The Silence of the Chihuahuas by Waverly Curtis

able to get a hold of him since I paid him.”
    â€œYou paid him?”
    â€œYes he showed up a few days ago, said it was urgent. He needed money to pay his landlord. I paid him in cash. He went off and I haven’t been able to reach him since.”
    â€œHow much did you pay him?”
    â€œTen thousand dollars.”

Pepe’s Blog: Dames Are Distracting
    Bitches can be so distracting. My only thought when I first rushed into the Tyler residence was to find my old flame, the dog of my dreams, the luscious and delicious and odiferous Siren Song. And she was just as lovely and smelled as sweet as I remembered.
    But even as we were circling around each other, sniffing butts, I knew that I was shirking my duty as a detective. Because there was some odor in the house that I had passed by in my hurry, and it was relevant to another case.
    Yet, the spell that siren Siren Song cast upon me was a powerful one and soon I had forgotten all about our case, and even Geri. That is until the food arrived. Seafood. Very popular in Seattle. It is strange how humans like this food that is only good for cats. And dogs who have not been fed for many hours.

Chapter 11
    Our conversation was interrupted when the sushi arrived. Rebecca had ordered takeout from one of the fancier sushi restaurants in town, and the spread, set up on a mirrored sideboard, consisted of more than thirty different white boxes, each containing a pile of artfully created rolls. A stack of gold-rimmed plates materialized near the end of the sideboard along with a heap of gold-colored linen napkins, and the guests queued up to help themselves to the feast.
    As the guests filled their plates, they wandered over and found seats on the settees. A happy buzz soon filled the room, the happy buzz of people talking and eating.
    I was one of the last to get any food. I hung back still feeling irritated by my conversation with Caro and Felix. He should have defended me. Also, I was worried about Pepe, but I discovered I didn’t have to worry about him when I finally made it to the buffet. He had positioned himself under the sideboard and was eagerly nibbling at any scraps that fell to the ground.
    When I had filled my plate with some classic California rolls and a crispy salmon roll, there were few seats left in the room and I felt like that kid who is new at school, facing the daunting social jungle of the lunch room.
    â€œOver here, Geri!” said a cheery voice, and I saw Caro in a group that included Felix, seated on a fancy sofa against the wall at the far end of the room. “We saved a place for you.”
    Pepe followed me and I took that awkward middle seat on the sofa between Caro and Felix. I tried to balance my plate on my lap while Caro introduced me around. I didn’t know the man sitting in the chair across from Felix—Caro said he was the director—but I did recognize the vividly dressed woman sitting across from me. Miranda Skarbos.
    We met on the set of Dancing with Dogs . Miranda is a famous pet psychic and she enhances her image by dressing like a gypsy. Upon this occasion, she was wearing a full black skirt, embroidered with flowers in red, blue, and green, and a dusty pink top made all of ruffles that fluttered whenever she moved. Her dark black hair was pinned up into a messy bun high on her head.
    After a few minutes of catching up, Miranda said, “Caro says that Pepe has a problem.”
    Yes, he did have a problem. Besides not speaking, he had bad manners. He was tapping my leg with his paw while staring up at my plate. Begging. Of course, Fuzzy, who was at Felix’s feet, was lying down with her head on her paws and her eyes closed, like a good dog.
    I nodded. I couldn’t speak since my mouth was burning. I had smeared a bit too much wasabi on my California roll.
    â€œWell, all three of us pet experts are here.” Miranda declared, pointing her fork at Felix and Caro. “We can work on him for you.