Page 15 of Eagle Eye
"Okay, here's the plan. First, I raid Aunt Ruby's medicine cabinet for some headache stuff, and then we drive downtown to the square where the statue is. Was."
Logan raised a hand. "Um, Tess? Lass? I also grew up on a farm, and we call that shutting the barn door after the horse runs out. What good will it do to look at where the statue used to be?"
I didn't believe that he grew up on a farm, and suddenly that felt like an important point to make.
I leaned toward him. "Really? How often did you rasp your horses' teeth?"
"Never," he said, also leaning forward.
"Aha! So youdidn'tgrow up on a farm!"
"We had sheep. A lamb rasp is considerably smaller than a horse rasp, by the way. And no, my vet wasn't Dr. Herriot fromAll Creatures Great and Small, before you ask."
"That's too bad," I said. "I love those books. But of course he was before your time."
"And in the wrong country," Jack pointed out, a disgruntled expression on his face. "If we're done playing the barnyard version of Twenty Questions, let's go."
"To the town square?" Logan's eyes widened. "Why would we do that?"
"Because we've gotten a lot of practice at solving mysteries this past year, and if Tess thinks we should go to the town square—"
"To look for clues," I put in.
"—to look for clues, then we're going to the town square to look for clues."
Logan shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Maybe Sherlock Holmes will show up," he said, heavy on the sarcasm.
"I doubt it. Come on. Lou can stay here for the afternoon," I said, stopping for a couple of pain meds and then leading the way out of the house, while silently apologizing to Aunt Ruby for not staying to help clean up. "But Sherlock Ermintrude might. He usually goes for a walk about this time on Sundays with the orangutan he rescued, unless he's already flown Lucille Ball back to Borneo."
Logan said nothing until we were outside and walking toward Jack's truck, but then he heaved a sigh. "I know I shouldn't ask, but why does Sherlock Evinrude—"
"Ermintrude."
"Why does Sherlock Ermintrude have a pet orangutan? Let alone take it for walks?"
I whipped my head to the side to pin him with a disgusted look. "He most certainly does not have a pet orangutan. Not only is keeping orangutans as pets illegal in most places, but it would be terrible for Lucille. He rescued her from an animal trafficker who'd sold her to a rich, stupid guy who hadn't yet taken possession. Sherlock was only waiting for the paperwork to come through to take her home to Borneo to the animal reserve there that will teach her to live in the wild again."
"Sorry, sorry. He sounds like a genuine hero," Logan said, with only a hint of sarcasm this time. "Why is she called Lucille Ball?"
"That's her name." I raised an eyebrow at Jack, wondering if Logan might not be very smart.
"I realize that's her name," Logan gritted out. "Butwhyis it her name?"
"Ohhhh. It's the red hair."
Logan blinked.
Jack gave him a bland look. "What else would she be called?"
Then Jack opened his truck's passenger door. "Why don't you ride with me since your head's still hurting, Tess? Mike said he'd bring your car over later."
I hesitated, because I needed to be at work bright and early in the morning, but another pulse of pain in my head decided me.
"Okay. Yes. But after we look for clues, I need to go home and take a nap."
Jack put an arm around me and guided me into the truck, and I was too worn out from the constant head pain to argue with him about being able to climb in on my own. I think that worried him, but I couldn't summon the energy to reassure him.
Logan walked up to the truck and acted like he was going to climb into the cab after me, but Jack blocked him.
