UNTITLED MASTERPIECE

 

Part One: BODIES

 

MONDAY (Part Two)

 

It was dark by the time he made it home.  Fortunately, he already seemed to be old news and the reporters all seemed to be off annoying someone else.  Maybe the afternoon of rain helped.  Ian’s brush with notoriety, however fleeting had made him cautious and drained.  He just wanted to go home and forget it all.

He let himself in the house and made a little dinner, just a little pasta and garlic bread.  He enjoyed his new wardrobe, but preferred the sweats and old tee shirt he had quickly changed into shortly after going in the house.  It made him feel a little normal, something that was getting harder and harder to do.

As he returned to the kitchen to load the dishwasher he spotted Ralphie sitting at the backdoor, soaking wet but wagging his tail.  Obviously he had gotten out again and Kellen hadn’t returned home from work.  Ian brought him in, dried him off and fed him the left over half of garlic bread.  He left a message for Kellen.

Ian found an old Frisbee and Ralphie seemed to enjoy chasing it in the backyard for a while.  The dog soon wore him out and he sat in the ever busy chaise and fell asleep, Ralphie’s head on his lap.

He awoke to the phone ringing.   

“Ian did you forget me?”  It was Hooper.

“Actually, yes I did.  I’m sorry it was a hell of a day.”

“I thought so,” he laughed.  “Listen, I’ve just finished dinner and I’m on your end of the city.  Why don’t you give me your address and I’ll swing by in about a half hour if that’s okay.”

Ian gave him the address.  Hooper said he knew the area and would be there shortly. As he shut the phone, Ian looked at the Setter, “Okay, that’s taken care of; now all we have to do is figure out how you keep getting out.”  Ralphie looked up at Ian, cocked his head and raised an ear.  “Yeah, that’s right I was talking to you.”

“What did you say?”  Ian nearly jumped out of his skin, when gales of laughter made him realize that it wasn’t Ralphie who asked him the question, but Reece.

“Holy crap, Reece!  I thought the dog was talking to me.”

“You should have seen the look on your face man!”  Reece bent down and scuffed Ralphie’s ears.  “How does he keep getting out?”

“I haven’t a clue.  He doesn’t ever seem to bother anything, I’m just afraid he’ll get out in the road and get hit.”

“He doesn’t seem to be a car chaser, but you just never know. I’m enjoying his company this evening though, so it’s no bother. Just about wore me out playing Frisbee, didn’t cha boy?”

“I guess you need to hang around and wait for that guy to get home and come get his dog then?” Reece looked up at Ian.

“Actually I’m waiting on a friend to