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“This is going to be pretty expensive. Probably close to a thousand. Do you have any insurance?”
    Docia bit her lip. “It’s okay. I’ll pay it, whatever it costs. Just do it.”
    “Right.” Cal nodded. “We’ll help him now, and we can work out payments later if we need to.”
    Docia looked down at the cat again, her eyes dazed. “Take care of him, please,” she whispered.
    “I will.” Cal put his hand on her shoulder. Her skin felt soft and warm through the thin cotton of her shirt. “I’ll do my best for him.”
     
     
    After she’d finally driven back to her apartment, Docia found she couldn’t sleep. She wandered through the rooms, knowing she should go to bed but not being able to. The Regulator clock in the dining room said eleven, but it always ran fast.
    Shot. Someone had shot Nico.
    Why would anyone shoot her pet? Why would anyone want to hurt him? What was he doing, anyway?
    Docia leaned her forehead against the dining room doorframe, scrubbing a hand across her wet cheeks. She needed to talk to someone. Maybe she should call Janie or Allie or Lee, the few friends she’d made in Konigsburg.
    But she couldn’t seem to stop crying, and none of them had ever seen her cry. She was Docia Kent, businesswoman, cool head, Amazon. Maybe it was stupid to feel this way, but she couldn’t let them see her like this, all red-eyed and drippy. Bad enough Dr. Gorgeous had. He’d probably assume she was some kind of goofy cat lady.
    Dr. Gorgeous. He gave every indication of being just as nice as he looked. If he saved Nico, she might have to re-evaluate some of her opinions about men, Donnie Branscombe notwithstanding.
    Or not. Docia shook her head. This was no time to think about men, not even nice ones.
    She sighed. Really, there was only one person she could call at a time like this. She dialed the phone and waited out the rings until the rich caramel voice said, “Yes?”
    “Mama?” Her voice sounded tight even to her own ears. Lord only knew what it sounded like to her mother.
    There was a pause on the other end of the line. Docia could hear a TV voice in the background. “Baby? What’s wrong? You’re crying, aren’t you?”
    Her chest tightened. Hearing Mama’s voice almost set her off again. “Somebody shot my cat, Mama.” Docia grimaced at herself. She sounded like a five-year-old. Whining. Don’t whine.
    “Oh, honey-bun, how terrible!” Mama’s voice gained volume. “What an awful thing to do. That sweet little kitten. I can be there in a couple of hours. I’ll get Jorge to drive me.”
    “No, Mama,” Docia said quickly. “I don’t need you to do that. I just…needed to tell someone.”
    “Of course you did, sweetheart.” The TV sounds cut off abruptly. “Tell me about it now. What happened?”
    Docia told her. Given the little she knew, it didn’t take long. She omitted any detailed description of Dr. Gorgeous.
    Her mother, however, had eligible-male ESP. “You say he’s a vet? What clinic is that? You mean that animal hospital over on West?”
    “Yes, Mama.” Docia tried to make herself sound disinterested. “He’s a new vet. Dr. Rankin’s partner. He knew what he was doing, though.”
    Her mother’s voice flowed over her like warm honey. “I’m sure he does.”
    Docia could picture Mama’s smile. “I’ll call you back tomorrow, Mama. I’ll let you know how everything turns out.”
    “Docia, I think you need someone to be up there with you. Are you sure you don’t want me to come up tomorrow?”
    Docia’s shoulders tensed. She forced herself to circle them until they relaxed. “I’m okay, Mama. I can take care of it myself, really. I don’t need anyone to come help me. It was probably just some kid with an air rifle or something.”
    She heard Mama’s sigh. “You know your father’s at Buckhorn right now. He could be there in a half hour or so.”
    “No,” Docia snapped, then rubbed a hand across her forehead. “Sorry, Mama, I didn’t mean to