Synopsis:
Dawn Smith is a veterinary technician living in rural South Carolina. When she catches her boyfriend in a series of lies, she abruptly ends the relationship.
But rather than accepting the break-up, he begins to stalk and harass her. His menacing behavior forces Dawn to seek a restraining order.
Undeterred, he launches a deeply personal attack. He sues Dawn for guardianship and conservatorship of Dawn’s aging mother. In court, he manipulates the truth, proffering evidence that he planted while he and Dawn were still dating. Just when Dawn thinks things can’t get any worse, she is faced with an impossible choice: rekindle the relationship or lose her mother forever.
Dawn Before Darkness is a contemporary psychological thriller — inspired by actual events — in which author Liz Lazarus illustrates the treachery of a ruthless stalker, the alarming failures of an overtaxed and complacent legal system, and the unthinkable battle a daughter must wage to protect her family.
Review:
Author Liz Lazarus’s path to becoming a published novelist was anything but typical. She earned an engineering degree from The Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. She built a successful career as an executive at General Electric’s Healthcare Division before becoming the Managing Director of a consulting firm. She currently serves as the head of Operations for a healthcare start-up.
Although she always enjoyed reading mysteries and thrillers, because she likes to solve puzzles, Lazarus says that she never planned to be an author and wasn’t sure she would be good at writing books. Her first novel, Free of Malice, started out as her journal. “It was a calling. That’s the only way I can describe it,” she recalls. Like Dawn Before Darkness, Free of Malice is based on a real incident. When she was in college, a man broke into the house Lazarus was sharing with two other young women. She was able to fight him off. But she’d had a premonition of sorts – because she had a sense that someone was watching her, she latched her door, something she didn’t customarily do. Once inside the house, he kicked her bedroom door open. She screamed and refused to give up, even though he told her he would leave if she would be quiet. Determined, she continued making as much noise as possible, and he finally ran back out of the residence. For her, writing about being “afraid of the dark, afraid of anyone who looked like him” was therapeutic. The event occurred before Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the need for therapy following trauma was widely understood. She created a fictional character, a journalist who is attacked in a comparable manner and writes a legal story — with the assistance of a young Black lawyer who bears a resemblance to her assailant — about what could have happened had she shot and killed him. Suddenly, the lawyer appears to know details about the attack that she has not shared with him. She grows suspicious that she might have unwittingly enlisted her assailant to advise her. To write the book and as part of her recovery, Lazarus researched laws governing self-defense and injected an exploration of racism into the storyline. The book was so well received that she decided to keep writing.
She followed Free of Malice with Plea for Justice, about a paralegal investigating the case that resulted in her estranged friend’s incarceration. In Shades of Silence, a woman believes her husband perished when his plane disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean. But a young woman tells her, “He’s not who you think he is” just before she is brutally murdered. Her search for the truth tests her beliefs and relationships.
With Dawn Before Darkness, Lazarus has again drawn on personal experience to craft a wholly plausible, believable, and absorbing thriller. Dawn Smith is a bright, dedicated veterinary technician. She loves caring for animals, and is highly respected by her colleagues and long-time employers.
Dawn’s mother, Marie, is in her late 60’s. Her father was fifteen years older than Marie and had children from a prior marriage, but Dawn is the only child they had together. A year ago, cancer claimed her father. The family home was sold to take advantage of the fact that the other unit in the duplex where Dawn lives had just come on the market. It was the perfect way to keep Marie close to her, while permitting both of them to retain their privacy and live independently. Marie is growing forgetful but has not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It’s a perfect arrangement, given that Dawn’s older half-brothers so bitterly resented the fact that their father bequeathed his entire estate to Marie that they lodged an unsuccessful lawsuit contesting his will. Dawn and Marie have a close, loving relationship and Dawn willingly accepts responsibility to ensure that her mother is and will be well cared for.
As the story opens, Dawn recognizes that Stuart, her boyfriend of a few months, is not the right man for her. She has observed plenty of warning signs such as volatility, rage, and an unwillingness to do the right thing. Simultaneously, a chance meeting brings Nick VanBroklin into her life. Although he has no accent, he claims to be from Holland – the only member of his family in America. “We kind of own the banking business in Amsterdam,” boasts. He tells Dawn that he is employed as the head of the loan department at a local bank. He seems too good to be true — handsome, charming, attentive, generous. Dawn is immediately attracted to him and after only a couple of dates, agrees to go on a weekend camping trip. She finds herself in a remote location with poor cell phone reception. Worse, when she is anxious to get back home the following morning to ensure that Marie is all right, Nick’s truck won’t start. It’s just the beginning of a series of suspicious events that lead her to break off her relationship with Nick, as well.
