Chapter 4 of Thirty Dogs and a Deadly Betrayal

4: 4

I broke out in a cold sweat.

At least the car surged forward and got some distance fast.

But Morris actually chased it the whole way, until I couldn't make him out anymore.

I got off on the outskirts of town and checked into a motel.

The place belonged to Albert Hughes's family. He'd been my deskmate back in high school, so I didn't have to sign in or do any paperwork to get a room. And of course, Albert didn't take my money.

The truth was, I could have just called the police and reported that Mabel had brought thirty dogs into the dorm.

But if I called the police, I'd never get my revenge from my last life.

"What's the occasion? Vivi, you came all this way just to book a room with me?"

Albert had come running the moment he heard, and now he leaned in close with that shameless grin on his face.

"Get lost. Who's booking a room with you?" I shoved him off, in no mood for it. "I need to stay here for a bit. Just don't let anyone bother me."

Albert didn't push it. "Got it."

"Oh, and lend me a phone."

"Any other services you'd like? A male model, maybe?"

Albert flashed his eight-pack, all swagger. "How about it?"

My face went hot. "Quit showing off. You, a male model? Just hand me the phone."

I took the phone he passed over, pulled out my SIM card, slid it into the slot, and switched it on.

I'd taken this SIM out while they weren't watching, and at the same time I'd changed the passcode on my own phone.

Once Albert had gone, I shut the door and pulled up the dorm's camera feed on the phone.

On the screen.

Thirty dogs had packed the dorm almost full, the stench overpowering.

The ones caged were females, and they'd taken a liking to the males and kept up a steady chorus of barking.

Some of the dogs kept gnawing at the cages.

"Why aren't they back yet?" Mabel had called Morris, and his gentle voice came through. "Mae, that bitch Vivi ran off."

"She ran?" Mabel roared. "Damn it, you get that bitch back here, or I'm scared she'll report us and my babies get taken away."

She stroked one dog's head with aching tenderness, maternal instinct spilling over, as if it really were her own child.

"Relax, I'm out looking for her!"

Watching this, I smiled. If I'd wanted to report them, I'd have gone to the police already.

I wanted to see what would happen to them, locked in that dorm with these dogs.

"Etty, go feed the little ones over here."

After hanging up, Mabel gave the order.

Ethel loved being pretty and keeping clean, so she looked a little put out, and Mabel's patience snapped. "What? You won't? You look down on my babies?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

Ethel forced a smile, then grabbed some dog food and tossed it into the bowl inside the cage.

Seeing Mabel angry, and terrified she'd let a dog out to bite her, Ethel quickly said with a smile, "I really do treat them like my own kids."

As she said it, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the poodle. "Sweet baby, come on, let me feed you."

The poodle was filthy, its fur matted in clumps, patches of raw red skin showing where other dogs had bitten it. Several fleas and lice crawled up through its hair and onto Ethel.

Mabel was pleased, and turned to look at Melinda.

Melinda knew how to read the room. She went and fed a few of the small dogs, even cradling them as she said, "Puppies, you're so adorable, no wonder your mommy loves you this much."

Ethel said, "Mae is their mommy, so that makes Morris the daddy."

Somehow Mabel didn't take it as a jab. She looked smug instead, her face even coloring a little.

"The three of us, let's give these dogs a bath! Get them all clean and sweet-smelling! What do you say?"

"That..."

Ethel and Melinda traded looks.

But faced with that crazed look in Mabel's eyes, neither dared say no.

"Okay, okay..."

The two of them, heads hanging, grabbed one of the dogs that wasn't caged and hauled it into the bathroom to wash.

The dog was scared of water, barking nonstop, splashing it all over their faces and hair.

But under Mabel's soothing, it went quiet.

The three of them washed it down with body wash.

Once it was clean, Ethel took the pure white scarf I used to dry off after showers and used it to wipe the dog down.

The white scarf turned a pale yellow in an instant.

When she'd finished, she said, "Vivi's got a bottle of body lotion, real delicate scent, whitening effect too. Leaves your skin fresh and smelling great."

Mabel nodded, so Ethel squeezed out some of my body lotion, the one that cost a few hundred, and rubbed it over the dog.

Sure enough, the dog's fur turned fluffy, with a faint fragrance.

Then they washed three more dogs, one after another.

They didn't just use my towel, my sheets, and my body lotion on the dogs. They even used my toothbrush to smooth their fur down.

The fleas and lice got worked right into the toothbrush, and it made me sick to my stomach.

Ethel even used my underwear to wipe down their hindquarters.

"When Vivi comes back and puts these panties on and brushes with this toothbrush, she'll probably be over the moon."

"Ha!" Both Mabel and Melinda burst out laughing.

Then they went to wash another dog.

This one was an abandoned Labrador, on the larger side.

Its eyes were bloodshot and it was afraid of the water. Probably rabid.

The tap water hit the dog, and it suddenly leapt up in a frenzy, splashing water all over their faces and hair.