Chapter 29

Ida Greene pressed the button to the elevator on the entry floor of the Clayton high-rise after checking her paperwork for the correct floor, number seventeen. She gave a silent exclamation over what an intuitive person Sabrina had been, right up through the end. Whatever it was that waited for good souls at the end of this life, Ida was determined her sister was there and smiling over this turn of events.

Inside the crowded elevator, Ida settled in for the ride next to the men and women in tailored suits who were going places without seeming to notice much of anything.

Her sister’s law firm, the one that had written her will, was at the northwest edge of the building and had a pleasant view of Forest Park. Megan, the shelter’s director, was already there and waiting in a conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ida was ushered into the room by an assistant but turned down the water she was offered. Megan stood up and wrapped her in a hug.

“Thanks so much for meeting me here and, more importantly, for agreeing to this.”

Ida waved her off. “How could I not? It’s the best possible outcome I could’ve imagined for my sister’s house, and it’s a win for your shelter too. Sabrina’s will was so long and tedious that I don’t remember the stipulation even being in there. Did you know it all along?”

“Honestly, no, I didn’t. It took Kurt calling and asking to have the will reviewed.”

“I’m not afraid to say how fond I am of that young man. And of your Kelsey. She was over yesterday. Brought me lunch. She showed me pictures of your special day. It was lovely. And I’ve been enjoying my wonderful honey pot.”

“Thanks, and I’m glad. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but I’m really happy.”

“Well, if I can give you any advice, it would be not to get too busy to stop and smell the roses. Or to bake a pie. That’s always been my favorite activity and the one that reminds me of all the good this world provides.”

“I appreciate the reminder. Kelsey told me how amazing your pies are.”

“Did I hear you right that Kurt’s due back tomorrow? If so, I’ll bake one in the morning. Stop by and have a slice, if you will.”

Megan was accepting the invitation when the door swung open and a woman stepped in. She introduced herself as a legal assistant and said she’d be taking care of the paperwork.

Ida slipped on her glasses and skimmed the passage in the will that gave her permission to oversee the sale of her sister’s estate prior to Mr. Longtail’s passing, as long as the shelter could provide proof that he would be well accommodated for.

“Well, since Kurt intends to keep him right where he is, I can’t see how that mischievous cat could possibly be better accommodated. And my sister’s lovely home couldn’t have found its way into better hands, of that I’ll guarantee.”

The assistant smiled. “Great. From what I’ve been told, the sale won’t be final until the dogs have been rehabbed and moved to the shelter so as not to void permits, but a fair price has been agreed upon by both parties. So, if you’ve no objection, I just need a few signatures and the sale can proceed as directed in Amendment C.”

Ida signed in several places and afterward walked out into the main hallway with Megan.

“That baby of yours… Have you found out what it will be?”

Megan’s hand closed over her belly. “No, I guess we’re dinosaurs that way. Everyone I know has been having gender reveal parties, but we really want the delivery room surprise.”

“I, for one, appreciate that. If you ask me, a life well lived has exactly the right number of sincere surprises. It’s always good to take it slow and savor them.”

* * *

With Kurt away, Kelsey felt a bit like she was turning into him, flitting from one chore to the next and staying up way past her typical bedtime. She passed her first full night alone in the house with less unease than she might have expected. Tess, who was without a car on her return to St. Louis, had biked in for the day from her grandmother’s in the Hill, the Italian-American neighborhood where Tess’s family lived. She biked home just before dark, promising to return early the next morning.

After Tess was gone, Kelsey was alone in the quiet house. But rather than making her relive the unease she’d once felt arriving after dark to take care of Mr. Longtail, the house was almost cozy. Certainly, the dogs gave it warmth, but she suspected it was more due to her attitude. The Sabrina Raven estate wasn’t the home of a deceased and mysterious donor any longer. It was the former home of a remarkable woman who had cared enough for it and her cat to brainstorm an unusual bequest, and in doing so, had kept the old house from being stripped of its character by indifferent investors hoping to make a few dollars.