Nick takes the news even worse than Stuart did. Dawn finds herself subjected to a terrifying barrage of text messages, calls, demands, threats, and destruction. As Nick’s conduct quickly escalates, Dawn berates herself for not doing “more research on Nick before agreeing to date him. Why had she taken everything he’d told her at face value instead of checking for herself?” And wondering what his “endgame” is. Lazarus interviewed ten women who were terrorized by stalkers to understand their ordeals and bring authenticity to the story, which was eye-opening. Every incident that Dawn endures reflects actual acts perpetrated by those women’s stalkers.
When Dawn seeks assistance from the attorney who helped her and Marie prevail in the proceeding contesting her father’s will, she is dismayed to discover how archaic South Carolina law is. She cannot obtain an order of protection against Nick because the individual who poses a threat must be “a spouse, ex-spouse, live-in partner of the opposite sex or someone with whom you share a child.” She has to settle for attempting to secure a restraining order, but her efforts result in a whole new set of frustrating complications, roadblocks, and unwelcome revelations.
Nick’s “endgame” quickly becomes apparent when Marie is served with his petition to be appointed her guardian, alleging that Dawn “has failed to provide proper oversight and care” for her mother. Nick purports that Marie needs a guardian because she is incapable of caring for herself and claims to be “a trusted family friend.” He even testifies that Marie is “like a mother to me.” Clearly, Nick will do and say anything in order to extract revenge upon Dawn for breaking off their brief romance and prove that “no one, and I mean no one, dumps me. I decide if and when we are done, and I have decided we are not done.”
From there, Lazarus takes readers along with Dawn on a horrific journey to protect Marie and permanently eject Nick from their lives. Dawn is failed repeatedly by an attorney who is not merely incompetent. He is also complacent, callous, and utterly unable to outwit Nick and his lawyer. And make no mistake. In order to be a zealous advocate for their client, an attorney must be able to anticipate and block opposing counsel’s maneuvers and machinations. Dawn’s counsel is so hapless that she suspects he may actually be deliberately working against her interests, as well as Marie’s.
The legal system itself also lets Dawn and Marie down. Evidence is adduced by Nick and his attorney and admitted into the record when it should be rejected outright. The judge’s rulings are unsupported by competent facts, and Dawn and Marie are caught in a vicious and costly maelstrom that threatens not just their relationship, but Marie’s health and well-being.
Dawn is a sympathetic character. Lazarus wisely illustrates at the outset that she is a compassionate, caring young woman who is devoted to both her patients and her mother. She is intent on ensuing that her patients receive the best possible care, even stretching ethical, professional boundaries when to do so is in the best interest of an animal whose owner is indifferent to their needs. Thus, readers quickly take Dawn into their hearts and watch helplessly as she trusts Nick far too easily and quickly regrets doing so. Hers is a cautionary tale about not just trusting too easily, but also being mindful about revealing too much information to a stranger about one’s life and family, particularly considering how much data is readily accessible via the internet and social media.
At its core, Dawn Before Darkness is a compelling mystery. Who is Nick really? Is everything he has told Dawn a lie? Has he totally misrepresented his background? It is clear that he is determined to remain in Dawn’s life, but how far will he go to reach his goal? If he becomes Marie’s guardian might he actually harm her – or worse — if only to prove how much power he can wield?
Dawn’s nightmare experience is based on Lazarus’s struggle to care for her own mother. Because of alleged “discord” among family members, a professional guardian was appointed by the court to oversee her mother’s care. “There was nothing ‘professional’ about it,” Lazarus recounts. “She had no training, no medical background, no license. The only thing she needed to be a guardian was to be appointed by the judge. My mom was neglected and injured.” Eventually, Lazarus found herself squaring off in court against a successor guardian – another complete stranger. Similarly, Dawn’s adversary is vested with total control over all aspects of Marie’s life, including where she will live, what medical care and treatment is appropriate, and even who will be allowed to visit her. A guardian/conservator appointed by the court is paid for their services from the conservatee’s assets/estate, including legal fees and costs incurred as a result of a challenge to their appointment. Lazarus eventually secured temporary guardianship of her mother. Yet again, this aspect of the fictional tale is accurately depicted, completely realistic, tragic, and riveting. “If people fee like what happened to Dawn and her family can’t happen, [they are wrong]. It can happen,” Lazarus warns. Her mother was “entrapped” in a severely flawed legal system, and it was extremely difficult to extricate her, with precious time lost.
