Free To Catch a Treat by Linda O. Johnston Page B

people. A few had dogs with them, and I half wished I’d brought along some treats for promotion. But that wasn’t the reason I was here this evening, so it was just as well I’d come empty-handed.
    Unsurprisingly, the bar was also busy. I’d looked around for Janelle on the way in but figured I was more likely to find her here, possibly with Go, celebrating their reunion. But I didn’t see her here, either.
    I started edging my way up to the bar, Reed close behind me. While I maneuvered, I studied the crowd. When I spotted Ada Arnist sitting on a stool toward my right, I headed in that direction.
    The young, thin, highly bleached blonde was chatting with a guy who sat beside her. Judging by the serious expression on her face, they weren’t flirting, so maybe she hadn’t just met him.
    That didn’t matter to me. What did matter was what Ada knew about Janelle’s having found Go—and whether she happened to know how the dog had gotten to Knobcone Heights.
    Yes, I was probably stretching things, but I wondered, seeing Ada in the bar, whether Janelle or her friend Delma had told Ada about finding Go and invited her to the party. If so, was it because they suspected Ada of being the dognapper?
    As we approached, I was glad to see someone vacate a stool on the other side of the guy Ada was talking to. I edged over there, around another woman who’d possibly staked it out, and quickly sat down. Then I turned back toward Reed. “I’ll order for us here, and maybe we can take our drinks into the lobby soon if we can’t find another seat.” But not immediately.
    The bartenders were all busy. While waiting, I leaned forward over the bar and looked at Ada from behind the guy she appeared to be with. “Hi,” I said brightly. “Good to see you here again.” We’d originally met, after all, in this bar. “Are you here to celebrate with Janelle about finding her dog?”
    â€œI sure am,” Ada gushed in her shrill voice, tearing her gaze from the guy. “It’s so cool.”
    The man who sat between us shifted on his stool. I didn’t know who he was but figured it wouldn’t hurt to find out. I tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned, I said, “Hi. Are you here with Ada to celebrate? I’d imagine everyone here tonight knows the story.”
    The look the guy leveled on me looked more irritated than celebratory. He appeared to be mid-twenties, older than Ada. His eyes were sunken in his long face, and he wore a dark mustache plus a lot of beard shadow. “Yeah, I know the story,” he said. “Glad to hear the lady found her dog. That’s it, right?”
    â€œThis is my friend Tim Smith,” Ada called from over his shoulder. “He lives near here. Do you know when Janelle is coming?”
    â€œNo.” But as I said it, I heard the crowd’s noise ramp up. I turned and saw Janelle walk through the door. Because of the crowd, I couldn’t tell for sure if Go was with her, but a lot of people were looking down and exclaiming and clapping, so I assumed he was.
    Behind her, Delma also entered the room. She was carrying a Boston terrier. Delma didn’t stay with Janelle; seeing me, she headed in my direction. “Can I borrow your stool for a minute?” she asked.
    I wanted to say no but was curious what she was up to. It didn’t sound as if she wanted to order a drink right away. In fact, I still hadn’t gotten to order mine.
    â€œAll right.” I got off and moved toward Reed, who was still nearby.
    Instead of sitting down, Delma put her leashed dog on the floor, then edged up to the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer that was in front of Tim. She picked up a knife that happened to be on the counter, maybe because the people on the other side of me had been eating some appetizers, including hummus to be spread on pita bread. She started banging the knife loudly against the bottle,