“He’s a dog .”
While watching Gnarly lick his snout after finishing the sandwich, Eric shuddered. “He’s a creepy dog.”
In the corner of West Virginia’s northern panhandle, the phone inside the stone house on the cobblestone boulevard of Rock Spring rang at the same time that Joshua Thornton was picking it up to call Cameron Gates.
“Dad, where have you been?” his daughter Tracy demanded to know. Her tone of voice sounded like that of a parent to a child who had missed his curfew.
Joshua was about to report that he’d been out to the store buying ice cream after getting a haircut when he remembered that he didn’t have to answer to his children. “I was out.”
“Doing what?”
“This and that.”
“Dad, I’ve been calling you all day and getting your voice mail. Then, when I tried your cell, it went straight to voice mail like you had your phone off.”
The worry in her voice overriding his rebellion, Joshua said, “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself.”
Her tone also softened. “I know that, but you aren’t as young as you used to be.”
Resisting the urge to defend his still youthful status, Joshua assured her that he had been eating regularly; getting a lot of sleep; and, if he was lucky, going out to dinner with a female friend. After hanging up from talking to Tracy, the doorbell rang.
Carrying a pizza box and a liter of soda, Detective Cameron Gates breezed into the foyer as soon as he opened the door. “Man, do I owe you. I think I’m going to have to sleep with you after what I found out today.”
When Admiral spotted Irving at the end of the leash hanging from Cameron’s wrist, he ducked behind Joshua like the Irish Wolfhound-Great Dane was small enough to hide.
Joshua was still getting over the astonishment that she—and her skunk cat—were there when she thrust the pizza box into his hands. “After ten years, we finally got a break in the case, and it’s all thanks to you.” She kissed him on the lips.
When she pulled away, she noticed Admiral eyeing Irving, who was twirling around his giant front legs while purring loudly. “Oh, you have a dog.” She asked Admiral, “What’s your name, big fellow?” Her tone sounded like she expected the dog to answer.
“His name’s Admiral. He’s a big chicken.”
“How dare you say such a thing about such a dignified looking beast.” With the dog’s chin cupped in her hand, she cooed, “That name suits you. You’re a grand and handsome man indeed. I see you met Irving. Irving loves dogs. As a matter of fact, he likes dogs more than he does other cats. I think he believes he is a dog.”
Sitting at Admiral’s feet, Irving meowed as if to say hello.
While Admiral stared down at Irving with puzzlement on his big face, Joshua reminded Cameron that she had mentioned Irving had issues. “But you never told me exactly what they are. Should I be worried about him?”
“No.”
“Since he’s in my house I think I have a right to know.”
Her nose wrinkled. Embarressment crossed her face. “Irving suffers from separation anxiety.”
Joshua burst out laughing.
She dropped down to detach the leash from Irving’s harness. Freed, the skunk cat resumed twirling around Admiral’s legs. The dog sucked up enough courage to sniff him.
“Are you serious?” Joshua asked. “Cats don’t get separation anxiety.”
“It’s rare, but some do.”
“You have to care to get separation anxiety and cats don’t care.”
She sighed with disgust. He could see that she had had this conversation with other people before. “Irving cares. That’s why he gets anxious when I leave him alone.”
Seeing that he had offended her, Joshua swallowed and forced himself to stop laughing. “What does he do?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.” She yanked the pizza box out of his hands and headed down the hallway toward the back of the house. “Where’s your kitchen? I forgot to get napkins. I hope you
While watching Gnarly lick his snout after finishing the sandwich, Eric shuddered. “He’s a creepy dog.”
In the corner of West Virginia’s northern panhandle, the phone inside the stone house on the cobblestone boulevard of Rock Spring rang at the same time that Joshua Thornton was picking it up to call Cameron Gates.
“Dad, where have you been?” his daughter Tracy demanded to know. Her tone of voice sounded like that of a parent to a child who had missed his curfew.
Joshua was about to report that he’d been out to the store buying ice cream after getting a haircut when he remembered that he didn’t have to answer to his children. “I was out.”
“Doing what?”
“This and that.”
“Dad, I’ve been calling you all day and getting your voice mail. Then, when I tried your cell, it went straight to voice mail like you had your phone off.”
The worry in her voice overriding his rebellion, Joshua said, “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself.”
Her tone also softened. “I know that, but you aren’t as young as you used to be.”
Resisting the urge to defend his still youthful status, Joshua assured her that he had been eating regularly; getting a lot of sleep; and, if he was lucky, going out to dinner with a female friend. After hanging up from talking to Tracy, the doorbell rang.
Carrying a pizza box and a liter of soda, Detective Cameron Gates breezed into the foyer as soon as he opened the door. “Man, do I owe you. I think I’m going to have to sleep with you after what I found out today.”
When Admiral spotted Irving at the end of the leash hanging from Cameron’s wrist, he ducked behind Joshua like the Irish Wolfhound-Great Dane was small enough to hide.
Joshua was still getting over the astonishment that she—and her skunk cat—were there when she thrust the pizza box into his hands. “After ten years, we finally got a break in the case, and it’s all thanks to you.” She kissed him on the lips.
When she pulled away, she noticed Admiral eyeing Irving, who was twirling around his giant front legs while purring loudly. “Oh, you have a dog.” She asked Admiral, “What’s your name, big fellow?” Her tone sounded like she expected the dog to answer.
“His name’s Admiral. He’s a big chicken.”
“How dare you say such a thing about such a dignified looking beast.” With the dog’s chin cupped in her hand, she cooed, “That name suits you. You’re a grand and handsome man indeed. I see you met Irving. Irving loves dogs. As a matter of fact, he likes dogs more than he does other cats. I think he believes he is a dog.”
Sitting at Admiral’s feet, Irving meowed as if to say hello.
While Admiral stared down at Irving with puzzlement on his big face, Joshua reminded Cameron that she had mentioned Irving had issues. “But you never told me exactly what they are. Should I be worried about him?”
“No.”
“Since he’s in my house I think I have a right to know.”
Her nose wrinkled. Embarressment crossed her face. “Irving suffers from separation anxiety.”
Joshua burst out laughing.
She dropped down to detach the leash from Irving’s harness. Freed, the skunk cat resumed twirling around Admiral’s legs. The dog sucked up enough courage to sniff him.
“Are you serious?” Joshua asked. “Cats don’t get separation anxiety.”
“It’s rare, but some do.”
“You have to care to get separation anxiety and cats don’t care.”
She sighed with disgust. He could see that she had had this conversation with other people before. “Irving cares. That’s why he gets anxious when I leave him alone.”
Seeing that he had offended her, Joshua swallowed and forced himself to stop laughing. “What does he do?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.” She yanked the pizza box out of his hands and headed down the hallway toward the back of the house. “Where’s your kitchen? I forgot to get napkins. I hope you
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