Case of the Hot Dog

by Erik Schubach

  I looked at her with my eyes narrowed again, she prompted with her eyes first at the DA then the judge. I sighed and said in reluctant resignation, “Guilty, your honor, but...”

  He clapped his gavel down, interrupting me and said, “Great. I see that you have a plea deal in place with the District Attorney. You understand that I do not have to honor any plea deals and can sentence you up to a year in jail and a thousand dollar fine for the offense?”

  My eyes widened. Whadda whodie huh? But. The man kidnapped me. The dog walkers all started voicing their objections, loudly. The judge pointed his gavel in a sweeping motion. “Don't make me use this. I will clear this courtroom.”

  They all grudgingly settled.

  He grinned at me and said in a soothing tone when he saw the panic on my face which still sported the angry red looking cut and my dual black eyes. “But I agree there were extenuating circumstances.

  So I am inclined to agree with the recommendations of the District Attorney in this matter. You are sentenced to thirty days probation, and a fifty dollar fine. You will have to complete no less than fifteen hours of community service in the next ninety days. And if you do such without running afoul of the law again, then the misdemeanor will be expunged from your record.”

  He clapped his gavel and then turned to the bailiff for the next case as the dog walkers went crazy cheering. Jane whispered hotly in my ear, “That wasn't so bad now was it?”

  I slapped her shoulder blurting, “You could at least have warned me.”

  She chuckled. “Where would the fun be in that?”

  Jerk cop.

  Then she said, “Pollyanna and I have an idea about your community service when she worked this deal out with the DA.”

  Polly was involved too? Why didn't anyone tell me? They were working the plea deal without me knowing? Heck, I didn't even know I needed a plea deal.

  I was going to growl at her, but she actually kissed me on the lips, right there in the courtroom, in front of the world. She smirked as she led my happily dazed self out of the courtroom with everyone cheering and whistling about the kiss. Calvin, looking so dapper in his working bib, thought it all great fun.

  Jane told the DA as we passed, me floating on a cloud, “You know where to find us.”

  He nodded once.

  Then we were off as I lamented my growing criminal record. I should just start wearing all black and change my name to Bart or something.

  I smiled back at the memory of that day.

  That was two and a half months ago, and the city was now slipping into fall. The furnace of summer had given way to the cool nights, and days where you could finally savor the sights sounds and smells of Manhattan again.

  When I heard Jane's idea for my community service, I could have taken her right then and there... if only I knew what to do. I wonder if there is a manual for that. It was a genius plan, and I'm surprised I had never thought of it.

  I raised my chin and marched past her to the door, looking down my nose imperiously. “Come on Calvin, let's go where people appreciate us.”

  I squeaked and froze when an arm caught me from behind and pulled me to a halt. Then Jane had her face pressed against the curve of my neck, inhaling deeply and making my ovaries flutter. She made an appreciative, “Mmmm,” sound that sent a delicious shutter down my spine.

  I was on fire and her lips gently grazing my neck made my knees waver as that fire went right to my core. She whispered hotly, her breath sending gooseflesh racing across my exposed skin, “I appreciate you Fin.”

  I tried to breathe and gasped out, “O... ok.” She hit all my buttons and then some, and it was so

  unfair she could manipulate me like this. Maybe by now, she knew she was more than an experiment in my sexuality. I was going to simply die soon if she didn't move past second base with me. A person could only stand so much sexual tension before they broke.

  Jessie was no help in that area herself. She is one of my closest friends now, and she is so sexual and flirty and had no problems teasing me in front of her ex. I'm not at all entirely sure it was all tease either, but being the evil career criminal I am, I enjoyed the jealous glares my detective would shoot her when she did. It made me feel... desired, and like I mattered to her.

  She released me to open the door, and I exhaled. When had my personal space started including her in it? It no longer made me feel awkward, I craved her attention, so she could be in my personal space anytime she wants now... unless she's being a jerk of course. Mom says I'm whipped, I respectfully disagree. Hey, stop looking at me like that.

  I was so excited about today. The center was about to open, and I was going to get my entire fifteen hours of community service done this weekend. I'm probably the first person in history to be excited about community service.

  This was no chain gang picking up trash in Central Park, this was Jane's brainchild.

  When Calvin's owner had passed, she had left half her estate and her apartment to Calvin. Over twelve million was placed in a trust fund for his guardian... me. Garrett and Rebecca had moved into the apartment because I couldn't bear living where Cal's mom had died.

  I had no want nor desire for the money as long as Calvin stayed with Jane and me. So the twenty-five thousand dollar a month draw against the account had just been building up for the past six months now.

  That was more than enough for the Central Park Tails dog rescue Polly, and Jane suggested I start, funding the rescue with a small portion of Calvin's fortune. And the fact that they suggested that the rescue start with a large group of long-haired dachshunds who had recently found their way to animal control, was icing on the cake.

  The center would find families to adopt the dogs who found themselves living there, and care for them in the meantime. Keeping them out of doggie jail.

