Didn’'t matter; she sent the foot—--if that’'s what it was—--flying beneath the body drawers.
“"Out of sight, out of panic?”" I suggested.
Eve scoffed and wiped her brow with the back of a hand. “"You wish.”" Chakra, who I was beginning to think understood my needs better than I did, returned to my lap.
“"Thanks, sweetie cat. That was really skeeving me out.”"
“"I can’'t believe you’'re going to touch that quilt,”" Eve said. “"At least I’'ll know enough not to go bonkers when your mind disappears and your body stays behind. Mad?
Could any of this be construed as tampering with evidence? Like at a crime scene?”"
“"What crime?”" I asked, manipulating the quilt with the feathers to find the pocket.
“"Think animal foot.”"
“"What kind of animal? And don’'t say a dog.”"
“"A dinosaur or a bear?”"
“"Okay, I get your drift and I’'m trying to work with it.”"
“"Good. Let me try to read the quilt, then we’'ll go see Vinney, and after that, I’'ll call the police.”"
“"You will?”"
“"Tomorrow at the latest.”"
“"Madeira,”" she said, sounding very much like my conscience. A scold, I didn’'t need. “"Shh. I’'m concentrating.”"
I slipped my hand into a pocket on one of the quilt squares, closed my eyes, got nauseous and dizzy, and found myself staring at an old wishing well made of round stones. I did not want to look inside the well, but I went closer, despite myself, and started to peek over the edge, when the air turned to ice.
“"She’'s going to faint,”" Dante whispered.
I opened my eyes. “"Eve!”" I caught her before she fell. Her eyes opened, and as I cradled her, Chakra licked her hand. Slowly, Eve’'s color returned. “"I’'m sorry,”" she said, sitting up. “"But you didn’'t talk the last time you zoned in front of me.”"
“"I talked? What did I say?”"
“"You wailed a soft and eerie ‘'Isobel’' twice . What did you see?”"
“"An old wishing well.”"
“"That’'s all?”" Eve fanned her face. “"That doesn’'t sound too frightening.”" That’'s why I’'d described it that way. She’'d found a dead body. She’'d had enough trauma for one night.
“"Where did Isobel come into the picture then?”" Eve asked. I shrugged and hugged Chakra. “"What say we go home and wait until tomorrow to visit Vinney? Better still, we go to the Sweets. I found something with Dolly’'s name on it earlier.”"
“"Vinney probably won’'t be at home tonight. He works the late shift sometimes.”"
“"Doing what?”"
Eve tilted her head. “"I never got that quite straight.”" He’'s a third-shift burglar, I thought. “"If he’'s not there,”" I said, “"I guess it wouldn’'t be too smart to break in and look around, see if we can find a bag of something suspicious or . . . bony?”" I looked straight at her. “"Unless you have a key?”" Her color returned in spades, as did her smile. “"I have a key.”" Twelve It always depends on how it’'s done—--it mustn’'t be overtly exhibitionist.
—--GIORGIO ARMANI
We took my rental to visit Eve’'s skunk du jour so no one could ID the car. Well, maybe we weren’'t exactly planning to visit him. If he wasn’'t there, we’'d search the place, scope it out, or whatever the universe deemed appropriate.
How’'s that for justification?
We had to pass by the Sweets’' house on the way, and their lights were on. I had that packet for Dolly, and I was pretty sure that if anyone had information that might help me free Tunney of suspicion, it would be the Sweets.
Dolly once told me that they rarely slept anymore, except for catnaps during the day, so with my usual quick thinking, I pulled into their driveway on two wheels. “"Do you want to come in with me?”" I asked Eve. “"I’'ll only be a minute.”"
“"No, thanks, Mad. It’'s been a draining night. I’'ll just close my eyes for a few.”"
“"Good. Rest.”"
The front light had gone on and
“"Out of sight, out of panic?”" I suggested.
Eve scoffed and wiped her brow with the back of a hand. “"You wish.”" Chakra, who I was beginning to think understood my needs better than I did, returned to my lap.
“"Thanks, sweetie cat. That was really skeeving me out.”"
“"I can’'t believe you’'re going to touch that quilt,”" Eve said. “"At least I’'ll know enough not to go bonkers when your mind disappears and your body stays behind. Mad?
Could any of this be construed as tampering with evidence? Like at a crime scene?”"
“"What crime?”" I asked, manipulating the quilt with the feathers to find the pocket.
“"Think animal foot.”"
“"What kind of animal? And don’'t say a dog.”"
“"A dinosaur or a bear?”"
“"Okay, I get your drift and I’'m trying to work with it.”"
“"Good. Let me try to read the quilt, then we’'ll go see Vinney, and after that, I’'ll call the police.”"
“"You will?”"
“"Tomorrow at the latest.”"
“"Madeira,”" she said, sounding very much like my conscience. A scold, I didn’'t need. “"Shh. I’'m concentrating.”"
I slipped my hand into a pocket on one of the quilt squares, closed my eyes, got nauseous and dizzy, and found myself staring at an old wishing well made of round stones. I did not want to look inside the well, but I went closer, despite myself, and started to peek over the edge, when the air turned to ice.
“"She’'s going to faint,”" Dante whispered.
I opened my eyes. “"Eve!”" I caught her before she fell. Her eyes opened, and as I cradled her, Chakra licked her hand. Slowly, Eve’'s color returned. “"I’'m sorry,”" she said, sitting up. “"But you didn’'t talk the last time you zoned in front of me.”"
“"I talked? What did I say?”"
“"You wailed a soft and eerie ‘'Isobel’' twice . What did you see?”"
“"An old wishing well.”"
“"That’'s all?”" Eve fanned her face. “"That doesn’'t sound too frightening.”" That’'s why I’'d described it that way. She’'d found a dead body. She’'d had enough trauma for one night.
“"Where did Isobel come into the picture then?”" Eve asked. I shrugged and hugged Chakra. “"What say we go home and wait until tomorrow to visit Vinney? Better still, we go to the Sweets. I found something with Dolly’'s name on it earlier.”"
“"Vinney probably won’'t be at home tonight. He works the late shift sometimes.”"
“"Doing what?”"
Eve tilted her head. “"I never got that quite straight.”" He’'s a third-shift burglar, I thought. “"If he’'s not there,”" I said, “"I guess it wouldn’'t be too smart to break in and look around, see if we can find a bag of something suspicious or . . . bony?”" I looked straight at her. “"Unless you have a key?”" Her color returned in spades, as did her smile. “"I have a key.”" Twelve It always depends on how it’'s done—--it mustn’'t be overtly exhibitionist.
—--GIORGIO ARMANI
We took my rental to visit Eve’'s skunk du jour so no one could ID the car. Well, maybe we weren’'t exactly planning to visit him. If he wasn’'t there, we’'d search the place, scope it out, or whatever the universe deemed appropriate.
How’'s that for justification?
We had to pass by the Sweets’' house on the way, and their lights were on. I had that packet for Dolly, and I was pretty sure that if anyone had information that might help me free Tunney of suspicion, it would be the Sweets.
Dolly once told me that they rarely slept anymore, except for catnaps during the day, so with my usual quick thinking, I pulled into their driveway on two wheels. “"Do you want to come in with me?”" I asked Eve. “"I’'ll only be a minute.”"
“"No, thanks, Mad. It’'s been a draining night. I’'ll just close my eyes for a few.”"
“"Good. Rest.”"
The front light had gone on and
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