Friday, September 01, 2006
Mrs. Gallagher's Dog
Hi, everyone, it's Leslie. I'm doing fine. And I want you to know Paige is OK too. She's kind of quiet and HATES publicity, but she did give me permission to tell you hello.
Kanner Lake is getting back to normal, now that it's been over a month. No more national reporters in town. Regular tourists these days. Some days I can close my eyes and almost feel that Kanner Lake's like it used to be--the days when it was so quiet, and I thought I'd never have something serious to report about.
In those days, not so long ago, my reporting centered on lost pets and fender benders. Like the story I wrote about Mrs. Gallagher--just three months ago.
Mrs. Gallagher, who happened to be my first grade teacher, called the police to report someone had stolen her black lab. So my editor calls me into his office and sics me on this nail biter. Charlie may be cute and doggedly affable, but he's dumb as a broken toenail. Now if he were one of those little Chihuahuas you could tote around in an equally adorable bag, well . . . but I digress. Mrs. Gallagher prattles on for ten minutes about my lady-like printing and imaginative writing, exclaiming, "I just knew you'd turn out to be something really special." Finally I manage to get the story out of her.
She'd run Charlie's leash around her laundry pole in the backyard and clipped it to his collar while she went in to wash and set her hair. When she came out he was gone. We searched the backyard together. Looking for clues the police might have missed. Apparently Frank West had come on the call. The general, if not unanimous, consensus is that he's Kanner Lake's most eligible bachelor. The rumors abound--women blowing past Frank's cruiser, practically daring him to pull them over. Or staging flat tires when they know he's on duty. Pathetic, I know. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Competition's tough in our sleepy little town.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Mrs. Gallagher's dog. Well, under the laundry pole I found one clue Frank had missed. The clasp to the leash. No leash, just the clasp. It seemed odd that the thief would take time to cut the leash from the clasp when he could just undo the thing. It wasn't like Charlie was going to bite him. Lick him to death, or maybe knock him senseless with that nonstop battering ram of a tail.
I get a hunch and decide to test it. I ask Mrs. Gallagher to get out Charlie's food and dump it into the bowl as loudly as she can. She does and sure enough we hear the clackety-clack of his claws running down the sidewalk. He skids around the gate to the backyard and drops something next to his bowl and digs in. I bend down for a closer look, careful to steer my freshly manicured nails clear of dog slobber. And guess what it is? His leash. Or, I should say, what's left of his leash. The dumb dog had chewed it to bits and run off to explore the neighborhood.
And that was my big investigative piece--before July 22 hit. We were certainly excitement challenged here in Kanner Lake. Not that it was a bad thing. It's exactly what made this a great place to come for a quiet vacation.
But we are getting back to normal. Although I know that will reverse in a few months when the reporters return . . . But Bailey doesn't want me to talk about that.
So come see us in quiet-and-getting-quieter Kanner Lake. Have one of Bailey's mochas or lattes. Talk literature with Bev and fishing with Jake, giggle with Angie, visit Sarah and Paige at Simple Pleasures. Have Carla show you some houses.
Just turn your head when Wilbur starts to raise his shirt.
-- Leslie
Bailey's the one who sent me over to check out this post. Now I see why. As for being Kanner Lake's most eligible bachelor, I'll get back to you on that one.
I'm feeling sorry for this Paige gal. To find a body like that must have been . . . Beans! I can't imagine what it would be like. You tell her she's on my prayer list. I gotta get going though, promised one of my little neighbors a huge pot of chicken and dumplings.
Frank West is MINE, and don't you forget it.
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Bailey Truitt ~ Java Joint owner
Leslie Brymes ~ reporter extraordinaire
Carla Radling ~ realtor at your service
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Jake Tremaine ~ retired logger
Ted Dawson (S-Man) ~ sci-fi writer
Hank Detcher ~ pastor and friend
Janet Detcher ~ keeps Hank in line
Bev Trexel ~ retired teacher
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Sarah Wray ~ Simple Pleasures owner
Jared Moore ~ Kanner Lake Times
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