Odette was the first to respond to the Two L’s’ stunning announcement.
“Well, somebody thinks Abra is valuable. As valuable as a goat!”
“No,” Lindsey said. “Somebody thinks she is a goat. They don’t know they’ve got an Af on board.”
“We’re talking about an Amish teenager,” Lauren said. “Do you know about them?”
I didn’t know about goats or Amish teenagers, and I said so.
“The goats are probably irrelevant,” Perry interjected, “except for locating your bitch. Amish teenagers, now that’s a topic worthy of discussion.”
“I don’t want a discussion!” I cried. “I want my dog back!”
“Since when?” Odette said.
Perry plunged ahead. “On the Amish Country tour, you learn that Amish teens get a few years to act out and test the limits. Then, when they’re eighteen, they have to declare whether they’re going to be Amish or not.”
Lauren said, “This teen was definitely testing the limits. He was drunk.”
“He was weaving all over Route 20,” Lindsey confirmed. “We were walking our dogs around the front of the motel when he drove by.”
“In a wagon,” Lauren said, “pulled by two horses. He stopped to talk with a couple kids in a buggy going the other way. One of the goats nudged open the latch on the back of the wagon, and all the goats jumped out!”
“Don’t tell me,” I moaned. “And then Abra jumped in.”
“Not right away,” Lauren said. “She came running from the direction of the motel. When she saw the goats, she chased them. All over the highway.”
“She stopped traffic,” Lindsey added. “It took all three teenagers to round up the goats. Then Abra jumped into the wagon when nobody was looking.”
“You were looking!” I said. “Why didn’t you say something?”
Odette answered for them. “When that bitch gets going, it’s like watching a train wreck.”
“Which way did the goats go?” Perry asked.
“Toward Nappanee,” said Lindsey. “The kid is probably driving them to his family’s farm. And that could be anywhere around here.”
She was right. Suddenly I regretted wolfing down the chili dog. But not nearly as much as I regretted coming to this event. I turned to Perry.
“Any suggestions?”
“Well, I’d recommend going into town. Based on what I learned during the Amish Country tour, everybody knows everybody for miles around. Find out who deals in long-haired goats.”
“And who has a rogue Amish teen,” Odette said.
“Oh, they all have one of those,” Perry said.
I moaned again, as much from my bellyache as from my brand-new headache over Abra. The Two L’s made their excuses and turned their dogs toward the ring.
“The judge is about to decide ‘best in show,’” Perry informed me.
“One quick question,” I said. “You were going to tell me about Ramona’s issues with Mitchell Slater…?”
“Only that she threw herself at him and was summarily rejected. Ramona doesn’t like it when she doesn’t get her way.”
“Who does?” I said.
Perry glanced about. “Not Susan, as you already know. Whatever you do, don’t miss the next round. Kori expects to be back in the ring with Silverado. But I imagine that Susan has other ideas.”
After he excused himself, Odette made a suggestion.
“I’ve thought of a way to simplify your search for Abra.”
“How about amnesia? If I forget I have a dog, I can go home. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.”
“I was thinking of your ex-husband. Jeb could come in very handy about now.”
“These dogs are calm,” I said. “They don’t need Animal Lullabies.”
“I was thinking of a search party. Jeb could be here to help organize one in thirty minutes or less.”
“It takes three times that long to get here from Magnet Springs!”
“By car, yes. But I’m going to ask Liam to fly him here. He has a second helicopter at the construction site and a pilot on call. If Jeb’s ready, so is his ride!”
I said, “Liam would do that for me?”
“No,” Odette said. “But he’ll do it for me.”
My eyes locked on hers.
Coolly she said, “Liam will do it for me because I’m going to make him lots of money. And I’ll make money faster if you’re working with me instead of running around Indiana looking for goats and teenagers!”
She had a point.
“Where is Liam?” I said.
“Sorting out something with Susan and Kori. Not my business.” Odette yawned. “You call Jeb, and I’ll call Liam.”
We speed-dialed simultaneously. Jeb was expecting me to call him back, anyway, just not about this. He listened without comment to my brief account of Abra, the Amish, and the long-haired goats. When I said that Odette could get him a helicopter ride here right away, he asked what I wanted him to bring.
“Besides a camera,” he said. “I gotta bring my camera.”
“You want pictures of Amish Country?“
“I want pictures of you and Abra at a dog show. Or nobody’s going to believe it.”
“We’re here as Bad Examples,” I reminded him.
“I only hope they put it on a trophy.”
Odette, who had finished her call, reached for my phone. “Let me talk to Jeb.”
She told him where to go and when to be there. I was sure he would obey; Odette had that effect on people. It explained why she sold almost every property she showed.
To me she said, “You need to make an effort to find Abra.”
“I always do!”
“Let me finish. Make an effort so that no one can accuse you of animal neglect. Or whatever the term is for repeatedly letting your dog run away. Between the breeders and Fleggers, this is a high-profile event.”
“I know, I know. But this time Dr. David can’t help me. He’s here in an official capacity, advocating ‘canine freedom.’ And the breeders don’t seem to like me. Plus they’re kind of busy with the show.”
“Exactly why I’m bringing in Liam’s other helicopter-and Jeb!” Odette said. “Whether you find Abra or not is irrelevant. Just make it look like you’re looking and then get the hell out of Amish Country. We have Big and Little Houses to sell!”