38

Chapter 38

     True to form, Edgar knocked on the door at exactly seven o'clock with his Top Three List for Ethyl. It took me a while to explain the recent and unanticipated going-ons with our circle of friends. Admittedly, it was confusing.

Things, they are a-changin'.

     In catching him up, I chose to leave out the part about a dog head blessed with the gift of speech. In fact, I doubt I'll ever discuss that with anyone. Too weird.

     Bufford emerged from the shower a few minutes later, took up the note again and re-read it. He said he needed to do some research at the library and headed out with the last V8 and a slice of white bread in a Ziplock.

     I could tell that Edgar wanted to stay for dinner, so we ordered pizza. We pulled out the lawn chairs, leaving one empty for Bufford's return, and added one from the kitchen for Edgar. We were out of beer and V8s so I left him at the house for the Stop N Shop. The sun was an angry orange descending over the rooftops. It reminded me of what a nuclear explosion might look like if those talks with North Korea went south, (pardon the pun).

     I heard the front door of Ineola's house open and close around 11:00. I didn't go over. I'd promised to support his quest and for now that probably meant giving him room to think right now. I folded up the dog suit and placed it on one of the lawn chairs on the front porch. I returned to the living room. The dog head was sitting off-center on the La-A-Boy, its right ear flopped across an eye. I considered it a while, then gingerly picked it up and walked it outside. I leaned down and rested its bulk against the porch column, then closed the front door, locking it. Walking to my bedroom, I could have sworn I heard someone say, "Goodnight, Brody".