Lazarus says readers have described Dawn Before Darkness as “relentless” and, candidly, that is an apt characterization. The story is fast paced, with Dawn under siege for most of the book. However, it is an important story, told in a straight-forward, unflinching manner. Lazarus offers no apology. “I need[ed] to portray how bad it can get.” Her dedication to the story and her characters makes Dawn Before Darkness a thriller that readers will be unable to put down until they reach the end of the tale and Dawn does, finally, find the relief and peace she seeks throughout the book. Reading Dawn Before Darkness is engrossing and illuminating, as well as unsettling and, thus, it is an excellent book club selection because there are numerous themes and issues to discuss.
Excerpt from Darkness Before Dawn
Prologue
Dawn had never practiced a breakup speech before — never gave it a second thought—but now she was rehearsing how to end her summer romance without stirring up drama or provoking retaliation.
I think it’s best if we cool things off for a while. She replayed this phrase in her mind while gripping her phone so tightly that her fingertips turned pink. Finally, she called him and blurted her declaration without even saying hello.
“Why?” he asked. “Everything’s been great between us.”
“It’s not you,” she lied. “Things have just been hard lately with work and my mom.”
“I can help.” His voice lowered, taking on a seductive tone. “You know, hard isn’t all bad. I’ve got something hard that brings you a lot of pleasure.”
A chill ran down Dawn’s spine, as if he’d slithered through the phone and traced an ice cube down her back. She’d jumped into this relationship far too quickly, and it was time — no, past time — to get out. Dawn struggled to feign a breezy attitude, if there was such a thing.
“I’ve just got a lot going on right now. I think it’s best if we take a break.”
“How can I change your mind?” he persisted.
Her attempt at a casual parting of ways was failing, leaving Dawn no choice but to become more assertive. “You can’t.”
The line went dead.
Chapter 1
“He’s going to hit us!” shouted Stuart.
Dawn, who’d been scrolling through Instagram, looked up. From the passenger seat of her boyfriend’s car, she saw the back of a maroon Chevy Blazer reversing at high speed toward them. Stuart grabbed the gearshift and hesitated, clearly debating which was worse — to back into oncoming traffic or to let the SUV crash into the front of his car. They were in a tight spot, having just pulled into a gas station next to a Thai diner. Because there’d been no open spots in front of the restaurant, Stuart had opted for the station’s small lot next door.
Before the SUV could reach them, it side-swiped a parked gray Honda. The high-pitched sound of metal on metal made Dawn cringe, and the scraping continued until the Blazer broke free and stopped directly in front of them.
Dawn snapped a picture of the license plate, which provided both evidence of the collision and the time: 7:32 p.m. She waited, expecting the driver to emerge and inspect the damage he’d caused. Instead, the Blazer sped forward, its tires squealing as it traversed the lot, cut in front of oncoming traffic, and disappeared out of sight.
“I can’t believe that jerk,” exclaimed Dawn.“ He hit that car and took off.”
“C’mon,” said Stuart. “Let’s go someplace else.”
Dawn’s chest tightened. Her body was revealing what her mind had chosen to ignore. Stuart isn’t the right guy for you. The right guy would do the right thing — not leave the scene of an accident he’d just witnessed.
“We have to report this,” she said. “Call 911 or something.” “He saw it.” Stuart pointed to a guy in a hoodie who was using an antiquated pay phone by the side of the gas station.
The hoodie guy turned his back toward the accident and continued his conversation. Before Stuart could protest, Dawn hopped out of the car and walked toward the damaged Honda. The left rear was completely mangled.
An elderly Asian man who’d been pumping gas approached. He spoke in Mandarin as he clapped his hands, mimicking the crash. She nodded, confirming their mutual observation, although she couldn’t understand a word he was saying.
“Dawn, what are you doing? C’mon,” Stuart beckoned. He’d pulled next to one of the pumps and motioned for her to return.
