The Rescue Quilt

by Carol Dean Jones

  “One of the first runs I took for Maria was a little two-year old Shih Tzu, an adorable little fluff ball, and I just fell in love. They had told me she’d been in the shelter for a few weeks and was very timid and frightened, but she was just a peach with me. She seemed to love having attention. I moved her little crate up in the front seat and belted it in so I could talk to her. Anyway, that’s when I decided that I might like to help out by doing some short term fostering, and I signed up for their orientation. I’m on the list now but they haven’t needed me yet.”

  They were quiet for the next few miles. Sarah was thinking about Sophie and the little Shih Tzu and how difficult it must be for a foster caregiver to part with these little dogs once a forever home was found for them. She asked Sophie about this.

  “One lady told me that it’s hard to say goodbye, but she reminds herself that when a home is found for one, she is freed up to save another one.”

  Sarah looked over at Sophie and saw a tenderness she hadn’t noticed before. My friend has found her niche, she told herself with a smile.

  * * *

  “How did your detecting go?” Sarah asked as she and Charles sat down to dinner later that evening.

  “It was most unsuccessful. I detected nothing. And how did your rescuing go?”

  “Most successfully,” she responded enthusiastically. She went on to tell Charles about the puppies and about Fran. “It takes a very special person to take on all that responsibility,” she reflected thinking about Fran’s life.

  About that time Barney slowly made his way across the kitchen floor and sat by Sarah’s chair. “Is he limping?” Sarah asked, noting that he was having trouble walking.

  “I’ve noticed that mostly when he first gets up. It reminds me of the way I feel after I’ve been sitting awhile. Our aging joints are rebelling.”

  “I suppose he could have some joint pain. I don’t know how old he is, but from what the vet said when I got him, he could be approaching eleven or twelve at this point.”

  “Let’s take him in for a check-up,” Charles responded. “It’s about time for his shots and I’m sure they have something that will help him.”

  As they were clearing away the dinner dishes, Charles asked about the party.

  “I picked up the invitations while we were out today, and I hope to get them in the mail tomorrow. Sophie has already talked to several of our friends, and it looks like most of them will be coming, although some of the older people said they might not stay until midnight. It’ll be a good crowd.”

  “Have you thought about what we’ll feed all these folks?” Charles asked.

  “Sophie and I talked about that today. I think we should offer wine and cheese along with an array of finger foods. We can’t accommodate that many people for dinner without putting tables all over the house, and I think it’ll be more fun to have the food spread around so that people can circulate. What do you think?”

  “I agree. Give Kendra’s Katering a call. She did a fantastic time with our gourmet picnic last year.”

  “Yes, that’s on my list,” Sarah responded. “I’ll have her work up a menu.”

  “And we’re doing this on our actual anniversary, right?”

  “Yes, New Year’s Eve.”

  “Champagne at midnight?”

  “Absolutely,” she responded with a smile.

  “And a kiss?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  Charles pulled his wife into a gentle hug; Barney limped over and nosed his way between them.

  Chapter 3

  Sophie was in her third week of taking Maria’s runs and had met more dogs than she had known in her lifetime. How could I have gone all these years without a dog, she wondered, looking at the mournful face of the little Cocker Spaniel who had been abandoned when his owner moved out of state. He was picked up sitting on the porch of the empty house where he had been waiting for them to return. A neighbor had finally noticed him and called Animal Control.

  “Where are we taking him?” Sarah asked Sophie, glad she had been asked to ride along again.

  “He’s been adopted by a family in Madison, Wisconsin. We’re meeting the next driver about an hour from here. The poor little fellow has been on the road for two days already.”

  “You said he started out in Dallas? How did this Wisconsin family find out about him?”

  “They have a young boy who’s been surfing the internet looking at rescue sites. He fell in love with this little fellow, and they were able to make arrangements for him to be transported north.”

  Sarah was quiet for a while thinking about how excited the boy must be. She wondered about his home and finally asked Sophie, “How do the folks in Dallas know they’re sending him to a good home?”

