by Makenzi Fisk
On the other side of the murky Red River, Winnipeg’s bland offices and apartment buildings crowded together in vanilla and chocolate blocks. She lengthened her stride. The only way to decrease the pressure in her head was to follow the course set out before her. The pervasive thought was simply to go this way. She wasn’t sure what they’d find, but judging from the pain in her temples, it was urgent. “Hurry.”
Erin followed without question.
“I’m not familiar with this path.” Thistles clung to Ciara’s dress and scratched her bare legs. “Are you sure you aren’t getting us lost?”
Allie broke into a jog and Erin and Ciara plowed through the bushes to keep up. This was supposed to be a group walk, a chance for everyone to bond, but they’d barely been able to talk before Allie had felt a familiar pull. The sensation that something needed her attention right now. Then it had become another of her weird adventures.
God knows Erin should be used to this by now, and even though they’d never directly spoken about it, the strange escapades of their university days were probably surfacing in Ciara’s memory.
“Allie! Where…?”
Beside her Ciara stumbled and wrenched the edge of her dress away from a bramble. “Aw, bloody hell!” She snatched a torn piece of her hem from the prickles. “My favorite dress, again.” She folded the ripped fabric and stuffed it in her pocket.
“Just a bit further,” Allie urged. She glanced at Erin who tilted her head to the trail. Branches whipping behind her, Allie took off again, faster than before. When they neared a bridge, Allie stopped and turned. “Not here.” She looked up at the traffic crossing above. “There.”
“We need to go up on the bridge?” Erin raised to her toes, ready to run wherever Allie indicated.
“Come on.” Allie swatted at the brush and lead them up the incline. Cars whipped past. She took a step onto the road and a motorcycle swerved, horn beeping long after he was gone.
“Baby!” Erin caught her by the elbow and pulled her back. “You need to pay attention.”
Allie pointed to the opposite side of the bridge. A delivery van zoomed by and her hair fluttered in the sucking wind.
“I don’t see anything.” Ciara brushed dark bangs from her face.
“Listen!” Erin cocked her head and the others fell silent. In between passing vehicles, they heard it. A high-pitched whine.
Ciara stared at Allie. “You heard that? From down there?”
“Uh, more like I felt it.” Allie looked to Erin, back to the other side of the road. Hurry.
Erin shot forward after the next car passed.
“Left!” Allie called.
Erin turned and followed the edge of the bridge’s concrete barrier.
“No, your other left!” Allie pointed.
Erin pivoted the other way. Suddenly, she perked up and dashed forward.
Allie waited for a series of trucks and spotted a break in traffic. She sprinted across, Ciara close behind. By the time they reached the other side, Erin had already lifted an iron grate that covered the entrance to the bridge’s drainage system. Underground, something wailed for help.
Erin knelt and thrust her arm inside. “It’s deep but it’s down there.” She poked her head through the hole and came back up. Wrenching the heavy grate aside, she slid her upper body into the drain. With bent knees acting as anchors above ground, she grunted and twisted through.
“Honey, do you see him?” Allie peered into the dark hole. A small animal thrashed in neck-deep muck. His distress sent spikes of pain to her temples.
Erin scooped up a brown lump and held the struggling armful tight. He peered at her with startled brown eyes and sneezed. His skinny legs dangled.
“What is it?” Ciara leaned in.
“I’m not sure. It’s too dirty to tell. Maybe a baby muskrat.”
“You did it again Pet Detective.” Ciara slapped Allie on the back. “You found a lost animal. God, how I miss our university days! Remember that skunk you thought was the neighbor’s cat? You should hang up a shingle, really.”
Allie rolled her eyes. They had learned the hard way that tomato juice didn’t work as well as people said. She reached out to touch the quivering lump. Static electricity stung her fingertips and she flinched away.
“You weren’t kidding. Erin really is a superhero,” Ciara stage-whispered.
Erin’s ears turned pink.
“Is he hurt?” Allie bent for a closer look. What creature exuded such energy?
