Unleashed_Case of the Collie Flour

by Erik Schubach

  I grinned a toothy grin. “Underground parking a block up on 58th, one of my old client's seventy-year-old mom moved upstate. She sold me the parking spot she's had the past thirty years as a parting gift.”

  She sputtered out, “Parting gift? What did you do, have her dog's pups? Parking spots are worth more than gold in the city.”

  I grinned and nodded. “Pretty much. I helped her Fiona birth a litter.” I moved over to my purse and dug out my keyring. I found the key card for the garage and took it off the scrunchy ring. Then turned and gasped, I was staring right at her chest again. I squeaked out, “Stop sneaking up on me!”

  She chuckled as I took a half step back. “I don't sneak, it's called walking. You're just too excitable. You need to be a little more laid back like Calvin there.” Did she just call me hyper?

  I growled at her, and she looked at my hand. I held up the key card then pulled it back when she reached out. “One word about the label and I take it back.”

  She smirked, and I squinted my eyes at her and handed her the card. Then she looked at it and made a show of biting her tongue. She really wanted to comment on the label but kept quiet. Good. It looked like she could be trained just like my clients. Go me!

  Then she looked confused and asked, “Wait, where will you park then?”

  I shrugged. “I don't own a car. All my clients are within a few blocks of Central Park. I just walk everywhere I need to go.”

  She blinked and looked at the card again and asked, “Then why...”

  I smiled widely as I offered, “Because like you said parking spots are worth more than gold, I'd have been stupid not to take her up on the offer.” Then I pointed at her before she could mouth off, “And I'm many things, but stupid is not one of them.”

  She nodded in appreciation. “That – you are not.” Then she looked a question as she pocketed the key card.

  I said, “207 58th, slot A7 like on the label.” I gave her a neener neener look, and she chuckled.

  She nodded and said, “You are an odd platypus, May, and I like that. Thank you. I thought I'd have to leave my car at the station and bus home every night.”

  Super Finnegan to the rescue!

  I wondered absently why I never offered my spot to my other roommates. I've had it a year and a half now.

  She saluted with the card then started for the door. “My stuff can wait. We're trying to track down who had access to Reeves' spare key card.”

  I absently said, “McKnight Catering.”

  She almost stumbled. “Beg pardon?”

  I shrugged as I moved over to start washing the dishes. “McKnight Catering. Tanya McKnight has the key because she's coordinating Saturday's party at Abigail's.”

  She just blinked at me, then started shaking her head and mumbling, “Son of a bitch.”

  I stood straighter at her reaction. Had I just helped again? I thought it was common knowledge. Tanya always ran the catering from the kitchen of the host, it made for the freshest and tastiest foods. The woman was a legend with the upper crust in the city.

  She smiled then said, “Thanks, Finny. You've been a great help.” Then she hesitated when Calvin hopped up to join her at the door. She looked over at me almost apologetically. “Umm... we found out that Abigail has no next of kin. She was an only child, and her parents have passed. There's no one coming for Calvin here. Once the coroner is done, the lawyers for her estate say the funeral will be at the Marble Cemetery, it seems Abigail had paid almost a half million dollars for the empty Sheldon vault a few years back when the seventy-five-year waiting period expired.”

  What? Calvin was alone? Then she offered as my eyes widened, “I can contact animal control for you.”

  I was blurting, “NO!” before she could finish. Then I composed myself and spoke again, “No, he's not going to doggy jail.” Then I said in a cold and accusatory tone, “I... I have power of attorney for him, so I say where he goes. Calvin is staying with me... with us. That's final.”

  She smirked and winked before she slipped out the door. She knew I was going to say that, she was just yanking my chain, the.. the... the jerk cop! Then I smiled and looked over at Calvin who was cocking his head at the door as it clicked shut. “Looks like you're stuck with me boy.” And for some reason, my heart was soaring.

  I smiled and twirled, letting my skirt spin up then gacked when the door opened again, Jane poked her head in. She grinned at my embarrassment as I smoothed my skirt down self consciously, then touched my hair, not knowing what to do with my hands.

