by Dale Mayer
He was still an American citizen, so they’d have paperwork to deal with. He had been badly injured, and there would be a lot of questions and potentially some health adjustments. Not that she’d seen anything that had slowed him down. If she hadn’t known he was injured, she couldn’t tell. So really what she was doing was throwing up minor roadblocks, assessing them, and then tossing them away.
“Any luck?” she asked, studying him in the rearview mirror. His head was down.
“We can stop off in Torino,” he said. “A couple bed-and-breakfasts are there and a couple of motels. A motel might be better. We can drive right up to the door, and I can unload Top Hat.”
“Do we tell them we have a dog?”
“I’ll probably talk to the manager about that,” he said. “We have an injured dog that won’t get out of his cage, so it’s not like the same dog damage of a dog that’s bouncing on beds and peeing everywhere.”
“Yeah, don’t we have to take Top Hat out to do his thing too?”
“I’m not sure,” he said, looking at the dog. “He’s pretty well out cold.”
“That’s the best way for him to stay as long as he’s healing,” she said.
“Exactly,” Lucas said. “You’ve got another twenty-five minutes roughly, and then we can stop and see.”
“Otherwise, we can go straight home,” she suggested again.
“Let’s take a look at how we feel after dinnertime.”
Buoyed by that thought, realizing it really wasn’t that far to the next break, she said, “What do you think I should do about my mother?” Her question came out of the blue, she knew, and there was absolutely no right answer here, but she wanted to hear his input.
“I think you should call her. Go see her and see if she needs help,” he replied.
She laughed. “That didn’t take you long to reply.”
“There really isn’t much to figure out,” he said. “She is still your mother.”
“I don’t want to get too close. I know that makes me a horrible person. But every time I’ve been close to my mother, I’ve been badly burned.”
“Remember to walk in her shoes for a little bit and try to be more understanding,” he said. “I’m not judging because that’s not what this is about. I don’t know what I would do if my sister had stage four cancer, but I would be there for her. No matter what.”
“Sure, but your sister also didn’t give you the worst years of your life,” she said with a sigh. “Never mind. I’m still hanging on to my grudge, aren’t I?”
“Yes,” he said. “Time to let it go.”
There was such a note of humor in his voice that she laughed. “If only it was that easy …”
“I don’t think it’s much harder,” he said gently. “Just like when I was injured and had to deal with the loss of my foot. For many people it would be traumatic. I looked at it and said it could be so much worse. It could have been a whole leg, could have been both legs, and then what would I do? This is a foot and a prosthetic. Big deal. It is not the end of the world.”
“Meaning my childhood could have been much worse?” She caught his nod in mirror. “I was thinking of that earlier today. I didn’t have to do tricks out on the street with her. Although I did use the food bank as much as I could, the neighbors gave us a lot of extras. My mother did still cook.”
“I think the trick here is to realize she did what she could. Yes, she was a drug addict, and, yes, she was an alcoholic, but her life is different now. She’s on the last few steps of whatever path she has for herself, and I’m sure there’s got to be some guilt over the path she took. Now might be the time to get that all settled.”
That comment made her feel something deep inside. “Maybe I’ll call her again tomorrow.”
“Do that,” he said. “For all you know, she might want nothing to do with you either. But you need to find healing and closure for yourself first. If you happen to give her some closure as well, that’s all to the good. Talk to your brothers. See what they want, and then walk away if that’s what you want.”
“My sisters and I have texted but I haven’t had anything to do with the boys.”
“Right, the new age,” he said, laughing. “People prefer a cold objective text rather than dealing with a messy phone call. Or an even messier visit.”
“It’s the way of the world,” she said.
“What will you do about your job?” he asked.
“Not a whole lot I can do,” she said.
“The cop seemed to think Claire’s and Alice’s cases were connected. What are the chances your reputation smearing was also part of it?”
“Hmmm,” she said. “If that’s the case, why did I get off so easily?” she asked.
“Maybe they were afraid of getting caught. After all, three girlfriends getting hit at the same time would look too suspicious.”
“Maybe they were saving the best for last, just biding their time,” she said.
“The detective is still working that angle. And it’s definitely something we should dig into deeper.”
“Try finding out if anybody who worked at my company, or was associated with that company, has anything to do with this dogfighting ring. I wouldn’t even have a clue about how to investigate something like that,” she said.
“I can do some of it,” he said. “We will need to get access to my computer.”
Tanya put on her blinker and pulled into a restaurant parking lot. She wasn’t at all surprised to see it was a steak and rib joint. Of all the things Lucas liked to eat, meat was at the top of the list. She parked where there wasn’t any danger of somebody banging into Top Hat in the bed but which also gave them a bird’s-eye view from the front window of the place.
She hopped out as Lucas opened her door. Then she took a closer look at the dog. “He doesn’t look any different, does he?” she asked worriedly.
“No,” he said. “He’s holding his own though. He’s just exhausted from these last days of hell. The longer he rests, the better he will be.”
“I know. It’s just hard to see an animal like this.”