  Volunteers from the New York City dog walking network would man the rescue, and walk gaggles of the residents twice a day in through the park, and spoil the puppies silly until they found their

  'forever home.'

  We had secured a small building on west 78th near the American Museum of Natural History for the kennel. We could afford the lease, and two full-time employees and the food and equipment to care for the dogs. And once construction started for the kennels in the building, other people and groups

  started donating to the nonprofit we formed in Calvin's name. We would only be putting in just over seven thousand a month from the trust fund once the doors opened.

  My community service? I had to volunteer time at my own center. Woe is me. Oh, how would I survive it, with all those cute doggies to love? Today was opening day for Central Park Tails, the Mayor was going to be there and everything.

  Jane wanted to drive us there. My response? “What? Are your legs broken?”

  I think I amuse her.

  Just like when I was labeling where everything went at the rescue center in preparation for taking in our first residents. She seemed overly amused at that, right up until Jess dropped by and told me how attractive organizational skills were in a person as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

  Speaking of Jessie. She took me on a covert mission to her shop after I had recovered, where she got me two sets of jeans that hung low on my hips and some old trendy concert tees – in child sizes. I think she enjoyed treating me like a dress-up doll to get Jane all hot and bothered by turning me into

  'Jane candy' as she puts it.

  What? Fine, I admit to wearing them from time to time just to punish Jane for taking things so slow. Though I still prefer my dresses, the reactions I got from her were priceless when I jeaned up.

  As we headed out the door, I guessed a similar scene was unfolding over at Garrett's. Bek would be insisting that they walk Oscar to the opening. I thank all the lords of the swishing tails that she refuses to call him Burt too.

  I still recall how her eyes lit up with glee when she learned that she could keep Oscar.

  Poor Nadine's family had shown up in the city
the morning after I was released from the hospital.

  They didn't speak English, so Jane says there was an interpreter at the coroner's for them. They made all the arrangements to have her remains flown home with them and had her lawyer settling her estate for them.

  The one thing they regretted was that they wouldn't be able to take ol' Burt with them. The quarantine and animal passport process would take three weeks minimum, and they couldn't afford to be away from their business that long.

  Jane had offered to find him 'someone' to adopt him in lieu of them surrendering him to animal control. The evil woman had planned it the whole time.

  I had been at home, in bed, almost bawling because I'd miss Oscar, and Becky was going to be devastated.

  Jane was being annoying when she got home, refusing to tell me what went on because she won't discuss cases with me... again... anymore...

  But I'm sure my squee was just as loud as my sister-in-law's when Jane called her up, holding a finger out to me to stop me from chastising her. She had asked, “Hi Bek, it's Jane. Nadine's family isn't able to take Oscar with them. Would it be an imposition if I asked you to adopt the wiggling wiener?”

  Ok... so I loved the annoying raven-haired detective a lot at that moment. It was still mean of her to keep me hanging like that.

  So there I was, Finnegan Temperance May, dog walker extraordinaire, walking through Central Park with my dog and the woman I was falling in love with, to a dog rescue that was like a wonderful dream to me.

  Damn, what a spectacular day!

  The End

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  Novels by Erik Schubach

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  Books in the Techromancy Scrolls series...

  Adept

  Soras

  Masquerade

  Westlands

  Avalon (2018)

  Books in the Urban Fairytales series...

  Red Hood: The Hunt

  Snow: The White Crow

  Ella: Cinders and Ash

  Rose: Briar's Thorn

  Let Down Your Hair

  Hair of Gold: Just Right

  The Hood of Locksley

  Beauty In the Beast

  No Place Like Home

  Shadow Of The Hook (2018)

  Books in the New Sentinels series...

  Djinn: Cursed

  Raven Maid: Out of the Darkness

  Fate: No Strings Attached

  Open Seas: Just Add Water

  Ghost-ish: Lazarus (2018)

  Books in the Drakon series...

  Awakening

  Dragonfall

  Books in the Valkyrie Chronicles series...

  Return of the Asgard

  Bloodlines

  Folkvangr

  Seventy Two Hours

  Titans

  Books in the Tales From Olympus series...

  Gods Reunited (2018)

  Books in the Bridge series...

  Trolls

  Traitor

  Unbroken

  Books in the Fracture series...

  Divergence

  ------------------------------------------------------

  Romance Novels by Erik Schubach

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  Books in the Music of the Soul universe...

  (All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

  Music of the Soul

  A Deafening Whisper

  Dating Game

  Karaoke Queen

  Silent Bob

  Five Feet or Less

  Broken Song

  Syncopated Rhythm

  Progeny

  Girl Next Door

  Lightning Strikes Twice

  June

  Dead Shot

  Music of the Soul Shorts...

  (All short stories are standalone and can be read in any order)

  Misadventures of Victoria Davenport: Operation Matchmaker

  Wallflower

  Accidental Date

  Holiday Morsels

  Books in the London Harmony series...

