Page 124 of Family Jewels

The dog pounced on it like a hammer in a whack-a-mole game, making scary gnawing sounds.

“Miss Mable,” I said hesitantly. “You mentioned you had five children. I know about Raddy, Newton, and Leah, but what about the other two?”

“They’ve moved off.” She waved the chicken box in a sideways motion. “My boy’s not comin’ home for Raddy’s funeral.” Tears filled her red-rimmed eyes, and I felt terrible for asking.

Neely Kate pulled a card out of her back pocket. “If you think of anything else to help us find the necklace, I’d appreciate it if you’d call.” She handed Mable her business card.

“Yeah.” Mable fingered the edges of the card, then looked up at us with tears in her eyes. “Do you think that’s why my boy was killed? Because of that daggum necklace?”

“I don’t know, Miss Mable,” Neely Kate said softly. “Maybe.”

Her jaw quivered and she put her hand on her stomach as she watched the dog. She gave a brisk nod, then turned and started to go into the house. Zeus began to make gagging noises, and Mable whipped around to face him. “He’s chokin’ on that chicken bone!”

“Oh crap,” Neely Kate mumbled.

“Don’t just stand there,” Mable shouted, pointing her broom toward him with one hand while still holding the box of chicken. “Go give him the Heimlich.”

Neely Kate’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious.”

“My boy died this morning. You gonna let my dog die too?”

Neely Kate gave me a look of panic. I stared back at her in shock. Then, for the second time within minutes, she lunged toward the dog.

Well, crappy doodles. This would not end well.

I snatched the broom from Miss Mable and followed Neely Kate, hoping the dog would just cough it up already. But he was leaning down on his front legs with his butt in the air, coughing and hacking like a twenty-year, three-pack-a-day chain smoker.

“You’re not really gonna do this, are you?” I asked.

“I have to,” she grumbled in exasperation as she stepped behind the dog and slowly reached for his sides.

I lifted the broom, ready to put it between my best friend and the dog’s sharp teeth. I wasn’t sure it would work, but it was my best option at the moment.

Neely Kate reached under his belly with both hands, then delivered a sharp push to his gut.

He released a growl and started to reach his head around. I stuffed the broom in front of his face, and he coughed again, which quickly turned to wheezing. A giant stench filled the air.

“You made it worse!” Miss Mable shouted at us.

Neely Kate started gagging into her arm.

“I’ll say,” I said, frantically waving a hand in front of my face. “You squeezed a fart out of him, and it smells worse than Muffy’s.”

“I’m doing the best I can!” Neely Kate shouted as she squatted down, pressing her chest to the dog’s back. She gave a couple of hard thrusts, and noises came out of both ends of the dog. My eyes burned and Neely Kate looked like she was holding her breath while Zeus made a gagging noise that didn’t sound so good.

“Look in his mouth!” Neely Kate said.

“I’m not looking in his mouth! Are you crazy?” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pulled up my recent calls.

“You’re making a phone callright now?” Neely Kate demanded.

I ignored her and prayed the person on the other end picked up quickly.

“Henryetta Animal Clinic,” the receptionist said in an annoyed tone.

“Mary, this is Rose Gardner and I have a medical emergency. I need to speak to Levi right away.”

“Sure you do . . .”