“It’s worse for the ones we left back at the vet clinic,” he said. “I’ve been getting texts from the cops. They managed to grab Andy and seventeen other men. They seized over 140 dogs total today.”
She gasped. “Oh, my God. Wow!”
“They are going through all their records. Hopefully they got everyone.”
“They get a slap on the wrist and carry on or what?”
“There will be cruelty against animals laws and gambling laws they’ve broken. I don’t know what all they can do. This is your country. I don’t know what we would even do in the US,” he admitted.
“As long as the dogs were rescued,” she said, “that’s a big part of it.”
“It’ll take a lot of time and effort for them to be rehabilitated and then rehomed,” he said.
Tanya stretched her arms above her head and twisted her neck, getting out the kinks.
Lucas shook out his arms and his legs, rotated his neck gently. He shut the driver’s side door, held out his hand for the keys and locked up the truck.
“Let’s go in and have something to eat,” Lucas said. “It’s late. We’ve had a long day. We only have about an hour and forty minutes left if we go all the way home.”
“Which I am a fan of,” Tanya said. “It seems silly to stay here, and then go home in the morning. I don’t mind driving longer. We can sleep in tomorrow.”
He nodded.
Inside the restaurant, they were seated at the window where he could keep an eye on the truck. The waitress returned with coffee and menus, but he didn’t even look at it. “I’ll have a steak, baked potato, a big salad and lots of garlic bread.”
The waitress chuckled. “Absolutely.” She looked at Tanya.
Tanya smiled and said, “I’ll have the same. Whatever I can’t eat, he’ll finish for me.”
The waitress nodded and disappeared. Lucas hugged a cup of coffe
e in his hands as he contemplated their next move. “I’m afraid they’re all connected to the dogfighting rings in your town,” he said. “The police are specifically looking for a connection to Claire’s murder. We have to expect dogfights are happening between here and there.”
“This is a fairly small town,” she said. “I don’t think there’s more than five or six thousand people living here. I’m surprised there was actually a steak house.”
“I’m not,” he said. “It’s on the highway with a lot of truckers. Everybody knows they like to eat well.”
“True enough,” she said with a smile. “So how do we find out if anybody else is connected here?”
“I don’t know.” He studied the dimly lit atmosphere. “It’s still something that’s hard to believe.”
“That’s what I felt like when I was sitting in the truck. It all felt so unreal,” she said.
“But my brother-in-law heard about dogfighting rings near him,” Lucas said. “He’s been approached by a couple people to keep an eye out for aggressive dogs, not for safety but because breeders want them.”
“Has he given the names of those people to the police?” she asked in a low tone.
He nodded. “He has, indeed.” Just then the doors opened, and four men stepped into the restaurant. Lucas stiffened. “Don’t look now, but those men are bad news.”
“How do you know?” she asked, tilted her head. She didn’t dare look at them directly.
“Because two of them were in the restaurant with Andy,” Lucas said. “They’ve either been released or haven’t been caught.” He aimed his phone toward them and sent out several text messages to the cops he’d been working with. “I don’t know if they’re here because of us or if they’re just here.”
“They’re coming our way,” she whispered.
Not only did they come their way, but they stopped at the table.
“You did a stupid thing today,” one of the men said.
Lucas looked up at him with a bland face. “I disagree. I found many injured dogs living horrible lives in tiny cages for the entertainment of a bunch of ingrates. Most of the dogs needed stitches and surgeries. They were a mess.”
The men looked around, and two of them nudged the man who had spoken. “Joe, back off, man.”
Joe stiffened at the rebuke and put his fists on the table, glaring at Lucas. “They weren’t none of your concern,” he snapped.
“They are everybody’s concern,” Lucas retorted, leaning into the man’s face. Lucas wasn’t backing down one bit. “Joe, you better get your ass out of here before somebody kicks it for you.”
He heard the other two men suck in their breaths and realized that, among them, Joe was probably known as the hard-ass and more likely to be the one to try to take Lucas down than to take a step back. That was okay by Lucas, he was bruising for a fight. He’d already put his back to the test carrying dogs, but he’d be damned if he’d take this shit lying down. If they wanted trouble they’d found it. But, as long as everybody else was aware Joe was making trouble, maybe his buddies would wise up and slip Joe out of this place.
Joe glared at him. “Again, it’s none of your business, and, if you want to keep yourself and what you care about … safe …”
“Somebody stole my dog,” Lucas said. “I’ve got him back now.”
The man’s face startled in surprise. “Is that the shepherd Andy had?”
“The cops let you out early or something? Do they know about you and stealing the dogs and Andy’s big connection? Or did you manage to slip by the cops?”
One of the group slowly pulled away from them, turned and walked out of the restaurant, distancing himself from whatever happened next. Smart man. Too bad the others weren’t following his lead. “Well, he obviously got wiser,” Lucas said, pointing at the man leaving, “and doesn’t want to get cornered with whatever this is going down.”
“I spoke to the cops,” Joe said in a snarling voice. “So what? They don’t have anything on me.”
