by Abby Deuel
"M....", started Mandy.
"Mandy," said Adam.
Adam was a tall, rugged character of a man. His handlebar mustache, Harley Davidson belt buckle, motorcycle boots, and giant presence made him look like someone that you wouldn't want to encounter in a dark alley. However, his blue eyes framed by long, curly eyelashes projected that there might be a tender center to this beast of a man. He wasn't a man of many words so Mandy was left to direct the conversation.
Before she could pose a question to Adam, a completely new side of him came to life as a small car pulled up. Out popped a tiny, two-foot-tall carbon-copy of Adam. Trailing behind him was a cheerful woman with tastefully done hair and makeup. The little boy ran up to Adam and put his arms up, silently requesting that Adam pick him up, which Adam did in one manly swoop. Resting on Adam's hip, the little boy was asking how the project was coming along. To Mandy, this seemed like a strange question from what looked like a three-year-old. Adam didn't blink an eye, answering the child in a way that encompassed a mutual respect like he, too, was a man of his hands. Mandy stood and observed the interaction between the three people. The woman was finishing Adam's sentences when he was stuck for words. The little boy was hanging on Adam's every statement.
"I'm Alexandra. Everyone calls me Alex. And this is our grandson, Zachary. He just loves coming to see Papa. I have him today because his Dad is on another job. He just got up from his nap and couldn't stop asking where Papa was and what he was doing. He noticed that the concrete truck was gone and surmised on his own that it must be wherever Papa was. I figured since they aren't doing anything major today, he could come and hang out with Papa. He just about knows how to run most of the equipment. He dressed himself today to match Papa," Alexandria said, not having taken but one breath through her entire dialog.
"I'm Mandy," said Dr. Bell.
"We know who you are. You are the major reason we are getting this pavilion. Adam runs a concrete and excavating business here. He is just checking to see that we have all of the measurements right for the foundation. They sent us the blueprints of the prefab building," said Alex.
"I see," said Mandy, not really knowing much about concrete work. "He sure is a cutie," Mandy said, watching as Zachary clenched a concrete mixing truck toy in one hand and Adam's shirt in the other. Adam showed Zachary around the job site, with Zachary still on his hip. Despite the age difference, Mandy could see that Adam was grooming Zachary to be part of the crew as soon as conceivably possible.
"He does the most hilarious things. The other day, when it rained for the first time in a while, he woke up and said 'mud?' We always have several changes of clothes for him. There's no telling what he will get into. We just visited my sister's house on our way here. She is remodeling. Zachary walked by a spot where the trim was leaning against the wall but hadn't been fastened yet. Zachary walked past, turned around, pointed at it, and said 'I could fix that for you,' just like he was a general contractor scoping out a job," said Alex.
"I could see that. The way they are walking around the site shows that they are peas in a pod," said Mandy. "I just stopped by because I saw some people here and I wanted to see what the plan was. I should probably move along to check on my cow patient."
"It was nice to meet you. If you ever need any heavy machinery work done, Adam's your guy. Here's his card," said Alex. "And if you need your hair cut, that's what I do. Give me a call."
"That's good to know. With Fred gone, I didn't know who else cut hair here," said Mandy. No wonder Alex had such well-done makeup and hair, she thought to herself.
"I do it out of our house so I don't have storefront you might see. It's kind of a word-of-mouth affair. I'll write my number on Adam's card," said Alex.
"Perfect," said Mandy. She went back to her Jeep to drive over to the yards. Lyle was waiting patiently, though clearly annoyed that she had not joined Mandy to meet the new people, particularly since one of them was a child. She could not resist children.
At the yards, the cow was standing on her own, getting a drink of water.
"Good job, girlie," said Mandy. She took the cows vitals, paying particularly close attention to lung sounds. There was still more noise than would be considered normal. However, standing up instead of requiring physiotherapy was a huge improvement that would enable faster healing for the rest of the cow's body. Lungs always become more likely to get infected with pneumonia in a down cow. Mandy repeated the injections she had used on the cow to hopefully continue the upward trend to be ready to take her journey in the stock truck. Lyle was not wearing her nursing hat. Instead, she was channeling her inner puppy. She decided to leap into the water trough and then roll in some fresh straw.
