Two Bites Too Many

by Debra H. Goldstein

  Emily simply shook her head. Sarah wasn’t sure if she was disagreeing with what Anne said or shaking her head in utter disbelief. She would have asked her if Thomas hadn’t planted himself in front of Emily and Sarah.

  “Emily, do we have a problem?”

  When Emily again shook her head, Sarah was afraid her sister was in shock and not actually responding to the question being posed to her, but Emily, looking past him at Anne, found her voice. “Thomas, I don’t know what Anne is talking about. I didn’t use catnip in any recipe we served tonight.”

  “But,” Anne said.

  “You’re right, catnip taken orally in small doses can cause problems for some people taking digitalis or lithium, but the Howellian Catnip didn’t have catnip in it.”

  “I don’t understand,” Thomas said.

  “It’s very simple. Thomas, you dubbed tonight’s event Catapalooza because of the hotel’s cat exhibit and told me to tie the appearance of our food and décor to cats. Because of my limited budget, it was impossible to have an open bar. I decided to go with a signature drink much like a lot of brunches serve mimosas. The Howellian Catnip was a wine spritzer with more Sprite or 7-Up than wine. The name came from combining our cat motif with the nip of wine we put in it. There was absolutely nothing in terms of the drink or the ingredients used in any of our dishes that should have been a problem for Anne or any of our guests.”

  “That’s well and good,” Thomas said, “but people remember accusations, not back-page retractions.”

  Sarah couldn’t disagree with Thomas. She remembered how things had been for Emily and her four months ago. Even now, if she got a cold stare in the grocery store, she knew, without any uncertainty, the other person was thinking she might be a murderer—no matter how erroneous the thought was.

  Listening to Emily’s even-toned but carefully controlled response, Sarah knew a similar thought must have crossed Emily’s mind.

  Sarah wasn’t too happy when Thomas replied, “Well, we’ll have to see what happens.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Considering the tension of the day before, Sarah was relieved when the Blessing of the Beasts went off without a hitch. The sanctuary of the Little Brown Church was filled with humans and their animals. Looking around, Sarah saw all the city council members and almost everyone who’d been part of planning or executing yesterday’s parade or the two receptions. Only Emily and Grace, who Sarah knew were prepping for another dinner at the hotel, were missing.

  She did a double take when she spotted Thomas and Cliff standing next to each other. Thomas held an animal carrier on which she could clearly see lettering advertising his hotel. Knowing the hotel didn’t permit real animals, she wondered if he was carrying a porcelain or clay cat as a publicity gimmick. If he was, it only complicated her feelings toward him, especially because he was here while her sister and Grace were stuck in Birmingham prepping food to make him look good.

  If Thomas was engaged in a publicity ploy, she wondered if Cliff was in on it, too. She hoped not. Before she could fret much more, she sighted a bundle of green and yellow perched on Eloise’s shoulder. Leave it to Eloise to bring a parrot to the Blessing of the Beasts. Apparently, because Eloise’s hair was perfectly in place and there was nothing protecting the shoulder of her designer jacket, it was a trained parrot. Considering everything she knew about Eloise, that figured.

  A few of the folks, like her mother and Anne Hightower, who Sarah noticed had regained her normal color and appearance of health, were obviously there simply as observers, cheerleaders, or mingling would-be candidates because they didn’t have pets. Most people, though, came with at least one pet.

  The variety of animals held up for the blessing was fantastic. Sarah expected and wasn’t surprised to see cat owners, like herself with RahRah, and dog owners, including Mr. Rogers and Fluffy. Even the rabbit and gerbil owners didn’t surprise her. The three iguanas and two snakes were a bit more difficult for Sarah to imagine bringing to a public service like this for a blessing.

  The idea of snakes and iguanas gave her the willies. She bet she wasn’t the only one eyeing the baby boa with trepidation. As their owners took them from the sanctuary to the fellowship hall, Sarah vowed to avoid them, despite their newly blessed state of being.

