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heard thundering footsteps. Denny hurtled through the kitchen toward me. He was puffed up and angry and his eyes locked on me. “You stupid dog,” he growled.
    He dragged me through the kitchen and down the hall, into Zoë’s room, where she sat, stunned, on the floor in the middle of a huge mess. Her dolls, her animals, all torn to shreds, a complete disaster. Total ruin. I could only assume that the evil demon zebra had reassembled itself and destroyed the other animals after I had left. I should have eliminated the zebra when I had my chance. I should have eaten it, even if it had killed me.
    Denny was so angry that his anger filled up the entire room, the entire house. Nothing was as large as Denny’s anger. “Bad dog!” he bellowed, and he raised his hand.
    â€œDenny, no!” Eve cried. She rushed to me and covered me with her own body. She protected me.
    Denny stopped. He wouldn’t hit her. No matter what. Just as he wouldn’t hit me. He hadn’t wanted to hit me, I know. He wanted to hit the demon, the evil zebra, the dark creature that possessed the stuffed animal. Denny believed the evil demon was in me, but it wasn’t. I saw it. The demon had possessed the zebra and left me at the bloody scene with no voice to defend myself—I had been framed.
    â€œWe’ll get new animals, baby,” Eve said to Zoë. “We’ll go to the store tomorrow.” As gently as I could, I slunk toward Zoë, the sad little girl on the floor, surrounded by the rubble of her toys, tears on her cheeks. I crawled to her on my elbows and placed my nose next to her thigh. And I raised my eyebrows slightly as if to ask if she could ever forgive me for not protecting her animals.
    She waited a long time to give me her answer, but she finally gave it. She placed her hand on my head and let it rest there. She didn’t scratch me. It would be a while before she allowed herself to do that. But she did touch me, which meant she forgave me for what had happened.
    Later, after everyone had eaten and Zoë was put to bed, I found Denny sitting on the porch steps with a drink of hard liquor, which I thought was strange because he hardly ever drank hard liquor. I approached cautiously, and he noticed.
    â€œIt’s okay, boy,” he said. He patted the step next to him, and I went to him. I sniffed his wrist and took a tentative lick. He smiled and rubbed my neck.
    â€œI’m really sorry,” he said. “I lost my mind.”
    Denny finished his drink with a long swallow and shivered. He produced a bottle from nowhere and poured himself another. He stood up and took a couple of steps and stretched to the sky.
    â€œWe got first place, Enzo. We took first place overall. You know what that means?” My heart jumped. I knew what it meant. It meant that he was the champion. It meant he was the best! “It means a seat in a touring car next season, that’s what it means,” Denny said to me. “I got an offer from a real, live racing team. Do you know what an offer is?
    â€œGetting an offer means I can drive if I come up with my share of sponsorship money for the season. And if I’m willing to spend six months away from Eve and Zoë and you. Am I willing to do that?”
    I didn’t say anything because I was torn. I knew I was Denny’s biggest fan and supporter of his racing. But I also felt something like what Eve and Zoë must have felt whenever he went away. I got a hollow pit in my stomach at the idea of his absence. He must have been able to read my mind, because he gulped at his glass and said, “I don’t think so, either.” Which was what I was thinking.
    â€œI’m taking those stuffed animals out of your allowance,” he said with a chuckle. He looked at me then, took my chin with his hand.
    â€œI love you, boy,” he said. “And I promise I’ll never hurt you. No matter what. I’m really