Grave Instinct

by Bev Pettersen

  Nikki followed Tony into a quiet arena with reinforced walls and a deep woodchip floor. Justin stood next to a bearded man in khakis and held a thick-necked black horse. Dried sweat marked the horse’s back in the shape of a saddle. The gelding was haltered now, looking half asleep, one of his hind legs tilted in rest. Lara was riding the second horse, a blaze-faced chestnut that she guided in circles around a parked cargo van.

  “Earlier this morning,” Tony said, his voice low, “that black horse was leaping around, totally petrified. He would have been a disaster on the street. Now we could put a barking dog on his back and he wouldn’t care. I doubt he’ll have to come back for more training. Lara is amazing.”

  Nikki gave a wistful nod. She’d shelved her love for horses but at one time they’d been the center of her existence. Both these animals were tall and kind-eyed and would no doubt be effective with crowd control, as well as street ambassadors. Obviously though, it wouldn’t be safe having a twelve-hundred-pound horse that was skittish around dogs. How fortunate Lara could bring them here for exposure to K-9s.

  She couldn’t understand why Lara was circling the empty van though. Other than Gunner, there wasn’t a dog in sight.

  The man next to Justin gave a low command. A black and tan Doberman lunged inside the van, so unexpected it made Nikki jump. The Doberman jammed his jaws through the open window, barking furiously. The chestnut barely flinched. He swished his tail, indicating his displeasure, but continued his steady circling of the van.

  Lara patted the horse’s neck and nodded at the dog handler.

  The man waved his hand. The Doberman leaped through the window and followed the horse, his nose close to the chestnut’s thick tail. The handler said something, and the Doberman began barking again, all the while aggressively circling the horse. At one point, he even darted beneath the chestnut’s belly. Other than flattening his ears, the horse remained impervious.

  “This is a good test for both horse and dog,” Tony explained. “The Doberman is good for this exercise because he doesn’t care about horses, one way or the other. Some of the K-9s really like the animals so they’re not as frightening. Horses can sense that.”

  Nikki glanced down at Gunner. He was the type of dog that horses liked. They seemed to know he bore no malice, his aggression reserved for strange men. And now that she knew about his abusive handler, she totally understood the reason.

  Minutes later, Lara dismounted and gave her horse another approving pat. She was still smiling. So was Justin. In fact, they seemed to be sharing a private grin fest. Of course, they had much in common: law enforcement, dogs, horses. And likely Lara hadn’t grilled him with questions more suitable to a suspect than an esteemed detective. That tended to dampen any relationship.

  “I’m finished here, Tony,” Lara called. “Thanks for letting me come by.”

  “Any time,” Tony said. “Where’s your partner?”

  “Called in to court to testify. Luckily Justin was around. I don’t believe your officers are comfortable with animals any bigger than a dog. Wish I had a good horseperson to follow the trailer and help unload.” Lara’s voice was light, but the invitation she shot Justin was unmistakable. Something twisted in Nikki’s chest.

  “Maybe Justin can help,” Tony said. “I don’t mind driving Nikki home. We’ve barely started the tour and there’s a lot to see.” He arched an eyebrow at Nikki. “I imagine you and Gunner want to stay and take part in some of the exercises? We also have a swimming pool he might like.”

  The chance to learn more about her cherished dog was tempting. But Nikki had no idea what Justin wanted. When he’d picked her up this morning, she’d thought, and hoped, it would be their first real date. And only a few short days ago, he hadn’t seemed to want her socializing with Tony.

  She shifted away, trying to catch Justin’s eye. “I’m ready to go whenever you want,” she said.

  “No, that’s fine.” Justin shrugged as if happy with the new arrangements. And maybe Lara genuinely needed help. He wasn’t the sort to desert a friend in need and he’d be the perfect assistant. He looked completely competent standing beside the huge horse—and so mouth-wateringly masculine—just as he’d looked at the stable when his good looks had put all the young girls in a tizzy.

