Santa's Little Yelpers--An Andy Carpenter Mystery: an Andy Carpenter Novel Series, Book 26 by David Rosenfelt

Author:David Rosenfelt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

I decide to go the long way back to Paterson; which means I will take a leisurely drive through what I’m sure is lovely downtown Metuska.

It’s only about fifteen minutes away, so I figure that while I am there, I can briefly get what Sam and Chris both referred to as the lay of the land.

There is one sign off the small highway for Metuska, with an arrow pointing east for three miles. There is no mention of any food or fuel to be had there, no hint of a McDonald’s or Taco Bell, no Hampton Inn or Best Western inviting travelers to spend the night.

I pass a small WELCOME TO METUSKA sign and enter what must be the main area of the town. The best way to describe it is nondescript; the houses are clearly inexpensive, but reasonably well maintained and not in disrepair. The cars are certainly not luxury models, but neither are they wrecks mounted on cement blocks in driveways.

I pass the Hotel Metuska, the cleverly named place where Sam stayed. It’s a fairly narrow three-story building, and I don’t see much if any activity when I look through the glass door and windows. Farther on ahead is the police department, with one squad car parked out front.

The church is by far the most impressive building in town, with a sign simply saying THE HOUSE OF THE FELLOWSHIP. I see few people, and most of the ones I do see are wearing the patch on their shoulders that Sam described. But it’s fifteen degrees outside and starting to snow a little, so I wouldn’t think that many people would be out and about.

Sam’s four-person “welcome squad” is nowhere to be seen either. Of course, I haven’t stopped and asked any questions; I’m just driving through.

I don’t see any children, not even in the small park with swing sets and other stuff that kids would ordinarily flock to. The basketball court is empty as well. It’s four thirty in the afternoon, so I suppose everyone might still be in school, but I doubt it. Moments later I drive by the School of the Fellowship, but it does not seem to be in session; no one is around, and only three cars and no buses are in the parking lot.

I notice a lot of equipment and what looks like pending construction in some places. In a large dirt field is a sign saying FUTURE HOME OF THE METUSKA TIGERS, but there’s no indication that any progress has been made in building that home.

Another large area seems to be under construction, but it is behind a solid fence, so I can’t see what might be in there. I see men with patches that almost seem to be guarding this area, but the fence should do an adequate job of that, since there aren’t exactly invading armies trying to pierce the perimeter.

On the way out of town I pass Metuska Mills, a medium-size factory. It’s gray and somber looking, in keeping with the rest of the town.

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