Read Online The Case of the Invisible Dog by Diane Stingley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diane Stingley
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said with an impish grin. “But you should know that these little adventures of ours will often lead us down unpredictable paths. Come, Tammy, it’s time we were on our way. Myra, I trust you can lock up after us?”
“Of course. And good luck with your
invisible
dog.”
“It won’t be a matter of luck, Myra,” Shirley told her as she pulled a long black woolen jacket off the coatrack and put it on. “I have never relied on luck.” Then she pulled that plaid cap out of one of her coat pockets and straightened it with a flourish before placing it firmly on top of her head. It was the first time she had worn it in front of me, and it made her appear—there’s honestly no nice way to put this—absolutely ridiculous. Anyone looking at her would immediately know that she was some sort of Sherlock Holmes impersonator. As I watched her button her coat I was now very grateful that it was pitch black outside, and that she hadn’t also taken out a pipe to puff on. “Come along, Tammy,” Shirley demanded as she grabbed the brown cane out of the umbrella stand, “before our invisible dog disappears into the night.”
“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” Myra whispered as Shirley marched out of the office with her cane and started down the stairs.
“I do,” I whispered back, feeling suddenly protective of Shirley.
“You know she’s an absolute cuckoo bird, right?”
“I’m not sure I’d put it quite like that,” I said, wincing at Myra’s callous words and attitude.
“I don’t take any pleasure in saying that,” Myra added smugly. “But I hate to see you get sucked into one of her little games without knowing what you’re in for.”
“Tammy!” Shirley yelled from the bottom of the stairs. “Are you coming?”
“Coming,” I called back and then turned toward Myra. “And what am I in for?” I whispered.
“Tammy!” Shirley bellowed impatiently from below.
“Nothing. You’d better go,” Myra said, her look of condescension replaced by a more thoughtful expression. “And good luck,” she added, giving my shoulder an awkward pat as Shirley called out for me once more.
I took a deep breath, and then made my way down the stairs as fast as I could.
“Tammy!” Shirley barked, tapping her cane impatiently on the sidewalk. “You know how much I value your help, and I do appreciate the sacrifice you’re making this evening by missing your regular television viewing. But you cannot keep me waiting. When you are upstairs and I am downstairs calling for you, then you must hurry. People are depending on us. Sometimes the fate of a person’s life can change in a matter of seconds.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. It wasn’t easy to stand there being lectured by someone wearing that ridiculous hat.
“We’ll say no more about it. Come. We must find some means of transportation, and it won’t be easy. The streets seem to be deserted this evening.” Considering her appearance and the way she kept twirling her brown cane, I was very grateful for that fact.
“I have a car,” I said, pointing at my little white Camry parked in front of Hobson’s Bakery, inches away from where we were standing, and the only car visible in either direction.
“Excellent, Tammy, excellent. Is it by any chance this little white car parked in front of Hobson’s Bakery?”
“Yes.”
“Exactly as I thought. Simply a matter of observation and deduction. While standing here I noted that the white car in front of Hobson’s Bakery had been parked in a somewhat haphazard manner, indicating the driver is either unskilled at parallel parking, in a hurry for an appointment of some kind, or both. Your flustered expression when I found you on the stairs outside the office, combined with your inquiry as to whether or not you were late, quite logically led me to the conclusion that this is, indeed, your car. I shall not presume, however, to make any assumptions regarding the skill that you may or may not
“Of course. And good luck with your
invisible
dog.”
“It won’t be a matter of luck, Myra,” Shirley told her as she pulled a long black woolen jacket off the coatrack and put it on. “I have never relied on luck.” Then she pulled that plaid cap out of one of her coat pockets and straightened it with a flourish before placing it firmly on top of her head. It was the first time she had worn it in front of me, and it made her appear—there’s honestly no nice way to put this—absolutely ridiculous. Anyone looking at her would immediately know that she was some sort of Sherlock Holmes impersonator. As I watched her button her coat I was now very grateful that it was pitch black outside, and that she hadn’t also taken out a pipe to puff on. “Come along, Tammy,” Shirley demanded as she grabbed the brown cane out of the umbrella stand, “before our invisible dog disappears into the night.”
“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” Myra whispered as Shirley marched out of the office with her cane and started down the stairs.
“I do,” I whispered back, feeling suddenly protective of Shirley.
“You know she’s an absolute cuckoo bird, right?”
“I’m not sure I’d put it quite like that,” I said, wincing at Myra’s callous words and attitude.
“I don’t take any pleasure in saying that,” Myra added smugly. “But I hate to see you get sucked into one of her little games without knowing what you’re in for.”
“Tammy!” Shirley yelled from the bottom of the stairs. “Are you coming?”
“Coming,” I called back and then turned toward Myra. “And what am I in for?” I whispered.
“Tammy!” Shirley bellowed impatiently from below.
“Nothing. You’d better go,” Myra said, her look of condescension replaced by a more thoughtful expression. “And good luck,” she added, giving my shoulder an awkward pat as Shirley called out for me once more.
I took a deep breath, and then made my way down the stairs as fast as I could.
“Tammy!” Shirley barked, tapping her cane impatiently on the sidewalk. “You know how much I value your help, and I do appreciate the sacrifice you’re making this evening by missing your regular television viewing. But you cannot keep me waiting. When you are upstairs and I am downstairs calling for you, then you must hurry. People are depending on us. Sometimes the fate of a person’s life can change in a matter of seconds.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. It wasn’t easy to stand there being lectured by someone wearing that ridiculous hat.
“We’ll say no more about it. Come. We must find some means of transportation, and it won’t be easy. The streets seem to be deserted this evening.” Considering her appearance and the way she kept twirling her brown cane, I was very grateful for that fact.
“I have a car,” I said, pointing at my little white Camry parked in front of Hobson’s Bakery, inches away from where we were standing, and the only car visible in either direction.
“Excellent, Tammy, excellent. Is it by any chance this little white car parked in front of Hobson’s Bakery?”
“Yes.”
“Exactly as I thought. Simply a matter of observation and deduction. While standing here I noted that the white car in front of Hobson’s Bakery had been parked in a somewhat haphazard manner, indicating the driver is either unskilled at parallel parking, in a hurry for an appointment of some kind, or both. Your flustered expression when I found you on the stairs outside the office, combined with your inquiry as to whether or not you were late, quite logically led me to the conclusion that this is, indeed, your car. I shall not presume, however, to make any assumptions regarding the skill that you may or may not
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