  Not her though. She hadn’t cared about appearances. She’d liked Justin because he was always fair and respectful, with animals and people. And he’d been justified in wanting to fire Erin. Those last months she’d been doing eighty percent of her sister’s work, on top of her own. Naturally he’d noticed.

  He’d even commented that Erin was becoming a little short-tempered. Thankfully he’d never seen the aggressive way she used her spurs. Or had he? There hadn’t been anything in Robert’s file about spur marks on Pancho but would the police have checked the animal? Would they even have known to look?

  “So, it’s settled?” Tony asked, looking at Justin. “You’ll go with Lara and I’ll look after Nikki?”

  Justin’s head slanted, his amused gaze holding Nikki’s. It was almost like old times when he knew she’d protest if anyone thought she needed looking after. Clearly he still thought of her as that stubborn, independent kid.

  Admittedly her stubbornness remained; she still wanted to know what he’d been doing during that missing half hour. Of course the time gap wasn’t related to Erin--it couldn’t be--but it bothered her that he wouldn’t account for his time. And the sheer polarity of her thoughts left her frowning.

  Justin’s mouth flattened and he gave another one-shouldered shrug as if happy to be rid of her. His gaze moved from her to Gunner. “Probably best not to ask him to climb any ladders while you’re here. They seem to upset him.”

  His voice hardened. “Guess it’s impossible to get rid of old baggage. No sense pushing.”

  She knew he was no longer talking about her dog. However, she gave an agreeable nod, hiding her dismay about being pawned off on Tony. Gunner was more honest, whining and waving a paw as if trying to convince Justin to stay. But the space was too great, Justin’s expression too stony, and the distance between them seemed to stretch like an impossible chasm.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Thanks for driving me home,” Nikki said, as Tony slowed his vehicle in front of her house. “And for showing me the K-9 center. It’s an amazing spot.”

  She’d learned a lot at the facility and would be a better partner to Gunner because of it. He’d participated in several exercises and she’d been so proud of him, especially when he was the second fastest dog to find the buried drugs.

  “Gunner is definitely versatile.” Tony pressed the stop button, turning off the car engine, apparently in no hurry to leave. His hand dangled over the gear shift, inches from her knee. “It was a good chance for you to meet some of the other teams. That could help down the road, especially since they can be a bit defensive of their turf. Speaking of that, what’s the deal with you and Justin?”

  Nikki felt her face flush. Robert had asked that same question before and she’d never known how to answer. She used to think of Justin as a solid friend but over the last few years something had changed, at least from her end. And after his passionate kiss, that shift had been seismic.

  Now she couldn’t look at Justin, or even think of him, without her insides melting with want. In an ideal world, he would have been the man sitting behind the wheel tonight. He would have addressed all her concerns about Erin, reassuring her of his whereabouts that day and his commitment to finding the truth. And then she would take his hand and lead him inside and probably they wouldn’t even make it to her bedroom…

  She realized Tony was watching, waiting for her to speak. But her feelings about Justin left her frustrated. And sad.

  “My relationship with Justin isn’t really any of your business,” she said, crossing her arms.

  “I’d like to make it my business.” Tony flashed a mischievous smile, but his gaze was steady and it was clear he wanted an answer.

  “I
’ve known Justin since I was eleven,” she said blowing out a resigned sigh. “He helped me through some tough times and is the reason I’m not locked up in prison somewhere. I think the world of him. But he’s always been the one to set our boundaries so if you want anything more than that, you’ll have to ask him.”

  Tony chuckled, a warm understanding sound that filled the car. “Justin is the guy who asks the questions. He doesn’t like to answer them.”

  She gave a strained smile, remembering his evasiveness when she asked where he was that ill-fated afternoon at the stable.

