Silver Springs Cozy: Pawsitively Lethal Part 4

At the register, Maggie picks up a copy of todays newspaper. The cover story, written by none other than Karl Jacobs, catches Maggies attention. 'Imbalanced Woman Dead in Silver Springs, the headline reads. Maggie is impressed that he was able to get something written so quickly but still wanted to talk to Ginger Rae today. He already had his sensational headline and story that he must have written late last night, so why would he want to upset her by asking more questions?

Back at home, Maggie sits down to read the article. She almost read it in her car in the grocery store parking lot but decided against it. She spreads it out on the kitchen table and as she reads every word, shes glad she had patience so she can really take the time to notice the details.

". . . Valerie Hunt saw someone running down the street in front of the house in question just before the police arrived . . ."

". . . Hunt also said she heard shouting before the young woman screamed . . ."

Maggie wonders if Daniel Stevens has seen this yet and what his take on it is. Instead of speculating, she picks up her phone and calls him.

"Hi Maggie," he answers, his tone just friendly enough but much less so than before she decided to date Drew instead of Daniel.

"Hi Daniel. I was just reading the newspaper-"

"Karl Jacobs. That man has no sense of privacy or police protocol," Daniel fumes.

"So youve seen it." Maggie crosses her legs under the kitchen table and leans back against the slats of the chair, waiting for Daniels full reaction.

"Oh yes, Ive seen it. And Im going after Karl. He cant b.u.t.t into an investigation like this and provide possibly false information. He knows as well as anyone that Silver Springs thrives on gossip and rumors. All hes doing is starting them."

"You do know thats how the media functions, right?" Maggie smiles.

Daniel takes a deep breath and Maggie hears the exhalation. "Yes. I know. Im just sick and tired of it."

"But have you talked to Valerie Hunt?"

"Not yet. Shes not answering her phone and she wasnt home when we went to her house."

"Any idea who she saw?" Maggie asks.

"Not a clue. And Im not even sure she saw anyone."

"Why not? Why would she lie?"

"Dont you know how the media works?" Daniel laughs. "Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame and this could have been her way to get it. We havent heard anything else about shouting before Clara was killed or a mystery man running down the street. Ive been interviewing every party guest today and the only sound anyone heard was Claras scream just before the gunshot."

"I think I have an idea to get Valerie to talk."

"First she has to come home."

Maggie smiles again. "Well, theres that. But if shes avoiding talking to the police, which maybe she isnt, then we could have Ginger Rae talk to her."

"That could be our last resort. Ill keep trying to get in touch with her. Hows your side of things going? Any information on Claras family?"

Maggie updates Daniel quickly about Marla and David coming to town and their feelings toward Ginger Rae, Claras relationship with Jessie, and Stewart Coles divorce. "So far, not really anything thats going anywhere fast. But Ill keep digging."

"Great. Keep me in the loop."

"Will do. And let me know if you want me or Ginger Rae to talk to Valerie."

They say rather cold goodbyes and Maggie unpacks the groceries that she let sit on the kitchen floor while she read and talked on the phone. The rustling of bags in the kitchen brings Opal out of the bedroom but the dogs are nowhere to be seen.

"Its not dinner time yet," Maggie tells her cat, who winds herself between her legs in an effort to guide her to the cabinet with her canned food.

Opal meows in protest but Maggie doesnt give in. Instead, she kneels down and scratches Opals ears and back, much to the cats delight, who purrs in happiness. "Wheres that collar I gave you in the spring? We should put that back on since you spend so much time outside," Maggie says, standing.

She finishes putting the groceries away and goes to her bedroom where she remembers leaving the collar on the bedside table. She doesnt find it on top so opens the drawer, but its empty. She quickly looks behind the table and under the bed but doesnt find the collar with the trinket anywhere.

Maggie gives up her search without a second thought.

CHAPTER 10.

Suzie raises her powerful Australian shepherd nose to get a better scent of whos around and then wags her stump of a tail. Shes been patrolling near her house all day since Clem left and Yogi is finally outside next door. Yogi doesnt usually have much news from the neighborhood because shes trapped in her yard by an invisible fence that her person, Leah Scott, put up, but Suzie likes to visit with her.

"Careful of the fence," Yogi warns with a bark, jumping around on her small feet. The poodle is full of energy and forgetful.

"It only gets you," Suzie reminds her friend. "Because of your collar." She confidently and painlessly leaps through the invisible barrier that keeps Yogi trapped at home.

"Thanks for coming over." Yogi runs circles around Suzie and Suzie sits to wait for her to settle down.

"Anything happen this morning in your yard?"

Yogi sprints two more circles and then rolls onto her back, her feet flying in the air like shes running upside down. When she satisfies her itches, she sneezes and sits opposite Suzie. "Just some cats. I didnt come outside. I didnt want them to know I was watching them."

"Could you hear them?"

"Yup. They forget that walls arent soundproof." Yogi laughs, proud of herself for getting in an extra jab at the cats.

"What were they talking about? And which cats?" Since Suzie has so much freedom, she tries to keep tabs on everything that happens around her house and even as far away as the dog park.

"It was that big black one without a tail. Thats why I didnt go outside. Hes the same size as I am."

Suzie smiles her dog smile. "Jester," she reminds Yogi. "Thats Jester. Was he alone?"

"Right. No, not alone. He was with the yellowish cat. Is that Luna?"

Suzie shakes her head. "Tango. Luna is the white one. Luna means moon. The moon is white."

"A lot of things are white."

Suzie agrees. Their color vision is limited, but at least they can make out yellow so Yogi could identify Tango. "Could you hear what they said?"

"Jester thinks he knows where you hid the sacred object last month after you recovered it from Opal."

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 relationships. 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.