âWhy is a murderer like that going into a pet store? He probably has some disgusting hobbies like killing cats or skinning dogs, right?âMitzi laughed scornfully. âWho cares what he gets up to? Whatâs important is that Gerry Porter is still in hospital, and I havenât made the culprit pay for what heâs done yet. Looks like the *sshole himself has shown up on our doorstep without me needing to hunt for him!
Iâm going to make him suffer today and get revenge for our poor dear Gerry!âAfter this spirited declaration, Mitzi dashed toward the pet store, followed by the plump, bespectacled female student.Inside the pet store, a man in his thirties was refilling the water bowls in the dog cages. When Skylar and Lola walked in, he looked up and greeted them with a warm smile. âWelcome, both of you!
Hello little miss, what sort of pet are you looking for today?ââMister, I want a puppy,â Lola replied shyly.âWhat a coincidence! Iâve got the widest selection of dog breeds in town. You take a look and see which of these puppies you like, little miss, and Iâll bring them out for you.â The man gestured to a long row of stacked cages.Only then did Skylar realize that the entire wall was full of these cages. There were several dozen of them, each containing puppies. He recognized some of the breeds, but there were also others that he had never seen before.Lola stared raptly, her eyes as big as saucers.âTell the nice man which one youâd like, Lola,â Skylar told her, lifting her up so she could see better.Lola looked at all the cages intently. She thought that all the puppies were adorable, but none of them truly caught her eye. She wrinkled her nose, unable to make a decision.At this point, Mitzi burst through the door.
Upon seeing Skylar and Lola, she declared, âItâs ok if there arenât any puppies here that you like. My family has a bigger facility nearby with a lot more breeds. You could take your daughter over there if youâd like.â âYes, my parents run the kennels there. If none of the puppies here catch your fancy, my sister can take you over to the kennels for a look. Weâre breeders and suppliers, so we can negotiate the price once youâve made your pick!â The pet store owner asserted.âWell, what do you think, Lola?â
Skylar bent down and asked the little girl.Lolaâs eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together in excitement. âYes! I wanna go see!âSkylar tenderly tousled his daughterâs hair, then turned to Mitzi.
âAlright then. Would you mind taking us over to the kennels, please?âMitzi nodded and headed out of the shop immediately. Her plump, bespectacled friend detached herself from the wall and caught up with her, so they both were walking side by side.Skylar followed behind the pair, so he did not see the malicious smirks exchanged by the girls.They had walked for about seven or eight minutes when Skylar heard the sound of dogs barking. They had reached the kennels. Lola could not help jumping up and down with excitement; the four of them then went in.Skylar and Lola were distracted by the sheer variety of brightly-packaged dog kibble stacked high at the entrance, so they did not realize until too late that a massive black dog had suddenly appeared next to Mitzi. From the looks of it, this was the reigning canine king of the kennels, the top dog.The bespectacled girl shot a glance at Mitzi, who nodded and immediately opened a large black steel door.Inside, Skylar could see a huge space filled with wooden dog pens that housed a large variety of breeds. Each breed had its own pen; a cursory glance indicated that there were at least over a dozen of these fenced-off areas.âThe dogs are all inside. You can go in and take your pick!â Mitzi said and stepped aside to let Skylar and Lola go in.As the two headed down the walkway between the pens, a venomous gleam flickered in her eyes, and she could not suppress an expression of unholy glee.