  Tony brushed her knee, a touch so quick and feather light it was hard to object. “I understand you and Justin got tangled up during your sister’s tragedy and became good friends. It’s habit for him to protect you, and vice versa. But I’ve also seen the way you look at each other. I’m just hoping the relationship doesn’t extend to your social life.”

  “Wait.” She jerked forward. “Justin told you? About my sister? About Erin?”

  “Of course he didn’t. He’s tighter than a drum. I checked your background the same day I met you.” Tony’s chuckle was totally unrepentant. “That’s what cops do when they meet someone who interests them. In my defense, it was completely justifiable since I was vetting you for our contract list.”

  His candidness was refreshing but somehow she doubted Justin would ever check police files on civilians. He was too correct, too respectful. On the other hand, it made things easier with Tony since now she wouldn’t ever have to talk about Erin, a subject that generally invoked sympathy and dismay, along with morbid curiosity. There was nothing fun in Nikki’s family history. Nothing except pain and loss.

  “Your dad was a helluva cop,” Tony said.

  Her mouth gaped. That was the last thing she expected to hear and it took a full moment for her to recover. “Clearly you didn’t go into my file deep enough,” she snapped. “He shot himself when I was four. Left my mother and older sister devastated.” And his decision had sent her family into a dark and downward spiral.

  Behind her, Gunner whined, trying to press his nose against her neck. But Tony’s car was equipped with a mesh screen that kept dogs in the back, and she accepted it wasn’t just the conversation that bothered her but also the fact that she couldn’t touch her dog. Having Gunner beside her helped her cope.

  She reached for the door handle, needing to escape.

  “Just a moment.” Tony pressed a button on his dashboard and the screen smoothly lowered.

  “The mesh is for my dogs’ protection,” Tony said. “I should have lowered it when we parked. I like to be able to reach my guys too.”

  His empathy was unexpected, especially after his ill-informed comment about her father. She gripped Gunner’s neck, her fingers twining around his thick hair. Robert thought she needed to see her father with clearer eyes but he was wrong. Besides, her dad was dead—her mother and sister gone—so it didn’t matter. Talking about him was pointless.

  But Tony seemed determined to knock down her walls with one giant blow. He already knew everything about her yet he was still sitting in the car, discussing her life as if she were a normal person. He didn’t seem at all worried about hitting minefields. He even recognized her attachment to a large, sometimes aggressive dog.

  She turned away from Gunner, slowly dropping her arms. Small talk wasn’t her forte and she’d always had a tough time knowing when guys were hitting on her or just being friendly. But at least Tony was open, a man who said what was on his mind and didn’t have a secret agenda.

  He chatted about the best pet foods, how air scent dogs could be trained to detect a virus, and why London on The Littlest Hobo was more famous than Rin Tin Tin. It was all rather interesting and she slowly relaxed, even to the point of tilting her seat so she could talk and pat Gunner at the same time.

  Unlike Justin’s car, there was no police terminal on the dashboard, no steel gun box or intrusive radio chatter. Dog beds took up most of the back, interspersed with bowls and water jugs. Clearly this wasn’t a work vehicle but Tony’s private car that he’d equipped with a mesh screen.

  Then she understood. He had dogs. Not K-9s but pets. That’s why he knew how helpful animals were when helping humans deal with stress. A smile split her face. “How many dogs do you own?” she asked.

  “Five.” Tony spoke rather sheepishly. “My Shepherd is three legged, the Lab is deaf and the other three are in various stages of retirement. But they were all police dogs and deserve a good home. They like to drive around with me. It makes them feel like they’re still working.”

  “That is so sweet.”

  “Yes,” he said. “It’s my best pick-up line.”

  She laughed but knew there was a lot more to this man than his good looks and flirtatious comments. Best of all, he didn’t seem insulted or prone to sulk that she didn’t reciprocate his dating interest.

  “I think it’s fantastic.” She was still smiling when she reached for the door handle. “Thanks for the educational day. You’re very kind.”

