Hello Love (21 page)

Doreen tried to smooth things over. “No point in getting all upset until we know the facts, Dan. I’m sure we’ll get this settled in the next day or so. Until then, I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions.”

Dan knew he should let it go, but he just couldn’t. He heard himself going on about it, showing Cliff more pictures, telling them about the incident at the nursing home, and Lindsay’s dream of Christine saying they’d get Anni back. Cliff was already upset and all of Dan’s rambling wasn’t helping, but he just couldn’t seem to stop. He saw a look pass between the two that said he’d gone off the deep end. At least that’s how he interpreted it. Doreen had them sit down to eat, and still Dan talked, going on about how smart Anni was and speculating about all the ways she could have wound up in Andrea’s possession. “Maybe she’s a friend of the people who took her?” he mused. “Or bought her from them?”

“You’re making yourself sick over this,” Doreen said in a motherly way. “Why not just wait and see?”

Cliff shook his head. “Andrea wouldn’t be friends with people like that. She’s a classy gal.” His mouth came together in a thin line and he glanced off to one side, like he was trying to remember. “I think she said one of the tenants had her and they weren’t supposed to have dogs, so she wound up with her.”

“And it may not even be your Anni, but an incredible coincidence,” Doreen said lightly, passing Dan her homemade applesauce. He dutifully spooned some on to his plate. She could have been serving anything, none of the flavors registered, his mind stuck on the idea that Andrea, someone he’d actually met, might have his dog. And somehow let Anni get hit by a car. It took all he had to keep from looking up every vet emergency place in the tri-county area, getting in his car, and systematically checking each one for Anni. Calling would be faster, but he knew sometimes that was no good. You got the answering service, who paged the doctor, who called you back. If you were lucky. Most of the services were being replaced by voice mail nowadays.

This inner turmoil reminded him of a time when he was a kid, about ten or eleven, and his dad was late coming home from a hunting trip. The weather was bad, snow turned to sleet that then froze, turning all the roadways into skating rinks. The local news coverage showed accidents up and down the interstate, and Dan’s mother had paced the floor, determined that her husband had been in an accident. By the time he walked through the door, two hours past due, but safe and sound, she’d worked herself into a frenzy, and threw herself into his arms sobbing with relief that he was still alive. At the time, Dan had thought she was being ridiculous. Overly dramatic. But now, he understood.

After dinner he helped Doreen and Cliff clear the table, then said, “I don’t want to be rude, but I really think I should head for home.”

Doreen nodded like she had been expecting this. Cliff said, “Would you mind giving me a lift home?” Of course Dan said it was no problem. He’d spoiled the evening; driving Cliff home was the least he could do.

In the car, he tried to get Cliff to give him Andrea’s phone number, without success. “I just wouldn’t feel comfortable giving it out without her permission,” Cliff said. “But I’ll give you my number and you give me yours, and I’ll let you know the minute I hear anything. Promise.”

When they got to Cliff’s place, Dan pulled up in front of his condo and stopped to program the numbers into each of their phones. “Thanks,” Cliff said, taking the phone from his hand. “Well, good night, then.”

He opened the door, but before he could get out, Dan asked, “Which one is Andrea’s place?” In the dark, all the condos looked the same, each section connected like a strip mall and set up in rows like the streets of a small village.

“It’s that one over there.” Cliff pointed. “The one with the blinds down.”

Dan followed the line of his finger to the end unit across the street. “She’s right on the end?”

“Yes, indeed.” Cliff shook his head. “So horrible about what happened to her little dog. I’ll be praying for her, that’s for sure.”

Dan wasn’t sure if he meant Anni or Andrea, but the sentiment was nice either way. He sat in the car with the engine idling and waited until the old guy went into the house. Then he turned the car around, and parked on the side of Andrea’s unit, out of Cliff’s sight. If it took all night, he was going to wait for Andrea to come home.

THIRTY-EIGHT

The old man who hit Anni felt terrible, apologizing over and over again, but Andrea couldn’t even acknowledge him, much less console him. She looked at Anni lying there in the street and for an excruciatingly long minute was sure she was dead.
Please, please, please,
ran through her head, a prayer and a plea combined, and when she reached out to stroke Anni, and Anni moved just slightly, a tremor more than anything else, she felt like her prayer had been answered. Andrea lifted her head and screamed, “Someone call for help!”

