Hair of the Dog by Susan Slater Read Free Book Online Page A

forward for a better look. “Boy, this is from a really old set. It’s some sort of pot metal, not even cast aluminum.”
    Dan turned the relic over. It appeared to be made of lead. He knew Melody was right; he doubted that this material was used anymore. He dropped it in his jacket pocket.
    â€œGuess the kennel is next?” He fell in beside Melody and noted that the closer they got to the kennel area, the fewer the signs of a fire. Walls were still coated with a scummy gray over yellow utility paint, but other than evidence of water damage along the floor—ceramic tiles were broken and popping up—the kennel area had missed the brunt of a very hot fire.
    â€œWhere would the five dogs have been crated?”
    â€œRight here by the door.”
    Dan stepped into the room and looked at row after row of large crates. Three deep, they covered every wall. And they weren’t small but long enough and tall enough to allow even the biggest greyhound to move around comfortably.
    â€œWhere is this turn-out area—the place where most of the dogs were found?”
    â€œRight across the hall. Fucher did an heroic job of corralling forty-five dogs and getting them to safety.”
    â€œWeren’t some found in the hallway?”
    â€œOnly three.”
    â€œAny idea why they were separated from the rest?”
    â€œProbably the last to leave their crates. One, I know for sure, was housed on the back wall—a young dog who may have been at the track only a couple times before. He would have been disoriented. I don’t know about the others.”
    That made sense. Dan made a couple of notes. “I’m still not sure I understand how five dogs were lost.”
    â€œYou’re not alone.” Melody’s voice dropped to a whisper. “They were the closest to the smoke and Fucher says they just disappeared—he kept saying that he looked for them and they just weren’t there. I think he was busy with all the others and he lost track of them. But why they’d head toward the fire and not away from it…well, goes without saying, that’s a puzzle.”
    â€œWhat with the fire and the noise and the utter panic…it would be easy to become disoriented—even for a dog, don’t you think?”
    â€œMaybe, but their instincts are stronger than humans’—danger signs are built into their DNA. But it makes Fucher sound guilty. Like he didn’t do enough—even with forty-five saved.”
    â€œDo you know how the dogs died?”
    â€œSmoke inhalation, I think. They were only inches from safety, frantically trying to get out the side door.”
    Dan made a note to see if the track vet corroborated the story. “I guess I’m wondering why all five stayed together, didn’t split up, follow the other dogs across the hall to safety.”
    â€œThey were raised together, housed together—one of the dogs was a pretty dominant male—they probably just followed the wrong leader.”
    Dan stepped across the hall and opened the doors to the exercise area. The doors were in pretty good shape, some rubber insulation crinkled from heat but otherwise intact. The area was about four hundred square feet in size. He tried to imagine forty-five dogs in the space. Probably every one reacting to the smoke and fire—jumping around, howling, picking fights…how could anyone stay calm in that situation? He had new respect for Fucher.
    â€œAnything else I should see?”
    â€œI was going to point out the exits. The chain-link gate there leads to the track and that one,” she pointed to her right, “goes to another closed-in area that extends to the maintenance barn.”
    â€œMaintenance for the track or grounds in general?”
    â€œMostly the track. It’s pretty labor-intensive—it’s dragged before every race. It’s sand so it needs to be smoothed and leveled. Eight dogs per race means