Unleashed_Case of the Hot Dog

by Erik Schubach

  Then the Darth Vader imperial march started coming from the pocket of his slacks. That was my ringtone for Raife. Why was he calling? If only I could answer.

  Then the man stood, fished out the phone, and I could see Rafiel's Canine Walkers blazing on the screen. He hmmed, then tossed my cell on the floor by Brute, pointing and saying, “That can be tracked.”

  The big man obligingly stomped on my iPhone a few times, shattering the screen and he kept stomping until bits and pieces of its guts were hanging out. Then he crouched and dropped it into a mop bucket of water. One thing I could say about Brute was that he was thorough. A detached portion of my mind felt vindicated I had the full replacement warranty on my cell that Gar keeps insisting is a waste of money. He didn't have my luck.

  Suit pointed around airily, encompassing everything. “The place is pretty much soundproof except the outside kennels, Miss May, or may I call you Finnegan? Or is that too familiar? We had to insulate it for sound because of the noise complaints from the other tenants in the building. So screaming is pointless.”

  He crouched again, his hands clasped in front of him, elbows on his knees. “This whole situation is... unfortunate. Avoidable. All you have to do is tell me what you and Vin did with the collar, and we'll let you out. We needed that money to skip town. I'm sure they're going to find Mueller's body soon with the heat outside.”

  I stiffened, and he picked up on that and said, “Oh... they already have, have they? Then this truly is unfortunate.”

  I growled at him in a dark tone. “You killed her... for a collar!”

  His calm demeanor wavered for a moment as he slapped the front of the cage, making me cringe and jump back, my pulse racing. He schooled his expression, closed his eyes and took a calming breath. Then he shook his head slowly and saying in that politician's tone, “That was an unfortunate accident. Nobody was supposed to get hurt.” He shot an accusing look at Brute who just shrugged.

  He gritted his teeth and muttered, “Karl and Vin were just supposed to break into her place when she was away and steal the collar and bring it back here to me. They didn't expect her to walk back in a minute later. Miss Mueller had forgotten her purse. She struggled with Karl and he... pushed her.”

  Then he shook his head, there was real regret in his words, but I could find no compassion for him. They had killed her, they had broken into her place to steal from her, and they killed her. If he truly had any decency in him, they would have turned themselves in right away.

  He turned back to me and sighed. “But you already know this, Miss May. Where's Vin? And why did he send you to talk with us? Is this a shakedown? I assure you, if it is, it is going to end very unpleasantly for you. I despise violence.”

  I muttered, trying not to let my fear make me start crying in front of them, “I don't know what you're talking about. I just came to see if you knew Miss Mueller's address.”

  He sighed like he was trying to be patient with a child as he shook his head, clasping his hand on his knee. “He took the car with the poor woman in the trunk to get the collar fenced, so that we could skip town before the police found out what we did. He never came back, and then you show up at our door. It is a simple matter to do the math. So please don't insult my intelligence, Finnegan.”

  I just glared at him. By the tail-feathers of the fluffy canine lords, how do you convince someone who is sure of some sort of conspiracy, that they are wrong? I swallowed. What was worse, he had admitted they killed her to me, even though he thought I already knew everything... I was a liability.

  He sighed as he fished out a key from his suit coat. “I'm sorry Finnegan, but we have other ways at our disposal to coax the information from you.”

  He unlocked the padlock, and before he had a chance to open the cage door, I kicked it with all my strength with both feet. It slammed into him, knocking him over and onto his back. I burst out just to be caught by the back of the neck by one of Brute's huge, rough hands. His grip was like a vice.

  I squeaked in panic as I felt a needle being jammed roughly into my arm, and a lethargic warmth started to spread through my body. It felt good, and I found myself wondering why I was even struggling. The world got so very big around me, so I decided to just float around in it for a bit to watch the ripples.

  Hey... my pretty white shirt was all dirty... how was I supposed to get Jane's attention if I were dirty? Why was I giggling?

  Chapter 6 – Fin?

