CHAPTER
thirty-four 
REMEMBERING THE GREEN smoothie routine after my previous time spent assisting Nicola, I re-created Lauren’s early morning wake-up shake. I made sure to put in extra green apples to suit Lauren’s palate.
She seemed satisfied with the drink and was complimenting my use of stem-free kale leaves when the doorbell rang.
Magnus with the dogs, I bet. I’d confirmed his availability with Zel right after the yoga class.
When Lauren opened up, Magnus stood framed in her massive doorway. With his large build, the huge double doors seemed appropriately proportioned for his girth. I introduced them to each other.
After making small talk, Lauren checked the time. She filled up a travel container with her smoothie and said, “Time to go.”
We headed out to the acupuncturist’s office using two cars. Lauren led the way in her sleek white Benz, and I sat with Magnus in his enormous van. The dogs were in the back, secured in crates. I could smell the sachets of lavender Magnus had strewn all around the vehicle.
I envied Marshmallow, who’d opted to stay home. Transporting a bunch of dogs in the very early morning hadn’t appealed to him. Riding in the car now, I realized the front seat wouldn’t have had enough space for Marshmallow anyway, and he’d have hated getting jostled around in the back with the pups.
The trip proved short, and our destination turned out to be a bland strip mall. Most of the shops remained closed at this hour, but a light shone in the storefront at the end. The banner above its door read, “Dr. Silvia Li, Veterinary Acupuncturist.”
Between the two of us, Magnus and I brought the dogs into the acupuncture center. Walking inside the store felt like entering a serene spa. Dim recessed lighting set in the ceiling shone down in gentle beams. Soft pan flute music piped in from hidden speakers.
A carved teakwood table near the front held a slim computer next to a small potted bamboo. The plant’s flexible stalks twisted up in an elaborate weaving of green.
The rest of the business space appeared sectioned off into smaller private areas divided by the placement of shoji screens. I couldn’t see anything through the tall, opaque rice sheets.
A woman wearing a crisp white smock walked toward us with gliding steps. Her glossy black hair was piled on top of her head in a sleek bun. She’d secured the hairstyle with bejeweled chopsticks.
“Hello.” Her voice rang out in the air like a tinkling bell. “I’m Dr. Li.”
Magnus and I shook hands with the acupuncturist, while Lauren gave her a tight hug.
Dr. Li counted the dogs in the room. “You brought in six.”
Magnus nodded. “These are the ones showing signs of the most pain right now, but I have more dogs at my place.”
Dr. Li pursed her lips. “I can do a session for each of them today. However, be forewarned. They’ll need ongoing treatment in the future, but at least I can start realigning their energy flow right now.”
She led the way to one of the screened-off areas I’d noticed before. Instead of a massage bed behind the folding panels, I discovered a padded table. Blue Chux plastic liners covered its soft surface. In the corner, a pedestal table held a tiny fountain, which bubbled with soothing water sounds.
“I’ll need you to place a hand on the dog to keep it still,” Dr. Li said to Magnus.
He nodded, and placed his large palm over Sparky, the first pup getting worked on. From a nearby drawer, Dr. Li retrieved a case of needles.
I looked closely at the metal points. Thankfully, they appeared smaller than I’d feared, more of a filament width than the size of a sewing needle.
Dr. Li placed the needles into Sparky using a gentle but firm hand. The puppy didn’t make a single sound. In fact, he acted as though he hadn’t felt the pinpricks.
She repeated acupuncture on each of the other puppies, using the different sectioned-off spaces. We then waited the requisite amount of time before she could remove the needles from the dogs.
Afterward, I couldn’t believe the frolicking behavior of the puppies as they scampered around the front room. “That’s absolutely amazing.”
“Acupuncture works with the central nervous system,” Dr. Li said. “It takes away their pain. But if I see patients after things have gotten really bad, I need to go beyond the plain needles and use electroacupuncture.”
“They’re really energetic,” Magnus piped up, watching one of the dogs jump in the air.
Lauren beamed from near the teakwood table. “What did I tell you?”
“You’re like their fairy godmother,” I said. “You’ve granted their deepest wish.”
“If only I could give them homes, too . . .”
Magnus sighed, a heavy groan coming from the depths of his diaphragm. “I would help, but I’ve got no contacts. The folks who come to me want perfect specimens, purebreds.”
“How about organizing a pet adoption fair?” Lauren said.
“I don’t know.” Magnus shook his head. “Wouldn’t it take time to put together an event? How long will the acupuncture last?”
Dr. Li said, “Depends on the dog, but I usually recommend weekly treatments.”
Seven days or less before the next acupuncture session? Lauren would only pay for their first session, so the word would have to spread fast to help get the puppies rescued while they still felt well. We’d need assistance that moved at the speed of technology.
“I might know a way,” I said.
