The Chill (Title From Ross Macdonald)
“Uh-oh,” said Bernie, gazing down into the freezer. “I wasn’t expecting this. Truth is, I was kind of expecting Ray.”
I rose up, got my paws on the edge of the freezer, looked in. The smell was getting out now, so I knew what was in there, just not who. All it took was one glance: Albie Rose, in his little bathing suit; and also with a hole in his forehead, not very big.
Tags: Albie Rose, Ray
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 8:45 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
3:56 am on June 15th, 2010
So, the smell in the abandoned housing development was a MacGuffin? LOL
4:31 am on June 15th, 2010
Katz Staff, your quilt is absolutely beautiful! Bow wow wowzer!
Perhaps one small change is needed, however: (note colon) the middle dog should have his right ear be a different color. A simple patch in hand stitches will quickly do the trick.
4:35 am on June 15th, 2010
The plot thickens. Now, of course, the question is, who murdered Albie?
5:08 am on June 15th, 2010
Ugh!
Yesterday the schnauben video, today Albie dead in his speedo. Yucko. Who killed him? Methinks many would've liked to. (Stover can fix that sentence.)
Staff: Are those the spy vs spy guys dogs on your quilt? From Mad Magazine?
5:12 am on June 15th, 2010
Chet, Did Albie still smell like old cheese?
5:19 am on June 15th, 2010
Dead!… I guess Spencer will not be using Albie in any other Chet and Bernie mysteries….heh!… My first guess (of the day) is Foster did it…grunt!
Zowie!… I just got an email from my friend and she says her new busy season digs are “Out of this World!!”…snort! snort!… I guess on every floor there are huge windows with spectacular views of the lake and mountains!… grunt!… and she has a huge break room with 2 flat screen TVs and a large balcony with tables to eat lunch …holy smokes!… She says she is not ever coming home again!…yeep!
5:41 am on June 15th, 2010
I'm still pondering who murdered Albie.(It could be anyone, including Astrid.) Right now I'm wondering why he was put in the freezer.
Rio: Do you know how to work a can opener? (Just kidding.)
6:09 am on June 15th, 2010
Well of course Foster did it. We can't have a character we don't know coming in and changing things. It wouldn't be 'right'.
And it was a proper one bullet in the brain kind of gangland execution, so it wouldn't be someone like Ray or Astrid. They would have aimed for Albie's largest part (not his brain) and it would have been very messy.
And if it wasn't Foster, and it wasn't, Foster would also be dead because he was Albie's bodyguard. Which means, supposedly, the shooter would have had to go through Foster to get to Albie.
(OH GOD the comma's!!!! OK I made that last sentence into two so the comma's wouldn't confuse me too much.)
So it was Foster and now he is gone to L.A. A good place to hide.
The question is, Why did Foster do it, and where are Astrid, Ray and Col.Bob???
Bernie, I think you are going to have to look under Albie, just to make sure. Then are you going to call the police? I hope, if not, that you have been wearing gloves and that Chet hasn't put his paws on anything above the floor. Like the side of the freezer for instance.
~Melanie, I hope you are rested enough for a report.
~Rio, today's the day!!!
~Dawson, Spy vs Spy Dogs! heh heh heh
~Sam, I might just have to do a portrait of Chet. I wonder if I can get enough from the book covers to do it right. It might take 4 or 5 book covers…hmmmmm.
Well, off to quilting today. It is raining again. Sure wish I had a lovely big window in the quilt store. I could watch the clouds over the lake and work really really hard…heh heh heh
Alice Johnson, Staff and AbbietheKitty all contributed to this report.
6:11 am on June 15th, 2010
A bullet in the forehead sounds like a hit-man. However, a hit-man would not put a body in the freezer. He would also not clean up the kitchen. (We have to assume that's where the killing took place because of the cartridge, or whatever it was. The kitchen had been thoroughly cleaned.) So the murderer had the time and the desire to hide evidence of the killing. However, why leave the door open?
6:13 am on June 15th, 2010
Now we know who is in the freezer…It wasn't steaks and ribs for us dogs. We probably know where Albie was killed and the caliber of the gun. Don't professional and experienced killers go to great lengths to remove their shell casings from the scene of the crime? Bernie has the shell casing.
