Chapter Twenty
Minutes later, Red arrived. He also handily dismissed the extremely-curious Erma. Red rushed in the front door while he talked on the phone with the state police. “Mama?” he called out.
“In the kitchen. With the perp,” Myrtle called back. “He hasn’t woken up yet.”
Red jogged in to see his mother brandishing her new fire extinguisher over Tarleton’s head, Tarleton lying in a heap on her kitchen floor, and Puddin standing sullenly off to the side as if ready to flee at any time.
“Will he wake up?” asked Red. “Have you checked for a pulse?”
“Oh, he’s alive. Although I can’t seem to muster much sympathy for him,” said Myrtle.
“I had Erma call an ambulance,” said Red. “Even though I wasn’t exactly sure what type of emergency I was walking into here.” He paused. “I’m taking
