Free Beds and Blazes by Bebe Balocca Page B

he’ll react, Lowell thought grimly. With disappointment and anger. The real question is, what can Gavin do about it? Lowell squared his shoulders. He’ll just have to accept it, Lowell decided. And if he can’t, well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
    “The Rossi family is special,” he began.
    “Yeah, I’ve seen that. You’re weirdly close to your siblings—you all still live a stone’s throw away, for Pete’s sake. But what does that have to do—”
    “No, not special like that. We are the Fair Folk. It’s…” He placed one hand on her upper arm and squeezed meaningfully. “It’s a kind of magic, Dora.”
    Dora studied him, confused, then squinted over his shoulder. “Is that a possum on my front porch?” she gaped. “Are you kidding me?”
    Lowell whipped his head around and caught a glimpse of a thin, stooped form through the lace panel of Dora’s front door.
    “Gnome,” he glowered. “I should have known.” He ran towards the front door, growling with rage. “Gnome! I’m coming for you!”
    “Wait, wait!” Dora shouted.
    Lowell threw open the front door and grabbed Bufo by the throat. “It was you, you rotting piece of troll dung, lurking about and making mischief—”
    “Lowell, what are you doing?” Dora screamed. Lowell, snarling, turned to her with Bufo’s skinny body dangling from his grip. She held her hand to her mouth, horrified. “You’re a—you’re a monster!” she accused. “Anyone who would throttle an innocent possum is…” She shook her head and pointed an angry finger at him. “Not someone I want near me. You let that poor animal go this minute!”
    Lowell gritted his teeth and gave Bufo a furious shake. Dora began to sob. “I’m calling the police.” She withdrew her cell phone from her pocket and dialled.
    “Fine!” Lowell shouted. He flung the whimpering gnome down on the porch floor. “Get out of here, you snivelling piece of crow shit! And hope you don’t see me again!”
    Bufo scampered out of sight.
    “Yes, I’d like to report an instance of animal cruelty,” Dora spoke into the phone. “Yes, ma’am. It was Lowell Rossi.” She paused. “Well, I’m not sure of his address, other than somewhere in Prescott Woods.”
    Lowell shook his head in incredulity, then caught a glimpse of the bunch of onion flowers. Oddly, some fern fronds and pieces of trailing variegated ivy had been added to the vase, and some Japanese iris lay scattered on the table before it. Strange.
    “Well, it happened right here on my porch at Bohemian Rhapsody. He just up and started throttling a defenceless possum.” Dora sniffed. “You should have seen the poor thing. It was scared stiff, little possum feet dangling in the air and pink face just terrified…”
    Lowell threw his hands up in the air and left for home.

Chapter Nine
    Paul Treble had listened as Dora had described the possum abuse she’d witnessed, then explained politely that, with no injured possum as evidence, there was little he could do. “I can see how that’d be disturbing, ma’am,” he’d affirmed. “Poor varmint, all bug-eyed and hissing and whatnot. Bet his little naked, ratty tail was whipping around all over the place.” Officer Treble had shaken his head in disgust. “Sounds like the critter got away from Mr Rossi in one piece, though, and since it’s not anybody’s pet…” He shrugged.
    Dora had sent Paul on his way with a frozen loaf of banana bread for his trouble, then locked up the house. “Damn that Lowell Rossi,” she mumbled. “Why does he have to be such a nut-job?” She made her way back to the kitchen.
    There, on the counter next to the kitchen sink, sat a box wrapped in shiny dark brown paper and tied with a deep green ribbon. “Huh,” she muttered, remembering that Lowell had had it under his arm when he’d arrived, along with that bouquet of purple stink blossoms. A rose crafted of heavy ivory paper adorned the box. On one pale petal the name