She planted her fists on her hips and stood firm. The two had been dating for only a few months, and although they’d been spending nearly every weekend together, he had no right to dictate orders. Betting the owner of the Honda was inside the restaurant, Dawn ignored Stuart and headed toward the front door.
As she neared the entrance, she sensed a presence behind her, as if the heavy August air was gently blowing on her neck, causing the baby hairs to tingle. The sensation made her whip around. A tall White guy was just inches away. He seemed to have come out of nowhere and was uncomfortably close. Dawn took a step back.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Did you see the accident?” He spoke quickly, as if taking swift action was a matter of life or death. Dawn looked up to make eye contact. Being five feet nine, she noticed tall men as they made her feel normal. She nodded and held up her phone, which displayed a photo of the license plate: JAZ 260.
“Got the license plate of the car,” she confirmed.
As the man studied the photo, she studied him — wavy brunette hair, intense brown eyes, smooth thin lips, and thick lashes, the kind that women covet.
“Dawn, let’s go,” Stuart shouted from a distance. He stroked his curly blond hair and glared with piercing green eyes, not hiding his impatience.
“Look, if you need to go, I can find the owner,” said the man. “I assume one witness is enough.”
Dawn hesitated. She wasn’t raised to leave the scene of a crime. She was raised to follow the rules, obey the speed limit and return the grocery cart inside the store — the corral outside wasn’t good enough.
“Could you text me that photo, though?” the man requested. “I didn’t think to get proof. That was smart.”
Dawn’s face flushed. People, especially men, rarely noticed her intelligence. As a slender blonde with ocean-blue eyes, the compliments about her model-like appearance were routine, even expected. But this man saw her mind without focusing on her beauty.
“Where were you?” she asked.
He pointed across the street to an upscale five-story condo building. “I live over there. Walk here all the time for takeout. I’m Nick.”
Just then, she felt a tug on her arm. The Asian man was talking to her again. He pointed to Dawn, then to Nick, and to the Honda. She tried to gesture that they would take care of things and that he didn’t need to worry. This earnest old man was making more of an effort than Stuart, and he couldn’t even speak English.
“Maybe I should come with you,” she suggested. “To see if we can find the owner?”
“No need to have both of our evenings interrupted. I’ll call you and let you know what happens.” He paused. “If you’d like.”
“Yes, please do.” Dawn texted him the photo, and with no reason to linger, she retreated toward Stuart’s Lexus, all the while yearning to stay longer. She searched for something to say but came up empty. All she could muster was a simple “thank you.”
“Hey, I’m just doing what I hope someone would do for me, you know?” He shrugged and smiled.
Chapter 2
On Monday morning, Dawn awoke to the sound of her 6:00 a.m. alarm. She crawled out of bed and splashed water on her face. There was no need for makeup — the animals didn’t care. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and put on her uniform: short-sleeved navy scrubs. Her purple Crocs, the only part of her outfit that allowed for individuality, were stationed next to the front door of her duplex. Not only were they comfortable for standing all day, but they were practical for the fur, pee and poop that would inevitably be splattered on them.
On the way to the Village Veterinary Clinic, she made her regular stop at the Dunkin’ Donuts for a large, iced coffee, which she chugged in her Jeep. Once the Monday morning chaos began, odds were that she wouldn’t make it back to the break room. The veterinary clinic appointments were overbooked, much like the airlines, in anticipation of no-shows. But if every pet owner kept his or her time slot and a few emergencies arrived, the day would be nonstop mayhem. On top of that, and unlike the airlines, the clinic kept the number of staff to a minimum, which put undue stress on the entire system.
She parked at the far edge of the lot, entered the back door using a key card and clocked in just before 7:00 a.m. All the techs had lockers, by seniority. She had the best location in a far corner, away from the door to the reception room. Dawn stored her wallet and keys, took another swig of coffee and joined the team in the break room to review the day’s schedule.
Her first appointment was a female Dachshund name Daisy who was having her teeth cleaned. Small dogs like Dachshunds and Chihuahuas were challenging patients. They had the same number of teeth as any other dog, but they were crammed into a tiny mouth. These breeds were prone to exposed roots and often required an unfair share of extractions.