  At the reception, she looked around for Pastor Dobbins. She wanted to congratulate him on his lovely service and the general success of the Blessing of the Beasts. He may have played her for the benefit of his wife and himself, but there was nothing to fault him on in terms of the blessing he delivered. The readings were short and well-chosen, the choir’s songs interwoven beautifully, and Pastor Dobbins’s blessing inclusive. His ability to involve everyone in something joyful resonated with Sarah, especially in light of the many Wheaton lives touched by sorrow during the past week.

  Picking up a cookie, Sarah also was grateful for the abundant spread the ladies of the church auxiliary had made. She was going to have to write them a note commending them on having outdone themselves. Glancing around, Sarah saw many familiar faces devouring the home cooking of the ladies’ auxiliary. The glad faces and chow-down-take-no-prisoners behavior made it clear that those attending were more than satisfied. She wished she could bottle the enthusiasm and excitement in the room.

  When she noticed Harlan on the other side of the hall with Chief Gerard and the chief’s bulldog, she laughed. The chief and his dog were the perfect illustration of the saying about pets and owners growing to look like each other. From their jowly faces to their round bellies, they looked more like twins than Emily and she did.

  She hoped Harlan and the chief were sharing more than compliments about the food with each other. If Harlan could figure out how to get the chief off Maybelle’s case, things would be perfect.

  Speaking of perfect, Sarah looked around for Mr. Bailey. Not only did she want to clarify what Thomas had said about the financial success of YipYeow Day with him, she wondered how much more Catapalooza added to the bottom line. Thomas’s repeated implication that the donated amount would be a net amount after expenses had her nervous.

  Sarah didn’t see Bailey, but she observed Mr. Rogers and Fluffy leave his nephews and make a beeline straight toward her mother. Maybelle also must have seen him heading in her direction because she abruptly turned and began talking to the person nearest her. Even though the woman had the most beautiful chocolate Portuguese water dog puppy, Sarah was sure, knowing her mother’s lack of affinity for animals, her mother’s selection was random. Sarah was positive her assumption was correct when her mother tilted her head and glanced sideways in Mr. Rogers’s direction.

  Maybelle must have ascertained Mr. Rogers was only a few feet from her because she not only seemed more engrossed in her conversation but, completely out of character, she bent and petted the woman’s dog. Watching all of this from a distance, Sarah wondered exactly how much interest her mother would fake for the Portuguese water dog simply because she was still furious with Mr. Rogers.

  It didn’t take long to find out. While Maybelle continued her oohs and aahs over the dog, Mr. Rogers closed the gap between them and tapped Maybelle on the shoulder. Sarah couldn’t hear what he said, but there was no question about the adamant way her mother shook her head while she grabbed the arm of the woman she’d been talking to and focused her attention exclusively on her. Despite him still talking to her, Maybelle ushered her new friend closer to the fellowship hall stage, where Pastor Dobbins stood, guitar in hand.

  Mr. Rogers didn’t move. From her vantage point, Sarah perceived his shoulders droop as he continued to watch her mother’s back. Only when Fluffy rubbed against his leg did he respond. He bent, as if sharing a thought with the dog. Their exchange finished, he led Fluffy toward the hallway between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Because the hallway, on this level, housed the bathrooms, water fountain, and a door leading to an outside area the church had designated for any necessary pet breaks, it had been well used after the Blessing of the Be
asts. Uncertain if Mr. Rogers was leaving or simply taking Fluffy out, Sarah considered going after him but was distracted by Pastor Dobbins’s first song.

  She was surprised how good he was. In rapid succession, he demonstrated an enjoyable repertoire of pop, country, and Christian music. Over the years, she’d never thought of ministers as being fun. Most of the ones she’d heard preach had turned her off as they tried to scare their congregants straight with talk of fire and brimstone. Hearing Pastor Dobbins’s songs and experiencing how he handled the Blessing of the Beasts, she made a mental note to try one of his Sunday services.

  Before singing what Pastor Dobbins announced would be his last song, he again thanked the ladies’ auxiliary and urged everyone to please eat another one or two desserts or he’d be forced to finish them. When the audience stopped laughing at his joke and he began his finale, Sarah saw her mother head toward the hallway Mr. Rogers had gone down a few minutes earlier. Sarah caught her mother’s eye and drew a question mark in the air. Maybelle mouthed back, loud enough for a few people around her to hear and snicker. “Ladies’ room.”

