Second Chance Soldier

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Second Chance Soldier Page 14

by Linda O. Johnston


  Evan saw the three cops exchange glances, as if confirming what she said. He wondered if that part was their standard spiel to tell civilians who asked about this case that had already grown cold, or if it actually was true.

  He hoped it was the latter…but suspected the former.

  “That’s great,” he said anyway. “You’ll be seeing some publicity soon for classes I’ll be giving at the ranch. Amber Belott has a lot of new ideas in mind.” So did he, some on Amber’s behalf—and a few had to do with possibly helping the cops increase their success. “Plus, I’m training the pups Corbin had started on initial K-9 skills. They won’t be ready for a while, but you’re more than welcome to watch my training and even make suggestions. I can let you know my routine once I get into one. And the main reason I came here today—” or at least the one he’d reveal to them “—is that I’m doing a police K-9 training session with Bear tomorrow to be filmed and put onto the ranch’s website. I’ll have an agitator work with us, too. It’s to show some skills I’ll teach in future lessons. Would you like to come watch?”

  “That sounds great,” Maisie said. “We’d love to, as long as there are no call-outs we’re involved in then. Right, Doug?”

  Her brother agreed.

  “I’d better get back to the ranch now,” Evan said. “But if there’s anything I can do to help you out, especially in your investigation of Corbin’s homicide, just let me know.”

  As he left the office after saying goodbye, he realized that their asking for his help was as likely as their offering to hire him as one of their K-9 cops.

  *

  Amber kept an eye out for the return of Evan’s car.

  She’d watched him drive down the driveway and along the road toward town a while ago.

  Why hadn’t he wanted her along when he talked to Percy about filming tomorrow’s demonstration and future lessons for her ranch’s website? Well, no matter. Percy was her consultant, not Evan’s. He wouldn’t do anything without her okay. Not if he wanted the ranch to pay him.

  Amber had just walked past the front of the house, as she’d done several times while the chicken she had begun cooking for dinner baked in the oven. Lola remained at her side, as if this was some kind of training exercise, and Amber appreciated the dog’s loyalty and company.

  The aroma of roasting chicken permeated the air and Amber assumed Lola enjoyed it. She’d heard a lot of stirrings and whines from the den where the puppies were enclosed and figured she’d put them in the fenced area of the yard soon for their early evening outing.

  Her mother was in the living room watching TV news. Amber would join her in a while, but for now she headed back to the kitchen to start slicing veggies for a salad.

  As she placed a head of lettuce on the cutting block and got a sharp knife out to cut it, her phone rang. She put everything onto the counter carefully and reached into her pocket. Was Evan calling about whatever he’d discussed with Percy? She smiled at the idea, but only for an instant. It was just as likely that Percy was calling about his meeting with Evan.

  But when she lifted her phone she saw the caller was neither of them. Instead, it was Kara.

  Was something wrong?

  Or was something right? Had the cops figured out at last who had killed her father? That would be one heck of a coincidence after her visit to the crime scene that day with Evan and the dogs, but so what?

  “Hi, Kara,” she said after pressing the button to answer. “How are you doing?”

  “I’d be better if your new employee concentrated on his job instead of coming to the department to question the competence of our K-9 officers and their dogs.”

  “What?” Amber’s mind suddenly swirled around what Evan was even doing at the police station. He’d said he was going to town to run some ideas by Percy—or was that just a ruse?

  “He came here and said he wanted to meet the members of our unit. That was fine. I even brought him in to see them. But then he started asking questions, including whether they’d even attempted to visit the crime scene after your father…well, you know. I got the sense he was criticizing them because the dogs hadn’t immediately caught the scent and performed an immediate and successful search for the perpetrator.”

  “I… Sorry. I’ll talk to him about that.”

  Had Evan mentioned they had visited the site that day?

  That was most likely why he had decided to confront the police about what they’d found—or hadn’t found.

  A good idea? Maybe not. But Amber had wondered about that, too. She hadn’t felt comfortable asking.