  “A rescue organization in Madison will have done a home study and reported back to Dallas. They’re very careful about who adopts these dogs. They’ve been through enough already.” Sarah looked into the vanity mirror and saw the little face looking toward the front seat. She figured he was wondering what was in store for him. She thought about all the nights he spent on the porch of the abandoned house waiting for the people he loved to return. Tears began to burn her eyes, and she blinked hard to clear them away.

  Once she got home, Sarah found herself unable to get the little dog out of her mind. She hoped he would soon forget what he’d been through and would become a happy member of his new family. Barney, sensing her mood, laid his head on her lap and rolled his eyes up mournfully. As usual, her sad thoughts vanished. She squeezed his face between her hands and said, “You’re one lucky dog, do you know that?”

  * * *

  “Mrs. Ward, this is Sheila from the shuttle service. There’s a dog at the Humane Society that we think would do better out at Kelly’s farm. Are you available to take her out there this afternoon?”

  “Sure, I’ll be right there,” Sophie responded.

  “You know what to do -- just pick her up and drive on out to Kelly’s farm. She’ll be expecting you.”

  Within a few minutes, Sophie was ready to go. Although there was a chill in the air, it was a beautiful afternoon and Sophie was glad to be getting out. It was a short trip to the shelter and on out to Kelly’s farm on the outskirts of Middletown, and she knew she could easily be home before dark. She turned the radio on and found herself humming to the easy listening station.

  At the shelter, she was surprised to see how restless the dog was. She was pacing in the cage as if eager to get out. The staff had difficulty transferring her to a crate, but she seemed to settle down somewhat once they lifted her into the back of Sophie’s SUV.

  “She’s beautiful,” Sophie commented despite the dirty and matted fur. She appeared to be primarily white with a long plumed tail that curved above her back. Sophie reached in to pet her and the dog gave her a pleading look. “What is it, girl?” Sophie asked, wishing the dog could speak. They latched the crate and lowered the hatch.

  “She’s been agitated since we picked her up,” Jackie explained.

  “Where did you find her?”

  “We had calls from several shops in town reporting that she was clawing at their doors, but no one could figure out what she wanted. Once we got her to the shelter we tried to feed her, but she refused. She just paced constantly and tried to scratch her way out.”

  After Jackie went back inside, Sophie lifted the hatch and spoke softly to the dog. “It’s going to be okay, girl. I’m taking you to a safe place.” She hoped that Kelly’s vet could figure out why she was so agitated.

  She wondered what kind of dog she was. Jackie had said she was a mixed breed and perhaps she had some Malamute in her background with that full tail curling up over her back. “But she’s much smaller than a Malamute,” Jackie had added. “Maybe she has some Husky or even some Border Collie. She only weighs thirty-five pounds. We’ll see what Kelly’s vet thinks.”

  Her fur was matted, but looked soft. Sophie could see light brown markings on the top of her he
ad and across her back. “I’ll bet you’ll be beautiful once you’ve had a bath,” Sophie said again speaking gently. “Do you have a name?” The dog had a well-worn leather collar but no identification. The staff’s vet had estimated her age at seven or eight.

  Once they were on the road, Sophie thought the dog had calmed down; at least she wasn’t whimpering. As Sophie approached the edge of town, she realized the gas tank was low, so she pulled into the next station, not sure how long it would be before she passed another one. She raised the rear hatch to let the cool breeze into the back of the SUV and proceeded to fill the gas tank. She had left the radio on thinking it might have a soothing effect on the dog.

  Once the tank was filled and the credit card transaction completed, she walked around to the back to close the hatch and was horrified to see that the door to the crate was open and the latch was snapped completely off. The dog was crouched ready to spring. Sophie was frozen in place.

  A moment later a white muddy streak shot out of the car and began running up the side of the road away from town. Sophie yelled, “Come back, come back,” but to no avail. She hurried into the car, started it up, and followed the dog. She was able to catch up with her quickly.

