by Amy Shojai
The dogs looked properly chastised. September backed up Tee’s directive with a silent hand signal, pulled out her baggy of Corazon Candy, and offered a couple of treats to the two dogs and cat. Shadow hopped onto one of the two double beds and settled with a sigh. Karma immediately joined him, prompting his tail to thump the covers, and the pair spooned like an old married couple.
That made September ache to call Combs. He’d already left two messages. She’d replied with only brief texts, promising explanations soon. She wanted to wait to actually talk with him until it was truly over, so he didn’t consider flying to her ‘rescue’. He and the kids needed this time together, and there wasn’t anything he could do anyway.
“How’d it go with Steele? Chris used to say he was a hard case.” September propped a pillow against the headboard of the same bed as the two dogs, and leaned back. “He did have my stuff collected and delivered when I asked, though.” She’d barely unpacked at Angela’s, so they’d simply shut her overnight bag and dropped it off. Thankfully, she’d packed extra disposable litter boxes for Macy, which she’d set up in the bathroom. She’d left Shadow’s bear-toy in the car, so the two dogs wouldn’t argue over it. “We already ate burgers. I told Shadow and Macy not to get used to that.” She smiled, but Tee didn’t respond. The woman really looked bad. “I would’ve ordered you a veggie burrito, but didn’t know how long you’d be, but you could order room service.”
Tee grimaced, dropped her bag, and sank onto the other bed. “Please don’t talk about food.” She shivered. “Maybe I caught a bug. Nothing a shower and some sleep won’t fix. We’ve got to be up bright and early.” She smiled, but it looked forced. Freckles across her cheeks stood out in stark contrast to her pale olive skin.
“We?” September raised her eyebrows. “I’m hitting the road tomorrow as soon as I talk to Steele. I thought your boss recalled you to Chicago.”
“He did. But Steele’s giving me some latitude first. And I need your help. Actually, I need Shadow’s help.”
The dog thumped his tail again at mention of his name, but didn’t move. His head rested on Karma’s shoulder.
September’s shoulders tensed. “Something Karma can’t take care of? It takes two days driving to get back to Heartland.” She rubbed her face. “With this weather, maybe longer. And I can’t leave until Detective Steele releases me.” She studied Tee’s hopeful face, recognizing the eagerness to prove herself. “Okay, Tee. What do you need?”
The smaller woman pulled off first one boot and then the other, flexing her toes and rubbing her feet. “Oh, that’s better.” Tee skinned off soaked socks as she spoke. “I gave Steele the files at the hospital and pointed out the connection to Macy. He wasn’t impressed.” She glanced up at the big cat, now crouched like a miniature lion atop the cabinet. “No offense, cat.”
“Macy doesn’t take offense. Cats don’t care about our opinions.” September laughed. “Isn’t that right, Macy?” She gestured, making a finger-beckoning motion, and he launched himself from his perch to land with a soft thump on the foot of the bed. He hopped over the dogs as he padded up to her lap and curled into the space between her knees.
“Steele went to the hospital to interview the girl I told you about. Charlie Cider.”
September widened her eyes. “That’s her real name? I thought my name was bad.” September stroked the cat, relishing his rumbling purr.
“Who knows? We’ll figure that out another time.” Tee took a big breath, then spoke in a rush as if expecting September to cut her off. “Charlie said she hid the computer backup, a thumb drive, to keep it away from the attacker. I suspect other motives. Charlie’s got a past, and probably not above a bit of larceny. Anyway,” Tee paused, darting looks at September to gauge her interest, “she hid the thumb drive on a cat. Who does that?”
“Really? How original.” September glanced at Shadow hiding a small smile. He’d been only nine months old when he protected another thumb drive. “So call up the animal control, or whoever took possession of her cats. You don’t need me.”
“No, you don’t understand. The cat ran off, so it’s somewhere out in the snow, hopefully still near Turpin’s house.”
“A show cat? Out in this weather?” September shivered, and scratched under Macy’s chin. She’d nearly lost him once. Cats kept inside their whole life had no experience how to protect themselves in the great outdoors.