  Sarah hoped Mr. Rogers was still where her mother would run into him. Perhaps, if he had taken Fluffy to the animal spot to do her business and Maybelle saw him there, her mother would use the puppy’s cuteness as an opening to clear the air. Then again, her mother wasn’t one to easily kiss and make up.

  At that thought, Sarah hurried into the hallway to catch her mother. Maybe, with a little divine daughter intervention, Mr. Rogers and her mother could be coaxed into burying the hatchet they’d thrown at the cocktail party somewhere other than in each other.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Except for Sarah and RahRah in his carrier, the hallway was deserted. Considering how many people she’d seen coming and going before Pastor Dobbins’s concert, she was surprised. She peeked through the glass window in the door to see if her mother, Mr. Rogers, and Fluffy were outside, but the pet area was empty.

  “You look deep in thought.”

  Sarah tensed her entire body at the sound of her mother’s voice. She hadn’t heard her come up behind her in the hallway. “I was contemplating the feeling of emptiness in this hall. I thought I’d run into more people.”

  “The same thought crossed my mind a minute ago. I guess this hall must have an outside door or connect to a building exit.”

  “Guess so. We can either find it or go out the way we came in. The concert is over.”

  “I’m up for exploring, especially if it brings us out closer to my car. Let’s see what we find.”

  Together they walked down the hallway, searching for a door, but their chosen path led back to the sanctuary. Her mother tapped her foot. “There has to be another way out. Probably from one of those little offshoot halls we passed. Let’s look on our way back to the fellowship hall.”

  Sarah readily agreed.

  Maybelle picked a hallway that was passable, except for boxes stacked four high against one wall. At one point a few had fallen, but Sarah could see around them. She let her mother lead the way until Maybelle admitted, “I don’t think this is the way out, either. Sorry.”

  “That’s okay. We’ll just go out the way we know through the fellowship hall.”

  A yipping sound caught Sarah’s ear. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?”

  Perhaps her ears were playing tricks. A moan and scratching noises from just ahead, where the boxes were knocked over, convinced her otherwise. This time Maybelle must have heard the noises, too. Without waiting for Sarah to join her, she rushed to the fallen boxes.

  “Sarah! It’s Fluffy. A box is on her leash . . . Oh, no. Quick, call an ambulance. It’s George! Hurry! There’s blood everywhere.”

  Sarah ran forward, already pulling her phone from her pocket. Taking in that Mr. Rogers wasn’t conscious, but was breathing, she dialed 911. She left her mother to watch him while she ran back to the fellowship hall for more help and to see if Thomas and Cliff were still there. The first person she saw was Harlan. “Harlan, Mr. Rogers has been hurt. Have you seen his nephews?”

  Harlan pointed across the room. “Where’s George?”

  “Down the hallway. Halfway to the sanctuary. Mother is with him.”

  Harlan didn’t stop to ask questions before grabbing one of the town’s nurses and hurrying to see if they could do anything before the paramedics arrived.

  Seeing Mr. Rogers’s nephews and Bailey about to exit the building, she waved to get their attention. “Wait! Your uncle’s been injured,” she yelled as Thomas pulled the door open. “Don’t leave!”

  The three men came back into the room. She pointed toward the hallway entrance she’d just used. “Your uncle’s hurt. Mother is with him.”

  Cliff grabbed her flailing arms. “What?”

  “We found your uncle and Fluffy near some boxes.” She swallowed and took a deep breath. “I think someone attacked him.”

  In the distance, she heard sirens. Cliff’s eyes widened. He released her arms and ran into the corridor, followed by Thomas and Bailey.

  She started to follow, but Harlan, who had returned, stopped her by snagging a piece of her shirt. She tried to pull away to see if she could help with Mr. Rogers, but his grip was firm. Once she focused on him, he let go but signaled her to wait a moment. He pulled out his phone and placed a call. He quickly explained the situation to whoever was on the other end of the line. “That’s right, Dwayne. Maybelle and her daughter, Sarah, discovered George Rogers. He’s been roughed up badly. We’ve already called the paramedics. I can hear sirens, so I assume they’re almost here.”