Ciara tore the rest of the tattered hem from her dress and handed it to Erin. “Here. Unless it’s a cat, you’re probably better with animals.”
Allie shook her head. Ciara had not changed a bit.
“Besides, muskrats have sharp teeth. It’s likely to bite off my fingers.” Ciara folded her arms.
Erin took the cloth and cleaned dirt from the animal’s face.
His energy was weak, an intermittent glow, yet there were sparks. One pink triangular ear appeared from the filth and she leaned close to examine him. “Hmm.”
Erin cleaned the other ear and they stuck out like large pointed flags on either side of its head. “You’re definitely not a muskrat.”
“It has a bat face,” Ciara volunteered.
“It’s cute, whatever it is.” Erin hugged it gently while she wiped down its body and paws. When she was done, she held it out for everyone to see. The color of a fawn, with white markings across its chest and underbelly, the animal’s tiny body shook violently. Unusually large ears were now pinned back to its head.
“It’s a chihuahua!” Erin exclaimed. “And it’s a boy.”
“With a bat face.” Ciara reclaimed her soggy mud-covered scrap of cloth. “I can sew that back on.”
“He has certainly had the adventure of his lifetime today,” Allie said. He looked so exhausted. Helpless.
“You should hold him.” Erin frowned when Allie took a step back. “Animals love you. He might stop shaking.”
Allie pursed her lips.
“He needs you,” Ciara offered.
Allie let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and reached for the dog. She ignored the static shock when she touched the soft fur. Warmth enveloped her and she closed her eyes. Her lungs filled with sweet air. Fiona felt like this. Fiona, the best dog ever. She was gone too soon. The warmth intensified and Allie gasped. It was hot. Too hot. The sensation intoxicated her.
“I can’t.” She backed away, hyper-aware of Ciara and Erin’s eyes on her.
As usual, Erin came to her rescue. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” She folded the dog into the front of her shirt, exposing her toned midriff, and crossed the road. She looked taller, more confident. Immensely competent.
Allie watched her well-defined calf muscles flex and release with each step. How had she managed to find this woman, this rescuer of animals and people? This woman who had her eye as well as her heart?
Ciara elbowed her in the ribs. She had noticed too. The two women followed Erin back to the house, giggling like teenagers.
Erin handed the dog to Ciara when they reached the back yard and stripped off muddy clothing. Undressed to her skivvies, she balled up her clothes and wrung out the water.
“I think you need to get rid of those too.” Ciara pointed to her bra and panties, lips squeezed tight to keep from laughing. “You don’t want to track mud through the nice clean house.”
“Cut it out, you old lecher!” Allie punched her on the shoulder. She had a point. They had spent hours cleaning everything until it was spotless. Livable.
Erin hung her wet socks side by side on the handrail, and then straightened them so they were exactly parallel. She frowned at the two giggling friends.
“She’s so dirty.” Ciara caught Allie’s glare. “I won’t look, honest.” She held the sad-eyed dog up and imitated its forlorn expression.
Erin solved the faux dispute. She wiped her feet on the doormat and stalked past them to the bathroom. “You get to clean th
e muskrat.”
Allie handed Erin a towel when she emerged from the shower, skin scrubbed pink. “Ciara is just kidding.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve been teased.” Erin rubbed her hair until it stood up in spikes. “It’s no big deal.” She dried behind her ears and finished.
“I guess we just get a bit silly together. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, and university was a crazy time.”
“I get it. Hanging out with Z-man is like that.” Erin slipped into the clean clothes Allie had brought.
“Yeah, Chris is a funny guy. Once you get to know Ciara, you’ll love her just as much.”
Erin glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “What’s up with the dog? You love dogs. Are you missing Fiona?”
“Maybe.” A vision of Fiona’s happy tongue dangling from the side of her mouth accompanied an ache in her chest. “I don’t know.”
“Let’s go see what he looks like.”
Allie nodded.
Erin carefully arranged her towel on the rack and followed her downstairs.
