Page 109 of Grave Danger

Cody gave him a look. “Really?”

“Yeah. I heard about it at Margie’s when I was picking up lunch yesterday, but I forgot about it once we got involved in evicting all those chipmunks.”

Cody chuckled. “So many chipmunks.”

“So many.”

They were past the cemetery by then, and the trees closed in on either side of them. Cody tried not to look for the spot where he’d hit the mayor, but he found the stain in the road without any effort on his part. He wondered if he’d ever not look for it when he drove out this way. He hoped it would eventually become just another spot in the road he was familiar with but not focused on.

The Hollow Leg came up on their right. The gravel parking lot was full, and music pumped out the propped open door. Sounded like Aerosmith, and it made Cody realize they hadn’t turned on the radio. Ah well, he liked sitting in silence with Demmy. It felt calm and comfortable.

A short time later, they entered the Harriettville downtown area. Slightly bigger than Parson’s Hollow, it took up four blocks and two streets. Bars, restaurants, and small businesses made up the bulk of the offerings, with a couple of banks, a funeral home, and a hardware store added to the mix. Cody only drove this way if he needed to buy something specific, or had a taste for something different to eat. Or if he was going to visit Jugs.

“How did Jugs’s skin graft go?” Demmy asked. “You called him yesterday, right?”

“I did. He said it went well. Just itching like crazy.”

“According to Jugs’s grandma, that means it’s healing.”

Cody chuckled. “Good ol’ Grandma Jugs.”

A short distance outside of the Harriettville business district, Demmy made a few turns into a neighborhood and cruised slowly down the block. Cars lined the street, and it took a bit of searching to find a spot big enough for the truck. They got out and walked back to the house where Jugs and Agatha lived, the sun still high enough to feel warm on their shoulders and backs.

Dave and Ollie waited for them at the foot of the driveway. Ollie looked smug, most likely because he’d found a parking spot closer.

“How far away did you park?” Ollie asked, then waved toward his car parked a short distance away.

Yep, that explained the smug expression.

“We had to park in the big boy area,” Cody said, flashing a tight smile, which Ollie returned in kind. Yeah, Cody really had to admit he was starting to like Ollie more and more. Not that he’d ever come right out and say it.

A chorus of barking as all four dogs announced their approach to the wire gate. Demmy laughed and started talking in a high-pitched, sappy-happy voice as he leaned in over the gate to let the dogs sniff him.

“Look how big you guys are!” Demmy looked at Cody, his eyes practically glowing with happiness. “I haven’t seen the puppies in a long time. Oh my gosh. They’re so big.”

The puppies, Abbott and Costello, were a mix of Deloris, the greyhound Agatha had while growing up, and Zydeco, a golden lab. They put their front paws on the gate and accepted Demmy’s petting and ear scratches with tongues hanging out. Zydeco sat nearby, waiting patiently for his turn, while Jugs’s Yorkie, Enid Helen, barked like crazy and occasionally spun herself in a circle.

“Hey, you made it!”

Cody heard Jugs’s deep voice even above all the dog-related racket. He scooped up Enid Helen, shunted the younger dogs off to the side, and opened the gate to admit them all.

“Thanks for inviting us,” Cody said, then took a look at the house. “Chez Jugs is looking pretty good these days.”

“Thanks. Even though it’s a rental, we try to keep it up. I’m telling you, it’s nice to be in our own place.”

Cody looked down at the white bandages wrapped around Jugs’s forearms. “Things still feeling good?”

“Oh, yeah. No big changes, which is what we’re all hoping for. Well, other than for them to just one day have magically disappeared.”

Cody held up his arm with his own white bandage. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It’s been a ride, hasn’t it?” Jugs said.

“That it has.”

Agatha approached with freshly opened bottles of beer she distributed as she urged Jugs to go back to his place at the grill. He gave her a quick kiss before strolling off to the back deck where a gas grill emitted delicious aromas. Ollie and Dave each took a beer, then both meandered off, most likely making their way to where Amelia, Otis, and Eileen stood talking with Lucia. Cody almost didn’t recognize Lucia because she was out of uniform, dressed in white shorts and a tiki-patterned button down shirt. What the hell?

Demmy headed off to greet Amelia and Otis, leaving Cody and Agatha on their own. After taking a long swallow of beer, Cody asked, “Any word?”