Alone in the Dark by Marie Ferrarella

waited, but there was no follow-up. Conversation with this man was definitely a
    challenge. "No, you can't come or no, you don't have other plans?"

    "The latter."

    She bit back a laugh. She didn't want him thinking she was laughing at him. "Good, then
    stop by.Tacomais going through King withdrawals. She keeps looking at me when I close up
    the clinic at night, as if she's asking me why isn't King here."

    "So this is about King."

    Was that humor in his voice? Maybe the connection was fading. "Yeah, but you can come,
    too, Coltrane. We're friends, remember?"

    "I thought we decided to downgrade that."

    No, that was definitely humor there. My God, the man was human. "Don't remember any
    such decision being made. Look, I made a huge lasagna and I can't eat it by myself. I
    thought we might give King a new taste treat."

    And then he thought better of it. It was best to stay out of temptation's way. "I'll take a
    rain check," he finally told her.

    "Up to you. The lasagna'll be there if you change your mind."

    After hanging up, she exited the closet-like room humming. Things were definitely looking
    up.

    As she entered the reception area, she saw the back of Shirley's head. Lunch was
    obviously over.

    "First patient is in room one," Shirley announced, handing her the file as she walked by her desk.

    Patience nodded. Opening the file as she opened the door, Patience stopped dead in the
    doorway.

    There was a cockatiel in a brightly polished bronze cage on the examination table. A
    slight, balding man stood beside it, his face a wreath of agony.

    Walter Payne.

    "Help me," he implored.

Chapter 8
    «^»

    Her mind whirled. What was Walter Payne doing in here?

    As if in tune to her thoughts, the cockatiel fluffed up her wings. The bird was obviously
    ill. Walter must have called in for an appointment. Shirley wasn't aware that Walter had
    once been guilty of subjecting Patience to unwanted attention. Unwilling to endure the
    barrage of questions Shirley always asked, she'd put off telling the receptionist to refer
    Walter to another veterinarian.

    Walter's thin features were all but distorted with worry. "Mitzi's sick. She's really sick."
    He gestured toward the cage helplessly. "Her feathers have been ruffled up like this for
    over a day and I can't get her to eat anything. I didn't know what to do." His eyes pleaded
    with her. "Please. You helped her before."

    Patience hadn't taken a single step into the room. Had Walter made the bird ill on purpose
    so he would have an excuse to see her again? It could have been as simple a matter as
    leaving the cockatiel exposed in a draft. Birds caught colds very easily, often with fatal
    results. If that was the case, then Patience had a great deal to worry about. She knew
    Walter really loved the bird. If he put Mitzi's life in jeopardy, then he had really gone
    over the edge.

    The folder tucked under her arm, Patience shoved her hands deep into her pockets. Her
    gaze never wavered from Walter's drawn face. "I can give you the name of a veterinarian
    who specializes in birds."

    He shook his head at her offer. "Whoever it is won't know her like you do," Walter
    pointed out. "Please. I know you probably don't want me to be here." She'd made that
    rather clear the last time he'd been here. "And I wouldn't be, but she's sick." His small brown eyes misted behind the rimless glasses. "Mitzi's all I have."

    Try as she might to bank it down, Patience could feel sympathy stirring within her. Each
    and every member of her family would tell her to have the man removed, and from their
    point of view, they'd be right. But Walter looked so pathetic, pleading with her to save his
    pet, to ease the bird's suffering. And shewasa veterinarian. She was bound by her oath,
    not to mention her honor, to help the bird in any way that she could.

    Patience stifled a sigh. "All right, I'll see what I can do." She saw hope enter the man's eyes. "First I need to run some tests." He took a step forward.