  (All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

  Water Gypsy

  Feel the Beat

  Roctoberfest

  Small Fry

  Doghouse

  Minuette

  Squid Hugs

  The Pike

  Flotilla

  Books in the Pike series...

  (All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

  Ships In The Night

  Right To Remain Silent

  Evermore

  Books in the Flotilla series...

  (All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

  Making Waves

  Keeping Time

  The Temp

  Books in the Unleashed series...

  Case of the Collie Flour

  Case of the Hot Dog

  Case of the Gold Retriever (2018)

  -------------------------------------------------

  Novellas by Erik Schubach

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  The Hollow

  Books in the Paranormals series...

  Fleas

  This Sucks

  Jinx (2018)

  Short stories in the Fixit Adventures...

  Fixit

  Glitch

  Vashon

  Descent (2018)

  -------------------------------------------------

  Short Stories by Erik Schubach

  (These short stories span many different genres)

  -------------------------------------------------

  A Little Favor

  Lost in the Woods

  MUB

  Mirror Mirror On The Wall

  Oops!

  Rift Jumpers: Faster Than Light

  Scythe

  Snack Run

  Something Pretty

  Sample excerpt from Tales From Olympus: Gods Reunited...

  Prologue

  You would think I would be used to seeing this, having lived with my pseudo-sister for so many centuries, but Inatra the Singing Rain, First Valkyrie of Ragnarok was a spectacular sight to see. The only Valkyrie from Asgard who came close to matching the might and fury of Kara, the Wild One herself.

  Our return to Olympus was a long time coming, and I was afraid I wouldn't know the way home this time, after spending so long away. I had been sent to witness the fall of yet another civilization, the Vanger of Folkvangr, to the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, so that they would not be forgotten to the sands of time. I was to document their people and culture before they were but a distant memory.

  Who would have ever believed that instead, I, Artemis of Olympus would instead witness the return of the Gods of Asgard, as they defied the Jotun, and not only be able to strike down a Star Killer vessel for the first time in the history of time itself, but to dispatch their leader, Ymir to the beyond.

  For the first time, the many races in the galaxy had the most potent weapon ever known... they had hope. Hope that maybe with our races combined, we may survive the wrath of the Frost Giants and the Titans who wish to eradicate all life in this realm and start over again in their battle against each other for supremacy.

  Maybe now, the might of Valhalla and Olympus combined can help the other races not only survive, but prosper under the umbrella of peace that the Asgard are spreading throughout the known worlds.

  Once the planets of Folkvangr and Ragnarok were freed of the threat of the Frost Giants and the Titans, and many of my brethren who had been enslaved by the insidious powers of the Titans were returned to us, we had planned our return home... to Olympus.

  There had been some planetary drift in centuries of my absence from home, and our spacial fold landed us in the middle of the wilderness, far from the Capitol. When we arrived in the wilderness with no signs of our civilization, I had at first thought that after all our cou
ntless millennia hiding from the Frost Giants in plain sight on their dumping planet for their failed experiments, that Mount Olympus had finally fallen.

  But the peace envoy from Asgard had technology beyond ours, which rivaled the Jotun themselves.

  The Frost Giants could not understand the Asgard's ability to harness magnetic force as energy. And with their tools, they were able to detect broadcasts from our hidden city seven grids to the east.

  That is when Arina the Whispering Wind suggested that the displacement could be explained by

  stellar drift over the eons. The Little One would amaze Hephaestus, our chief scientist and weapon smith. I've only ever met one person more intelligent than Arina, and that is Loki of Asgard, though Loki is not quite right in the head.

  My brethren started to panic when one of the discarded weapons, a prehistoric beast with mechanized implants stumbled upon our party. The trees fell before it in its charge. But instead of running for cover as many of our men did, the women of Asgard charged back without hesitation, even dwarfed by the mammoth beast with three horns protruding from its bony skull.

  They formed up behind Inatra. Through my heads up display, I could actually see the background radiation bending around the magnetic force her nanites were channeling into her as she seemed to sink slightly into the ground as she anchored herself like a tree taking root.

  I drew back on my bow, the microscopic point singularity pulling on the world around me as I waited to loose an arrow when Inatra turned the beast.

  It bellowed, shaking the valley around us, causing birds and flying lizards to explode from the trees in fear and surprise. Inatra just hissed like a Terran cat in response. I shook my head and smiled at her as the monster bore down on her.

  Just before she would have been trampled by it, Inatra screamed out the battlecry I have heard so many times from her and her fist blurred forward, impacting the bony protective skull of the charging monster. There was a deafening crack and the front legs slipped out from under the animal as it was stopped in mid charge by the force of the blow.

  It stumbled back to its feet, stunned, and shook its head. Taking down the trees that were unlucky enough to be in the way. I took that moment to let my arrow fly, when I had the barest glimpse of the controller implanted on its neck behind that bony plate.