The Silence of the Chihuahuas by Waverly Curtis Page A

What’s the problem?”
    I tried again to explain that he had stopped talking, knowing how ridiculous that sounded and cringing at the amused expression on the face of the director.
    â€œYou know him best, Felix,” said Miranda. “What do you think is going on?”
    Felix gulped. “It’s a difficult situation,” he said. “Obviously Geri and her dog have been very close, so much so that she believes she can hear him speak.”
    What? If my mouth hadn’t been full, I would have protested. Instead I had the impulse to stab him with my fork. What a traitor!
    â€œBut something must have happened to disrupt that closeness.” He looked at me helplessly. “And now it’s harder for her to read his signals.”
    â€œBut what do you suppose happened?” Caro asked.
    I glared at Felix as he continued. “I know she’s under a lot of stress right now. Her best friend has disappeared and her sister might or might not be in danger.”
    â€œHow can you say that?” I asked “Don’t you believe that my sister called me?”
    â€œYes, I do,” said Felix, reaching out and patting my hand in a patronizing manner. “But we don’t know if she’s really in danger or if she’s just imagining it. After all, she called from a psychiatric hospital.”
    â€œSo, let me get this straight,” said Caro. “You think Pepe might still be ‘talking’ but Geri is too stressed out to hear him.”
    â€œSomething like that,” said Felix. “What’s your explanation?”
    I was so angry at Felix I didn’t even hear the start of Caro’s explanation.
    â€œWell, I think Felix is on the right track,” she said. “With a problem like this I would want to know what changed in your life right before or at the same time that your dog stopped—” She hesitated. She couldn’t quite bring herself to say that my dog was talking. “That you stopped being able to hear your dog.”
    â€œReally,” I said. “There was nothing.” I glared at Felix. “All of those things Felix mentioned happened after he stopped talking.”
    â€œSo what happened before?” Caro asked in a gentle voice.
    â€œNothing,” I repeated. “We were just going along as normal. I mean, I had a fight with my boss. I couldn’t trust him any more after our last case and I wasn’t talking to him. And then my best friend, Brad, got mad at me and he stopped talking to me . . .” My voice trailed off.
    â€œOh, hon,” said Caro, “it sounds like you were experiencing a lack of communication in several important relationships.”
    â€œWell, I suppose, but I don’t see how . . . I mean why would Pepe make that worse by stopping talking?”
    Pepe’s big eyes looking up at me were so sad. Tears sprang into my own eyes.
    â€œThey are such sensitive creatures,” said Caro. “Often they mirror our feelings.”
    â€œWhat am I supposed to do?” I asked.
    Caro put her hand over mine. “I think if you work at connecting with some of these other people in your life, you might find that your dog is able to communicate with you again.”
    â€œLet me speak for him!” declared Miranda Skarbos, in her deep and portentous voice.
    â€œYes, please do!” I said. It had to be better than what Felix and Caro were suggesting. That Pepe’s stopping talking was all my fault.
    Miranda set down her plate on the floor. Pepe rushed over to it and was disappointed to find it empty. He began licking it anyway. I just hoped there wasn’t any wasabi on it. Although he likes spicy food, I wasn’t sure he could handle that.
    Miranda closed her eyes, and shook her head, like a dog shaking off water. Then she bowed her head and clasped her hands, almost as if she were praying.
    â€œAh!” she said, throwing back her head. “The dog, he is