Chapter One
“You have got to be kidding me.”
The nearby guy’s voice rose, alarm rippling through his words, and then I heard a yelp. There must be a problem with one of the dogs, but I guessed in a pound this big, it was to be expected.
I shuffled the box in my arms and tried not to fidget. It was bulky rather than heavy, but I’d been waiting nearly ten minutes. If the girl didn’t come back soon, I’d just leave it on the floor.
“ No .” Alarm had risen to panic. What was happening? “No, please don’t. Don’t put me in there.” Ice snaked down my spine at his shout, and I glanced around, wondering why nobody was doing anything.
“Help me. Somebody, please help me.”
Instinct battled with common sense. This was a dog pound, not a torture chamber. It was probably just someone messing around.
As I thought that, a man in a white coat appeared in the doorway. “Sal?” He shouted. “He’s down.” His eyes sharpened when he noticed me. “Can I help you?”
Footsteps pounded down a hallway, approaching us in the tiny front office. I shuffled the box some more. “I’m, uh, Jessie. I’m dropping off some bedding.” His eyebrows dipped and I hastened to explain. “I’m moving out, and I don’t need it any more. The girl I spoke to on the phone said you were always in need of blankets and quilts, you know, for the stray dogs.”
I was babbling, like I always did when I was nervous. And for some reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on, I felt very uneasy.
“Right.” He nodded, but his attention leapt to the young woman who burst into the room. It felt distinctly crowded now. “We’ve got him, Sal.” A grin broke over his face. “This is the one. Get on the phone. Call everyone.”
I could have been invisible. “Should I just leave my stuff here? I’ve got some more in the car.”
“Yeah, sure.” They were already heading down another corridor, leaving me alone. I could hear the excited rumble of their voices and I puzzled over his words. This is the one. Call everyone.
None of my business. I dumped the box on the floor, next to a teetering stack of dog food cartons, and pushed out through the door. My car was around the corner, parked in my usual haphazard fashion, and I’d left it unlocked. I grabbed the second cardboard box from the back seat, and straightened up. I’d be back in a minute, so I left the door open. Nobody would steal this piece of junk.
To my right was a side door into the pound. It didn’t say keep out , or private , or staff only , it was a lot closer than the main office, and this box was particularly heavy. Fuck it, I’d give it a try.
I tried the door handle and it opened. I peered through the gap. A long, grey-tiled corridor stretched away from me, animal pens on both sides, and most of them empty. It didn’t look as though anything was running free, and so I slipped through the door, box in my arms. It stayed open behind me; I’d have to come back and close it.
The only dog I saw lay on its side in a cage way too small for its size, and I felt outraged on its behalf. It didn’t even have room to stand. Was this really the best place for me to donate my stuff to? I’d left it too late to find anywhere else, and I wished I’d spent more time thinking this over. It’d been a last minute idea, something I excelled at.
I stood there, battling my indecision, and the dog lifted its head. Brilliant, sapphire-blue eyes stared at me.
“ Please help .”
That voice again, the guy I’d heard earlier. I looked over my shoulder, but the corridor was empty. The only other voices were in the distance, high and excited. My heart thudded against my ribs. Where was he?
“Um, hello?” My voice came out as a squeak, and I cleared my throat. Before I could try again, the dog shook its head and whined.
“You can hear me?” The voice sounded urgent.
Okay, this was weird. The other cages were empty, and there was nobody else in
“You have got to be kidding me.”
The nearby guy’s voice rose, alarm rippling through his words, and then I heard a yelp. There must be a problem with one of the dogs, but I guessed in a pound this big, it was to be expected.
I shuffled the box in my arms and tried not to fidget. It was bulky rather than heavy, but I’d been waiting nearly ten minutes. If the girl didn’t come back soon, I’d just leave it on the floor.
“ No .” Alarm had risen to panic. What was happening? “No, please don’t. Don’t put me in there.” Ice snaked down my spine at his shout, and I glanced around, wondering why nobody was doing anything.
“Help me. Somebody, please help me.”
Instinct battled with common sense. This was a dog pound, not a torture chamber. It was probably just someone messing around.
As I thought that, a man in a white coat appeared in the doorway. “Sal?” He shouted. “He’s down.” His eyes sharpened when he noticed me. “Can I help you?”
Footsteps pounded down a hallway, approaching us in the tiny front office. I shuffled the box some more. “I’m, uh, Jessie. I’m dropping off some bedding.” His eyebrows dipped and I hastened to explain. “I’m moving out, and I don’t need it any more. The girl I spoke to on the phone said you were always in need of blankets and quilts, you know, for the stray dogs.”
I was babbling, like I always did when I was nervous. And for some reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on, I felt very uneasy.
“Right.” He nodded, but his attention leapt to the young woman who burst into the room. It felt distinctly crowded now. “We’ve got him, Sal.” A grin broke over his face. “This is the one. Get on the phone. Call everyone.”
I could have been invisible. “Should I just leave my stuff here? I’ve got some more in the car.”
“Yeah, sure.” They were already heading down another corridor, leaving me alone. I could hear the excited rumble of their voices and I puzzled over his words. This is the one. Call everyone.
None of my business. I dumped the box on the floor, next to a teetering stack of dog food cartons, and pushed out through the door. My car was around the corner, parked in my usual haphazard fashion, and I’d left it unlocked. I grabbed the second cardboard box from the back seat, and straightened up. I’d be back in a minute, so I left the door open. Nobody would steal this piece of junk.
To my right was a side door into the pound. It didn’t say keep out , or private , or staff only , it was a lot closer than the main office, and this box was particularly heavy. Fuck it, I’d give it a try.
I tried the door handle and it opened. I peered through the gap. A long, grey-tiled corridor stretched away from me, animal pens on both sides, and most of them empty. It didn’t look as though anything was running free, and so I slipped through the door, box in my arms. It stayed open behind me; I’d have to come back and close it.
The only dog I saw lay on its side in a cage way too small for its size, and I felt outraged on its behalf. It didn’t even have room to stand. Was this really the best place for me to donate my stuff to? I’d left it too late to find anywhere else, and I wished I’d spent more time thinking this over. It’d been a last minute idea, something I excelled at.
I stood there, battling my indecision, and the dog lifted its head. Brilliant, sapphire-blue eyes stared at me.
“ Please help .”
That voice again, the guy I’d heard earlier. I looked over my shoulder, but the corridor was empty. The only other voices were in the distance, high and excited. My heart thudded against my ribs. Where was he?
“Um, hello?” My voice came out as a squeak, and I cleared my throat. Before I could try again, the dog shook its head and whined.
“You can hear me?” The voice sounded urgent.
Okay, this was weird. The other cages were empty, and there was nobody else in
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