She took in the scene all at once: the older gentleman, nattily dressed in a navy peacoat and newsboy cap, wringing his hands, tears streaming down his face; Carter, the cashier from Spirits, running toward them from across the street; a random middle-aged couple who’d stopped their car and were walking over to see what had happened; and Marco, who lingered around the fringes like a malevolent spirit. Carter said, “I just called 9-1-1. The cops are on their way.”

Anni whined and Andrea turned her attention back to her, making soothing noises. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

“What happened?” the female half of the couple asked. She and her husband were a matched set with dark leather jackets and plaid scarves. She wore a black beret, set off jauntily to one side. “Did she get loose?”

“She just ran out between two parked cars,” the elderly gentleman said, his voice cracking. “I didn’t see her, honest.”

“I have to go lock up the store,” Carter said to no one in particular. Andrea heard his footsteps recede as he trotted back across the street.

A few minutes passed and although Andrea’s attention was completely on Anni, she was aware of the activity around her. The old man went back into his car to turn his flashers on, Carter came back once the store was securely locked, and the middle-aged couple, who really hadn’t seen anything, left after telling Andrea they were truly sorry and hoped her puppy would be okay. Marco said nothing, but she saw his feet out of the corner of her eye. He’d caused this, and she wanted him gone, but she couldn’t muster the necessary emotion to lash out at him just now. All her energy was directed toward Anni.

A squad car pulled up and two officers came out. Just knowing they were there made Andrea feel better. One of them, an impossibly young-looking cop with a buzz cut, crouched down next to her and asked, “Is this your dog?” His manner was kindly. When she nodded yes, he said, “We called ahead and the emergency vet is on standby waiting for you to bring her in. Is that what you want?” She gulped and nodded again. Somehow she’d lost her voice, but that turned out to be okay, because Carter from Spirits said, “I saw the whole thing,” and suddenly their focus was on him, the star witness, taking notes of everything he said. Carter gave them her name (he’d gotten it off her charge card) and told the story from the beginning. When Carter said Marco had taken Anni from the signpost, Marco, who’d been quiet the entire time, spoke up, irate. “This is my wife’s dog. I didn’t steal it.”

Andrea found her voice then, although it sounded strange even to her, forced and guttural. “I’m not his wife. We’re divorced and I didn’t give him permission to take my dog. He was following me. I didn’t even know he was here.”

Anni lifted her head at the sound of Andrea’s voice, stress and fear in her eyes. Andrea stroked her head, afraid to touch her anywhere else in case she had internal injuries. “It’s okay, hang in there, Anni.” She looked up at the police. “Can we take her in now?”

“Are you going to want to press charges?” The cop motioned to Marco, who looked like he wanted to punch a wall.

“No, I just want to get Anni to a hospital,” Andrea said.

The officer leaned over and quietly said, “Even if you don’t press charges, you might want to think about taking out a restraining order.” He handed her a card. “Call me if you have any questions or any more problems.”

The old man brought a blanket from his car, and they wrapped Anni up like a baby. He’d stopped crying, although his face was puffy and red. “I’ll drive you,” he offered, pointing to his car, a black BMW, and Andrea, not able to think straight much less drive, nodded mutely. He opened the door for her and she arranged Anni on her lap. Through the windshield she saw Marco talking to the cops, laying on his Marco charm. At one point, he waved and smiled sympathetically in her direction; she cast her eyes downward, refusing to acknowledge him. The old man got behind the wheel, telling her, “I got the directions from the police officer. They said to tell you they’ll get your statement later.”

A knock on the window on her side of the car, just before they pulled away, caught her attention. It was Carter, holding out the gift bag with her bottle of wine. “You left this on the counter,” he said through the glass.

She didn’t want it anymore, but he’d been so kind, calling the police and giving his statement, that she rolled down the window and accepted the bag. “Thank you.”

“I hope Anni is okay,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Andrea was overwhelmed by the kindness coming from all sides. As the old guy drove, she found herself choking back tears. “We’ll be there soon,” he said, in a voice so sweet that it made her cry even more.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

“Don’t be. You’re entitled. My name is Guy, by the way.”

“I’m Andrea.” Her phone rang then and she fumbled it out of her purse, intending to turn it off, but then saw it was Cliff. She’d completely forgotten about the dinner party. She answered, but kept it brief, telling him what had happened and apologizing for her absence. When the conversation was over, she turned off her phone so that it couldn’t happen again.

