THE TOWNHOUSE apartment next to his had been really quiet. Corky usually took her walk with the dogs in the early evening, but Lyle hadn’t seen her in the past few days. At first he figured that a friend had taken her for a short visit, but that obviously wasn’t the case since he saw a small pink nose edging aside the curtains as he passed on his way home. He walked up to the door and knocked, sending her spaniels into fits of excitement. They were friendly little things, and when she walked them, he often stopped for pets and a little doggie love. Corky had apparently been breeding them since she was in her twenties and used to showed them all over the country, but now the ones she had were her companions. He knocked again but got no answer other than the dogs. Feeling brave, he tried the door and found it unlocked. “Corky?” he called as he pushed it open and peered inside. “Are you in there? Is everything okay?” He half expected her to come toddling around the corner any second, but the house was quiet, other than the four dogs all bounding around his feet. “Corky?” he called again. The last thing he wanted to do was give her a fright, but he was worried that she might need help. “Are you okay? It’s Lyle from next door. I haven’t seen you and I thought I’d check you were okay.” Once again he got no answer. He stepped into the living room and found it the way it had always been. The kitchen was another matter. The garbage had been tipped over and strewn all over the floor. And there was dog poop on the floor. No way she wouldn’t have let the pups out. That was not at all like her. The dogs all rummaged through the scattered trash as though they were hungry. Thankfully Lyle knew where she kept the food and put some in each dish near the back door. All four dogs descended on it. He filled water bowls as well, making sure they were okay before going upstairs. He climbed slowly, calling out as he went, and was shortly followed by the pack of dogs. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he peered around. The dogs all stayed together, huddled outside a closed door. Lyle slowly opened it and peered inside, closing it once more. He’d seen enough in that instant. Corky was gray, drawn, her face turned to the door, lifeless eyes staring at nothing. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911, explaining where he was and what he’d found. Then he retreated and found the leashes for the dogs, He gathered the now-empty bowls, water dishes, and a bag of food before leading the dogs next door. Corky had made him promise on more than one occasion that if anything happened to her, he’d see to it that her dogs had a good home. Why she had asked him remained a mystery as far as Lyle was concerned, but he had said that he would. “Mama’s gone, guys. So for now, you can stay with me.” He set out their water dishes and put the food away. Then he waited for the authorities to arrive. It was obvious that the dogs had been on their own for a while, hence the mess, and he wasn’t sure how much food to give them. He figured he’d wait an hour or two before giving them some more and was checking the internet when an ambulance and police cars arrived. He closed the dogs inside and went out the meet them. “I’m Lyle Summers from next door, and I’m the one who found her. I hadn’t seen here in a few days, and the door was unlocked. She’s upstairs in her bed. She’s been there a few days at least.” He did not want to go back up to see her. One sight of that had been more than enough. “She usually walked her dogs in the evening.” “Where are the dogs?” “I took them to my place. They were eating garbage and made a real mess in the kitchen. Corky always asked that I look after them if anything happened. I know she was old, but I never guessed that I would have to do it.” The police officer took all his information and then went inside. He stayed where he was for a while. Soon enough they wheeled Corky out on a gurney, her face covered. “Do you know her family?” the officer asked. “She has a daughter who comes over to visit her sometimes. I don’t have her number, but Corky had a date book near her kitchen phone. Her daughter is Debbie Douglas. She apparently kept her last name.” He knew the name because Corky had told him a few times and he’d met her once. Lyle found her a bit much and kind of full of herself. “Okay. We’ll check. Thank you.” The police went back inside, and Lyle returned to his townhouse, sitting on the sofa to watch television, the dogs all taking places around him. They were sweet things, and they all seemed to need each other and move as a sort of chaotic unit. A knock a while later startled him and sent the dogs racing to the door, all barking. He carefully opened it and peered out. “Can I help you?” he asked the officer. “Give me a minute.” He went through the house and put a little more food out for each of the dogs to lure them into the kitchen before going out to speak with the officer. “Mr. Summers, when was the last time you saw Cordelia Dougles?” He snickered for a second. No wonder she went by Corky. “Two, maybe three days ago. She was walking the dogs in the evening as usual. I don’t remember seeing her after that. I thought she might have been visiting a friend. But the dogs were there, so I thought I’d see if she was okay.” He felt himself tearing up. He was going to miss Corky. She