  She was surprised—and glad—that Evan had.

  “Did your officers mention that my father had given some lessons to them and their dogs?” she asked.

  “Yes, and Evan invited them—and me—to watch, and even participate in, some of his upcoming classes, including tomorrow.”

  Wise, Amber thought. Realizing she was staring at the knife, she looked away and said, “That was probably the reason he dropped in there. We’re still talking about all the possibilities for his classes. The rest…well, if your K-9s or others learned anything about what happened to my dad, you must know I’m eager to hear it.”

  “I understand. But you must also understand that the investigation remains ongoing.”

  In other words, as she was well aware, there were no answers yet. Maybe still no real suspects, though they wouldn’t necessarily reveal that other than to ask questions that could help lead them to evidence.

  “Of course. Anyway, sorry for any problems Evan caused. I’ll talk to him about it.” And maybe even cheer him on. “We should meet for coffee one of these days.” Amber issued that invitation hoping to change the subject a bit, and calm Kara’s ill will against Evan.

  “Good idea. I’ll call you.”

  “Great.” But Amber suspected that waiting for Kara’s call would be like getting a new, untrained puppy to roll over with just a hand signal. It might happen, but she couldn’t count on it.

  *

  Evan took his time leaving the police station’s reception area, partly because a few visitors gushed a bit over Bear. Since his dog wasn’t on duty he encouraged it—and mentioned the upcoming dog-training classes at the K-9 ranch in case any of them had canine pets at home that could use some work.

  He was really getting into this, he thought. Amber would be proud of him and what he was doing…right? It would hopefully lead to more classes at her ranch.

  As soon as he and Bear exited the station and started down the sidewalk toward where he’d parked his car, Officer Maisie Murran hurried up to him. No dog was with her.

  There were a few other people on the sidewalk near them, and Maisie motioned for Evan and Bear to move closer to the station’s wall.

  “If anyone asks,” she said quietly as he complied and stood there looking at her, “we’re discussing my coming to one of your classes soon. But I wanted to let you know in private that things aren’t exactly what they seem.”

  She appeared more bedraggled than when he’d seen her in the station, her blond hair messier, as if she’d either encountered a breeze or run her fingers through it. It wasn’t particularly windy so he suspected the latter. She still looked official, though, in her uniform.

  “Fine,” he said. “And I hope you do come to our demonstration tomorrow, as well as future classes. But what isn’t what it seems?”

  “Our investigation. Not the K-9 unit’s, since we did go to the crime scene with our dogs and seek evidence that way, scent or otherwise, but nothing materialized, as we said. And really, the rest of the department has worked hard but not very successfully at trying to find other kinds of evidence that would lead to the murderer.” She stopped and looked away. “I probably shouldn’t be talking about this at all, but I know you’re now associated with the victim’s family.”

  Associated with them? Yeah. He worked for them.

  And right or wrong, he had begun to care about Amber. A lot.

  “And
you want them to know what you’re telling me?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I don’t want them holding out a huge amount of hope that we’ll have answers soon. Or maybe…well, this department is really good at solving a lot of kinds of crime, but there aren’t many murders here in Chance.”

  He’d heard that before. “I assume that’s a good thing,” he said.

  She nodded. “Of course, but that may just be an excuse. Right now, our detectives and superior officers have some ideas about who might have done it and why, but nothing definitive. Persons of interest, yes. Suspects they’re ready to bring in for questioning, no.”

  “Then you may never figure out who killed Corbin Belott?”

  She looked into his eyes, and he didn’t flinch. Then she looked down, biting her lower lip and shaking her head.

  “We will,” she replied. “We’re definitely working on it. And I gathered you’re interested and maybe snooping around, too.”

  He hadn’t mentioned their visit to the crime scene, but had she guessed? He didn’t ask.

  “I’m definitely interested,” he said without addressing the other part of what she’d said.

  “Well…I gather you’re a good K-9 trainer, which might not help with this. But if you happen to get a lead on some evidence or anything else related to the case, be sure to inform one of us.”

