Hello Love Read Free Page A

made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up a few items. What could have happened in that short a time? Different possibilities ran through his mind as he pulled his truck into the driveway and raced toward the house. Through the open doorway he saw an officer in the front hall, his daughter right behind him, and he exhaled in relief. She was still alive, so everything was okay. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be too bad.
    “Dad!” Lindsay’s face was tear-stained. “I’ve been trying to call you!” Frustration, that’s what he heard in her voice.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t have my phone on.” He addressed the cop, a young guy who didn’t look entirely at ease in his grown-up uniform. “What happened?” The guy didn’t look like he could enforce much of anything, much less the law.
    “It’s Anni. She’s gone,” Lindsay blurted out.
    Dan ran his hand through his close-cropped brown hair. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
    “It was only for a few minutes. I just let her out to pee and I was texting Brandon, so I didn’t check on her right away and she wandered off and went down to the end of the driveway, you know how she does that.” Dan knew. Even now, more than a year later, Anni still watched for Christine. “I saw a car stop right by her and I opened the door to yell for her to come back.” Her breathing was ragged; she could barely get the words out. “I’m so, so sorry, Dad. I saw it happen, but I couldn’t stop it.” Lindsay gulped. Tears poured down her face, and the sick feeling Dan had when he’d first seen the police car was back.
    He was afraid to ask, but he had to know. Part of him thought he already knew. It had to be that Anni had been hit by the car and was dead. “What happened?”
    “Your dog has been stolen, sir,” the young officer said.
    “Stolen?” Dan looked at Lindsay, who nodded in confirmation. He held his arms out and his daughter walked in, burying her head in his chest. She was too far gone to talk, her chest heaving with sobs. “Who would steal my dog?”
    The cop read off his notes. “Apparently at two thirty p.m., a dark-colored, four-door sedan stopped, blocking the entrance to your driveway. A young male dressed in a dark jacket or sweatshirt, either black or navy blue, and wearing a baseball cap, got out of the vehicle, grabbed your dog, placed it in the backseat, and drove off.”
    “Her,” Dan said, feeling the blood run from his face.
    “What?”
    “Anni. She’s a her , not an it .”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry about your dog. I’m new at all this,” he said. He did sound new, and unsure too, like he wanted to help but was clueless how to go from here. Poor guy didn’t seem up to the task. It didn’t seem right that he was working solo. Didn’t police officers always come in pairs? Where was his older, more experienced partner?
    “But why would someone take Anni?” Dan said. “She’s not a purebred. Could it be kids playing a prank? Maybe someone from your school?” He addressed the question to the top of Lindsay’s head.
    She pushed away from him, rubbed her eyes, and swallowed. “No, this guy was older, I think. He had another guy in the car and they were playing really loud music. Some heavy metal. I didn’t recognize the song.” She pointed outside. “The bastard,” she said bitterly. “He didn’t just put her in the backseat, he threw her in really hard and hurt her. She made that yelping noise like she was in pain. I ran after them screaming my head off, but they were all the way down the road by the time I got to the mailbox. I saw them throw a bottle out the driver’s side, and I saw Anni’s little face looking out the back window. I’m so sorry, Dad. I know I should have watched her better.”
    “It’s not your fault, Lindsay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Dan spoke to the officer. “Does this happen sometimes? Dogs get taken and turn up again soon? Like kids taking a car for a joyride?”
    He