Scene of the Crime Deadman's Bluff - By Carla Cassidy Page 0,13

a pip, isn’t she?” His voice was filled with affection and Jane smiled and nodded at him.

“Linda’s had a rough time since her divorce from her husband, Mark. He was a real control freak and of course because of Samantha he’s still in Linda’s life.”

As he talked, Jane looked out the window, trying to find a building, a place on the sidewalk, something that would jog her absent memory. But there was nothing, and by the time they pulled up to the large, flat building on the outskirts of town that comprised the Amber Lake Animal Shelter and Pound, Jane fought against a sweeping discouragement.

Linda and Samantha parked next to them and as they all got out of the car a young man clad in a khaki uniform stepped out of the building. He had an open face, round blue eyes and light brown hair cut neatly. He appeared ill at ease, standing at attention as if guarding the animals within his care was the most important thing in his life.

“Hi, Steven,” Samantha greeted him. “We’re here to adopt a dog.”

He shot a quick glance at Seth and Jane and then gazed back at Samantha. “The place is nearly full, so you’ve got plenty to pick from.”

“Steven, this is my brother, Seth, and his friend Jane,” Linda said. “And this is Officer Steven Bradley, the man in charge of all things animal in Amber Lake.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Steven replied. He visibly relaxed and smiled at them all. “I usually don’t let people in until noon so I haven’t had a chance to clean all the cages yet, but you can come on in. The air conditioner stopped working yesterday and the city is supposed to be sending somebody out here today to fix it. If they don’t get out here soon, it’s really going to get unpleasant in there.”

Steven turned and led them into the building where the smell of dog and cat was nearly overwhelming in the heat that was already building inside.

Cage after cage filled the space, and the barking was nearly deafening. “Quiet,” Steven shouted and almost immediately the dogs either stopped barking or muted to soft whines.

“That’s pretty amazing,” Seth said in the ensuing relative silence.

Steven opened the door to a nearby cage where a small terrier immediately rolled on his back to show his belly. “Dogs need four basic things—consistent discipline, shelter and food and plenty of love.” He scratched the terrier’s belly and then closed the cage door.

“I could tell you some real horror stories about the conditions I’ve found some of these animals living in,” he continued as they made their way down a narrow aisle. “People just bury their head in the sand when it comes to animal abuse. They don’t want to hear about it, they don’t even report it when they see it going on.”

He shook his head and then smiled at Samantha. “I think I’ve got just what you want in the back...a litter of poodle-mix puppies that are just now old enough for adoption.”

Jane listened to all this absently, fighting an overwhelming desire to run from the building. The air felt oppressive...suffocating, like the sand where she’d been buried. The animal scent was thick, making it hard for her to breathe.

She pushed forward, wanting to see the puppies, but her anxiety grew with each step she took. She couldn’t breathe. Her chest ached with the effort. It was just like it had been in the sand. She felt as if she were dying.

Out.

She had to get out.

She turned and bumped into Seth’s broad chest. She pushed him aside and slid past him and ran for the exit. She had to get out of this place.

She hit the outdoor air and gulped in deep breaths. Spying a bench nearby, she walked over to it on unsteady feet and sat, lowering her head and hoping the sense of impending doom would pass as quickly as it had claimed her.

Sand and suffocation, being buried alive—her chest tightened with the memory of helplessness.

“Jane?” Seth’s soft voice sliced through the panic as he sat next to her on the bench. “Are you okay?”

A moment of utter clarity filled her mind. She raised her head and gazed at him. “My name is Tamara. I’m Tamara Jennings.” Her heart filled with the certain knowledge of her statement.

Seth sat back on the bench in surprise. “Why haven’t you told us that sooner?”

“Because I didn’t know sooner. I didn’t know my name until this very