The Big Chihuahua (18 page)

Apparently Fuzzy agreed because we left her in Felix’s hands and headed back to the compound.

“So what did Star want?” I asked Pepe.

“She’s going to hold some sort of special ceremony to announce a new training,” said Pepe. “And she’s going to feature me!” He seemed quite proud of himself. “She coached me a little on how to sit and where to put my attention. But she did not listen when I tried to tell her my ideas. I think, Geri, she can only hear me on the tape. Would that not be strange?”

“It would be strange,” I agreed. “But I do think she was able to hear you during the last session. Remember how you told people to bark and then she told people to bark. And you said you were the moon goddess, and then she came up with the idea of the moon goddess.”

“Maybe she can only hear me when she is in a trance,” said Pepe.

“But that still means she can hear you,” I pointed out.

“Not as well as you can,” he said. “You can hear me all the time.”

We had reached the front of the lodge. The lunch bell was ringing and the green-clad Dogawandans were filing into the dining hall. We headed inside and I looked around for my sister but did not see her at any of the tables.

Pepe insisted that he was hungry, so we went through the line.

“Geri, there is something I need to tell you,” Pepe said after we settled down at a table in the back where I could see everyone as they entered. Pepe sat on the chair beside me, his eyes level with the tabletop. I had gotten a plate of roast beef for him and grabbed a nice ripe peach for myself. “Artichoke knows you are working for a PI.”

“Really?” I almost dropped the peach I was biting into.

“Yes, she told Star that. She thought maybe you were looking for your sister.”

“And how did Star react?” I set down the half-eaten peach.

“She was mad at Artichoke. She said it was Artichoke’s responsibility to screen the participants.” Pepe was so earnest he was ignoring the beef on the plate in front of him. Or maybe it was because it was too big for his mouth. I picked up a knife and began slicing it into small strips.

“So they didn’t know we were looking for Tammy?”

“No, they did not make that connection. Instead Artichoke blamed your sister for that, too. She said that Flicker was responsible for the Darling fiasco.”

“So they think my sister killed Tammy and Mark?” I asked.

“Star said she did not want to shelter a fugitive from the law. It might put them under scrutiny. She said they should turn her over to the police,” said Pepe. He put his paws up on the table and sniffed the beef as I was cutting it.

“I wonder if Terry knows this,” I said. “I wonder if she has already left.”

“They also spoke about the money given to Broadbent. Star said she wanted nothing to do with it. Artichoke said it was necessary if Star insisted on expanding.”

I put the knife down. Pepe started gobbling up the slices of beef, wolfing them down like he hadn’t eaten in days.

I watched him for a minute. It was nice to see that our current situation did not affect his appetite. “Pepe, you should be able to smell my sister. Can you help me find her?”

It took a minute before he could respond, but then he said, “Of course, Geri. I thought you would never ask!”

He sat back on his haunches and closed his eyes. His whole little body began to shiver. He reminded me of somebody. It took a moment before I realized who it was. He looked just like Star channeling Dogawanda.

“Close your eyes and look within,” Pepe intoned in a deep voice. “And all will be revealed.”

“Pepe, I don’t need any of that phony wisdom!” I said.

“Do as I say!” he commanded. “You must obey your alpha!”

I sighed and closed my eyes. The next moment there was a pair of hands clapped over them, and a soft voice in my ear. “Surprise!”

It was my sister. She had slipped up behind me. What was even more surprising was that she was wearing my clothes: the jeans and embroidered Mexican top I had worn the first day. She had tied her hair back in a ponytail on the top of her head.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said, sliding into the chair beside me. “I needed some normal clothes if I’m going to go out into the world again. And I knew your clothes would fit me!”

“Yes, back to old times!” I said. We had fought about this constantly as kids. She was always borrowing my stuff without my permission. “But I’m so glad to see you,” I said, giving her a quick hug, “that I can’t be mad at you.”

“I just came to say good-bye,” Terry said. “I’m leaving in a few hours. . . .”

“Terry, there’s something I’ve got to tell you,” I said. “There’s a guy in Fern Lake who’s looking for a stripper named Breezy.”

Terry’s face went pale. “That’s the name I danced under.”

“My boss met him at a casino. This guy said he had searched all over Fern Lake for her, but when he heard about the Dogawanda Center, he thought she might be hiding out up here.”

“What does he look like?” Terry asked.

“Big guy, midforties, my boss said. He goes by the name of Curly.”

“Oh my God! Curly. He’s the enforcer for the mob!” Terry looked from right to left, as if scanning the crowd for him.