“You from around here?” Lucas asked. “So, you just stop by to harass somebody having dinner?”
A second man left their group for the exit, leaving just one with the very vocal Joe.
“No, I’m not from here, but they know me. I come through all the time,” he said as he pounded his fist on the table, making several patrons turn and look at him. “But I’ll find out where you live. That’s for sure. And her.”
Joe turned to walk away with his last buddy. Instantly, Lucas was on him. He grabbed Joe’s hands from behind him and started to squeeze, rubbing the bones tight and hard together—a grip he’d learned a long time ago.
“You will never, ever threaten her again,” he said in a hard voice, pulling Joe closer. “You ever utter another threat like that, you won’t wake up the next morning. Don’t think I’m kidding. It’s a fucking promise.”
Joe just sneered at him, but it was hard to keep the sneer going when his hands were being crushed. Finally he nodded, and Lucas released him.
“Don’t forget it,” he said. “And, if you’re involved in that dogfighting bullshit, I’ll take you down with the rest of them too.”
The man still with him slung his arms around Joe and forcibly removed him from the area. Lucas looked over to see Tanya trembling. He cussed and wrapped her up in his arms. “They won’t get to you. I promise.”
She shook her head. “You can’t promise,” she cried out. “You’ll go back to your bloody life down South and leave me up here for those assholes. What the hell have I gotten myself into?”
The manager came to their table, his face contorted. “I’m so sorry for that scene. He’s a known troublemaker in this area, but we’ve never had him go this far.”
Lucas looked at him. “Does he live around here?”
The man shook his head. “He’s about halfway from here to Red Deer,” he said. He pointed out a couple trucks in the parking lot. “Those are theirs. They come in here all the time on their way through.”
“Which one is his? Do you know?” Lucas asked.
“The black one,” the manager replied. “With the big cab. I’ll go check on your dinner,” he said and turned away, heading for the kitchen.
Lucas got up from the table and walked outside. He took pictures of the two trucks’ license plates, and those on either side of the pair of trucks, and sent them to the cops. Then he headed back inside. As he went to sit down, he caught Joe’s glare. Lucas smiled at him, waved his phone and sat down across from Tanya. “That’ll help too,” he said.
“All you are doing is antagonizing him.”
“He has to make a move, so I can slap him back down again,” Lucas said quietly. “Otherwise, you’ll live with that threat all the time.”
Chapter 10
She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to handle any of this, but they were back on the road again, and Lucas was driving. She’d hardly eaten. Her nerves and stomach had refused to accommodate her appetite. But he’d had no problem devouring his meal. They brought the leftovers for Top Hat for when he eventually got hungry.
“You shouldn’t have egged them on,” she said quietly.
“Maybe,” he said with a nod. “But, with bullies like that, you have to let them know you are on equal ground. Otherwise, they just think they can lord it over you. And then we end up with bigger trouble.”
“Will anybody come and deal with them?”
“The cops have been informed,” he said. “I’m hoping they raided Joe’s property while he was at the restaurant.”
A truck went whizzing by them, way too close for comfort, but he held his ground. “And that was him,” he said. He picked up his phone, hit a number and waited for a voice to come on the other end.
She didn’t even want to listen, but she knew he was contacting the police. He kept looking in the rearview mirror. Finally she understood something was seriously wrong. “One’s behind. One’s in front.”
“Sure,” he said. “It’s a sandwich.
But I wasn’t born yesterday.”
He hit the brakes, pulled off to the wrong side of the road, where there was no oncoming traffic, and the guy behind him passed without having a chance to hit the brakes. Lucas pulled in behind him.
She smiled. “Well, that was smooth.”
“Yeah, but what they’re doing isn’t,” he said. He ended his call and tossed his phone on the seat beside him. “The cops have been alerted, and we’ll see how far this goes.”
She bit down hard on her bottom lip. “Why are they being such assholes?”
“They’ve been shaken because of the raids. Their dogfighting ring was busted up, and they’re afraid their status quo is about to get disrupted.”
“How can they hurt dogs like that?” she muttered.
“I imagine most will get rehomed as soon as they’re healthy. Dogs are also resilient. What we have to do is stop this from happening again, and the only way to do that is to make sure the men lose their properties and get jail time. They need to be on some permanent watch list, so they are monitored for the rest of their lives.”
“I’m not sure what the laws are here,” she said, “but, if they had anything to do with Claire’s murder, that would make it much more serious.”
“It would, indeed,” he said. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some proof that nails every one of their asses to the wall.”
It didn’t seem like any time at all before he pulled up in front of her place. She looked at it and was surprised. “I didn’t even realize we were this close.”
“You’re tired,” he said. “It’s been a long day.” He hopped out, opened up the truck bed and gently pulled out the cage with Top Hat. She took the end he was holding, and Lucas went around to grab the end coming out of the truck. They both grunted when they had the full cage out. “What does he weigh, like one-forty?”
“I think so,” he said.
They walked in tandem, keeping Top Hat level. “Good thing there was no sign of the trucks anymore. I was afraid they’d follow us home.”