  “You?” he asked.

  “That’ll work,” she said.

  Chapter 15

  This was foolish, Amber thought as she followed Rex down the steps from her house and onto the driveway, holding the end of his leash tightly in her hand. “Heel,” she told the rambunctious young shepherd who’d been pulling ahead of her, and this time he actually obeyed. They began walking slowly down the paving toward the street, where she planned to turn once more and head up the slope again.

  Maybe Evan’s training was really beginning to work this fast—a very good thing for this pup who, like the others, had been among the last selected by her father to eventually become a skilled police K-9. Amber had no doubt that the others would succeed, but as much as she loved Rex and his personality she had become concerned that they wouldn’t succeed in getting him trained, even with more time, and they’d eventually have to find him a different, civilian kind of home. But now Evan had begun working with him and he had already started to learn. He might yet become one of those skilled police K-9s her father anticipated.

  Evan. He seemed always to be on her mind. Right now, it was nearly seven o’clock. Evan had left hours ago. He had neglected to mention that he wasn’t simply going to drop in at Percy’s and give him some ideas for the website, like shooting footage of his practice classes tomorrow to post.

  No, he had gone to the police station after their fruitless attempt earlier that day to get the dogs to find some hidden bit of evidence beyond the skills of career cops.

  He’d even challenged them and questioned their skills, at least those of the K-9 unit, according to Kara. Amber knew she should wait until she’d cooled down a bit, but she wanted to confront him.

  Tonight.

  And so she’d been walking one dog after the other waiting for his return.

  Although, if she really thought about it, she also wanted just to see him. Today’s visit to her father’s murder site had been grueling and Evan’s presence and attitude had helped her deal with it.

  And his apparent desire to help solve that mystery? She appreciated it. A lot.

  But if he was pushing any of the local cops’ buttons, angering them, accusing them of ineptitude—well, she might wonder about the latter, but it wasn’t a good idea for many reasons to engage in the first two actions.

  Especially not if she really wanted the Chance K-9 Ranch to redevelop a good reputation with police departments interested in acquiring new K-9s or continuing their dogs’ training. Criticism from the locals would not help with that.

  She’d eaten a quick dinner with her mom in between walking Hal and Lucy. She had walked Lola earlier and probably would do so again later that evening.

  Now she inhaled the brisk evening air as the sun was setting.

  She hadn’t told her mother her motivation for longer individual walks than usual, but the look in Sonya’s eyes suggested that she suspected something was on her daughter’s mind—and it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

  Amber also hadn’t told her mom much about the visit to where her dad had been killed, and neither had her mom asked any details.

  It was better that way.

  Amber reached the bottom of the driveway with Rex and glanced up and down the narrow road.

  No cars at all. That wasn’t too surprising at this hour.

  But where was Evan? Kara had indicated he’d stuck his nose into the police station over an hour ago.

  She could have called and told him to get his butt back here—his tight, sexy butt, and she shouldn’t have noticed that. He would have to listen to her. She was his boss.

  But confronting him wasn’t the way she wanted to begin the conversation she intended to have with him…at least not at first.

  There. She heard a car and though Rex was pulling at the leash again to head up the driveway she called, “Stay,” and looked.

  That could be Evan’s car.

  “Good dog,” she said to Rex, bending to pat the dog’s head as she continued to watch the approaching vehicle.

  Yes. It was Evan’s black sedan.

  She waited for him to pull into the driveway—slowly and carefully.

  He rolled down the driver side window. “Hi,” he said. “Good timing. I brought us some dessert. You and Rex get in and I’ll drive us to my house.”

  *

  Evan was a little surprised that Amber accepted his invitation. She directed Rex into the back seat, then got into the passenger seat of his car for a ride of maybe two minutes.

  What had she really been doing out there? Walking Rex? Sure, but the scowling expression directed toward him on her otherwise lovely face suggested she had something else on her mind.

