How Sam Sees It

The Yorkie Yapped at Midnight: A Sam Scoop Mystery
Chapter 2

Sam is asleep, and his dream continues...

Mr. Tibbets – Mayor and first goat of the Yard. He’s not been right in the head since the love of his life migrated south last winter with the rest of her flock…and he was no sharper than a bowling ball before that. But as the Mayor he’s out poking into everybody’s business all day long, so if you want the latest buzz, he’s your man. I found him standing on his overturned feed dish, staring out towards the southern horizon. His beard was dusty and ill kept and a low moaning sound came from his sad, ridiculous face.

“Hey Tibbets!” I barked. “Quit keening over that duck and c’mere, I want to talk to you.” It startled him so badly that he began to dance, his hooves flailing wildly on the plastic surface before falling off butt first, landing with his tail on the ground, all four legs still on the feeder. I watched in wry amusement as he scrambled to his feet and shuffled towards me. He was still looking southwards as he muttered rapidly, “Hiya Sam, wasn’t keening, baaa, just humming to myself, thinking of things, baaa, whatcha’ doin’ back, haven’t seen you in a coon’s age, baaa …”

"Button it and just listen for a minute." I told him I wanted to hear the latest scoop in the yard.


“Baaa, that’s funny, Scoop wants the scoop, baaa…” He looked at me with one ear cocked, and a weak grin on his hairy mug.


I stared at him from under my brows. “Can it, you daft little duck lover. Tell me what the Yorkie has been up to.”


He suddenly appeared agitated, looking anywhere but my eyes. “Up to? Baaa, don’t know anything myself but Blind Sister Cisco was out in the yard this morning, baaa, said that the Yorkie raised a ruckus in the big-house last night, that what you mean?”

“Ruckus? What kind of ruckus?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, baaa. Not my business, no way now how,” he said, as he scrambled away quickly. I watched him as he went and I could’ve sworn he was scared…if I didn’t know that he was too stupid to feel fear, that is.

And claiming it wasn’t his business? That goat was into other peoples business so often he could qualify for a payroll deduction. Something just didn’t add up.

But at least I now had a lead …I went to find Blind Sister Cisco.