Before Diane offers to show them out, Reid finds himself just staring quizzically at Russell, trying to determine whether or not his partner for the day is just poking fun of him. It doesn't really matter either way, but he can feel the laughter rising in him and stalling at his chest because as ridiculous as this situation is, they both have to remain professional. Diane is a very genuine woman, that's obvious in itself, and Reid is already fairly certain of what'd happened with Admiral Snuggles; but they need to go through the motions before he rings in with any theories and so, he just gives Russell a pointed look before following Diane out the back office door.
They pass the row of dogs first, and he tries not to glance at every single one they walk by, but it's rather difficult when they're each clamoring for attention. Reid had never desired a dog before, not even as a kid, mostly because he wouldn't have been home often enough to care for one and that's not at all fair to an animal that deserves and thrives on consistency. Even now, he thinks taking on a dog would just be too much, especially considering where he and Luke live, it's far too small to justify--not that he's thought about adopting a pet, he just can't avoid it now that they're here.
Soon, they reach a door to a large room that Reid can already see is filled with cats, most of them perched somewhere or another and resting, though a few of them glance up as they enter. There's one pair in particular that seems to be watching his every move and though he's meant to be looking around the room as a whole, he can't help but look back over at them every few seconds. It doesn't take long for Diane to catch on, and she grins at him before walking over to the cats.
"They're a handsome pair, aren't they?" she asks, chuckling as one of them narrows its eyes at her as she scratches behind its ears. "They were brought in together about six months ago. This one's called Mister Purrkins and his brother there is Catrick Swayze. You know, like Dirty Dancing? Nobody puts Catrick in the corner!"
It doesn't make sense, that's not even the line, and it pains Reid to have to smile and nod. He quickly turns away, pretending to examine the other areas of the room and hoping Russell is managing to keep a straight face because there's no chance in hell Reid is going to risk looking at him again.
"So Denise, you said you're the only one who has access to this door at the end of the night and in the morning, right?"
"That's right," she confirms, "I've been the last one out and first one in for years now, I've barely missed a day."
"And Admiral Snuggles, you said he's been here for a little while now. I saw that you kept his picture ahead of the rest on that photo board, and you even had another picture on your desk of you holding him in your lap. I'm guessing he maybe means a little more to you than just a cat who needs a home?"
"Well, Doctor Reid, all my babies in here mean a little more to me than that," Denise answers, though Reid notices there's a little waver to her voice, and she shifts uncomfortably as she lowers her gaze to the floor. "But yes, I suppose you could say that's true."
Reid hums his agreement, wandering back over to her and absently reaching out to scratch behind Catrick Swayze's ear, though he barely notices that the cat purrs approvingly as he softens his expression for Denise's benefit.
"Denise," he says, taking care to keep his voice gentle and briefly glancing at Russell before turning his attention back to her, "you can be honest with us, and I promise you won't get into any trouble. Do you have the cat?"
She freezes, though she's eyeing the door now like she might actually run over this, and Reid can't deny his relief when she seems to scrap that idea and instead just deflates. "I have him," she mumbles, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose between her fingers.
"I don't know, I didn't think-- I wasn't the one who reported him missing, okay, that was another one of my employees, and I tried to talk her out of it but she insisted and by that time, it had already gone too far. Admiral Snuggles and I, we bonded the very first day he came to us and a few days ago, a family came really close to taking him home and it just got me thinking that I couldn't lose him. I know it's wrong, I know, but now that I've had him at home with me for a few days, I can promise you, it was the right decision."
She pauses then, widening her eyes at him, then Russell. "Am I going to go to prison?"
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They pass the row of dogs first, and he tries not to glance at every single one they walk by, but it's rather difficult when they're each clamoring for attention. Reid had never desired a dog before, not even as a kid, mostly because he wouldn't have been home often enough to care for one and that's not at all fair to an animal that deserves and thrives on consistency. Even now, he thinks taking on a dog would just be too much, especially considering where he and Luke live, it's far too small to justify--not that he's thought about adopting a pet, he just can't avoid it now that they're here.
Soon, they reach a door to a large room that Reid can already see is filled with cats, most of them perched somewhere or another and resting, though a few of them glance up as they enter. There's one pair in particular that seems to be watching his every move and though he's meant to be looking around the room as a whole, he can't help but look back over at them every few seconds. It doesn't take long for Diane to catch on, and she grins at him before walking over to the cats.
"They're a handsome pair, aren't they?" she asks, chuckling as one of them narrows its eyes at her as she scratches behind its ears. "They were brought in together about six months ago. This one's called Mister Purrkins and his brother there is Catrick Swayze. You know, like Dirty Dancing? Nobody puts Catrick in the corner!"
It doesn't make sense, that's not even the line, and it pains Reid to have to smile and nod. He quickly turns away, pretending to examine the other areas of the room and hoping Russell is managing to keep a straight face because there's no chance in hell Reid is going to risk looking at him again.
"So Denise, you said you're the only one who has access to this door at the end of the night and in the morning, right?"
"That's right," she confirms, "I've been the last one out and first one in for years now, I've barely missed a day."
"And Admiral Snuggles, you said he's been here for a little while now. I saw that you kept his picture ahead of the rest on that photo board, and you even had another picture on your desk of you holding him in your lap. I'm guessing he maybe means a little more to you than just a cat who needs a home?"
"Well, Doctor Reid, all my babies in here mean a little more to me than that," Denise answers, though Reid notices there's a little waver to her voice, and she shifts uncomfortably as she lowers her gaze to the floor. "But yes, I suppose you could say that's true."
Reid hums his agreement, wandering back over to her and absently reaching out to scratch behind Catrick Swayze's ear, though he barely notices that the cat purrs approvingly as he softens his expression for Denise's benefit.
"Denise," he says, taking care to keep his voice gentle and briefly glancing at Russell before turning his attention back to her, "you can be honest with us, and I promise you won't get into any trouble. Do you have the cat?"
She freezes, though she's eyeing the door now like she might actually run over this, and Reid can't deny his relief when she seems to scrap that idea and instead just deflates. "I have him," she mumbles, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose between her fingers.
"I don't know, I didn't think-- I wasn't the one who reported him missing, okay, that was another one of my employees, and I tried to talk her out of it but she insisted and by that time, it had already gone too far. Admiral Snuggles and I, we bonded the very first day he came to us and a few days ago, a family came really close to taking him home and it just got me thinking that I couldn't lose him. I know it's wrong, I know, but now that I've had him at home with me for a few days, I can promise you, it was the right decision."
She pauses then, widening her eyes at him, then Russell. "Am I going to go to prison?"