by Patricia Fry
“Don’t be embarrassed, Colbi,” Savannah said. “I don’t believe him for a minute. He’s lying.” She glanced toward the front door. “And he’s good at it, isn’t he?”
“You don’t believe him?”
“Absolutely not,” Savannah said. “For one thing, if he didn’t go into our house, how does he know we have a dog? As far as we know, he’s only seen Rags when I’ve brought him here. Did you ever mention Lexie to him?”
Colbi shook her head.
“Besides that, I know you and I know his history. I know you wouldn’t ever do such a thing and I know he’s capable of it.” She gritted her teeth. “I hate him for doing this to you.” She then softened her voice. “Kiddo, I think Damon’s right. I think this is beyond something you should be expected to deal with. His thinking is so off kilter, he could get you into some serious trouble.”
“But he’s my…”
“He’s not the brother you knew,” Savannah said more sternly. “As long as he’s on drugs and stealing from others—and probably you—he’s not who you want him to be and you can’t fix him. You might even be putting yourself in danger. You’re not helping him simply by giving him a place to live and trying to trust him. He’s obviously not trustworthy—not now, maybe not ever.”
Sniffling, Colbi said, “Damon wants me to do the tough love thing—boot him out and insist that he get the kind of help he needs. Damon knows what it takes to help someone like Harrison.” She looked at Savannah and wiped at her eyes. “He says I’m not actually helping him by making life cushy for him. And he’s talking from first-hand experience, as you know.”
“Yes, Damon had crawled pretty deep into the sewer by the time he got help. He caused a lot of pain in his family. That’s about all a hard-core druggie is capable of—causing pain to everyone who cares about him. So Damon has his own plan for your brother, does he? And how do you feel about that now that this burglary has come to light?”
Colbi looked up at Savannah. “It isn’t so much the burglary—although of course I abhor it—it’s the fact that he tried to throw me under the bus. What is he thinking? That’s not how siblings behave.”
“Honey, I believe that’s what Damon has been trying to get through to you—the fact that Harrison isn’t thinking logically—in a way that would make sense to you or me or any sober person. He’s sick. Right now, it seems, the illness defines the man. Damon is suggesting that he needs professional help in order to separate the illness from the man—after that you may get your brother back—or what’s left of him after the drugs have taken their toll.”
Colbi sighed heavily. “Gosh, Harrison’s not the only one who’s sick. I guess I am, too. I’ve been blinded by what I want to see.” She spoke more quietly. “Savannah, I really don’t think Harrison has actually been looking for a job. I didn’t want to believe it—but he doesn’t look to me like someone who’s out job-hunting. He never brings home any applications.” She sat down near where Lily played.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. What’s his motivation? He lives here rent-free and he’s able to do whatever he wants, day and night. Hey, I need to get my locks changed. I’d better go.”
“What?”
“He could have had a key made.”
“Savannah, I am so sorry.”
“Never you mind that. Just go find Damon and let him help you boot your brother out of here, will you?”
“Oh, Savannah, before you go, let me give you your key back.” She picked up her purse.
“Well, I don’t need it now. Remember, I’m going to change the locks.”
Colbi stared at her, then said, “Oh, yeah, right.” She took a second look inside her purse. “What’s this?”
“What?” Savannah asked as she began picking up Lily’s toys.
Colbi pulled her wallet out. “Well, that dirty…”
“What’s wrong?” Savannah asked.
“It looks like someone has messed with my wallet and sure enough, my cash is gone. Savannah, check your purse,” she ordered.
Savannah frowned, unzipped her purse, and pulled out her wallet. “I didn’t have much cash left after our trip. But no, doesn’t look like anything’s missing.”
“So is any other jewelry missing?” Colbi asked.
Savannah held the plastic bag up and viewed the jewelry inside. “It looks like it’s all here, except for that ring…darn it. I’d better call Michael and tell him to look for it at the pawn shop this afternoon.”
