Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘snippets’

Snippet

“Ukrainians are what they are,” Heydrich said. “I prefer not to discuss it.”

“Did a Ukrainian get you to put that bumper sticker in our car?” Bernie said.

“Are you crazy? Why would I do anything for Ukrainians? They’re the enemy of my people.”

“I thought you were American.”

“Of course I am. Does that make Americans my people?”

Bernie gave Heydrich a long, long look. “That’s the whole point,” he said.

Bernie Having Fun

“Need some help with this one, big guy. New Mexico is to Arizona as … ?” Sometimes Bernie doesn’t get enough sleep. When that happens he tends to worry for no reason, think about things that don’t need thinking about. The mind can only do so much even when it’s not tired. A tired mind? Look out! (Tender Is The Bite, page 121)

“You’re an excellent observer,” Bernie said.

Hector shrugged. “Had nothing else to do for a spell. Eighteen years, seven months, eight days, to put it in numbers. Took the time to educate myself a little bit.”

Bernie’s eyes got bright. “Then maybe you can help me,” he said. He cleared his throat. “Arizona is to New Mexico as … “

“Donald Duck is to Daffy Duck,” Hector said, without the slightest pause. He went inside and got back to mopping the floor. (Tender Is The Bite, page 124)

Down in the Mine

I seemed to have gone off to one side a bit. Sometimes a patch of dirt interests me. This particular patch seemed a little less smooth than the rest of the mine floor. Not much of a reason to start digging, you might say, and I’d agree. Not that I was actually digging, more like just pawing around, and with only one of my front paws, not putting any force into it. But once, pawing around just like this, I’d pawed up an old silver spoon that we pawned at Mr. Singh’s for fifteen bucks! Not to mention a big helping of Mrs. Singh’s curried goat, a favorite of –

“Chet? What you got there?”

Me? Nothing. I knew at once that Bernie was hoping for another old silver spoon, and I hated to disappoint him, so I pawed a little harder and … what was this? I did feel a little something.

Bernie hunched down and shone the light into the small hole I’d made. The light glinted on a wire. A disappointment, certainly, but –

“Run!” Bernie shouted.

(from Tender Is The Bite, the new Chet and Bernie novel)

A Piece of Work

With Mother’s Day coming up, here’s a little mother-snippet from Tender Is The Bite, the next Chet and Bernie novel (July 6):

“What’s this?”

“For the croissant.”

“It’s too much.”

“Plus a tip.”

“You don’t tip the owner, Mr. Bernie.”

“That’s what my mother always said.”

“Is she still alive?”

“Oh, yes.”

“She must be proud of you.”

Bernie’s mom – a piece of work – was suddenly in the conversation? She lived in Florida but had visited us last Christmas, bringing her new husband. He wore a white leather belt and said that bad times were the best times for making money. Bernie’s mom had told Bernie to give that some thought. The subject of being proud of him hadn’t come up.

https://read.macmillan.com/promo/tenderisthebitepreorder