by Hammond, T.
I had to laugh at my crazy dog. I told the detective Red was happy to smell narcotics. “Red likes you because you’re a dog owner, although he’s not too impressed about your cat. Can we get him a drink of water from somewhere while we are en route?”
****************
We excused ourselves from the task force team and followed Detective Westfield to another area of the building. There were plenty of dog bowls in the narcotics room where it appeared K-9s were the norm. After Red drank his fill, and greeted a couple of the other working dogs, we were escorted to a secured area with a large safe bolted to the floor.
According to Red, meth, and heroin stank; he hated the smell of both. Cocaine made him sneeze, but he told me he had the scent of it. Marijuana was not the lingering smell he detected on the clothing. “This stuff isn’t bad. It smells a lot like hay or grass,” he concluded. The connection wasn’t lost on any of us, and we had a good laugh. We weren’t able to explain to Red why his marijuana-grass association was funny, and maybe it wasn’t. Maybe we were happy from a productive morning and any reason to laugh was a good reason.
By the time we left the police station, it was after 2:30 p.m. and we decided to go to Dick’s Hamburgers to pick up a few large orders of Fish & Chips to take back to my place.
We were still concerned about the email Officer Blair'd sent out, and David said he would see if he could get an appointment to chat with Detective Garner. But, all in all, it was a fruitful day. We’d go back to the house, talk about the last four hours, and exchange our thoughts and ideas about improving our team. Team Red. I kinda liked that.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“…and the rapist was apprehended Friday afternoon without incident. Detective Stephens, speaking on behalf of the Spokane Police Department was quoted, saying: ‘The warrant for Jeremy Thomas Lang was issued due to forensic evidence recovered from the fourth victim’s clothing.’”
Janey folded the newspaper she had been reading aloud to us, and slapped it down on the table top. “Go Red! Awesome job, finding Lang’s blood enabled the cops to match him to the DNA in their database and arrest his ass.”
Red had been excited ever since the announcement on the news last night regarding the capture of the north-end rapist. When Janey phoned me after the broadcast, we decided to get everyone together for a celebration breakfast.
The phone rang in the kitchen and Ken called out, “I’ve got it!”
“I have high hopes Red and I will be able to assist with more police consulting. He had fun; I think it was really rewarding to be able to make a difference.” I leaned back into the couch cushion, snuggling a shoulder against David’s chest. He dropped an arm around me to pull me into a hug.
David added, “I’m glad to see they managed to keep you and Red out of the investigation. The low profile—”
“Excuse me,” Ken interrupted. “Detective Westfield is on the phone.”
“Great,” I smiled, reaching out a hand for the receiver. “Good morning, Detective. Congratulations to the task force for catching the rapist so quickly.”
“I’ll let them know. We had quite the celebration yesterday when the warrants were issued. I’m actually calling on a semi-personal issue I was hoping you and Red might help me with.”
“Sure, if we can,” I replied.
“I know you live somewhere out here on the north-side. I have a place out in the Wandermere area. Molly, is a golden retriever, new to me; I adopted her from the shelter two weeks ago. I’m wondering if I could introduce her to Red to see if he can get her to open up a bit.” He laughed. “I know this sounds cheesy, but I was hoping we could set up a play date for our fur-kids.”
“What are you doing now? Bas, David, a couple of friends, and I are having a huge breakfast this morning. Come on over and bring Molly. We have plenty of food,” I added as an afterthought, “so if you’re married, or have a significant other you live with, feel free to bring her or him along too.”
There was a pause at the end of the line. “I’m not sure how to take it that you think I might be gay.”
“Don’t read anything in to it, Mr. Macho-cop guy. I have no idea what your preferences are; I haven’t even considered them. I’m covering the options so you know you, and whoever you might bring, would be welcome in my home.”
“It’s only me and the dogs, although I’ve been running errands with just Molly this morning. I’d love to stop by, if you don’t feel it’s an inconvenience.”
“Not at all. We’d love to have you and Molly over.” I recited the address, which he told me he could input to his car’s navigation program.
“It looks like I’m about five minutes away. Can I bring anything?”
“Hold on a sec.” I covered the receiver, “Ken, we have one more for breakfast, do we need anything from the store he can pick up en route?”
“Nope,” Ken said, “we’re covered.”
“Looks like we have everything we need, detective. Thanks for offering,” I told him.
“Please, I’m off the clock. My friends call me Gil.”
“We’ll see you shortly then, Gil.” I disconnected the receiver and placed it on the coffee table in front of me, then gave everyone a brief explanation about what was going on and asked where Red was.
“In the kitchen, begging for scraps,” Janey said.
“Red, you have company coming to visit you. Detective Westfield is coming to breakfast and bringing one of his dogs with him. Her name is Molly.”
