Unleashed_Case of the Collie Flour

by Erik Schubach

  After that, we just slipped into a comfortable banter, and I wondered why I hadn't acclimated and opened up to my other roommates as fast as with Detective Jane McLeary.

  Chapter 11 – Cake Knife

  The next day I woke up to another picture perfect day in Manhattan. I sent Jane off to the station with a big container of chili for lunch. She had three bowls the prior night. I think she was moaning with her mouth full, something about not having home cooked food for so long.

  I was just mesmerized watching her having a foodgasm that had me swallowing and trying to control my breathing, as I couldn't keep my eyes off of her, wondering if that was the look she had when she... ummm, never mind.

  Calvin was just as excited to get going to collect our clients as I was, he ran to the door and sat beside it the moment I started for it. He was such a diligent worker, I was proud of him. I imagined this was heaven for him. Never being alone and being out walking half the day. And he was loved.

  I made sure he knew that, and I had to grin at the thought of the big grumpy Detective McLeary being so good with him. I'd have to ask her why she never had dogs growing up.

  As I harnessed my working boy, I caught the scent of lilac and leather from her jacket she had left at home today. I held it to my nose and inhaled deeply, relaxing. She had to wear a smart business suit today which again had me questioning my sexuality again and biting my lower lip when I watched her leave. She had an early morning court case.

  Crap, was I crushing on my roommate? My – female – roommate? No. She was just the Jerk Cop who arrested me.

  I opened the door. “Come on Cal, the boys await.” After quickly locking the door behind us... a few times, we were gone.

  We had an awesome time, the day was just as spectacular as Friday, I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and soaked in the perfect weather because I knew we were just days away from the inferno that Manhattan became in the summer. I'd have to be packing the footies for my clients soon, for when the asphalt gets too hot.

  After we dropped the last of the girls off at home, we turned back to the park to head home. “So, what do you think of chef's salad for dinner?” I crinkled my nose at him in a yuck face and said, “Don't worry boy, we won't make you eat rabbit food. “Though a little ham, turkey, and eggs might find its way into your bowl.” I held my finger to my lips. I was spoiling the little guy.

  As we weaved through the early afternoon foot traffic on 68th as we approached Park Avenue, Cal started whining. He seemed so agitated that I pulled him off the sidewalk into an alley. I crouched and asked, “What is it, boy?” I started running my hands all over him to try to determine if he was suffering any physical discomfort. He had been a champ with all the walking the past few days and never complained once. I hoped I wasn't pushing him too hard.

  He seemed fine, and I stood. “What's wrong, Cal, I don't...” I froze when someone pressed up against my back, and I could see a long blade, a cake knife against my side hidden from the mouth of the alley.

  And as Calvin started growling, a cheerful voice said, “Finnegan May. You've messed up my life. I was comfortable here.” Even though she forced my face back ahead when I tried to look back, there was no mistaking that rich, cultured voice. And Tanya McKnight was keeping her tone light and lilting like there was nothing wrong and we were old friends, to keep Calvin from diving on her to protect me. The poor boy was confused.

  I was starting to shake, and my voice came out shaky, but I tried not to sound as distressed as I was, Calvin could get hurt if I didn't. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him and just after his mom died. I played dumb, like most people thought I was, as Calvin growled and whined. “Who are you? What do you want? You can have my purse.”

  I'm ashamed to say I was about to pee my panties and couldn't keep my eyes off the knife against my side. I had never felt so afraid in my life, and I have never been afraid of New York. But what would she do to Calvin if she... umm... killed...

  She snapped me out of my spiral by asking, “Tell me everything you told the police... dog walker. You lie to me, and you join Reeves. Everything.” Her voice was still smooth and lilting. She did it too well... too calm. Was she some sort of sociopath? How had she fooled everyone so well?

  My knees were shaking as I said, “Nothing. I didn't see anything. Just some flour in the kitchen when I picked up Calvin for his walk.”

  She hissed, “Shit.” Cal growled louder. “Why did the bitch have to come home early?”

