The Good, the Bad & the Beagle Read Online Free

and blue and white and dark green churned separately until they were sucked into the wrath of the blades all together.
    The pool of ideas the grown-ups in her life had access to was obviously bone-dry since Mary and her mother and her father said the same things all the time. Mary poured thick purple goop into a glass and pushed it toward Veronica.
    “And you know what else, Veronica Louise Morgan? Cricket Cohen is not the only girl in New York City. Maybe you make new friends. Better friends,” Mary said.
    Veronica didn’t think she told Mary lots of the things that worried her, like her entire relationship with Cricket Cohen for example, but Mary seemed to know anyway. Everybody knew. Sometimes talking about your problems was no help at all. But try telling that to a pair of psychiatrists.
    Veronica hopped off her stool to look for her favorite straw. It was usually in the back of the side drawer where her mother kept various kitchen gadgets and take-out menus though they always ordered from the same Chinese restaurant. She stuck her loopy straw into Mary’s latest creation with glee. She had to suck hard at the purple slush to pull it through the loops into her mouth. It wasn’t bad, even if it had kale and tofu in it and was probably healthy. Mary was good in the kitchen. All the ladies in Veronica’s life were.
    “You were thirsty. Now, my baby. Look at the glass. Is it full?”
    “Oh, Mary. Please . Not the half-full lecture.”
    “Yah, Veronica. Your whole life, you look at the worst side of everything. I think this year you change. I think good things happen to you at this school. I think you finally will change your perspective.” Veronica knew what Mary meant, but she also knew that however she looked at the glass—half-full or half-empty—it was still just half a glass. So who cared.
    Mary patted Veronica’s hair and poured herself a smoothie. She drank some and the funny-looking purple mustache it left above her lip made Veronica smile.
    “Yuck. You like this tofu business?” Mary said, and spit hers into the sink.
    “Yah,” Veronica said, “and you could too. If you change your perspective.”
    Mary laughed. She hugged Veronica close against her soft body and kissed her three quick times in a row like she always did.

 
    Dr. Veronica Morgan, Dog Psychiatrist
    On the Internet, later that afternoon, Veronica discovered three things responsible for causing hot spots. The first was tangled or matted hair. That only applied to long-haired dogs, not beagles. The second was allergies. Esme had never mentioned Cadbury having any allergies, so Veronica didn’t think that was relevant. The third was boredom, stress, or loneliness. Bingo.
    “Your dog,” the site said, “may need more exercise, playtime, or attention. Lack of any or all of these things may result in a dog who maims himself by constant licking and scratching.”
    The thought of Cadbury maiming himself made her finger itch and her heart break. Obviously if Cadbury belonged to the Morgan family, he wouldn’t be lonely, so he wouldn’t need to hurt himself. Adopting him was good for Veronica and crucial for Cadbury. Why should Mrs. Kreller be the only one to benefit from psychiatric intervention?
    Veronica would lay it on thick tonight, at dinner, but she had to finesse it just right. Her parents had to think adopting Cadbury was their idea. Her plan was so brilliant she could barely stand it.
    Meanwhile, it was time to walk Fitzy.
    “Be careful, my baby,” Mary said. “And don’t bring him in here to say hello. He is one dog that ruins the whole bunch.”
    “Of apples?”
    “Yah, Fitzy is more bad apple than one bad apple.”
    “Mary.”
    “Yah?”
    “Never mind,” Veronica said. Sometimes explaining the English language to Mary was a lot more trouble than it was worth. She grabbed a plastic bag from the kitchen and headed for the elevator.
    Fitzy was a miniature dachshund who lived on the tenth floor. Fitzy growled at the