WHUT TH HELL’S GOIN ON?

See if you can figure this one out. Tax season is off to a slow start so I came roaring into the driveway on my motorcycle about an hour or so early today. And what did I see? Both garage doors and the man door were open, the truck was gone, Curtis Seymour’s truck was sitting in the driveway with the lights on, motor running, locked and with two yippy dogs in the cab. Nellie was gone, some groceries were in a kitchen chair as if Kathy had just sat them down, and there was something wrapped in foil on the counter that I had found outside that morning and thrown in the garbage can. (We had figured the foil package found at the back door was something Nellie had stolen from someone’s garbage.) Obviously Kathy and Seymour had left in a big hurry I thought.

The only thing I could figure was that something bad had happened to Nellie and Seymour had happened along at that time. Maybe she had been run over. Maybe she had been poisoned and that had something to do with the foil package on the counter. Kathy would not likely have taken the truck unless there was a mangled bloodied Nellie to be hauled in the back.

First I called the Vet to see if they were there. They weren’t. Next I called Seymour’s and got no answer. Then I called work thinking Kathy may have called while I was in transit. She hadn’t. Then I headed out on foot up South Slope where Kathy usually walks Nellie thinking some accident may have occurred up there – nothing. Then I returned and further investigation revealed that the passenger door of Seymour’s truck was unlocked so I braved the yipping little dogs and climbed in and turned off the lights and engine.

Well, I was just about at the end of my rope. As I was digging around in the office to see if I could locate Seymour’s cell phone number they pulled up in the truck. Here’s how the puzzle falls together: The foil package was some bones too big for his little dogs that Seymour had dropped off for Nellie earlier that morning before we were up. He had dropped back by to make sure we got them. (Well, we had of course, but didn’t know it.) At the same time Kathy had just pulled up from grocery shopping. When Seymour went to leave he discovered his truck was locked which he blamed on the dogs. He then claimed they (that's right, the dogs) had unlocked the passenger door which I had entered. Now those dogs really know how to pull a prank! Riiiight. Kathy had taken Seymour home to get another set of keys. Seymour's truck was blocking the Magnum's garage exit so Kathy had been forced to take the truck. She hadn't taken Nellie for her walk so she just put her in the back for some kind of outing.

I can tell you it was quite a relief after all the tragic scenarios that had been running through my mind. Of course, if Kathy had known that I would have been coming home early she would have left a note. Well, it was a good laugh anyway. M/W