"I need an animal tonight."
She gave an uncertain little laugh. "Um, that's not really how we work. We'd need you to come in and fill out an application, and then meet with one of our--"
"I can pay."
"Well, that's fine, because we do require a small donation to help cover treatment and--" "Would a hundred dollars suffice?"
"Er... "
"Two?" he asked, not really caring what it cost. "It's very important to me."
"Yeah," she said, "I'm, uh... I'm getting that idea."
Dante lowered his voice and focused on the pliable human mind at the other end of the telephone connection. "Help me out here. I really need one of your animals. Now, let's give it some thought, and you tell me what it's going to take to make this happen."
She hesitated for a long few seconds, then, "Look, I could totally get fired for this, but we do have a dog that just came in today. He hasn't even been examined yet, but he doesn't seem like he's in the best shape. And I'll be honest with you, he's not much to look at either. We don't have space for him right now, so he's actually on the list for euthanasia in the morning."
"I'll take him." Dante checked the time. It was just past five o'clock, already dark topside, thanks to New England sitting on the front end of the Eastern Time Zone. Harvard wouldn't be showing up at the compound for another four hours. Plenty of time for him to complete this little transaction before he had to link up with the agent for the night's patrol. He stood up, grabbing his coat and keys. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Okay. We close at five-thirty, but I'll wait for ya. Just come around back and ask for Rose. That's me." She cracked her gum again, her jaw working audibly in a flurry of quick snaps. "Ah, about the money--the two hundred bucks? Can you pay cash?"
Dante smiled as he started for the door. "Done."
Chapter Fifteen
Tess double-checked the last figure on her computer monitor, making sure the amount was correct before she clicked the button to complete the funds transfer. The overdue clinic bills were paid now, but her savings account was more than a thousand dollars lighter. And next month, the bills would start all over again.
"Hey, Tess?" Nora appeared in the open doorway and gave a hesitant rap on the jamb. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's almost six o'clock and I have to take off to study for an exam tomorrow. You want me to lock up?"
"Okay," Tess said, rubbing at her temples, where twin knots of stress had begun to settle. "Thanks, Nora. Have a good night." Nora looked at her for a long moment, then down at the stack of bills on the desk. "Everything all right?"
"Yeah." Tess attempted a reassuring smile. "Yes, everything is fine."
"I saw the notice from the building landlord today. Rent's going up after the first of the year, huh?"
Tess nodded. "Just eight percent."
It wasn't much, actually, but she could barely cover the clinic lease as it was. The increase would likely be the final nail in the coffin, unless she started charging more for services. That would probably cost her half of her clients, which would put her right back in the hole. The only reasonable alternative was to close the clinic, pull up stakes, and move on to something else.
Tess wasn't afraid of that option; she was used to moving around. Sometimes she wondered if it wasn 't easier for her to start over than to really dig in somewhere. She was still searching for that soft place to fall. Maybe she would never find it.
"Look, Tess, I've, um, been meaning to talk to you about something. My classes are getting pretty intense this last semester, and I really need to buckle down." She hesitated, lifting her shoulder. "You know I love working here, but I'm going to have to scale back my hours."
Tess nodded, accepting. "Okay."
"It's just that between the clinic and studying, I hardly have time to breathe anymore, you know? My dad's getting remarried in a few weeks, so I also have to think about moving out of his place. Anyway, my mom really wants me to come back to California after I graduate in the spring... "
"It's okay. Really, I understand," Tess said, relieved in a small way.
She'd shared with Nora some of the business's financial struggles, and while Nora had insisted on riding it out with her, Tess still felt responsible. In fact, there were times she felt as though she was keeping the clinic afloat more for her clients and Nora than for herself. She was good at her work--she knew that--but she couldn't help feeling that this new life she had made was just another form of hiding. From her past, certainly, but also from the here and now. From something that she was afraid to examine too closely.
You're always running away, Tess.
Dante's words from last night replayed in her mind. She'd been reflecting on what he said, knowing that his observation of her was right. Like him, she often felt that if she just kept moving, kept running, she might--just might--be able to survive. She didn't fear eventual death, though. Her demon was always close by her side.
Deep down, she knew that what she was really running from was herself.
Tess straightened a stack of papers on her desk, pulling herself back to the conversation. "When were you thinking of cutting back your hours?"
"Well, as soon as you can let me, I guess. It kills me that you've been bankrolling my paycheck from your personal funds, anyway."
"You let me worry about that," Tess said, her words interrupted by the jangle of bells on the clinic's front entrance. Nora glanced over her shoulder. "That must be UPS with our supply order. I'll run out and grab it before I go."