esting to her and as soon as I took a good look, I just
screamed for Frank. It was horrible, Deborah! A hand
chopped off at the wrist. Yuck!”
“I called 911,” said Mr. Frank.
“And I took Taffy right out to the garage for a good
soapy bath. I even washed out her mouth. I couldn’t
bear to think of her licking me with a tongue that had
licked at that thing.”
She shuddered and almost spilled the glass of tea
when she took a sip to steady her nerves.
“Try not to think about that part,” said Aunt Zell.
“I’m sure her mouth is nice and sweet again.”
With a heartiness that fooled no one, Mr. Frank said,
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. This looks delicious,
Zell.”
Miss Phyllis allowed herself to be distracted from that
grisly image and indicated where we were to sit.
“Is someone else coming?” I asked as I sat down next
to the extra chair and unfolded my napkin.
Mr. Frank nodded. “I did tell Dwight that lunch
would be here when he was ready to eat, but he said for
us not to wait on him.”
That was all I needed to hear and as soon as he’d
said grace, I excused myself and went out to the sun
porch to call. Taffy followed, her fur soft and shining
clean. Nevertheless, I did not put my hand out for her
to lick.
53
MARGARET MARON
“Just wanted you to know that lunch is on the table,”
I said when Dwight answered.
“Sorry, shug. I can’t leave now. I’ll have to grab a
sandwich or something back in town.” He let two beats
of silence go by, then said, “What? No questions?”
I couldn’t help smiling. “No. Mr. Frank and Miss
Phyllis have already told me everything.”
“Not everything,” he said and hung up before I could
say another word.
Mindful that I had to get back to court yet solicitous
of Dwight who had been out in the cold and wet for
hours, Phyllis Ward said she’d carry Aunt Zell back to
town if I wanted to swing down and take him some
lunch. Because she was already pulling out bread and
lettuce and sliced ham from the refrigerator, and be-
cause Aunt Zell seemed to be settling in for a nice long
visit, I really had no choice except to thank her for her
thoughtfulness and do as I was told.
“I hope he’s dressed warm enough,” she worried
aloud as she saw me off. “I’d send him one of Frank’s
white sweaters if he wasn’t twice as big as Frank.”
