“Yes.”

“Why’re you asking? God, he made her life awful. I hope he’s burning in hell.”

Fury had him sitting straighter. “What was she like before the troubles?”

“Lots of fun, outgoing. She had to delay leaving for Knoxville for a year so she took a couple of courses here. After the attack, she changed. Became very guarded and withdrawn. But you have to understand, she endured a brutal attack. Post-traumatic stress would be a normal reaction.”

“She still has scars. Keeps her journal.”

She released a weary sigh. “I went to see her in the hospital after the attack. The plastic surgeon did a great job stitching her up, but she still looked like Frankenstein.”

Alex shifted in his seat, trying to connect the woman he’d met a week ago with the woman who’d been so brutally attacked. He’d thought her odd initially, aloof and standoffish. Now, when he considered the attack, he had nothing but pure respect for her.

“During that last summer school session, after the attack, a boy in class who didn’t know her history jumped out and surprised her. She grabbed her textbook and hit him hard in the face. She would have hit him a second time but he fell to the floor.”

A smile flickered. “Did he file charges?”

“Not after I explained her history. But he walked one hell of a wide circle around her after that.”

“Any other incidents?”

“Not that I saw.”

“Thanks, Dr. Miller. I appreciate the insight.”

Alex hung up and immediately dialed a contact in South Carolina.

Chapter Thirteen

Thursday, January 19, 9 A.M.

He arrived at the humane society kennel just as it was opening. The mornings, he learned, could be chaotic there. Dogs being dropped off. Dogs needing feeding and walking. Deliveries. It was a busy time.

He pushed through the front door, wrinkling his nose at the smell of animal urine. Dogs weren’t his favorite. They were demanding emotionally and needed lots of care. Cats were more to his taste. They took care of themselves and didn’t need constant attention. His wife had always wanted a black Lab and had mentioned it when they’d been together. Of course with their busy lives, there hadn’t been time for a dog so he’d refused to allow one.

That had been a mistake. Maybe if he’d said yes to the dog, she’d have been happier, wouldn’t have been so discontented. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

The lady behind the counter looked up through horn-rimmed glasses. A rubber band bound dark graying hair in a loose ponytail that allowed wisps of hair to frame a very round face.

“I’d like to look at the dogs,” he said. “My wife wants a black Lab.”

The woman rose, revealing a blousy peasant top worn over faded jeans that covered a very wide set of hips. He wasn’t a fan of overweight figures, and when his wife splurged on ice cream or chocolate, he was always quick to joke about her clothes getting too tight. He’d never teased her out of meanness. He’d only reminded her of what she ate because he knew she was aware of her figure and would have been upset if she’d put on a few pounds.

“You specifically want a black Lab?”

He smiled. “Well, that’s the kind of dog she always talked about. She likes to take walks, and I know Labs need a lot of exercise.” He extended his hand. “My name is Brian Lawrence.”

“Hey, Brian. My name is Betty. I’m the morning manager.”

He glanced at the clock. “I know you just opened. I bet you haven’t had your coffee yet.”

“I’ll delay the coffee for a dog.”

He rubbed his hands together. “So what do I need to do?”

“Let’s have a look at the dogs, and if you see one that might work in your family, we’ll talk about the paperwork.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

He followed her down a tiled hallway. Green hospital walls were covered in a collection of photographs featuring all kinds of dogs and cats. A Lab shepherd mix. A dachshund mix. A tabby cat with a bent ear. A collection of white furry puppies. Happy and upbeat, they made him feel better about his decision to get a dog. He imagined the look on his wife’s face when he surprised her with the dog.

Betty pushed through a swinging door and they entered a long room lined with cages on the right and left. Barking dogs and meowing cats filled the sterile room. The floor was tile, easily hosed down, and the walls were painted a mint green. The animal smell was strong.

“So you only want a Lab? Because we have some very cute animals here today. We don’t have a Lab, but you might be surprised by the friendly dogs we do have.”

He nearly refused, but then reminded himself that he needed to be more flexible. More open-minded. She would’ve loved any dog. Any animal. “Let’s see what you have.”

As they moved down the row of cages, Betty paused and spoke lovingly to the dogs. Most rushed to the front of the cage and licked her fingertips, eager for her attention. He smiled at the animals, but his smile wasn’t genuine. He found the dogs, especially the puppies, to be a bit annoying and dreaded the idea of coming home to one each day. Still, he kept smiling, even petted a couple of animals so Betty wouldn’t think him odd. He was supposed to be an animal lover.

Finally, at the end of the row, he spotted a medium-sized black dog. It didn’t rush to the front of the cage but didn’t cower in the corner either. It eyed him with an all-seeing gaze that made him stop. He sensed, as the creature looked at him, that it knew his secrets, knew he’d done bad things.

“You like this one?” Betty asked.

He tore his gaze from the dog. “Yeah, I think I do.”

“Are you interested in adoption?”

“I think so.” He turned away from the cage.

“It’s a female. Her name is Charlie. She’s nine months old but still needs to be spayed.”

“Okay. What does that mean?”

“The Nelson Animal Hospital does our spaying for us. We would drop her off there, and once the surgery is done and she’s had time to recover, you could pick her up.”

“The Nelson Animal Hospital?”

“It’s run by a nice guy and his new associate, Dr. Carson, who’s a real charmer.”

“Okay. You said something about paperwork?”

“Right out front.”

He glanced back at Charlie. She stared at him with those guarded brown eyes, and he found himself growing leery of the animal. She wasn’t dumb. She didn’t rush up to anyone. She was selective. He knelt down and extended his fingers through the cage. Slowly, she approached and licked his fingers.

He smiled. “I think she likes me. Can I hold her?”

“Sure.”

Betty unlatched the cage and allowed the dog out. She moved toward Brian and allowed him to pet her. She ducked her head and wagged her tail before slowly moving closer.

“She trusts me.”

“She’s a slow one to warm up. I suspect she’ll be a one-owner dog. Very loyal.”

He scratched the mutt between the ears. “I like that.”

Out front, the bells on the door rang, signaling that someone else had entered the shelter. Betty frowned. “I need to check on that.”

“Go ahead. Charlie and I are just spending a little quality time together.”

“I can’t leave you alone with the dogs.”

Voices out front grew louder. “Sounds like you might have trouble.”

Betty glanced between the front door and him, as if making a decision. He grinned. She smiled back. “I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll be waiting.” He rubbed Charlie between the ears. “We’ll be waiting, won’t we, girl?”

Betty hurried up front, and as she vanished around the corner his gaze faded. “Charlie, I don’t know about you, but I want out of this place.” Ears back, she licked his face.

He glanced to the back of the hallway and the emergency exit. “What say we get the hell out of here?”

He could hear Betty’s voice rising, as did the other two voices. “Don’t worry about that. I paid those guys making the noise to make a fuss. We don’t need anyone telling us when you can leave with me.”