I roll over and out of my bed, taking in a hard landing on the floor. I stand up and walk through my bedroom doorway. I yawn and stretch out my arms. I jog into the hallway, swipe my coat off the rack and start out the door.
I walk onto the sidewalk shivering. Then I hear a small and weak snarl. I glance around see a small and cold stray dog.
"Aww.." I let him sniff around my hand and pick him up. I look at the dog's face. It had one blue eye and one brown eye, it is brown with a black stripe down the middle of its head. It's a girl.
"I'm going to call you," I stop and ponder, then a thought comes to mind. "Lilac," I stop to decide if I like it, "yeah, you're Lilac."
I turn around and head towards the parking garage, Lilac bundled in my hands. I take my car keys out of my back pocket and press the alarm button. I can never seem to find my car, this is just a shortcut. I look to the left and there it is. I start swiftly over to the front seat door and swing it open.
"Okay Lilac, we are going to get you a collar, dog food, and a leash. Sound good?" I ask sarcastically. Lilac responds with a bark and a nod of her small head. Wow, i had never thought dog's could be, what should i call it?... smart.
I start my car and back out of the parking spot. I live right by the mall so, I have easy access to shopping. Not that I have much money to blow.
I take a right turn out of the parking garage and then a left turn onto a busy street right across from the mall.
I turn into a crowded parking section in front of PetCo.
"Okay Lilac, we're here.. But, you have to stay in the car, I don't have a leash for you yet."
I wriggle my way out of the front seat and roll the windows down a smidge.
"See you in a few." I turn around to the sunlight and squint. I walk towards confidently, carrying my purse on my shoulder.
It looks dim inside the shop. I walk towards the registers.
"Um, sir." I wave awkwardly at him. He looks tired, somewhat similar to being brain dead.
"Oh, sorry. What do you need?"
"A leash, dog food, and a collar."
"Ok so first," he points over to the collar printer, "purchase a dog tag and type the name of your dog into the machine. Second," he points to the left, "dog food is in that direction. Third," he points right, "leashes are somewhere over there."
"Thanks."
I pick up a tag and purchase it. The man makes a second gesture towards the machine. I walk over to the machine and plop the tag into the slot. I type in Lilac's name and the tag comes out with Lilac printed across the front of the tag. I travel to the left to pick out food and right to get the leash. Then i make my way back over to the checkout counter.
"Thanks."
"Anytime." When I walk out the door jingles, kind of like saying goodbye. How thoughtful. I jog to the car and a smile on my face appears as I see Lilac jumps up and looks out the window at me. I go to the driver's seat and lean over to give Lilac a scratch on the head. She curls up and I put her new collar on. She closes her eyes to take a nap. I grin and pick up my phone and press the power button. Twenty-three missed calls and seventeen voicemails.
"Shoot, what happened" I say quietly not to wake Lilac. Then I realize they're all from Bob. Without notice I start the engine and head to the police station.
I pull up in my parking spot and grab all of Lilac's new possessions and also Lilac.
I head into the station and a crowd of police officers run up to me. Everyone shouts in my face when Bob pulls me by the arm into my office.
"Where have you been?" Bob screams in fury. I put Lilac on the table, and make a puzzled expression. "Where did you get the dog?" He asks frustrated.
"First of all, I can't answer that because of personal things, secondly, I found Lilac on the street." I say with a hand gesture pointing to Lilac. He laughs
"You went on a date didn't you?" He says washing all the frustration away. I squint at him while I manage to get up out of my cushioned chair and place Lilac there for a more comfy surface. Bob glares at me throwing a serious face expression back my way.
As we walk out of my office Bob tells me the dreadful reason he called me so many times.
"There's more parts to the homicide case, I took the pleasure naming the case chronic." He pauses and takes a breath "anyways, six cops were shot and killed along with a first degree murder shot through the head. Along with that, the victim was located by Hoppy's Diner, and the manager said he found a guy in the back as soon as he heard a scream, he also saw a figure get in a black cadillac and drive off."
My mind flashes back to Eden.
"I've got to go," I say while picking up Lilac. I grab my purse and head for the front door.