It took a short call to Pixie for me to arrange the meeting at PetTwin headquarters. I decided to bring Marshmallow along on my field trip.
At the sprawling campus, we looked around in awe. PetTwin’s sleek mirrored building lay next to a field of luxurious grass. Even I wanted to roll over in the fresh-cut turf.
Mock fire hydrants stood at various points so dogs could do their business in designated areas. Near the front entrance, we discovered a pet drinking fountain. Bowls could be positioned under the low spout for refreshing, clean water.
As we approached the mirrored building, the automatic doors opened with a smooth whish. Right away, a woman with braided purple hair marched toward us wielding a clipboard. “Mimi Lee?” she said.
I nodded, and she continued, “This way, please, for your appointment with Stacy.”
She led Marshmallow and me into an all-glass elevator. As it rose to the second floor, I felt like I was levitating.
The doors opened, and she walked us over to an intimidating conference room. “Our founder is already waiting for you.”
The meeting area housed a large reclaimed wood table with swivel chairs. All the furniture nestled against the back wall, and the rest of the space held a tall object that looked like nothing short of a glowing telephone booth.
“Have a seat,” Stacy said, her trademark red mermaid hair curling down to her waist.
I sat in the office chair with its ergonomic molding, while Marshmallow took a spot on the polished floor below the table.
“Thanks for meeting with me,” I said. “Here are pics of a few of the puppies.” I showed Stacy the photos I’d taken of the dogs after their treatment at the acupuncturist’s office.
“What a bunch of cutie-pies.”
“I hope a lot of people think the same way. They need good homes. And I hope your app will match them with great owners.”
“PetTwin is excited to help out. Do you have information on their background?”
“Not really. The puppies were left all alone when their breeder, uh, suddenly died.” My description sounded a lot better than murder, and I’d managed to omit the fact that I still had a cloud of suspicion hanging over me.
“Sounds tragic,” she murmured.
I wanted to put the puppies in the best possible light, but . . . I took a deep breath and said, “The puppies do suffer from a genetic problem.”
“Rescue dogs all have issues. I believe people will trip over themselves wanting to adopt these poor dogs.”
“Thanks again for partnering with me.”
A glint entered Stacy’s eyes. “Of course, I’m meeting with you as a favor to Pixie. She’s a generous donor to PetTwin. I must tell you, though, that we usually deal with organizations and shelters, not individuals. We also charge those companies a fee to use our app.”
I swallowed hard. Of course there would be a catch.
“However, I’m willing to waive the cost—if your puppies will showcase our new technology.”
“Which is?”
She pointed to the telephone booth–looking object. “Our 4-D simulator. This is one of our prototypes. It comes preloaded with a sensory experience. Go ahead and try it.”
Maybe Marshmallow would go inside the booth with me? I peeked down at him and implored him with wide eyes.
“No way,” he said. “You’re on your own with that Area Fifty-One souvenir.”
I stood up and walked with glacial steps over to the booth. Gripping the metal door, I slid it open—to reveal a cushioned bench opposite a mounted screen. The interior looked a lot like a fancy photo booth.
This didn’t seem so bad. I sat down, and the door closed on me.
Due to either a weight or a motion sensor, the screen flickered on. Words scrolled past my eyes: “Please adopt me.”
A video of a cute tan bunny with floppy ears filled the monitor. Statistics about the male bunny appeared in the lower-right-hand corner.
More words appeared. “This is how it will feel to play with Posy.”
The sharp smell of clover filled my senses. Warm rays of friendly sunshine caressed my face.
The screen started enlarging and wrapping around the walls. A brilliant blue sky with ethereal clouds displayed above me. I caught a bouncing motion near the bottom of the booth. Looking down, I realized that the ground had transformed into a field of clover.
Posy hopped closer. He paused before me, as though waiting for me to reach out. The bunny twitched his nose at me. My heart melted. I bent down, and my fingers reached toward Posy’s velvet fur.
Again, the same words appeared on-screen: “Adopt me today.” Contact details followed.
Darkness covered the screen. It retracted to a normal size, and the door slid open. I stepped out and blinked at the bright office lights.
Turning to Stacy, I said, “That video really drew me in. I forgot I was even in a booth.”
“The 4-D experience practically teleports you, right?”
I nodded, unable to encapsulate my thoughts into words.
“We could make some 4-D videos of your little rescue dogs right in this building,” Stacy said. “Then, using the material, we’ll be able to set up the other prototype pods for the public to enjoy.”
“Definitely. The more that word gets out about those puppies, the quicker they’ll be adopted.”
“There’s only one hiccup.” Stacy bit the tip of her pinky nail. “It’s such new technology that we’re still searching for a stellar legal consultant to double-check and make sure our patent paperwork is in order.”
A happy smile spread across my face. “Well, you’re in luck,” I said. “I think I have the perfect contact for you.”