The Artsy Mistake Mystery

by Sylvia McNicoll

  “Artsy touches are soul food,” I repeat Mrs. Irwin’s words. “Everyday art is sooo important.”

  “Yes, that’s true. And every airport should have a pet bathroom,” Dad says. “Imagine dogs or cats having to hold it or being forced to go in their cage.”

  “Well, pet bathrooms are the way airports are going. In the U.S., airports serving over 10,000 passengers per year are mandated to get one,” Mom says. “I’ve heard that Frankfurt Main International in Germany serves more than 110 million pets a year in their animal lounge.”

  “Wow.”

  “Twenty-five animal keepers and twenty-five vets work there,” she says as she chops the pepper. “So what’s this about a girlfriend?”

  “Nobody has a girlfriend, Mom. Dad’s ordered Renée a Noble Dog Walking uniform, so guess I’m going to share my dog-walking money.”

  “Does she help you?” Mom asks. “Or just keep you company?”

  “She’s really good with Ping, who’s pretty hyperactive.”

  “You think Ping’s hyper? You should try walking the Yorkies!” Dad says. “Renée sure comes from an artistic family.”

  “Yeah. Renée’s pretty interesting, too. Notices just as much as I do. More than Jessie. Forces me to do stuff I don’t want to, though.”

  “Kind of like a wife.” Dad grins and Mom punches his shoulder.

  I think for a moment about all the stuff that wouldn’t have happened to me without Renée’s pushiness. Even if I have to walk past more junk on garbage day or constantly defend her scary brother, having her help me is really a brilliant arrangement. “More like a really good friend.”

  copyright © Sylvia McNicoll, 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purpose of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.

  All characters in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cover image: © Tania Howells

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  McNicoll, Sylvia, 1954-, author

  The artsy mistake mystery / Sylvia McNicoll.

  (The great mistake mysteries)

  Issued in print and electronic formats.

  ISBN 978-1-4597-3880-5 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3881-2

  (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-4597-3882-9 (EPUB)

  I. Title.

  PS8575.N52A89 2017 jC813’.54 C2016-908135-4

  C2016-908136-2

  We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country, and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Government of Canada.

  Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

  Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.

  J. Kirk Howard, President

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