Throw in the Trowel Read Online Free

“Abby, watch out!”
    I froze. Then in the dim light from an overhead bulb, I saw that the center of the old concrete floor had been excavated, exposing a mixture of damp sand, stone, and dirt. I circumvented the exposed area by stepping carefully along one side and joined Marco on the far end. Seedy was wiggling in my arms, so I set her down, unsnapped the strap from her collar, and let her explore. She hobbled into the storage room, then peered fearfully around the corner at Stan.
    â€œWhat’s the problem?” I asked.
    â€œOld pipes,” Stan said, hitching up his brown work pants. “When ya got old pipes, ya got old problems.”
    â€œHe’s going to have to replace this whole section of plumbing,” Marco said, pointing upward.
    â€œMight have to follow the pipe up to the next floor,” Stan said, “but I won’t know that until I get started.”
    â€œWhy is the floor torn up?” I asked, looking back at the mess. Seedy ventured out of the storage room, her nose pointing toward the corner beyond Marco.
    â€œDrain pipe’s clogged,” Stan said. “We’re gonna have to clean it out.”
    â€œWill your insurance cover the cost?” I asked Marco.
    â€œYeah, good luck with that,” Stan said. “Insurance companies hate these old buildings.”
    â€œIt doesn’t look promising,” Marco said. “I’ll probably end up eating a lot of the cost.”
    Didn’t look promising for a new mattress, either.
    â€œYour dog likes it down here,” Stan said with a chuckle.
    I glanced around for Seedy and saw her digging in the dirt. “Seedy, no!” I cried. But she was having such a good time, she ignored me. It was too late anyway. I’d just have to wash her paws before I took her back to Bloomers.
    â€œSo what’s the game plan?” I asked.
    â€œI think we’ve got enough of the cement up to get to the old drainpipes,” Stan said. “If I have your okay, Marco, I’ll get my guys down here this afternoon to start digging.”
    Seedy gave a little yip to get my attention. When I glanced down at her, she dropped a dirty, old-fashioned wooden-handled garden trowel at my feet, then wagged her bushy tail, looking exceptionally pleased with herself. So pleased, in fact, that she forgot to be terrified of Stan.
    â€œDid you find a treasure?” I asked her.
    She gave another yip and hobbled back to her dig site, while I dropped the trowel alongside the other garden tools amid the junk farther back in the room.
    â€œHow long do you think the job will take?” Marco asked.
    â€œThat depends on what I find up there.” Stan pointed toward the ceiling.
    Seedy returned to drop a twig at my feet. “Good girl,” I said, giving her head a pat. She waited, tail wagging as though she wanted something else from me.
    â€œI think she wants you to throw it,” Marco said.
    I picked up the twig and tossed it onto a part of the floor that wasn’t torn up. Seedy watched it go, then looked back at me expectantly.
    â€œMaybe she doesn’t know how to play,” Stan suggested.
    I pointed to where it lay. “Go get it!”
    Seedy watched it for a moment, then looked up at me and tilted her head, as though puzzled.
    Now all three of us were in on it. While Stan crouched down to give Seedy a lesson, gesturing to show her how to run after the twig, causing her to back away in fear, Marco retrieved the twig and knelt in front of her, holding it out for her to sniff.
    â€œReady to go for it?” he asked her.
    I grabbed his shoulder. “Marco.”
    â€œI think she understands this time,” he said.
    â€œMarco, that’s not a twig.”
    Both men leaned close to look at the object in his palm. I stood up and brushed my hands on my pants, feeling as though I’d touched something disgusting. “That’s a finger bone.”

CHAPTER THREE
    â€œI t came