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“I rent those out,” Sunny said. “But they’re empty right now.”
“Any idea how this happened?” The firefighter had a gray mustache and closely cropped hair of the same color. His eyes were sympathetic, but cautious.
“It was Janice Matteri,” Sunny said. “One of my neighbors. I shut down her puppy mill and she vowed to get even. She said she was going to hurt my dogs. And I think someone was fiddling with my food bins some weeks back.” There were also those brothers today, Sunny remembered. The ones who wanted Sinbad and didn’t get to take him home. They hadn’t seemed angry when they left, but...
“Good thing you reacted quickly,” the firefighter said, and glanced toward the mess. “Or this could have been much worse. When the police arrive I’m going to suggest an arson investigation. There’s a heavy smell of alcohol near the site. Especially around there—” he pointed “—where the burned and unburned sections meet. Do you store any kind of alcohol back here?”
“No, sir,” Sunny said, shaking her head. “It’s where Roger lives. With many of the dogs. It...it was...” Sunny paused as her eyes welled with fresh tears. “It was a rescue. A place where those who don’t have anywhere can go. I had the dogs, along with their food, combs, toys, leashes, a few crates. A wooden table. That kind of stuff. No accelerants. I swear.”
“All right.” The firefighter watched the dogs mill around, many of whom were dirty and shaking. “I know you want to take care of your animals,” he said. “I’m going to talk to the police.” He pointed toward the main house, where a man in plain clothes was heading their way. “Stay close.”
Sunny nodded, her feet suddenly freezing. She glanced down and saw that Roger was barefoot, too. Her dog enclosure was in ruins, her feed contaminated. She hoped Dr. Winters got here ASAP. As the last puffs of gray wisped into the sky above the compound, which sat in eerie silence, Sunny’s mind reeled, her body alternating between hot and cold, cold and hot.
Pete once again assessed Humphrey.
Sunny’s hand covered her mouth as fresh tears rose, hot and fast. She kept picturing the little beagle, gray and still, his life choked out of him because he was too scared to run. And when the firefighters arrived with their hoses, he’d have been even more terrified because that bitch Janice had abused her dogs by spraying them with water from a hose. He’d have cowered more from the water than the fire. Humphrey had never stood a chance.
And it was all her fault. She could’ve apologized to Janice, or at least asked for a truce. Instead, Janice Matteri had driven right up to her driveway, threatened her and her dogs, and Sunny had done nothing. She hadn’t told Sean or Pete. She hadn’t told anyone but Cici, because Sunny had never really thought something this awful would happen to her. Even though she’d seen the extent of Janice’s cruelty firsthand, she’d had too much of an ego to think that woman would go this far.
“Pete,” Sunny said, her voice raspy with smoke and tears.
Pete glanced up from the little beagle.
“Stop,” she said. “Just stop.” Then she collapsed into tears.
