The Crossroads

“Back so soon?”

Gerda Spratling met the search party in the front hall. Ben Hargrove shoved the warrant under her nose.

“Mary Beth?” he said to the female officer restraining Zipper.

“I’m on it.” The officer unclipped the dog’s collar and let him loose.

“If that dog does his business on my rug…”

“Your house will smell a whole lot better.” Judy couldn’t resist.

Zipper raced up and down the hallways, darted in and out of rooms. The police officer followed.

“Got anything, boy?”

Zipper barked, as if to say “No. Nothing.”

“We’ll find him, Zip.” She offered the dog some water from a kidney-shaped bottle she kept strapped to the back of her utility belt.

Zipper didn’t drink any. He was too busy.

He needed to find his boy.

“My son is missing, too!” Sharon cornered Hargrove and Judy in the portrait gallery. “Miss Spratling sent her chauffeur down to the carriage house to steal him!”

“Where’s this chauffeur now?” Hargrove asked.

“I don’t know!” Sharon’s voice was shaky.

Hargrove spoke into his walkie-talkie. “Betty?”

“Go ahead,” a voice crackled back.

“We need to issue an APB for…” He turned to Sharon.

“Willoughby!” she screamed. “Rodman Willoughby!”