Colbi sniffled. “I hope Harrison didn’t give it to his new girlfriend.”
“How much did he take from you?” Savannah asked.
“Oh, plenty enough to impress the lady with a good dinner and a fine bottle of wine…dammit!” Colbi thought for a moment before adding, “You know, I think I might have given Harrison some information I shouldn’t have.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we were actually having a real conversation over breakfast one day and he was asking a few questions about people I know—including you. He asked who you had married. That’s how he knew your last name.” She rested her head in her hands. “Darn, I’m so gullible; I thought he was really interested in my friends and in your happiness. Now I know he just wanted the information so he could find your house and rob you.”
“So you will call Damon?” Savannah asked, as she eased Rags’s harness onto him.
“Yes, that’s what I’m going to do right now. Thank you.” She grabbed Lily’s little pink jacket and put it on her, then kissed her on the cheek. “Come back to see me, will you? Aunt Colbi has a very important phone call to make now.”
****
“I have something for you,” Savannah said that evening, handing Michael a key. “I had the locks changed. This key fits them all.”
“Well, I have something for you, too,” Michael said, grinning. He stood and reached into his pocket, saying, “Close your eyes.”
“What is it, Michael?” she asked.
“Just close your eyes and hold out your hand.”
“My ring!” she shouted when she opened her eyes and saw it resting in her palm. “How? Where?”
He cringed. “The pawn shop. When I found it there, I came home and got the certificate for the ring and they released it to me. Deputy Jim got a description of the gal who pawned it and they’re looking for her. They’re pretty sure her ID was phony.”
Savannah tilted her head. “Gal? It was a woman who pawned it? But we found the rest of my jewelry under Harrison’s bed. How do you suppose…?” She grinned. “Oh, maybe he gave it to a woman and she decided to pawn it rather than wear it. That would be a slap in Harrison’s face.”
“Or he had someone else pawn it for him,” Michael suggested. “Poor Colbi. I imagine she’s angry and probably hurt.” He hesitated. “I ran into Damon this morning and he said things aren’t going well between them.”
“I’ll bet they’re making up as we speak,” Savannah said, smiling. “I think this latest activity of Harrison’s sort of turned the tide for Colbi. When I left her, she was ready to throw in the towel and listen to Damon’s wisdom on the issue.” She shuddered. “Sure hope they can get Harrison out without too much effort.”
“I’m glad you had the locks changed, hon.”
“Yeah, when I figured out who took our stuff, I envisioned Harrison selling keys to all his criminal friends.”
“Now that’s a disturbing thought.”
Savannah watched as Michael removed his old key and replaced it with the new one on his key ring. “How do you suppose he got in here without setting off the alarm?” she asked.
“That’s what I’m wondering. Did Colbi or your aunt neglect to set it? Maybe Colbi wrote down the code and her brother found it.”
“Now that makes sense,” Savannah said. “If he went looking for the key, he may have also found the alarm instructions.” She pondered the idea for a moment, then said, “It amazes me how criminal minds work.”
> “How’s that?” Michael asked.
“Well, they can create elaborate schemes to steal things and manipulate people—some of them are really smart. But why do they waste that skill and creativity on illegal activities?”
“Maybe it’s the thrill of it all,” he suggested. “They like the challenge of outsmarting others and authorities—they get a high from outfoxing people. Maybe it becomes a habit they can’t break, then they dig themselves in so deep they don’t have many choices left. Who’s going to hire a convicted thief? By the way,” he said, looking into her eyes, “I reported the theft.”
“Well, yeah, you had to in order to get the ring back, right?”
“Yes. Now that we know who took the stuff, we need to report that information, too.”
“Aw Michael, I hate to do that to Colbi,” Savannah whined.
“I think it’s the right thing to do, hon. We aren’t helping Colbi by supporting her illusions about her brother, now are we?”
