Page 86 of The Bad Weather Friend

As Spike used the remote to put up the garage door, Harper said, “I can see I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, learning all about your past.”

Fat Bob—also known as Bob, officially Robert Jericho—stood in the colorful, illustrated casket, glazed eyes open wide, taking slow and deep and steady breaths. To anyone awakened to the truth of craggledom, Bob might have been mistaken for a craggle in training.

Benny, Harper, and Spike gathered in front of the detective, who had been sidelined about seven hours.

Spike said, “What is this man to you, Benjamin?”

“He’s my friend. My only remaining friend—before tonight.”

“And to you?” Spike asked Harper.

“My friend and mentor. He’s nice but not too nice. He’s almost smooth and halfway to blue.”

Benny said, “He’s wise, wiser than I am or ever will be, but he’s never arrogant like those Better Kind people.”

“Can he keep a secret?” Spike asked.

“He makes a living uncovering secretsandkeeping them,” said Harper.

“Does he have any serious faults of which you’re aware?”

Benny nodded. “He makes fun of my hair.”

Spike said, “Perhaps making fun of it is his way of advising you to do something about it, in which case that isn’t a character flaw but a virtue.”

“Huh.”

“Did he assist you in choosing the decor of your house?”

“No.”

“Did he approve of that terrible chair?”

“No. It was a lovely chair, but he mocked it.”

“Did he approve of the Lucite lamp with the white shade?”

“He mocked that, too.”

“I like this man,” Spike said.

“You’ve never met him.”

“Harper can introduce me to him.”

“Icould introduce you.”

“No offense, Benjamin, but he doesn’t know the new you yet. He knows the Benny who was in thrall to Jill Swift, wanted to be Handy Duroc, and had not yet given his heart to a rabbit and a whippet. He will take what Harper says more seriously than anything you say.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Benny said.

“Of course you can’t. So I have decided to bring him into our little family, explain cragglekind to him, and dispel any disbelief he might have by giving him a demonstration of my unique physical abilities.”

“He’ll enjoy that,” Harper said. “But he didn’t have a chance to grab dinner on his way here last evening. When you’ve done your shtick and stuffed your heart back in your chest, he’ll be hungry.”

Spike patted his stomach. “I myself am already hungry. It’s been a busy few hours.”

“Well, then before we wake Bob, we better order in an early breakfast and have it all ready.”

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