6:14 am on June 15th, 2010
Oops. This is the way that sentence should have read. I got confused by all the comma's.
And if it wasn’t Foster, and it was, Foster would also be dead because he was Albie’s bodyguard.
Staff who wants to blame Alice Johnson, but can't.
6:16 am on June 15th, 2010
Foster is on the lam, which is why he settled for less money than he had asked Bernie for.
Either he killed Albie or he figures whoever did is after him.
6:17 am on June 15th, 2010
Foster wasn't killed because Foster wasn't there. He was already on his way to LA by the time of the killing. (That, of course, is assuming that he was not the murderer, which I am not assuming at this point.) Another question is, where are all of the others who work for Albie?
I think a quilt of Chet is a wonderful idea! And I really loved the quilt of the three dogs.
6:30 am on June 15th, 2010
Chet!… Watch out! I bet the killer is still on the grounds….snort!…Thats’ why the door was left open so they could get back in and dispose of the body….gross!… Chet could still smell the body, so that means Albie hadn’t been dead long enough to freeze…. gag!
Alice!… Can’t wait for tonight!…snort!… Assuming someone comes home and turns on the TV for me…yeep!
6:31 am on June 15th, 2010
Ahhh the mystery of it all……
6:33 am on June 15th, 2010
Rio, you can come live with me. We could have a blast. I haven't asked my mom yet, but I know she would say yes. You would love all the Mexican food in this state, but you would hate not being able to SEE the Rockies games.
Staff and cats, A Chet quilt would be sooo cool..bet you could do it. Love the quilt you showed us yesterday.
Stover, good one..tee hee..can opener
Barb and Maggie, We would eat the eggs from your chickens. Eggs from farm (free range) chickens are so much better than grocery store eggs. Mom doesn't buy grocery store eggs.
7:07 am on June 15th, 2010
I don't think that anyone could have been there recently (or that anyone is still on the premises) because Chet would smell something….besides the mouse on the loose.
Leaving the door open looks like panic.
7:08 am on June 15th, 2010
What is "yeep" in German?
7:21 am on June 15th, 2010
Stover!…. yeep!
Siberh!… It’s too hot for me in New Mexico…snort!… I would die out there in the desert!…grunt!
7:25 am on June 15th, 2010
I know, Rio. That is exactly what I am doing.
7:41 am on June 15th, 2010
SiberH and Rio – I just talked to Mom and she said you two can come here. She thinks a little visit to start and to see how you like it. It's 72 degrees right now with a gentle breeze. I do have to be careful 'cause there's lot of sun with my black fur.
Do you want Mom to come pick you up?
7:50 am on June 15th, 2010
According to my German dictionary, "klaffen" (with an umlaut over the "a") is "yap."
Rio: What's "grunt" in German?
8:02 am on June 15th, 2010
I'm freezing. It's about 60 degrees and we finally got a little bit of rain – a 5 minute shower. Hitch Siber H. to a sled (it'll hafta have wheels for the summer), pick up Rio and anyone else on the way and book on up here. Oops. Maybe too late – the sun is shining again.
8:03 am on June 15th, 2010
Stover!…. Grunzen!
Molly!… I’m not allowed to leave the yard….schnauben!
8:07 am on June 15th, 2010
The killer had just finished cleaning up all the evidence and decided to have a glass of wine to celebrate when Bernie and Chet interupted him/her. The killer gulped as much wine from the glass as possible and fled, knocking over the glass in their haste. My guess: B.Stover or one of the Tiffanys.
8:15 am on June 15th, 2010
Ahhh!…For a moment there I forgot about the wine glass… grunt!… That is a very interesting theory Dawson…snort!… Do you think a woman could lift Albie into the freezer?… wheeze!…I don’t know how strong Stover is, but I think she probably could if she put her mind to it…sneeze!… The Tiffany’s however probably wouldn’t want to break any finger nails….heh!
8:18 am on June 15th, 2010
Guys, no offense, but I doubt that Foster had killed Albie. Sure, he's capable of doing so, but, why would he do it? Would he even have had time to kill Albie, then stuff him in the freezer? I don't think so. And my ears may officially never ever hear another word, because Megan came home today and yelled into my face, "No more school! Woot!" What does she-oh. I get it.