Savannah jumped a little. “Is that the doorbell?” she asked, glancing up at the clock. “Gosh, who could that be?”
“A burglar wondering why his key doesn’t work?” Michael joked.
Savannah sneered playfully at him, then headed toward the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Mr. Fenton standing there.
“Is Michael Ivey here?” he asked, appearing rather agitated.
“Yes, I’ll get him,” Savannah said, not sure whether to invite the man in or not.
“Oh, hello Mr. Fenton,” Michael said as he walked up behind Savannah. “May I help you?”
“No, but maybe you can help Lucy.”
“Who?” Michael asked.
“My dog. She seems to have gotten herself in the line of some buckshot—probably meant for that wolf folks have been seeing around here.”
“Where is she?” Michael asked.
“In my truck. I can meet you at your office.”
“Let me take a look at her,” he said, grabbing a jacket and stepping outside. When he returned to the house, he told Savannah, “I’m going to the clinic—that poor dog got quite a wad of buckshot in her. It may take a while to clean her up.” He hesitated, then said disgustedly, “I wonder if it was Parsons out rabble-rousing again.” He kissed her quickly and said, “See you later.”
****
“That was some homecoming, huh?” Savannah said to Michael over dinner the next evening. “A burglary and then a late-night surgery. So glad Lucy’s going to be okay.”
“Well, she won’t be if Fenton continues to let her roam like that. She’s so darned wolf-like that she has ranchers running scared for their livestock. Someone needs to educate the local ranchers and small livestock owners about what a wolf actually looks like—that this is a dog, not a wolf.”
“Could she be bothering livestock?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s possible, but usually, when it’s dogs, it’s a pack of them—at least two. A dog doesn’t often attack livestock on its own.” He turned to her. “Anyway, we’ve seen her in our yard. She doesn’t bother Peaches.”
Savannah shook her head. “No. Remember what Adam said last time he was here—that Lucy and Peaches seem to be playmates. Besides, Rags doesn’t react when she’s out there, other than to just watch her through the window. How about if I take a picture of Lucy and deliver posters to everyone around here, letting them know she’s a dog and harmless.”
“That would be great. I could post them at the clinic and we should also post them at the local animal shelter and feed stores.”
“Is she still at the clinic? I can stop by tomorrow and photograph her.” She then turned toward the dining room. “That’s my phone,” she said, going to where it was charging. “Hi Colbi. How are you?”
“Pretty good.” She hesitated, then said, sounding a little excited, “Savannah, I called our relatives.”
“Your relatives?”
“Yeah, the circus guy and the horse rancher in Arizona.”
“Oh—what did you find out?”
“Plenty! Oh my gosh, Savannah, those people are nuts—in a fun way. Roberta seemed thrilled to know about us—Harrison and me. Her brother happened to be there when I called. He has traveled all over the world with different circuses and carnivals and has so many stories to tell. He’s actually become a storyteller and attends storytelling conventions. Ever hear of storytelling conventions?”
“Yes, actually. They have one in Haley every spring. I want to take Lily to one when she’s a little older.”
“Roberta wants us to come and visit her ranch. She loves cats, too, and does some rescuing, so we really had fun sharing our cat stories. She shows her horses and sometimes travels up this way for shows. We may get together soon—in person.”
“So they didn’t know about you and Harrison?”
“Well, she said we’ve been mentioned over the years and there are photographs of us when we were very young. But after the brotherly falling out, there was no more mention of us, so they sort of forgot they had cousins.”
“They do sound interesting. When do you think you’ll get to meet them?”
“Possibly next week.”
“Really, that soon?”
“What about Harrison?” Savannah asked. “Is he interested in meeting them?”
“Yeah, he said he is, why?”
“I don’t know, I just can’t imagine him sitting down and chatting with people over coffee.”
Colbi hesitated. “Yeah, you may be right. He doesn’t have much of a capacity for small talk, does it? He’s kind of antsy or he’s sleeping.” She took a breath. “Well, whether he’s interested or not, I’m curious. I’d like to meet these people. They are my kin, after all.”