Even if Kelsey hadn’t been so comfortable staying, leaving the house unattended wasn’t an option, not with the protesters still afoot. Locking up the shelter for the night was different. It had a security system and was in a bustling part of Webster Groves. And while the protesters hadn’t thrown any bricks lately, when they weren’t demonstrating in front of the shelter, they were trying to overturn permits and spamming the social media accounts with hateful comments.

Before going to bed, Kelsey gave serious thought to sleeping on one of the downstairs couches in case the protesters showed up again, but she opted for the comfort of Kurt’s room where Mr. Longtail kept her company most of the night.

The next morning, after she and Tess finished the feeding routine, they headed to the side yard with Zeus and Orzo for one of the lighter training sessions of the day. Tess began working on basic training commands with Zeus, while Kelsey added to his challenge by creating constant distractions with Orzo. Once Zeus sat through a series of three basic command routines, he’d be awarded with a morning play session with his buddy.

A young jogger who lived one street over had met Zeus on a run and was showing serious interest in adopting him when the court determined he and a few of the other easily socialized dogs could leave. Even though she knew she had to let things play out, Kelsey could hardly contain her excitement over the possibility that Zeus could settle so close to the Raven estate. To one day soon be able to see the big, playful dog on a jog with a loving owner would be surreal.

Shortly after Zeus was released from training and the dogs were starting to play, Kelsey noticed Patrick’s gray Tacoma coming down the road.

“Patrick’s early today,” Tess said, surprising Kelsey by how accustomed she’d already become to the routine here. He typically didn’t show up until midafternoon to work with Devil.

“Yeah, and who’s that behind him?” Kelsey spotted an older-model minivan following just behind. She scrambled over to the rowdy duo of dogs and picked up Zeus’s leash in case he developed an interest in checking out the visitor.

Patrick parked and offered a quick nod their way as he headed toward the minivan that had pulled in the circular drive just behind him. Through the lightly tinted glass, Kelsey could make out the profile of a woman whom she guessed to be in her early fifties. Her hair was one length, cropped short, and she was wearing a gray-checkered flannel jacket. When she stepped out to join Patrick, Kelsey noticed she was short and thin, almost frail.

Even though he wasn’t talking loudly, Kelsey overheard Patrick saying, “That’s his cage there, in the second window on the south side.”

Kelsey’s heart skipped a beat or two. “Oh my God, Tess, that must be Devil’s first owner. She must have called back.”

“Wow. I would’ve guessed she wouldn’t come.”

Kelsey understood her. Giving away a dog, learning about an ordeal like these guys had been through, and still coming forward took an enormous amount of courage. “Let’s get these guys put away. I don’t want any reason to get Devil’s guard up.”

They headed in through the back of the house, kenneled the dogs, and met up with Patrick and the woman on the front porch. He made introductions, then asked if Tina wanted to see the other dogs before reconnecting with Devil.

Tina flinched as the big dog’s new name rolled off Patrick’s tongue. “I’m not sure I can handle knowing what he’s done to deserve that name, but for most of his life he’s been Toby. And to be honest, my heart’s broken enough without meeting any more of these poor creatures.”

Patrick nodded a touch more matter-of-factly than he should’ve, considering the circumstances. “He doesn’t do well with the other dogs. You should stay on the porch, and I’ll bring him out.”

Tess followed him inside, while Kelsey opted to stay with Tina. “Thank you for coming.”

Tina brushed a tear from the corner of her right eye. Up close, it was easy to see she’d shed more than a few this morning. Her eyes were puffy, and her voice was nasal. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry in front of him. He can read me too easily. I had him for four and a half years, and I expected to have him for the duration of his life, but there were circumstances beyond my control.” She brushed away fresh tears. “Toby was never an easy dog. I had people tell me they thought he’d be better behaved with a man as his master. I loved him dearly though, and it was our life, not theirs.”

