A Simple Case of Angels Read Online Free Page A

up the squirming dog and carried her to the kitchen door. She shook the snow off the doormat so June Bug would have a more comfortable place to sit while she waited to be let back in.
    The Breams popped the Christmas crackers and laughed over the prizes and jokes inside. They put on the colored paper crowns. Then they ate. And ate. Gravy drowned everything, except the trifle. They gobbled up the trifle, then pushed back their chairs, groaning.
    â€œAll day to cook,” Mina said. “Fifteen minutes to eat.”
    Nicola, who had saved a bit of everything in the napkin in her lap, hurried to the kitchen door to give June Bug her Christmas dinner.
    Snowy pawprints disappeared down the back steps.
    â€œJune Bug!” Nicola called. “June Bug, come!”
    June Bug did not.
    Nicola wanted to look for June Bug right away, but her mother said that June Bug always came back.
    This was true. They had to phone Grammy and Grampy in Nova Scotia to wish them a Merry Christmas, and Nicola had to help clean up. Then the Breams were going to play rummy.
    â€œIf she’s not back after rummy, we’ll look,” Mina said.
    Nicola left the kitchen door open a crack, which she wasn’t supposed to do. She wasn’t supposed to let the heat out, but she was too worried about June Bug. No one noticed because they were all in the dining room dealing out the cards.
    They were well into the game when June Bug came in again, smiling. She was a dog who could smile. She smiled when she dug a hole in the lawn and when she Rolled Over or fell down on her side, Pretending to be Dead. When she did anything she was proud of, she smiled.
    Like now, when she backed into the dining room dragging half a snow-covered Christmas turkey.
    June Bug parked the turkey at Nicola’s feet. It was nearly as big as she was. Jackson saw it first and screamed, “Our turkey! June Bug got our turkey!”
    No one else said anything, because what was left of the Breams’ turkey was on the kitchen counter.
    â€œJune Bug?” Nicola asked in a quavery voice. “Where did you get that turkey?”
    â€œShe stole it, obviously,” Jared answered. “She stole Christmas dinner right from under someone’s nose.”
    Terence said, “Don’t jump to conclusions, young man. Anyway, that looks to me like half a turkey. If she did steal it, she only stole the leftovers.”
    â€œThe leftovers are the best part,” Jared said. “Turkey sandwiches the next day? Someone’s not getting any.”
    Then June Bug, who had been sitting so proudly listening to what she thought was praise coming from the Breams, flattened her ears in discomfort, took two steps away from the table, and threw up.
    â€œThere’s the other half!” Jared crowed. He stabbed his finger at Nicola. “Two Chances used up today! One More Chance and that dog is out of here! ”
    * * *
    Nicola and her mother set off into the frozen night with the remains of their own turkey wrapped in foil and tucked inside Mina’s winter coat. They followed June Bug’s tracks as best as they could. June Bug was with them, too, being dragged along by her leash. They had hoped that she would lead them to the scene of the crime, but June Bug was not cooperating.
    â€œThis is really awful, Nicola,” her mother said. “Imagine having your turkey stolen at Christmas. That family’s dinner is ruined.”
    â€œIs June Bug going to the SPCA?” Nicola asked.
    â€œShe’s got One More Chance.”
    â€œShe’s still a puppy,” Nicola reminded her mother.
    â€œI know she is, sweetheart. It’s just that she’s pretty much the worst-behaved puppy there ever was.”
    â€œShe’s so cute, though, and so smart.” Nicola glanced back at June Bug, who was plowing up the snow behind them with her stiff legs, refusing to walk.
    The tracks got mixed up in front of the Durmazes’ house. Nicola