"You are one silly girl, Lyle," Mandy said, smiling with her eyes. "We better head out. Our work here is done. We still need to go to Derek's to check on the sheep."
Lyle's eyes lit up at the mention of sheep. They walked past the rest of the cows on their way back to the Jeep, checking to make sure that none of them were falling behind in any way. The Crowleys had made it clear that they needed every cow in transport health soon so they could proceed with their plans. All of the lacerations were healing and anyone who wasn't standing to eat was laying down chewing cud, a definitive sign of a content ruminant.
They left the cows to do their second stage of digestion, driving out to Derek's at dusk. As they arrived at the long driveway, Mandy stopped the car to survey the landscape. Knowing that this would soon be her domain gave Mandy a new sense of pride. The sheep were all grazing in the hills, soaking up their last bite of nutrition before laying down for the night. A little creek divided that farm in two near-equal halves, all of which was bordered by well-maintained fences that made for a safe grazing environment for the ewes and lambs. A large barn was centrally located, with enough square footage for winter feed storage and the provision of warm, dry sleeping quarters. Another barn served as a place to round up stock for activities including shearing and vaccinating. This barn didn't have walls on all sides but was equipped with a network of gates and chutes to make sorting animals painless.
Mandy was not an expert at managing a sheep farm, though she knew that she could learn anything. A twinge of sadness came across her as she thought about learning this without her mentor, Derek, available for questions. She was determined to allow Derek's dream to continue by keeping this land as neatly maintained as he had. Her goal right now, however, was to make sure that all of the troughs were working properly and no sheep had gotten out of their flock's assigned paddock. She would also visually inspect from a distance to ensure that the sheep looked happy and healthy.
Lyle was the first to hop out of the Jeep and begin the rounds. The sheep had just been moved recently which meant that they had adequate food still. Mandy looked at the adjoining paddocks, imagining which one Derek was going to move them into next. Grass growth was slowing down with winter approaching; she had to plan her grazing schedule carefully to ensure that she used every last square foot of food before starting winter rationing.
Amazingly, nothing looked amiss. All of the sheep were where they were supposed to be. Content with her final round of chores complete, Mandy and Lyle boarded the Jeep to head back to town. She started the ignition and heard a startling 'pop' as she tried to pull forward. The Jeep went totally off balance and Mandy had to turn the wheel to keep from sliding off the road. She got out to see what had happened. Her front tire had absolutely no air in it. There was a puncture in it that had leaked. There was no patching the gash in the tire. The Jeep was equipped with a spare tire so Mandy began to jack up the delinquent side. Lyle collected sticks, placing them in a pile at Mandy's feet in the hopes that she might throw one.
"Sorry, kiddo. We need to get this flat fixed before dark," Mandy said. Lyle curled up, admitting defeat to the priority list.
Mandy had changed tires on her Jeep numerous times. It didn't take her long to get the Jeep back on its feet, so to speak. The gash in the tire that she remo
ved was not consistent with a random puncture. Foul play looked to be involved. Mandy tried not to think about the fact that someone may not have her safety in mind. The new tire went on like a charm and Mandy and Lyle could return to the RV for some well-deserved rest.
Chapter 28
The morning came far too soon with puppy feedings and restless dreams of chemical compounds. Mandy brewed her coffee and gave Lyle her kibble. The day would hopefully be a predictable one, marked by surgeries and appointments. The plan was to sneak off after work to start going through Anna's house. Their work was cut out for them, with two houses to clean out in order for Gillian to move into Anna's and Mandy to move into Derek's. The paperwork had not been finalized on Derek's house. The bank had to wait a week to ensure that no one had outstanding claims on the house. However, Anna's house was free and clear so they were safe to start sorting.
