Before Annie could respond, Dottie let out a nervous laugh and tugged lightly on Muffin’s leash. “I’d better get going. Muffin needs her walk before she gets too antsy.” Without waiting for an answer, she hurried off, her pace unusually brisk.

Just then, an odd reflection from the sun in the grass near the pond caught her attention. Annie hurried over, and reached down to find a leash discarded on the ground, her heart pounding as she examined it.

It wasn’t Pepper’s leash, but it was chewed in several places, as though a dog had struggled against it. The bright pink material and rhinestone-studded clasp looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

Kendra appeared nearby, waving her arms excitedly. “Is everything okay?” she asked, jogging over with her pug panting at her heels.

Annie held up the leash. “Do you recognize this?”

Kendra squinted at it, her brows furrowing. “It looks like one of my designs, but I haven’t sold any yet. I just started this morning.” She hesitated. “Where did you find it?”

“Near the pond,” Annie said, holding the leash up for a closer look. “It’s been chewed, like a dog struggled to get loose.”

Kendra’s expression turned serious. “That’s odd. I haven’t even handed out samples yet. Maybe someone picked one up early and dropped it... but why would it be in that condition?”

Annie’s mind whirled. The leash looked nearly new, with its bright pink fabric and rhinestone-studded clasp still shiny, but the deep chew marks and frayed edges told a different story. It was as though a dog had struggled fiercely to get free, and then the leash had been carelessly discarded near the pond. It wasn’t Pepper’s leash, but could it be connected somehow? She bit her lip, glancing back toward her truck, where Dottie was now chatting with Max.

The park suddenly felt too big, too busy, and full of too many unanswered questions. The leash was the first tangible clue, but it only deepened the mystery. Who had left it there? And why?

Kendra tilted her head, her tone cautious. “You don’t think this has something to do with Pepper, do you?”

“I don’t know,” Annie admitted, her voice firm despite the worry tightening her chest. “But I’m going to find out.”

She tightened her grip on the leash, her determination solidifying. She wouldn’t stop until she found her dog.