The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting by John R. Erickson Read Free Book Online Page A

road.” She took a deep breath of air. “Officer Rocha, this has been a very bad morning for me. My husband’s dog was bitten by a rattlesnake . . . ”
    She pointed to me. I wagged my tail and tried to squeeze up a big smile for the officer but, well, squeezed up some more foam and drool on my mouth.
    â€œ. . . and I’m trying to rush him to the veterinarian.”
    â€œYes ma’am. I had you clocked at sixty-two coming off that hill.”
    â€œAnd I’m very sorry.”
    He nodded and smiled. “May I see your driver’s license?”
    Her eyes went blank for a moment, then darted to the seat beside her. “Officer Rocha, would you believe that I remembered to load the dog and the children . . . but forgot my purse?”
    Lines of concern gathered on his brow. “Hmmm. That’s not so good.” He took down her name, address, and so forth, and wrote it down on a pad. “Does this pickup belong to you, ma’am?”
    â€œNo sir, it belongs to our hired hand, and I wish I’d never seen it.”
    â€œDid you know the license tag is expired?”
    There was a long, throbbing silence. “No, Officer Rocha, I didn’t know that.”
    â€œThree months ago. And maybe you didn’t notice, but the inspection sticker is out of date too.”
    â€œI’ll kill him.”
    The officer stepped back and cocked his ear. “I’m guessing that your hired man needs a new muffler.”
    â€œBelieve me, the next time I see him, he’ll get a new muffler.”
    He returned to the window. “By any chance, are you carrying proof of insurance?”
    Sally May leaned across the seat and opened the glove box. It contained one greasy glove, a petrified apple, and three mud dauber nests. She slammed it shut.

    â€œOfficer Rocha, who will take care of my children while I’m in prison?”
    He got a laugh out of that. And then he started writing out tickets. “Ma’am, I’m going to let you go with three warning tickets, but I’ll have to cite you for not carrying your driver’s license. Just sign all these on the line.”
    She slashed her name across the bottom of all four tickets. The officer gave her copies. “When you get your dog fixed, I’d recommend that you not drive this pickup until it’s tagged and inspected.”
    â€œThat, sir, will happen.”
    â€œAnd in Texas, we do require proof of insurance.”
    â€œYes sir.”
    â€œWatch the speed, ma’am, and have a good day.”
    For some reason, she started laughing. “I’m sorry, Officer, but this is one of the worst days of my life.”
    â€œWell, I hope it gets better.”
    He returned to his car. Sally May ground the gears until she found one that would work, and off we went with a chug and a cloud of blue smoke.
    There wasn’t much conversation on this last leg of the trip. Little Alfred must have sensed that this would be a good time to observe total silence, and so did I. I hardly dared to breathe. Even Molly was quiet.
    Sally May, on the other hand, had quite a bit to say, but she said most of it under her breath, where we couldn’t hear it. I picked up just enough to know that this was not the day for joking or idle chatter.
    At last, we reached the vet clinic over on the east side of town. Doctor Hardy was a pleasant man, but his office made me nervous. It was filled with strange devices and odd smells. I took one look around the place and said, “I’ll see you folks back at the ranch,” and headed for the door. But he had already closed it.
    At that point, I tried to hide beneath a chair, but he and Sally May dragged me out. I had all claws extended and set in the Anchor Position, but the floor was made of slick linoleum and I couldn’t get a grip. They put me up on a metal table.
    I liked the vet right up to the moment when he came at me with that needle, and at that point I decided