Part 30 (1/2)

”Is Rebecca still buying them chickens?” Ruby asked. ”I met her in the Grainery a couple of times last summer.”

”She is,” I said. ”At least for Owen. Hercules doesn't care.”

”Hercules?” Justin asked. ”After the strong man?”

”Yes,” I said. More or less, anyway. Warrior of myth and legend, and on-screen incarnation of one Kevin Sorbo, if I was telling the truth.

”That's it right there,” I said to Justin, pointing out the driveway.

He pulled in by the house and they followed me around to the back door. I had expected at least one cat to be in the kitchen, but there was no sign of either of them. I dropped my coat on one of the chairs. ”The picture is upstairs,” I said to Ruby. ”I'll be right back.”

The photo fragment was on the table by the window, along with the sc.r.a.p from the brown envelope that Hercules had taken from Eric's office. That reminded me: I still wanted to figure out where Eric had been last Wednesday night. I grabbed the torn picture and headed back downstairs. ”Here it is,” I said to Ruby.

She laid the photograph on the table and studied it carefully. Then she looked up at me. Nothing in her face gave her away except for the smile that pulled at her eyes. ”I'm sorry,” she said. ”I don't have a clue who might've lost this. You could ask Maggie. She's been going through old pictures for weeks.”

”Thanks,” I said.

”Or you could ask Harry Taylor. He knows everyone in town.”

I knew what she meant. ”That's a good idea.”

”Okay. Let's get going,” Ruby said to Justin.

”Thank you for the ride, Justin,” I said.

”No problem.”

Just then Hercules came in from the living room.

Ruby smiled. ”h.e.l.lo, puss,” she said, leaning down closer to his level. ”This is Hercules, right?”

”Yes. And that's Owen.” He'd just stuck his tabby head around the doorframe to see what he was missing.

Hercules was still studying Ruby. Justin leaned over beside her. ”Hey, cat,” he said. Herc's head swiveled left. His eyes narrowed and he hissed.

Justin started and straightened. ”Whoa!” He looked from the cat to me. ”You weren't kidding about those cats.”

Behind Hercules, Owen crept closer, his ears flattened against his head.

”Hey, it's okay,” Ruby said in a low, soft voice.

Hercules turned back to her, looked into her face and twitched his whiskers almost as though he were saying, I don't have a problem with you. Then he took a step toward Justin and hissed again. Justin took about a half dozen steps backward.

I moved between them. ”Justin, I'm sorry,” I said. ”They grew up at Wisteria Hill. They're not always good with people.”

He shrugged, but it was just a shade too casual. ”Hey, it's okay,” he said. ”They probably smell dog on me. Like I said, I'm a dog person.” He turned to Ruby, but I could see he was still watching Hercules out of the corner of his eye. ”We better get going,” he said.

”Thanks for looking at the picture,” I said to Ruby. ”I'll check with Harry.”

”Good idea,” she said. ”I really think that picture will mean something to him.”

I walked them to the back door and waited until I heard the car pull out of the driveway. Then I went back into the kitchen.

Owen and Hercules were sitting by the table. Herc was was.h.i.+ng his face. Owen was sniffing who knew what on the floor. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at them. ”Okay. What the heck was that all about?”

23.

Owen at least looked guilty; he hung his head and slunk over to me. I crouched down and he looked up at me, a cute-guilty combo.

”Why did you do that?” I asked him. ”The first time Marcus came here you all but climbed onto his lap. What's wrong with Justin?”

His gold eyes narrowed and his ears went back again. ”I get that you don't like him,” I said, patting the top of his head. ”But why?”

Of course, since he couldn't talk, he couldn't exactly tell me.

I turned to Hercules, who was still was.h.i.+ng his face and studiously ignoring me. ”You didn't like Justin, either.”

Lick, lick, lick, and then the paw wiped the face.

”He's intense-I'll give you that-and self-absorbed, but that whole show with the ears back and the hissing was a bit over-the-top. If you didn't like the guy, couldn't you just, I don't know, ignore him? Like you're doing to me right now?”

The phone rang then and I went to answer it.

”Hey,” Maggie said. ”You disappeared so fast I didn't get a chance to ask if you wanted to walk down and catch the end of the all-star game.”

”Sorry,” I said. ”Ruby and Justin offered me a ride.”

”She seems more like herself, doesn't she?” Maggie said.

”Yeah, she does.” I hesitated for a second. If I was going to check out drinking establishments I didn't want to go by myself, and this wasn't really the type of road trip I could take Hercules or Owen on. Plus, I needed a car. ”Hey, Mags, do you feel like going out?” I asked.

”The game's probably close to over.”

”I was thinking more like going out for a drink,” I said.

For a moment there was only silence. Then Maggie said, ”A drink?”

”Uh-huh.”

”At a bar?”

”Why not? Why not try something new? Meet some new people.”

Another silence. Then Maggie spoke again. ”Kathleen, if you're being held captive by some freak, winter-loving terrorist, say 'avocado' and I'll hang up and call the police.”

I laughed. ”I haven't been kidnapped and I haven't lost my mind. I want to check out some of the bars up on the highway. It's something that might help Ruby.”