by Diane Kelly
Landis snorted a frustrated breath and yanked the lanyard over his head, cursing as he cast it to the ground. Knowing things that fell to the floor were often delicious, Brigit lowered her head and sniffed the card. When she realized it wasn’t a tasty tidbit, she backed away and sat down by my side, issuing a disappointed doggie sigh.
While I could understand the shock and anger at being fired, acting like an ass wasn’t going to do anyone any good, least of all the custodian. I picked up the card and handed it to the security guard. “I’d be happy to help escort Mr. Landis out, if you’d like.”
Landis turned to me. “Why? You think I’m gonna go off and do something stupid, like coldcock him?” He gave an angry shake of his head. “Not my style.”
He was quiet from then on, his jaw clenched as tight as a bear trap as the security guard and I walked with him to the employee locker room. Once he’d gathered his coat and returned his uniform vest and jacket, we proceeded en masse to the exit. Janelle looked up from inside her booth, her eyes wide and wary. The security guard took up a post just outside the entrance, probably to make sure Landis didn’t attempt to return. Brigit and I followed Landis into the lot.
He cast an irritated glance my way. “You don’t gotta follow me. I’m gonna leave.”
“That’s not why I’m here,” I said.
He stopped walking. “What do you want, then?”
“Are you on parole?” Inmates who fulfilled their full sentence were released with no strings, but they received no ongoing support. Those released early for good behavior were required to check in regularly with a parole officer. The POs helped parolees stay on track and find work. “If you are, maybe your PO could help you find another job.”
The man tossed me a sour look. “The best job he could find me before was shoveling shit, and you see how that turned out. I wanted to take some of the other classes in prison, but there weren’t enough open spots. The warden steered me to the janitorial program.”
I would hate to see this guy give up and become a statistic, another recidivist. I reminded Landis of his options. “There are other job-training programs you can attend now. Or you could go to school. There are churches and nonprofits that help with reintegration, too.”
“Or you can give me two grand to get through the month,” he snapped.
“If I had any extra cash, I wouldn’t be wearing these shoes.” I raised my foot to show him the duct tape holding the sole onto my tactical shoe. In a recent moment of weakness, Brigit had resorted to her old, shoe-chewing ways. But given that she’d just barely survived being shot, I’d let her indiscretion slide.
He took one look at my shoe and snorted. “Maybe you should look for a new job, too.”
“Point taken.” As we parted ways, I pushed the button on my shoulder-mounted radio and notified dispatch about the missing macaws, asking officers to be on the lookout. “The birds are bright blue with yellow rings around their eyes,” I explained. “About three feet long.”
With any luck, the birds would be found in a nearby tree and returned to the zoo soon. I started the car and turned on the heater, my frozen bones happy for the warmth. It was half past four and the sky was rapidly darkening. I turned on the headlights and prepared to shift the car into reverse when a voice came across the radio, the haughty intonation of my former partner, Derek Mackey. While he claimed he’d been given his nickname because he sported an unusually large male member, it was more likely he’d been dubbed the “Big Dick” because he often acted like one. It was such behavior that had led to me Tasering him in the nards and being reassigned to work with Brigit.
“Hey, Megan,” Derek said. “I’ve spotted those birds you’re looking for.”
“You did?” My heart soared with hope. “Where?”
He rattled off an address on Eighth Avenue, a mile and a half by road and even closer as the crow flies.
“Thanks! I’ll be right there.” I backed up and zipped out of the lot, driving as fast as I dared. In less than a minute, I turned into the parking lot of a Fiesta Mart grocery store. Derek’s patrol car sat at the front curb, his beefy body filling the front seat, his reddish hair reflecting the lights of the sign above him. I glanced up through my windshield, but saw no birds in what few trees surrounded the lot. No birds were perched on the light posts, either. I pulled up next to him and unrolled my window. “Where are the birds?”
With a smirk, he pointed through the front window of the store at a display of parrot piñatas hanging inside. “Right there.” He guffawed, punched the gas, and roared off.