“Do not fear!” said Pepe, who had finished the beef and was licking the juice off the empty plate. “I have single-handedly brought down a Mexican drug cartel.”

“What do you mean your boss?” Terry asked.

“My dog and I are private investigators,” I said.

Terry started laughing. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No,” I said. “It’s true. We work for a PI named Jimmy Gerrard.”

Terry just shook her head. “So you’re snooping around looking for clues.”

“Yes, we’re trying to figure out who killed Tammy,” I said.

“Well, what have you learned?”

“I learned that you’re in trouble,” I said.

“I told you about that,” she said. “It’s all in the past.”

“No, I’m talking about right now.” As I spoke, Star and Artichoke entered the dining hall. I saw them looking in our direction. Star rang the large bell that hung at the front of the line. Instantly there was complete silence. The Dogawandans froze in their seats.

“I have an important announcement to make,” Star said. “We will be gathering in the Longhouse for a very special session immediately after this meal. I expect everyone to attend.” There was a murmur of assent and then the quiet murmur of conversation resumed but with an extra edge of excitement.

Star and Artichoke moved to the front of the line. They glanced our way before turning their attention to the items on the buffet.

“Do you know what she’s talking about?” I asked my sister.

She shook her head.

I was worried. If Pepe was right, my sister might be the one in trouble. Or maybe me. What did the Dogawandans do to spies in their midst?

“Star and Artichoke were talking about turning you over to the police!”

“How do you know that?” Terry asked.

“She learned it from me!” Pepe said happily.

“My dog told me,” I said.

Terry looked at Pepe and then she looked at me and then she looked at Pepe again.

“You know, I sort of believe you,” she said.

“You do?” I hugged her again. “Nobody believes me when I say my dog talks!”

“What’s family for,” Terry asked, “but to believe in us when no one else will?”

“Ah! A most profound thought,” said Pepe. And I realized that was true. I had to believe that Terry was innocent, just as she believed my dog could talk.

“Hey! I’ve got to get out of here!” said Terry, looking up and seeing that Star and Artichoke were approaching our table, their trays full of food. “Fox is going to give me a ride down to the bus station. I’ll make him wait until I get on the bus safely. See you later, alligator.” My eyes filled with tears at that familiar phrase. As kids, we could go on for hours with buttercups and humming birds. Terry gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried out the side door.

“Where is she going?” asked Star with a frown as she set her tray down on the table.

“I don’t know,” I said. It was the truth. Star seemed satisfied by that.

“I am so excited about our meeting tonight,” she said. Her eyes brightened as she looked at Pepe. “Now that Max has retired, we are so fortunate that you brought us this fantastic creature who serves as a mouthpiece for the Aztec moon goddess. I think we will all be surprised to hear what the moon goddess has to say.”

“Dearly beloved,” said Star, spreading her arms wide so that the kimono gave her the appearance of a magnificent peacock, all shimmering turquoise and green. We were all gathered in the Longhouse. I was asked to sit on one of the pillows in the front row, along with Artichoke and Fox. “We have just received the news of a great victory. The city council approved our request for rezoning last night at the special hearing! We can begin building our new temple, which will be able to hold twice as many worshippers.”

There was a burst of howling from the Dogawandans.

“Yes, it is truly an achievement. We have brought down our enemies through the power of positive reinforcement and mental telekinesis, transporting to them the vision of the great center we are establishing here on our land, which is now zoned for our expansion.”

Another great howl echoed in the shadowy spaces at the top of the Longhouse.

“And now we must listen to the words of wisdom that flow to us from the Aztec moon goddess, Ixoli-Pixoli, who speaks to us through this magnificent creature.” She gestured to Pepe, who was balancing precariously on a pile of pillows at her side, a pile of pillows that brought him almost level with her shoulders.

“Magnificent is right,” said Pepe. “Moon goddess, not so much.”

“Let us await the word of the Dog,” said Star, bowing her head.

Star remained slumped over. Pepe looked at me, his eyes sparkling in the candlelight.

“Oh, wise people of Dogawanda,” said Pepe, sitting up straighter. He surveyed the crowd before him with his bright eyes.

“Oh wise ones, beloved by Dogawanda,” said Star, raising her head.

“But I am not Dogawanda,” said Pepe.

“No, we are not speaking to Dogawanda today,” said Star, “but to the moon goddess, Ixoli-Pixoli, who has come to share her visions for the future.”

“I am not the moon goddess,” said Pepe. “Do I look like a moon goddess?”