was a good neighbor, and when he’d first moved in, she had helped him get settled and told him where to shop and where all the good restaurants were. More than once he’d joined her on her evening walk with the dogs. “Why did you decide to check on her today?” the officer asked, and Lyle shrugged. “Like I said before, I thought she had been away. It’s been really busy at the warehouse and I’ve been working long hours. My job is out at one of the distribution centers, making sure their systems are running correctly. And it’s been a very busy time, so I’ve been working extra shifts.” He swallowed hard, because maybe he could have found her earlier or maybe helped her if he had been around. “I knew she would never leave her dogs alone for any length of time. They were like her children.” “Okay. Thank you. I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’m just trying to be thorough.” “You don’t think anything bad happened to her? I mean…?” She shook her head. “We believe it was natural causes. Most likely she lay down for a nap and didn’t wake up.” The officer sighed. “I guess that’s how I’d like to go when my time comes.” She turned toward the window and smiled. Lyle followed her gaze to four faces all peering out from the back of the sofa. “Are you okay with taking the dogs? They will be part of her estate. People don’t like to think about it, but dogs are property.” “I don’t know about that. Corky asked me to look after them if anything happened, so that’s what I’m going to do. I never had grandparents who were part of my life, so she was as close to that as I ever got, I guess.” He smiled. “If you need anything else, please let me know.” “Thank you for your help.” She closed her notebook, and Lyle returned inside. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with these guys. He was pretty sure Corky had a ton of supplies at her place that he might need. Lyle rushed outside just as the officer was getting into her car. She paused as he hurried over. “Do you think it would be all right if I got the rest of the dogs’ things? They have beds and stuff like that, and I want them to feel at home as much as possible.” She closed her car door again. “Sure. Why don’t I come with you? That way no one can accuse you of taking what you shouldn’t.” He had never thought of that. “People do stuff like that?” “At times like this, people are hurting and they can be at their worst. I saw a son arguing with his mother’s neighbor after she died over a ladder his mother had given them years before. It was worth maybe twenty bucks.” She shook her head and followed him inside. Someone had scooped up the trash and put it outside, so at least the kitchen wasn’t nearly as big a mess. He found the rest of the food and treats and set them by the front door. Then he went upstairs. The second bedroom must have been designated as the dogs’ room. It had four small dog beds, each embroidered with a name—Dash, Daisy, Dahlia, and Dover—as well as a tub of toys and other things. He took the beds, and the officer was kind enough to carry the dogs’ toys down behind him. It took a couple of trips, but he got everything to his place and set the beds in his spare room. It only had a desk and chair, so there was plenty of space. He laid out the beds, and each dog jumped into theirs and lay down. He put the tub of toys in the corner and took a few out for them. “I hope that makes you all feel a little better.” Okay, he had food, their bowls and water dishes, toys, beds, and leashes. He hoped that was enough. And he hoped they would be okay when he went to work. The dogs were used to having Corky at home with them for much of each day. It was going to take some getting used to for them to be alone. With the dog chores completed, he went to the kitchen and made himself a simple dinner of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The dogs all sat around his chair, watching him for anything that might hit the floor. A knock sounded just as he finished eating. He checked and opened the door, careful to keep the dogs inside. “Carrie, why are…?” He was surprised at first to see his best friend from college. She was working to finish law school at Dickinson. He gasped as he remembered. “I take it you forgot we were going out,” she said with a slight huff. “I’m sorry.” He let her in. The dogs clamored for her attention. “As you can see, things have been eventful.” “You got dogs,” she said and sat down, petting all of them. “What happened?” “They were my neighbor’s. She passed a few days ago, and I promised to take them. We just found her today, and I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that she’s gone and I have these guys. There’s Daisy, Dash, Dover, and Dahlia. Two male and two female. They are really sweet.” She lifted Dash into her arms, and he settled right away. “You’re going to end up with puppies, you know.” “No. They’re all siblings as far as I understand, and they’ve been fixed. Corky’s dogs were all descendants of the first ones she got years ago.” He settled on the sofa, and the other dogs found places around him. “They’re all sweet things.” “Yes, they are,” she agreed. “So I guess instead of going out, we could have ice cream and watch Netflix.” “Now that sounds like a real plan,” Lyle said. “I have to ask,” Carrie said as she got comfortable and Lyle grabbed a pair of sodas from the