Dawn entered the exam room where a man was engrossed in his cell phone. His pronounced biceps stretched the seams of his suit. A little brown dog stood on the metal exam table, observing her owner’s every move. Dawn mused that these two didn’t go together. The old saying that people and their animals favored each other was true, and this hulk of a guy and the tiny dog didn’t seem like a match. Not to mention, he wasn’t making any effort to comfort her, being far more interested in his phone. Dawn glanced at his ring finger, which had a gold band.
Probably her dog, she thought.
“Good morning,” she said, with a cheerful smile. “I’m Dawn, and I’ll be taking care of Daisy today.”
The guy barely looked up.
“I wanted to confirm that she’s having her teeth cleaned and that she hasn’t had any food or water this morning?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she hasn’t eaten.”
Dawn’s eyebrows rose. “Well, it’s pretty important that we know for certain because she’ll be under anesthesia.”
“If you guys told us not to feed her, then I’m sure my wife followed your directions. I’m just here for the drop-off.”
Dawn smiled, which was more of a smirk if he’d bothered to notice. This was definitely not his dog. “Do you know if Daisy has been under anesthesia before?”
“No idea.”
“Maybe we should call your wife?”
“You won’t catch her,” he retorted. “She’s on a plane. This got sprung on me this morning.”
Dawn had the urge to reply, Oh, you just realized this morning that you have a dog? But she didn’t dare. The Village Veterinary Clinic was the only privately owned clinic in Laurel, South Carolina. Veterinarians Neil and Smita Patel, the married owners, had opened the practice so residents wouldn’t have to drive forty-five minutes to the larger city of Greenville. They’d resisted offers from the big chains to sell, fearing the relentless pursuit of revenue would impact the level of care. As much as Dawn wanted to smack the guy for calling this precious little girl a this, she couldn’t afford to alienate a customer.
“Do you have any requests while she is under anesthesia?” asked Dawn. “We can trim her nails or clean her ears. It’s easier when they’re asleep.”
“Nope, just the teeth.”
Dawn bristled at the word, nope. She found it to be dismissive and would have preferred a mere no, or even better, no, thank you. Growing up on her parents’ farm, she’d spent her childhood dreaming of a life helping animals. Graham, the horse, and Betty, the cow, were her favorite siblings, much preferred over her half-brothers. She knew some days would be challenging, but what she hadn’t expected from this vocation was the amount of frustration that came from dealing with people.
She gently stroked Daisy, whose little head was still tracking every movement of her owner. “What a pretty girl you are. Can I have a quick look in your mouth?”
With the practiced hand of an experienced vet tech, Dawn gently pinched the back of the dog’s jaw, forcing the mouth to open. A fair amount of plaque coated the front teeth. Releasing her grip on Daisy’s mouth, the Dachshund promptly started licking her gums.
“It looks like she has some tartar buildup that we’ll need to remove. I won’t know her full condition until after we clean her teeth. If we find cavities, we have a few options, depending on your budget. We can take care of them up to a specific cost or call you to get approval for any additional procedures that may be necessary.”
The guy looked up from his phone for the first time and scoffed. “My wife is already making me pay two hundred dollars just to clean its teeth. I don’t want any upcharges.”
“I understand, but it’s my job to let you know her condition once we’re able to get a better look.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Normally, Dawn would allow time for the owner to give a good-bye pet or kiss, but with this guy, she didn’t bother. Instead, she scooped Daisy into her arms, wished the man a good day and exited the exam room. Daisy looked up and licked Dawn’s nose. “Oh, you sweet girl. I sure hope your mamma loves you.”
The treatment room had a metal table in the center and a stainless-steel sink in the corner. The floor was cream tile like the rest of the clinic, and the walls were painted light blue. Glass containers of Q-Tips, tongue depressors and gauze were neatly lined up on the counter next to a large jar of treats. Dawn drew up the premeds and administered a sedative by inserting a needle just under the skin between Daisy’s shoulder blades. Because the needle was small and Dawn knew exactly where to pinch the skin, the little dog didn’t even flinch. She placed an IV catheter in Daisy’s leg, taped the hub and took Daisy to the kennel.
Dawn knew she had just enough time to sneak another sip of coffee before the surgery room would become available. In the break room, Kelly Howell, Dawn’s coworker and best friend, was stocking clean scrubs. Kelly was a petite brunette with owl-like brown eyes and short curly hair. She’d joined the vet clinic ten years ago, not long after Dawn, although the two women had chosen different paths. Dawn had worked summers while earning her bachelor’s in biology from Clemson. She was president of the pre-veterinary society and had passed a two-year certification program. Kelly, on the other hand, had started as a receptionist and worked her way up. From an experience standpoint, they were peers, but Dawn’s education earned her ten dollars an hour more than Kelly. The truth of the matter was that neither woman was in it for the money. They loved the animals.