Jackass. Fuming, I aimed for the fire station. After all, people called the fire department about cats stuck in trees. Maybe they’d call if they spotted the big blue birds in a tree, too. It couldn’t hurt to let Seth and the others on duty know about the escaped macaws. Still, a part of me wondered if they had truly escaped. Though we’d found no clear evidence they’d been stolen, we’d found no decisive proof they hadn’t been, either.
Due to the frigid temperature, the bay doors were closed when we pulled into the station. Both Frankie’s red Juke and Seth’s blue Nova sat in the lot, along with other cars belonging to the first responders on duty. I retrieved Brigit from her enclosure and we headed inside through the regular door. My partner slowed and raised her nose to sniff the air, but it didn’t take a canine’s superior senses to detect the scents of sugar, vanilla, and chocolate. Someone’s baking. Hearing voices coming from the kitchen and unable to resist the enticing aroma, Brigit and I made our way down the hall and stopped in the doorway.
Seth, Frankie, and three of their fellow firefighters sat at a table playing penny-ante poker, their focus on the cards in their hands. Blast lay under the table at Seth’s feet, his eyes closed as he dozed. A woman I’d never seen stood at the stove. She looked to be in her early twenties. Her fresh face was fully made up, a thick swipe of liquid liner accenting her big green eyes, pink-hued gloss giving her lips a natural glow. She’d pulled her caramel-blond hair up in a sleek, shiny twist atop her head, as if she had a prom to attend. She wore a paramedic uniform and darn if it didn’t look good on her. She must’ve had it altered to fit her curves. She plucked small balls of baked brownie dough from a cookie sheet, stopping once to blow on her singed fingertips. She rolled the balls in a mix of powdered sugar and cocoa, and arranged them on a plate. She carried the plate over to the table and set it down next to the pile of coins. “Eat up.”
Seth picked up a ball and juggled it between his hands. “Ow. Hot.”
“They’re best warm.” She grabbed the ball from the air, gently blew on it to cool it off, and turned to Seth. “Open wide.” When he opened his mouth, she put her fingers to his lips and popped the treat inside.
What the—? It took everything in me not to whip out my nightstick and give her a pop of my own. Brigit seemed none too happy with this situation, either. She raised her snout and issued a sharp arf! All heads snapped to look in our direction.
“Hey, Megan.” Seth smiled as he stood. “Didn’t hear you come in.”
Frankie waggled her fingers. “Hey, roomie.”
Blast lifted his head and, spotting Brigit, rolled to his feet to greet his best girl.
As I stepped into the room, the young woman walked up to stand next to Seth. Seth introduced us, holding out a hand to indicate Alex. “Megan, this is Alex, our new paramedic.”
When he’d told me a few days back that the station had hired a new paramedic named Alex, he hadn’t mentioned that Alex was female. Hmm. That was funny. It was also not funny.
“Alex”—he moved his hand to indicate me—“this is Megan. She’s a cop with the Fort Worth PD.”
Alex giggled. “I’d already guessed that, Seth. The uniform clued me in.”
Despite the slight nausea their chumminess brought to my gut, I forced a smile and held out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Alex.”
She took my hand. Her skin was nearly as soft as Nan Ishii’s had been. I might have to start paying m
ore for my lotion.
From her seat, Frankie held up the plate. “Try one of these, Megan. They’re sooo good!”
I took one of the baked cocoa-covered balls from the plate and bit into it. Mmm. Frankie was right. They were yummy. I shoved the rest into my mouth and licked the powder from my fingers. “Delicious.” I turned back to Alex. “What are they? Rum balls?”
Alex lifted her slim shoulders and giggled again. “I call them ‘Reindeer Droppings.’”
Of course you do.
Brigit looked up at me and issued an insistent bark that said I want to try one, too!
I ruffled her head. “Sorry, Brigit. Chocolate’s not good for dogs.”
Seth patted his leg. “Come with me, girl. I’ll get you a hot dog instead.”
