“She’s dangerous,” Pewter warned. “I’ve been keeping her at bay.”
Mrs. Murphy and Tucker looked at each other. Best to keep quiet.
“Pewter, that spider’s almost as big as you are.” The kindly Lab complimented her.
“She doesn’t scare me.”
Tucker dropped her eyes. If she looked at the fat gray cat, she would burst out laughing, and then the fur would fly, literally.
Tazio, noting that her dog remained in the back room, craned her neck. “Something’s going on.”
“Well, three of those freeloaders are mine. I’ll check.” Harry walked to the back room, door half open.
“I have a monster trapped. The world’s biggest spider. And she has multiple eyes, too!”
Looking down at the gray cat, Harry remarked, “Your tail is puffed up.”
“Make her think I’m big, too.”
“You are,” Tucker slyly commented.
“Careful,” Mrs. Murphy said quietly.
Brinkley, innocent and sweet, asked the puffed-up cat, “How do you know the spider has multiple eyes?”
“When she gets close to the opening, the light shines on her eye. Little red dots. Oh, it’s creepy.” Pewter pronounced judgment.
“I don’t know what you all are doing back here, but if there’s pawprints on the walls or worse, big trouble. Big trouble.” With that, Harry turned on her heel to join her friends. “They’re fussing about something. I can’t see a thing.”
“Political argument, I’m sure.” Tazio laughed. “Everybody else is having them.”
“Taz, the animals are too smart for that.”
“You’ve got me there,” Tazio replied as she searched for a big round tube in which to place the large drawings. “For now should I leave the work he’s done for Galbraith and Ix? The notes of Nature First’s offices? The original drawings Lisa’s coming for?”
“Yes.”
They heard a knock on the back door, then it opened. Lisa Roudabush called, “Cooper, I’m here.”
“Don’t take another step. You will be attacked by a rabid spider!” Pewter warned.
“Harry.” Lisa spoke loudly. “Your gray cat is having a fit.”
Harry walked into the back entrance. “Pewter, you’re big as a horse. What’s the matter with you?”
“You’re lucky I’m here. I have the killer spider at bay.”
“Spiders don’t get rabies,” Mrs. Murphy coolly corrected a large Pewter.
“This one does! That’s why her eyes are red. Her eyes should be black.” Pewter made it up as she went along, growing ever more emotional.
“Come on, Lisa. Walk past her.”
“Well…all right. I’ll be glad when Pirate is full grown. He can go first.”
“Ha. Even when Pirate is full grown I will terrorize him. Death to spiders! Death to dogs!”
As the two women walked into the large room, Mrs. Murphy advised, “There are two dogs here, Pewter. You’ve insulted them.”
“Tucker and Brinkley are the exception that proves the rule,” Pewter proclaimed.
Tucker turned, walked into the big room followed by Brinkley. “Sorry, Brinkley, she’s so rude.”
The yellow Lab smiled. “I pay her no mind. She’s mental.”
Mrs. Murphy tagged after the dogs.
Lisa asked Cooper, “You said I could take our drawings, right?”
“You can. We have what we need.”
“I’ll grab another tube. Lisa, your drawings are already rolled up on the bookshelf.” Tazio pointed to the middle shelf.
Lisa picked up the Nature First designs, pausing to look at the snow globes, rubber dinosaurs, trinkets. Her eyes scanned the large squared spaces.
“A file box is missing,” Lisa noticed.
“Did you ever read his files?” Cooper asked.
“No, but I wondered about them,” Lisa replied. “Big and heavy.”
“One is missing,” Cooper admitted. “We have no idea where it is or why it’s gone.”
“Odd.” Lisa took the proffered tube, placing her rolled-up designs in it.
“You never looked?” Cooper pressed.
“No. He said they contained building codes, year by year. As long as he knew what was in them, that’s what matters.”
A howl from the back entrance sent them to the room.
“She attacked me! Jumped right in my face. I’m lucky to be alive!”
“Where is she now?” Mrs. Murphy sensibly asked.
“The bathroom. She’s holding the door shut, I know it!”
Harry, beholding a dramatic Pewter, suggested, “I don’t know what’s going on back here but let’s go into the big room. Come on, Pewter!”
Tucker slyly whispered, “I bet the spider has the missing file.”
Cooper wanted a better look at the weather so she peered out the window in the back door. “Slush. And it’s going to freeze.”
“We’re better off with snow.” Harry half believed that, then quizzed Cooper, “You never said if you found anything interesting in his desk.”
“Why would I? Nothing but bills, inquiries. One letter from his old employer informing him about the hearings in Richmond over the Kushner Building. He was part of the project. Nothing electrifying.”
She continued. “All right, ladies. Let’s pick it up and let me lock up. We’ve got about an hour before the sun sets and everything will freeze in a heartbeat. You all go home.”
“What’s your shift?” Harry usually knew but, thanks to the weather, county employees were all on different shifts now, the sheriff’s department doing extra duty.
“Off at seven.”