The room seemed to tilt, the fluorescent lights above blurring into a surreal haze. “What do you mean, not human?” I asked, my voice trembling with a combination of confusion and hope. For hours, the dread that had consumed me was now tempered by an odd sense of relief, albeit mixed with disbelief.
Officer Daniels took a deep breath, as if grappling with the words he was about to say. “The lab found traces of a substance consistent with animal saliva. More specifically, from a large breed dog.”
The pieces started to rearrange themselves in my mind, forming a picture that was shocking yet undeniably clear. Nathan had recently adopted a puppy, a rambunctious Great Dane named Rufus. I’d seen how big and energetic Rufus was during our last family visit, nearly bowling Emily over with his enthusiastic greetings.