“How was your weekend?” asked Kelly. Dawn shrugged.
“Uh oh. Are you tired of Stuart already?”
“I don’t know. He’s good to me, but I’m not sure he’s a good man.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like what my mom says.‘ Watch how a man treats the janitor.’ Then you can tell what he’s really like. I’m pretty sure if Stuart ran over the janitor, he’d just keep on driving.”
Kelly laughed.“ Just the kind of guy you want to be the father of your children.”
Before Dawn could respond, Regan Mead, one of the other vet techs, poked her head in the break room.“ Room one is open,” she said.
Dawn swiped her hands under the sanitizer dispenser and exited the break room to retrieve Daisy. The dog was like putty, relaxed and content, which was just what Dawn needed to make injecting the Propofol into the IV catheter an easy task. Within seconds, Daisy’s head flopped to the side, allowing Dawn to insert a breathing tube. Next, she placed a mouth gag and started to administer a mixture of oxygen and Isoflurane, an anesthetic that would keep Daisy under sedation once the Propofol wore off.
As Dawn started cleaning Daisy’s teeth, a large chunk of plaque broke off, revealing smelly rot underneath. She sighed — this tooth needed to come out. She fetched Dr. Patel, who examined Daisy’s X-rays and inspected the rotten tooth.
“Mr. Hill only wanted a cleaning,” reported Dawn. “He was adamant about not paying for anything else.”
“Well, it’s our job to educate him. Let’s get him on the phone, please.”
Dawn dutifully looked up the contact information for Brody Hill and handed the phone to the doctor.
“Mr. Hill, this is Dr. Patel. We have Daisy here and I wanted to give you an update. She’s fine, still sedated. We’ve found a substantial amount of calculus on her teeth. Once it was removed, we could see tooth 106 was severely diseased, with significant pocketing, grade 4 mobility and evident bone loss. The gum has recessed leaving room for bacteria. If we leave it as is, she’s prone to getting an abscess, which is extremely painful. My advice would be to extract the tooth. I’ll pass you over to Dawn, who can discuss your options.”
With that, Dr. Patel handed the phone to Dawn and left the room, oblivious to the position he’d put her in.
“I told your girl I just want the cleaning.” Brody’s voice was firm. “Uhm, this is Dawn. We spoke earlier when you dropped off Daisy. If you choose to proceed with the extraction, that will be one hundred and fifty dollars.”
“A hundred and fifty dollars,” he exclaimed.“ That’s insane.”
“I understand, but taking out the tooth now, before it creates additional complications, will be less expensive in the long run. And based on the severity of decay, Daisy’s probably already in pain.”
“She doesn’t act like she’s in any pain.”
“Animals hide pain well, plus the bacteria could affect her heart.” “Look, I told you before, just do the cleaning. I don’t pay that much for my own teeth. Why would I pay one hundred and fifty dollars for a dog?”
Dawn rolled her eyes. If she had a dollar for every time a pet owner made that unoriginal comment, she’d be retired on the beach.
“You’re just trying to upsell me, but I know that game.”
It wasn’t like the money was going into Dawn’s pocket, and Daisy needed the treatment. She clinched her teeth. “So you’re declining the treatment?”
“Damn right I am.”
“Okay, we’ll give you a call when she’s ready to be picked up — ” The line went dead before she could finish speaking. Dawn’s chest tightened, just like the night of the car crash. She bet if Stuart owned Daisy, he’d leave the poor dog in pain, too. A striking clarity overcame her — she was ending the relationship. Then, she made a second bold decision. She was going to help this sweet dog. It wasn’t Daisy’s fault that she’d ended up with a jackass for an owner.
Dawn put an elevator, a tool used to sever the periodontal lig-ament, under the rotten tooth. Even under anesthesia, Daisy’s jaw chattered due to the nerve pain. With a pair of sterile pliers and a strong tug, Dawn extracted the tooth. She pressed gauze against the gum to slow the bleeding. Fortunately, this tooth didn’t require stitches, evidence that would’ve exposed her crime and possibly gotten her fired.
