Chapter 8 — Connecting the Evidence — Proof That the Dog Created the Mess
Paul held the yellow and blue chew toy up to the light of the kitchen fixture.
He brought the worn rubber object right down to the base of the lower cabinet door.
He aligned the distinctive tooth marks on the rubber directly with the fresh white indentations in the wood.
The fit was exact.
Every single puncture mark on the toy matched the depth and width of the scratches on the white paint.
It was mathematically impossible for a human hand or a child’s fingers to create those specific gouges.
A ten-year-old boy simply could not generate the leverage required to jam that object into the lower hinge mechanism while simultaneously clawing open the latch.
Paul looked over his shoulder at the family golden retriever sitting patiently near the kitchen island.
Rusty let out a soft, low whine.
The golden retriever immediately averted its dark brown eyes, refusing to make direct eye contact.
The dog tucked its tail slightly against the floorboards and shifted its weight from one paw to the other.
The morning routine of the household clicked into place in Paul’s mind.
Rusty had been pacing near the pantry area right around the time the heavy feeding containers were normally accessed.
The animal’s eager snout had forced the lower cabinet door open from the inside long before anyone else woke up.
George stared down at the matching tooth marks on the wood and the chew toy in Paul’s hand.
His stern, rigid demeanor began to fracture.