Tee leaned forward, whispering in hushed, excitable tones. “The cat got away by the garage or storage shed. That’s quite a distance from the house proper.” She wiggled her toes again, then sat cross-legged on the bed. “I promised Steele I’d recover the thumb drive by tracking the missing cat. But you saw how Karma acted around Macy. And one of Turpin’s cats looked ready to take Karma’s face off. Mine, too. Besides, I don’t think Karma would know to track Sherlock. Not the way Shadow’s been trained.”
September frowned. Once a dog learned the joys of cat chasing, training the behavior away proved challenging. A police dog needed to be impervious to such distractions.
“You haven’t seen these cats, September. They’re huge.” Her oval, tilted eyes opened wide. “I had to put Karma in a down-stay in the next room before I could get close to them and get them into cages. They acted nuts, just having Karma there.”
“Sherlock’s the missing cat? Great name.” September sighed. “Here’s the problem, Tee. Those cats saw their owner killed. They went through hell, and then saw Karma shortly after. They may already identify dogs—any dog—as a very-bad-thing. Sherlock dumped out in a snowstorm elevates his stress. It could be tricky having even cat-friendly Shadow track him.”
“Then I’m screwed.” Tee flopped backwards onto the bed, and Karma jumped up across to join her. Tee pushed the dog away, dodging Karma’s slurping tongue across her face. “Recovering the evidence is the only reason Steele kept me on the case. Oh damn, my head.” She rolled over and cradled her face in a pillow.
Macy burpled and head-bumped September’s cheeks. “Not so fast, Tee. I’ve worked with Macy to track missing animals, especially cats. He’s not fully trained. It takes a long time to get reliable results. But so far, he’s pretty good. No guarantees, but we could give it a shot.”
Tee sat up, blinking hard. “Thanks. That’s better than nothing.” She rubbed her eyes again. “Hey, do you have any aspirin?”
September got off the bed and rummaged for the travel-size bottle, which she handed to Tee. “Did Charlie see her attacker? He ran her off the road with his car, right?” She settled again on the bed, and Macy stretched upward to cheek-rub September’s face.
Tee shook out three pills and dry swallowed them. “She saw him only briefly. He wore a ski mask and gloves at first, but she got a good look when he left her for dead. Doesn’t help much, though.” She closed her eyes and repeated the girl’s description. “Pasty-faced, brown eyes, thin lips, receding chin. In other words, he could be anyone. She couldn’t even guess about height, because she only saw him from her perspective on the ground, with him standing over her. She might be able to identify his voice, though. She heard him clearly when he interrogated Turpin.” She rubbed her neck again. “But dark clothes, dark SUV. Does that sound anything like your attacker? If it’s the same do-er, and you both can I.D. his voice or looks, we’re ahead of the game. That is, once we find him.” She stood, strode to the bathroom, and turned on water in the shower.
September called to be heard over the running water. “I heard him, too, but didn’t get a clear look. My guy also wore dark clothes, gloves, and ski mask. And drove a dark SUV. But with this weather, that could describe 80 percent of anyone brave enough to be out in the weather.”
Tee shucked off all her clothes but underwear as she spoke. “Charlie said Sherlock attacked the guy, so there’ll be bite or claw marks. If he’s a hired professional, looking like Joe Shmoe from Idaho works in his favor. Bet we won’t find fingerprints, he’s too careful. Still, anything out of the ordinary that marks him build
s our case.”
“If it’s the same man, look for burns. I threw coffee in his face. By the way, why’d Steele let you question Charlie?” September wrinkled her brow, noticing Tee’s long slim legs and one side of her back had a bullseye-shaped rash before the woman ducked into the shower.
“Steele got called away to a fire. Some judge’s house, friends of the mayor.” She sighed. “Ah, yes, I needed this!”
September set Macy to one side and crossed to the open bathroom door. “Don’t mean to pry, Tee, but you should get that rash looked at.”
Tee didn’t answer. Karma leaped from the bed, startling both September and Shadow. The big dog bulldozed her way into the bathroom, sticking her head into the shower. But her Arooo of warning proved too late to stop Tee crashing to the floor.