Kelsey wondered if Patrick had braced her for the dog that Devil had become in their time away from each other. A dog who destroyed chew toys within a handful of minutes and was showing no progression with his zero tolerance for other dogs. He wasn’t aggressive toward people though, or Rob wouldn’t have allowed him to come here.

She was debating whether or not to broach the topic when Tess pulled the door open wide. “Patrick’s walking him out.”

Kelsey and Tina backed in front of the rocking chairs as Patrick appeared in the doorway, holding Devil on a short leash with two hands.

At first and as was typical, Devil’s gaze immediately locked on the road. Then Tina choked back a sob loud enough to catch his attention. While his body froze, Devil’s head cocked sideways and he sniffed loudly.

Then, in a burst of commotion so abrupt Kelsey could hardly register it, Devil dove toward Tina, yanking Patrick off his feet and half dragging him along behind. Kelsey braced for the small woman to be knocked down. But as abruptly as he took off, Devil skidded to a halt and burrowed his massive, drooly head against her as he whined. His bushy tail wagged like a set of wipers on high speed.

Tina sank to her knees and draped her hands around his furry neck, sobbing. Her words were muffled and nearly incoherent from her tears, but Kelsey caught the forgiveness being sought in them. The floodgates opened behind her own eyes.

Wanting to give Tina privacy, Kelsey excused herself and headed into the kitchen and toward the mountain of food and water bowls that needed cleaning. The warmth of the water and the silky soap bubbles always helped this chore to be a soothing one.

Tess came in ten minutes behind her. She sank into a chair and collapsed her head and chest on the table. “Wow.” For a minute, she didn’t add anything else. Then, after a long breath, she sat up and explained that Tina’s father, a widower, had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer around the time Tina had been laid off. She moved in with him just over a year ago. His condo had a twenty-five-pound pet limit, and after finding no one willing to care for Toby, Tina had located someone on a big dog forum who lived in Arkansas and was looking to adopt a dog his size. They met up halfway. The man had pictures of his deceased Great Dane, and he’d seemed like a trustworthy, caring person, but giving Toby away had been the hardest thing she’d ever done.

“A few weeks after Devil—I mean, Toby—was adopted, the man dropped out of contact,” Tess added. “Tina worried he was blocking her calls, but she’d given Toby away so there was nothing she could do.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Yeah, I know. She says her life has been empty without him. She understands about the trial and how Toby can’t be released into her care until he’s made a lot more progress, but she’s fine with it. She’s just across the river in Belleville. She’ll come out every day until she can take him home. Patrick’s going to time his visits here so they can work with Toby together. I guess he was always a bit stubborn and peculiar, but she knows how to get him to listen to her. Patrick’s got her walking him around the yard, and Toby’s focused on her every word.”

“That’s awesome. I was worried he was so damaged we wouldn’t be able to get through to him. But that reaction when he saw her…” She teared up again and cleared her throat. “He’s just a big, wounded baby. And Patrick was right. He wouldn’t bond with anyone else because he was waiting for her. And did she say if her dad—”

Tess shook her head. “She said he passed away a few months ago. She’s got his place for sale and is going to look for a house with a big yard for Toby.”

Kelsey set the ceramic bowl she was holding on the last empty spot on the dish towel. “Wow. What a journey for both of them! And thank God it’s going to have a happy ending. As long as Tina doesn’t mind, this is going on the front page of our newsletter. I won’t be surprised if Channel 3 wants to air it.”

“You know, before I toured your shelter, I’d have thought I couldn’t handle shelter work because it’d be too depressing, but I realize now I was only considering half the story.”

Kelsey smiled and lifted the stopper, letting the dirty water drain out of the sink. “Trust me when I tell you, I wouldn’t be in my seventh year here if the good didn’t always have a tendency to outweigh the sad.”