refrigerator. “What do you know about caring for dogs?” “What’s there to know? Feed them, water them, take them on walks so they can poo and pee.” She laughed. “Your ignorance is usually charming, but this time you’re going to end up with said poo all over the house. First thing, these are small dogs, but they need a place to run outside. Have they had their shots? Is there any special care they need? And look at them—they will need regular grooming.” Lyle groaned. “Okay. You made your point. I don’t know crap, and I’m going to be a terrible pet parent and ruin their lives.” He was only partly kidding. Carrie grabbed his soda before he could open the top of the bottle, then hurried to the kitchen. “No drinking. Let’s put these guys in my car, and we’ll bring them to Mitchell. He takes care of my cats, and he’s the nicest guy. He’s a vet and has a dog rescue, and he’ll be able to help you with the dogs and look them over to make sure they don’t need anything special.” She tossed a couple of leashes at him, the dogs already excited. They got them out of the house and walked them quickly so they could pee. Then Lyle got in the back seat with them while Carrie drove through town to the shelter, making a call through the Bluetooth on her phone on the way. “The shelter is right next to his home. Mitchell will meet us there.” She drove carefully for her, which meant she chose a speed slightly slower than bat out of hell. Still, they all arrived in one piece, and Lyle got out with Carrie as a man in his late thirties or so strode across the grass to where they waited. “These are Corky’s dogs,” he said skeptically. “Mitchell, this is Lyle,” Carrie said. Lyle swallowed hard. “Corky passed away a few days ago, and she always said she wanted me to care for the dogs, but I never had one growing up and I need to know that they’re okay and what I should do. I’ve got food and water dishes, their beds and toys.” “You’ll need a supply of poop bags for walks, and I assume you work. So who is going to check on them during the day? These are small dogs, and they are used to a regular routine.” He looked each one over. “Yes, they are all in good shape. Dash and Daisy are two, Dahlia and Dover are three. They come from different litters but have the same mother, as you probably guessed. Unfortunately Lilly Anne, the mother, passed away last year.” “I remember her. Corky was so sad about the loss.” “Yes, she was. I think that was when she decided to make sure the dogs would be taken care of. She said she had someone that she would name in her will to care for them. I’m guessing that was you.” “Yeah. She asked me to care for the dogs, but I don’t know all that much about them.” He wasn’t sure he could take care of them. “Are these Corky’s dogs?” a husky male voice asked. The guy was tall and wide, and he seemed kind of intimidating. Lyle took a step back and wasn’t sure if he should let the dogs anywhere near him. But when he knelt down, they hurried over, reveling in the attention he lavished on them. They ran around his legs, loving every pet, nudging each other out of the way so they could get closer to him. “Where is she? Why didn’t she bring them in?” “James,” Carrie said gently. “She passed away a few days ago.” Thankfully she didn’t go into the details. “Lyle is going to take care of the dogs. Corky asked him to, because he’s the kindest person. But he’s never had a dog before. Lyle Summers, this is James Groves.” James nodded and stood. “So that’s why you’re here.” He smiled, and the intimidation factor slipped away. His face lit up, and Lyle found himself smiling back. “Yeah, Carrie suggested I bring them to Mitchell. They were fending for themselves for a few days, and I wanted to make sure they were okay. I was worried they didn’t get enough to eat. I fed them when I found them, and I’ve given them a little more a while ago, but I don’t know how much they should have. I don’t know anything.” “Okay. They don’t seem hungry at the moment. But give them a little more food before bed, and plenty of water,” Mitchell said. “But what about when I’m at work? I thought I could come home at lunch to feed them and let them out. I know Corky was home all the time, so they had her company. But I have to work, and….” Mitchell was patient. “There’s nothing to worry about. Just make sure they have food and water when you leave. They should be okay for half a day. I’d suggest putting them in an enclosed space to start with to see how they react.” Lyle nodded. He thought he could keep them in the kitchen. The cabinets all snapped closed, and the counters were too high for them to jump on. He supposed as long as he had the chairs under the table, they couldn’t use them as an intermediate step. The floor was tile, so any accidents would be easy to clean up. “Okay. I can do that. I really just want them to be happy.” James chuckled. “Then they will be. Just remember that when they do something wrong, it’s not their fault. They’re dogs and they do what dogs do. So if they get into the garbage, then you didn’t take it out or they got bored or hungry. It’s not their fault; it’s yours.” “I have their toys and things. I thought I’d leave some out for them.” He was starting to feel a little better. “Is there anything else?” “Just care for them, and they will love you forever,” Mitchell said. Now, that sounded like something Lyle really needed.