A Taste of Death (Maggie Olenski Series) by Hughes Mary Ellen

Author:Hughes, Mary Ellen [Hughes, Mary Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-07-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

"Okay, now tell me how this all happened," Maggie said, as she and Dyna left the veterinary clinic and headed for her car. She had waited patiently as Dyna got an update on Ali's condition from the veterinary staff and their plans for treatment. Even waited without complaint when the receptionist insisted on telling them both the long, sad tale of her own cat's recent illness and demise.

"Oh, Maggie, it was so pitiful," Dyna lamented as she climbed into the Cavalier. She waited until Maggie got behind the wheel and buckled up before continuing. "I had just come onto the path from Main Street when I saw Ali up ahead, just standing and looking at me."

"You're sure it is Ali?"

"Uh-huh. Besides being the same size and color, I recognized the collar he was wearing when we were at Leslie's. A kinda glitzy thing with rhinestones. I remember thinking that it really didn't fit a former alley cat and that he seemed embarrassed about it. Anyway, I stopped and called to him, and held out my hand, but he kept on standing there, looking kinda, you know, dazed. Then he threw up - and I mean threw up - everything."

"Cats do do that, I hear." Maggie had started the car and was heading back to Hadley Road.

"I know. My Missy used to spit up hair balls all the time, and at the first wheeze we'd scoop her up and put her outside on the grass until it was over. But when it was, Missy was always fine. Ali, when it was over, keeled over and just laid there, his eyes all glassy-looking. Maggie, it was awful!"

Dyna had painted a vivid picture, and Maggie felt a pang for the innocent creature, deathly ill in the cold, snow-covered woods. "How did you get him to the vet's?"

"I just grabbed him and ran back to the street, waving like a crazy person until Susan Larson pulled over and picked us up."

Very brave of Susan, Maggie thought, to take a sick cat into her car, but very kind of her too. Maggie was sure Dyna would have run all the way to the vets with the ailing feline if she had to. They reached the cabin, and Maggie pulled into the driveway.

"What does the vet say?" she asked as they opened their doors and started climbing out of the car.

"All he can say for now is that it might have been something Ali ate. He's treated Ali in the past and knows he was a healthy cat."

"So he doesn't know yet if it was poison of some kind?"

Dyna followed Maggie up the steps and into the cabin. "No, but he thinks it's pretty suspicious, I can tell." They pulled their jackets off and yanked off boots, Dyna hopping on one sock foot as she tugged at her second boot. She finally sat down on the floor of the small foyer making it necessary for Maggie to climb over her. "I mean, just the look on his face," Dyna continued as she scrambled back up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.