When they called Brody Hill to have Daisy picked up, she would explain that the tooth had simply fallen out due to the magnitude of decay. She’d congratulate him on his good luck of getting a free extraction. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, and her actions had helped Daisy. Most of all, she’d reached the limit of what she could tolerate, and bending the rules was the only way to keep her sanity.
Chapter 3
The rest of the day was the usual Monday chaos. The surgery room was backed up with sterile procedures: spaying, neutering, and wound treatments. Non-sterile procedures like vaccinations and nail trims were done in the treatment room and overflowed to the intake rooms. At 5:00 p.m., Dawn’s phone buzzed. She expected it to be a call from her mom, Marie, adding one last item to the shopping list. Monday was grocery day, which Dawn did for herself and her housebound mother. But when she looked at the screen, she had a voicemail from an unknown number.
“Hi, this is Nick—from the Thai place. I was the other witness to the car accident.”
Dawn smiled. How endearing that this Good Samaritan, who she met just two days ago, felt the need to reintroduce himself. Truth be told, she’d thought about him the entire evening after their brief encounter. When she hadn’t heard from him by Sunday, she figured he wasn’t going to call. She silently berated herself for not accompanying him inside the restaurant to see if the spark was mutual. Instead, she stayed faithful to her dwindling relationship and let Stuart drag her off, so the opportunity was lost. But now, maybe it wasn’t.
“I wanted to let you know I found the owner of the Honda,” the voicemail continued. “He was at the restaurant. I can tell you more about it if you want to call me back. Thanks.”
A flicker of excitement grew in Dawn’s belly. On her way home, she rushed through the aisles of the Ingles supermarket, checking off items from her mother’s handwritten shopping list. The cursive was becoming larger and more noticeably jagged, an indication of Marie’s declining eyesight. Eggs had been listed twice. Dawn wasn’t sure if her mom’s forgetfulness had become worse since her father’s death a year earlier, or if he had concealed the extent of her condition. Still, it wasn’t until Dawn helped sell the family farm and moved her mother to the duplex next door that she really noticed the decline.
She entered the kitchen of her mom’s unit and began to unload the groceries. Marie, who’d been watching a Turner Classic movie, stood up from the couch. She was a tall woman with shoulder-length sandy hair and Coke-bottle glasses that made her blue eyes appear enlarged. In her late sixties, she was young to be a widow, but she’d married a man fifteen years her senior, and they’d had Dawn, their only child.
Dawn gave her mom a quick peck on the cheek before walking across their connected porch to her own unit. She kicked off her Crocs and headed for the bathroom, where she peeled off her scrubs and stepped into the steamy shower. She smiled as she recalled the day’s events and how she’d helped Daisy. Then a troubling thought occurred to her. If Dr. Patel looked closely at the notes, he’d know that Daisy’s tooth wasn’t likely to fall out on its own. He’d know what she’d done. But he was a kind man and not the type to stir up trouble. Beyond that, his life had recently become quite busy. As a new father, raising baby Devin with Smita, one of the smartest, sweetest women Dawn had ever met, he wouldn’t have the time to review her work. In any case, there was nothing she could do now — the damage, or rather the repair, was done.
In comfy sweatpants and a T-shirt, Dawn settled into the thick pillows of her couch to return Nick’s call. He answered on the first ring, making her heartbeat quicken.
“Hi Nick, this is Dawn from the other night.”
“Oh, hello. I wanted to let you know I found the owner of the Honda at the restaurant. I told him what happened and gave him the photo you took. He really appreciated having that kind of proof. He called the police and has my information in case he needs a statement. I told him there were other witnesses, but he probably just needs the one.”
“I’m glad you found him. Have you heard anything more?” “No. I meant to ask you, did your husband see the SUV drive away?”
“Oh, he isn’t my husband. We were just on a date. Nothing serious.”
The line went quiet. Dawn wondered if something in her voice revealed her lie. She and Stuart had never talked about being exclusive, but she was downplaying their relationship.
“In that case, would you like to meet at the Thai place for dinner this Friday? I know their best dishes, the ones they don’t put on the menu. They kind of know me there.”
Dawn bit her lower lip. Was he actually asking her on a date? He seemed so casual.
“Sure,” she replied.
“How about we meet there at seven?”
“That sounds great. See you then.” As she hung up, Dawn was already thinking about how she’d break up with Stuart.
