The Telltale Turtle (The Pet Psychic Mysteries) (17 page)

"I'd say the third brand is the winner." Buck smiled at Mary Catherine. "What did the dogs tell you?"

At that moment, the three strange dogs were telling her they had been brought from the pound, shampooed, and set here for the taste test. They all expected to be returned to the pound and die within the next few days. They'd all seen it happen before. This was like some dream of a home for them. They wished it would go on and were fearful it was coming to an end too quickly.

The fear and anguish in their minds almost took her breath away. That any creature should feel that way broke her heart. She knew she couldn't take every dog and cat from the pound. She'd done that before and ended up with an unmanageable situation. But she could help these three even though she didn't want to think what jenny would say when she came back with them.

She looked up, disturbed and tearful. Everyone was staring at her. With an effort, she brought herself back to the human world and realized everyone was waiting for her answer. Buck's three dogs had no preference; they were too worried about dying. Bubba, Bruno and Candy, all orphans from the street but no longer afraid of what was going to happen to them, related that the third variety was definitely the best.

Mary Catherine told Buck and the reporters what her dogs said. Buck's smile was huge. She knew the last brand was Meaty Boy even though it was supposed to be a blind taste test.

Buck ripped the front panels covering the labels on the dog food bags. The third brand was Meaty Boy. "I guess you'll be doing commercials for me now, my little psychic angel."

Hi, Mary Catherine!

This is Dawn from Delaware. I have a hurt seagull I've been taking care of for two months. He can't fly. I'm beginning to worry he may never fly again and he won't be able to survive on his own.

What should I do?

"So MEATY Boy WON?" Jenny put down her habitual cup of coffee and stared at her dog. "Candy ate Meaty Boy? We've tried it before. She's always hated it."

Danny shrugged. "Maybe it's the new and improved part. Bubba hated it too. But not today. Even Bruno wolfed it down. You know how finicky he is."

"I think there may be something more involved," Mary Catherine told them. She took out a handful of dog food from her pocket. "Maybe we could run some tests on this and see what it was the dogs liked so much."

"Do I look like a research scientist?" Jenny stared at her as she put Candy on the floor. "It's all I can do to keep up with this place. I wouldn't know one kind of dog food from another."

"Maybe you know someone who could do the work," Mary Catherine suggested. "The dogs have been asking for it constantly since we left the Meaty Boy plant. When have you ever known of dogs who were well fed thinking about the food they just ate? They're always thinking about the next meal."

Jenny scratched her head. "Oh I don't know. Maybe the last time I talked to dogs, they were all about the food. I think they told me I was beautiful too. Of course that may be the new dogs you brought back with you. Do we have shot records for them or am I supposed to research that too?"

Mary Catherine ignored Jenny's ill humor the way she always did. "I'll find someone to check it out. But I'm assuming, since the three new dogs were headed for the gas chamber, that they don't have shot records. In order to get them adopted, we'll have to vaccinate them." "

I think we should wait a few weeks to make sure none of them have rabies too." Jenny glanced at the quarantine room where the three new dogs were located. "I'm surprised they aren't barking. If you locked me in a room, I'd bark."

Danny snickered. "Come on, Bubba. It must be time for us to go. I'm beginning to think about locking people in rooms by themselves."

"You always think everything is so funny," Jenny fumed. "If you were a dog, you'd be a hyena." "

I don't think that's a perro," Danny said. "But don't mind me. I'm just the taxi driver."

"Thanks for letting me use Bubba as a lab rat," Mary Catherine said. "The dogs aren't barking because they know they're safe. They'll be fine."

"What about Bruno?" Jenny asked around the St. Bernard's deep-throated bark.

"He's barking for a whole other reason," Mary Catherine said. "We have to find someone to adopt him."

"You're never going to find someone who wants that big monster." Jenny took off her lab coat. "I'm going home now. Please tell Baylor I hope he feels better."

"I will. I'm feeling better too, if that interests you at all."

Jenny waved as she led Candy out the door.

"Apparently, it wasn't all that interesting." Mary Catherine picked up the clinic's mail-mostly bills-and started upstairs. Her cell phone rang. It was Detective Angellus. He told her that Colin's emergency had been a package delivery from UPS.

"Is that all?" she asked. "Did you at least have the package checked out?"

"The officers I sent over scared the poor driver so bad that he had to be rushed to the emergency room with an asthma attack. Will that do it? Or would you like me to go question him in the hospital?"

"No need to get nasty about it. I was just concerned for Colin"

"I think your friend is taking advantage of you." He reminded her about his hermit crab. She told him she'd be right over, closed her cell phone, then realized she didn't have her car and Danny had just left.

She didn't want to bother him again that day; he'd already made several trips to the airport. She decided to call another taxi company for a ride, but her cell phone was getting poor reception. She walked outside to get a better signal and found Charlie standing outside her door, his Suburban parked at the curb. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd offer you a ride somewhere in case you need to go out."

It was very annoying, this habit of his turning up right when she needed him. She supposed it would be a good trait in someone she trusted. But in Charlie, where she was trying hard to stay objective in case he wasn't all that he seemed, it was difficult.

