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brown eyes dull. The lost mama wolf obviously affected her psyche, and I felt sad for her.
    Not to mention said mama wolf and her abandoned babies.
    “I assume you’ve used the usual routes of investigation to try to find her.” Brody’s latest comment was addressed to Dante, who nodded.
    He sat beside me, his chair abutting mine despite the roominess of this office. Now and then, he would touch my hand, lying on the metal armrest, as if in reassurance. To me or to him?
    And why did that question in my mind make me want to get him alone and into my arms for a gigantic hug?
    “We’ve gone all the usual routes,” Dante confirmed. “Everyone who works here and who’s visited lately has been questioned. We’ve walked every inch, looking for a hole in the perimeter fence large enough for the wolf to get through. Nothing.”
    “And how about Wagner? Have you utilized him?”
    “Hell!” Dante thundered as he rose. “I should have thought of him immediately. I’ve always kept him away from HotWildlife. Didn’t want his scent to aggravate the animals here, or for him to get edgy over the wild inhabitants. But he’s a German shepherd.”
    “A well-trained one,” Brody added. “He might be able to follow the scent.”
    “He’s in L.A.,” Dante grumbled.
    “Can you get someone to bring him?” Megan asked. She, too, was standing, behind her neat wooden desk. A computer stand sat at her right, and its large, flat screen seemed state-of-the-art. Of course Dante would want the person running any of his operations, charitable or not, to have the finest office equipment.
    “We’ll go back for him,” Dante said.
    At the same time, I said, “My assistant, Rachel, has said she wants to see HotWildlife. If I can get someone to take over all our pet-sitting clients for a day, I’m sure she’d be glad to bring him.” Whether Wanda Villareal could handle them all was doubtful, but our additional contacts in the Pet-Sitters Club of SoCal could probably take up the slack. As long as our clients were okay with it, of course.
    “Sounds great.” Megan looked relieved, as if she felt certain having a scent dog here would solve the missing wolf mystery. I hoped she was right, but it remained to be seen. Or scented.
    “I’ll make some calls,” I said. “See if I can set it up.” Cell phone in hand, I exited the office and made my way down the hall.
    The building was separate from the rest of the sanctuary, and the infirmary and nearest habitats were many yards away. The landscaping was lush along the paths, as if in imitation of genuine wilderness that would attract wild animals.
    Stopping by a tall green hedge near the facility’s entrance, I saw Jon Doe outside the fence, on the pavement. He strode toward me with determination, as if eager to come back inside.
    “Any sign of the mama wolf?” I asked as he approached. I’m sure he expected the repetitious question as much as I anticipated his negative answer.
    I considered telling him about the upcoming assistance of Dante’s dog in finding the missing mama but decided against it. Better that I start making my calls.
    I soon had everything lined up. Rachel would bring Wagner here first thing the next morning, after dropping my Lexie at Doggy Indulgence Day Resort to enjoy a day of pampering by my buddy Darryl Nestler. Rachel would get a tour of HotWildlife, then head home by evening. Wanda would round up a few fellow pet-sitters and get keys and instructions for my current charges from Rachel. I’d even gotten my clients’ verbal okays.
    All would work out well. I hoped. I intended to keep in close touch with Wanda the next day, to make sure.
    As I finished, I saw movement in the nearest animal enclosure, where a couple of coyotes resided. They’d been brought here from around L.A., where a lot of the scampish scavengers still resided. They were cunning, yet cute in their own way—as long as they weren’t eating someone’s pet kitty. A peek at them on the