Til the Clouds Clear
an excerpt

“If you’re not going to contribute anything useful, then shut up.” The dog was getting on my nerves.
“I’m telling you, you’re not going to find her,” said the dog, mulling over some graffiti on the other side of the alley.
“And what makes you so confident of that?” My knees popped with an elderly crunch as I stood and turned to face him.
“I’m just saying, people who don’t want to be found usually aren’t. That’s just how it works.”
“With dogs?”
“With anything.” The dog spit out the last word, appalled at my dimness and highlighting his derision for my newfound profession. He rose to all fours and began sniffing the corners of the alley.
“Look, please don’t piss around here, all right? I’m not finished.”
The Dog didn’t bother to look at me. “If that’s what I was after, I wouldn’t care if you were finished or not. But I’m not, so proceed, Sherlock.”