The Silence of the Chihuahuas Read Free

using her computer), a lovely iPad that makes it possible for me to share my words with you. It has taken a little while for me to learn to manipulate the touch pad with my paw, but I have now trained the tablet to do as I wish.
    It is possible that my silence will be good for Geri. She will have to develop her skills of observation and learn to trust her own judgment instead of relying on me. That will allow me to relax a little. It is hard for a little dog to be constantly protecting and directing his companion. Some days, I must nap for sixteen hours just to relieve my stress.

Chapter 2
    What to do? I was so upset I couldn’t think clearly. I would have called my boss, Jimmy G, for advice, but I wasn’t speaking to him because of the way he had treated me on our last case. And of course, I usually talked things over with Pepe. He loves to give advice, whether I ask for it or not. But he wasn’t speaking to me .
    I looked at him. He looked at me, with those big deep brown eyes. I looked at the phone in my hand. And then I saw the redial button.
    â€œAha!” I said. “Thanks, Pepe.” Although he hadn’t said a word. But I think perhaps I was inspired by his confidence in me.
    I hit the redial button and I heard the phone ringing on the other end.
    â€œForest Glen Spa and Clinic,” said a female voice on the other end.
    â€œOh . . .” I said. “What sort of clinic?”
    â€œWe provide a variety of services,” said the woman in a cheerful voice. “How can I help you?”
    â€œI’m trying to reach my sister,” I told her. “She just called me from your number.”
    â€œI’m sorry, but we cannot give out any information about our guests.”
    â€œCan you at least connect me to her room?”
    â€œThat depends. What is your sister’s name?”
    â€œTeri,” I said. “Teri Sullivan.”
    â€œJust a moment.” There was silence for a moment, and I was afraid we’d lost the connection. But the woman came back on the line. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but we do not have any guests registered by that name.”
    â€œWhat?” I was stunned. “She just called me!”
    â€œI’m sorry, but—”
    â€œAre you sure?” I asked. “Maybe you checked under ‘Terry.’ She spells her name with an ‘i.’ Try spelling it T-E-R-I.”
    I don’t think she even checked this time. “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but there is no one here by that name under any spelling.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œI’m sorry I was unable to help you,” she told me. And then she hung up.
    There was no use protesting any further. I put the phone down. Pepe was still watching me.
    â€œThis is terrible,” I told him. “I don’t know what to do.” My sister had disappeared twice in my life. Once when she was just a teenager and again during an earlier case I was working with Pepe. I was not going to let that happen again.
    I looked at Pepe. Pepe looked at me. And suddenly, I knew. If he could speak, he would tell me we should go investigate. In fact, he would say, “ Andale , Geri! There is not a moment to waste.”
    I turned on my laptop, and got the address for the Forest Glen Spa and Clinic. The website showed photos of what looked like a sprawling resort and said it offered “Holistic Healing in a Tranquil Setting.” It seemed to be a treatment center for addictions and psychiatric illnesses disguised as a spa. Luckily it was located in the lush valley between Woodinville and Duvall, which was about an hour drive northeast of Seattle.
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    I took the quickest route to Forest Glen that I could think of: east across the Evergreen Point floating bridge, then north on the 405 freeway to the Woodinville exit. Once we had driven through that town, we continued east through the forested hills taking the highway toward Duvall.
    It got