“See how his fur shines with the reflected radiance of tonight’s full moon!” said Star. And it was true. Pepe’s fur seemed to glow. The assembled crowd gasped. What was it? A trick of the light? Or did Pepe have magical powers?

“I come to you with the wisdom of the centuries behind me,” said Pepe, seeming to settle into his role as the moon goddess.

“She brings us the wisdom of centuries,” said Star.

“For centuries, we little dogs have wandered the earth, invisible to many, ignored by some, mistaken as mere lap dogs. . . .”

“She says . . . ,” Star faltered. “I have,” she began again, “been roaming the earth, ignored and misunderstood for centuries. . . .”

“Yet our small stature and amazingly cute appearance have worked in our favor.”

“I may seem small but I am brilliant in appearance.” That was Star’s translation.

“We can go many places and gather information that others would prefer remain secret.”

“I bring you the secret wisdom that has been long concealed.”

“For instance,” said Pepe, scratching his side, “do you know that when people scratch themselves, it becomes contagious. Others begin scratching, too.”

Star looked puzzled but translated that as “Many small actions have ripple effects.”

I looked around. Sure enough, here and there in the audience, I saw Dogawandans scratching themselves. A woman scratched her nose. A man ran his fingernails along the nape of his neck.

“And do you know why?” Pepe asked.

“Why?” Star asked, completely forgetting her persona.

“Scientists have determined there is an area of the brain called the scratch matrix from which such impulses are generated,” Pepe intoned.

I have to say it is marvelous what my dog has learned watching TV.

Star took a moment to come up with a summary but eventually she said, “The human mind is a marvelous instrument.”

“And,” Pepe went on, “I also know that Mark Darling was murdered.”

Star blinked. “I know the secrets of life and death,” she said.

“And I know who murdered him.”

“You do?” That was me.

“You do?” That was Star. She recovered quickly. “Yes, I know many things.”

“I know,” said Pepe, “that this same person was responsible for the murder of Tammy Darling.

“I also know that you bribed Councilman Broadbent with money you borrowed from Leaf so that he would vote in your favor during the hearing.”

Star’s eyes flew open.

“Did you not notice that I was there in the room while you talked with your minion? I can testify against you.”

“You cannot testify against us,” Star said, completely forgetting where she was. “You’re nothing but a dog!”

“Nothing but a dog!” Pepe was indignant. So were the Dogawandans. Rustling and outcries.

Star turned to them. “I’m sorry,” she said, holding out her hands. “The connection is fading. I’m unable to continue.” She slumped forward dramatically.

“So much for appreciating the wisdom of dogs!” said Pepe.

Pepe was shivering as we headed up the hill toward the clearing where the film crew was working. I wasn’t sure whether he was shivering because of the cold—once the sun went down, the temperature had plummeted—or because he was stressed by the session with Star.

“Do you know who killed Mark?” I asked him.

“Not really,” he said. “But I thought we might get someone to confess. Unfortunately, Star is an imperfect medium. She did not convey my exact words.”

The session had ended in chaos. Fox had helped Star off the dais and out of the Longhouse. Artichoke had glared at me and told me to meet her in the Beta Barn for some discipline. I figured it was better to leave. I was hoping to hitch a ride back to the resort with Felix and the film crew and come back for our stuff in the morning. That way I might get another chance to spend time with my sister. Plus spend the night with Felix.

When we arrived at the meadow, it looked much different from earlier in the day. A few lights were set up, down low among the trees. They cast eerie shadows on the tree trunks. But the full moon was so bright there was almost no need for lights. It had just risen over the tree line and illuminated the entire scene.

The cameras were still in the same positions, one on the side, the other at the end. The director and actors huddled around the camera in the woods. Felix and the wolf-dogs were nowhere in sight. Chloe was shivering as usual, perhaps because she was clad only in a fluttery pink chiffon dress, but someone had loaned her a black Windbreaker. She wore it draped over her shoulders.

“Chloe, I keep telling you, you don’t have to worry about the wolves,” the director said. “They won’t be out there at the same time you are.”

“Where are they now?” asked Chloe, looking up and down the meadow, still nervous.

“Felix has them restrained over there,” said the director. He pointed to the other end of the meadow. “We’re going to shoot the wolves first.” He spoke Felix’s name into a mike pinned to his lapel.

I saw Felix step out into the moonlight from the shadows of the trees and wave his hands.

“We’re ready for the shot with the wolves,” the director said.

