After my in-laws turned my 11-year-old daughter's puppy into her dinner, my mother-in-law forced her to the table. "That dog is gone! Stop crying and eat your dinner!" she sneered.

Julia stepped toward the hall, but Frank blocked her. "It's not what you think," he said. Margaret answered too fast. "It's exactly what she thinks. We solved a problem she refused to handle." Lily slipped behind Julia, gripping her beige top. The knock came again. Owen called through the door, asking for Sadie's training log and veterinary release number. Margaret changed only when he said release. Julia had expected denial, not paperwork. She opened the door despite Frank's warning. Owen entered with rain on his jacket and anger under control. He studied the plate, then Lily. "Did anyone tell you where Sadie went?" Lily shook her head. Margaret tapped her spoon three times. "This child needs family, not an animal running the house." Owen looked at the empty hook where Sadie's leash hung. "Then why did someone call my office yesterday pretending to be Julia?" Frank glanced toward the garage. Julia then knew the wrong thing first: they had arranged Sadie's death and forged her consent.