Page 150 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“I need to go with them to get her settled,” Angela said.“But once we’re good there, I’d like to get back to headquarters. I want tospeak with the writer who did the article. He went to the last funeral,interviewed Benjamin Robertson, and wants to interview him again. If he isn’tinvolved with this in any way, he may still know more than we do.”

“I’ll ask the cops helping mecanvas the neighborhood. They can see if any of the neighbors saw anything orif they have cameras that might be helpful,” Ragnar said and then nodded toMark and Colleen.

“I’ve already called in for any traffic cam footage from thearea,” Jackson said. “It’ll be at headquarters ASAP. Patrick can startreviewing it.” He nodded brusquely. “All right, let’s move.”

Angela headed back to the front step of the house and smiledat Debbie, who still appeared nervous and anxious.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“I’ve been ready,” Debbie said. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’sjust so upsetting.”

“It’s okay. It’s understandable,” Angela assured her. “Comeon. We’ll drive with Special Agents Mark and Colleen Gallagher. Oh, and Red.”

“Red?” Debbie asked.

“He’s a dog.” Angela smiled. “He works with us.”

“A dog as an agent?”

Angela nodded. “One of the best we have. I’m going to thesafe house with you, but Mark and Colleen will stay until our next agents comeon.”

“You’re leaving me?”

“I have to, Debbie. I’m sorry.”

“I... I... I mean, I should just be grateful. I amgrateful. I’m sorry.”

“You’re fine. It’s all right. Come on.”

Mark was in the driver’s seat, Colleen next to him with Redon her lap, despite his size.

“Hey, Debbie,” Colleen said. “I didn’t know how you feltabout dogs, so...”

“I, uh, I don’t have one, but I like them,” Debbie said,crawling into the back. Angela moved in beside her.

“Red can come back here,” Angela said. “We have more room.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. We’ll get to the safe house. I’m fine,” Debbie assured them and started petting Red assoon as he settled between their seats.

Mark pulled out onto the street. As they drove, Colleentalked about Red, trying to make the drive easy for Debbie and perhaps make thewoman feel more comfortable with her and Mark. She explained his work, saidthat she’d had him registered and that he had now been used in almost everykind of situation imaginable as a law enforcement animal, as well.

Angela smiled as she listened. She and Jackson had dogs,too. Though they only told others about one of them: their living dog.

But they also had a ghost dog.

Both canines had adopted them, and thenthey had officially adopted the dogs.

If anyone snooped around their house, they had alarms, ofcourse, but no creature or piece of equipment could be as ferocious and loyalas the dogs.

They arrived at the safe house. It was an impressive place.

Mark keyed in the combination at the gate and set his printon the mechanism, as well. That was something they had added recently. Debbiesurveyed the wall, the gate, and the drive.

“Cameras are everywhere,” Angela pointed out. “No one comesor goes from here without the pictures showing in our tech department. We havesomeone on at headquarters twenty-four-seven. Trust me, please. It’s not just asafe house, it’s extremely safe.”

“I... yes. It looks great,” Debbie said. “I wish...”

“Yes?”