8:20 am on June 15th, 2010
But if someone had been in the house recently and had to leave in a hurry because Chet and Bernie or someone else was coming, it seems to me that Chet could have smelled him/her/them. (How much strength would be needed to put Albie in the freezer? Also, how long does it take for a body to freeze? It seems to me it would be days since this is not a walk-in freezer but a chest-type freezer.)
Rio: I think you should use grunzen instead of grunt from now on.
8:20 am on June 15th, 2010
Dawson may even be right.
8:22 am on June 15th, 2010
Stover!… I don’t want to be a showoff… heh! … Grunzen and Schnauben do roll off my tongue though…snicker!
8:23 am on June 15th, 2010
Rio: I don't think that I'd have the strength to put Albie in a freezer since it would require lifting at some point not merely dragging.
8:25 am on June 15th, 2010
Pistole!… The Tiffany from Tennessee probably would know how to shoot a gun!… grunt!… But she sounds like such a nice person and she reads a lot… snort!
8:33 am on June 15th, 2010
Rio: My grandparents and mother spoke German. I know how to speak a few phrases, but don't know how to spell them to be able to look the words up to see what I'm actually saying. (They just pop out of my mouth on occasion.) Here's a phrase that I'm spelling phonetically. Do you have any idea what the translation would be?
Ach ta liber zane.
8:35 am on June 15th, 2010
Wait, what am I saying? Either Foster had killed Albie before he left-thnkng his going to L.A. story would have covered him for not commiting the crime, or someone else had killed Albie while Foster and Bernie and Chet were talking at the warehouse place with no windows. You see what I'm saying?
Tailwags and licks. Lexi-a pup who's ears may never hear anything ever again-and who is enjoying this bone right……now……
9:04 am on June 15th, 2010
B., I'll try: Ach du lieber schön – means (I think) life is beautiful.
9:12 am on June 15th, 2010
Thanks Sam. I think my mother said it meant, "Oh, my goodness!" I always say it when something goes wrong.
My brother and sister-in-law have just flown in from Nevada.
9:51 am on June 15th, 2010
I think a body would freeze in 24-36 hours in a chest freezer, unless it was a very large person, and Albie was not a big man.
SiberH, You would love our chicken eggs. Sometimes the yolks are almost golden-orange. Lots of people think that the egg shell color is affected by the chickens diet, but that's not true. Our eggs are delish!
10:05 am on June 15th, 2010
Uh-oh. Thunder, lightning and rain, oh my! I don't like it one bit.
10:11 am on June 15th, 2010
Sam!… I was getting thrown off by the zane…snort!.. zahne means teeth…grunt!… My German is not very good…( mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut )
10:45 am on June 15th, 2010
MagPie!…So is it all those bugs you feed your chickens causing the orange yolks??… gaaa!
10:54 am on June 15th, 2010
Barb and Maggie: I would love your eggs with golden orange yolks.
Was it you who watched Monk and Psych? I like those shows too.
11:05 am on June 15th, 2010
B. Stover could not have killed Albie. It was just the wine glass that made me think…maybe…but I can see she does not have it in her. She is an English teacher not a Murderess. But who else drinks wine?
B.Stover: Sorry.
11:17 am on June 15th, 2010
What's a MacGuffin?
11:19 am on June 15th, 2010
Grunt!… Not me anymore….snuffle!… But I could never have lifted Albie up into the freezer…snort!
11:25 am on June 15th, 2010
Dawson, Yes, we liked Monk and Psych. Monk will probably be back in reruns. Psych is coming back with new shows sometime this summer. Mom drinks wine, but I know she didn't do it either.
Rio, The more "protein" the chickens eat, plus fresh grass and weeds, the darker yellow the yolks become, and the tastier.
It was raining so hard that we are having flash flooding in the area. I got so scared that I tried to sit in Mom's lap, then I tried to climb on her head, so she put me in the laundry room for a little quiet time. I am better now.
11:32 am on June 15th, 2010
MagPie!…heh!… Climbing on someone’s head will end badly every time… heh!… So does more orangey yolks mean more cholesterol?
11:36 am on June 15th, 2010
Ohhhh…..so it was Albie!
Okay, so who are the characters that we know of?
Colonel Bob, Ray, Astrid, lots of ex-wives, the ladies who give good pats….