Felix turned around to speak to someone behind him, then headed over to our end of the set at a brisk run. He gave me a quick hug when he saw me, then signaled his assistant in the shadow of the trees. I could see the two wolf-dogs, low gray shapes standing by the person in the distance. The director gave instructions to both cameramen. Chloe stood to one side, hugging herself.

At a signal, the wolf-dogs were released and came streaking across the clearing. They looked magnificent in the moonlight, just like wild wolves, sleek and graceful, bounding through the grass. As they got closer to us, Chloe shrieked and covered her eyes, turning her back. The wolf-dogs came on, closer and closer.

“Stay!” Felix’s command rang out, and the wolf-dogs skidded to a halt. They lay down in front of him. It was quite amazing. I almost hugged him.

“Great work!” said the director. He checked in with the two cameramen and they both said they wanted a second take.

“Nice work, cousins,” said Pepe to the wolf-dogs.

“Can we do my scene next?” Chloe asked.

“Sure!” The director looked around. “Just remember. In this scene, we’re going to superimpose the shot we just took of the wolves running. So when I call action, run toward us. Look at the camera, then look behind you and pretend you see the wolves chasing you. Look at the camera again and scream. Run even faster and as you approach the mark, fall down. That will be the point at which the werewolf overtakes you and changes into a man. We shot that earlier. Think you can handle that?”

Chloe nodded.

“Why don’t you go hang out with Tavo at the other camera?” Felix said to me. “I’m going to walk the hybrids back so they’re in position for the next round.”

I headed over to the camera to the side of the set. Chloe passed by us, trudging through the tall grass, until the director called out that she should stop. We all waited as everyone got into position. Felix delivered the animals to his assistant and then walked back and stood beside me and Pepe, putting his arm around my shoulders.

Chloe shrugged off the Windbreaker and tossed it into the woods.

“Action!” screamed the director.

Chloe began running.

She looked so vulnerable, with the pink dress fluttering around her, the dark trees in the background. I could see why they had chosen her for this part. She truly looked like a victim. But she did not look scared. She was supposed to be screaming, but she was simply uttering little halfhearted shrieks as she ran and looking back over her shoulder with the bored expression of someone maybe playing hide-and-go-seek.

“Look terrified!” the director shouted.

“She is a terrible actress,” said Pepe.

Just as she passed us, Chloe looked back over her shoulder and suddenly she did indeed look terrified.

“Wow! She takes direction well,” said Pepe.

But it wasn’t the direction that was motivating her. As I looked to the right, I saw the wolf-dogs bounding out of the woods behind her, snarling and snapping. Chloe screamed and ran like her life depended on it.

“My God!” I said.

“This is not good,” said Pepe.

“What the hell!” Felix ran forward. “Chloe, stop running!” he yelled.

Chloe screamed, then tripped and fell down—just like the director had told her to do. Except this was for real.

“Keep the camera rolling!” the director yelled. “This is great footage!”

Felix had almost reached Chloe’s side. But so had the wolf-dogs.

Chloe scrambled to her feet just as Felix reached her.

“Stop!” Felix commanded the wolf-dogs, getting between them and her. “Stay, damn it!”

Chloe ran right past him, heading into the woods, and soon was gone from sight, though we could hear her crashing through the underbrush and screaming as she went.

My heart was in my throat as Felix confronted the wolf-dogs. They veered around him and took off into the woods, heading after Chloe. Felix ran after them.

“You are safe now,” Pepe told me. “I must go help Felix. He needs help.”

He was gone, too, before I could object.

What a disaster. I couldn’t let my dog go after Felix and those wolf-dogs alone. But then I heard a voice shouting, “Over here!”

It was Artichoke. She had come out of the woods to my right. Her long braid had come loose and was flapping around her shoulders. She seemed frantic.

“Help me!” she said. “We’ve got to get their leashes and muzzles so they can be restrained.”

I followed her to the other end of the clearing. I could no longer hear the sounds of the chase, but I could see her point. Felix could not simply wrestle the wolf-dogs to the ground. I wondered what had gone wrong with his assistant.

We emerged in a clearing, and I saw two large wire cages that had been set up to confine the wolf-dogs until they were needed. Two chain leashes were staked to the ground, and attached to the ends of them were the wide leather collars for the animals. “Where’s the assistant?” I asked. “How did they get out of their collars?”

“I don’t know,” said Artichoke as she bent over one of the leashes and unhitched it from the stake to which it had been fastened. “Hurry!”

I bent down and unhooked the other leash.

“This way!” said Artichoke, heading into the woods.