being his official police self, Owens can’t keep from sounding like
he’s about to sit down to crisp catfish and hush puppies that his mama just fried
up for him and thirty-nine of his closest kinfolk. Owens is six-three, slow and lanky
to look at, but lightning fast when he thinks. He sets high standards for himself
and his subordinates, and he’s quick to let you know when you’re being a dumb-butt.
Believe me, I know.
I said, “Sergeant, it’s Dixie Hemingway. Sorry to bother you, but I’ve got a bit of
a situation here, and I think you might want to send somebody over.”
His voice warmed as if he was smiling. “What you got, Dixie?”
I said, “I’m pet sitting for the Harwicks on Jungle Plum Road, and they have a huge
saltwater aquarium full of fish in their bathroom. Valuable fish. When I arrived,
the alarm wasn’t on, which is unusual, and the cat is missing, or hiding, I’m not
sure which. I went into the bathroom where the aquarium is, and one of the fish is
in a state of alarm. I’m not sure, but I think there’s been some kind of crime.”
After a pause Owens said, “A cat is hiding, and a fish is alarmed?”
“Yes.”
“And where are you now?”
“I’m parked on the side of the road a little ways down from their driveway.”
After a moment, Owens drawled, “Are any of the other fish alarmed?”
Okay, maybe he still thought I was a bit loopy. I sighed. “I know it sounds pretty
flimsy.”
“Dixie, flimsy is not the word I was thinking.”
“I just don’t have a good feeling about it.”
“Well, could be that cat ate one of them fish, and now he’s trying to make a run for
it. You want me to shut down all the roads out of the city?”
“Alright then, maybe I’m overreacting a little bit.”
“Could be. Give me a call if you got any more nervous critters.”
“Sorry to bother you.”
“Not a bother at all, Dixie.” I could feel him grinning over the phone. “Good to hear
from you.”
Just as I hung up, a shiny black sports car pulled into the driveway. There was a
young man behind the wheel, and I knew it had to be the Harwicks’ son, August. I jumped
out of the car and flagged him down. He rolled down his window as I came jogging up
alongside the car.
I said, “Hi, I’m the cat sitter. Are you August?”
He smiled, looking me up and down, and said, “I am. What’s up?”
“Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I was just in the house, and I think
there may be someone in there. I can’t find Charlotte anywhere, and … well, one of
the fish is alarmed.”
His smile faded a bit. “Is my sister in there?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t see her. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just had a feeling
something was wrong.”
He looked up at the house and said, “Okay.”
He shifted his car into park and turned off the ignition. I stepped back as he opened
the door and got out. He was tall, at least six feet, with dark stubble and shaggy
hair. He had the awkward swagger of a teenaged boy trying to come off like a man.
I could smell liquor and cigarettes on his breath, and I wondered if he hadn’t been
up all night partying and was just now getting home. No wonder the Harwicks needed
me.
He said, “I’ll check it out. Maybe you better wait in your car.”
“I’m not sure you should go in there alone.”
“Look, I already got ripped off once this week. I’m not letting that happen again.
You wait in your car and I’ll be back.”
As I turned to go back to my car, he leaned over and pulled something out of his glove
compartment. At first I couldn’t quite make it out, but then I saw the familiar glint
of black metal and realized it was a pistol. Why in the world this rich kid drove
around with a pistol in his glove compartment was beyond me. Every bone in my body
told me to get in my car, drive away, and never look back, but I wasn’t about to go
anywhere until I knew Charlotte
he’s about to sit down to crisp catfish and hush puppies that his mama just fried
up for him and thirty-nine of his closest kinfolk. Owens is six-three, slow and lanky
to look at, but lightning fast when he thinks. He sets high standards for himself
and his subordinates, and he’s quick to let you know when you’re being a dumb-butt.
Believe me, I know.
I said, “Sergeant, it’s Dixie Hemingway. Sorry to bother you, but I’ve got a bit of
a situation here, and I think you might want to send somebody over.”
His voice warmed as if he was smiling. “What you got, Dixie?”
I said, “I’m pet sitting for the Harwicks on Jungle Plum Road, and they have a huge
saltwater aquarium full of fish in their bathroom. Valuable fish. When I arrived,
the alarm wasn’t on, which is unusual, and the cat is missing, or hiding, I’m not
sure which. I went into the bathroom where the aquarium is, and one of the fish is
in a state of alarm. I’m not sure, but I think there’s been some kind of crime.”
After a pause Owens said, “A cat is hiding, and a fish is alarmed?”
“Yes.”
“And where are you now?”
“I’m parked on the side of the road a little ways down from their driveway.”
After a moment, Owens drawled, “Are any of the other fish alarmed?”
Okay, maybe he still thought I was a bit loopy. I sighed. “I know it sounds pretty
flimsy.”
“Dixie, flimsy is not the word I was thinking.”
“I just don’t have a good feeling about it.”
“Well, could be that cat ate one of them fish, and now he’s trying to make a run for
it. You want me to shut down all the roads out of the city?”
“Alright then, maybe I’m overreacting a little bit.”
“Could be. Give me a call if you got any more nervous critters.”
“Sorry to bother you.”
“Not a bother at all, Dixie.” I could feel him grinning over the phone. “Good to hear
from you.”
Just as I hung up, a shiny black sports car pulled into the driveway. There was a
young man behind the wheel, and I knew it had to be the Harwicks’ son, August. I jumped
out of the car and flagged him down. He rolled down his window as I came jogging up
alongside the car.
I said, “Hi, I’m the cat sitter. Are you August?”
He smiled, looking me up and down, and said, “I am. What’s up?”
“Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I was just in the house, and I think
there may be someone in there. I can’t find Charlotte anywhere, and … well, one of
the fish is alarmed.”
His smile faded a bit. “Is my sister in there?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t see her. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just had a feeling
something was wrong.”
He looked up at the house and said, “Okay.”
He shifted his car into park and turned off the ignition. I stepped back as he opened
the door and got out. He was tall, at least six feet, with dark stubble and shaggy
hair. He had the awkward swagger of a teenaged boy trying to come off like a man.
I could smell liquor and cigarettes on his breath, and I wondered if he hadn’t been
up all night partying and was just now getting home. No wonder the Harwicks needed
me.
He said, “I’ll check it out. Maybe you better wait in your car.”
“I’m not sure you should go in there alone.”
“Look, I already got ripped off once this week. I’m not letting that happen again.
You wait in your car and I’ll be back.”
As I turned to go back to my car, he leaned over and pulled something out of his glove
compartment. At first I couldn’t quite make it out, but then I saw the familiar glint
of black metal and realized it was a pistol. Why in the world this rich kid drove
around with a pistol in his glove compartment was beyond me. Every bone in my body
told me to get in my car, drive away, and never look back, but I wasn’t about to go
anywhere until I knew Charlotte
Similar Books
