Victor leaned in. “Safety issues? Like what?” The dog jumped on him again, and he shoved it. “Get off me, mutt!” The man’s foot reared back to kick it.
Jax stepped between them, standing over Victor. “Hey! You know what? I think it’s time for you to leave. We don’t take too kindly to animal abuse around here.”
Victor heaved a melodramatic sigh. “Fine with me. My editor’s the one who insisted I do this stupid fluff piece.” He retreated a few feet and came to a sudden stop, tilting his head. “But I think I’ll keep an eye on this place. I smell a story here, just not the one they want me to write.” Victor eyed the sanctuary for a moment before he stalked away.
Jax shook his head and crouched down by the dog. Petting the animal’s head, he said, “Pretty despicable, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he is,” a voice answered.
Jax shot to his feet.
Seyla skirted around the bed of the truck, focused on him and the dog and smiling like she’d discovered some secret.
Jax shooed the dog away, crossing his arms to keep it from nosing his hand for more head scratches. “I’m not much of an animal person, but I don’t like people mistreating them, either.”
She bristled. “Did he hurt Cashew?” She knelt beside the dog, sliding her fingers through its fluffy coat to check for injuries.
“Cashew?”
Seyla laughed, her teeth bright against her tanned skin. “Yeah, she was a bit of a nutty puppy when we rescued her. We thought the name fit.” The dog rolled over and Seyla rubbed its belly.
“I didn’t give him the chance to do anything, but he has it in for the sanctuary. Watch your back.”
“Great. He can join the line that’s forming.”
Was that directed at him? Jax lifted a shoulder. She wasn’t wrong. “Victor’s pretty determined to find a story here. The question is how far he’d go to get one.”
“I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“If he was involved with what happened today, he had inside help.”
“An employee or volunteer?”
Jax ran through the entire conversation in the hallway again, then tilted his head when he landed on a possible suspect. “What about that woman named Janet?”
A frown tugged at the corner of Seyla’s lips, the light gloss on them shimmering in the sunlight. She must have freshened up before coming out. Most likely to compose herself after what happened.
Focus.
“I don’t know. I can’t believe she’d endanger Sada like that. Me? Sure.” Seyla’s brittle laugh chipped the air between them. “But not him.”
“What happened between you two?”
“I got the job she wanted. In Janet’s mind, I’m not qualified, no matter how many degrees I have.”
“Sounds like a motive to me. I’ll see what I can find on her. In the meantime, keep an eye on her.”
“Trust me, I am. I have to.”
At least she understood she was surrounded by potential enemies. Would that be enough to keep her on the defensive? To save her life?
“Janet has a son, Theo, who’s doing community service here. It’s part of his probation terms. He went to prison for petty theft last year. You should look into him if you think Janet’s involved.”
“I will.” The picture of the founders popped into Jax’s head. “What do you know about Laurel Anderson?”
Seyla squinted at him, as if searching her memories. “Not much. She passed away long before I came to work here.” She paused, then her eyes widened. “But I did meet the woman once as a kid, during a fundraiser I attended with my parents. What I recall most is how drawn people were to her. Laurel had a kind of magnetism that made you want to interact with her. Adding to that, she came across as genuinely kind.” Seyla shook her head and shrugged. “That’s all I remember.”
“So no enemies?”