  She knew she wouldn’t be able to coax her back into the car, so she decided to just follow at a safe distance, hoping she didn’t turn and run through the field. She reached for her cell phone to call for help, but it slipped to the floor and she didn’t dare reach for it. “Who would I call anyway?” she asked herself aloud.

  A few miles up the road, the dog appeared to be tiring. Sophie hoped this meant she would be willing to get into the car soon. Suddenly she noticed the dog had stopped completely and was looking back at the car. Sophie slowed down as she approached, praying she would simply get into the car. She had already decided not to try to put her in the crate, but instead just let her get in the backseat. She would coax her in with one of the dog biscuits she kept on hand for just such situations.

  But to her surprise, as soon as she was close, the dog turned and started running up a side road that intersected with the highway. Sophie quickly turned on the road and followed. The two resumed their previous pattern, but this time much slower. The unpaved road followed a stream and the terrain was becoming hilly and wooded. They both slowed down, and the dog stopped momentarily to drink from the stream. Sophie stopped, but the dog immediately resumed her trek with renewed determination.

  Sophie was concerned when the dog made another turn. She found herself on a deeply rutted dirt road. She now had to go very slowly and was afraid she would lose the dog, but was surprised to see her slow down. She appeared to be pacing herself to the car. Is she leading me somewhere? Sophie wondered.

  Five or ten minutes later the dog took another turn into the overgrown yard of a rustic log cabin. She ran up to the door, her tail now wagging as she barked enthusiastically and scratched at the door. Sophie got out of the car but was very stiff from sitting so long. She reached for her cane, which she kept in the car for times like this when walking was more difficult.

  Sophie crossed the rutted yard cautiously and noticed that the dog was looking back at her as if to make sure she was following behind. She carefully climbed the steps and crossed the rustic porch to the door. She didn’t think anyone was home, or they would have responded to all the noise the dog had made. She knocked hard but heard no sounds inside.

  She walked over to the window and pressed her face against the glass. Her screams echoed across the countryside.

  * * *

  “We’re on our way, Sophie. I’ll stay on the cell phone with you until we get there. What did the police say when you called them?”

  “They wanted the address, but I have no idea where I am. The officer said they were able to identify my cell phone location and they’re on their way. They asked questions about the man, but I couldn’t tell them anything. I told them I didn’t go in, but I could see a man lying on the floor in a pool of blood.” Sarah heard the panic in Sophie’s voice, and she knew her friend was fighting to hang on. “What should I do,” Sophie asked in a quivering voice.

  “We’ll be there soon, honey. Just stay in your car.”

  “How will you find me?” Sophie asked, her voice still shaking.

  “Charles called dispatch and got the GPS location,” Sarah responded. “It says we’ll be there in eighteen minutes. What about the dog? Is she in the car with you?”

  “No, she’s on the porch curled up on a dirty old blanket and looks right at home. I’m sure she lives here. Do you suppose she went all the way into town trying to get help?” Sophie sounded more in control when she was talking about the dog.

  “It sounds like it, Sophie. Tell me about the dog. What does she look like?” Sarah was hoping to take her friend’s mind off the body at least momentarily.

  “She’s not very big. I think Jackie said she’s about thirty-five pounds. I think she’s mostly white but she’s so dirty it’s hard to tell for sure.” Her voice cracked again as she added, “At the shelter they said she wouldn’t eat or drink. I wish…” Sophie stopped mid-sentence. “Oh Sarah, I hear sirens. Stay on the phone until they get here.”

  “I will, are they…”

  “They just turned in,” Sophie exclaimed excitedly. “Two police cars and an ambulance. An ambulance? Do you think the man might still be alive? I never thought of that. Maybe I should have…” Sophie’s voice was escalating.

  “Sophie, there’s nothing you could have done. The medics are there now. Go ahead and open your car door.”

  “Are you Sophie Ward?” Sarah heard someone ask.