None of those seem likely….
Very interesting….
11:40 am on June 15th, 2010
Well, maybe we should look into B.'s alibi about the time of the murder, as yet undetermined. I think those English teachers are quite capable killers. Sam told me she learned about that from doggy day care.
First we need to find out if it was red or white wine in that glass – I think B. drinks white.
11:51 am on June 15th, 2010
Hmmm!… Well, she would have had to drink whatever Albie had on hand at the time…. snort!
11:58 am on June 15th, 2010
I drink red wine.
12:10 pm on June 15th, 2010
Stover!… If you were in a really big hurry and all there was to drink was white… snort!… would you drink the white? …sneeze!
12:19 pm on June 15th, 2010
Rio, I will try to answer your egg question without getting too boring, I hope. We have never thought that eggs were an evil food when it came to cholesterol. The egg is really nature's perfect food. The darker yolks contain more minerals, nutrients and more omega 3 fatty acids, but I don't think more cholesterol. The yolk contains almost all of the nutritional value of the egg, and eating whole eggs actually improves the good cholesterol, whereas eating only the whites does not.
12:23 pm on June 15th, 2010
Rio: I would only drink white wine if it were German.
Dawson: A MacGuffin is a part of the plot that grabs the reader/viewer's attention but that might not really be important.
12:24 pm on June 15th, 2010
MagPie!….That was not boring, it was educational….grunt!… I just want to know because sometimes she puts scrambled eggs on my kibble to make my coat shiny, so she says…snort!… So I wanted to know if she is trying to kill me off with high intakes of cholesterol… cough!
12:25 pm on June 15th, 2010
MacGuffin!… I think almost everything up to this point has been one… heh!
12:27 pm on June 15th, 2010
My family and Sam's family eat lots of eggs and they're the special ones. Too bad we don't have eggs available as special as Barb's. We pay lots more and the hens can walk around the barn and go outside. That's important to us to get the best eggs and for the hens so they're not stuck in tiny cages all their lives, with not enough room even to stretch their wings.
12:29 pm on June 15th, 2010
There was a wine glass on it's side on the table. No specification as to whether there had been wine in it or not. B.Stover is partial to French wine.
I could find a way to lift Albie's slimy body into that freezer if I had to. (Oh crap…ending a sentence with a preposition again). And I'm only 5 feet tall.
Anyone a Ross MacDonald fan?
12:32 pm on June 15th, 2010
Ross! … MacDonald was a mystery writer…snort!… He inspired the name of todays post so maybe we can glean a few clues from that!… wheeze! … Here is a description of his novel called “The Chill”…
In THE CHILL (1964), which was awarded the Silver Dagger by the Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain, Archer is engaged to trace a missing spouse, Dolly, who has run away from Alex Kincaid after their marriage. The problems of the newlyweds are mixed with a trail of a murder. Fredrick Kincaid, Alex's father, tries to deny his responsibility and have the marriage annulled, but Archer tells him: "The girl's in trouble, and whether you like it or not she's a member of your family."
12:41 pm on June 15th, 2010
Thanks BStover. for explaining MacGuffin.
Barb and Maggie: The topic of eggs is interesting to me. I eat eggs almost every day and I do not have high cholesterol.
12:45 pm on June 15th, 2010
In DOI Albie is described as a "fat old man" with a "flabby chest." He would not have been light to carry, especially as dead weight.
12:58 pm on June 15th, 2010
Especially if he was all oiled up as was his wont. Maybe I was wrong on being able to lift him. I've moved a lot of heavy stuff in my life but I'm getting old.
1:01 pm on June 15th, 2010
Industrialized Farming – We have a huge egg farm in the county, with over a hundred thousand hens. They live in cages the size of a piere of copy paper. They spend 12-18 months in there, and sometimes their feet grow around the wires in the bottom of the cages. Then Campbells comes in and buys every single one for chicken noodle soup, and they start all over again. I kid you not. Yuck!
1:07 pm on June 15th, 2010
Rio, Your friend is not trying to harm you with the scrambled eggs. They are good for you. My Mom also feeds me a salmon based kibble because that is supposed to be good for my coat. Sometimes she buys a can of mackrel and adds about 1/4 of the can each night to my kibble. She says it's cheaper than canned salmon, but just as good for me. Maybe your friend could try it,too.