Chapter 35
SHADOW’S FUR BRISTLED with alarm when first Karma then September ran into the bathroom. She gave him the hand signal to wait, so he hung back, quivering with tension. He sat on September’s bed next to Macy. The cat leaned against Shadow’s neck, cheek-rubbing him, but that didn’t calm him down.
“I’m okay, I’m fine. Just lost my balance.” Tee’s angry voice preceded her stumble out of the bathroom, clearly resenting September’s support. “Long day, that’s all. I’m fine. Don’t fuss.” She drew the damp towel more closely around her form.
Shadow stretched his neck to nose-touch Karma, but she ignored him, and took her place with Tee on the other bed.
September settled next to Shadow. He leaned against her. Her gentle hand on his shoulders immediately made him feel better. He could read her concern for the smaller woman, but she felt fine. Her calm voice kept him steady.
“How long have you had that rash? And the headaches?”
Tee shrugged. Karma whined and set her broad head across the woman’s lap. “Doesn’t itch or anything. Comes and goes. Guess I first noticed it back in the fall.”
September’s brow wrinkled, and Shadow nose-poked her to make the lines go away. He wished they’d stop talking and turn out the lights so a good-dog could sleep. A nap always made everything better. His tail thumped at the idea.
But the two kept talking and talking. Finally, Shadow hopped off the bed and trotted to the bedside table. Neither woman paid any attention, but Macy watched with interest. Sometimes, a dog knew best and had to decide for people. Shadow reached forward with his nose, found the button, and pressed down with his chin until the lights switched off.
Tee shouted with surprised delight. “Did you train him to do that?”
Laughing, September beckoned for Shadow to rejoin her on the bed. “He learned it from Macy. A hint, I think. Right, baby-dog?”
Shadow waited until Macy curled into the curve behind September’s knees, and then took his own place snugged tight against her other side. Karma’s quiet breathing morphed into soft snores, synchronized with Tee’s breathing.
But he couldn’t relax. September remained stiff, pretending to sleep. When she finally stirred hours later, and quietly rose from the bed, he whined with concern until she put a finger to her lips. She quickly dressed, scribbled something on paper by the bedside lights, and fit Macy with his tracking vest before placing the cat into his carrier.
Whines came in earnest. Shadow paw-danced despite himself when September cracked the door and they stepped into the hallway. He knew what the cat’s tracking vest meant. His own gear lived in the car. He loved following scent to find the lost. Shadow couldn’t wait to wear his own tracking harness.
“Stay with me, baby-dog. Don’t wake Tee. She’s so stubborn, but not invincible.” September’s worry filled her voice, even though Shadow didn’t understand half the words. That didn’t matter, as long as they stayed together. And he’d get to play his favorite tracking game again.
Once in the car, Shadow puffed his breath against the rear window, making nose smears on the glass. September turned up the heat, so the chill left the car. He hadn’t slept so the warm air made a good-dog sleepy. The drive took them out of the city, and soon only the dim shine of moon glow played hide and seek in the clouds.
“Thank goodness the plows cleared the roads.” September finally broke the silence, and Shadow roused from his doze as they drew near to a large house. “Now, let’s hope for more luck to find the cat.”
Shadow woofed and thumped his tail at the find word. He grew more excited when September climbed out the car. “Sorry, Shadow, this time Macy does the honors. Shadow wait.” She walked around to the rear of the car, let Macy out of his carrier, and left Shadow shut inside.
He yelped. He ran to first one window and then the next to keep September and Macy in view. She left the front eyelights shining the snow to a white sheen, bathing the small outbuilding in a reflective glow. He watched her open the carrier’s zipper webbing, and grasp Macy’s leash, and barked his protest again. He wanted to play the tracking game! September always gave him something to sniff—a toy, or dog sweater, or cat brush—so he knew where to start. But she offered no sniff-suggestion to Macy, just set the big cat down in the icy tire tracks revealed by the lights. His brow furrowed. Maybe September didn’t want Macy to track anything after all?