  Detective Flannery, my sometimes partner, harped on me again as I went through the paperwork we picked up at Nadine Mueller's place, “McLeary. Answer your damn phone before I shoot it!”

  I looked up from a receipt for a diamond studded dog collar. I had to smirk, Fin had been right, it came from Julie Anne's, a high-class pet jewelers. Seriously? Pet jewelers? I whistled when I saw the price tag. Six hundred and three thousand. That was a hefty down payment on a condo in the city. It shocked me that people would pay that much just to put a little sparkle on their dogs.

  My phone rang again, and Sean growled and stood to reach over to answer it. He grabbed the receiver then ground out, “Detective McLeary's desk.”

  I glanced swiftly up from the papers when he said, “The detective doesn't own a dog, son, I think you have the wrong...”

  I snatched the phone from his hand then glared at him then his seat as I covered the mouthpiece with a hand. He sat, making his voice high pitched, “Thank you, Sean.”

  I grinned and flipped him off as I answered, an uneasiness settling into my gut for some reason. “Detective McLeary how can...”

  A familiar man's voice blurted, “Is she with you?”

  I pulled the phone from my ear and looked down at it, my brow furrowing, then I placed it back against my ear and asked, “Rafiel? What are you talking about?” A sense of foreboding hung over me.

  Rafiel Moretti, a real piece of work, and Finnegan's ex. The man had chiseled Italian looks and used them as a weapon to manipulate people... to manipulate women. He was also Fin's main competitor in the dog walking industry here in Manhattan. He organized a large group of walkers to give discounted service. He didn't understand why Fin didn't want to participate, nor why the high-end clients preferred her personalized service for their dogs over his franchised capitalistic approach.

  He's also been trying to get back into Finnegan's panties since I met the man. She had the good sense to kick him to the curb when she caught him cheating on her. But there are times I can see her loneliness tempting her to go back to something familiar from time to time.

  She is class incarnate, and if you tell her I said that, I will end you – painfully. I've never really been too much into the ultra feminine, lipstick side of the lesbian spectrum until the little runt showed no fear and got in my face when I had basically accused her of murder.

  The man blurted out, “Calvin... he's hurt. Where's Fin?”

  I sat up straight, my hand automatically checking my belt for my badge and cuffs, my eyes looking at the drawer I kept my service weapon in while I was at my desk. Calvin was hurt, and he didn't know where Fin was?

  My training kicked in to temper my rising panic, and I said in a calmer tone than the knots in my stomach bore witness to. “Calm down Raife. Where are you now? I'm coming to you. Tell me what's going on.”

  I heard the man take a calming breath. For all his faults, he had impeccable taste, he knew how badly he had screwed up with Fin, and he wanted her back. “We're on the Ramble in Central Park. Fin's not answering her cell, or her landline.”

  He was getting worked up again. I was standing and retrieving my weapon and sliding it into my shoulder holster. Sean saw and started to stand, reaching into his drawer where his service weapon was. I put out a calming hand and patted the air as I shook my head, indicating he should stay.

  I said, “Raife, focus. What happened?”

  He started again, I could tell her was calming himself as his tone leveled out. “I got a call from Kim Tam over near East Harlem, she said sh
e saw Calvin running through the streets toward the Park with a dachshund in tow, dragging the smaller dog by his leash.”

  He started speaking faster again, “Everyone knows Calvin. Fin and him are sort of a legend among the city's dog walkers after she let us help you guys out with that murder a while back. There's no mistaking Calvin.”

  I was silent for a few seconds, and I prompted, “Raife?”

  He said after a moment, “Yeah. I'm here. I'm just trying to get Calvin to settle. His leg is injured.”

  I could hear the dog whining, and my free hand curled into a fist. If I wasn't so worried, I might have chuckled. I've never been a pet person, but since meeting Finnegan, I've grown to love the silly dog. As weird as it sounds, I kind of look at him like Fin and my kid.

  The man went on, “I called Fin, but got no answer, so I tried the landline, no answer. I thought that if Calvin were limping like Kim said, then maybe Fin was hurt too. So I sent out a Broken Leash on Calvin. The network led me to the park.”

