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“Really.” Izzie nodded. “If anything, you’re overdressed.” She giggled. “Puh-lease. You were always a geeky fashionista.”
“Talk about a mash-up. When I think of geek I think of those nimrods from that show where they’re scientists or something?”
“Big Bang Theory,” Izzie said.
“That’s the one. I could never get into that show. Surprising for someone who considers herself somewhat of a geek.”
“They were nerds. Big difference, you know,” Izzie joked.
“I’m going to freshen up. Give me a few minutes.” Zoe went back upstairs. She peered deeply into the bathroom mirror and decided if nothing else, a modest makeup refresh was called for. Just enough to hide the circles under her eyes and brighten her cheeks. She peered at the leather portfolio sitting on the chair in the corner. It contained her incriminating evidence. Even though she suspected someone was following her, she’d decided it was better to bring the invoices with her rather than run the risk of someone breaking into her apartment while she was away. If they were simply trying to scare her, they were doing a good job. But for the moment, she felt secure. She tucked the leather pouch under her arm and headed down the stairs.
Chapter Four
Pinewood
A little after four P.M., Izzie, Zoe, and Rufus climbed into Izzie’s SUV. Rufus was unusually excited, with both his tongue and tail wagging. He knew he was either going to the big dog park or to visit his doggie pals. Dogs have an innate sensitivity. They can sense things long before humans can. Izzie looked in the rearview mirror. “Going to see Lady, eh?”
He made a funny sound, as if he were trying to say “yay!”
Zoe and Izzie laughed out loud. “He knows the difference between fun time and work time. When I bring him to the office, he lies flat on the back seat. Almost sulking, like taking a kid to school who’d rather play all day.”
“Doesn’t he like the office?” Zoe turned to look at the exuberant dog.
“He doesn’t dislike it. He’s fine with people coming and going, but he isn’t in his own space. He can’t always take a nap when he wants to or watch his favorite TV show.”
Zoe gave Izzie a sideways glance. “He has a favorite TV show?”
Izzie chuckled. “Several. There’s Scooby-Doo and Frasier. He loves Eddie, and Comet from Full House. I had to sign up for special subscriptions to get some of those shows. Thank goodness my pal Gail Edwards from Full House was able to get me the collection. I spend more money on television for him than Abner and I do for ourselves!”
“That’s hilarious. Does he know how to change the channels?”
Izzie bit her lip. “You know Abner is a total computer whizbang genius, right? Well, you may find this hard to believe, but Abner produced three different devices. Each has an individual picture of the dog in the show. The pad on the device is big enough so when Rufus puts his paw on it, the TV will bring up the show he wants to watch.” Izzie kept her eyes on the road. “Really. It took a bit of training, but he figured it out. There’s a professor of psychology and canine research at the University of British Columbia. His name is Stanley Coren. His team studied over two hundred dogs and discovered most dogs can understand about one hundred fifty words and have the intelligence of a two-year-old child.” Zoe exited the highway and drove down a country road. “According to canine research, they found Border collies were the smartest, then poodles, German shepherds, Shetlands, and Labradors. And Rufus is half poodle and half Lab so he’s in the top five.” She glanced into the mirror again. “Right, pal?”
He let out a little yap.
“My cats only know how to turn on the TV.” Zoe chuckled. “They haven’t mastered the art of changing the channels. But they know how to open the pantry door and the dry food container. I tried to put it up on a shelf, but they climbed their way up and it rained kibble all over my pots and pans. Now the container is back on the pantry floor should they decide it’s snack time. You gotta love ’em.”
“You’ve got that right. When I finally got out of jail, the first thing I did was go to the shelter, thanks to Myra’s advice.”
“You and Myra are really close, aren’t you?” Zoe asked. At first, she’d thought Izzie and Myra were simply social friends, but she was beginning to see there was a much deeper connection.
The farther they drove, the thicker the canopy of trees became. They were most certainly in the country. “It’s beautiful out here.” Zoe gazed out at the bucolic scenery.
“Myra owns a lot of the property on the right. The farmhouse is secluded past that grove of trees.” Izzie turned the vehicle onto the gravel driveway that led to the house. The façade of the building was immaculate, as were the grounds. “Hard to believe this place is over a hundred and fifty years old. Myra and Charles try to maintain the historical aspects without making it look like a relic.”
“It’s quite lovely,” Zoe said with admiration. “I feel like I am in the setting of a novel.”
“Yoko keeps the landscape in fine order.” Izzie pulled the vehicle around to the back where everyone entered through the kitchen.
The whir of a golf cart came whizzing from behind them. “What the—?” Zoe blurted.
“That would be Annie!” Izzie gave a big wave. “Hey there!” She turned back to Zoe. “She’s the Mario Andretti of the neighborhood.”
Annie bounded out of her golf cart and gave Izzie a great big hug. “Isabel Flanders! I was so happy when Myra told me you were coming over.”
Izzie introduced the two. “Annie, this is one of my best college mates and former building department colleague, Zoe Danfield.”
Annie quickly offered her hand. “Lovely to meet you, Zoe Danfield.”
