Page 7 of Only Her (K2 Team)
Or maybe the owners were so grieved that it didn’t matter to them. She didn’t know, only knew this was the part of her practice that she hated to the depths of her soul. After putting the cat inside, she returned to the waiting room. The little girl was tucked up under her mother’s arm, and they both gave Riley hopeful looks when she entered the room.
Riley shook her head, and Kellie burst into tears. “I’m so sorry.” Such inadequate words. Taking a seat next to Janie, she said, “I know this is a sad time for you both, but I need to ask you some questions. Would you rather stop back by later?”
“Do you... do you know what happened to him?” Kellie asked.
“I think so.” Riley took the girl’s hand.
Kellie hiccupped. “Can-can I see h-him?”
Brooke and Michelle returned from lunch, and when they saw the obviously upset family, they quietly headed for the back. “Brooke,” Riley said to her assistant. “Kellie has the hiccups. Would you take her to the kitchen and get her a glass of water?” She turned to Janie. “Is that all right? I’d like to speak to you privately.”
“Of course.” After Kellie left, Janie brushed her fingers across her cheeks, wiping away her tears. “You said you knew what killed Max. He was perfectly fine this morning.”
Riley went to the counter, leaned over it, and snatched a few tissues, bringing them to Janie. “I think he was poisoned.”
“Oh my God! I can’t imagine what he could’ve gotten into.”
After a short debate with herself, she decided not to say that she suspected someone was poisoning pets. “That’s why I’d like permission to do an autopsy.” At Janie’s hesitation, Riley added, “At no charge. It’s professional curiosity on my part.”
“It might upset Kellie.”
“She doesn’t have to know. In fact, I think it would be better not to tell her what I suspect. Afterward, I’ll call you to come get him. I’ve found that it helps children if they can have some kind of ceremony, and for the first week or two, they like to put flowers on their pet’s grave.”
“Do you think an autopsy’s necessary? I hate to think of any more being done to him. He was such a good cat.”
“I really do. Was Max an outside cat?”
Janie shook her head. “No, but he escaped sometimes. Usually when Kellie left for school. He’d go looking for her, which he did early this morning. I left soon after her to run some errands and didn’t even notice he had gotten out. I feel so bad. If only I’d searched for him.”
“Cats are the best of escape artists. You can’t blame yourself. Did you notice anything unusual? Anyone in your neighborhood that you didn’t recognize?”
“No, nothing. After Kellie came home from school, she found Max in the bushes. I have no idea where he spent his day.”
Although she hadn’t expected Janie to be able to point a finger at the bastard killing pets, she’d hoped for a clue of some kind.
“Look, Mama, isn’t she cute?” Kellie skipped to her mother, holding the three-month-old black-and-white kitten that had been left in a box at the clinic’s door a few days before. “Can I have her? Please? Please? Please?”
“I’m sorry. She heard the kitten meow and wanted to see it,” Brooke said, following Kellie back to the waiting room.
After a few minutes of begging by her daughter, Janie gave in. “Has she had her shots?”
Riley assured her that the kitten had all the vaccinations needed at that point.
“I’m going to name her Princess. Can I show her to Max so he’ll know I’m not crying too much?” Kellie turned to Riley. “Max hates it when I cry.”
“If your mother says it’s okay. Just so you know, I need to keep Max with me for a day or two, then your mom’s going to come get him so you can—”
“Max has to have a funeral like Grandpa had.”
Riley smiled. Kids were so resilient. “I think Max would like that very much.”
After Kellie visited with Max, talking to him, telling him about her new kitten, Janie left with her daughter.
“This one makes five,” Brooke said, as she and Riley stared at poor Max.
“I know. Somehow I’m going to find out who’s doing this. I’m doing an autopsy after we close, see what kind of poison they’re using.” She’d wanted to perform one on the last animal, the little terrier, but the owner had refused.
“I’ll stay and help.”