  She nudged her chin at the door. “Lock the door. Don't wait up, I don't know how late I'll be. I'll try to be quiet when I get... home.”

  I just nodded, and she popped back out. I rushed to the door and locked it – a few times. Then looked at Calvin who was wagging his tail as he ran to me. I giggled and spun again. I had a dog.

  Chapter 6 – Trash Day

  The next morning I woke up to nice toasty feet again. It was early and I don't know why I hadn't awoken just before the alarm like normal. Had I heard something?

  Calvin had slept with me all night. I sat up and grinned. He stretched from ears to tail and looked up at me from where he lay, his tail swishing. Just all in all being too cute. “Friday, boy. Are you ready?”

  I glanced at the clock, my alarm wouldn't be going off for another half hour. I decided to snuggle back into the covers and catch just a little more shuteye before I had to get up.

  Ah, who was I kidding? I was awake. I couldn't sleep more when the day was waiting. There was so much I could do with the extra time. Like sorting the napkin drawer again, maybe by color instead of size? I had that letter from mom to read, but I preferred to put it off until the weekend so that I could savor it. Crap, I needed to call her to let her know she was a grandma now. But she'd go into her lecture about how unsafe the city is, and the circumstances prove it. I was dreading that.

  I stood and stretched in my pajamas, Cal was quite interested, like maybe treats would fall out of my sleeves. I really was spoiling the poor boy, wasn't I?

  I wandered out into the big room to start a pot of coffee brewing before I showered. I hesitated when I saw the drapes at the balcony door rustling in a breeze. The French doors were open. I changed course as I rubbed the rat's nest my hair had gotten itself into as I yawned big enough to swallow the Earth.

  I pulled the drapes aside to see Jane, already dressed for the day, sitting at the little table with an iPad and files strewn about it. She looked up and then smiled, biting her cheek like she was trying to suppress a chuckle.

  What?

  I stretched and yawned again, “Good morning.”

  She inclined her head and said, “Morning.” She was looking me over again and then asked, “Pajamas?”

  I grumped out, “Shut up.”

  Her brown eyes were full of mischief as she asked, “Cats?”

  I muttered, “A joke gift from my mom – this isn't you shutting up.”

  She nodded and brought a cup of coffee up to her lips. “It's one of my endearing traits.”

  There was coffee already? I turned from her and parried back as I headed toward the dark caffeinated liquid of life in the kitchen. “You're confusing endearing and irritating.”

  Ok, I had to smile at her low chuckle. I didn't know why she brought out the worst in me, but I was glad it didn't offend her. She said from the balcony as I poured some coffee into the crude cup that Raife had bought me. Heaven help me if I didn't find the “Walker's do it doggy style,” printed on it as funny. I think he had a batch specially printed to give out to the walkers that signed on with Rafiel's Canine Walkers.

  I noted that the Tupperware of last night's spaghetti I had centered on the table for her before I went to bed with a label on it instructing her to heat it for forty-five seconds wasn’t there. She had apparently washed the Tupperware since the kitchen was its spotless self. I don't know why I smiled at that.

  I shuffled out to where the four-footed traito
r was getting his ears rubbed by our roommate.

  She cocked an eyebrow at my cup and my face heated as I sat in the other chair. I reached out a finger and turned her iPad toward me and looked at a gorgeous multi-layered diamond necklace with longer and longer strands, and matching earrings. The set was breathtaking.

  I cocked an amused eyebrow at her, not even being able to imagine her wearing something as ostentatious as that. She muttered, “Don't poke through my files, brat. This isn't for public consumption.”

  I smiled. “I didn't think it was your style.”

  She purred almost suggestively, “Oh? You'd be surprised at the things that are my style.”

  I swallowed. The woman was sexy, and she knew it, and there I sat, questioning my own sexuality because of how the tips of my ears and my cheeks started to burn as my belly warmed.

  She smirked and said as she shut the pad off. “Well since you've seen it, we think that was the motive. A robbery gone bad. That is the Princess Anne collection from Valentine's. The set was on loan to Abigail Reeves for her party tomorrow. The jewelers contacted the station when they heard of her death, but the necklace was nowhere to be found in her apartment.”

