Part 28 (1/2)
”You, too,” Morelli said.
”No way.”
”You're the one who stuck me with this dog. You're going to get your a.s.s out of there and run with us.”
”No way!”
Morelli grabbed me by the ankle and dragged me out of bed. ”Don't make me get rough,” he said.
We both stood there looking at Bob. He was the only one left in bed. He still had his head on the pillow, but he looked worried. Bob wasn't an early morning sort of dog. And he wasn't much of an athlete.
”Get up,” Morelli said to Bob.
Bob squeezed his eyes shut, pretending to sleep.
Morelli tried to drag Bob out of bed and Bob growled low in his throat like he meant business.
”s.h.i.+t,” Morelli said. ”How do you do it? How do you get him to c.r.a.p on Joyce's lawn so early in the morning?”
”You know about that?”
”Gordon Skyer lives across the street from Joyce. I play racquetball with Gordon.”
”I bribe him with food.”
Morelli went off to the kitchen and returned with a bag of carrots. ”Look what I found,” he said. ”You have healthy food in your refrigerator. I'm impressed.”
I didn't want to burst his bubble, but the carrots were for Rex. The only way I like carrots is if they're dipped in batter and deep-fat-fried or incorporated into carrot cake with lots of cream cheese frosting.
Morelli held a carrot out for Bob, and Bob gave him a you've got to be kidding you've got to be kidding look. look.
I was starting to feel sorry for Morelli. ”Okay,” I said, ”let's just get dressed and go out into the kitchen and rattle some things around. Bob will cave.”
Five minutes later we were suited up and Bob was collared and clipped to his leash.
”Hold on,” I said. ”We can't all go out and leave the heart home alone. People break into my apartment on a regular basis.”
”What people?”
”Benny and Ziggy for starters.”
”People can't just walk into your house. That's illegal. That's breaking and entering.”
”It's no big deal,” I said. ”The first couple times it caught me by surprise, but you get used to it after a while.” I took the heart out of the freezer. ”I'll leave this with Mr. Morganstern. He's an early riser.”
”My freezer is on the blink,” I told Mr. Morganstem, ”and I don't want this to defrost. Could you keep it for me until dinnertime?”
”Sure,” he said. ”It looks like a heart.”
”It's a new diet. Once a week you have to eat a heart.”
”No kidding. Maybe I should do that. I've been a little sluggish lately.”
Morelli was waiting for me in the parking lot. He was jogging in place, and Bob was looking bright-eyed and smiley now that he was out in the fresh air.
”Is he empty?” I asked Morelli.
”All taken care of.”
Morelli and Bob took off at a brisk pace, and I slogged along behind them. I can walk three miles in four-inch heels and I can shop Morelli into the ground, but I don't do running. Now if I was running to a sale on handbags, maybe.
Little by little, I fell farther and farther behind. When Morelli and Bob turned the corner and were lost from sight, I cut through a yard and came out at Ferarro's Bakery. I got an almond danish and leisurely walked hone, eating my pastry. I was almost to my parking lot when I saw Joe and Bob loping down St. James. I immediately started jogging and gasping for air.
”Where were you guys?” I said. ” I lost you.”
Morelli shook his head in disgust. ”That's so sad. You have powdered sugar on your s.h.i.+rt.”
”Must have fallen from the sky.”
”Pathetic,” Morelli said.
We pa.s.sed Benny and Ziggy in the hall when we returned.
”Looks like you were out jogging,” Ziggy said. ”That's very healthy. More people should do that.”
Morelli put a hand to Ziggy's chest to detain him. ”What are you doing here?”
”We came to see Ms. Plum, but no one was home.”
”Well, here she is. Don't you want to talk to her?”
”Sure,” Ziggy said. ”Did you like the jelly?”
”The jelly is great. Thanks.”
”You didn't break into her apartment just now, did you?” Morelli asked.
”We wouldn't do a thing like that,” Benny said. ”We got too much respect for her. Right, Ziggy?”
”Yeah, that's right,” Ziggy said. ”But I could if I wanted to. I still got the touch.”
”Have you had a chance to talk to your wife?” I asked Benny. ”Is she in Richmond?”
”I talked to her last night. And she's in Norfolk. She said things are as good as can be expected. I'm sure you understand this has been upsetting for all concerned.”
”A tragedy. No other news from Richmond?”
”Sadly, no.”