The Passing Bell Tolls for Thee

11 Nala and Smokey

The next morning April came into the kitchen. Ben cradled Nala in his arms and coaxed her to eat from a dish of tuna he held before her. The Siamese cat sniffed the food and turned her head away.

"She won't eat, Mrs. Bigwood. I tried all her favorites and even tuna. She needs to see Geoff, but I must go to Bristol today on legal matters about Drew's estate that can't be put off."

"I can try to take her this afternoon, Mr. Muir, but I have a doctor's appointment," Mrs. Bigwood said.

"Maybe I can take her. I want to go into Pelham," said April, at the mention of Geoff Lanfair and the elderly cat.

"Would you?" Ben asked, stroking Nala's back.

"Yes, sure. I have to go to the post office, but she'll be ok in the car for a few minutes."

"Yes, thanks."

April filled a travel cup with coffee while Ben put Nala in her crate. She carried the crate to the the Mini Drew had purchased for her use when she worked for him and drove to Pelham. She stopped at the post office before driving to Geoff's office, which he shared with his partners.

***

Pelham Veterinary Partners was in a neat, white building with a good patch of grass and a few trees. A sign pointed the way to a dog walk, with a reminder to clean up after your dog. As she got Nala's crate out of the car, an orange cat walked past, stopping to meow at her. She scratched its neck and carried Nala into the office.

In the waiting room, sitting by the windows, were a woman with the fattest bulldog April had ever seen and a man with a red cocker spaniel. An old woman sat far from them with a crate on her lap containing a Siamese cat. April checked in with Sherry Musselwhite, the office manager. She tried to remember where she'd heard that name.

"Mrs. Waverly? Of Oakton, right?" The heads of the other pet owners looked curiously at her when they heard 'Oakton.'

Of Oakton? April thought, as though I'm a great landowner? She hid her giggles behind a cough.

"My Mark told me something about it." Mark Musselwhite, the farm worker who'd disappeared.

"Yes, I'm there right now."

Sherry checked her schedule. "Have a seat, Mrs. Waverly. Mr. Lanfair should be able to see you within the hour.

April sat down near the old woman, happy to see Geoff again. The woman read the label on the crate and peered inside. "Is that Mr. Ramsey's Nala?"

"Yes. She needs to see the vet."

"What's the matter wi' her?"

"Not eating," April said. She was uncomfortable being the center of attention, but people would be curious about her, so she wanted to be open. Her nerves were jangling after nightmares about the stag.

"Poor moggie. My Simon is from the same breeder as Nala." Simon curled up as small as possible and kept suspicious blue eyes on the dogs.

"He's very handsome," said April.

Sherry called, "Mrs. Tolson." Simon's owner nodded to April and carried the cat off to an examination room.

Next up was the bulldog, then the spaniel. April heard a bark from behind Sherry's desk. A half-grown Border Collie poked its muzzle out, tail wagging.

"Smokey, quiet," said Sherry. The puppy settled down on a bed and rested its head on its paws.

Soon the spaniel and its owner departed. It was April's turn. She carried Nala to the exam room. The puppy looked up at her as she passed, wagging its tail.

April put Nala's crate on the examination table. "Hello, Geoff. How are you?"

"Fine, April. I hope you're doing well." He noticed her hesitation and asked, "How are you settling in at Oakton."

"Oh, fine." She smiled. "Oakton is beautiful. Mrs. Bigwood is a wonder. I've had, I haven't been sleeping too well."

"New place, maybe. What's the matter with Nala?"

"She won't eat. Not even tuna. She's coughing, too."

"My. Is she drinking water?"

"Ben didn't say. Just not eating."

Geoff nodded and took the cat from the crate and was rewarded with a hiss. He checked her over, examining her ears and eyes. He opened her mouth. "She's old but still got a few teeth. Is she getting soft food?"

"Ben insists. Nala gets royal treatment," said April.

Geoff hands moved over Nala's body gently. "Hairballs. I'll give you a salve for her. You can buy it at pet stores, too. Give it to her according to package directions. She should be fine in a day. If she's not eating and drinking by then, bring her back." He looked directly at April. "One other thing. She's not grooming herself properly. Try brushing her every day if you can, or let Ben, because he's the only other person she likes beside Sir Drew. She is very old and I think she misses Drew."

April nodded. She liked the way he handled the cat, securely and gently.

Sherry knocked on the door.

"Come in," Geoff said, holding onto Nala.

Sherry opened the door and said, "Mr. Van Barden wants you to check his horse this afternoon, if possible. You haven't got any office appointments after lunch. Mr. Lever will be in, but you do have a visit to the Burch farm."

Smokey trotted through the door and sat down. Nala looked at the dog, her ears tracking his movements. Geoff put her in the crate.

"That won't take long. Tell him I should be there by 3:00."

"Yes, Mr. Lanfair." Sherry shut the door. The puppy held up a paw.

"Smokey, you're supposed to stay behind the office desk." Smokey's tail thumped the ground when he heard his name.

"Poor pup. His owner wanted him for a sheepdog, then decided to emigrate to Canada. Left him with us to find a new home. He's a fine dog, but he really needs a farm."

The dog walked over and laid down by them. April knelt and patted the dog. "You don't want a dog for Oakton, do you?" Geoff looked down at the woman and the young dog. Smoky rolled on his back for a belly rub, and April obliged. "You make a cute couple."

April laughed and looked up at Geoff. "It's kind of complicated." She gave the dog a last pat and stood up. "I don't actually own Oakton, and I have to meet certain requirements to inherit it. That will take a few months. I'd like a dog. I've never had one."

"If I decide to leave Oakton and go back to the States, I couldn't take him with me." Geoff nodded. April looked down at Smokey, sprawled on the floor by their feet. The young dog looked up at her, grinning. She had a thought. "If you like, maybe I could foster him for a while. At least he'd have the fields at Oakton."

Geoff said, "That would be fine. I'll pack up his things for you." He typed updates in Nala's records on a computer. "Would you join me for lunch? If you have time."

Giving her a graceful out. She put her hand on the crate. "I've got Nala. I can't leave her in the car. Ben is quite..." she searched for the right word. "Serious about Nala's well-being."

"We could order something from the Garden Street Café and eat in the back garden, also known as the dog walk."

"That'll work."