  Then he whispered, “He has blood all over his mouth, but I can't find an injury there.”

  My blood ran cold, and I stutter-stepped as I reached my SUV. Fuck! I jumped in and kicked on the lights and siren as I headed toward the park. I said, “Ok, hang tight, I'm on my way!”

  I hung up and pulled into traffic, cussing at the people not giving way as my engine roared and tires squealed when I headed north, Central Park looming ahead of me. I was absently dialing Fin's cell in one hand as I made my way into the park. It went straight to voicemail. “Fin, this is Jane. Call me as soon as you get this. Cal is hurt.”

  I hung up and tossed my cell into the passenger seat then punched my steering wheel a couple times, feeling helpless. And I hated feeling helpless. I guess I'm too much of a control freak to go with the flow. But it makes me damn good at my job.

  I thought of the network that the dog walkers had. If a dog got away from a walker, that was like a death knell for their business. Who would trust a walker who had lost a dog? So Fin had engineered a network between all the licensed independents and even Rafiel's group, that when a Broken Leash was sounded, they would all take up the call. Unbelievably, there are ten thousand licensed dog walkers in New York City... as Fin likes to say with that innocently cute little smirk of hers, “We are legion.” They all have each other's backs during a Broken Leash because they know the next one could be theirs.

  So one of those call-outs had helped Rafiel find Calvin. Of course, the little guy would run to the place he knows best, the park. Spending almost all his time out of our apartment there. But where was Fin?

  I grabbed the mic on my radio and called into the station, asking for any reports of accidents where anyone matching Fin's description was involved.

  I hung the mic back up then shouted, “Shit!” God, how had the sarcastic, adorable woman wormed her way past every defense I had? She was... important... to me. More if I was honest with myself.

  I grabbed my cell again and dialed Garrett. He answered on the second ring, I had to smile, the man was just as cocky as his sister, must be a twin thing, “My oh my, Detective McLeary, to what do I owe the pleasure.”

  I chuckled, “Shut up, suck up. I was just wondering if you happened to know where Finnegan was, I'm trying to reach her.”

  There was a pregnant pause, then he asked with a voice tinged with suspicion, “What's up, Jane? If she isn't out walking... she's with you. She sort of has a thing for you in case you were too dense to notice.”

  I felt my cheeks burn. The ass always brought it up whenever Fin wasn't in earshot. He wanted his sister happy, and for some unfathomable reason, her family thought I could give her that happiness. I was pretty much poison for relationships.

  I deflected, “Oh, it's likely nothing. Nothing to worry about.”

  He snorted, “Well I wasn't worrying until you just said that, brainiac. What...”

  I hung up and then pocketed my cell as I parked with my police lights on as close to the Ramble as possible. The place was a maze. I grabbed my go bag and started off into the Ramble at a jog.

  I was about to pull out my cell when I saw the dark-haired man on a bench with Calvin and Oscar lying at his feet as he stroked Calvin's fur, calming him. Or maybe it was Cal calming Raife. In reality it was likely a little of each.

  The moment Cal saw me, he sat up, holding one of his paws against his chest, his tail swished, and he whimpered. Oscar started bounding around in circles and yipping when he saw me. Just what I needed was some little wiener warming up to me. Fine, whatever, he was cute.

  Raife looked up and saw me, and to his credit, the man had worry painted on his face. For how much of a dumbass he was for ruining a good thing, he still cared for Fin. I knew some of it was the forbidden fruit thing, alpha types like him are always self-destructive that way. What other reason would anyone have to cheat on someone like Fin?

  She had her own issues, some trauma she hasn't shared with me yet, and the OCD she struggles to hide, but she only looks for and sees the good in the world. I live in the dark shadows of the world, where I see all the hate and malice, and the darkest recesses of people's souls. This is where I try to make a difference, but she can wash away the darkness I see every day with with the light from one of her expressive smiles.

  I prompted the man as he stood, “Talk to me Raife.”

