January 29

Jefferson hadn’t been any help.  He’d been as placid as a piece of paper, as stolid as cement.  What did he mean telling her not to let the situation upset her?  Not upset her!  She was months behind schedule and expenses were doubling.  Easy for him…he didn’t have to deal with Dad. He didn’t have to face that board of directors with their accusing eyes and stiff, aristocratic fingers tapping impatiently across the surface of the long boardroom table. 

A cut-glass apple sailed in a glinting arc that fruit does not usually traverse.  It bounced heavily off the cushioned divan right next to Booie’s skull.  Always interested in the Wrightley’s squabbling, this time Boo had regrettably not been careful enough to move toward safety when stuff began to fly.  Thunking onto the carpet next to the still-rolling apple, Boo’s paws skittered in panic before gaining momentum.  He eventually found himself cringing behind a wall tapestry.

Because his round eyes were focused on Andia, at first Boo didn’t notice the tapping on the terrace door next to his hideout.  When the rapping became more urgent, the pudgy, skewed-ear cat turned to see his neighbor, Lilliakilly, staring at him with disapproval.

“We need to talk!” her expression clearly demanded.

Boo’s first thought was that he couldn’t possibly open the heavy sliding door.  His second thought told him he’d be crazy to relinquish his sanctuary for any reason.  But his third thought had him scurrying as fast as heftiness would allow to the kitchen where there was a swinging delivery door he could get through.  

Lillia came into the pantry as Boo held back the door.  Her coat still held her own home’s warmth, so she hadn’t been outside long—obviously she’d come over right after hearing the sibling explosion.

“What’s going on?” she asked as if it were her privilege to know and Boo’s duty to tell her.   

“Look here,” his chubby lips blustered like the stereotypical, fat British barristers in one of Mrs. Wrightley’s old movies, “what’s it to you?”

“I’m here for the Community.  I want to know exactly what’s going on with your humans’ meddling on Long View Road.”

Boo mentally recounted several evenings where he’d heard the subject of Long View Road passed around with the dinner china.  But before he could say anything to Lillia, Andia stomped past both of them on her way to the kitchen.  She was going to make a phone call that she didn’t want overheard.