CHAPTER EIGHT: THE ADOPTION FAIR
Meadow Haven’s parking lot was crowded with minivans when Daniel and Amy arrived.
Bright balloons decorated the gate, and volunteers wore matching green shirts.
A banner promised every animal a fresh start.
The slogan made Amy wince.
Inside the reception area, June greeted them with professional politeness but avoided looking Daniel in the eye.
She handed him a visitor badge and directed him to the outdoor meeting area.
Rows of temporary kennels stood beneath a pavilion.
The dogs were separated by size, and cats waited in a quieter screened room beside the office.
Several animals had clearly been handled with care.
One elderly hound leaned into a volunteer’s hand and closed his eyes with pleasure.
Daniel reminded himself that the workers and volunteers were not necessarily involved in wrongdoing.
He saw children learning how to approach nervous dogs and a father explaining to his daughter why a shy animal needed patience.
Nolan walked among the visitors with a microphone and a broad smile.
He spoke about giving second chances to animals whose previous families could no longer care for them.
“If only the families knew,” Amy whispered.
Daniel told her not to confront him yet.
The cat room had identification cards fixed to each enclosure.
Daniel slowly examined the animals without touching any cages.
Near the back he saw a gray cat sleeping behind a folded towel.
When she raised her head, a small notch appeared in her left ear.
He checked Tessa’s photograph.
The markings were close, but he did not assume they proved identity.
The name card said Willow,
and the listed surrender date was three days after Tessa’s mother had gone to the hospital.
Daniel photographed the public display card and called Tessa.
“I may have found her,” he said.
“Where?”
“At the fair, under a different name.”
Tessa began crying before he could finish describing the cat.
“Can I come?”
“Please speak to the county investigator first.”
“They haven’t called me back.”
“Call again and tell them you’ve got a possible match.”
Daniel sent the publicly visible photograph.
A staff volunteer approached him.
“Are you interested in Willow?”
“I’m trying to learn more about her history.”
“She’s a sweetheart, and she’s already got two interested families.”
“Do you know how she arrived here?”
“The paperwork says she was surrendered.”
“Did you meet the person who surrendered her?”
The volunteer frowned.
“No, I started last week.”
She looked down at the cat.
“I did wonder why somebody would give her up.”
Daniel thanked her and stepped outside to make another call.
Behind the pavilion, Nolan was speaking sharply to a man in a navy rain jacket.
The man carried a clipboard and wore a visitor badge marked Everett.
“You said the last profiles were ready,” Everett said.
“They will be,” Nolan replied.
“My buyers aren’t waiting for sentimental complications.”
Daniel did not get close enough to hear everything.
He did hear Nolan say that Carol had promised to handle the remaining correspondence.
Then Everett pointed toward the side loading door and demanded that a shipment be ready before noon.
