“It counts for a hell of a lot.” She reached into her briefcase, pulled out a folder, and handed it to Devon Brady. “Here are his medical records.” She slowly moved from in front of the dog. “Toby’s breathing is shallower than when we left London.” She added unsteadily, “I’m scared, Dr. Brady.”
“Devon. I know you’re scared.” She was gesturing to the two security men who had entered the plane. “Take him to the lab. I’ve set up the tests.” She handed Jane a set of car keys. “I’ll go with your Toby and do an initial exam on the road. You and your pilot can follow in the security jeep.” She pushed by Caleb again as she ran back down the steps. “I’ll see you at the lab.”
“I’m feeling very unimportant and definitely brushed aside,” Caleb said ruefully as he fell into step with Jane as she started toward the jeep. “So much for taking care of the opposition. I take it you trust her?”
“Maybe. I think so. I don’t have much choice. Sarah is very smart, and anyone she hired would have to be exceptional.”
“Really? What do you know about this place?”
“I told you, it’s an experimental facility. It’s already been confirmed by several scientific studies that dogs have certain healing properties. That’s why they permit dogs to be taken to critically ill patients in hospitals. It’s not only psychological, though some critics claim that’s all it is. Well, Sarah became involved with a group that discovered that some dogs have a heightened ability in that area.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “It’s a mystery. That’s why they started this experimental colony. Sarah says that they have a few theories, but they have to have cast-iron proof.”
“And those theories?”
“I didn’t ask her, and I don’t know if she’d tell me if I did. She’s very protective of her dogs.”
“But you’ve known her for years.”
“And she knows I’ve been skeptical. I have to have proof.” She started the jeep. “It’s my nature.”
“But you’re here now.” He smiled faintly. “An atheist in a foxhole?”
“I’m not an atheist, but I admit this is a terribly deep foxhole.” She blinked away the moisture in her eyes so that she could see the taillights ahead of her. “Did you know that Monty, Toby’s sire, was a search-and-rescue dog? He knew all about foxholes and earthquakes and mudslides. He saved my life once when I was a kid. He was the first dog I ever knew and cared about. Sarah knew I loved him, but he would never have left her. So she gave me his first pup, Toby.”
“A half-wolf? Not exactly a tame animal to give a little girl.”
“Toby has the heart of a golden. He was zany and a little clumsy and easily distracted, so he would never have made a rescue dog.” She cleared her throat. “But so much love. I’ve never known any creature that was so loving. Talk about healing? Just the love he gave could make my sadness and pain go away.” She swallowed. “There’s a building up ahead. That must be the lab.”
“Yes.” Caleb reached out and covered her hand resting on the steering wheel. “It will be all right. We’ll make it all right.”
“We don’t have much to say about it.” She pulled to a stop in front of the rambling one-story building. “Right now it’s up to that vet and God.”
Lake Cottage
Atlanta, Georgia
THUNDER …
It was raining hard, Eve realized as she turned over in bed to look at the clock.
One-forty in the morning.
She had drifted off to sleep about midnight, but it had been a restless slumber. The thunder must have woke her.
Go back to sleep.
She lay there for ten minutes, then sat up and swung her feet to the floor.
Get a glass of water and try again.
She stood at the bedroom window and watched the rain hitting against the windowpane as she drank the water. She always loved the sound of the rain on the roof and the lake. It was wild and yet strangely comforting. Usually, she went out on the porch and sat with the veil of rain surrounding her.
Not tonight.
This was good enough and she—
Headlights speared the darkness.
She tensed.
A car was coming down the lake road.
She set the glass down and stepped closer to the window.
Lightning flashed.
She released the breath she’d been holding.
Foolish. It was the patrol car Joe had set up to cruise by the cottage.
Poor guy, he probably hadn’t counted on driving through this awful rain. She’d have to find out with whom Joe had made the arrangement and make it up to him. But even if it wasn’t necessary, the sight of that patrol car did give her a feeling of comfort.