A Tiger's Tale (A Call of the Wilde Mystery) Read Online Free Page A

Brooke’s parents?”
    Ozeal nodded. “I called them when she didn’t come in yesterday. They weren’t surprised. Honestly, it sounded like they had been expecting me to call. Brooke has had issues with dealing with her problems.”
    “Rather than facing them, she runs away?” Kai asked.
    “According to her stepfather, yes.” There was a long pause. Ozeal seemed to be choosing her next words carefully.
    “Brooke is part of the rehabilitation program,” she finally said.
    “Rehabilitation?”
    “For young people. They volunteer and get the chance to work with some of the animals. It teaches them responsibility and it keeps them off the streets and out of trouble.”
    “You’re saying Brooke is a—what?” I asked, truly shocked. “A troubled teen?”
    “I don’t believe in labels. The kids in the program are promised a clean slate here. They come to me as volunteers. Ready to work and learn—not as junkies or thieves.”
    “And Brooke had access to Boris?” I didn’t bother to hide my disbelief. The idea that a troubled teenager would have access, or possibly even keys, to a rescue facility that housed some of the world’s largest predators completely boggled my mind.
    Ozeal met my eyes with a steady gaze. “I’m not a fool, Grace. Brooke’s contact with the animals was always supervised. I have rules. They apply to everyone. No lying. No stealing.”
    “You use the honor system?” Kai sounded as stunned as I was.
    “I believe in giving these kids a fair shot. But I’m not completely naïve. This ain’t my first rodeo.” She motioned to the clump of keys clipped to her belt. “Every one of these goes to a lock on this property.”
    “So you keep certain things locked up.”
    “We have twelve cats in this rescue facility. A tiger, a lion, two panthers, six bobcats, and two caracals. So yes, I keep a good deal locked up.”
    “I meant—”
    “I know what you meant, Mr. Duncan, but before you jump to conclusions, or make judgments on my policies, maybe you should ask how many times in the last three years I’ve had an incident of any kind involving one of my volunteers.”
    “I’m guessing zero.”
    “Not once since I started the program have I had more than a few minor issues. Kids that drop out, mostly.”
    It was an impressive claim.
    “Do you think Brooke is one of the dropouts?” Kai asked.
    Ozeal shook her head. “I’ll say this—I have a lot of hope for Brooke. She’s smart, and she’s got a good heart. Most of our animals come from less-than-ideal situations. Someone buys one of these cats as a cub without any real understanding of the kind of care and environment they need. That ignorance usually leads to severe health and behavioral problems. Brooke had taken it on herself to do some research. She wanted to figure out a way to make things better for them.”
    “Enrichment projects?” I asked.
    Ozeal nodded.
    “Brooke thought it was only right. If she was getting a chance to turn things around, they should, too.”
    “What does your gut tell you is going on with her?”
    The big woman was quiet for a long time. She looked down at her empty mug and then raised her gaze to meet my eyes.
    “I don’t know. People do things for reasons you can’t understand. I’ve been wrong plenty of times, but if you’d asked me two days ago, I wouldn’t even have considered the idea that she would up and leave.”
    We all sat there in silence as the rain thrummed against the roof.
    Finally, Kai said, “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Ozeal. If I have any more questions, I’ll call.”
    “Don’t you want to look around?” I asked.
    “It’s pitch-dark and pouring,” Kai said, as if I was just tuning in to the program.
    I met his eyes and held his gaze for a long, uncomfortable moment, then I turned to Ozeal.
    “Do you have an extra jacket?”
    “Should be one on the peg by the front door.”
    “Excuse me.” I stood more abruptly than I intended, and my chair