She dropped her phone back into her pocket as a tall, uniformed form entered the kennel block. Immediately, every single dog started whining and yelping—not in fear or anger, but sheer overexcited delight. Even the exhausted husky lifted his head, his plumed tail thumping hard against the floor.
“Hi, Betty,” Tamsin greeted the police officer. She grabbed hold of the husky’s neck as he tried to bolt past her, his yearning eyes fixed on Betty. “Gotta say, I wish I could bottle whatever it is you’ve got.”
Betty cast a resigned look around at the canine chaos caused by her arrival. “I’m sorry about this. If I could stop it, I would.”
Tamsin managed to wrestle the husky back into his kennel. She locked the door and straightened. “What’s up? Don’t tell me you’ve got another stray for me already.”
“Nope. I was just passing by and saw your lights were still on, so I thought I’d come see how this big guy was doing.” Betty leaned down to scratch the husky behind the ears through the bars. His eyes closed in ecstasy, his tail going so fast it was a blur. “He’s looking a lot better already. Nobody’s reported a dog of his description going missing, by the way.”
“I’ve got Daisy on the case too, but I don’t think he’s a local stray.” Tamsin sighed. “He’s got a half-healed scab on the back of his neck. It looks like someone cut out an ID microchip. I think he was stolen.”
Betty grimaced. “That kind of thing often doesn’t get properly logged into the national databases. Especially if the thieves stage it to look like the dog escaped and ran away on its own. It might be hard to track down his original owner.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Tamsin patted the husky. “If only you could tell us where to find your people, big guy.”
“I’m afraid that even I can’t talk to dogs,” Betty said, the corner of her mouth quirking. “I’ll have to rely on less thrilling methods to track them down. I’ll put out some calls in the morning. You okay to keep him here for a while, without putting him up for adoption?”
“Sure. To be honest, given his size and breed, it would be tough to find him a forever home, gorgeous as he is. Most people come in looking for cute puppies or low-maintenance little breeds. Not an animal that needs four hours of vigorous exercise a day just to stop it from destroying your house.” Tamsin cast the fit, energetic police woman a thoughtful look. “Don’t suppose you’re in the market for a dog?”
“Sorry. Wouldn’t really fit with our lifestyle. Although that wouldn’t dissuade Hope. Please don’t suggest it to her. The slightest excuse, and she’ll be down here adopting your entire stock in a hot second.”
Tamsin laughed. “Okay, okay, I promise, no guilt trips. I guess you guys really don’t have time, what with your jobs.”
Although it was a shame. Betty might look tough and intimidating, but Tamsin had soon learned that the towering police officer had a heart of solid marshmallow. And Betty’s wife Hope—a pediatrician at the local hospital—was one of the kindest, sunniest people Tamsin had ever met. The couple had only moved to the village a few months ago, but they’d quickly become embedded in Tamsin’s small circle of friends.
Betty gave the husky one last pat. “Listen, I’m off to pick up Hope after her shift at the hospital. Your cottage isn’t too far off my route. Can I give you a lift home?”
“That’s very sweet of you, but I’ve still got a few things to finish off here. Thank you for the offer, though.”
Betty gave her a strange, considering look. “You cycling home tonight?”
“As always. Good for the environment, good for my thighs. Win-win all round.”
“Stay on the main roads, okay? Don’t take the shortcut past the hill.”
Tamsin glanced at her in surprise. “Why?”
“It’s just…safer.”
Tamsin shook her head. “I don’t see how. There are fewer cars on the shortcut, and it’s not like the main road has streetlights. And anyway, it’s a full moon tonight.”
“Yes,” Betty said, an odd tightness to her voice. “Look, humor me, okay? Stick to the streets tonight.”
“You know this is Little Ashton-by-the-Hill, not a big city, right? I don’t know what it was like on your old beat in Brighton, but around here, we don’t exactly get muggers lurking in the sheep fields. The most dangerous thing I’m likely to run into on the way home is a badger.”
“You’d be surprised at what’s lurking in the fields,” Betty said darkly. “Especially around Fair Hill. Just be careful. And go straight home. See you at book club next Tuesday?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Tamsin gave Betty a bright smile, though she was still wondering at her weird overprotectiveness. “Tell Hope I said hi, and I’ll bring her that yarn I promised.”
With a last nod, Betty left. For such a large, muscular woman, she could move with absolute silence. As the door shut behind her, the husky’s ears drooped. He let out a sad, puppyish whine.
“Oh no, don’t do that. You’ll set them all off.” Already whimpers were emanating from all the pens, every dog staring after Betty with clear longing. Tamsin reached for a box of treats. “Hey guys and gals! Who wants a bedtime snack?”
She left the rescued dogs contentedly crunching their biscuits, broken hearts forgotten. The night breeze was cool and crisp on her face as she stepped outside; winter a whispered promise under the scent of fallen leaves. Shivering, she locked up the kennel block, then jogged to the rescue shelter’s office.
“Hi baby,” she greeted Angus as she entered. “Just got to take care of a last few things, then we can be on our way home.”
The Pomeranian, curled up in his customary spot on her office chair, shot her a look that very clearly conveyed that this was unacceptable and he wished to speak to her manager. Tamsin knew better than to try to turf him out of her seat. She hunched over the desk, filling in the daily log on her computer.