“Here he is, the pooch of the hour, freshly washed.” Ciara handed the dog to Erin. “So handsome.”
“Come here, little guy.” Erin picked him up and snuggled onto the sofa. The dog curled into a tight ball on her lap. His tawny coat, still fluffy from the vigorous rubdown, shone. Oversize pink ears moved like satellite dishes at every sound. “He has no marks or tattoos, but he looks healthy, except for the shaking.” She checked his body, ears, belly and inside his mouth while she talked.
Allie brought a small bowl. “I know he drank his fill of mud today, but he might need water to wash it down.” She held it in front of the dog and his pink tongue extended to lap up half the dish.
“He won’t stop shaking.” Erin held the dog up and light shone through his semi translucent ears. “Somewhere inside, his internal engine must be off-kilter.”
“He has an adorable bat face.” Ciara leaned between them to scratch the dog’s chin.
Allie took a step back with her water dish. “He seems like a perfectly nice dog, for a chihuahua.”
“Auntie Agnes always said it’s not a real dog if you can kick it thirty feet.” Erin crooned and gently massaged the dog’s ears so they unfolded and stuck straight out. He snuggled against her cheek.
“Your auntie Agnes adores animals as much as you do.”
“She knows I’m kidding,” she whispered to the dog.
“Is the superhero scaring the puppy?” Ciara’s laugh rang like a silver spoon against crystal.
“I know he’s cute, but he needs to find his owners.” Allie resisted the pull she felt toward this needy creature. “While we make dinner, why don’t you take him to the animal shelter?”
Erin’s eyebrows shot up. “But I thought you were led to find him.”
“That doesn’t mean we keep someone else’s dog. He just needed our help.” Even as she said the words, she knew that’s not what she felt. “I already programmed your phone with the address. It’s not more than ten minutes away.”
Erin got to her feet, dog clasped to her heart.
“He’s not ours, Honey.” Allie shook her head gently.
“We’re making vegan stuffed seitan roast!” Ciara called out on her way to the kitchen. Erin wrinkled her nose and Allie gave her a stern look.
Ciara was removing a gray oblong-shaped loaf from the oven when Erin shuffled back in the door carrying a plastic bag emblazoned with the animal shelter logo.
Allie frowned at the suspicious bulge under her T-shirt. “Did you forget your mission, soldier?”
Erin shook her head. “The animal shelter was a zoo, literally.” She lifted the front of her shirt, where the chihuahua shivered against her warm skin. “They are over capacity, with five million cats and pet rabbits. They can’t accept any more animals.”
Allie placed a hand on her hip. “Five million, really?”
“Honestly, I’m not making this up so we can keep the muskrat.” She made a kissy-face at the dog. “They suggested I try another shelter in Brandon, but all the shelters are overcrowded right now due to the flooding. So many misplaced people make for a lot of misplaced animals.”
“Shall I set one more plate for dinner?” Ciara teased.
Allie sighed.
“The good news is that our waterlogged canine friend does not have a microchip.” Erin tilted her head at Allie. “Or bad news, depending on how you want to take it.”
“Well, it sounds like we have no choice.” Allie sighed. “For now. Please tell me you have dog food in this bag.” Erin handed it over and Allie lined up the contents on the counter. “A month’s worth of premium puppy food—”
“Nothing but the best for our muddy buddy.” Erin interrupted.
“A brand new collar—”
“Rainbow-colored, of course.” Erin’s grin was irresistible.
“A matching leash, a food dish and a half-dozen dog toys.” Allie raised an eyebrow. “Should I believe this story about the overcrowded shelter?”
“Cross my heart.” Erin held up the tag on one of the toys. There was conviction in her eyes.
It was inevitable. Tension formed a knot between Allie’s shoulder blades. “Promise me one thing before you send the new baby announcements to the relatives.”
“Anything.”
“Place an ad online and check social media to make sure no one is looking for him.”
