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Palatki

8x10 watercolor

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Well, it’s been a while since we’ve heard from Freddie - what on earth has she been up to? I guess I missed her last blog – and if I missed it, that means you did too. 😊 Let’s catch up!

A FREDERICA & CHLOE PICTURE BOOK MYSTERY – PART 7

A series of short-short stories featuring Frederika/Freddie and Chloe/Sweetie, Freddie’s cat

© Julie Gilbert Pollard

Home, sweet home…

OMG, FINALLY home – “home” being for the time being, my studio for the animals and me - and a hotel room for Wendy.

Now, this of course is old news at this point. The crime scene tape is long-gone from my house and things have “moved along” - though not necessarily for the better. We will get to today’s news in due time. But you’ll be totally lost if I don’t fill you in on the last few weeks…

So - to recap - while Wendy and I were watching Scruff tear around the park like a youngster, which he is not, we weren’t watching Chloe who almost got cat-napped. While we were dealing with Chloe after the failed snatching and trying to get her back into her Thunder Shirt, we weren’t any longer watching Scruff, who took this opportunity to run even farther away from our “home base” picnic table, so we had to go chasing him, after of course locking the now somewhat-subdued Chloe into my car.

Who knew Scruff had any zoom left in him. I would not have expected this surge of energy. What on earth has gotten into him? Canine Wheaties?

By the time we had our animals safely controlled, quite a bit of time had elapsed before we were able to call 911. “Someone tried to steal my cat while I was having a lovely picnic – about an hour and a half ago!”

I won’t share with you how the operator dealt with my “emergency”.

So, we go on home – mine and the animals’ at least – and Wendy comes with us. Again, we call one of the detectives – name doesn’t matter – he or she is not happy about being bothered by someone bothering us at the park. So, I don’t care about their names. So there!

I take a deep breath and attempt to explain why we felt it necessary to go up the food chain from 911 operator to “his or her majesty” a Detective. Yes, I put a capital “D” in my tone of voice.

Calmly I proceed: “I realize that all the ‘evidence’ has kind of seemed to be a bunch of disparate events, at least to an ostrich like me. But you guys are detectives” – this time my voice is italicized – “can’t you – in the name of all that’s holy - detect?”

Do I hang up on them or does he or she hang up on me? Someone did. Hang up.

I’m so frustrated because I’ve seen a picture forming, almost from the very start. And as far as I can tell, they don’t see or DON’T CARE. I mean – are they forgetting about Connie and her concussion? – and mine? I guess a cat-napping pales in comparison.

To be fair, the “picture” did kind of sneak up on me too, and I was there.

Take for example, the 2 concussions: mine, then Connie’s. Those point to something – but what? Well, obviously the young man who disappeared must be the common denominator. We have been assured that the search for him is ongoing.

His ex-girlfriend who was injured in my house is recovering. You’ll meet her later.

The big question for Wendy and me is this: are we on our own with this or are the police working on it in the background? The reassurance we are getting is not sufficient. Our lives have been uprooted. And we’re scared.

Wendy and I can’t help but try to figure things out for ourselves – for whatever good that might do us.

So – bullet points:

• A while back now, while I was peacefully and joyously painting “en plein air” by the river, I was hit on the head (concussion #1) and my camera and smart phone stolen.

• Someone is apparently looking for something that I apparently have - and I don’t know what.

• Someone left a switchblade knife for me to find on my patio table one fine morning – as a threat? – or is that person now wracking their brain for the last time they had it in their hot little hand? The police have it but have not told me if any fingerprints they may have found on it were identified.

• Someone is trying to steal my cat – to threaten me? To make me give them something I don’t even know I have?  

• Two or more someones broke into my house whereupon one of them was attacked and injured (concussion #2) by – presumably - one of the other ones.

• I am forced to feed and water wildlife (Sam, the skunk) as a somewhat unreliable guard-animal.

• Add to all this, Wendy’s threat from Josh – an unfortunately on-going drama. Connected?

We stop listing events. We’ve been over them so many times we’re exhausted.

I’ve about had it. How did life get so complicated? If it weren’t for my daughter and her lovely family or for Chloe, who depends on me…

Oh – what am I saying. I will definitely NOT throw myself off a cliff. I’m just so…

● ● ● ●

Wendy and I spend some time badmouthing the detectives, cursing the bad guys and generally feeling sorry for ourselves, etc., etc.

But before Wendy leaves for her hotel room, Detective Struthers calls back. We make nice to each other.

The cops at this point almost feel like family - dysfunctional family. And we’ve surely seen more of them than we have our blood families. And I know they are getting sick of us - as is quite common among actual family members. Not my family of course…

But - they are professionals - and Detective Struthers explains that we caught her at a less-than-best time. She’s had a tough day. I get it. Of course I do. I also have had a bad day – quite a few, in fact.

So, she listens with her detective brain – not her I’ve had a bad day brain I hope – and starts detecting. I’m pretty sure.

And after this last phone conversation, I do think that Detective Struthers is taking us seriously at this point.

“The wheels of justice” – and detecting – “turn slowly.”

● ● ● ●

Oak Creek

10x14 watercolor

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Dear Reader – Freddie doesn't seem to be making much progress on her book, what with everything that's going on. But I am painting rocks - and have been for many years now. Take a look at my article "Rock Solid" in Watercolor Artist, April 2018 issue, 7 years ago this month!

Here is the Dropbox link to the PDF document:

JGPollard_Watercolor Artist_Rock Solid_April 2018

PLEASE NOTE ONCE AGAIN: the mini art chapters following a story segment are written and illustrated – not by Freddie – but by Julie Gilbert Pollard - who has kindly allowed Freddie to borrow them for her blog. :) The STORIES are fiction - the CHAPTERS are non-fiction and quite valid!