Mandy logged into her laptop to download the books on chemistry while she drank her coffee. She wasn't looking forward to forcing herself to read chemistry. However, if she didn't get some sort of clue, she would be no closer to solving the murder case. All of the angles she was trying were leading her nowhere. There had to be something behind the chemical. Some mornings, Mandy added cream to her coffee. This was one of those mornings when she needed some extra comfort. The coffee had finished brewing and Mandy poured herself a steaming hot cup. She added a dollop of cream to which Lyle responded by butting Mandy with her nose.
"I see," said Mandy, "you need extra comfort today, too." Mandy poured some cream in Lyle's bowl. The books had downloaded so Mandy opened the first one to begin her journey into the mystical world of agricultural chemical engineering. "This will be a two cup of coffee kind of morning," said Mandy, giving Lyle an extra serving of cream.
Mandy read four whole chapters without interruption. She only had to push her glasses back up her nose twice. It was going well until she heard the puppy start whining for another feeding.
"Thanks for saving me, little girl," said Mandy. "This is pretty dry reading."
Mandy gave the puppy a belly full of milk. It was starting to get interesting because the puppy's senses were beginning to register. Her eyes and ears were not yet open; however, her brain was receiving input even through closed eyelids and ear flaps. She was definitely becoming imprinted to Mandy's voice, responding with increasingly happy sounds. She was also maturing to be more mobile in her basket, wriggling around. It was almost time to upgrade to a larger containment system. Mandy's fear was that her eyes would open in between feedings and the little pup would tumble right out of the basket, searching for Mandy or Lyle.
It was time to leave the pup and report to the clinic for the day's appointments. Mandy and Lyle, with the puppy in tow, walked from the RV to the clinic to start their morning routine. The bobcat was almost ready to transfer to the trapper's land. He required little to no care. Once a week, his litter needed to be changed and once a day, he needed food. His favorite at the moment was duck-based canned cat food. He had access to hard food formulated specifically for small wild cats all the time. He appeared to be healthy, growing noticeably everyday.
Talulah would go home today. She recovered well from surgery, having not ripped out any sutures. She did not appreciate her Elizabethan collar, but it was doing its job. The fluid being produced was draining as it should through the holes Mandy had made. Mandy administered her oral medications, one for pain and swelling and one for treating the existing infection in her ears. It was too early to call the surgery a success; hematomas sometimes take weeks to heal properly. However, Mandy was pleased with the first twenty-four hours. Since Talulah's owner couldn't read or write, Mandy decided to draw pictures to show Joe what she did and what to expect. She used a picture from a book on anatomy to make a template with the photocopier. Then she drew what she hoped would be the progression of Talulah's recovery. She made one image with all of the things that could go wrong to clarify for Joe what would require him to bring her back before her two-week recheck.
As Mandy was finishing her ear artwork, Gillian arrived. She was watering the plants and humming to herself 'You Are My Sunshine,' apparently quite pleased about something. She was so lost in her own world that Mandy was able to sneak up on her.
"Whatcha so happy about?" asked Mandy, startling Gillian, who was wearing ear phones.
"I love this song. Someone told me that plants like to hear music so I thought I would treat them to a morning serenade," said Gillian. "And, I might be incredibly excited about the thought of moving into Anna's house. You still planning to go there tonight after work?"
"As long as nothing else pops up to stand in our way," said Mandy.
"Now you've said it. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to say things like that?" asked Gillian.
"Yes. I'm not particularly obedient or superstitious for that matter," said Mandy.
"Well, I am. No more egging on something to happen."
"Fair. What's on the docket for today?" asked Mandy.
"I haven't even looked. Let me go see," said Gillian, leaving to go to the front desk. She returned to report that the schedule was sparse. Most people were out in the fields trying to finish off the last of harvesting before temperatures plummeted, bringing snow to the area. Anyone not harvesting was likely getting animals ready for winter. The Midwest had a way of sneaking into the next season. Anyone not fully prepared would be caught with their pants down, so-to-speak. As such, it became a slightly quieter time for a veterinarian.
