At last, they saw a figure coming towards the glass doors, and a young woman smiled at them as she put the key in the lock.
Ruby hung on to Dad’s arm, as the woman swung the door open. “Wow, you’re keen!” she said cheerfuly. “Have you come to see about adopting a dog?”
Dad shook his head. “I’m afraid not. We’re really hoping that our puppy is here. We lost him yesterday afternoon.”
“Oh, right.” The young woman looked doubtful. “I haven’t heard about a puppy being brought in.” She saw Ruby’s face fall, and added quickly, “But I wasn’t here yesterday, so don’t take my word for it. I’ll have to check with one of the others. Come on in, anyway.”
She led them into the reception area. Ruby could hear the noise of barking from down the passage that led into the main shelter area. She strained her ears, trying to hear Toby’s sharp dachshund bark. But it was too hard to pick it out. There was a clang of metal too, which she guessed was the food bowls being put out.
“There’s nothing on the computer about a new puppy…” The woman was frowning as she tapped at the keyboard. “Let me go and ask Lucy. She’s the manager, and she was in yesterday.”
Ruby swallowed. It felt as though there was a huge lump stuck in her throat, and she was fighting back tears. “Dad, where can he be, if he’s not here?” she whispered chokily.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Dad murmured, hugging her. “He might be here.” But he didn’t sound all that hopeful.
A dark-haired woman came into the reception area. “Hi, I’m Lucy Barnes. Bella says you’re looking for a lost puppy? I’m really sorry, but we didn’t have any dogs brought in yesterday.”
“None at all…” Dad murmured worriedly.
“Where can he be, then?” Ruby asked, giving up the fight with the tears, and feeling them trickle down her cheeks.
“It may take a couple of days for him to get to us,” Lucy explained gently. “Don’t give up. Someone may have found him, and they could be holding on to him to see if they can find the owner themselves.”
“That man might have stolen him,” Ruby sobbed. “The old lady said she saw a man carrying a dog.”
“Let me take your number, and the details of your puppy,” Lucy suggested. “Then if someone brings him in to us, we’ll get straight back to you.”
“Thanks. He’s a dachshund puppy, fifteen weeks old, and he’s brown and black,” Dad explained, and Lucy keyed the details into the computer.
“He’s called Toby,” Ruby gulped.
“And he went missing yesterday?”
“Yes, from Norbury Copse. He’s microchipped – that should help, shouldn’t it?” Dad asked hopefully.
Lucy smiled. “That’s great. If he’s brought in to the police, or a vet’s, they’ll call you straight away.”
“Right. Well, thanks, Lucy. Come on, Ruby.” Dad led her out to the car park. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Look, we’ll call in at the police station on the way back. Maybe he got taken there. And if not, we’ll pick up some rolls of sticky tape on the way home, then we can make a poster and put it up on all the lamp posts.”
Ruby nodded, but tears started welling up in her eyes again. If they put up LOST posters, it meant they really had no idea where Toby was at all.
Chapter Eight
Ruby trailed across the car park, tears still trickling down her cheeks even though she kept wiping them away. Dad had his arm around her, but it wasn’t making her feel any better.
Dad was just unlocking the car when Ruby heard someone calling behind them, and running footsteps.
“Wait a minute!” Lucy, the centre manager, was chasing them across the car park, looking excited. She spoke into the phone in her hand, “Yes, I’ve caught them. A brown-and-black dachshund? That’s wonderful!”
Ruby turned round to look at Lucy, her eyes wide with sudden hope. “Someone’s found him!” she whispered.
Lucy nodded at her, smiling hugely as she listened to whoever it was on the other end of the phone.
Ruby felt like grabbing the phone. She wanted to know where Toby was – now now now!
Finally Lucy ended the call, and grinned at Ruby and Dad. “Thirty-six Elm Lane. A very nice-sounding man called Jake Harper went jogging in Norbury Copse last night, and found a little brown-and-black dachshund puppy, with no collar or lead. He rang us, but we’d closed, so he tried again just now to ask if it was OK to bring the puppy over.” Her grin got even bigger. “I told him we’d save him the trouble and send you there instead! I hope you don’t mind…”
“Thank you!” Ruby flung her arms round Lucy, and hugged her tight. “Oh, that’s the best news!” She let go and looked up at Lucy worriedly. “It has to be Toby, hasn’t it?” she asked. “There couldn’t be another dachshund in the woods…”
“Jake was sure it was your puppy. The age sounded about right, and dachshunds aren’t that common. Now go and get him!”
Dad smiled at Lucy. “Elm Lane, right? Thanks for all your help. Come on, Ruby!”
“Bye!” Ruby jumped into the car, fighting with her seat belt. She was suddenly so nervous that her fingers seemed to have stopped working. It had to be Toby, it just had to. She couldn’t bear to be disappointed again.
Toby was lying in the middle of the cushion, with his head on his paws, watching as Mickey ate his breakfast. It was dog food from a tin this time – different to the biscuits Toby had at home. He quite liked the smell, but somehow he wasn’t very hungry, even though there was also a big helping for him.
“You’re quiet this morning.” Jake crouched down by the basket. “I hope you’re not sickening for something. Especially as I think I’ve found your owner. A young lady’s very worried about you, apparently. Maybe you’re just missing her, mmm?” He stood up. “Well, it won’t hurt you to miss one breakfast, I suppose, if you don’t feel like it. Do you want to go out? Quick sniff round the garden? No?” He patted Toby’s smooth head. “Not long now, pup. Cheer up.”
Toby had lifted his head to look at Jake while he was talking, but now the big man was walking away, he let it flop back down. He didn’t want food, and he didn’t want to go out in the garden. He wanted Ruby.
He wanted Ruby pouring out his dog biscuits, and watching him lovingly while he wolfed them down. He wanted to race up and down the garden with her and Anya. He liked Jake, and Mickey was good to share a bed with for one night. But he didn’t want to stay here. He’d never really known another dog before. Especially not one that stood on his ears! This was Mickey’s house, and Jake was Mickey’s special person. Mickey had made that very plain, and Toby didn’t mind. He just wanted to be back home with Ruby.
Elm Lane wasn’t far from the shelter, and Ruby and her dad pulled up outside number thirty-six about ten minutes later.
They could hear barking from inside, even before they rang the bell, and Ruby looked up at Dad with shining eyes. It was a squeaky sort of bark. A bossy little dog’s bark…
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Ruby whispered, and Dad nodded, beaming.