Chapter 14

Harvey

Harvey doesn’t even notice when Maggie leaves the room.He’s too excited by the scents that zip up his nose as he explores. The odor of the furniture, the floor, even the rubber wheels of Mr. Singh’s scooter are all familiar.

Mr. Kowalski wears slippers and as soon as Harvey catches a whiff of the salty, musky smell of them, another memory comes to him: a place of comfort and protection. The warmth of a gnarled hand on his back.

“Harvey!” Austin says with a laugh. “Where are you going?”

Harvey has a singular purpose in mind. He needs to find that space. The scents that will lead him to it are faint, almost undetectable, covered with layers of other scents and buried by time.

With his nose flat to the floor, Harvey takes short, quick inhalations. His black nose quivers. He doesn’t notice Austin behind him, or the curious chatter of the old people. All he is focused on is finding his way to the place that is a feeling as much as a location.

There! This door, rife with new smells and a perfume that stings his nose, is the one. He paws at it. His tail is poker straight and his ears are pricked.

“He remembers Walt’s room,” Mrs. O’Brien says quietly, although she doesn’t need to. Everyone knows who used to live here.

Austin bends down and puts his face in front of Harvey’s. “He’s gone, Harvey. He doesn’t live here anymore.”

Harvey doesn’t understand the words, but he hears the pain in Austin’s voice. The strain of the words in his throat. He tilts his head at the boy. Behind him there are murmurs. A parade of old people have come with him and now they watch as Harvey yips and sits down to wait patiently for the door to open. For the old man to appear.

And then the door does open, but the person who appears is not the old man with the salty slippers.