A Little Christmas Jingle by Michele Dunaway

bit out, willing her voice to remain neutral.
    â€œSo …” Anthony probed.
    â€œMy lawyer has told me not to comment.”
    â€œMaybe you should,” Jack said, stepping forward.
    She shot him an angry glance.
    â€œHere you have Anthony, who always tells a fair story, giving you the chance to set the record straight. And I’m here, and after the letter I received, I wanted to see your shelter for myself.” He held out a piece of paper.
    She’d let her guard down. Her impulsivity had cost her again. “You want to close me down,” she accused.
    â€œNo. I have not reached a conclusion. I’m a fair man.”
    â€œHe is.” Anthony reached for the paper, but Jack put it in his pocket. “If you have nothing to hide—”
    â€œFine,” Kat cut in, desperate to regain control of a situation fast spiraling out from under her.
    â€œSo we can have a tour?” Anthony prodded.
    â€œMight get people in the door to adopt,” Jack added. “And put this complaint to rest.” He waved the paper again.
    â€œI have nothing to be ashamed of.” Cornered, she glanced at her watch. “But I only have twenty minutes before my next patient.”
    Anthony, now that he had his exclusive, went to speak with his cameraman.
    â€œI can’t believe this.” Kat turned her anger on Jack. “You set me up.” She snatched the letter from his hand.
    â€œI meant to ask you last night, but it was late. The only reason I didn’t insist yesterday is that Jeff approved you and I trust him. Kat, you have the most high-profile dog in the city. And if dogs are standing in their own waste, then I want to see it for myself.”
    That hurt. “Do you really believe that of me?”
    He shook his head. “No. But put my mind at ease anyway.”
    Which meant he doubted.
So much for their earlier connection.
    â€œWe ready?” Anthony nudged, returning.
    Kat led them to another part of the clinic. “We have a series of luxury boarding suites.” She pointed to a series of mini rooms. “Here people can board their dogs or cats and choose the level of playtime, amount of grooming, and whether they want remote video access via the web.” They crossed into another portion of the building. “This area is for our stray guests.”
    Immediately behind the door, the noise of barking dogs became extremely loud. Kat had twenty indoor kennels, each separated by chain link. The facility looked like most other pet shelters, and Jack noted the floors and kennels were extremely clean. “This door leads outside and we let them run in the yard. We also do leash training and take them on walks.” Kat opened the door to a side yard, which was more than adequate space. “The dogs are always supervised.”
    She led them back inside and downstairs to a basement with ten-foot-high ceilings. “This is our cat facility.” A few cats lounged by themselves in large cages with plenty of space; others lived together in a community room. The lighting and ventilation were more than adequate.
    â€œJack?” Anthony asked. He shoved a handheld mic under Jack’s nose.
    â€œI don’t see any animal abuse or any unhealthy animals or an unsanitary environment,” Jack answered honestly.
    â€œAs the detective who’s cited several puppy mills for their poor conditions, you’d know bad facilities when you saw them.”
    â€œYes, I would. At this time, Dr. Saunders’s facility exceeds the requirements for a shelter. As for her occupancy permits, that’s not my department and I can’t address it.”
    â€œBut do you think she should be able to keep her shelter?”
    â€œI am always an advocate of animal adoptions,” Jack replied, skirting the question with diplomatic aplomb. He handed the mic back.
    â€œWell, I appreciate this,” Anthony said. “I’ll let you know if I have