  Most likely something he wouldn’t want to hear. Except…well, the fact she was out here possibly waiting for him piqued his curiosity. He needed to learn what it was about.

  “Nice evening,” he said after she’d shut the door. He turned his car toward the back driveway behind his house.

  It actually was fairly nice, cool but not too chilly, only starting to get dark, probably not a bad time for her to walk a dog. She still wore the work shirt and jeans she’d had on earlier, and they looked comfortable enough for this temperature.

  “Sure,” she murmured. He glanced toward her. She was staring through the windshield as if that part of her property behind the employee houses fascinated her. But she hadn’t stopped scowling.

  “So is Rex the first youngster you’ve walked this evening? Maybe I should put Bear inside, then join you with one of the others, and—”

  “I thought you brought dessert.” Her tone was almost accusatory, and he let out a bark of a laugh.

  “Okay, I know what’s important.” He parked his car.

  “Do you?” Uh-oh. She sounded even more than accusatory, and he looked straight at her—but only for a moment. Even expecting it, he wasn’t ready to face her harsh expression, though it did nothing to make her look anything but beautiful.

  He turned to pull his door handle, glad that exiting the vehicle was a logical thing to do. They could take this disagreement, whatever it was about, inside.

  First, he opened the back door and grabbed the handle of Bear’s leash, glad to see Amber do the same with Rex. “I’ll get the dessert out of the trunk,” he said and proceeded to do just that, choosing not to be gentlemanly by opening car doors. He’d hear what this was about soon enough.

  He picked up the handles of the plastic bag holding the apple pie’s container and slammed the trunk closed, then, without looking at Amber, preceded her toward the back door to the house. He unlocked the door, Bear behind him, and motioned for Amber to enter along
with the young dog whose leash she held. “I assume Rex is okay since you were walking him, but I want to take Bear out for a minute.” He handed her the bag, which she accepted, eyebrows raised in what appeared to be a hint of amusement. Good. Her scowl had eased a bit. “Be right back.”

  As always, Bear knew what was expected of him and didn’t take long to accomplish it. Evan had taken him to some grass near the driveway, and they soon entered once more through the back door, going inside the same way Amber and Rex had. He locked things behind them.

  He found his visitors in the kitchen, where Rex was drinking from Bear’s bowl on the floor beside the refrigerator, and Amber had found plates and flatware. She was cutting the pie, which she’d placed on the small table in the center of the room, and didn’t look up when he entered.

  “This pie is good,” she said. “I took a tiny bite as I started cutting.” She looked up from it toward him. “I’ll be fine with water, but do you want to make some coffee?”

  “No coffee for me, either. I’ll get us some water.” Evan didn’t think caffeine would be good for them at this hour—especially with the pending discussion, although he wasn’t sure yet what it was about. She already knew his plans for tomorrow, plans that should ultimately help the ranch.

  And even if she happened to have found out that he had also gone to the police station—

  “I can guess why you consider our police department incompetent,” she said, pushing a white plate toward him with a piece of pie and a fork on it, “but I think it’s a really bad idea to tell them so. I’m sure they’re doing their best to investigate what happened to my father.”

  He stood still, with Bear now lying down at his feet. He didn’t look at the pie, or toward the cupboards containing the glasses. “I think so, too,” he said. “What makes you think I told the cops they’re incompetent?”

  She described a brief phone conversation she’d had not long ago with Assistant Police Chief Kara, who’d made it clear she wasn’t happy. She’d indicated that to him, as well.

  “Look,” he said, going to the cupboard for the water glasses, “I went there mostly to learn, after—after this afternoon, whether the Chance PD had sent their K-9 unit to investigate the site we’d visited closer to the time of the crime that occurred there.” No use specifying her father’s murder. She knew what he was talking about, and he knew how badly it hurt her. “They had. I invited them to watch our K-9 demo tomorrow—and Percy is coming here to film it, by the way.” He got ice from the freezer and a bottle of water from the fridge, filling both glasses before turning back to her. “Oh, and Orrin—”

 

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