Free Mint Chip Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 6 by Susan Gillard

a
squeal of tires.  Whirling toward the sound, she could see nothing but the
headlights blinding her as the dark car jumped the curb and sped straight
toward her.
     
    Heather screamed and threw herself to
the side.

Chapter 8
    She landed hard; the breath knocked
out of her, she scrambled to her hands and knees, terror flooding every inch of
her body.  But the car had already swerved back into the street, tires spinning
out smoke as it gained traction and fled.  Heather dropped her head, staring at
the grass as she fought to get her breath back.
     
    Dave.  Where was Dave?
     
    She spotted him ten feet away, his
furry white body lying in a crumpled heap.  Dave!
     
    Sobbing, she crawled toward him.  With
one hand, she stroked the fur of his lifeless body; with the other, she
caressed his head.
     
    And felt him lick her hand.
     
    “Dave?” she managed through her tears. 
“Dave, are you okay?”
     
    But he wasn’t.  He whined pitifully,
just once, his limpid brown eyes looking up at her. 
     
    As gently as she could, Heather slid
her hands beneath him.  Again he whined, longer this time, and she knew she was
hurting him.  “I’m sorry, Dave,” she said, trying to soothe him with her voice,
as the sound of sirens in the distance grew louder and closer.
     
    An ambulance? They were sending an
ambulance for Dave?
     
    No, of course not, she realized,
cradling Dave’s broken body in her arms as best she could and turning toward
home.  Nobody sent an ambulance for a dog, even one as beloved as hers.  If
there was an ambulance, it must be for her.
     
    But more than likely, most of the
sirens belonged to police vehicles.  Gradually, her fear and grief was being
replaced by another emotion.  Lana Sturmer had tried to run her over.  Tried to
kill her!  Fortunately, she was okay, except for a few bruises and scrapes that
were beginning to make their presence felt.  But Lana had almost killed Dave. 
And that made Heather very angry.
     
    “Ma’am, are you okay?”  The voice came
from a man standing next to her.  “Is your dog okay?  Is this your cell phone?”
     
    Heather had no idea who the man was,
but it didn’t matter.  “I’m fine,” she said, surprised that her voice sounded
almost normal.  “But my dog is hurt.  I think he’s hurt pretty badly.”
     
    “Do you want to take him to the
emergency vet clinic on Highway 10?” the man asked.
     
    “Yes.  We were just out on a walk. 
I’m headed home to get my car.”
     
    “I live right there,” he said,
pointing to the house they were standing in front of.  “I heard all the noise
and came outside.  If you want to wait right there, I’ll go get my car and
drive you to the vet.”
     
    The
first police car zipped past them, and then screeched to a stop.  An officer
leaped out.  “Ma’am?” he called.  “Are you Heather?”

“Thank you so much,” Heather said to
the neighbor, “but I think help just arrived.”
     
    The next few minutes were a blur. 
Another patrol car arrived.  And then, the person she’d most wanted to see. 
Ryan.
     
    “Are you okay?” he asked her, looking
deep into her eyes to see the truth for himself.
     
    “Yes, I’m okay.  But I need to get
Dave to the emergency clinic.”
     
    “We’ll take my car,” he said.  “It’s
right over there.”
     
    Right over there was the middle of the
street.  After speaking briefly to one of the patrol officers, Ryan walked
beside her, with her carrying Dave as gently as she could.  He held the door
open for her as she got in, and then fastened the seat belt around her. 
Through it all, Dave was silent.  He didn’t move, except for periodically
opening his eyes and looking up at Heather.
     
    Ryan slid into his seat and buckled
up.  He maneuvered the car skillfully and smoothly through the tangle of
vehicles in the street, and then took off.
     
    In fifteen minutes, he braked to a
stop in front of the clinic.  A staff member in green