  “Yes,” she responded with a shaking voice, still holding the phone in her hand.

  “Sophie, we’ll be there soon,” Sarah assured her as Sophie disconnected the phone.

  “Charles, that’s our turn up there on the right.”

  “I know,” he responded in a tone Sarah wasn’t accustomed to hearing. She turned to look at him and realized his face was tense with worry. “I’m just relieved that the police are there. I was afraid whoever did this was still around.”

  “You didn’t say a word,” Sarah responded with surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to scare either one of you.”

  “I wouldn’t have said anything to Sophie.”

  “She would have heard it in your voice, Sarah. We did tell her to lock herself in the car. That’s about all we could do.”

  Charles took a sharp right and headed up the narrow dirt road traveling much faster than Sophie had earlier that day. Within minutes, they arrived at the house and parked among the other vehicles.

  “Can I help you,” an officer called out as he walked toward their car.

  “We’re friends of Mrs. Ward. Is she inside?” He pulled out his department identification, regretting that it wasn’t the shiny badge he had flashed for so many years.

  “Fine, go on in.”

  At the door, he leaned in and asked if it was okay to enter the crime scene. “It’s not a crime scene,” the officer in charge responded, motioning for them to come in. “It was just this old guy’s time,” the officer responded.

  “What about the blood?” Sarah asked.

  “Probably banged his head on something when he fell.”

  On what? Sarah thought but decided not to say. She looked around and didn’t see anything he might have fallen against. She looked at Charles and saw a deep frown as he looked at the body.

  “Do you know who he is?” Charles asked.

  “Yeah,” the officer responded. “That’s old Earl Hawkins. He’s been living alone back here for years.”

  About that time, the dog crept into the room and laid next to the man’s feet. She let out a deep mournful howl.

  “Get that filthy mutt out of here,” the officer yelled to one of the officers impatiently.

  “I’ll get her,” Sophie called out defensively from the corner of the room. “She’s my responsibility.” She hurri
ed over and gently led the dog by her collar. The dog willingly followed Sophie as if she were beginning to understand the futility of remaining with her master. Sarah met them at the door and the two women, followed by the forlorn dog, headed for Sophie’s car.

  “What are you going to do with her?” Sarah asked.

  “Take her on to Kelly’s farm, I guess. What else can I do?”

  “I don’t think you should be driving alone. We’ll go with you.”

  When Charles finally joined them, he explained that the investigator needed to take Sophie’s statement, but was willing to wait until the next day. “We’ll go with you,” Charles said. “Now, how shall we juggle these cars?”

  “Let’s take both cars down to the main highway,” Sarah suggested. “We can park Sophie’s car in that mini-mall we passed, and the three of us can drive on up to Kelly’s farm.”

  “Wait,” Sophie interjected. “We’ve all been through too much, and it’ll be dark before long. Let’s just go home. I’ll keep the dog overnight and let the shelter know what happened.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that, Sophie? She’ll have to be walked, and fed…”

  “I can handle it. Will you loan me a leash and some of Barney’s food?”

  “Of course, but I have a better idea. How about I come spend the night with you?” Sarah asked.

  “A sleep-over?” Sophie responded, looking relieved. “That sounds like fun.”

  Charles winked at Sarah, knowing that she was concerned about leaving Sophie alone after the trauma of finding the body, not to mention leaving her with the responsibility of caring for a strange dog.

  Sarah got behind the wheel of Sophie’s car and her friend handed her the keys without question. Sophie then got into the back seat with the dog who was now stretched out and resigned to whatever fate was in store for her. She had lost her master and nothing else mattered.

  Charles pulled out ahead of them and lead the way to the main road and back to Cunningham Village.

  Chapter 4

  “Let’s head out to Kelly’s farm first and then on to the police station,” Charles suggested when he called Sarah the next morning. He had waited until after nine, hoping she and Sophie had been able to get some sleep. “How’s the dog doing?”