Epilogue

Once Megan was arrested, her confidence disappeared. She confessed almost immediately.

At the police station downtown, we all listened to her explain that she’d been stealing animals for the black-market exotic animal trade for years. Our otters—which she’d smuggled out of the sanctuary in her plastic storage bin—were just the latest victims. And they were indeed bound for wildlife cafés in Asia, just as we had suspected.

“I never meant for them to come to any harm,” Megan said tearfully.

I didn’t believe her, and clearly the police didn’t either. The officer led her away.

Mom and Dad were shaken, I could tell, by how close our animals had come to disappearing forever. Not to mention how close Olivia, Anson, and I had come to dangerous criminals. I knew we were in for a lecture once things calmed down. But for now my parents settled for apologizing to Anson for suspecting him in the first place.

Back at the sanctuary that night, Olivia and I wandered down to the otter habitat. It was dusk, and the sun was throwing long, rosy rays over the ocean. In the cool shadows of the habitat, the otters were curled up under their logs, surrounded by leafy bushes, the lapping of their pool, the scents of dirt, ocean air, and growing things.

This is where they belong, I thought as we leaned on the wall. Not trapped in a wire cage in a shipping container. They were safe, and the people responsible for putting them in danger were going away for a long time.

Next to me, Olivia sighed happily, and I knew she was thinking the same thing: the otters were home.