  A tear rolled down my cheek, and I closed my eyes tight.

  I wouldn't let her make me feel this way, she was no different than any of the other bullies I faced in my life. Though this may be the last of that life for me. I stood straighter, and she pushed the knife, with its wicked looking wide flat blade and small serrations, harder against my side and I could hear the fabric of my mint green sundress tearing and could feel the metal touching my skin.

  Then the woman laughed, she actually laughed and asked, “Are you actually crying? Pathetic.” Then the knife was gone, and I could feel her digging in my bag as she snapped in a more dangerous tone that had Calvin baring his sharp fangs, “Don't turn around for twenty seconds, dog walker. You do, and I will hunt you down, you stupid girl. I tracked you down here, I can find you anywhere.”

  I started counting out loud, “One. Two. Three.”

  I heard Tanya cursing as she left the alley to be swallowed by the sounds of the bustling foot traffic beyond, “Shit.”

  “Four. Five.” I kept my eyes squeezed shut as I slipped to the ground in the alley and started crying as Calvin tried his best to comfort me. He was such a good boy. I wrapped my arms around him, sinking my fingers deep into his silky fur, “Six. Seven.”

  No! She can't make me a victim. I'm not a victim! I opened my eyes and glared at the mouth of the alley, where the world was passing us by like it was just some sort of backdrop to a play. I growled out as I stood, “She has no right!” I dug for my cell to find the woman had taken it. I was shaking with fear, adrenaline, and anger as I said to Cal, “The 19th precinct is a couple blocks away. Jane is there.”

  I felt like I was in some sort of shock as my wobbly legs propelled me forward, Calvin like a trooper right at my side. I concentrated on breathing. I needed to tell the police, I needed to tell Jane. She would know what to do.

  I was shying away from all the people we passed, and it just made me so mad. I loved this city, these were my people. McKnight couldn't take that way from me.

  I marched into the police station, placing my bag on the conveyor belt on autopilot. I made Calvin go first, and his harness made the metal detector beep, and I stepped through cleanly. The officer at the security checkpoint was saying something to me as she ran his fingers under Calvin's harness. I'm not sure what it was.

  The second floor, Jane said she worked on the second floor. I bypassed the front desk and went straight to the lobby elevators. And we stepped inside. Two officers were already in there with a police dog, heading up, as I hit the second-floor button, replaying the alley over and over.

  The big German Shepard started growling at Cal, and I stomped once to get its attention and raised my right arm over my head palm out and snapped out, “Platz.”

  The K-9 officer stared at me as his dog laid down at his feet, then the elevator doors opened and Cal and I stepped out. What? Why was he shocked I knew they trained their dogs with German commands and hand signals so that the bad guys couldn't do what I just did by taking a commanding stance like that.

  I started walking woodenly through the cubical sea, eyes scanning. Someone to my right asked, “Miss, can I help you? Are you ok?”

  I was shaking my head mumbling. “Jane. Where's Jane?”

  Then I saw her at the end of the row, and she looked up from her desk and did a double take. I was so cold and shaking. All my adrenaline was spent. Her smile quickly turned to concern as she strode up to me quickly. I whispered, “A cake knife... the we
apon was a cake knife.” Then my legs gave out as I started sobbing. She didn't need to see me like this.

  She caught me and steadied me and quickly dragged me to her cubical and sat me in an uncomfortable chair. She had both of my hands in hers as she asked carefully, “Finnegan? Are you ok? What happened?” Then she was snapping to someone, “Jones! Get her some water!”

  I would not be a victim! I took a deep breath pushing away my shock and fear. In a sing-song voice to keep Cal from stressing, as strong as I could, I said, “The murder weapon was a cake knife, Tanya McKnight just pulled it on me in an alley on 68th and Park.” Then I turned pleading eyes to her. “Calvin could have been hurt!”

  She hugged and shushed me then started looking me over, holding up my arms. “You've been cut!”

  I looked down to see my pretty green dress torn with a little red staining the edges of the tear. A small cut showed on my skin.

