I waited until Bluff and the tech were gone before I moved closer. “That was interesting. You do basic training yourself?”

“Only when a dog’s dangerous.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Dangerous?”

He came out and locked the gate behind him. “We take in the occasional death row dog when we can. Let’s just say Bluff had a particularly difficult life, and it showed. But Harry saw the great heart underneath and rescued him just an hour before he was due to be put down. If we can get him on the right track, he’ll make a great security dog.”

“What if you can’t?”

“I should have said when, not if.”

Now I was worried. “Would he attack you?”

“Ryan...” He smiled warmly, obviously a bit pleased at my reaction. “This is what I do. I’ve worked with plenty of aggressive dogs. I’m good at it, but it’s not always safe. We’re prepared if something goes wrong. You notice I had somebody nearby?”

“I’m sorry, but, you know...”

“I’ve lost enough body parts already?”

“I was not going to say that!”

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Dogs were barking in the runs lining the walkway, and I wanted a quieter place to talk. “It’s kind of noisy.”

We ended up at an outdoor table in the shade inside one of the play areas. It was quieter, even though a couple of smaller mixed breed dogs were chasing each other in circles.

“So?” He lowered himself to the bench, and I sat beside him.

“Sophie found Kearns.” I told him the details, ending with his new name.

“Are you relieved?”

“I don’t know what I am except positive I have to go to Costa Rica.”

“You could tell the Santa Fe cops who he is, where he is and let them take it from there.”

“And how can I do that without telling them how I know he’s involved?”

“Make an anonymous call. Some departments have a hotline. Wasn’t that why Wendy said she wanted to find him? So she could turn him in?”

“She called today.” I told him everything she’d said, and added that I’d finally told my mother most of the truth.

“So what do you take from all that?”

This was not the brash young man who had insisted he knew what was best for me. Both of us had learned a lot in the intervening years. For instance, looking at him now, I realized that I was in love with him.

And wasn’t it just like me to realize it or, rather, to admit it to myself, when life was rapidly falling apart around me?

I looked away and tried to focus. “I could talk to the police, but if I do, I’m out of it. I won’t be able to talk to Ex myself and figure out how much of Wendy’s story is true. And if she finds out I turned him in without alerting her, she might disappear forever.”