“I’m going to like this.”
Tucker smelled the aroma. “Grab the package the chicken was in, the little absorbent paper is still there.” The humans, distracted by their conversation, paid no attention to Mrs. Murphy, who clamped her fangs down on the plastic, leapt off the counter, and hurried outside. She placed it behind the back barn doors.
The three animals returned, leaving wet pawprints on the random-width pine floor.
“We still need eggshells. She made eggs this morning and she put eggs in the soup,” Pewter noted.
“We’ll have to wait for them to leave the kitchen,” Mrs. Murphy said.
Cooper dipped her spoon into the bowl again. “This is perfect.”
“Not too salty?” asked Harry.
“No, you know I can’t stand much salt. The parsley adds a lot to the flavor.”
“It’s my mother’s recipe. She was like Miranda, could make anything from scratch.”
Once finished, the two women repaired to the living room to sit by the fire. The animals took that opportunity to quickly fish out eggshells. When they knocked over the garbage can, Harry flew back into the kitchen, but the sneaky devils were already long gone. She righted the garbage can, then wiped the coffee grounds up from the floor.
Cooper knelt down and helped.
“I don’t know what gets into them,” Harry complained. “Second time in two days. It’s not like they’re hungry.”
Seeing the slight mark of coffee, which Harry scrubbed with a wet paper towel, Cooper blurted out, “Harry, I found a dot of something on Pete Vavilov’s driver’s headrest. I missed it at the scene of the accident.” She caught herself. “I criticize you all the time for sticking your nose into our cases, and here I just blabbed something that I should have kept to myself. I’m just really upset with myself for missing it. You want to hear something else really strange? His index and middle fingers were missing.”
Harry plucked the wet towel out of Cooper’s hands, crumpled it with the one in her own, and tossed them in the righted garbage can, the lid swinging. “Don’t beat up on yourself. Christmas adds to all this, too.”
“Well, keep it to yourself.”
“I will.” Harry waited, then said in a strong voice, “It sounds like Pete wasn’t alone in that Explorer.”
The shopping centers in Charlottesville had cars circling in vain through the enormous parking lots looking for spaces. The snow, pushed up in piles, took up valuable parking. Tempers flared.
Looking for last-minute affordable gifts, Harry and Susan managed to find a parking place in the large Seminole Square center. The Office Depot drew their attention because here they could buy all manner of useful things. The two women, pushcart in front of them, trolled the aisles in search of stocking stuffers. Other shoppers hovered in the electronic section, buying far more expensive things than these two. After getting red and green paper clasps, colored paper clips, tablets with sparkly covers, and lots of ribbon spools, they stood in line, way back.
“Check your list again,” Susan told her friend.
Harry fished the list out of her back jeans pocket and read it aloud.
Susan checked down in the cart. “Think we got it. Once we’re out of here we should head over to Dover Saddlery.”
“Susan, the place will be jam-packed and jelly tight.”
“Listen, just endure it because we can pick up Farriers’ Fix, saddle soap, vet wrap, all kinds of little gifts for BoomBoom, Alicia, Big Mim, and Little Mim. You know you always run out of vet wrap just when you need it.” Susan referred to the useful thin wrap that would stick to itself.
“Okay,” moaned Harry.
The line took forever. After Susan paid, the cashier asked her if she wanted her receipt sent to her computer.
“No, thank you.”
As they left the big windowless store, Harry carried one bag, Susan the other. “Why would you want the receipt sent to your computer?” asked Harry.
“A lot of people do their accounting that way.”
Harry was horrified. “Once your information is out there, anyone can steal it.”
“Harry, it’s out there anyway. People send pictures of their private parts before going on first dates.”
Completely scandalized, Harry gasped. “You are making that up.”
“I’m not. I have two twentysomethings.”
“Your children don’t …” Harry’s voice trailed off.
“They showed me.” Susan’s eyebrows raised. “Danny called me over when he was last home. ‘Mom, look at this.’ I about died. He swore he never sent photos of himself, but he couldn’t help but look. Well, then I couldn’t help but take a gander at the girl. She was pretty but clearly had no sense.”
“If a congressman from New York did this, why am I surprised?”
“Because in your own way, Sugar, you really are sweet and naïve. There is no shame anymore. Women send pictures of their bosoms and everything else.”
“Dear God.” Harry gasped as they reached Susan’s Audi.
They tossed the Office Depot purchases in the back of the station wagon, then Susan pulled a vinyl cover over the goods. The cold air condensed their breath.
“We’d better walk over to Dover.”
“Right,” Harry agreed. “We’ll never get a parking place.”
Watching traffic since the holiday drivers were so distracted, a few inebriated as well, the women crossed the shopping center highway, then hurried into the parking lot in front of Dover Saddlery.
Before they reached the store, they heard a loud voice to their left.
“Stop telling me what to do!” On the sidewalk, Flo Rice shook her finger at Esther Mercier.
“Calm down.” Esther crossed her arms over her chest, her cap pulled down over her ears for warmth. “Calm down right now or I am not taking you into Dover.”
“I’m the older sister,” pouted Flo. “I’m supposed to tell you what to do. You leave me alone. I don’t need you following me everywhere.”
“Flo, I am not following you. I brought you here. You wanted to see Christmas decorations, the stores. Well, here we are, but you have to behave. And while you’re thinking about being quiet, why did you put your name on the St. Cyril’s need list? Al and I take care of you.”
“You keep me from everyone.”
“Flo, all you have to do is get in your car and visit old friends. Cletus Thompson doesn’t live that far from you.”
“I like him when he’s not drunk, though he rarely is.”
“All right. All right.” Esther wearied.
“And I am not driving that ancient Toyota anywhere. It makes me look poor.”
“Flo, you are poor.”
“You took all of Mother’s money.” Flo pushed her sister, not hard but hard enough that Esther had to step back.
“Dammit, Flo, I did not.” Esther looked around to see if anyone overheard. She didn’t spot Harry and Susan near the discarded shopping carts. “You aren’t good with money. Don’t blame it on me. And there are people who would like to see you. But this putting your name on a list of indigents, Flo, that was deeply embarrassing.”
Neither Harry nor Susan moved. They didn’t want to call attention to themselves.
Flo, however, scanned the packed parking lot, hoping to find an ally. “There you are!” She pointed straight at the two friends.
“Now what?” Susan whispered.
“We go over and pretend we haven’t heard a thing.” With a big smile, Harry walked over. “Esther, Merry Christmas. Miss Rice, Merry Christmas.”
Susan followed suit.
“You didn’t really remember me when you came to my house, but I remembered you. Sometimes I’d see you at the horse shows when I worked for Mrs. Valencia. I was nice to you. You didn’t remember me.” Flo indicated Harry.
“We were young.” Harry tried to smile.