It was three o'clock in the afternoon, Wednesday, when Shirley Holmes and Bo Sawchuck stood by the observation window in the Redington International Airport, waving good-bye to the plane that was taking Shirley's cousin, Maya Norton, back to her home in England.
"Are you going to miss her?" Bo asked kindly.
"Yeah," Shirley sighed, reluctantly lowering her arm. "It's nice to be able to have somebody who you can talk to. Oh!" she broke off, realizing what she'd just said. "I don't mean- it's not that you aren't-"
"It's okay," Bo reassured her. "I know what you meant."
Although Bo was Shirley's best friend, he was also a very typical teenage guy. Shirley was bordering on genius, had a nose for trouble, and a flair for the impossible. They couldn't have been more different had they tried.
Maya, however, was exactly like Shirley, and while she'd been in Redington, Shirley had not only helped her solve a mystery involving a group of criminal freedom fighters, but she had finally had somebody who could speak her language.
That night, before she had left, Maya had sat up talking to Shirley until almost four a.m. about almost everything. It was great, Shirley thought wistfully, to have friends and all, but it was even nicer when they not only understood, but also agreed with what you were saying.
"But I'll still be able to talk with her," Shirley tried to cheer herself up. "There's e-mail, and the phone, and- oh- screw that! I'm going to miss her so much!"
She was about to burst into tears, when a familiar voice drawled:
"Oh, cry me a river, won't you! You'd think the world was coming to an end! Are all you city girls like this?"
Shirley turned around slowly, disbelieving.
"What is it with you cowboys and your communication problems?!" she exclaimed. "What is this, the third time? You never call!"
Standing there, flanked by a pair of duffel bags, was Shirley's most puzzling acquaintance (relationship-wise, that is), Matt Harris.
"What, don't I even get a hug, City Girl?" he teased.
With a laugh, she ran to him, and threw her arms around him, whispering as she did:
"Missed ya, cowboy."
"I missed you too, City Girl," he grinned, as he took a step back, and her hand slid into his. Then he looked up, and smiled at Bo.
"Hey," he called. Bo grinned and waked.
"Hi, Matt. Good to see you again. Are you in town for a while?"
"For a little while, anyway," he said, and bent to pick up his bags, having first reluctantly let go of Shirley's hand. He turned to her and asked,
"So, how's the throat?"
Shirley touched the fading bruises around her windpipe, caused by an English diplomat who had threatened to choke her to =death, and grimaced.
"Better. I can talk normally now, and I didn't need a tube, or reconstructive surgery, or anything. How'd your case turn out?"
"Oh, so-so," he said, knowing she was referring to a con-artist toy store owner he had tangled with for a while, before finally having him arrested two days before.
"Actually," he admitted, as the three fell into step with each other and started to walk, "I'm here on a case. I managed to figure it out so I ended up in Redington, rather than a remote oil dig in Saudi Arabia."
"Well, I'm glad you did," Shirley decided. "Where are you staying, anyway?"
"Loon Lodge Bed and Breakfast," he cracked a smile. "I hear they have a horse or two."
"You cowboys," Shirley said scoldingly, but sounding affectionate at the same time, "you never give up, do you?"
Matt stopped, looked her directly in the eye, and, with a slight smile, said:
"Nope."
Shirley flushed bright red, and ducked her head to hide and involuntary smile.
"So, uh," she said, "why don't you, um, stay with us? We've got a few free beds for you to choose from, although I can't promise any horses. We even have a free couch, now that Maya's left."
"Has she?" Matt looked disappointed. "I'd hoped to experience two Shirley's at once- gale force, so to speak." Then he smiled.
"But that sounds like a great idea- I'll finally get to meet all of your family. And, of course, experience an all-fish diet."
Now both Shirley and Bo grinned- and grimaced. Bo's parents had had a sale at their fish shop, so Shirley's mother and grandmother had bought up tons of seafood, and proceeded to fix it in every way imaginable- and unimaginable.
"We’re down to three tuna casseroles, some salmon, a couple of lobsters, and scraps." Shirley said, looking visibly relieved. "I'll be glad when it's over."
Matt laughed as Bo hailed a cab, and Shirley and he helped load Matt's two big bags into the trunk.
Then the three of them crammed into the back seat, and Shirley gave her address to the cab driver, who swung nimbly into traffic and headed for the Holmes mansion.
"So, what have you been doing with yourself, besides bringing international criminals to justice, and nearly dying in the process?" Matt asked.
"Not much," Shirley sighed.
"It's unusual," Bo put in, "You know, what with Redington being such a hotspot for criminal activity and all. I think it's getting to her- no suspicious happenings since she was released from the hospital on Monday morning. Three whole days without a single crime- however do we manage it, Moneypenny?"
"I take it you're enjoying yourself?" Matt asked Bo, amused.
"It does feel kind of nice to be normal for once in four years," Bo admitted. Shirley shot him a withering look.
"Well, Bo," Matt said, a tiny smile dancing around his mouth, "I hate to be the one to break your little bubble of peace, security, and normalcy, but I was planning to ask you for some help."
"On a case?" Shirley's eyes lit up. "Your case?!"
"My case," Matt agreed. "Or, our case."
"Whatever the case may be," Bo quipped.
Shirley and Matt stared at him, puzzled. He subsided.
"What are the details?" Shirley wanted to know.
"Well, it's complicated," Matt said, seemingly hesitant. "Mainly because it involves - well, revolves around - a hedgehog."
"I beg your pardon?" Shirley blinked.
"A hedgehog." Matt repeated. "A small, quill-covered mammal with a kinda cute face, makes little clicking, snuffling sounds-"
"Yes, I'm familiar with the concept," Shirley interrupted. "But what about the hedgehog?"
"Well, for starters, it's right here." Matt extracted a small, prickly ball from his pocket. It was about the size of a baseball, and there seemed to be no apparent end to the quilly sphere.
"A hedgehog!" Shirley exclaimed, as slowly the creature unrolled itself and looked around, blinking. Matt was right- it was awfully cute.
"It looks like a pincushion," Bo observed, reaching out and hesitantly brushing his hand along the quills.
"It's cute," Shirley decided, "but it doesn't look very mysterious to me."
"That's because you haven't seen this yet," Matt said, unperturbed, and gently flipped the hedgehog onto its back. Holding it with one hand, he used the other to point at a small, blue tattoo on the animal's inside hind thigh.
"It's a tattoo," Shirley observed.
"Look closer," Matt insisted. Shirley obeyed. Then she stiffened, wide-eyed, and looked curiously at Matt.