  My eyes widened. “Valentine's? That must be worth a mint then.” Valentine's Fine Jewelers was the jeweler to the stars and royalty, they wouldn't even let you in the doors if you didn't at least have a seven digit portfolio.

  She nodded and offered, “Two and a half million. A cool three million with the earrings.” I swallowed at that then took a sip of coffee.

  I prompted, “Did you contact McKnight Catering about the keycard?”

  She nodded. “Met with Tanya McKnight herself. The card wasn't where she left it. She employs over a hundred cooks, drivers, and wait staff, all who had access to her office. We're going to be running down her own alibi today.”

  Then she pursed her lips. “I'm not supposed to be talking about my cases. We need to make one of your copious house rules about that.”

  I widened my eyes and defended, “How do you know I have copious rules? We haven't gone over them yet.”

  She smirked. “Do you have them printed out? Is it more than a page long?”

  I blushed.

  “There you go. Someone like you was bound to have a ton of rules,” she said.

  “Someone like me?” Should I be offended?

  She shrugged and took a deep swallow of coffee. “Borderline obsessive compulsive.”

  I squeaked out, “I'm not obsessive compulsive.”

  “What are you going to wear today?”

  What did that have to do with anything? I squinted at her and provided, “A pretty red sundress with white trim I picked up the other day.”

  She asked, “Print?”

  I shook my head. “Solid.”

  She nodded. “There you go then. A pattern is emerging.”

  What? So what if I preferred solid color to print... and my closet was full of sundresses. And that I wore one every day. I like them. I mumbled over the rim of my coffee cup at the infuriating, judgmental woman, “I have a pair of jeans. I just... choose not to wear them.” Why did I feel like I needed to defend or apologize?

  She sighed and cocked her head at me then looked down at Calvin like they were sharing some sort of insight.

  Then she set her cup down and asked in a tone that held no teasing, “Why don't we throw caution to the wind and toss the rules? We can learn each other's patterns, likes and dislikes and make a whole new set of rules of our own.”

  Toss the... I looked toward the apartment in the direction of my bedroom where I had the ten-page document stapled neatly and ready to give to her. But we all need rules, right? She wanted to start a new set with me – and you know what? I felt bold. I'd show her I'm not obsessive.

  I nodded and grabbed her pen from on top of a folder and her notepad and flipped to a blank page. “We can do that, I can be impulsive. Let's make our own rules.” I looked at her, pen at the ready. This was actually going to be fun, I loved rules.

  I stopped breathing when she laid her hand over mine holding the pen, her hands were surprisingly soft. She looked at me until I met her eyes. She almost smiled then said, “We don't need to write them down. They may change organically as we change as people.”

  I looked at her then her hand on mine. I could feel the heat from our contact, her skin was so hot. She offered, “First rule, we don't need to write everything down.”

  She moved her hand, and I found I could breathe again. She wouldn't let go of me with her eyes though. I grinned, feeling sassy as I asked, my voice cracking, “Should I write that down?”

  God, she had a great laugh.

  I stood up, feeling almost excited like I was being a bad girl throwing out all the rules like that. It was shaping up to be a good day already. I scurried back through the drapes, Cal stayed behind to get some lovin' pats from Jane. I heard her call out, “Thank's for the tasty dinner last night Fin, it was unexpected.”

  Ok, sometimes she isn't the most annoying cop on the planet.

  I headed to my bedroom and selected my outfit for the day, looking at the pristine red dress then out toward the balcony. Obsessive-compulsive? I'll show her. I pulled out the hanger that held my pair of jeans, cleaned and pressed, and... a solid red top.

  I brought my clothes into the bathroom and closed the other two doors and looked in the mirror. Oh, the bedhead mess! I looked as if a goose and a duck had just nested in my tangled brown curls, and I had let Jane see me like that! No wonder she looked amused.