1:07 pm on June 15th, 2010
Barb and Maggie: Ugh! That's disgusting. And way more interesting than Ti. Fu….s.
"
Hey, I think Rio could be onto something. Wikipedia says that lost or wayward sons and daughters" were a common theme of Mac's books
1:36 pm on June 15th, 2010
Hey Maggie, I eat salmon kibble also. Mom can get me some mackrel since you gave me the idea.
Rio, the food police are now giving eggs the all clear. Your friend is not trying to kill you.
1:57 pm on June 15th, 2010
Molly, Thank you for your offer to come visit. I would love it. The weather sounds like paradise. My mom won't let me. She says she she would miss me too much. I asked her, "Well, couldn't I just go for a short visit?" She said No, because I probably would just pick you up and we would keep on going for another great adventure. Mom knows me all too well.
Dawson, thank you also for the offer to come visit. Rio would be no problem to get up there on a sled, except for having to listen to him gripe. I can't come to your place either for the above mentioned reasons. I get the feeling that mom doesn't trust me. I have heard her say, "Never trust a husky". jeeeez
2:08 pm on June 15th, 2010
I'm laughing at the image of Rio on a sled, being pulled by SH, griping!
2:33 pm on June 15th, 2010
Bee! That's so funny! I'm imagining that, too. Hang on, Rio!
Now he's headfirst in the snow.
Sorry, Rio.
2:44 pm on June 15th, 2010
Today we had to go to Boston!
Very tired. Will catch up tomorrow!
3:11 pm on June 15th, 2010
Hmmmphf!… Whatever you guys!…schnauben!… Its time for the Rockies to take on the Twins!….WOOOOO!…Alice are you out there or are you testing a quilt somewhere in Minnesota?…heh!…Bring it on!
3:16 pm on June 15th, 2010
Wooo!…. HOMERUN!…right off the bat..heh!…Tulo!Tulo! …Alice! Take that!
3:20 pm on June 15th, 2010
Chet!… I apologise profusely to you and everyone else, it might turn into Baseball Night… sniff!… I hope you do not mind…sigh!…Although if Alice does not turn up, it might now be too bad… heh!
3:33 pm on June 15th, 2010
I think the biggest Ross MacDonald is our very own PA,who I am sure that I remember reading in one of his interviews saying that Ross MacDonald was one of his true inspirations. A bit of homage then in the title of today's post. BTW, I really thought MacGuffin was the latest breakfast treat from McDonalds. Sounded kind of yummy, too. Wookie, the connoisser.
3:36 pm on June 15th, 2010
Wookie!…My very favorite agent Wookie, who are you rooting for tonight through Thursday???….grunt!…The Twins or the Rockies???…sniff!…Be honest!…
3:42 pm on June 15th, 2010
I'm following the game tonight. Alice must be quilting.
3:50 pm on June 15th, 2010
Hey!… Rockies 2 – 0 now!…heh!…Quilt away Alice, quilt away!….snicker!
4:25 pm on June 15th, 2010
ugh…I think I'm gonna be sick
4:32 pm on June 15th, 2010
Whew!… We finally got them OUT!… It is now 5 – 2 top of the 5th, Twins!…choke!gag!cough!…Our new pitcher will be the key!…heh!..Boys at bat have their job cut out for them!…snort!
4:34 pm on June 15th, 2010
clap,clap,clap,clap,clap,clap,clap….GO ROCKIES!!!!
4:44 pm on June 15th, 2010
Rio. Definitely the Rockies. Still my second favormost team. Wookie
4:46 pm on June 15th, 2010
Rio! You are into sports, now aren't you!? Haha! Why don't you go ahead and be the Rockies' mascot!? You'd be called the The Rocky Rio or something like that. Haha!
Tailwags and licks. Lexi-a very tired puppy. I…am…so..*yawn*…I just….zzzzzzzzzzzzz
cnjeiwn lkqoncje3mc r @43poon n
4:46 pm on June 15th, 2010
Siber H: Are you sick? And…does clapping help?
4:54 pm on June 15th, 2010
It's the baseball game, Dawson. I don't know if clapping helps, but it can't hurt.
