When I was about 7 years old I had a dog. She was a beautiful dog, a collie. Every day when I came home from school she would run up the road to meet me. We’d play outside until the sun went down. She was my best friend in the world. She died. I locked myself in a closet in our basement and cried for days.

I guess the question I’m getting at is: Have you thoroughly checked every nook and cranny in the house? I suggest you go in the house, be as silent as possible and listen for a gentle sobbing sound.