a coyote or a lynx? He slowed the cruiser, knowing that if he struck a moose out here, it would total the cruiser and put an end to their search. Or worse, the moose might crash through their windshield and kill them both. He’d responded to a few moose-car collisions in his lifetime, and the outcome was never pretty.
Isla shrieked and pointed a finger at the animal running toward them. Karl hit the brakes and stopped to watch it pass. When he saw it, he couldn’t quite believe his eyes.
“It’s Scout! He’s alerted on Raisin,” Isla said.
“No way he can smell Raisin from out here.”
“Don’t doubt that dog, Karl. Scout’s our medical miracle.”
“But where’s he going?”
“Who cares? Just turn around and follow him. Go!”
Karl cut the wheel and started down Bay Road, then slowed to keep pace behind Scout. This dog amazed him. Could he really detect Raisin from so far away? Scout bolted onto the bridge and sprinted down the center line. Karl maintained his speed, careful to watch for any oncoming traffic. But it was late, and there were no cars out this time of night. The bridge’s lights reflected off Scout’s Day-Glo vest as he ran, giving him an almost supernatural glow.
It was one of the most amazing things he’d ever seen. Isla shouted out the window and encouraged Scout to run. If only Scout could go faster. But he knew the dog was running as fast as he possibly could. How far had he run already? His lungs and legs must be ready to burst by now, but nothing except death would stop this animal from reaching Raisin.
He bounded off the bridge and sprinted onto Harper’s Point. Karl switched his high beams on to keep the dog in sight. Scout sped through the dark streets, heading straight to the place from which they had come. He turned the corner and saw the Briggses’ home up ahead.
Isla turned and stared at him, in shock. Had Raisin been under their noses the entire time? In the Briggses’ home? But how could that be? They’d scoured every inch of it. Was there a secret room in the Briggses’ home, buried below the basement? But Karl knew that couldn’t be the case. He knew a little about the geology in this part of town. Engineers could dig only so far down on Harper’s Point before hitting the water table.
The dog continued running, not seeming to tire or slow. He headed down the middle of the street and toward the Briggses’ home. Upon reaching it, Scout banked left and made straight for the McCallisters’ residence. What the hell was going on?
Karl hit the brakes between the two homes and skidded to a stop. He and Isla jumped out. He didn’t see Scout until he rounded the corner and observed the dog frantically jumping up and down, and shaking his body next to the French door located at the back of the house. The sound of waves gently lapped the shore.
Isla sprinted toward Scout, but the dog was so frantic to find Raisin that he leaped up and nipped her nose.
“Karl, take out your gun!” Isla shouted, rubbing her nose with the palm of her hand. “We need to go inside.”
He’d been so mesmerized by all this that he had forgotten momentarily why he even came here. He took out his revolver and smashed it through the French door. Shards of glass fell all over the tiled patio under his feet. He reached inside the broken glass, opened the door, and watched as Scout disappeared inside the house.
Scout ran too fast, and so they followed the sound of his footsteps. Karl felt confused and unsure of himself, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins kept him moving. Down the stairs they scampered, and they kept going until they reached a locked door. Scout stood on his hind legs and started scratching frantically at the wood.
“Stand back,” Karl said.
“Be careful. They might be near the door.” Isla grabbed Scout by the collar and, with all her might, held him back.
He stood on his toes and off to the side, pulled out his revolver, and blasted the lock until the door swung open. Isla released Scout’s collar and he sprinted inside, and then he and Isla followed behind the Lab.
He saw a home movie theater with six rows of plush seating and an aisle running down the middle. A film played on a large screen near the back. Two faces in the front row