‘It’s poisonous to dogs. Xylitol.’
‘It is?’ said Hazel, her face slack.
‘Very. The tiniest amount can be fatal. Did you...sorry to ask this, Hazel, but did you by any chance give Arthur a treat last Wednesday?’
Hazel was floundering, her mouth opening and closing like a shored fish. She looked from Stephanie to Imogen in desperation.
‘I think you did,’ said Imogen carefully. ‘Two. By Heron Water Cafe.’
‘Oh my goodness, I think you’re right.’ Hazel visibly crumpled.
‘And have you been feeding treats to other dogs around the village?’ Stephanie asked gravely.
Nancy didn’t hear Hazel’s answer, but she didn’t need to. Imogen told her everything when she looked up at her.
Nancy returned her gaze, eyes steady. Then, head held high, she took Lara’s hand and crossed the road.
EIGHTY-THREE
Friday 26 February
RIPTON GAZETTE
Correction: In an article about the Canine Killer, the author incorrectly stated that the land where an injured dog was found belonged to an individual suspected to be the so-called ‘Canine Killer’. It has since been disproven that the owner of that land harmed any dogs. We apologize for any distress caused. (Canine Killer Strikes Again!19 February, page 1)
EIGHTY-FOUR
Monday 1 March
Nancy closed down her phone and quickly put it in her pocket as Lara came downstairs.
‘Ready?’ asked Nancy, putting on a smile. She’d been talking to Martin and was planning on going to the hospital to visit Beth later. There was no change. Beth was still unresponsive. Nancy waited for Lara to tie her shoelaces then they walked to school. In the village high street, someone had put posters up for the Straw Bear Festival.
‘Will Auntie Beth be better for the festival?’ asked Lara.
‘Let’s hope so,’ said Nancy brightly. She still hadn’t told Lara the extent of Beth’s injuries, but the hope she was pinning everything on – that Beth would make a full recovery – seemed to get more fragile by the day. Nancy was doing her best to hold it all together, despite the spectre of loss descending upon her in the night, causing her to lie tossing and turning, her mind playing over the worst. She wouldwake feeling hollow and wrung out, steeling herself to act positive for Lara.
The snow had melted and Lara was full of talk about the new lambs that had appeared on the other side of the fence to the school’s playing field. Dozens of them, by all accounts, but she had still managed to fall in love with and name them all: Lambie, Twizzles, Curls, Fluffy, Butternut Squash, Tiptoe, Munchie.
When they reached the playground, Lara ran off to chat to Mia and Nancy was left on her own. She thought she clocked one of the other mothers looking over – a glance of...was it chagrin? Compassion?
Imogen and Erin were standing together a short distance away. They were with Nicole and a couple of other mums in their clique. Nancy looked over and felt sure they knew she was there but none of them turned and looked her way. Imogen was speaking loudly: ‘It was a misunderstanding. Unfortunate, but when you look at the facts, everything seemed to point to that logical conclusion. And you have to remember, Arthur wasthere,on that land.’
A hand tapped Nancy on the shoulder. She turned to see Hannah.
‘It’s the closest thing you’ll get to an apology,’ said Hannah, looking over at Imogen and her gang. ‘That and the half-arsed three lines in the paper.’
Nancy smiled. So she wasn’t the only one who thought Erin’s ‘correction’ in theRipton Gazettewas insulting and inadequate. ‘No real harm done,’ she said.
‘Really?’ asked Hannah, giving her a searching look. ‘I’vegot to say, you’re very forgiving. If it’s any consolation, at one point they insinuated it was me.’
‘What?’
‘Uh huh. Revenge for the sheep attacks up at the farm, apparently.’
‘You’ve had more?’ said Nancy, worried.
‘No. Police caught the culprit. They were tipped off about a dog that was escaping from a house a mile away.’ She looked over at Imogen and the others. ‘It’s amazing what poisonous drivel can be contrived from a combination of self-righteous folk and a group chat. Hey, Jakob says Lara likes the lambs near the school field.’