4:58 pm on June 15th, 2010
Oh!
The Twins are winning even though being totally ignored by Alice.
Oh!
Now I see why Siber H. feels sick. The Twins have 7 and Rockies 2.
I thought you were looking at the schnauben video.
5:05 pm on June 15th, 2010
Go Rockies! (Don't tell Staff).
5:08 pm on June 15th, 2010
Siberh!…You have got to keep in rhythm … Clap!-Clap! Clap!-Clap!-Clap!… 1 2, 1 2 3… I bet the Isotopes prohibits such clapping…sniff!.. If you just clap randomly, you will throw off the team… snort!
Score!…Top of the sixth, the score is 8 – 3 Twins, we are on our THIRD pitcher so far…grump! and crap!
5:13 pm on June 15th, 2010
Lexi!…You are hilarious…Yawn!
5:15 pm on June 15th, 2010
My rhythm is gone tonight, Rio, but I can keep all paws crossed.
Thanks for your support, Dawson. We now have four of us cheering on the Rockies.
Staff is not cheering for the Twinkies.
5:15 pm on June 15th, 2010
Okay!… We’ve got Siberh, Wookie, and Dawson all helping me help the Rockies beat the Twins tonight!!… wheeze!…This is good Karma… or whatever…its good stuff!…grunt!…Stay with me guys!…wooo! miracles Can Happen!
5:18 pm on June 15th, 2010
Clap-clap! Clap-clap-clap!
I have arthritis.
How about if I wave my old Homer hankie?
5:26 pm on June 15th, 2010
A hankie might be good, Dawson. I have already been told that I have no rhythm. I'm staying with you, Rio, even though I am like Lexi and about to fall asleep.
5:28 pm on June 15th, 2010
Dawson!… You’ve got rhythm, you’ve got style! … heh!
5:32 pm on June 15th, 2010
Help!…Top of the 8th and Rockies are up to bat!…snort!.. Cargo hitting first, we love that guy!…sniff!…They need 5 runs NOW…no if ands or butts… hey! That reminds me of a Hot dog!…heh!… do we have any ready missy???
5:48 pm on June 15th, 2010
Ahhh!… I think I know what is happening. Alice is out there hypnotizing the Rockies players and they seem to have completely forgotten how to play the game!!!…grunt!… This is not fair at all!…snort!…She said she would be rubbing her skinny butt on quilts all night long….Crapola!.
Game!…Top of the 9th, 9 – 3 Twinkies… Rockies are up to bat and need to get SIX runs to tie it… sigh.
5:50 pm on June 15th, 2010
Wow!
My dear Twinkies are sure playing good even though I had to trust them while I was quilting.
Heh heh heh
(And I saw that post Dawson, you traitor)
5:55 pm on June 15th, 2010
Alice! … You win this one!… snort!…We will be back tomorrow night for another attempt. And just so you know, I have sent special glasses to every member of the Rockies team….grunt!…So you will not be able to mess with their performance tomorrow night!…growl!
6:03 pm on June 15th, 2010
~Hey Rio,
My husband, the baseball junkie, says that the Twins were expected to win this one but the 'experts' think that the next two are a 50/50 chance either way.
So we wait till tomorrow now.
Today was good!
~Dawson, Jim and I have 'clappers'. They are plastic hand shaped noise makers that you just have to wave back and forth and they make a very loud clapping noise. Sounds like the perfect gift for a arthritic sister.
Alice Johnson
6:03 pm on June 15th, 2010
Goodnight all!…I will NOT sleep that well, but I sure hope you do…snort!…What is WRONG!? with my most wonderful guys???… The Twins?? …sputter, ach! ..Bugger it all!
6:04 pm on June 15th, 2010
UGH!
6:09 pm on June 15th, 2010
Goodnight Everyone!! Goodnight PUPPIES!!
It was nice of Dawson to stay with us. Don't worry, Dawson, with me and Rio and Wookie watching your back, you have complete protection from cats and staff.
I'm glad both Melanie and Wolfie checked in with us today.
6:17 pm on June 15th, 2010
Goodnight Siber-H and Rio,
Goodnight Dawson,
I have to go bring in my quilting stuff. I left it in the car to rush in to watch the game.
GO TWINS TOMORROW!!!
Staff