Brigit and Blast followed Seth to the fridge and wagged their tails as he finagled a package of hot dogs out of a drawer. He nuked two of them in the microwave and cut them into pieces before returning to the table and pulling out a chair for me. As we fed our furry partners, he asked how my shift was going. I told him and the others what happened at the zoo.
“Would y’all mind keeping an eye out for Fabiana and Fernando?” I asked. “They’ve lived at the zoo for years. They probably don’t know how to forage for food. They might not be able to survive in the wild.” Maybe they’d luck out and find a house with a full bird feeder.
They all agreed to watch for the macaws. Seth said he’d ask the captain to send a notice department-wide in case the birds flew farther out.
My cell phone buzzed in my jacket pocket. The readout indicated it was an incoming call from the station. I accepted the call, stood, and stepped away from the table so they could resume their poker game. “Officer Megan Luz.”
It was the crime scene lab calling. “Got your fingerprint results,” the tech said. “All of the prints you lifted match Mrs. Ishii’s.”
So either the plumber hadn’t stolen the rings, or he’d managed to snatch them from the bowl without leaving a print. Either way, barring a confession, the plumber could be ruled out as a suspect. I thanked the tech, tucked my phone back into my pocket, and turned back to Seth and Frankie. “I better get back out on patrol.” I raised a hand in good-bye to the group and directed a nod at Alex. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too!” she said. As I reattached Brigit’s lead, Alex scurried over to snatch a small plastic bag from a box on the counter, filled the bag with a dozen balls, and handed it to me. “Here. Take some Reindeer Droppings to go.”
I hadn’t liked how comfortable she’d seemed with Seth, but she was making it really hard for me to be annoyed with her. “Thanks.” I tucked the bag into my pocket alongside my phone.
Seth stood. “Blast and I will walk you out.”
Alex’s brows angled slightly as her gaze went from me to Seth. She appeared confused, as if she hadn’t realized Seth and I had a personal relationship.
Seth hadn’t bothered to put on a jacket, and as we walked out into the parking lot he shivered involuntarily. “Brr.”
Alex probably wouldn’t mind keeping Seth warm. “Wimp,” I teased.
He hugged himself. “Guilty as charged.” We both knew he was anything but. Wimps don’t go looking for explosives, detonate bombs, or run into burning buildings to save people.
I watched him closely as I opened the back door of the patrol car and signaled for Brigit to hop inside. “Alex seems nice.”
“She likes to cook,” he said. “That’s a big plus around here.”
I closed the door. “Is she a good paramedic?”
“This is her first job, but she’s getting there. We’ve got to get her up to speed as quick as possible. The holidays are coming. You know what that means.”
Did I ever. To civilians, the holidays meant gifts, feasts, and fun times with family and friends. To first responders, the holidays meant burglaries, domestic violence, drunk drivers, and dry Christmas trees going up in flames. While everyone else slowed down to relax, law enforcement, firefighters, and medical professionals worked overtime.
Seth leaned in and gave me a kiss that warmed me down to my toes. He rested his forehead against mine, his cocoa-scented breath soft against my cheek. “Be careful out there.”
“I will. You be careful out there, too.” And in there, where Alex is.
Seth and Blast stepped back, but remained outside, waving as Brigit and I drove off.
As we made our way to Nan Ishii’s house, I found myself feeling a little uneasy. My relationship with Seth is solid, isn’t it? Sure it was. We cared deeply about each other, relied on each other, our lives having become slowly yet hopelessly entangled over the time we’d dated. We enjoyed each other’s company, as did our dogs. While we weren’t the most demonstratively romantic people, we found ways to show each other how much we felt. Alex wasn’t a threat, was she? Of course not. I was being ridiculous, feeling insecure for no reason. Still, I couldn’t shake the image of her sliding her baked goods into Seth’s mouth any more than I could shake that hippopotamus for Christmas song from my brain. I sent a quick text to Frankie. Seth didn’t mention Alex was female. Should I be concerned?
Her reply came right back. Not a bit. He knew you’d find out sooner or later.