  Then I growled out, “The bitch ruined my dress!” Now I was pissed!

  This got Jane smiling and chuckling as she gave me a hug. “Let's get you patched up, and you can tell me exactly what happened.”

  She said to a man who stepped up with a water bottle, “McKnight was spotted ten minutes ago at 68th and Park. Get an APB out, armed and dangerous.”

  I smiled. Damn, Jane really was a badass.

  Chapter 12 – Casting A Net

  A little piece of me had smiled when I saw my 'Jerk Cop' label taped across the nameplate on Jane's desk when she called an officer to drive me home while she and Detective Flannery spearheaded the manhunt.

  Their captain had a car stationed across the street from my apartment on protective detail in case McKnight showed up there. She seemed to know my dog walking schedule, so she likely knew where I lived too.

  Jane had shared that she was probably going to flee the city. That it sounded as if she wasn't sure what the police knew and that I was the wildcard. But since I shared that I had seen the kitchen before she had sterilized it, that she likely knew they were putting the puzzle pieces together and were looking for her.

  I had asked why she hadn't fled already. They said it was likely that she was trying to fence the jewels to fund her flight from justice since the police would now be watching all of her accounts and freezing her funds.

  All they could do was to increase the patrols around the known fences, and public transport out of the city at the train stations and airports to keep the pressure on during the search. Hopefully, she didn't drive out.

  The problem was manpower. The NYPD was basically an army of its own, at over thirty thousand officers, but they were already spread thin in one of the biggest cities in the world.

  I blushed when she had felt the need to walk Calvin and me down to the car herself back at the station. She had held both my arms and made me look at her. She asked as her eyes searched, “You ok, Finny?” I just nodded, I really thought I would be now that anger had replaced my fear. Then she said firmly, “Everything is going to be ok. We will find her. Ok?” I nodded again, and she had smiled and helped Calvin and me into the cruiser.

  I dwelled on their lament over how understaffed the NYPD was as Calvin and I made it up to our home. Then I got a wicked grin when it hit me after I locked the door a dozen times to make sure it was secure. The New York Police weren't the only ones who had an army. I was a dog walker in one of the most populated places in the United States – we are legion.

  I smiled as I unharnessed Cal. Then dug for my cell in my bag as I thought about the fact that in New York City alone, there were close to ten thousand licensed dog walkers. If you counted the Loose Leashes as we called them, the people who illegally freelanced without a license and undercut us professionals, then we have close to half the numbers the police did. And we were invisible, just background noise in a city that was always moving.

  I growled when I remembered that Tanya had taken my phone. Jane had sent my number to the techs to be traced, but it was turned off. I took off my flats and placed them under the peg I hung my bag on then looked sidelong at the cordless landline phone that was sitting in its charging cradle on a side table in the living room.

  I absently wondered if the old thing even worked or would keep a charge. The only real reason I had a land line was that my DSL internet connection was cheaper if I bundled it in. I had never made a call on it in two years since I paid for it when I got tired of paying for the data costs tethering my devices to my cell. Of course, it was one thing about me that my roommates didn't complain about.

  I acted all casual murmuring sweet nothings to Calvin as I sidled up to the ancient technology, not wanting to startle it or scare it away. I giggled at myself for being silly. Then I pounced. I said in my best Snidely Whiplash, “Ah ha! Now I've got you.” Calvin looked amused with his cocked head and lolling tongue.

  I winked at him then went to the balcony doors and opened one so he could go out and watch traffic while I cast a net far and wide.

  I stared at the phone, ready to make my first call, then furrowed my brow. Now wasn't that a sign of the times? Growing up I memorized dozens of phone numbers, it was second nature to keep a list of them in your head. But smartphones have become so prevalent in our lives, and you could call anyone you knew with a simple tap, we've stopped trying to memorize them, and we are sort of helpless without our contact lists.