  He listened for a moment. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep Maybelle and Sarah here and try to secure the place, but most people, like you, have left.” He paused and met Sarah’s gaze. “I don’t think Mr. Rogers will still be here by the time you arrive. You don’t seem to understand. He’s in no shape to talk to anyone.”

  Sarah adamantly shook her head. How stupid was the chief? There was no question in her mind from the look of abject horror she’d seen on her mother’s face and his shallow breathing that there probably wasn’t a minute to spare getting Mr. Rogers to the hospital.

  Harlan clicked his phone off. “What happened? How is Maybelle involved?”

  She stared at him. Why was he asking her about her mother’s involvement instead of letting her go help Mr. Rogers?

  “Sarah, I need to know your mother’s involvement before Chief Gerard gets here.”

  “Why?” Before he answered, she realized how this was going to look. Her mother already was a primary suspect and here was a second injury, hopefully not another death, in a hallway where it appeared she might have been alone except for Mr. Rogers and Fluffy.

  “Near the end of Pastor Dobbins’s performance, my mother signaled me she was going to go down the connector corridor to the ladies’ room. I knew Mr. Rogers and Fluffy went that way a little earlier, and I hoped I could get Mother and him together to make peace with each other.”

  “They’d had a falling-out?”

  “Last night.”

  “Did anyone else know about it besides you?”

  “Cliff, for sure. And probably a lot more people at the Howellian party. Mom wasn’t too subtle in her anger with Mr. Rogers.” She debated whether to mention her mother’s drinking. Knowing someone might, she opted to tell him. “Harlan, she’d probably had a few drinks too many last night.”

  From the way he tightened his lips, she knew he wasn’t pleased with the information. “Did Maybelle know Mr. Rogers had gone down the hall before her?”

  “I don’t think so. He tried getting her to talk with him earlier, but she refused. By the time he left the room, she was standing closer to the stage, not looking in his direction.”

  “And you know this because?”

  “Because I was standing in the back of the room, watching Pastor Dobbins’s show, and couldn’t help but notice what was going on around me. Anyway, when she signaled me she was going do
wn the hall, I acknowledged it, as did several people because she mouthed her destination rather loudly. A moment or two later, I decided maybe, if Mr. Rogers went that way because he took Fluffy to the designated animal spot, I could grab them both and make them talk to each other. When I went into the hall, it was deserted. I looked out into the animal spot, and there wasn’t anyone there, either.”

  “Where was your mother?”

  “I don’t really know. She came up behind me and startled me. That’s when we decided to find an exit door. We ended up in the sanctuary, so we decided to look for a hallway on our way back to the fellowship hall. Instead of a door to the outside, we found Mr. Rogers and Fluffy.”

  “What happened then?”

  “I called nine-one-one and came back to the fellowship hall to get help and find his nephews, but I ran into you first.”

  “And you left Maybelle alone with him?”

  “Yes. Why not? When I ran from the room, she was bent over him.” Now it was Sarah’s turn to grab Harlan’s arm. “How is Chief Gerard going to take that?”

  “I don’t know, but here he is, so we’re going to find out.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  For a third time, Sarah repeated to Chief Gerard exactly what she’d told Harlan. Periodically, he threw in a question about whether she was sure her mother joined her from behind or perhaps from down the side hall, but her answers remained consistent. She glanced across the fellowship hall to where her mother sat alone at a table. Fluffy lay curled against her mother’s feet, next to RahRah in his carrier. Chief Gerard already had questioned Maybelle, but he refused to let her leave, even after she signed the statement she gave Officer Robinson.

  Sarah could see how upset her mother was. Once again, there had been, as her mother told Chief Gerard, blood everywhere. When she bent down to help George, it was impossible not to get it on herself. At least, unlike last time, Mr. Rogers was alive, or Sarah hoped he was. He’d been taken to the hospital immediately, but Chief Gerard had prevented her mother and her from calling to check on him.