Summerabbacat

Suspicious Minds - Fine Young Cannibals version? It is superb, with the very prominent backing vocals of Jimmy Somerville Can't Help Falling In Love - the only other version I know is that from The Stylistics, a very popular Philly soul group from the 1970's (before your time), and unlike all their other songs I cannot stand it I will be interested to learn of the versions of these songs you are referring to.

And then some. Many of those named by @Philippe I was not aware of. Those mentioned by me are those which I like best, especially Edge of Reality and Viva Las Vegas. The only others I can recall which have not been mentioned and which I particularly like are Are You Lonesome Tonight and In The Ghetto.

Jack is a chihuahua @Laura S. Fox, small, yappy and constantly on the move. His "accidental" clairvoyance appears to be far more believable than Cassandra's alleged psychic abilities. No surprises Theodore Pembroke's companies are reportedly engaged in any and all "dirty business" which occurs in Glasstone. I am still enthralled by this story; it is nothing like I have ever read before.

She is Theodore Pembroke's mother? She has been bewitched by his masculine "charms" and craves more because she is one horny she-wolf? She has been promised a large financial windfall if Ryder is dead and his pack driven from their land which Theodore wants to acquire?

Although Danny's belief Ryder is an environmentalist is fanciful, his belief Theodore Pembroke is the CEO of a corporation with intentions of anything but respect for the environment well may have some basis. I am convinced it is he who put the curse on Ryder and his pack, and either with or without force convinced Cassandra to lie to Ryder that he, Theodore, is his fated mate, with the intention of killing him. The motivation, pristine land which Theodore wants to acquire to benefit from financially. He is a wolf who has been seduced by the greed of his human side and has become a dodgy developer. I sense Ryder and his pack will have to fight tooth and claw to keep this wolf from their door. Does Danny hold the key to intensifying Ryder's strength and resolve, or is everything Cassandra predicted a fantasy created to support the bullshit that Theodore is Ryder's fated mate? If Theodore Pembroke is even one tenth as "hot" as the late Theodore (Teddy) Pendergrass @Laura S. Fox then Ryder is in trouble. Woof indeed.

I loathe streaming too @drpaladin, including streaming of music. I do have a TV, but have not watched TV for many years. I only ever use it for watching a DVD, which I only watch from my own collection, a couple of times per year.

"Yes, it had to be because he had never been exposed to this sort of attraction before. Humans could be very handsome, too, and while wolves kept to themselves, who was to say that they wouldn’t like to lie with such people? Ryder entertained the idea, and he would have even given in to it if it weren’t for Theodore and the fact that he had a mate to whom he was supposed to offer all of his desire." and “It’s a man,” Ryder replied. “I am supposed to like him.” It appears Ryder is finding it increasingly difficult to convince himself the idea of Theodore Pembroke being his fated mate is an attractive one, the polar opposite of what he is feeling for Danny. The concept of an arranged marriage, in this case to benefit the pack as a whole, very Austenesque @Laura S. Fox. I too am a big fan. Irresistible, what a joy to be thought of as such, something which Danny, Average Joe, thoroughly deserves.

Or Thomas, the "miracle worker"? Or wouldn't it be ironic if the only one who could reach Matthew is Micah. Perhaps Damir is to Matthew what Boy is to Micah, a protective shield from hurt, pain and abandonment.

"Instead, he was enjoying such strange cozy moments in the company of Danny Wilson, a human who couldn’t have been further from a wolfshifter, with his soft hair, nice eyes, and slim build. But who said all wolves had to be big and strong? Ryder chuckled at his own strange thought. Danny couldn’t even be considered a puppy, let alone a wolf. If there was some animal for him out there, it had to be something completely different from a wolf. If there was a fire burning inside Danny’s heart, it had to be calm and enduring." These thoughts of Ryder's capture the essence of this chapter. Danny is acutely aware of his attraction to Ryder but believes there is no chance the attraction could possibly be mutual, whilst Ryder is completely clueless (or is lying to himself) that he could possibly be attracted to Danny as his mate must be a wolf, not a puppy or some such lesser being. As for Vince and Jack, only time will tell for this coupling as well, but it will not surprise if an attraction arises on both their parts. @Laura S. Fox you are right up there with Duran Duran in presenting an entertaining tale about a wolf.

I wonder @Cane23 if there is any chance to rehabilitate Damir? He murdered his parents as ordered by his former Soviet "bosses" and attempted to murder Walter IV at the behest of The Turd. He clearly feels worthless unless he is killing as it is the only thing he knows. Does this make him worse than some corporate CEO's, presidents and religious extremists who are responsible for many more deaths than Damir?

