Still holding her with one arm, Cole took the phone, manipulating the screen with his thumb. “They’ve found a match! An immediate family member. A sibling?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
“How in the world? A full sibling. Older or younger?”
“It doesn’t say. I have to email them to find out.”
All three dogs, Belle included, jumped up from their beds to gather at their feet, frolicking with each other in excitement as they soaked up their humans’ mood.
Mattie pressed her hands against Cole’s chest and leaned back so she could see his face. “I have a brother or sister.”
“And maybe they’ll know something about your mom.”
Her heart was full to overflowing, and Mattie couldn’t speak. She hugged Cole as hard as she could, hoping to convey how thrilled she was that he was here to share this glorious news with her. And how much hope she held in her heart for the future.
Acknowledgments
To the readers of the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries, thank you so much for your interest in the series and for sharing your time with me. I appreciate that you allow me to take you on a journey to Timber Creek each year.
Thank you to the professionals who gave their time and knowledge to assist with this story’s procedural content: Lieutenant Glenn J. Wilson (Ret.); Nancy Howard, District Wildlife Manager (retired); and Charles Mizushima, DVM. Any misinterpretations or fictional enhancements of the information they provided are mine alone.
As always, I’m deeply grateful for my publishing team. Huge thanks to my agent, Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management, for her constant support; to publicist Maryglenn McCombs for helping me spread the news about the series; to my editor, Nike Power, for helping me find this mystery within the manuscript; to copyeditor Rachel Keith for her attention to detail; and to publisher Matt Martz, marketing and editorial assistant Ashley Di Dio, assistant editor Jenny Chen, and the talented staff at Crooked Lane Books for supporting this series.
A special thank you to readers Scott Graham, author of the National Parks Mysteries; Kathleen Donnelly; and Susan Hemphill for their help with early drafts.
Love and gratitude to friends and family who’ve encouraged me along the way; to my husband, Charlie, for help with planning and plotting; and to my daughters, Sarah and Beth, and son-in-law, Adam, for their input and love. You all mean the world to me!
Author Biography
Margaret Mizushima is the author of the critically acclaimed Timber Creek K-9 mysteries. Her first novel, Killing Trail, was named Debut Mystery of the Month by Library Journal and was an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee. She balances writing with assisting her husband with their veterinary clinic and Angus cattle herd. They live on a small ranch in Colorado where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. This is her fifth mystery.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real or actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Margaret Mizushima
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Crooked Lane Books and its logo are trademarks of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication data available upon request.
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-64385-135-8
ISBN (ePub): 978-1-64385-136-5
Cover design by Melanie Sun
Book design by Jennifer Canzone
Printed in the United States.
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Crooked Lane Books
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New York, NY 10001
First Edition: November 2019
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