“Has it even occurred to you that that’s not what everyone wants?”
“Oh…well—”
“Ambition doesn’t drive everyone. Not everyone wants the money or the perks, either. Mrs. Brooks loves helping animals. And she appreciates being close to family and others she’s come to care for. Such as Mitch.”
“Mitch, the van minder?”
“Yes. Among others. She has so many people who love her all over the Bronx. She’d never want to leave any of them for some extra cash or a big title.”
Felicity tried to work out what that would be like: driven by friendship and affection, not ambition?
“Did I just melt your brain?” Cooper asked.
“No comment.” Felicity folded her arms, scowling.
Mrs. Brooks stuck her head in the office. “Sorry to interrupt, but Daniel’s here in a bit of a state.”
“What’s wrong?” Cooper straightened.
“He won’t say. But his dog looks in a bad way.”
* * *
In the outer office, a thin trembling teenager gasping for air was clutching a tiny white-and-tan dog to his chest. Jack Russell terrier, Felicity identified.
“Daniel?” Cooper said softly, getting closer.
The dog growled, barked, and attempted to lunge at her but was tugged back tighter in Daniel’s arms. The dog was so little that it seemed no real threat, except for some weird drool coming from its mouth.
Cooper stepped back and her voice became softer. “Daniel? Can you tell me what happened?”
Wide, terrified eyes met hers. “I ran the whole way here. Fast as I could. Fuckin’ cops tried to stop me, claimed I wouldn’t be running unless I’d done something bad. Crime of running while Black was what they meant.” His voice rose in outrage. “I showed them Jasper to explain and said ‘Yo, look at his mouth!’ Then they said they had to report it and were gonna take him! My boy doesn’t have rabies! Why’d they go and say a thing like that?”
Trembles overtook him again. “I fucked off outta there when they went to their car to call animal control.” He darted a look over his shoulder. “Probably still looking for me.”
“I think you’ve lost them. May I look at Jasper, please?” Cooper asked, holding her arms out.
Daniel hesitated, panic still clear on his face. “He doesn’t have rabies,” he whispered. “You won’t hurt him, right?”
“I just want to examine him.”
Daniel trembled again. Suddenly he looked so small in his oversized jacket and drooping pants, scuffed and muddy where they met old dirty sneakers. Was he even eighteen?
“Now then, Daniel,” Mrs. Brooks cut in briskly, “I’m just gonna get you a nice cup of sweet tea.”
“I don’t drink tea, ma’am.”
“No arguments. You need it. You sit your backside down right here and let Dr. Cooper do her business of taking care of your dog.”
“I—” His wide eyes swept the room as if sizing it up for threats, then he sank into the chair in the face of Mrs. Brooks’s no-nonsense maternal demand. Then Daniel handed off Jasper to Cooper.
She cradled the dog in her arms, soothing it, which seemed a miracle to Felicity because something was definitely not right with that animal.
“Can you tell me what happened to him?” Cooper asked as she studied the dog.
Daniel swallowed. “Nothing?” His voice was pitched weirdly high. “He just got sick?”
The kid should not play poker.
“Well, it’s not nothing, is it?” Cooper said kindly. “Jasper’s foaming. So come on, what happened? Did he get bitten by something? Eat something weird?”
Daniel trembled even more. “You won’t report me? Even if I say that something bad happened?”
“I know you love Jasper, but we’ve gotta look out for him, don’t we? He’s our priority, and he’s not well. So you need to tell me all of it.”
“I—” Daniel sagged. “Yeah.” Then he started to cry and buried his face in his hands. His small shoulders lifted up and down. He looked like a child about to lose his whole world.
“Tell me,” Cooper said even more gently.
“Jasper found some weed. Ate the whole pouch before I could stop him. It wasn’t a small pouch, either.” His eyes went wide with fear. “Please, please don’t tell the cops.”
Weed? The idiot had dosed his dog on marijuana? Felicity inhaled sharply. Some people didn’t deserve animals. That’s all there was to it.
“I see.” There was no judgment in Cooper’s face or voice. “Okay, let’s figure out how Jasper’s doing. Has he been peeing a lot?”
The young man whispered, “Yeah. Lots.”
“What about tremors? Hyperexcitability?” She regarded the dog’s muzzle. “I can see excessive salivation.”
