I Heard Animals' Voices novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: Course of Study: None

Derrick's POV

On Sunday morning, Tierney texted me at 6:40.

Have you eaten, rule five, I'm checking.

I had texted back a picture of toast.

She sent back a picture of a tiger giving the camera a look of contempt, which was fair.

The director met me at the zoo office at eight, in a polo shirt I had never seen.

He looked like a man at a funeral for his own weekend.

"I should not be doing this," he said.

"It's your file."

"It's Lorna's file."

"You hired her."

He unlocked the cabinet.

The drawers were labeled by hand, and he pulled out the one marked STAFF, S.

Her folder was thin.

There was a résumé, a signed offer, a photocopy of her driver's license, and a photocopy of her diploma.

"It looked fine," said the director. "It looked very fine. I checked the seal."

I held it to the light.

It said Hollinbrook Institute, in gold, over a picture of a very serious owl.

Under the owl it said Doctor of Feline Behaviorism, and under that, in smaller letters, with honors.

Under the seal was a line of tiny print, and I read it twice.

Registrar, P.O. Box 4471, Dover, Delaware.

"Delaware," said the director. "That's abroad?"

"No."

"She said Europe."

"She said 'a university in Europe,' and she never said which," I said.

"Tierney asked her once. She changed the subject to the budget."

I took out my phone.

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