Was he somehow tuned into her frequency? She was psychic and had known many other people who were as well. It wasn't too far a stretch for her to imagine the possibilities. Part of that was where her problem lay. "No, thanks. I'm going to call a taxi."

"Why? I'm right here. I'll take you where you want to go"

She glared at him, wishing he'd go away. It was better when she could question his motives, like being there when her car wouldn't start. That was a physical thing. But she was beginning to feel he was going to be there when she needed him, like last night with Baylor. There were heavenly guardian angels, and then there was Charlie. "I'd rather call a taxi."

"What is there about me that you don't like?" He continued to badger her. "I don't think it has anything to do with my calling Elmore when I found Colin."

"You're right," she admitted. "Now go away. I'm trying to call a ride."

Charlie put his hand on her cell phone, grasping her hand beneath it. "I'm very attracted to you, Mary Catherine. I would've thought that was obvious."

"Of course you are. It's been a curse all of my life. I think it has something to do with talking to animals."

He stared at her for a long minute, then burst out laughing. "Are you telling me I like you because you can talk to dogs?"

"No. Not exactly. I think it has to do with being psychic. People who don't use their gifts are attracted to people who do. You seem to use your psychic abilities somewhat. I'm sure you know what I mean. Women are probably attracted to you as well. That's why you find it hard to believe I could reject you."

"Is that what this is?"

She nodded, averting her eyes, trembling. It was a terrible thing to want someone and turn him down. When she was younger, she'd never tried. If someone she found attractive found her attractive as well, she gave in. But the loss of her last husband was devastating. She didn't know if she could go through that again.

"Okay. If that's the way you want it." Charlie shrugged. "I can do that too. That doesn't mean I don't want to help with your investigation and that I can't drive you where you need to go."

She took a deep breath that included a whiff of his spicy aftershave. She wasn't strong enough to completely cut him out of her life. She realized it could be the mutual attraction due to the psychic bond they were developing. "All right. Just friends." She turned her hand in his and gave it a hearty shake.

He solemnly shook back. "Just friends." He released her hand. "So where to?"

"I have a date with a hermit crab."

Charlie opened the truck door. "Is there a hermit crab with answers about what's happening to Colin?"

"Not exactly. I'll fill you in on the way."

They got out at Detective Angellus' modest brick home a little after six PM. Two cars were in the drive. Mary Catherine knew Angellus was home too. He opened the door when he saw them pull up and glanced at his watch. "I was wondering if you were going to show."

"I was in an accident today," she told him. "There are a few too many of those in my life right now."

A fragile blond woman appeared at his side. "I hope it wasn't anything serious?"

"Not so you could tell, but I think I'm bruised all over." Mary Catherine put out her hand and introduced herself.

"I'm Sallie Angellus. You know, you could've come over some other time if you were in pain."

"That's all right." Mary Catherine smiled as she walked into the house. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little stiff. I hope you have some sweet tea. I'm dying for a glass of tea."

Charlie introduced himself to Sallie. Detective Angellus shook his hand warily. "Are you traveling with the psychic circus now, Dowd?"

Sallie nudged him with her elbow. "John!" She turned to Charlie and Mary Catherine. "Don't mind him. His mother told me he never believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny when he was a kid. He doesn't believe in anything now either."

Angellus looked uncomfortable. "Honey, maybe we shouldn't say things like that to these people we hardly know." "

I don't know what difference that makes," Sallie retorted. "I'm sure they could tell from meeting you what kind of person you are"

Mary Catherine smiled, but didn't get involved. There was a little Yorkie who wagged his tail and pushed his head up under her hand. He was telling her more about this family than most people would know in a lifetime. His thoughts were so fast she couldn't keep up with them. But everything he said was something nice about the man and woman he lived with. He had a good life and the people were kind to him.

"I'm sorry." Sallie shook her head. She was barely five feet tall, with delicate proportions. The cloud of silver-blond hair made her blue eyes startling and almost seemed too heavy to hold up on her thin neck. "I didn't mean to drag you into this argument. You might as well know, if you don't already, that John is a skeptic. I'm sure it makes him a great cop, but it makes it hard for me since I was raised to believe in things we couldn't see."

"You're from near Charleston, aren't you?"

Sallie, Charlie, and Angellus all stared at Mary Catherine. Sallie recovered first. "Yes. How did you know?" She glanced at her husband.

"Moose told me" Mary Catherine scratched the Yorkie's head again. "He likes living here with you. He told me you took him to visit some people by a place that sounded like Charleston to me. I probably wouldn't have known, but I was down there staying with some friends who own a very nice bed and breakfast."

Sallie was astounded. "I can't believe it." She tugged at Angellus' coat. "See? I told you she was real. How else would she know we named him Moose, or where my parents live?"

Angellus bent down to look at the dog's collar. "His name is on his collar, Sallie. I'm sure she could have read it."

"How about the connection to my family?" his wife demanded.

The detective didn't have an answer for that. "The hermit crab is this way."

"I'm so sorry." Sallie glared at her husband. "Let me get you some sweet tea. I have some shortbread cookies too."