The Case of the Uninvited Undertaker by Cathy Ace

Author:Cathy Ace [Ace, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: British traditional mystery, cozy village mystery, FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, female sleuths, Welsh cozy mystery
Publisher: Four Tails Publishing Ltd.
Published: 2023-07-24T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The majority of the drive from Brecon back to Anwen-by-Wye had passed in silence. Annie was distraught because Gertie had to stay at the vet’s clinic overnight; the vet needed to perform what she’d called ‘a small surgical procedure’ on her darling girl the next morning. Annie hated the idea of Gertie being alone in a strange place all night, and she’d been told that Gertie wouldn’t be allowed any food until after the operation, too – which she knew would be awful for her.

‘Gert’s got to be completely empty by now – she’ll think she’s starving if they don’t feed her, Tude. And them cages didn’t look too comfy, did they? All stacked up like that in that big back room. Oh Tude, I hate to think of her there. But what could I do? Why wouldn’t they let me stay there with her? Or bring her back tomorrow?’

Tudor kept his eyes on the road as he replied gently, ‘The vet said she’d get it done before the clinic opens in the morning; we wouldn’t want to be rushing Gertie off that early, would we? And what if she’d managed to get something into her tummy, somehow? You know what she’s like. And the vet explained how that can be dangerous when they’re under anesthetic, didn’t she?’

‘I can’t bear to think of her out cold on one of those big stainless-steel tables. What if…what if she doesn’t…’ Annie felt a tear roll down her cheek – she’d known it was bound to come to this, but she’d held it back as long as she could.

‘She’ll be fine, Annie. The vet’s only sedating her because she’s such a lively girl, and she needs to be able to examine her properly. The X-rays will show her what’s what – if there’s some sort of blockage or something that’s causing the vomiting. Though I was pleased to hear she didn’t think it could be too much bread, which I reckon might have been Gertie’s doing at my place the other night. And Gertie’s young and healthy – she’ll be just fine.’

Annie knew that everything Tudor was saying was true, but she couldn’t help herself…she’d never known that such a bond could exist between a human and a dog. She loved Gertie with all her heart. Carol had been right when she’d said that Annie thought of her as her child: a child who’d never grow up to be able to look after herself; a child who would always need Annie to do everything for her; a child who loved Annie unconditionally, and always knew when she needed to be licked, or snuggled, or encouraged to be playful.

Tudor reached for Annie’s leg and gave it a squeeze, before needing both his hands on the steering wheel again to negotiate a sharp bend. ‘We’ll be home before long, and we’ll have our dinner, together, in the pub. I can’t ask Aled to stay on any longer, he’ll need to be getting home soon, having come in early.

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