"That is perfect. I can work more on the murder case. And you can take a breather from the rush of the last month or so," said Mandy.
"Excellent. I will man the front. Instead of relaxing, I think I will catch up on some paperwork. I haven't submitted any microchip forms in a while. I can do lots of odds and ends," said Gillian.
"It's a good catch up day," said Mandy.
"Now, tomorrow, you have to go out to the piggery outside of town first thing in the morning. They need help vaccinating and they have put aside a few sick ones for you to check. They run a wash-in-wash-out facility so don't do your hair fancy beforehand. I'll put together what you'll need and leave it in the vaccine fridge by the back door with a map to his place," said Gillian.
"That should be interesting. I haven't been to a piggery in the Midwest. I look forward to seeing how they handle the extreme changes in climate here. Have you ever been there?" asked Mandy.
"I haven't ever been out there. Since they are so strict about disease control, it's not somewhere that they encourage visitors. Anna never needed my help with any of her calls. I have always been curious about it," said Gillian.
"Is there any reason why you can't come with me tomorrow?" asked Mandy.
"I suppose not. We can leave a message on the machine for people to leave a voice mail if they need us. I'll meet you here in the morning. I doubt we will miss anything," said Gillian.
"I thought you were superstitious," said Mandy.
"Busted," said Gillian, smirking.
With that, Mandy went to her office to resume chemistry lessons while Gillian busied herself up the front with filing and paperwork. The puppy was whining again so Mandy topped her up before snuggling in at her desk with her chemistry research. Her goal was to understand more about how a chemical could be created like the one that she theorized had killed Derek and Maggie.
"Dr. Bell, phone," said Gillian, breaking Mandy's concentration.
"Hello. Wow, ok. Yes, please. That would be wonderful," said Mandy. She activated her computer by moving the mouse. She needed to check her email. Apparently, the professor who had Alzheimer's had a lucid day yesterday. The staff at the care center had been notified that he may hold information to help solve a murder. They kept him talking as long as possible to gain anything they could to help Mandy. Then, they transformed the tape-recording into a typed document for Mandy. Someone was emailing it through to her. Mandy OK'd the download on the computer. It was a bigger file than Mandy anticipated. It would take a
few minutes.
"Cup of tea?" asked Gillian.
"Perfect. I am waiting for some files to download."
Gillian presented a steaming cup of tea and some chocolate chip cookies.
"Mrs. Bouvier brought these by," said Gillian. "I figured it was a legitimate reason to take a break, even though I feel like I have hardly done anything. The day drags on when we are not bustling, don't you think?" asked Gillian.
"Yes, I agree. Although I just got some great news. The professor who might hold the missing link in the Derek case had a moment of clear memory. The staff at his facility transcribed his conversation. I am about to open the file when it downloads," said Mandy. Mandy requested that the file be placed on her desktop next to the picture of the chemistry club she had downloaded earlier. She would need to revisit that when she had more information in case it held novel information with novel insight from the transcript.
"That is exciting. Let me know what you find out," said Gillian.
They heard a ding from Mandy's computer and went in to see what the file might contain. The transcript was thirty pages long. Mandy printed it out to peruse with the convenience of a highlighter and her trusty pencil which had evidence of many perplexing puzzles in the form of bite barks on the eraser stub. It was an unbecoming habit but one which she had not been able to contain since her early days of study groups and all nighters in vet school. Younger people might not relate with her love-hate relationship with an old fashioned pencil. Too many students never used one, opting instead for the new-fangled technology of interactive ipads and fancy apps for textbooks. Nothing could replace the feeling of having information in page form in your hands to be able to read and scribble seamlessly. Mandy's quasi-photographic memory relied on being able to touch and feel written words. She could recall with alarming accuracy the location on a page of a fact she had read recently, especially if she was able to make notes as she read.
