The Good, the Bad & the Beagle Read Online Free Page A

doormen, bit her dog walkers, and took special delight in nipping at young children. She wore a monogrammed sweater and a bow at all times. Perhaps Fitzy suffered from too much attention. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson called Veronica the Dog Whisperer because Fitzy adored Veronica. In fact, when their fifth dog walker quit, they offered to pay Veronica fifteen dollars a week to walk Fitzy. If Veronica had been able to convince her parents that she would be perfectly fine walking a ferocious dachshund, she had to be able to convince them to rescue an anguished beagle with psychosomatic hot spots.

 
    A Chance for Success
    Veronica returned from Fitzy’s walk with her plan for adopting Cadbury firmly in place. It was important not to engage with either parent too much before dinner. Her best chance for success would be at the table when her parents were relaxed and eating. She hung up her coat and steeled herself before going to the kitchen.
    Surprise surprise, her mother had the Hunan Delight menu in one hand and the phone in the other. How many times a week did the Morgans order Chinese food? Too many. Still, Veronica hoped her mother would order the string beans. She turned on the faucet and washed her hands.
    “Yes, chicken with yellow leeks,” her mother told the phone. “One order of dry sautéed string beans and one order of loofah. Thank you. What? Yes! Dumplings. Thanks for remembering! Life wouldn’t be worth living without your pork dumplings. Two orders. Fried.” Mrs. Morgan hung up the phone and flung her arms around her daughter. “How was school?”
    “Okay,” Veronica said, taking a stack of plates and a pile of napkins from the counter.
    “Let’s eat in the dining room tonight, okay, lovey? Tell me everything.”
    “There’s not much to tell. My uniform is too long, but you already know that,” Veronica said, very pleased with herself. Her plan had three parts and thanks to that last remark, part one was officially in motion. Part one depended on making her parents feel bad about how awful school was, that she had no friends, etc. Part two was establishing how sad Cadbury was: hot spots, unwanted, etc. Part three: BUY CADBURY. She was a genius. Cadbury was almost hers.
    “That’s it?” her mother said. “That was your whole Randolf experience?”
    “Pretty much,” Veronica said, putting plates and napkins on the table. Of course she could tell them about her teacher, about Morning Verse, about the two movie star girls with matching sweaters, but not now. Right now she had to stick to the plan. Mr. Morgan appeared from the powder room with wet hands. He kissed Veronica and dried his hands on the back of her sweatshirt at the same time.
    “Gross, Daddy,” Veronica said. He responded with another kiss.
    “What’s for dinner?” he asked.
    “Chinese,” Veronica and her mother answered in unison.
    “Oh, yummy,” her father said, clearly disappointed. Veronica and her father walked to the kitchen.
    “Marion, you’re such a good cook. Can’t you cook for us? Sometimes? Please?”
    “I am a good cook. But I don’t know how to cook quickly . I have a full-time practice, Marvin.” She handed her husband a water pitcher.
    “Couldn’t you just cook fewer things?” he asked. “I mean, I’m not a cook myself, but it seems to me that if you made fewer dishes, it would perhaps take less time?” He stood at the sink, running water, waiting for the pitcher to fill.
    It was taking forever to sit down.
    “I don’t know how to make fewer dishes. Even though I am in the mental health business, I have no sense of moderation.”
    “That’s for sure,” Veronica piped in. She grabbed three glasses from the shelf and filled them with ice. Her mother could hardly be accused of not knowing herself. When she cooked, she kind of went crazy. She made dessert from scratch, she made stocks and sauces and everything was delicious and it really did take her three days to feed the three of them and then she