“Does he have stuff for me to smell?” Red laid his head in my lap, so I could scratch his ears.
“I think the detective likes you and wants a chance to talk to you,” I said. “Since you’re not on a leash, could you stay by me when Molly comes in? Maybe lie down and let her come to you?”
Red was quiet. “This is one of those times where you aren’t thinking like a dog. This is my territory. I can’t lie down when she’s standing in my house. I will try not to scare her, or start a fight, but she needs to respect this is my place.”
“Let’s see how it goes? No fighting. Let me know if she will be a problem and I can ask the detective to put her in the car, okay? If Bas or David asks you to go outside, please listen to them.”
There was a firm knock on the door and I felt Red stand attentively facing the entryway, his ribcage pressing against my knees.
“I’ve got it,” Bas said, from the chair across the coffee table.
David brushed a kiss to my temple. I liked that he stayed seated with me curled up in his warm embrace.
“Good Morning, Detective Westfield. Hey Molly.” Bas greeted.
“Just Gil, is fine,” the detective replied.
Bas made introductions to Janey and Ken. Gil must have approached closer to the couch because David told me, “Molly seems well-behaved and curious about our boy. Red is approaching her now. She dropped to a play posture.”
“Red?” I asked, “How’s she acting?”
“She’s not alpha. She is friendly. Can I show her my backyard?”
“Gil, if you want to unleash her, Red will take her outside to play. The yard’s enclosed so she will be safe here.”
“It’s the strangest thing. She doesn’t seem to get along with my two dogs at all.”
“His other dogs are males.” Red asked me, “Are they neutered?”
After I translated, Gil replied, “Not both of them, but since she was spayed at the shelter, I didn’t think it would matter.”
“What is spayed?” Red asked.
“Spayed is like neutered, except the doctor makes it so the female can’t have puppies,” I explained.
“Molly smells really nice, she’s in heat. She is probably acting aggressive because the male dogs are bothering her. I’m still young, so she doesn’t care if I’m around her.”
“The shelter spays and neuters all the dogs before they get adopted,” Gil said in response to my translation. “She must have fallen through the cracks. I’ll call them later to
see when they can fit her in for the surgery. I already paid for it when I paid her adoption fee.”
“If you don’t have a place to keep her isolated, I don’t mind taking her home with me,” Janey volunteered. “I have two open cages at the kennel. She looks like a sweet girl,” she crooned. “I can fit her in between two females so she’ll get some peace.”
“Are you sure? I’ll pay a kenneling fee, of course. It’s a better option than putting her in the garage for the next few days until they can spay her.”
“Some of the more reputable vets don’t recommend spaying when the bitch is in heat. Something about the blood vessels being fragile; I’m not sure exactly. I don’t have any studs coming in for a month, so I have room until her estrus is over. It would be safer for her that way.”
Gil and Janey worked out the details of fees and visiting hours until Molly could go back to a vet. Red persuaded his new friend out the dog door when Ken called us to the table.
****************
“So, let me get this straight,” Gil said. “Ken is Teresa’s un-gay personal assistant who is now going out with Teresa's best friend Janey, whose brother is Bas. Bas and David are best friends, and for a while, they both were dating you. Damn! I really wish I’d known you then; I bet it was hilarious when they were hijacking each other’s dates.”
“It got a lot more difficult after Bas found the GPS I stuck on his rental vehicle,” David joked.
I choked on my bite of egg. “You didn’t!” I turned a shocked face to David. “You are a devious and underhanded man,” I pronounced in awe.
David swooped in for a quick kiss. “It wasn’t as intrusive as the bug I found in the cab of my 4x4. Thank goodness I swept for devices the morning after he found us at the Manito Park gardens.”
“I won’t even ask where you guys are getting these electronics.” I shook my head.
“I won’t ask either,” Gil added with a chuckle. “But, we’ll have to talk if I need advice on surveillance equipment.”
“What was funny was Bas trying to wheedle date information from Ken or me.” Janey told us, smugly. “I made a hundred dollars for disclosing the schedule when David took you to dinner and dancing in Spokane Valley a month ago.”
“I got my laptop reconfigured with some really cool upgrades when David wanted to find out about the canoe trip down the Little Spokane River.”
Red popped in through the dog door. “I got a whole steak when David wanted to know which casino show you were going to.” Molly followed him in. I could hear her excited panting from where we sat in the dining room.
“How did that work when you can’t talk to him?” I wondered aloud.
“David knew you were going to a casino. He named each one and I barked when he said the right one.”
I faced David. “You even bribed my dog?” I was speechless. Really? Even the dog had been in on it?
