“You shouldn’t be here,” a voice said.
“Arf!” added another voice.
My heart leaped in my throat. The thieves were right behind us!
I whirled around just as a figure stepped into the room.
Chapter Fifteen
The shadow advanced, arms outstretched. It let out an inhuman yowl that chilled my bones. Was it even human? Had we come face-to-face with a dark nightmare from an HP Lovecraft storybook—
“Jonie?” I gasped as the figure came into view. In her arms, she held a tiny golden retriever puppy with the biggest, roundest brown eyes. The puppy whimpered. “Arf?” it asked weakly.
Jonie didn’t even acknowledge us. She set down the dog in a brand-new bed, patting its matted fur. “Here you go, Buster. I know they scared you, but it’s okay. I’ve got some treats here to make it all better.” She plunged her hand into one of the gift boxes and pulled out a bag of dog treats, which she tipped on the rug. The puppy, Buster, sniffed at the treats, then turned his head away. His tail flapped a couple of times. He looked sick.
“Jonie, you stole the presents from under the Christmas tree.” I couldn’t believe it. “You love animals. Why would you want to hurt them like this?”
Jonie slumped on the bed, wiping at her eyes. It took me a moment to realize she was crying.
“I know what I did was wrong,” she sniffed. “I was going to pay for new presents, so none of the animals would have missed out. Grandma always gives me a check for Christmas. I would use the money to replace all the toys and food so none of the animals would have missed out. But Buster needed thingsnow. I don’t have any money, and I couldn’t ask Mum for it because she’s in Paris and doesn’t want to talk to me.”
I sat down beside Jonie, starting to put together what might’ve happened. “Where did you get Buster?”
“From Bertie – that weird guy with the tiny glasses.” The puppy slumped at Jonie’s feet. She pulled him onto the bed, where he rested his head on her lap. She stroked him, her face brightening into a smile. “I met him when he came to ask my Grandma about the accounts for the Christmas market. He said he’d give Buster to me for free if I could feed him and keep him healthy. So I snuck through the tunnel and took the presents, and then Bertie let me take Buster home after the market. I’ve been such a good mama to him! I fed him and played with him and given him lots of snuggles. The only time I can’t be with him is when Grandma’s home – I have to hide him in the tunnel. Today I even tried to take him out for a walk. But he’s so sad. He just sits in that bed and he won’t eat and I don’t know what to do!”
I remembered Bertie talking with Jonie at the fete. He gave her one of the puppies. I thought she was just having a cuddle, but she must’ve taken him home. I rubbed my hands together, trying to get feeling into my numb fingers.If the puppy was stuck in that tunnel for any length of time, no wonder he’s feeling sick.
Josie buried her head in her hands and bawled.
“I knew I didn’t count wrong,” Morrie cried in triumph. “The accountant only had four puppies today because the fifth one was here.”
Not the time,I mouthed at him as I sat down beside Jonie and wrapped my arms around her.
“I couldn’t say no!” Jonie picked up Buster and cradled him to her chest. “Look at his face! Besides, Bertie couldn’t take care of Buster. He said so himself. He was going to abandon Buster and his brothers and sisters at the animal shelter. I knew that with so many animals needing homes over Christmas, they’d be unlikely to find a new family in time. Ihadto help him.” Tears streaked her face. “Am I in trouble?”
“You tried to do a good thing, Jonie. But you stole things that were meant for others and lied about it. You let everyone in the village believe Heathcliff had taken the tree and presents. Thatwaswrong. Why didn’t you tell your grandma about Buster? She would have helped you pay for his food and supplies. Wouldn’t that be better than stealing?”
“I didn’t tell her because I’m not allowed to have a pet.” Jonie sighed, slumping down on the bed. “Grandma Mabel would tell my mum and I’d get into so much trouble. Mum won’t let me have a pet because she wants her new boyfriend to move in and he hates dogs. Of course he does. He hates anything I like because he hates me, even if I try so hard to be good and do what they want and not bother them while they’re on their dates. But it was so cold out and Bertie didn’t even have a coat on Buster, and he’s just a tiny puppy. I think he was sick even then. I couldn’t just leave him.”
Jonie’s tear-streaked face broke my heart. Of course, she felt neglected by her mother. I would too if I’d been shuffled off to stay with my grandma over the holidays so Mum could go to Paris with her dog-hating boyfriend.
I thought of my oddball mother and all her insane shenanigans. Even though she drove me crazy with her wacky ideas and insane pyramid schemes, she really did love me. She’d never ship me off out of her way so she could be with a guy. “Any bloke I like enough to bring home has to be able to handle both Wilde women,” she used to tell me whenever I asked her why she didn’t have a boyfriend. “So far, no one has come close.”
Buster whimpered again, and his tiny body trembled.
“Can I have a look at him?” I reached for the puppy. Reluctantly, Jonie passed him over. Buster’s eyes drooped, and he whined when I touched him. He flattened his ears against his head. I knew that animals often hid how sick they were until it was too late.
My suspicions were confirmed when I held him. He was a bag of skin and bones, and even though he was wearing a woolly sweater, he trembled in my arms. Buster’s pupils weren’t just large – they were dilated. His skin felt cold, and when he drooped his head and touched his nose to my arm, the cold of it shocked me.
“Jonie, I think he’s really sick. We need to take him to the vet right now.”
Fresh tears welled in Jonie’s eyes. “It’s all my fault. I tried to take care of him. Every time I love someone, they leave me. Dad walked out. Mum went to Paris. I can’t even keep a dog alive.”
I squeezed her leg as I scooped Buster into my arms. “It’s not your fault. I’m sure you’ve taken good care of him. I’m sure everything will be okay.”
Please, please let everything be okay.
Chapter Sixteen
