We sat together on the back patio in the waning light of day while I laid out my reasons for concluding that Foley was in no way connected to her mother’s death.

“That’s some comfort,” she said.

“Not much, but it’s the best I can do. The rest of it-what happened to your mother-makes my blood run cold.”

“Please let’s change the subject. Every time I think about it I feel like I’m suffocating myself. What’s left to do? You said you weren’t quite finished.”

“I’m wondering where your mother got the dog?”

The question wasn’t anything she expected. “It was a gift.”

“From whom?”

“I never heard. What difference does it make?”

“Did the dog have papers?”

“You mean, was she pedigreed? I think so. Why?”

“Because a pure-bred Pomeranian must have cost a fair penny, even in those days. I think the guy-the mystery lover-bought her the pup. That’s why she doted on the little bugger, because the dog came from him.”

She thought about it. “Yes, I can see that. You have anyone in mind?”

“I’ve got a feeling about Jake sitting in the middle of my gut. We know she took him to small-claims court because a dog of his killed hers.”

“I remember that. A toy poodle named Poppy. Mom had taken her outside. Jake’s pit bull attacked her and killed her on the spot. Mom was beside herself.”

“So maybe he thought giving her the new pup was a way of making-it up to her.”

“Are you going to ask him?”

“I think not. There’s no way I can force him to tell the truth. I’d like to track down the breeder and find out who paid for the dog. I may not have any luck, but I think it’s worth a few calls. There are still lots of people around who were part of the picture back then.”

“I’ll make supper. We have to eat.”

While Daisy puttered in the kitchen, I sorted through my file and pulled the photocopies of the Serena Station and Cromwell business listings for 1952. There were no breeders. Damn. Nothing’s easy in this world. I did count two pet hospitals, five veterinarians, and three pet-grooming shops. I hauled out the local phone book and did a second search, coming up this time with still no dog breeders, six pet hospitals, fifteen grooming shops, and twenty-seven veterinarians. By comparing addresses, I could see that none of the earlier pet-related enterprises had survived to the present day. I didn’t picture a grooming shop being passed down tenderly from father to son, but I did think a profitable business might be bought and sold over the years and still retain the original name. Not so here.