She was so going to cry buckets later; right now, she’d do what she had to and drive them to town.
They arrived at the sheriff’s office all too soon. Jack and Jamie got out first and walked around to the back, so Jamie could sniff at the privet hedge that outlined the parking lot behind the building.
“Caitlin,” the sheriff called out as she stood next to the Jeep waiting for Jack to come back. “Where’s Jack?”
“Walking Jamie so he doesn’t pee in your office.”
Mitch nodded and motioned for her to come inside, but she wasn’t going until he answered a question. “How do you know this person is Jamie’s owner?”
He hesitated, then said, “She showed me his adoption papers. She got him from a shelter in Newark.”
“But he’s a black dog…maybe she’s confused him with another little black dog.”
He shook his head. “The timing’s right and she had a photo.” He paused. “Hear her out before you get your Irish up, Mulcahy.”
Chastised, she realized she’d been doing just that. “Boy you do know me,” she grumbled. “But if you could see how happy Jamie is at Jack’s—”
“Good to hear, but not the point.”
“Sheriff.”
Mitch acknowledged Jack’s greeting with a nod and bent to pet Jamie. “He looks like he’d be a great dog.”
“He is.” Jack looked at Cait and said, “Let’s get this over with.”
Cait agreed. It was time. She walked inside and her first thought was that the woman was too well dressed to own a dog. The woman’s sharp intake of breath and beaming smile had that thought shriveling up and dying. Dogs don’t care what you wear; they respond to love and this woman obviously loved Jamie.
“Crackers,” she cried, rushing over to hug the puppy.
Jamie backed up and hid behind Jack. The woman pulled up short and looked from Jack to Jamie and back again. “Why is he hiding from me?”
Keeping her voice as neutral as possible, Caitlin said, “Good question. Maybe he doesn’t remember you. How long did you have him before he ran away?”
The woman’s hand went to her throat and she toyed with her pearls. “I…uh…” The hesitation bothered Cait, and she knew without looking that it would bother Jack too.
“Not long.”
“He doesn’t seem to know you,” Jack said at last.
“He’s mine,” she insisted. “I have his adoption papers with his picture on it.”
Still not convinced or ready to turn the dog over, Caitlin asked, “Sheriff, could I talk to you a minute while Jamie gets reacquainted with his owner?”
Mitch nodded and motioned for her to follow him back to his office. When they got there, she asked him to close the door. “What’s going on?” she demanded.
He drew in a deep breath, and for a moment, she thought he was going to lay into her. She’d never been on the wrong side of Sheriff Wallace before, but her sister Meg had. Those tales alone had her backing up a step.
“You want to rephrase that question, Caitlin?”
“Um…yes. Sorry, Mitch. But can’t you see how much that dog loves Jack? And Jack…he loves that dog.”
Mitch nodded. “And so do you, I get that. But the law’s the law. He belongs to Ms. Blackwood, and while she’s grateful that Jack has cared for Jamie, she wants him back.”
“There has to be more to the story.”
“If there is, I haven’t been able to get to the bottom of it yet. Legally, my hands are tied.”
She whirled around and had her hand pressed to the door before she realized that she wasn’t helping the situation. She turned back. “I’m sorry…it’s just that it seems so wrong.”
“I know. Let’s finish this.”
He was right. “OK.” She let him open the door and walked down the hall to where Jack was now down on one knee petting Jamie, encouraging him to go to Ms. Blackwell. Something just seemed off…wrong. She’d have to let it go for now, but she’d be calling Rhonda over at the Gazette to help her dig up all of the information they could about the diva in the designer suit and pearls.
With a plan firmly in mind, she felt better. Action instead of reaction, her dad would be proud. “Hey, Jamie,” Cait said, calling attention to herself, wanting to see the redhead’s reaction when Jamie listened to Cait and not the other woman.
As expected, the little puppy tugged at his leash to get to her. Jack grinned and shook his head. “We’ve been working on his manners, but he forgets them when he sees someone he loves.”