  I sighed and went to get my iPad. I powered it up and pulled up my contacts and then sighed in resignation. My first call was necessary, even though I didn't relish doing it, but he had connections. I turned on the cordless and grinned at the sound of a dial tone, something the generation after me wouldn't recognize, then I dialed Raife.

  He answered on the first ring, “Rafiel's Canine Walkers, how may I help you today? Time and a half rates apply after 4:00pm.”

  He didn't have that smug tone to his voice he had adopted after we broke up, he didn't know it was me. I said in a small voice, “Raife, it's me, Finnegan.”

  There was a pause, and then he asked with a touch of hesitation and concern, “Fin. I don't know this number.”

  I nodded even though he couldn't see and I hoped he would put aside the pettiness and help. “I need your help.”

  He was quick to interrupt at that. “So, the great Finnegan May, the untouchable freelancer, needs my help again. Who needs walking this time? I'm sort of enjoying this, getting your rates without having you on staff.”

  I growled out, “Cut the shit. I have to send out a Broken Leash.”

  He hesitated at that. It was usually a death knell for a walker's contract with a dog owner when they lost a dog. But then he asked, though I didn't catch any of his snideness, “You? You lost a dog? And you're calling me?”

  We all had each other's backs, except for the unlicensed freelancers. When a Broken Leash was sent out, it spread like wildfire, and all the dog walkers in the city put aside any differences and kept their eyes peeled for the runaway dog. We all took it as the most serious of all calls since we knew the next Broken Leash could easily be ours.

  I said, “As much as I'm loathe to admit it, you've got a bigger network that can get the word out faster.”

  He took it in stride and said, “Ok, you're going to owe me big Fin, this is two favors in less than seven days. Which dog are we looking for?”

  I hesitated then squinted one eye and cocked my head as I almost asked, “Tanya McKnight.”

  I waited for his outburst, but instead, he said, “I didn't know she had canined herself up. That woman is way too busy to care for a dog. What kind is it, any ID on the collar?”

  I exhaled slowly actually hearing concern for a dog in his tone, that was the old Rafiel, and I just told him, “No Raife... I need the network looking for McKnight herself.”

  He made an indignant noise, but I beat him to it, “It was her Raife, she killed Abigail Reeves. She killed Calvin's mom.”

  He said slowly like he knew I wasn't telling the whole story. “Fin, we don't abuse the system looking for people...�
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  I was surprised how raw my voice was when I blurted, “She pulled a knife on me today Raife, she... cut me, ruined a dress. She could have hurt Calvin!” My voice went up, in the end, colored by my anger.

  He hesitated again and asked in a tone devoid of all emotion, “She cut you, Fin?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you ok?” he asked

  “Yes. Jane took care of me.”

  Then his voice was hard. “You got it, Finnegan, Broken Leash being sent. I know you have some circles in the community we can't touch...”

  He left it a question, I was in the highest circle that serviced the elite of the elite in the city. It was another reason he wanted me working for him. I supplied, “I'll get the word out. Use this number for now, she stole my cell.”

  Then the Raife I used to know prompted, “You're one of us, Fin, we walkers have each other's back.” Then the Raife I dumped was back, “But you will so owe me.”

  I just nodded. “I know.” Then my voice got small again like I felt. “Thank you.”

  Then he sighed and said, “Anytime.” Then he hung up.

  I smiled at the phone, not wanting to make any sudden movements that would make the ancient technology panic and skitter away. Sorry, I was feeling a little silly and playful knowing that the other walkers of New York hadn't abandoned me.

  A couple calls later, and the Broken Leash was sent out. I could envision it in my mind. Each walker calling three others and they, in turn, called three more. I could see it as a heart beating in the core of Manhattan, with each beat it got stronger, and the lifeblood it pumped stretched out farther and farther, creating a web that covered the entire metro area.

  But that wasn't enough, if Tanya had gone to ground, we'd never find her on the streets. I blinked when an idea came to me. Tanya was used to high society now and was used to a certain lifestyle, so wouldn't be hiding in Hell's Kitchen or the docks. And New York City had over five thousand doormen. Maybe Jamal...? My cheeks heated.