Once she’d ended the call, and had begun preparing Lily for bed, Savannah’s phone rang again. “Michael, do you want to get that?” she said with a sigh.
“It’s your mom,” he reported.
“I’m getting Lily ready for bed; would you take a message, please?”
“She wants to come here for dinner tomorrow night,” he announced. “Max is cooking. Or we can gather at Max’s and Maggie’s. They’re okay either way.”
“Oh, let’s have them over here,” she said. “We have more room.”
When he ended the call, Savannah asked, “So what’s the plan?”
“They’re coming over here and bringing chicken and dumplings.”
“Mmm, sounds yummy.”
“Mummy,” Lily said, mimicking her mother.
“Let’s just hope there are no more emergencies tomorrow night.”
“Amen,” Michael said, settling down with his newspaper.
Chapter 6
By seven twenty-five the following evening, Savannah, Michael, and several members of her extended family had finished dinner and were visiting over dessert and coffee, when Bud asked, “Dr. Mike, have there been any alleged wolf sightings, lately?”
“Not that I’ve heard of,” he said. “And I haven’t had any casualties of the wolf-panic come into the clinic for a few days, either. What about you?”
Bud shook his head. “No, I think those posters made a difference.” He turned to Savannah. “That was your idea?”
She smiled. “Yeah, as a matter of fact. When I took them around to neighbors, some looked rather shamefaced when they saw Lucy’s picture and the photo of a wolf next to it. They’d seen the dog and had been quick to jump to the wrong conclusion about her.”
Michael added, “I had a talk with Fenton about keeping her closer to home for her safety once she has recuperated. I think he’s a believer now, especially after he saw my bill.”
“Looks like Rags has a bee in his bonnet,” Bud said, chuckling.
Max nodded. “Yeah, he’s on a mission—see that determined look on his face?”
Everyone watched as a grey-and-white streak of fur raced past them into the kitchen.
Meow! Meow!
“What’s wrong with him?” Michael asked.
“Who knows?” Savannah said with a sigh. She then cocked her head. “Is that…?”
“Your horse,” Margaret said. “Sounds like your horse whinnying.”
Savannah quickly headed for the kitchen, where she found Rags on his kitty windowsill perch, dancing around and meowing. She switched on the outside light and peered through the window.
“Who’s that?” Brianna asked, walking up behind her sister.
“What? Where?” Savannah asked.
“I thought I saw someone out there.” She then hissed, “There! See that? Someone’s out near the corral. Your horse is talking to them.”
“Yes, it sounds like friendly talk, doesn’t it?”
“Friendly talk?” Michael repeated when he joined the women and the cat at the window.
“Yeah, nickering, not whinnying,” Savannah explained. “Someone’s out there.”
“So who is it?” he asked, straining to see.
“Can’t tell,” Savannah said. “I can’t see the person now, but it didn’t look like Mr. Parsons.”
“No,” Brianna said, “it looked more like Mrs. Parsons.”
“Do you know Frances Parsons?” Savannah asked.
She shook her head. “No. I mean, it didn’t look like a man. The clothes seemed more flowy than what a man would wear.”
“Flowy?” Savannah said laughing. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It did look more like a woman than a man.” She squinted. “…someone small, wrapped in a blanket.”
“But what would Mrs. Parsons or any woman be doing out at your corral at night—wrapped in a blanket, for heaven’s sake?” Brianna asked.
Michael let out a sigh. “Maybe I’d better go out and see.”
“I’ll go with you,” Bud offered, after sauntering into the room.
As the two men headed out the door, Savannah grabbed Rags just as he started to jump down from the perch. “No you don’t. They don’t need your help.”
“That cat,” Margaret chortled when she joined the two sisters. “He thinks he should be a part of everything that happens around here, doesn’t he?”
