Page 6 of Five for Silver

Dogs could sniff out drugs, money, cancer, but couldthey sniff out a serial killer, untainted by evidence, but a serialkiller’s genetic make-up?

Would Merc know after one sniff?

Would he growl, shake, or run the hell away?

“Chad!”

He blinked, snapping back to attention. He shuffled,eyeing Keeley leaning forward in her chair.

“Sorry?”

“I asked if you were okay?”

Chad nodded, rolling out the knots in hisshoulders.

Of course, Merc wouldn’t be able to detect Romeo’snature.

He was being stupid.

“I’m fine.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Just… Iwant him to like us.”

“Who?”

“Merc,” Chad frowned, before squeezing his brow. “Iwant him to like me and Frank.”

“Ah, the new dog,” Keeley smiled. “Is Frank a doglover, too?”

“This will be his first one.”

“I’m sure Frank will love him.”

Chad checked the time on his phone and got to hisfeet. “Fingers crossed.”

“Same time. Next week.”

Keeley had offered him a session once a week againafter Tate, and Chad had readily accepted.

It helped.

Chad nodded as Keeley tapped away on her laptop,writing up a few key notes from their session. He closed the doorsoftly behind himself as he left her office, waved at thereceptionist, then stepped outside. He took a deep breath of freshair and turned his thoughts to birdfeeders as he crossed the carpark.

It was bright compared to Keeley’s mood-lit officeand headrush assaulted him after sitting for so long on thecouch.

A woman rushed past him with a pushchair. Her eyeswere sunken, rimmed with black and her free brown hair lashedbehind her in her haste to get across the car park. Her child,hidden by blankets, babbled away happily.

Chad smiled.

He’d shown Romeo strollers for dogs.

Romeo had growled that there was no way in hell theywere getting one.

“Hey,” Chad called out, spying the stuffed rabbitthat had fallen from the pushchair. The woman didn’t hear him anddidn’t stop. Chad swiped the rabbit off the floor, and jogged tocatch up, only to skid to a halt at the pick-up truck in the cornerof the car park.

He couldn’t read the plate, but the truck shone avibrant red, catching the stray sunbeams that managed to breakthrough the thin clouds.

Chad stared at it.

He’d seen it before.

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