True. Police and fire stations often coordinated in emergencies. Still, I found myself wondering whether Alex had set her sights on Seth and, if so, whether he was aware of it. But before I could think too much about it, I arrived at the Ishii residence. Because my conversation with Nan would be brief, I left Brigit in the cruiser as I went to the door and rang the bell. Given that it was now full dark outside and the porch was lit only by a small coach light, I kept my head up so Nan could easily identify me through the peephole.
A moment later she pulled the door open, her little dog cradled again in her arms. Her left hand was buried in his fur, her ring finger obscured. “Hi, Officer Luz. Any news?”
“That’s why I’m here. The lab results are in. All the prints on the ring bowl were yours.”
She frowned. “Fingerprints or not, the plumber must have taken my rings.”
“Sorry. Without prints or a confession, we have no grounds to make an arrest.”
“I understand.” She shifted the dog in her arms, her left hand now out in the open. The porch light glinted off her new ring set like it was reflecting off a disco ball. Whoa. The round stone in her engagement ring was one of the largest I’d ever seen, probably close to two carats. The glitzy wedding band featured a row of channel-set diamonds in a platinum setting. The set was gorgeous, if gaudy. She’d wasted no time replacing her earlier set, as if she knew she’d never see them again. These new rings were also an entirely different style. Hmm and hmm.
I gestured to her hand. “Your husband already replaced your rings?”
“No. He’s still in Colorado. He extended his ski trip. He told me to pick out whatever I wanted, so I did.” She held out her hand and smiled at her new rings, shrugging as she did so.
Wow. Must be nice not to have to wait for the insurance check to be able to afford expensive new jewelry. “I’ve circulated the information to local pawnshops,” I said. “If anything turns up, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, you might want to take a look online, see if the rings show up for sale on eBay. If they do, let me know.”
She thanked me, and I headed back to my cruiser, knowing the chances of her rings being found were slim. Stolen property was rarely recovered. I could only hope Alex wouldn’t try to steal Seth’s heart.
SIX
SCROOGE
Brigit
The hot dog Seth had fed her wasn’t bad, but Brigit would’ve liked to try one of those round brown things the humans had been eating. Megan had a bunch of them in her jacket pocket. Brigit could smell them. She didn’t know why Megan was being so stingy, refusing to share. But two can play this game …
She stood and whimpered through the mesh that separated her from Megan. As expected, Megan pulled the cruiser into the parking lot
of a school, let Brigit out of the back, and attached her leash. Brigit followed Megan over to a grassy area, but instead of squatting to pee, she took her time, sniffing around. La di da … La di di …
“Come on, girl!” Megan begged after a few seconds. “It’s cold out here! Hurry up!”
With her thick fur, Brigit could last much longer outside than her partner. Humans and their inadequate coating of hair. Heh.
She sniffed around some more. La di di …
“Brigit!” Megan scolded. “Go potty! Now!”
But Brigit refused to go. Instead, she lifted her snout and nudged the jacket pocket that held the chocolate treats. Gimme, gimme.
“Sorry, girl.” Megan walked over to a metal trash can, pulled the baggie from her pocket, and tossed it into the can. The chocolate treats landed on the bottom with a klunk. “How about a liver treat instead?”
Brigit wagged her tail. While she would’ve liked to try a brownie ball, she wasn’t about to pass up one of her favorite liver treats.
Megan tossed her one treat and, when Brigit issued an arf to insist on another, tossed a second into the air. Brigit expertly snatched it on its way down. Megan bent down and put her shivering hands on either side of Brigit’s face. “You know I love you and I only want what’s best for you, right? I don’t want you to get sick.”
Brigit wasn’t sure exactly what Megan’s words meant, but she decided that all was forgiven. After all, she trusted Megan. Whatever reason her partner had for denying her must’ve been a good one. She popped a quick squat and the two trotted back to the warm cruiser.
SEVEN
MONEY BAG
The Poacher
At first, the birds had kept quiet and calm in the dark, but now these stupid parrots wouldn’t stop squawking and talking and fluttering their wings.
“Shut up!” he yelled at the garbage bag moving about the floorboard.
One of the birds squawk-mocked him from inside the bag. “Shut up!”