Another entertaining chapter, with misunderstandings aplenty injecting more humour into an already humorous story. I found the following particularly amusing: “Hey,” Jack protested, grabbing the phone from Ryder’s hand. “Now, listen here, asshole, who do you think you are to--” “I have a Jacuzzi, all the streaming services, and organic food. Are you going to protest much or are you coming?” Vince asked." Vince has again demonstrated his care for Danny by offering to harbour Jack, thus enabling Danny to harbour Ryder. I suspect this is setting up a romantic liaison between Vince and Jack. Speaking of Ryder, for someone so astute and observant in general, he is totally blind to his attraction to Danny. Cassandra has apparently placed a "curse" on him by closing his eyes to anyone but Theodore Pembroke, his alleged fated mate. Well done again @Laura S. Fox.

One of my favourite Doris Day films @Cane23 (and I have about 20 on DVD). Such an underrated singer and actress, and to top it all off a tireless advocate for animal rights. A goddess in the eyes of @Summerabbacat.

You will not be sorry you correct this oversight @Paladin. In comparison to this story and Kept Boy To Made Man it is @empath lite, but it is just as entertaining, provocative and @empathesque. I would advise you still have those tissues on hand.

"That was why Vince was such a great friend. He knew exactly when to intervene to stop Danny from spiraling down into the ocean of uncertainty, drowning in doubt." My favourite line from this chapter; Vince may be flippant and tease Danny a little too much about his lack of sexual success, but he is genuinely fond of Danny and obviously cares a great deal about his wellbeing, being very generous with ensuring he eats sufficiently given his low income. The fembot at Eclipse Aromatics on Moonveil was a hilariously ghastly stereotype, a stick of incense stuck up her butt to ensure she wore a veneered smile of constipation permanently. Hideous. Another riotous chapter @Laura S. Fox. I am interested to see how Ryder and Jack have managed to vanish without a trace and will remain out of the reach of the police, and how Danny will reconcile harbouring a fugitive against his strong moral compass.

You have driven me to the Edge of Reality @Philippe, or perhaps Way Down to Viva Las Vegas. Luckily there are still enough Suspicious Minds to ensure the investigation will continue, at least for now, unless of course Will becomes Moody Blue again.

More fun and games with Jack, the reluctant clairvoyant, displaying what appears to be genuine clairvoyance with his "assessment" of the roles Theodore Pembroke and Average Joe aka Danny Wilson will play in Ryder's life. Maybe it was sheer luck, but the Draw Of The Cards was the same each time Jack shuffled them and dealt them. Another joyous and humorous chapter @Laura S. Fox. I am very much enjoying the inclusion of characters such as Danny and Jack, both of whom would be "invisible" in a world preoccupied with beauty and wealth. Their station in life would also see them invariably excluded from much of what they might enjoy. To have them both playing a major role in this story is wonderful, much like Otis from Dating Rules and Pretty Fools, a most beloved creation of your mind.

Aliens perhaps?

It appears it will take all of Killian's enthusiasm to keep the troops invested in continuing with the investigation. Although it is only early days yet, everyone bar Killian, and perhaps Gabe, seemed to be on a "downer" after it was revealed no one had really come up with any concrete yet. My goodness Elvis was a handsome man and a fine singer, at least earlier in his career. I think it is the hairstyle, but in the photograph above he looks a little like k d lang. I hope you are wrong about Aidan being the killer @drsawzall.

The killer was a Hag In A Black Leather Jacket or was it Multiple Maniacs? I love to speculate and I think Caitlin and Mackenzie are the most likely culprits thus far, but my "little grey cells" rarely get it right. Perhaps it was Elvis.

Damn @pvtguy. The development of their better qualities in spite of their father, a much better word choice than my word choice defiance. Maybe I should ask you to write me comments for me in future.

The painting of the frog. Aidan clearly feels much more for Will than just friendship, and although he may not realise it yet, I think Will feels more for Aidan than just friendship too. The Thanksgiving gathering was a time of high emotion for most who attended. I immediately wondered if Caitlin declining a drink of alcohol was genuine or part of a charade. If it is a charade I cannot imagine it is one she will be able to continue to sustain for much longer. Aidan appeared to warm or at least thaw out a little towards Caitlin, but Laura's attitude towards her is still frosty at best. With the ongoing investigation I will be keen to observe if their relationship improves at all. A clever chapter @Josh Aterovis, one illustrating the lack of success thus far will test the resolve of those involved in the murder investigation. Will they all stay on board or will some drop out due to lack of progress?