“Good job,” Bas praised. “I never thought to ask Red. I won’t underestimate you next time pal.” It wasn’t clear if his praise was for David, or Red. I shook my head in disbelief at how far they went during 'The Siege.'
Red nosed at my knee and dropped something in my lap. “What’s this for?” I asked, picking up what felt like a dish towel.
“Your mouth was gaping. I thought I’d give you something to mop up with in case you start to drool,” he said cheekily.
“Oh stop it, you crazy dog.” I shoved the towel in his direction. “Here, take this back to the kitchen then go play outside with Molly.” The towel was tugged from my light grip and I felt his tail smack me as he wandered away.
We were all drinking coffee on the back deck when David asked about an update on Officer Blair. Gil sounded apologetic, “All I can officially say is he is on administrative leave pending an investigation. We have no clear motive, and Mike—that’s Detective Stephens—and I have racked our brains trying to think of any past cases he’s worked on which put him in contact with someone who might have a particular interest in your skills.”
Gil huffed out a frustrated breath. “Mike brought your name to Lt. Faber about two days before we contacted you to ask if you could come to the station and talk. That afternoon was the first time your involvement was mentioned to task force members. The email account, that received the picture and video files, was activated within twenty-four hours of my mention to the task force.”
“Someone acted quickly in response to what must have seemed like an implausible story from Detective Stephens,” Bas said, “And furthermore, Blair took a huge career risk secretly filming footage of, what was in essence, a task force meeting. There had to have been major motivation from his outside party.”
“What types of cases has he worked on previously?” I asked.
“I can’t give specifics, but generally speaking: drugs, drugs, and vice. He had only been with the department for ten months or so; former military, Army Ranger, for eight years, prior to joining SPD.”
“Do you know his specialty?” David linked his fingers with mine on the tabletop before he continued, “Was it computer-based?”
“No, not computers,” Gil gave a thoughtful pause. “I think it may have been something to do with explosives actually. I’m trying to think of what…” he gave a deep groan. “Shit, I think he handled dogs doing work with demolitions.”
“Not just no, but hell no,” Bas exploded, from his seat. David’s arm tightened around me as if he was following whatever conclusion Bas had reached.
“It appears you and Red may have been scouted as potential assets for possible military applications,” David explained. “If the files were emailed to a representative of a military branch, it is possible you’ll be approached to do some work for Uncle Sam.”
“I have no problem with helping where we can, but Team Red is a unit. If you and Bas don’t agree, we don’t do it. I know you both have your own work and career goals, and I respect that, but I will not blindly go—pun intended—off to help anyone if you or Bas aren’t there to oversee the risks. If safety means sticking with small jobs to help SPD, then I’m okay with that limitation.”
There was an extended period of silence, and I could imagine meaningful eye-contact between Bas and David. David spoke first, “We have actually talked about this in relation to your possible work with the police. My contributions to PreClan can be done anywhere I have access to a computer. I’m working on a few programming projects right now, but my schedule leaves me free to accompany you when and where you’re needed. Bas and I find the idea of volunteering for police work very rewarding, and we are in a financial position which allows us to indulge ourselves.”
“My salary from PreClan is very lucrative, I don’t need to go back to work for another year, or more, unless I want to, so I’m also flexible to accompany you,” Bas continued. “If you are approached by a representative of the military or government, we can formalize the four of us as a team available to hire out for select projects. I can think of dozens of applications for Team Red that would expose you to only low risk. Team Red can charge a consultation fee, and require expenses be covered up front, if someone wants us bad enough.”
“I am so jealous,” Gil whined. “Working with Red would be fascinating as well as amazing. The more I observe him in action, the more impressed I am by his comprehension and ability to compartmentalize the data he smells. I was wondering if his nose is sensitive enough to differentiate between, for example, grades of cocaine or base ingredient concentrations in meth. We have no way of knowing, from a regular dog, if that’s even possible. Little nuances can help us trace the spread of some drugs without waiting on lab results.
“I also wonder if the ability to talk with Red lies in Teresa’s ability as a receiver. If that were the case, would she be able to communicate with more than one dog. Shoot!” he further theorized, “Is it even limited to only dogs?”
Gil’s idea startled me. I never considered I might be able to communicate with animals besides Red. How would I even attempt to test
the idea? What prompted Red to say those first couple of words to me? Since I didn’t hear his thoughts all day long, I assumed I filtered him out, but maybe he had to concentrate to send?
Gil had given me a few new ideas to consider. “We’ll have to come up with some strategies to explore those questions,” I said. “I’m suffering from information overload right now though.”
David’s hand made soothing circles on my back. “We’ll all get together and talk in more depth. It’s purely conjecture, at this point, if the military will contact you. I may be able to dig up some intel, now that we have a guess as to what Blair possibly did with the files.