Hearing a bark, he saw a movement on the porch. That dog he’d seen weeks ago was still hanging around. He wondered why Natalie hadn’t contacted the RSPCA to take it away. It shouldn’t be living like this, skulking and hiding, poor creature. Now it was coming toward him, wagging its curl of a tail. “Hello, boy,” he said diffidently. He’d never had anything to do with animals, but its lonely plight tugged at his heart. Strays had been unwelcome in the rental properties of his childhood. His mother had warned him not to touch the mangy cats that fought and mated outside his window, or the skinny dogs that hunted for food scraps. As an adult, his caution had been confirmed when he had to perform surgery on a small child who had been badly bitten in a dog attack. But this creature seemed friendly; in fact, was greeting him like a long-lost friend, giving excited yips and even spinning around in circles. Philip laughed. The joie de vivre of the little dog was contagious. He looked well fed, his short coat was brushed, and his eyes were bright. Someone was tending to his needs— presumably the lady from next door. She seemed a decent enough woman, if a chatterbox, sharing the hopes and disappointments of her love life as though he was a close friend...
...He locked up, intending to go home, but the dog had other ideas. “You’ve got me confused with someone else, mate.” The animal seemed absolutely convinced he had found his master. Perhaps he wanted a walk? There was a leash hanging over the porch railing. Feeling oddly flattered by the dog’s attention, he attached the clip to his collar. A worn nametag read Teddy. What a name to inflict on a dog! If he belonged to Philip, that would be the first thing he would change. He lifted the dog into the back of the Lexus, tying the leash to stop him jumping up on the leather upholstery. He’d stretch his legs with a quick walk along the beach before the weather broke. The lake was only a five-minute drive away...
...A brisk wind was whipping the waves to whitecaps, and moored craft rocked from side to side. The impending storm was bringing fishermen back to shore. Philip watched a couple of boaties who were efficiently winching a luxury cruiser up the launching ramp. Another sailor was hooking up his trailer, and further out, a solitary man was steering for the ramp, his small outboard motor sending out a steady throb. Philip untied Teddy. Grabbing the end of the lead, he prepared to set out for a walk in the bracing wind. Teddy seemed distracted by the myriad sounds and scents. Sniffing attentively, he fixed his bulbous gaze on the incoming boat. He listened intently, then suddenly tugged hard enough to slip his collar, and raced on his stubby legs toward the water. The lead dangling from his hand, Philip ran after him, pulling up short as he reached the waterline. Could dogs swim? It seemed so. Teddy was heading out to the small boat, bobbing up and down amid the whitecaps. Philip called him several times, with growing anxiety. The dog wasn’t responding at all to his shouts. Did he have the brains to understand he must turn around and come back to safety? The incoming boat was almost at the ramp, but Teddy had failed to overtake it and instead forged straight ahead, heading for the horizon now... ("Viktor". Photo courtesy of Tibetan Spaniel Network)
