A Dog Becomes Quiet After a Guest Visit

Case overview

Samira Cole expects Milo to trot after the last guest, nose high for a goodbye and any dropped ice cubes. Instead, he stays under the coffee table. He is quiet, slow to rise, and not interested when Samira calls him. The apartment is still full of the usual after-visit clutter: coats, cups, a folded stroller, and one bag by the door. Samira knows a busy afternoon can tire a dog out. Still, the change arrived too fast for her to call it a nap. She starts with the small facts: when Milo was last himself, who was near him, and what came in and out during the visit. A friend offers an easy explanation. Samira needs a better one before the evening gets away from her. The case begins before she knows which ordinary object will matter.