Could it be that Cassandra, the half human half wolf is the one who has placed the curse on Ryder's pack and has lied to him that Theodore is his fated mate, or perhaps Theodore has placed the curse on the pack and on Cassandra to lure Ryder to him so that he can kill Ryder. A lot of sniffing between Ryder and Theodore, but I thought dogs usually sniffed each others butts, or do wolves considers themselves as superior to mere dogs? Jack, he with the "cute" rodent appearance is I imagine a university student pretending to be a clairvoyant for a lark or as part of an experiment on the gullibility of humans who have "faith" in fortune tellers. This story becomes quirkier with each chapter @Laura S. Fox, with an eclectic cast of characters. A delight to read.

“Oh! So, you’re Peter’s boss.” “Something like that. I’ve said that I will up my volunteering hours and there are bound to be things that I can keep on doing.” and "There’s more! I have agreed to take on a trainee, something I have long fought against. I am taking the trainee on the understanding that they will help with the pro bono work.” “Makes economic sense.” “It means that I can do some of the more complex cases and the firm is starting a fund, so we can take a limited number of deserving clients on reduced fees.” and "Hell no. It would feel”, I frowned. “Unsatisfactory. Dirty, even. So what?” “Sell it and create a little private trust, for your friend, Matt. Pay his wages for volunteering at the reserve. Nothing luxurious.” Macdonald Philpott may have been a less than stellar father, but it appears he is at least partially responsible for having raised two fine sons, even if their better qualities have developed in defiance of their father. Vince's altruism, which has been present from the start of this story, shone like a beacon in this chapter. The thing which impresses me the most is that he does not just talk the talk, he walks the walk too. His final comment to Dawn “Whispering sweet nothings about prison reform.” also demonstrated he has a much more wicked sense of humour than one could have anticipated. His character growth has been nothing short of miraculous. There was a quite a bit of other humour in this chapter too, none funnier than Freddie's completely non-PC comment about Francis' wife #3. “But sufficiently in tune to keep his thoughts private, besides”, Vince grinned, “wife number three is half his age and nothing to be proud of.” “Except her t*ts and they’re not real.” And one of the most moving scenes in this story to date: “Would you have really, if I’d asked three years ago?” He gave an embarrassed laugh, “I’d like to think that I would have but…” He shook his head, “We’ve come a long way since then.” And to my great surprise he hugged me. “Thanks for all the support, Gray. It means a lot.” Great chapter @Robert Hugill, warm, funny and ultimately a very satisfying and entertaining read.

I dare say you have seen this in your "neck of the woods" too on many an occasion, and it cannot be blamed solely on "idiots from the city".

Another densely packed chapter which provoked some very surprising emotions in me, the most surprising of which arose from this powerfully written text: "The Andersens’ dead eyes followed him as he sped away from the unwelcome reminder that he had willingly forfeited his soul for a country that no longer existed – a country that never loved him or even needed his sacrifice. The Wolf’s stoic and pragmatic composure had been pierced by the .308 Winchester round he had fired moments before. Somewhere deep and nearly forgotten, Matthew Andersen cried. Damir tried to ignore the drops of guilt and regret pouring down his cheeks, but the tears continued as Matthew’s childhood memories flowed from his fractured past." I did not expect to feel any sympathy for Damir after the actions he has taken, including the murder of his parents, and yet I did. Apart from his murdered parents, he is another 'unwanted son', a 'son' discarded by an evil empire which ran out of steam and conviction and tossed him aside just like all the other unwanted sons in the Land of Lincoln. I was also angered by what has happened to Henry, angered by the cruelty and ignorance of both his attackers and The Turd, but also angered somewhat by Angelica. I understand why she has kept a bedside vigil with Walter IV, but seemingly she has not given much thought to Henry, or foolishly assumed (and this I cannot hold against her) The Turd's newly displayed "devotion" to Henry was genuine. Unfortunately she has fucked up big time in making this assumption, one which I hope she makes The Turd pay dearly for. I must say I would not have been at all disappointed if Damir's aim had been more than slightly off and he shot Silas instead of Devon. I got the impression Damir did not share Silas' disgust at Teyshawn being a 'nilla lickin' homo. Hopefully Henry is in the vicinity of where Teyshawn and Devon are as indicated by @VBlew in his comments or if not, near Liberty Academy and he seeks shelter there. If the latter hopefully he will reveal his father's bizarre behaviour and computer screen content to Roger or someone else smart enough to recognise a possible link between the latter and the attempted hit on Walter IV. Another outstanding chapter @empath, of a quality we readers have come to expect from you, and which to date you have delivered without fail (no pressure, none, nada).