But after shaking himself hard to settle the fur beneath his jacket-harness, Macy padded quickly to the end of the leash September clutched. The big cat guided her forward, and September followed Macy’s paw steps toward the small building.
Shadow barked again. September glared over one shoulder at him, putting one gloved finger to her lips. His ears fell. He licked his lips. With a whine, Shadow settled onto the rear seat, and watched.
MR. BLEAK REMEMBERED the white animal leaped from the girl’s car, and figured it ran back to the house. But the police had secured all doors and windows, so he didn’t need to waste time searching inside. He checked nearby trees—cats supposedly liked to climb trees—and viewed every angle of the roof. As he’d looked in each nook and cranny, his impatience grew. Surely it couldn’t hide forever? He’d search the outbuilding last, and might have to torch the place after all. When a car’s headlights speared the night, he stepped into the shadows to watch. He didn’t feel angry at the miscalculation, simply made adjustments.
Huh. Not the baby cop after all. He recognized the black shepherd barking in the back seat. His research into the animal’s owner told him all he needed to know about the dog’s skills. What a weird-ass waste, to train a mutt to track lost animals, instead of something useful like to take down bad guys.
He sneered internally, but remained expressionless. The scalded skin felt so hot and tight on his face, it might split open if he blinked too hard. He settled in to wait. She’d come to him, so no need to track her down. Once she recovered the computer backup, he’d relish eliminating the cat, September Day, and her precious black dog.
MACY PULLED AGAINST the leash, padding with dainty grace through the cold powdery white. He detested the snow, but enjoyed the games he played with September. The jacket vest signaled what game she intended, so he delicately sniffed the air as he drew near the building.
His ears twitched, detecting the ultrasonic squeak of vermin. Macy licked his lips, and the tip of his long dark tail twitched. He’d already eaten in his carrier, on the car trip here, so felt no urgent need to hunt. But still... the hardwired instinct challenged his focus, until September spoke one word.
“Find.” She urged him on, her voice soft, and rattled the baggy in her pocket. The promise of stinky fish treats trumped Macy’s mousy temptation.
He tugged the leash again, eager to examine the scents that clung in the dips and hollows protected from the wind. Macy led September around the building, sniffing likely corners at cheek-rub height, seeking the signature territorial claim of another of his kind.
They reached the open doorway. Macy’s nose twitched at two competing smells. The scary human scent bathed the large car that squatted in the middle of the building. He hissed, arched his back, and turned aside when September repeated the request once
again. Macy understood the man-smell didn’t matter in this quest. No, September only wanted to find a cat hiding nearby.
The missing cat’s urine scent permeated the enclosure. Male. Adult. Potent. Scared. The height of its check-rub marks told him the cat’s size, and more. He glanced up at September and mewed softly. She bent to stroke his cheeks—he loved that, and leaned hard into the caress. Macy understood she couldn’t detect the smell evidence of the friendly intact male. He rubbed his cheeks against her hand, refreshing his scent-claim. September belonged to him.
He loved September, even if she lacked the discriminating skills of an intelligent cat. Macy appreciated other cats more than dogs, although he’d grown to like Shadow—once the dog had been properly schooled in cat appreciation. He had watched her show Shadow, and already knew what to do before September finally understood he wanted to play tracking games, too.
Sometimes, people took a very long time to learn things that cats quickly understood. Humans did know how to harvest the best treats, though.
Macy sniffed the sides of the doorway, then tugged September around the wall, sniffing only a couple more times to be sure. He stood on his hind legs, and leaped up to the top of a nearby stack of bags and boxes. Yes, the strange cat rested here for some time, but then fled, leaving behind fear-stink. Macy lifted his head higher and scented the air. He hopped down from the perch and tugged September deeper into the storage area, sniffing the bases of boxes and bags along the way.
The pee-mail deposit emanated from midway down the back wall of stacked materials. Macy liked the location. It offered options to escape from two directions, and clear sight-lines to see approaching danger. He tugged harder, feeling the tension over his shoulders where the leash connected to his vest, and picked up his pace.