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was to solve this case to get away from the spotlight again. “Where did you find the dog?” she asked without preamble.
    I went through my spiel about how Della had told me that when she and Perry didn’t feel well, they went to the doggie doctor. Since Della had no idea of the man’s name, I had to call through the phone book until I found the vet who had treated Perry. She rolled her eyes a bit when I told the set-up for the story, but she looked impressed that I’d thought of calling vets. The police certainly hadn’t bothered with it.
    The basic truth that she didn’t want to admit was that some people are animal people and others are not. I was an animal person. Always had been. Pets had been my lifeline when my sister had disappeared. All the days when I didn’t want to see people, I still wanted to see my dog and cat. Even now, there were many days when my pets were better company than the humans around me.
    This police detective didn’t understand that level of devotion. She was thinking of a nice Fido who slept at the end of the bed and got fed twice a day. She thought of the family pet as a pet, not as part of the family.
    As long as that remained her perspective, I was going to have an edge on her in this investigation. Ruby Jenkins would no sooner have left her dogs with the front door open than I would let Bruno play in the street. If the police didn’t understand this mindset, then they’d be likely to think that Ruby was in the same place as my sister.
    “What’s going to become of the dogs?” she finally asked me when I was done.
    “I can’t keep them forever, but for now, they’ll stay with me,” I replied, watching the two Scotties eye the woman nervously. They were smart enough to recognize who liked them and who didn’t.
    She just nodded. “That’s fine then. We know where to find them if we have any more questions for them.” She flipped open the case with her badge in it and pulled out a piece of pasteboard. “Here’s my card. Call me if you find out anything else, though I really should remind you that this is an open police investigation, and you are legally bound to stay out of it.”
    I smiled at her. “I wasn’t looking for Ruby. I was looking for Perry. Don’t you see how much more relaxed Della looks with him here? She’s like a new dog.” Indeed, Della had curled up on the sofa, watching me as I spoke. Perry was still off somewhere investigating the house. Bruno was likely leading the tour of the place.
    “That’s a pretty fine distinction between the two. Just keep your distance. But if something happens, you can call me. Anytime.”
    I wasn’t sure how to take that last word. Had there really been something more than professional courtesy when she said that? I stood there, wondering what was going on. It had been a year or so since I’d had a real date, and frankly I was slow on the uptake regarding cues from the opposite sex.
    She smiled. “Yeah, it’s what you think I meant. Geez, maybe you should get your dogs to explain it.”
    “They’ve been neutered and spayed. They’ve missed out on the whole dating rituals thing,” I said flippantly. “They sniff a butt or two, and then they want to go home.”
    She nodded. “Looks like you might have missed out too.”
    She was probably right. I had missed out on some of the dating rituals. My parents had been overly cautious with me after my sister disappeared. Dates with girls whose families we didn’t know was strictly forbidden unless a parent drove. It made for many an awkward evening with girls who didn’t understand the mindset of my parents. Looking back, I wasn’t sure that I did either.
    I looked down at the card. Her name was Sheila Green, and there were contact numbers at home, at work and a cell – along with an email address. She definitely wanted to be in touch.
    She gave me an appraising glance when I looked at her again. “You would be kind of cute if you cleaned up a little, bothered to