  “Stubborn too. So I’m not letting Justin run me off. And if you just want to talk, I’m your man. Don’t forget that I can pull a lot more interesting stuff from our police files. Did you know your dad worked undercover at the track? That he helped take down a major drug ring?”

  “I’m not interested in talking about my father.” In spite of Nikki’s denial, her hand lowered from the door and she sank back against the seat. Her father had grown up on a farm and apparently loved animals. But her mother had deep-rooted allergies and they’d never been allowed to have any sort of pet, not even a guinea pig.

  Robert had installed a washer and dryer by their back door so she and Erin could clean their clothes the moment they returned from the barn. It was surprising they’d even been allowed to work at the stable since their mother had always been red-eyed and sneezing after picking them up, and the effects had lingered for hours.

  “Mom must have known a little bit about Dad’s work,” she said slowly. “She always had a love-hate relationship with horses. She let Erin and I work at a stable, but she was quick to blame them for Erin’s disappearance.”

  “Laying blame is a normal coping mechanism.”

  She gave a reluctant nod. “Mom didn’t have it so easy after Dad died. She adored my father. Not sure why.”

  Tony’s chuckle was so quick and infectious even Nikki smiled. “Guess it’s obvious I resent him,” she said. “For leaving Mom and Erin.”

  “And for leaving you.”

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Nikki leaned back in her office chair, clicking the tip of her pen and staring at her blank computer screen. She refused to type in her father’s name. Didn’t want to see the devastated faces, the funeral pictures or any clips of her sobbing mother. Her father was wrapped in the crux of the family’s pain and loss, and she’d learned to control her bouts of nostalgia and what-ifs.

  But Tony’s comment last night left her curious. The racetrack sting had been an infamous case and one that had been touched upon in Nikki’s investigative program. Maybe her father had done a special thing, something she should know about. Robert had tried talking about her father’s police career but her mother had always shut him down, either breaking into tears or turning to stony silence. Nikki remembered Erin’s solemn whispers that talking about him only made her mother sad. So her father had turned into he who must not be named, like a real-life Voldemort.

  All Nikki could remember was a man who flung her in the air and called her tiger. He’d had a red beard that tickled her face and he always had time to push her on the swing. Everyone was happy when he was around. But after his suicide, her mother’s tinkling laughter had turned into the rarest of sounds, and her subsequent death proved it was possible to die of a broken heart. Why had she loved him so much?

  Nikki tossed the pen aside and typed in her father’s name, along with the track. A score of articles popped up but nothing
she didn’t already know: Undercover agents had used racehorses to get close to a reclusive owner named Thomas Carlton. Their infiltration had resulted in convictions ranging from drug trafficking and money laundering to blackmail and murder. Some of the articles focused on Thomas Carlton’s ruthlessness while unconfirmed sources gave lurid details about his now-divorced wife and their luxurious private life. But nothing was said about the officers involved. Naturally their identity had been protected. Crime bosses weren’t the most forgiving of people.

  She froze then checked the date. Eight years after Carlton had been sent to prison, Erin had disappeared. That was a huge time gap. Still… Could they somehow be related? She grabbed her phone and called Robert, her questions garbled and breathless.

  He waited for her to finish then spoke with the patient tone that always calmed her. “So you’re wondering if Carlton ordered Erin killed because he couldn’t get back at your deceased father? Almost a decade later? Even though Carlton’s locked up for life?”

  It did sound far-fetched. Someone in the background suggested a three iron. She heard Robert say he needed a moment. Then he was speaking in the phone again. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Certainly the detectives didn’t think there was any tie to Erin. It feels like a stretch.”

  She could feel him thinking though, weighing the possibility. Robert sometimes moved too slowly for her liking but he was thorough and methodical and never dismissed any of her ideas outright. Unlike the police.

  She pressed on. “What exactly was Dad’s involvement with the case? Would Carlton know him?”

  “Absolutely. Your father was the reason they had enough evidence to go to trial.”