  He shrugged, looking helpless. It was plain to see that he wasn't used to the feeling, always having to be in control. I understood the feeling. Well hell, was I empathizing with the man?

  He pulled out his phone as he said, “Detective.” Yeah, I knew the cool tone. I'm sure the man felt I stole Finny from him, but she wasn't his. She had dropped him like a bad habit. I felt the knots in my stomach tightening.

  Not like she was mine either, just wishful thinking on my part. She was her own person, a force of nature. She almost broke my resolve when she had kissed me. It was all I could do to stop myself. But she isn't like the other girls. Hell, I'm not entirely sure she is even gay. And I'm still hurting from Jess breaking things off with me.

  For a time, I really believed Jessie was the one I could spend the rest of my life with, but she couldn't accept the one thing that defined me. I was a cop, and if I... wasn't... I don't know what I'd be. I would have done anything for that woman, except that. It was the one concession that I couldn't make because I knew it would be a slow festering wound to our relationship which I know wouldn't heal.

  Then this short dynamo in a sundress started yelling at me during a case. And I actually felt my heart flutter. I tried telling myself I wasn't into girly girls like her. I was into bad girls like Jess. But then the girl had given me an actual smile which just steamrolled over all my defenses. And I wanted to see that smile again. It didn't take me long to figure out that I had been smitten.

  But it wouldn't be fair to Fin if I pursued my feelings, they are tainted with my heartbreak over Jess. And Finnegan May is nobody's rebound relationship. There is also the fear I harbor that maybe all the signals she is broadcasting on the lesbian broadband frequencies are really just her curiosity. I don't want to be some girl's experiment in the feminine arts. I've seen so many relationships with a bi-curious woman crash and burn when one of the participants decides that it just isn't for them.

  But god, have you seen Fin? My resolve crumbles a little more each day. With every look, every smile, every argument, every touch. She loves to argue, and I love watching her argue, anything to obsess over her lips.

  Rafiel went over how he located Calvin again as I checked the fuzzy guy out. He was certainly happy to see me. I had to give a jealous Oscar some scratches too as he vied for attention. Calvin's front leg was swollen, but I couldn't feel any breaks or anything. I was fairly certain he would be fine, but I wanted to get him to a vet to make sure. Not to mention that Fin would kill me if I didn't.

  The cop in me reined in my growing panic as I took an evidence bag from my go bag and some scissors and then cut a tuft of the blo
ody fur from around Calvin's face. And took a photo. There was a piece of flesh between his teeth and gum that I picked out into the bag. He had gotten a good piece out of someone or something. “Good for you boy.”

  After asking the dog walker a few questions then getting the history of texts from the other dog walkers about the Broken Leash, I tried Fin again. Voicemail. Oh, Fin, what have you gotten yourself into? I've never met someone who trouble just seemed drawn to like a magnet like Finnegan.

  I exhaled and excused myself for a moment and turned my back to him as I dialed dispatch. I put an APB out on Fin. My heart clenched as I added, “Subject may be injured.” I hung up and cursed, “Damn it!”

  Then I turned to the dark-haired man. “Rafiel, can you put out one of those Broken Leash things on Finnegan?” I knew better than involving civilians.

  Ok, his smirk told me that this was maybe not my finest moment as he teased, “I thought you didn't approve of Fin using one to 'interfere' with police business. What was it? Endangering civilians?”

  I exhaled and asked calmly, “You going to be a sanctimonious prick about this, or are you going to help out Fin?”

  He gave a self-satisfied grin when he said, “Maybe a little of both.” Then he sobered and asked as he looked up from his cell. “Is she going to be ok?”

  I just looked at him. I couldn't guarantee anything, we still didn't know if she was even hurt. But Calvin and Oscar being here didn't bode well, and it weighed heavily in my gut.

  So instead I just said, “We'll find her.” Then I added, almost grudgingly, “Thanks, Raife.”

  He just nodded and then started typing on his cell.

  I crouched to retrieve the leashes and said, “Come on Cal, let's go get you checked out.” I exchanged one last look with the man then walked the dogs to my car. I winced every time Calvin limped.