right. You’ll be thrilled to know that we’re filming this entire procedure. Your final performance, Mr. Hudson! Your swan song!”
Reece closed his eyes. This was a nightmare, he thought. This was simply a nightmare. Any second now he’d wake up and find himself in bed with Alice, knowing it had all been a terrible dream. But then the doctor prodded a finger into his ribs, and he opened his eyes, yelling, “Watch it! Tender!”
“Hot potato. Into the camera, if you please. It’s for my daughter, you see.”
Reece gave the man his sternest look. The one Chuck MacLachlan always gave his enemies before he wiped the floor with them. “You can kiss my potato,” he growled defiantly.
The doctor shrugged. “Suit yourself. Open wide. We’re going in.”
“Where are we going?” Reece asked, but before he could clench his jaws together, the doctor had shoved a bite block between his teeth and was inserting a device into his mouth that looked like a fishing hook. “Hey!” Reece managed to cry out. “At’s the ig idea?!”
“First those pesky organs have to come out, Mr. Hudson,” said the doctor through gritted teeth. “And like I said, this might sting a little.”
Then, just when he was about to shove the device home, a voice rang out through the lab. “Dad! We’ve got company!”
“Oh, hell,” the doctor grumbled, and threw down the hook. Then he patted Reece’s cheeks. “Don’t go anywhere, Mr. Hudson. This ain’t over yet.”
Chapter 16
“ I say we try to find Reece on our own,” Rick said, pacing the living room floor. They were waiting for the police to arrive, and the longer they waited, the more restless Rick was becoming. “We’ve never depended on the cops before—why should we depend on them now that Reece’s life is in danger?”
It was true, Felicity thought. They’d never been able to count on Chief Whitehouse or the rest of the Happy Bays police corps.
“We simply can’t afford to wait any longer,” Rick insisted. They turned to Alice, who was still wavering. Her father was chief of police, after all, so in her mind he was probably best placed to find Reece.
But then a look of resolve stole over her face. “You’re right. We can’t wait for Dad. By the time he gets here, it might be too late.”
And they were heading out the door when the sound of happy yapping alerted them to the presence of Spot. It seemed that the ghost Pomeranian was eager to join them.
“Let’s bring him along,” Rick said, scooping up the little bundle of fur.
“And let’s bring Tony too,” Felicity said. “He knows where Reece is.”
It was a little odd that a dead pony would feel such a strong connection to the actor, but there wasn’t time to question this now. Like a gift from heaven, Tony had come into their lives at exactly the right time. They stepped from the house and headed for the bakery van which was parked right in front, the ghost dog and ghost pony right behind them. They all filed into the van, Tony making himself comfortable among the stacks of boxes and bags with old loaves of bread and other remnants from that morning’s bread run.
“Just say the word and I’ll be your virtual GPS,” the pony said.
Felicity pushed down the accelerator and within moments the engine huffed and coughed and they were on their way. The old vehicle might be ready for the junkyard, but Pete Bell believed in frugality. So when he wasn’t baking up a storm at the bakery, he could be found with his head under the hood of the old van, trying to extend its life with another few hundred miles.
And it looked like he was succeeding, for the engine prattled gaily, and the van hurtled along the deserted streets of Happy Bays at a healthy clip. The small town was enjoying a great summer, with tourists soaking up the rays and having fun in the surf, townies at work, and kids off to summer camp.
Happy Bays was not a town prominent on the tourist radar, and the locals liked to keep it that
Reece closed his eyes. This was a nightmare, he thought. This was simply a nightmare. Any second now he’d wake up and find himself in bed with Alice, knowing it had all been a terrible dream. But then the doctor prodded a finger into his ribs, and he opened his eyes, yelling, “Watch it! Tender!”
“Hot potato. Into the camera, if you please. It’s for my daughter, you see.”
Reece gave the man his sternest look. The one Chuck MacLachlan always gave his enemies before he wiped the floor with them. “You can kiss my potato,” he growled defiantly.
The doctor shrugged. “Suit yourself. Open wide. We’re going in.”
“Where are we going?” Reece asked, but before he could clench his jaws together, the doctor had shoved a bite block between his teeth and was inserting a device into his mouth that looked like a fishing hook. “Hey!” Reece managed to cry out. “At’s the ig idea?!”
“First those pesky organs have to come out, Mr. Hudson,” said the doctor through gritted teeth. “And like I said, this might sting a little.”
Then, just when he was about to shove the device home, a voice rang out through the lab. “Dad! We’ve got company!”
“Oh, hell,” the doctor grumbled, and threw down the hook. Then he patted Reece’s cheeks. “Don’t go anywhere, Mr. Hudson. This ain’t over yet.”
Chapter 16
“ I say we try to find Reece on our own,” Rick said, pacing the living room floor. They were waiting for the police to arrive, and the longer they waited, the more restless Rick was becoming. “We’ve never depended on the cops before—why should we depend on them now that Reece’s life is in danger?”
It was true, Felicity thought. They’d never been able to count on Chief Whitehouse or the rest of the Happy Bays police corps.
“We simply can’t afford to wait any longer,” Rick insisted. They turned to Alice, who was still wavering. Her father was chief of police, after all, so in her mind he was probably best placed to find Reece.
But then a look of resolve stole over her face. “You’re right. We can’t wait for Dad. By the time he gets here, it might be too late.”
And they were heading out the door when the sound of happy yapping alerted them to the presence of Spot. It seemed that the ghost Pomeranian was eager to join them.
“Let’s bring him along,” Rick said, scooping up the little bundle of fur.
“And let’s bring Tony too,” Felicity said. “He knows where Reece is.”
It was a little odd that a dead pony would feel such a strong connection to the actor, but there wasn’t time to question this now. Like a gift from heaven, Tony had come into their lives at exactly the right time. They stepped from the house and headed for the bakery van which was parked right in front, the ghost dog and ghost pony right behind them. They all filed into the van, Tony making himself comfortable among the stacks of boxes and bags with old loaves of bread and other remnants from that morning’s bread run.
“Just say the word and I’ll be your virtual GPS,” the pony said.
Felicity pushed down the accelerator and within moments the engine huffed and coughed and they were on their way. The old vehicle might be ready for the junkyard, but Pete Bell believed in frugality. So when he wasn’t baking up a storm at the bakery, he could be found with his head under the hood of the old van, trying to extend its life with another few hundred miles.
And it looked like he was succeeding, for the engine prattled gaily, and the van hurtled along the deserted streets of Happy Bays at a healthy clip. The small town was enjoying a great summer, with tourists soaking up the rays and having fun in the surf, townies at work, and kids off to summer camp.
Happy Bays was not a town prominent on the tourist radar, and the locals liked to keep it that
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