All Shots

expenses. In some cases, there is no question: the shelter or the owner assures you that the dog has been spayed... and you get a surprise.
    “We’ve had that happen, too.” The we wasn’t royal. Or maybe it was? I meant AMRONE, Alaskan Malamute Rescue of New England.
    “If she’s intact, then we didn’t place her,” Elise said.
    “Of course not.” Every reputable rescue group spays or neuters all dogs before placing them unless the surgery would pose a health risk to the dog. For example, no sensible person subjects a fragile twelve-year-old male to neutering. Anyway, a firm spay-neuter policy is one hallmark of a good rescue group, and I didn’t want Elise to feel insulted.
    “But she doesn’t sound like one of ours,” Elise said. “The woman you asked about doesn’t ring any bells, either, but I don’t meet all of our adopters myself. I might see their applications, or I might talk to them on the phone. But—”
    “I don’t meet all of ours, either. If another volunteer works with an adopter, then maybe I’ll meet the adopter at one of our events, but that’s it.”
    “So, what’d you want to know about Grant?”
    “The reason I’m interested in him is that he had blue in his lines. And not all that many people do.” I explained the circumstances under which the photo had been found. “And the police still don’t know who the murdered woman is. I thought that if I could find out who the dog is, then maybe that would help to identify the woman. I showed the photo to Phyllis Hamilton, and Grant was one of the breeders she mentioned as a possibility. Anyway, let me tell you what I know about him, which isn’t much. Phyllis told me that he was a reputable breeder—or people thought he was a responsible breeder—and then his marriage went to pieces, and he got in some kind of financial trouble, and he disappeared. He got his dogs from Minnie Wilcox and Debbie Alonso.”
    “Poor Minnie,” Elise said.
    “Yes. I talked to her daughter.”
    “Her mind’s gone. It’s so sad. Debbie took responsibility for the dogs of Minnie’s that Grant had. And her own. We got the rest.”
    “The ones Grant bred himself.”
    “Fourteen. Seven adults, seven puppies. His wife had left him, and he was living out there alone, and no one knew he was gone for maybe ten days. He just took off and left the dogs in their kennels, not that they’d been in great shape before. One of the males had an infected wound on his leg that hadn’t been treated. It was a real mess getting that cleared up. And all of the dogs were starving, and not from being without food for just ten days. The kennels were filthy. What happened was that a neighbor noticed that Grant wasn’t around and went to take a look. And found the dogs. Otherwise, they’d’ve all died. It’s a good thing for Grant that he took off. Everyone who saw that place and those dogs wanted to kill him.”
    “No wonder.”
    “And, Holly, these were such sweet dogs. They were real sweethearts. We placed all of them. They’re loves.”
    “Any blue females?”
    “One. One of the adults. She was five or so. But she’s not the one you have. I see her all the time. I know the adopter.”
    “A puppy?”
    “There was a blue male. That’s it.”
    “Elise, when was this?”
    “Two... two and half years ago, let’s say. Yes. It was in April. What I heard was that Grant started getting in trouble the summer before that. You know about that?”
    “No. Phyllis says that I might’ve met him at a National, but if I did, I don’t remember. All I really remember is that you got a lot of his dogs.”
    “Well, the trouble was that his money, which he didn’t have a lot of to begin with, was all going up his nose and into his veins. And his wife got sick of it, and she left him. I never met her. She didn’t go to shows or anything. I heard she was a nice woman. Debbie Alonso knew her a little.”
    “You don’t suppose...?”
    “That it’s her? The one who was murdered?”
    “Just a thought. How old is Grant?”
    “Thirty-five? Forty, maybe.”
    “The murdered woman was probably too young to be his wife. She was in her early twenties. Still. I wonder how old Grant’s wife is. Was? His ex-wife.”
    “You could ask Debbie.”
    “I will. Elise, do you have any idea what happened to Grant? Where he went?”
    “To hell, I hope. That’s where he belongs.”
    “In the meantime?”
    “Someone told me he was in the Southwest. I heard that someone ran