Begging for Trouble (39 page)

Ellie gazed over the crowd and saw why Arlene might have been concerned. The bull-doggish Mickey appeared to be missing, and it sounded as if he was a business acquaintance—not a real uncle. But who in the heck was Dr. Bree that Arlene thought she was so important?

Arlene stomped her foot. “This is crazy. It’s our night to celebrate, and he’s supposed to be here.” She heaved another sigh. “And his so-called close friends, too.”

“Maybe he got cold feet after he met some of your family,” teased Viv. “Just remember, you can’t blame me.”

Arlene missed the humor in her baby sister’s statement. “Something must have happened to him, but I can’t imagine what.” Spinning in a circle, she broke out in a full-fledged dither. “Julio! Julio! Oh, where is that man?”

Mimicking Arlene’s voice to a T, a large parrot who’d been tucked in a corner near Ellie burst into the fray by flapping his wings and wagging his head. Ellie had watched his beady eyes follow folks as they passed and kept to herself. Birds were not high on her list of animal favorites, and she hadn’t wanted to rouse his curiosity, so she’d kept her fingers to herself and ignored him for most of the night.

The guests laughed, but Arlene began to wring her hands and pace. “I’m going to send a few of the catering staff out to look for the four of them. How can we have a prewedding celebration when the groom, the best man, Martin’s only true friend, and the head of the hired help is missing?”

“Oh, hush, Myron,” Arlene admonished. Flapping her arms much like the parrot, she tottered off on her stilettos talking to anyone in her path.

“I don’t know how Arlene lives with that crazy bird imitating everything she says.” Viv gave the parrot the evil eye.

“I was meaning to ask,” Ellie began. “What’s up with him?”

“Myron is an African Grey that Arlene rescued from a pet store that was closing after the first Myron died. She said he kept her company while she grieved, but I don’t understand how. All the idiot does is imitate whatever he overhears.”

“Sounds kind of spooky, if you ask me,” said Ellie. “Who’s voice was that just now asking for his share?”

“Beats me, but the parrot’s been living in the doctor’s office while the interior of the house was being painted. She probably should have left him in there until this whole affair was over.”Viv shook her head. “I’m starving. I hope the other guests arrive soon so we can eat. And Dr. Kent, too. I can’t imagine where’s he’s been hiding.”

Ellie had snacked on a dozen delicious canapés, so she was fine in the food department, but it did appear the other guests were getting restless. When she glanced across the terrace and no longer saw “hunky guy,” she thought to take her friend’s mind off eating by questioning her about the stranger.

“I’ve met just about everyone, but what’s up with the tall, dark-haired man who was standing alone in the opposite corner a while ago? No one introduced us.”

“I wish I knew, but I have no idea who he is either,” said Viv. “I thought he might belong to Dr. Kent’s family, since he’s not a part of mine, but Arlene’s already told us who’s here from Dr. Kent’s side.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out before the weekend is over.” Ellie gave her wineglass to another waiter. “I’m going to check on Rudy for a minute. You want to come to the pen and see Mr. T?”

“Okay, sure. Lead the way.”

They took the stairs down to the lawn and searched for Rosa’s teenage daughter, Maria, who was supposed to be supervising the canines, but she was nowhere to be found. Ellie opened the gate, walked to her boy, and stooped to ruffle his ears. “Hey, how are things going?”

“Boring, boring, boring,”
Rudy gruffed.
“That Yorkie is a pain in the behind, and so is some Jack-a-Bee named Greta. T and those Boston Terriers do not get along, so it’s a good thing nutty Arlene brought them upstairs. It’s been quiet since they left.”

Ellie looked to her right, where Viv was giving Twink a belly rub. “He looks fine now.”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. Right now, our hostess is in distress. Seems she can’t find her fiancé.”

A round of shouts, not Arlene’s or Myron’s, broke out and Ellie stood. Glancing across the yard, she saw a man wearing a catering jacket running toward the house from the guest cottage.

“El doctor, es muerto!
Help.
El es muerto!”