  I sighed and started the water in the shower. I stepped in and let the hot water just roll down my body washing away the high emotions of the past couple days. My mind drifted to the Hotline. I really should get myself out there again. If Raife comes on strong again, I don't know if I'd be strong enough not to cave. Being with someone is better than being alone.

  Then I smiled. I had a dog! I wasn't alone anymore. I felt sassy at that thought and absently wondered if Jamal was dating anyone. Ah, doesn't matter, I'd never have the confidence to ask him out.

  I shut off the shower, wrung my long hair out, and stepped out as I reached for my towel, then almost fell back into the shower, “Glurk!” Jane was at the center sink, combing her silky hair out. Wait, had I heard the toilet flush while I was showering? I pulled the shower curtain around me as she turned back.

  She cocked that infernal eyebrow of hers at me then shook her head. “What? Its just us girls here, you don't have anything I don't.”

  I squeaked, “I... you...”

  She rolled her eyes. “Got it, that's our next rule then. You're not comfortable with your body so only one in the bathroom at a time. I just figured there were three sinks for a reason. You hadn't locked the doors.” She stepped forward and grabbed my towel off the rail and handed it to me.

  I quickly wrapped myself and snapped at her, “I'm comfortable with my body, thank you very much. I happen to have a good body for my size.”

  Wait, she was grinning. Why did she seem to enjoy it when I snapped at her? Was it that she liked knowing she could push me like that?

  I muttered, “I just wasn't expecting to see you in here.” She seemed pleased then I stood up taller, dwarfed by the woman. Then I realized she was making me stand up for myself. Was that why she kept teasing? Or was I just giving her more depth and credit than she deserved?

  I grabbed my clothes and scurried back to my room to get dressed. I could dry my hair after. I dressed quickly then went back to the bathroom, hesitated, and knocked lightly. She wasn't there. I slipped in and locked the other two doors then went about drying my hair and pulling it back behind me and using a cute red hairband I had found when I bought the red dress. I did my makeup for the day, choosing to be bold. I was wearing red so bright red it was.

  I looked in the mirror and absently went to smooth the skirt I wasn't wearing. Right. Jeans. I felt a little off, I loved being a girly girl and jeans were so me in my awkward tweens where the other g
irls would tease me that I dressed like my twin brother Garrett. That was about when I had started wearing the dresses, to show them I wasn't trying to be like Gar.

  I slipped on some red flats. What? Don't you have shoes for all your outfits? Color matches color.

  Then I headed out to prep my lunch with a little something extra for Calvin – my dog. I headed to the fridge and saw Jane straightening the circulars on the coffee table and standing, causing my beautiful boy to hop off the couch he isn't supposed to be on, but we were making new rules so he could make some too.

  She was checking her pocket for keys, and I figured she was heading off to detect things. I guess she didn't have time for a bagel with cream cheese. I called over, “I'm prepping lunch, I can put something together for you if you like.”

  She hesitated and then smiled at me. “Thanks but you don't need to, and I don't need to be eating all your food. I'll get to the market sometime today to stock up.”

  I waved her off as she approached. “It's nothing. I don't mind. I actually like making meals, it relaxes me. A person can't concentrate and give their all on an empty stomach.”

  She smiled as I turned back to the fridge and opened it. “It'll just take me a second.” I grabbed my Tupperware labeled 'Friday Lunch' and pulled it out along with some fresh fixings for a couple sandwiches. Then turned around and found myself face to chest again with the silent creeper of New York. I stifled a squeak of surprise.

  She said, “Thanks, Finny, that's sweet of you,” as she reached past me, her hair drifting along my shoulder and she pulled her gun down from the cupboard over the refrigerator. Now she smelled of soap, lilac, and leather. How had I slept through her showering this morning, I must have really been out. It was sort of an intoxicating combination of scents, and I found myself closing my eyes to savor it even though the woman had no concept of personal space.

  I looked up at her as she shrugged into her shoulder holster. She was smirking down at me. I shuffled under her arm and to the counter, then remembered to breathe as she prodded, “Jeans? Fin, I didn't intend to make you feel self-conscious.”