Guy drove expertly, maneuvering around slow drivers while still staying within a safe margin of the speed limit. “I can’t believe this happened,” he said. “My whole life I’ve never even been in an accident. I’m so careful. I saw her come out between the cars and the next thing I know, I heard a big thump, so of course I stopped. I just couldn’t believe it. I feel terrible.”

“It wasn’t your fault. She just ran out. It happened so fast. I couldn’t stop her.” Andrea stroked Anni’s head and she let out a slight whimper. “There’s no blood. That’s a good sign, right?”

“You’d think so, but there could be internal injuries.” They turned right onto a wide street lined with businesses, office buildings, and strip malls, most of them closed. A gas station’s lighted sign shone off in the distance. “Can I ask you something?” Guy said, glancing over to get her reaction.

“Sure.” Andrea kept her hand lightly on Anni’s side.

“That fellow, your ex-husband, is it true that he took Anni, and you were struggling to get her back and that’s what led to her running into the street? I mean, that’s what the guy from the liquor store said he saw.”

“Yes, that’s how it happened.”

“So why aren’t you mad at him? Your ex-husband, I mean.”

“Mad? I’m furious,” Andrea said.

“You don’t seem mad.”

“Trust me, I’m mad. I just don’t have time to show it right now.”

Guy shook his head. “If I live to be one hundred, I’ll never understand women.” A lit sign just up ahead said “Emergency Animal Clinic.” He pulled the car into a space by the door. Andrea already had the door open and her feet on the ground before he’d even turned off the engine. She carried Anni snug against her chest and opened the door with crooked fingers. A red-haired woman met her in the entryway. “Is this from the car accident the police called in?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Dr. Fischer. Come this way.”

Andrea followed her to an examination room and gingerly set Anni down on the table. Another woman appeared through an open doorway and took over, unwrapping the blanket from around Anni’s middle and running her fingers over the dog’s midsection. Dr. Fischer beckoned to Andrea to join her in the hallway. “Let’s let Dr. Bauer take a look, shall we? Just tell me exactly what happened.”

Once Andrea started, she couldn’t seem to stop from babbling. All of her anxieties and guilt rushed out at once. “I shouldn’t have left her alone, but it was only for a minute while I ran in to the store. I was on my way to a dinner party and I didn’t want to come empty-handed.” Dr. Fischer didn’t rush her; in fact, she looked like she wanted to give her a hug. Andrea went on telling every detail and ended by saying, “I didn’t see any blood. That’s a good sign, right?”

“Possibly. We’ll know more after we examine her and take some X-rays.” Without even realizing it, Dr. Fischer had been steering her to the waiting room where Guy sat waiting. “Just take a seat. We’ll come and get you in a little bit.”

Andrea sank into a chair and gave Guy a weak smile. “They seem very capable.” She ran her hand over her hair and twisted it nervously. “It’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have left her tied to that signpost. You know how even as you’re doing something, you think it’s probably a bad idea, but you do it anyway? I just told myself it was only for a minute. I was in such a hurry. So stupid.” She pulled a tissue from her coat pocket and used it to blow her nose. “I was so stupid. I can’t help but think I’ll never see her again. Alive, I mean.” A lump rose up from her throat, making her gulp. Her eyes filled with tears.

“Hey, hey,” Guy said, alarmed. “No need to think the worst.” He patted her back. “I’ve been thinking while I’ve been sitting here, and you know, I don’t think I hit her after all.”

Andrea stopped. “What do you mean?”

“I think she hit me. I mean, I think she ran into the side of the car and knocked the wind out of herself. Think about it—a dog Anni’s size hit by a car would be pancake batter right from the get-go.”

She nodded. It made sense. “I hope you’re right.”

Guy didn’t make a move to leave, and Andrea found his presence comforting, so she didn’t tell him he could go. He’d brought the wine bag in with him and made her smile when he held it up and said, “I’d give anything for a corkscrew right about now.”

After about an hour Dr. Fischer came out holding a clipboard and said, “I have good news. No major injuries, just an abrasion on one side of her head and a concussion from the impact. We’d like to keep her overnight just to keep an eye on her. She’ll probably be sore for a few days too.”

Gratitude flooded every cell of Andrea’s body. “Thank you, thank you!” She got up and hugged the doctor and didn’t even care that it wasn’t appropriate.

“My pleasure. That’s what we do here. I’m just glad we have a happy ending for you and Anni.” She had paperwork for Andrea to sign and then there was nothing left to do but go home.