Of Birds and Beagles by Leslie O'Kane

Author:Leslie O'Kane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: beagle parrot macaw pet dog German shepherd collie cocker spaniel English pointer bird hunting anima
Publisher: Leslie O'Kane
Published: 2015-03-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

By the time we were served our meals, I’d managed to quell my nervous stomach; I didn’t want to let my fear that Russ might leave wreck my time when he was sitting right across the table from me. The food was fine. The conversation was fine, too. We talked about his interviews, potential assignments, and the city of Seattle. On the inside, though my thought were still roiling.

After returning to the office, we discussed our schedules for the rest of the day—his need to unpack and do laundry, and my upcoming outing with Jana Bock. I was just starting to describe Jana’s and my itinerary, when someone yelled, “Hey! Watch it, buddy!” outside. A Doberman galloped down the concrete steps, then leapt against the door his front paws spread on the glass.

A couple of seconds later, Malcolm appeared and opened our office door. Fang came bounding inside, his leash dragging behind him. Malcolm followed. Fang rushed up to greet me. I automatically pivoted, turning my back in order to discourage his rambunctious behavior. Fang merely started barking and growling at Russell, who was standing a few feet away from me.

I whirled around again, grabbed and yanked Fang’s leash, while scolding him for barking. Meanwhile, Russell jumped back, clearly frightened, as Malcolm merely stood there and laughed at him.

Seething, I shifted my anger onto the correct source—Malcolm. “There is nothing amusing about allowing your dog to growl at someone! This is Russ’s office! Your dog is going to bite someone and wind up impounded! You need to own up to your responsibilities as his owner!”

“This is Boulder,” Malcolm muttered, grabbing the leash from me. “We’re supposed to be called dogs’ ‘guardians’.”

“My office, my terminology.”

He shrugged and looked at Russ. “Sorry, dude. Come on, Fang.” He headed to the door, as if already leaving.

“Why did you come here?”

He snorted. “I thought we were on the same side. But I was wrong.” He jerked his chin in Russell’s direction. “Plus, I didn’t know he was going to be here.”

“The ‘same side’ about what?” I asked.

He turned to face me. “Kelsey Minerva.”

Russell meanwhile had collected himself and was glaring at Malcolm with his jaw and fists clenched. Fang was still barking, but at the pedestrians he could see through the glass door.

“She’s setting me up. I found out she tried to blame me when she soaked meatballs in coolant to kill the squirrels. An old guy who does odd jobs in Kelsey’s neighborhood filled me in.”

It struck me as odd that Frank would be having a conversation with Malcolm about Kelsey. “Frank Zeller heard her claim that you were trying to poison squirrels?”

“Yeah. He said she’d been waving a gun at Shirley, so he had to break it up. He seems to be one of those do-gooder types who feels like he’s got to rush in and save the day, or something.”

“He was afraid someone was going to get hurt. And, obviously, he was right.”

“Anyways, I think I put my money on the wrong horse by coming here.

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