Chapter OneIt was another steamy hot summer afternoon and Myrtle Clover was keeping cool indoors by staying glued to Tomorrow’s Promise, her favorite soap opera. Her avid viewing of Kayla’s daring rescue from a bizarre cult was suddenly and rudely interrupted by a cat’s screaming wail and the sound of dogs snapping and growling outside.
“Pasha!” she gasped, struggling to her feet from the padded softness of her recliner and knocking a half-finished crossword puzzle from her lap. Grabbing her cane in one hand and seizing a nearby pitcher of lemonade in the other, she bolted out the front door.
Two large dogs were on her front walk, snapping at and nosing a black, hissing, frightened cat that was trapped between them and fighting to get out. Myrtle bellowed, “Stop!” and flung the lemonade
