Miss Dola arrived about an hour later, carrying a heavy leather handbag that she said was full of “necessary supplies for the beast’s subjugation.” Dad watched in disbelief as Miss Dola opened her bag and laid a line of items out onto the bed: a bunch of leaves tied with string, three black candles, a small black book with a gold triangle on the cover, three medical syringes filled with clear liquid, and, finally, a thick wedge of dense yellow cake that Amy thought smelled delicious.

“That’s a smoke cleanser,” said Miss Dola, pointing to the tied-up bunch of plants. “Mostly olive leaves and rosemary, with a little bit of mugwort thrown in. A good tool for banishing evil’s presence and power. The candles are part of the ritual, which is in”—she tapped the golden triangle—“this collection of prayers and rites. And in these needles, we have a high-powered mixture of tranquilizers and herbs. My custom recipe.”

“And the cake?” asked Amy.

“Greek honey cake. It’s an old secret that surprisingly worked last time. The beast can’t resist it. It’s perhaps the most important part of this whole thing.”

“Why don’t we just use the tranquilizers and take him to a kennel?” asked Dad.

“The ritual is necessary to detach the dog from your daughter, and thus weaken him,” said Miss Dola. “Right now, your child’s mind and the beast’s are one. He uses her, the way a parasite uses its host, to gain information and give off the impression that he is simply a friendly dog. If we don’t cut the cord between them, he’ll remember her, he will look for her, and he will find her. Please remember, Mr. Tanner, we are not dealing with a normal animal here. This creature is something more powerful, and he has embedded himself in your life.”

Dad gulped, lightly touched the scar on his head, and said, “What do we have to do?”

“First, I must talk to your other daughter,” said Miss Dola. “Bring her here.”

Amy went and got Katie from where she’d been playing in the hallway. When they walked into the room, Katie looked at Miss Dola with a small frown.

“Hello, Katie,” said Miss Dola. “My name is Miss Dola, and I’m here to help.”

“You smell like smoking,” said Katie.

“Listen, Katie,” said Miss Dola calmly, “I know your dog has been very bad lately. He’s been scaring you and your family. I’m here to take care of him, but I need your help to do that.”

Katie looked scared, but Amy put a hand on her shoulder. Slowly, the younger girl nodded.

“I don’t want you to hurt him,” said Katie.

“I hope it won’t come to that, child,” she said. “But first, I need you to do this for me …”