Page 69 of The Little Porto Book Club

‘Maybe real port would help?’ he teases.

‘At this stage, it can’t hurt, can it? It’s infuriating that you keep beating me.’

He ignores me and goes back to his love song. When he eventually wins yet again, I groan. ‘Who are you singing those love songs to?’ I ask.

‘To?’

‘You look like you’ve got someone in your mind when you sing. Who is it?’

‘You really want to know?’

I set up the chess pieces again. ‘I really do.’

‘I lost the love of my life, Bruno.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry.’

Chess Man wipes a tear. ‘He was zooming around the park like he always did, everyone here knows him, throws the ball for him, but one day he didn’t come back.’

‘Wait, Bruno is a dog? Bruno and Nuno?’

‘Bruno and Nuno, the best of friends. Bruno the Wonder Dog with one eye!’

My heart skitters to a stop. ‘He has one eye?’

‘Yes, born that way. I got him a little eye patch. Ever since he’s been gone, I’ve been so heart sore, he’s not just a dog, he’s my best – wait, Viviane, where are you going?’

I’m running and that’s something you don’t see every day. When my phone beeps with a message, I gratefully stop to catch my breath and read it.

Mum texts: Sorry, querida, I’m going to be late, been asked to finish a job. Meet you at the bookshop and we’ll get dinner after instead? Be there by 6 p.m., latest.

I take a deep breath and run on, hoping to catch the woman at the boutique before she locks up for the evening, because surely there aren’t two one-eyed dogs who wear eye patches in Porto. There he is, on a lead out front as the owner locks up for the day.

The dog yaps at me and wags his tail. Up close, his name tag reads Bruno. I have solved a real-life Porto mystery! Me, Viviane Álverez! But what if this boutique owner is some kind of dognapper and won’t give up her fluffy charge? How far am I prepared to take this for Chess Man? I think of him crooning those haunting songs for his little pal. All the way. I’ll take it all the way to reunite them.

‘Hello. May I pat him?’ I’m out of breath and probably appear half-crazed. Yes, confirmed when she reels back from me. ‘Sorry, I just love dogs, and he’s so cute.’

Her face relaxes. ‘Sure, you can pat him. He might lick you to death though.’

I squat down and tickle his scuff, he gazes up at me adoringly with his one beautiful watery eye. ‘Where did you find Bruno?’

She bends to scoop him up. ‘He found me.’

OK, I walked into that one. ‘Right. It’s just a friend of mine.’ Look at me go, friends all over Porto! ‘Lost his dog and little Bruno here is the image of him.’

‘Oh.’ Her face falls. ‘I knew this day would eventually come.’

‘This day?’

‘I’m a foster carer. Bruno was found running by the river and handed in. He had his collar with his name on it but no phone number. While I’ll be happy Bruno’s reunited with his person, it’s always so hard to let them go.’

‘I understand. It must be difficult. I’ve enjoyed watching him zoom around the boutique, nipping at customers’ heels.’

She laughs. ‘Yes, well, I don’t think they’ve all loved that, but Bruno here wouldn’t be left at home. He pined all day, so I had to bring him to work. I guess that means I’ll have to meet his owner and hand him back. The animal rescue I work for will insist on him filling all the paperwork in, and he’ll have to prove he’s Bruno’s owner and that he’ll be cared for, that sort of thing.’

‘I can promise you Bruno has the best life with Chess Man. He plays at the Jardim da Cordoaria every day.’

‘Ah, that’s where the zoomies come in. Well, maybe he better use an extra-long lead, so he doesn’t wander off again.’