Page 9 of Dying to Read

Rarity heard angry voices in the hall and stepped out to see Terrance standing nose to nose withWilliam Jully.

“You need to leave George alone or so help me, you’ll be the one who needs medical care.” Terrance poked Jully’s chest with his finger to emphasize the threat.

“You realize I can get you banned for even touching me. Besides, no one listens to that old man anyway. Why would I want to hurt him? He’s making a clown out of himself better than I ever could.” Jully saw Rarity watching and held up his hands. “I’m not the aggressor here. Youmust see that.”

Terrance turned to see who Jully was talking to, and his face turned bright red. “Rarity, you don’t understand.”

She watched Jully slither out of the hallway. Then she turned to Terrance. “Threatening violence doesn’t fix the problem.”

“Some people don’t know anything else.” Terrance shook his head. “Sorry you had to see that. I need to collect my puppy.”

Rarity went back into the room, where Archer was still trying to talk George into sitting downwith the dog.

“I don’t want to hold a puppy. I’ve got things to do. I need to protect Lizzy.” He frowned at Archer and Rarity. “Why are you here with these dogs anyway? It’s late.”

“They are here so you can hold a puppy.” Another person had walked into the room behind them. “And you hold them because it’s a puppy. That should be reason enough, my friend.”

Rarity turned and saw Terrance. He smiled at her and reached for the puppy that Archer still held. He brought it to his face and the dog licked his cheek. “And she has puppy breath. What’s her name?”

“Donut,” Archer said as he stepped back next to Rarity and Terrance walked over to stand by George.

“George, sit down on your bed and hold Donut for a minute. Archer and Rarity are here to visit.” Terrance nodded toward the bed, and George followed hisinstructions.

Whatever doubts Rarity had about Terrance working at the nursing home were forgotten when she saw him talking with George. The man trusted Terrance. “I thought you were retrieving your puppy.”

“I heard George’s agitation and thought I could help.” Terrance put his hand on George’s shoulder. “Now, isn’t that nice?”

“If these people want to help us, they need to get that man out of the building. He’s stealing from people. And worse.” George met Rarity’s gaze. “He sneaks into the rooms at night. And Ruth died last month.”

“Who died?” the other man asked.

“Ruth Agee. She was in the next room,” George explained.

The other man waved his hand. “She was old. We’re all old.”

“No. She didn’t die because she was old. That man killed her.” George was getting excited again. The puppy he was holding whimpered and started squirming, trying to get out of his tightening grasp.

“Let me hold the dog.” Terrance reachedhis hand out.

George looked at the puppy like he’d forgotten he even held it. He handed it to Terrance. “You need to help us. I’ve told everyone. No onelistens to me.”

Terrance handed Archer the puppy. “I think you guys have one more room. They’re going to kickus out soon.”

Rarity reached for Candy, and George’s roommate reluctantly gave her back to her. He kissed the top of the dog’s head first before handing Candy back. “You and your friends can comevisit anytime.”

After they’d visited the last room, they met up with the group as they gave back their canine wards. William Jully stood by thereception desk and frowned as the pups were put into carriers and taken outside to the waiting van.

Rarity and Archer followed the group outside. Drew and Jonathon stopped next to them. Sam headed to her car without saying anything to the group. Rarity met Drew’s gaze, and he shrugged. “Sam is FaceTiming with her brother in a few minutes. She neededto get home.”

Jonathon started to say something but then appeared to change his mind. Instead, he looked at Archer and Rarity. “Did you have fun visiting with the puppies? Everyone I met with was so excited to see them. I was surprised at how clear their thought process were when the dogs were there.”

“Most of the residents have good and bad days,” Terrance said as he joined the group. He looked back at the doorway. Rarity could tell that he was watching Shirley talk to Gretchen. From the way they kept looking back at William Jully, who had locked the front door, she could guess what they were talking about. Or she should say whom.

Archer dropped his voice. “You were good with George. He is convinced that William guy is a thiefand a killer.”

“He’s not a nice man,” Rarity added. She agreed with George on at least that point. “Archer’s right, though, you calmed him. He trusts you.”

Terrance’s sigh let Rarity know she’d hit a hot button. “I know. I’ve got myself in a pickle here. Uh-oh, Shirley’s coming this way. I’ve got to leave. Archer? Are you walking our girl home, or should Iwait for her?”

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