“They brought the police,” Gray said, disbelief sharp in her voice.
My stomach dropped. “We don’t have time to hide Ginger.”
Ginger stood in the center of the living room, utterly still. No barking. No whining. Eyes locked on the door like she knew exactly who was on the other side.
A firm knock rattled the thin front door.
Neither Gray nor I moved.
The knock came again. “Ladies,” a deep voice called. “We’re here to retrieve our dog. Please don’t make this difficult.”
I muttered, “Oh, I’d love to make it difficult.”
Gray gave me a look. “Lexi, we can’t disobey the police. There’ll be another way.” She opened the door.
Baldy stood front and center, puffed up with importance, the same entitled posture he’d worn at the hotel and the vet. The two thin, anxious scientists hovered behind him, Mr. Whiny and Mr. Skinny, looking miserable and cold. Two uniformed police officers stood nearby.
Baldy spread his hands like we were old friends. “Thank you for cooperating. We’ll take the dog and be out of your way.”
I stepped in front of Ginger. Behind me, she let out a low growl. I felt it vibrate through my ankles.
“You’re not taking the dog,” I said. “Not until we can verify your ownership properly.”
“What’s going on?” Basia stepped into the room with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, blinking at the light.
“We’ve come to take our dog back,” Baldy said. “We’re not leaving without her.”
Gray folded her arms. “You’re not taking her. You threatened us at our hotel and again at the vet. We even took her to an emergency vet to get her checked out. These thugs followed and harassed us. Officer, you can confirm that with the vet. That’s not normal behavior.”
“We’re not thugs, and we were simply trying to retrieve our property,” Baldy insisted.
“That man put his hands on me,” Basia said quietly, pointing at him.
One of the officers finally spoke, his tone measured. “Sir, let’s slow this down. You called us saying these women stole your dog.”
“They did,” Baldy said. “They took her and refused to give her back.”
The officer glanced at us. “Is that true?”
“No,” I said immediately. “We found the dog loose. We always planned to take her to the shelter in the morning where they could read her chip and get the official paperwork filled out.”
“That’s correct,” Gray said. “We even tried to take her there tonight, but the shelter was closed.”
The second officer frowned. “So, you were intending to turn the dog over to a shelter in the morning where the rightful owner could pick her up.”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “Which is why I’m confused about the word stealing. If anything, these men tried to take the dog from us, without proof, and wouldn’t wait to retrieve her properly in the morning.”
The officers exchanged a look.
The first one turned back to Baldy. “Sir, can you explain why you needed us to come out here at this hour instead of picking the dog up at a shelter tomorrow?”
Baldy bristled. “Because the dog is extremely valuable to us. And she has an upcoming appointment that cannot be delayed.”
“That’s not really an answer, sir,” the officer said calmly. “People don’t usually call the police at four thirty in the morning unless there’s an immediate threat.”
“There is an immediate threat,” Baldy insisted. “She could have run again. She’s already escaped us twice.”
The officer sighed. “Look. From where I’m standing, it sounds like these women were acting as Good Samaritans and intended to turn the dog in properly. That’s not theft.”
