Read Online Two Tall Tails by Sofie Kelly - Free Book Online Page B

bake sale at the library.
    Elvis settled himself on the passenger side of the SUV and turned to look over his shoulder. “Thank you for getting Molly’s ball,” I said, reaching over to stroke his fur. I was certain whoever the cat had lived with before me had driven around a lot with him. Elvis was a bit of a backseat driver, looking attentively at the road through the windshield and making grumbling noises if I tried to stretch a yellow light.
    I backed out of the driveway and started for the shop. “I’m afraid Tom is going to do something stupid,” I said as we reached the stop sign at the corner.
    From the corner of my eye, I saw Elvis glance away from the street ahead of us and look over at me, green eyes narrowed as though he somehow understood that I was worried. “Mrr,” he said.
    I’d considered calling my friend, Michelle Andrews, who was a detective with the North Harbor Police, but I didn’t really know what she could do. Jason wasn’t breaking any laws. He was just a jerk.
    I’d even thought about asking Nick to stop by. Nick Elliot and I had been friends since we were kids. He was a big man and he could be intimidating if you didn’t know what a teddy bear he really was. But Nick was away on a two-week course for his job as an investigator with the medical examiner’s office.
    â€œI don’t like the way things are changing,” I said with a sigh. “Liz would say I’m an old fuddy-duddy.” Liz French was another of my grandmother’s friends. She was part Terminator, part Fairy Godmother, in elegant and impossibly high heels.
    â€œMrr,” the cat said again, crinkling his nose so it looked like he was disagreeing with me.
    I laughed. “Oh, so you don’t agree? Are you just trying to charm me so you can have another sardine?”
    â€œMerow!” Elvis exclaimed loudly.
    â€œYou’re not exactly subtle,” I said as we started up the hill.
    I pulled into the parking lot at Second Chance and climbed out of the SUV. “Remind me to call Cleveland about Tom’s birdbath,” I said to Elvis.
    â€œMrrr,” he replied.
    I leaned over and scratched the top of his head. He nuzzled my splint with the side of his furry face.
    â€œEven with sardine breath, I really like you better than some people,” I said.
    He gave me a wide-eyed stare as if to say, “Why wouldn’t you?”
    That afternoon I called the hospital and found out that Angie was finally well enough to have visitors. After supper I went over to get Molly’s card. The little girl had copied the words “Feel Better” in purple marker on the front and drawn purple flowers on the rest of the page. Inside was a drawing of a smiling face with yellow pigtails and “Molly” carefully printed below it.
    â€œThat’s you,” I said, pointing at the face.
    The four-year-old beamed at me. “That’s so she won’t feel lonesome.”
    â€œNo one could feel lonesome with a smile like that to look at,” I said.
    Molly flung her arms around my legs, hugging them tightly. “And this is a hug for her.”
    â€œI’ll give it to her,” I promised.
    I got to the hospital about three the next afternoon. Angie’s room was on the second floor of Northeastern Medical Center. “Left, left and straight through the double doors.” I repeated the directions I’d been given at the patient information desk silently to myself as I got off the elevator.
    Angie was sitting on the edge of her bed in pajamas and a rumpled hospital robe, her left arm in a sling when I tapped on her door. Her face lit up when she saw me.
    â€œOh, Sarah, it’s so good to see a familiar face,” she said. “I was just sitting here trying to figure out if I could tie the sheets together and rappel down to the parking lot.”
    â€œI’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” I said.