1c8c0f371c0d914159db2df0bf94b5c6

The truth of the matter is that dogs are very one-note in their performance, whereas cats put a lot more variety in their act. Then again, I may be prejudiced. But I don’t think so.

Soon, all was quiet again in Harrington Street, and we could finally get some sleep.

All but the zombies, of course, who were probably still lumbering away, now on the bottom of the ocean, trying to reach England. Well, good luck and good riddance.

Chapter 18

The next morning, very early, Odelia’s phone rang. Still groggy, she picked it from the nightstand, and saw that an unknown number was trying to reach her. As a reporter, she was used to unknown numbers trying to reach her, so she dutifully picked up with a reasonably cheerful, “Hello, this is Odelia Poole?”

“Hi, Miss Poole!” a very chipper woman’s voice tooted in her ear. “I’m very happy to announce that you have been selected to participate in the Peppard Pet Food Miracle Cure test program! When can you drop by with your sweet and cute furry friends?”

“Oh, that’s great,” she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I guess I could drop by today? That is to say, where are you guys located, exactly?”

When the woman gave her the address, Odelia realized that it was right outside Hampton Cove, which was convenient, as she’d feared the Peppard people were in another county or even a different state.

“Yeah, I can drop by this morning if you like,” she said. And when Chase, who’d also woken up, gave her a questioning look, she mouthed Peppard Pet Food, and he grinned.

For some reason Chase found everything connected with Odelia’s cat collection endlessly entertaining. And even though he couldn’t understand cats the way she and Mom and Gran could, he was privy to their little secret, and thought it was just great.

“I’ll pencil you in at ten, how does that sound to you, Miss Poole?” said the woman, still continuing happy-peppy.

“Yeah, that’s great. Oh, wait, you do know I have four cats, right? I did mention that in my application, I think?”

“Yes, I have you down for four lovely fur-babies. See you at ten, Miss Poole!”

After she hung up, she directed a keen look at the foot of the bed, where two pairs of eyes had eagerly been studying her throughout the entire conversation.

“You’re in,” she said, not wanting to keep them in suspense any longer than necessary. “The Peppard Pet Food Company has selected you for their test program!”

“Oh, yay!” said Dooley, actually putting his paws in the air. Max even want so far as to do a little victory dance at the foot of the bed, which consisted of a slight shake of the butt and a circular motion of his hips. It wasn’t as awkward as Gran’s nocturnal fertility dance, but it was still fun to watch, and made Chase laugh out loud.

What a nice way to start the day, she thought. And she hoped it was a sign for more wonderful things to come.

There was a commotion in the corridor, and as she shared a look with Chase, they both said simultaneously,“We have guests.”

Something she’d completely forgotten about.

So they both got up, and made their way into the corridor.

Libby looked up when they arrived, and said plaintively,“Jonah’s been in there for ages, and he won’t come out, and I really have to tinkle.”

Chase knocked on the bathroom door.“Everything all right in there, buddy?” When no response came, he knocked again. “Jonah?”

“Yes?” said a voice from the stairs, and when they looked over, saw that Jonah wasn’t in the bathroom at all, but coming up the stairs. He had a blush on his cheeks, and had clearly been out for a morning hike, hoisting his trusty camera on his shoulder as usual.

“Jonah!” said Libby, clasping a hand before her mouth. “But if you’re here, who’s in… there?”

They all looked at that bathroom door, which was locked, as Chase now ascertained by jiggling the handle.

Sounds could be heard from inside. Stumbling sounds. And when suddenly the knob turned and the door swung open, Odelia stifled a scream when she found herself looking into the face of a… zombie!

It was a female zombie this time, but she looked as zombieish as the two zombies she’d made the acquaintance of last night: bad skin, lots of sores, hair hanging loose and limp along a deeply ravaged face, eyes veiny and red-rimmed, and clothes very soiled.

The zombie merely stared at them, obviously as surprised and confused as they were, then broke into a lumbering sprint for the staircase, shoving Jonah out of the way with surprising force, and then proceeding to stomp noisily down the stairs.

“What the hell is going on?” Chase said, and made after the zombie.

Soon they were all in pursuit, Jonah looking excited about the prospect of getting some more zombie footage on film, and Odelia hoping that this time they’d actually be successful in catching the zombie and getting to the bottom of this baffling mystery.

She knew that zombies didn’t exist, but then who were these people, and what were they doing all over Hampton Cove—and now even using her bathroom?!