He looked at me, waiting to see if I’d say more. “With what in mind? I don’t understand your purpose.”

“The dog was found buried on a property in Horton Ravine. This came to light last week and it’s been puzzling me. I used the dog’s tag to track down his owner in Puerto and he was as puzzled as I was. I realize it’s a long shot, but I’m hoping you can tell me how he ended up in Horton Ravine.”

“I see.” He thought about it briefly and then seemed to make up his mind. “Why don’t you come in? I’ve got a good head for animals, but I don’t remember much else. How many years ago was this?”

“Twenty-one.”

“Oh, my.”

He stepped back and I crossed the threshold into a foyer tiled in slate. He closed the door behind me and then led the way down a short hall toward the rear. I caught glimpses of a bedroom to my right and a book-lined study to my left. At the back of the cottage there was a great room with a seating area on one side and a kitchenette on the other. A small dining room table and two chairs were arranged against an oversized mullioned window that looked out on a patch of lawn. Everything was tidy. There was no sign of Mrs. McNally. I don’t know how women can complain about the lack of single guys in this world.

He sat in a plump upholstered chair and I took one end of the matching sofa. He put his hands on his knees and said, “Tell me more about what you need. I’m not entirely clear how to help.”

“This is the deal,” I said. “In the summer of 1967, a fellow brought his dog into your office. This was a wolfdog, named Ulf. I’m told you sedated him and took X-rays that showed an osteosarcoma. You recommended putting the dog down.”

Walter was nodding. “I remember. Young dog, maybe four or five years old.”

“Really? You remember him?”

“I couldn’t have told you his name, but I know the animal you’re referring to. He was the only wolfdog I ever had occasion to treat. You see more of the mix these days, but back then it was rare. As I recall, the fellow called a number of pet hospitals in the area and none of the other vets would agree to see him. Beautiful beast, absolutely magnificent. He had so much wolf in him, he looked like he’d just come loping out of the woods. He’d apparently been experiencing episodes of lameness that seemed to be getting worse.