The next day, Qwill happened to be getting into his SUV, when a car he was not accustomed to seeing in his section of Indian Village passed by very slowly and pulled into a parking place in front of the condo vacated by Barbara. Out stepped a nice looking middle aged woman, medium height, and very dark hair, in a trim pageboy. The hair at first appeared to be black but he thought maybe it was very dark brown. She looked around and proceeded to the back of her nondiscript car and opened the back door. He noticed she had on khaki pants and a polo shirt of kelly green, tucked in neatly. As she opened the back door, a very large, very black dog emerged, with its tongue hanging out. It was a handsome dog and it politely walked beside her on a leash. She hand a key in her hand and she walked up to the vacant condo and unlocked the door and entered. Qwill thought, that must be the undercover investigator for the state police. Interesting looking woman. Handsome dog.

Good idea Joyce, on into the book I will imply that Susan and Qwill had grown close to each other after Barbara left and ate out often. Then we can decide.........later....in the book.......Susan or the new person?

Regarding Susan Exbridge, I can't remember how her story goes with Qwill. I was just impressed with her. But I like the dog angle. Your and Praline's story is going so well, I hate to spoil it with speculations. However, the dogs would be a great vehicle for getting Qwill together with the investigator who perhaps later decides to live at the condo.

The state investigator walked over to Qwilleran's door and peered in. No, she said, I only have one and she is a Labrodor. Qwill said, This dog came up from the creek and when I opened the back door, he ran in, Mud and all. Qwilleran looked at the investigator closely, his mustache prickled as he did. He tamped it with one hand, while holding the dog with his other. I am Jim Qwilleran he said, of the Moose County Something. Welcome to Indian Village. Chef Brodie mentioned someone was moving into the end unit. At the mention of Brodie's name, the investigator showed a gimmer of interest in her eyes. Very attractive woman, Qwill thougt. Intelligent blue eyes with long lashes, that he did not think could be completely attributed to make up. Peaches and cream complexsion, glossy hair, she looked healthy and well groomed. He quessed her age to be around 45, but it was hard to tell for sure.

My name is Anne Cunningham, the state investigator responded and she put out her hand. Qwilleran shook her hand and noted she had a firm handshake for a woman. He also noticed that she smelled nice. She smelled of soap and a spring day, it was a clean scent. He did not find it unappealing. He said, well it is a custom to have an informal pizza party for a newcommer here at the Village. What about tomorrow night, I'll invite some of the other residents and we can have it at the clubhouse. What do you drink and I will make sure the bar is supplied. She smiled at him, warmly and said, how nice, yes I would like that. I drink red wine with pizza, but anything is fine. I am a one glass girl. Okay, around 7 then. I'll see you then she said, adding does this county have an animal shelter you can take the dog to? Yes he told her and that is a good idea.

AFter she left, Qwill noticed Yumyum was missing and Koko was sitting about 4 feet from the dog staring at hiim. Koko old man, have you found a new friend? Koko just quietly stared at the dog. Qwill felt his mustache tingle. He had phone calls to make. First he called Weatherby Good and asked if he would like to come to a welcome party the next night for the newest resident of the Village. He then called Amanda, Fran, and the Rikers. They all accepted, and Amanda asked if their would be free booze. He told her he would provide the Scotch. Mildred said she would bring a large salad to compliment the pizza, and a strawberry pie she could take out the freezer, that she had nade earlier. Next Qwill called the Animal Hospital that boarded animals and asked if he might drive out and drop off a lost dog. After these arrangments were made, he sat down by the dog and stroked its fur. It was a well mannered animal with a sad look in it's eyes. A doleful expression, Qwilleran had been accused of himself many times.

Great idea Joyce. Thanks! And the mere fact that the dog was microchipped will lead qwill to believe this dog did not belong to Bixby riffraff. They would be the kind to own a mutt anyway not a breed. I thnk I will do both and the collar will contain something interesting. Also I will go back to where Qwill had amanda on the phone and she will be the only friend blunt enough or unmannered enough to blurt out to Qwill that everyone is talking about Polly being back and bringing her new husband. Qwill will find out from Amanda what Polly is doing in Pickax. And when she is leaving. Amanda will be a good source.

As he drove the dog to the animal clinic, he reflected on his conversation with Amanda Goodwinter. Before he could get her off the phone, she brought up Polly. She said she had seen her in town with her new husband. Blahhh she said, he looked like a stuffed shirt, but Polly looked 10 years younger she added. I told Amanda I had seen them from a distance. Amanda said, well she thinks she is to good for Pickax anymore, I heard she came to show her husband around and tie up lose ends before jetting back to Paris. Amanda snorted as she said it. You know she inherited all the Duncan money after Lynette died and that murdering scoundral went to prison that she married so quickly. Poor Lynette Qwill thought, at least her new groom did not get the Duncan money. Well Amanda said, I hope Polly is not repeating Lynette's poor decision, you know ....marry in haste.....Qwill said, how long will she be here? Amanda said, humpf.......she left this morning. Qwill had hung up the phone slowly. For some reason he thought she might stop by the condo and introduce her husband, but what am I thinking he thought, no, of course not. Qwilleran was deep in thought when he got to the 24 hour animal clinic that boarded pets.

Qwill explained to the animan clinic technician what he wanted. The technician handed Qwill the well worn collar the dog his around his neck. Qwill told him he would run an ad in the Something saying Lost Dog and give the clinic phone number as well as the number at the Moose County Something for responses. The collar was unusually thick and Qwill thought, it does not feel like it would be comfortable around a dog's neck. He directed the clinic worker to give the dog a flea bath and board it indefinately, instructing him to send the bill to the K fund attorney, G. Alan Barter. That errand completed, he drove to the newspaper office to place his ad and warn Wilfred of possible lost dog phone calls.

Anne, Praline,

I am ecstatic that you two are picking up the story and writing it in tandem! Thanks, Anne, for leading the pack! (No pun intended.)

Sorry that it took me so long to approve your posts and reply. I have been trying to research the villain issue, and I don’t have all of the LJB books in digital format yet, so I have to flip through to find out what happened in which story.

Regarding the villain—there is one villain that I was hoping would get her comeuppance in a future story. That is Alma James. On about page 181 of “60 Whiskers” (depending upon which edition you have) she makes off with a truck full of the Ledfields’ treasures after double-crossing Daisy Babcock who was trying to get them catalogued for a museum.

Alma arrives on the scene in “60 Whiskers” but since Liz died late in “Bombshell” it could be imagined that Alma might have been in county at that time. Perhaps she’s actually related in some way to the Bixby riffraff. She could conceivably been high on crystal meth one night when she ran Liz off the road at Bloody Creek Bridge. Since the police never released the details of the accident except the location, this part of the story could be filled in. Alma might have split the scene rather than be arrested for DUI.