” Clem slumps down onto a kitchen chair and exhales a sigh.
”Why dont we just open later on Sundays?” Its only recently that Maggie got comfortable making suggestions using 'we instead of 'you. Shes starting to feel like they are truly partners. ”It doesnt make sense for you to work a full day if you only get customers in the afternoon,” Maggie suggests, turning back to the kale salad shes half done making.
Clem is silent for a few moments. ”I guess I could give that a try. It would be nice to have the morning free so I can spend more time with Denis on the weekends.”
Maggie turns around again so she can read Clems body language when she asks her next question. ”You two are getting serious arent you?”
Clem nods. ”Were talking about the next step.”
”Which is . . .?”
”Marriage.”
”Whoa. Big step.”
Clem nods again but there is no sign of doubt on her face. ”It is, but I think its right for us. Were not getting any younger.”
Maggie knows thats the truth. ”Thats great. Congrats.”
”It hasnt happened yet. No need for congratulations.” Clem laughs. ”What time is company coming?”
”Around six,” Maggie answers, her back once again to Clem. ”You have time still.”
Maggie hears Clem stand and push her chair away from the table. ”Where are the dogs? They usually come charging inside when I get home.”
”Havent seen them all afternoon. But youre early, so they might still be off gallivanting around town. Want a gla.s.s of wine?”
”Mm. Not yet. Im going to lie down before everyone comes. Oh, did you find anything out from Ginger Rae about Clara today?”
Clem doesnt sit back down so Maggie keeps her answer brief. ”A little. But shes convinced her murder had nothing to do with Clara or her family and their poor relations.h.i.+ps. Thats why shes coming tonight with Erline and Winona. They want to tell us about some keys that unlock some power or something that Mom was involved with.”
”What?”
Maggie never told Clem the real reason she decided to move to Silver Springs last month and not return to Denver. It had more to do with Winona, Erline and Ginger Rae thinking they were in trouble and wanting Maggies help and protection as a private detective than wanting to move back to her hometown and work at Two Sisters with Clem.
”Theyll explain. I would only make them sound crazy.”
”You already have.”
Clem leaves the kitchen and Maggie pours a single gla.s.s of wine. She wont be drinking alone for long, and if the night is going to revolve around magical powers connected to keys, then sh.e.l.l need something to keep her relaxed and not so cynical.
After the salad is finished and dressed so the flavors meld together, Maggie chops potatoes, seasons them and sticks them in the oven. Then she marinates the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s and leaves them on the counter so she doesnt forget to put them in the oven in fifteen minutes. If everything goes as planned-which it hardly ever does-then the potatoes and chicken will be done at the same time.
Just before six oclock, Clem comes back into the kitchen in a change of clothes and her long graying hair still wet. Either the dogs finally realized shes home or they hear a car park in the driveway, but either way they charge through the dog door and slide to a stop in the kitchen. Without missing a beat, Clem is down on the floor on her hands and knees, receiving dog kisses and offering love to Suzie and Oscar.
”I missed you too,” she croons, as she does every night. Maggie sips her wine at the table. ”Maybe next Sunday morning we can do something outside together.”
”h.e.l.lo, h.e.l.lo, h.e.l.lo,” Ginger Raes voice booms from the front door and Maggie leaps to her feet to greet her.
”Come in,” she calls, unhelpfully since she has already let herself, Winona and Erline inside.
”It smells delicious in here,” Winona gushes, heading straight for the kitchen. ”And theres already a bottle of wine open. We better let the next one breathe too.”
Erline takes two bottles of wine from her bag and starts looking for a corkscrew. Maggie knows how much these women like to drink, having attended Tuesday night Bingo with them. Instead of filling their water bottles with water, they enjoyed wine on the sly.
”What smells so good?” Ginger Rae asks, catching up to everyone else congregating in the kitchen.
”Tequila-lime chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s and oven roasted potatoes,” Maggie tells them, mildly embarra.s.sed to be feeding them even more alcohol.
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