occurred Now there's even a rabbit living next door But I say to you again A dog and a cat living together Unheard of But in this awful dream the dog did move into the home that had previously housed only a cat me Dr. Jane Catson and my trusty housekeeper cook Mr. Javier a Castilian turtle Did I mention that in his spare moments while solving the case the dog invented a jetpack for the turtle so he could move more quickly from place to place It looked preposterous a jetpack on a turtle and I did worry about Mr. Javier's poor little brain as he was always going too fast and crashing into things Perhaps at some point the dog could create crash helmet for him Still it did have its advantages Formerly it could take Mr. Javier days to do a simple grocery run at his old creeping pace But after the jetpack arrived he could be there and back again lickety split It really was the most awful dream There was just one problem When I stretched and opened my eyes as I awoke I was immediately confronted by the dog from the dream He was sitting beside me on his haunches waiting somewhat impatiently for me to arise As I glanced up at him this Great Dane who insisted on wearing his deerstalker hat so often I had to frequently remind him to remove the ridiculous thing I was forced to admit yet again
My awful dream had actually happened Which meant that I really had somehow helped the dog to solve a murder and he had somehow wormed his way into my life with the intent to stay Well rats
CHAPTER TWO Yes as much as I hate to admit it the dog had moved in Despite all my protestations he'd fully ensconced himself in my home lock stock and water dish Incidentally his water dish alone was so big it might just as well have been a barrel And he'd brought all of his dog paraphernalia with him which included his fencing swords and equipment and his boxing gloves and punching bag Oh and his violin and music stand which he never uses anyway claiming that once he hears a piece he immediately knows it by heart He installed many of these items in my living room which he always refers to as the drawing room Before his arrival into my life my entire home had been an example of cozy good taste Why if not for the fact that I valued my privacy above all else a cover spread in Feline Architectural Digest would not have been out of my reach Take the living room Before the dog it had a high ceiling there are high ceilings which I love throughout my home and a stone fireplace with a mantelpiece
over it which you could see from across the room when you turned the corner at the top of the long staircase Before the dog the Oriental runner on the staircase leading up from the front door of 221B Baker Street was always pristine Before the dog the living room also had two deep red leather wing chairs that face toward the fireplace from either side but that could be turned to face the room if company came a long sofa across the room from the bay window a floral comfy cushion also in front of the bay window on which I preferred to take my indoor naps an occasional table upon which lay the black telephone only used occasionally various personal and decorative items like framed pictures and such and a large Turkish carpet covering most of the hardwood floor After the dog the living room still had all those things but it also had those items I mentioned the dog had brought with him and wait for it a basket filled with chew toys Now it's true although I haven't mentioned it yet that I keep my own basket in the living room But mine is filled with classy items balls of yarn in lovely colors like orchid pale pink and lime green cloth mice some with feathers attached for variety and jingly balls which are balls with bells inside I love a good jingly ball True they are not the classiest in appearance but I stow them discreetly at the bottom of the basket under the finer things whenever
