Hark! the Herald Angels Sting by Clare Kauter

Author:Clare Kauter [Kauter, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clare Kauter

Chapter Seventeen

Natalia

Everyone went to James’s room for breakfast the next morning. Maggie had dressed the dogs up in special Christmas outfits again – reindeer antlers and a festive bandana for Corgnelius and a Santa hat and elf vest for Theodore. They were adorable.

Enough to (mostly) make me forget my hangover.

“Uh, are you allowed to have pets in the resort?” James asked when we walked in.

“Shouldn’t you know?” Adam replied.

“They’re therapy dogs,” said Maggie. “For my anxiety.”

“You have anxiety?” Billy asked her.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes.”

“Do you have proof of that?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course.” She turned to Adam. “I’m going to need to speak to you about an unrelated medical issue for which I may require a doctor’s certificate.”

James smiled. “It’s fine. They’re too cute to kick out, anyway.”

“And too ferocious. Corgnelius would take your face off.”

Corgnelius flopped onto his side, tongue out, wiggling his arse happily.

“He does look terrifying,” said James, bending down to give him a belly scratch. “I’m quaking.”

“I think Maggie was maybe projecting what she might do to you if you tried anything.”

James glanced at me, then at her. Mags had a bit of the crazy eye going on and James appeared to realise it wasn’t an idle threat. He held his hands up. “I promise I’m not going to in any way infringe upon your dogs’ freedom to wag their tails wherever they please.”

“You’d better not, buster,” said Maggie. “I’m vicious.”

“Yep, I’m definitely getting that vibe.”

Maggie turned to me, beaming. “Did you hear that?”

“Sure did, babe. You’re super scary.”

Corgnelius snuffled James’s hand, then presented his belly for further scratches. Maggie glared at James. “Well, are you going to do what you’re told?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Right answer.”

I studied Maggie for a moment as she patted Theodore while staring lovingly down at her corgi, remembering one of the many insane stories I’d heard about James’s girlfriend and her pigs the day before. “You know, Macgyver, I can totally see you teaming up with your mother to abduct someone’s dog.”

Maggie frowned. “My mother? No way. I’d take your grandmother. She’s way better suited to those sorts of shenanigans.”

I tilted my head, then nodded. “Definitely true.”

James looked up at us. “You really shouldn’t steal anyone’s dog. You know that, right?”

“What if the dog was in trouble and I was rescuing it?” Maggie asked.

He sighed. “That’s exactly the excuse Charlie used.”

“OK,” said Billy. “Not to bring everyone down –”

I rolled my eyes. “Here comes Billy with his trademark optimism.”

“We failed epically yesterday. Twice. And the only other lead I could think of turned out to be a jurassic miscalculation, so I’m fresh out of ideas.”

Adam nodded. “Billy’s right. We need to prepare for tonight. Get strategies in place to make sure our criminals aren’t able to carry out their plans.”

“Remind me again why we aren’t calling the police?” James asked with a sigh.

“No one likes cops, dude,” said Maggie. “Get with the program. And put your back into those scratches. Do you want Corgnelius to have an itchy

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