8
At dinner, everyone knew something was rather...odd.
"I say, this chicken tastes rather...tender," said Zack suspiciously.
"That's because you're eating the fat," said Cody.
"Do you dare to call me fat?" challenged Zack.
"No, I'm just saying you're eating chicken fat," said Cody slowly.
"Now you insult my honor?!" cried Zack.
"How am I insulting your honor?" asked Cody.
"You know how," sniffed Zack. "Don't talk to me, villain. Don't even look at me." And with that, he turned around to face Maddie, who was eating her dinner in silence. He gently put his hand in hers and said, "Come now, my dear, whatever is the matter?"
"It's nothing," said Maddie quietly. "I'm just sad because of the weather. Now please, leave me be."
Zack shrugged and assumed she was just having one of those moods women often tended to have.
"Had anyone seen Arwin?" asked Carey. "He promised me he'd bring me freshly squeezed apple juice."
Judge Moseby blinked. "Freshly squeezed apple juice," he repeated.
"Yeah, that's what I said," nodded Carey.
Judge Moseby took a deep breath and said, "Carey, I don't know how to tell you this, but apples are not squeezed; they are crushed and the extraction is pasteurized and made into juice."
"Huh?" said Carey, blinking.
Judge Moseby sighed and stabbed his fork into a piece of meat. He began to pick the meat up with the fork, but before he could get a chance to put it in his mouth, Patrick came running into the dining room. "Esteban," he panted, "you'd better come with me."
"What is the magic word, doctor?" said Esteban playfully.
"Just get down with me," grumbled Patrick.
"Ah ah ah, you did not say the magic word," taunted Esteban.
Patrick spat out, "Please, okay? Please and thank you! Now will you please come downstairs with me? This is serious!"
Esteban grinned that oh-so-goofy grin of his and followed the doctor down into the basement.
Judge Moseby sighed and relaxed. He picked up the fork and began to move it inches towards his mouth...and then there was a loud, girlish scream.
Esteban came running upstairs, flailing his arms like a maniac and screaming like a girl. Once he got into the dining room, he panted, "Arwin—Arwin Macarthur—he's—he's—"
"Dead?" finished Zack.
Esteban tensed up and said, "How did you know that?"
"Just a hunch," shrugged Zack.
Tensed up, Judge Moseby began to lift the fork towards his mouth...
"Oh for crying out loud, Esteban, you're such a baby," snapped Patrick as he carried Arwin's body upstairs and into the dining room.
Realizing he was never going to get a chance to eat his dinner in peace, Judge Moseby picked up his plate and marched into the kitchen.
Patrick shrugged and dropped Arwin's body onto the dining table. There a large knife stuck in his back...
"Aw man, I really wanted that apple juice," whined Carey.