“Done!” Erin filled the dog’s new dish and placed it beside Ciara’s water bowl. “Rachel is going to love her new brother.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.” The cat was skulking somewhere and hadn’t yet met the intruder.
Erin set the dog on the floor to explore and joined them at the table. He immediately lifted a hind leg and peed a stream of yellow onto the corner of the cabinet. “I got it!” She leapt up and blotted the tiny puddle with a paper towel.
“I’m so glad you didn’t rescue a Saint Bernard.” Ciara placed a white ceramic baking dish on the table and followed it with a salad bowl brimming with leafy greens and cherry tomatoes. The salad looked tasty enough, but the gray loaf had an oddly suspicious texture.
Erin shot a glance at Allie.
“So pick them off,” Allie mouthed when Ciara looked away. Despite their vivid color and versatility, she’d never seen Erin choke down a fresh tomato. Chop and simmer it into a sauce, smother it with cheese, obliterate it with seasoning, but never would she eat an actual tomato. Allie even made a point of grinding their extra chunky salsa.
“Look at us all having a civilized dinner.” Ciara smirked. “We’re like the United Nations. We have our pale-skinned Swedish American representative,” she nodded to Erin who rolled her eyes. “Allie gets to represent Ireland, Canada and the Ojibwe people. I am English and, of course we have our nameless Mexican representative chewing the corner of my grandmother’s chair.” She scooted the dog away from it with her foot. “And the wine is French. Bon appétit!”
“Did you drink it all while you were cooking?” Erin quipped and Ciara laughed. She poured her a glass.
Allie rested her chin on her palm and watched Erin stoically fish around the tomatoes with the salad tongs. The knot between her shoulder blades unwound. Everyone was allowed a quirk or two. She raised her hand to hide her smile when Erin picked up the spatula to address the issue of the vegan mystery loaf. They definitely would have to sneak out for burgers later.
CHAPTER 14
“What the fuck? Goddammit! Motherf—!” There is a long pause, then “Awwwww,” followed by a rustle of clothing as Nina’s dad slumps to the porch steps.
Take that you bastard!
Step one of my plan is complete. He’ll need some help and four new tires to get that van back on the road. Behind the neighbor’s hedge, I crouch like a panther and find a break in the foliage where I can watch. He’s sitting there, staring at the van and scratching his head.
With one hand tight to my mouth, I squeeze
fingers hard into my jawbones to keep my laugh in. My other hand clutches the lock blade knife I liberated from Albert and Barb’s house. It was my first best friend when I got to Winnipeg and never disappoints me. Squeaks of air escape my nose, but he’s too busy talking on his cell phone to hear me. Yes, he will be very late to work today.
Step two is where he goes into the van and reads my note. I rock back and forth on my heels. I can hardly wait for his reaction. He gets up and I move to a better spot where I can see through the van’s windows. I want to see his expression when he reads it.
He’s still not there. I move back to my first spot just in time to see the side door slam. He hasn’t seen my note at all. He’s gone back into the house! He was supposed to go to the van. Now he’s messed it up.
The kitchen window is half open and I hear shouts. He’s yelling at Nina’s mom. Her mom yells back.
“Who did this? Is this your boyfriend?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My van! That’s what I’m talking about. Did you tell your boyfriend to do this?”
“What boyfriend? There is no one else.”
“Someone slashed my tires!”
“I don’t—”
There is a wet smack, like something dropped in mud.
“Leave her alone!” Nina’s shrill voice. Something breaks and someone screams.
I crawl out from behind the hedge and select a rock, the biggest one I can throw, and aim for the front window. With a windup that would put a major leaguer to shame, I pitch it and it ricochets off the frame. I’m disappointed but the noise is loud enough to distract Nina’s dad.
“Is he out there right now?” He sounds angry, really angry. Soon he’ll be back here to search for the nonexistent boyfriend. I don’t want him to find me stunned like a rutabaga in the middle of the driveway so I slip back behind the bushes and wait. My heart pounds in my ears but my nerves harden. This guy has got nothing on me.