The Silence of the Chihuahuas Read Online Free Page B

armchair covered in green leather. Whereas Brad is blond and willowy, Jay has the bulk of someone who loves food and the reddish complexion of someone who loves wine. They couldn’t look more unalike, but they’ve been together for over ten years. They fight all the time, but they love each other fiercely.
    Pepe jumped up on the sofa beside me and stared at the bird on Jay’s shoulder as if warning it that he would bite it if it came anywhere near me.
    â€œThanks, Pepe!” I said, patting him on the head.
    â€œYour dog still talking to you?” asked Jay with a bit of a sarcastic twist in his voice.
    â€œIronically, no,” I said. I was surprised and a little hurt that Brad had discussed my talking dog with his partner, but hey, that’s what partners are for. I had discussed Brad’s disappearance with my boyfriend, Felix. Felix told me to give him some time. Sometimes good friends, old friends, need a break, he said. I wondered if that was code and Felix needed a break.
    â€œBrad thought it was cute,” said Jay. His voice got sad. “It made him want a dog more than ever. I told him he couldn’t have one. Do you think that’s why he left?” His voice was now wistful.
    â€œWhat do you mean left?”
    Jay looked embarrassed. “Well, I hadn’t seen him for a couple of days. I thought he was off on one of his little shopping sprees.” It was true. Brad could take off to go check out an antique store in Arlington, a small town north of Seattle, and end up two days later two states away in Montana, buying the entire inventory of a taxidermist who was going out of business.
    â€œWas he acting weird before he left?” I asked.
    â€œYes, he was jumpy and irritable. And when I asked him why, he just snapped at me.” Jay flapped his hands in the air near his head to indicate how frazzled he was. That disturbed the parrot who flew up, circled around my head (I ducked) and then settled on a nearby lamp. “I thought he was getting cold feet.”
    â€œCold feet about what?”
    Jay’s big brown eyes got sad. Almost as sad as Pepe’s eyes when he wants something. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”
    â€œWhat? What are you talking about?”
    â€œThe wedding. Our wedding.”
    I was shocked. “You and Brad are getting married?”
    Jay nodded. “On Halloween. But if he didn’t tell you, his best friend . . .” His voice trailed off.
    Pepe was sitting at my feet, looking at me. He seemed to be trying to get a message through to me. Oh, a message.
    â€œYou said he left some sort of message,” I said. “What did it say?” I swear Pepe nodded his head. I could almost hear him saying, “Good work, partner.”
    â€œI’ll show you.” Jay got up and went out into the hall. He came back with an invoice, a bill for an armoire, on which was scribbled in Brad’s loopy handwriting:
    Crisis in the kingdom. Off to slay the dragon. Home soon.
    I looked at it. I read it out loud for Pepe’s sake.
    â€œWhen did you get this?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” said Jay. “I just found it this afternoon. It was on top of the bureau in Brad’s room. You know I never go in there.”
    I knew that Jay was horrified by Brad’s messiness so they had separate bedrooms. Jay was a neatnik whereas Brad scattered chaos in his wake.
    â€œDo you know there’s a three-day Pay or Vacate notice at the store?” I asked.
    Jay ran his hands through his tousled hair. “Yes, the landlord has been calling. He says Brad is six months behind on the rent. I told him I would send him a check, but he said he’s tired of having to chase after Brad for the rent.”
    â€œMaybe Brad was referring to the landlord when he said he was going to slay the dragon?” I asked.
    Jay brightened. “Could be. Never thought of that.”
    â€œCan you give me the