by Regina Duke
by
Regina Duke
CHAPTER 1
Wednesday, October 5
7:10 a.m.
“Not the wedding cake!” Terri’s cry of despair filled the house. She leaned backward against the leather leash and dug her heels into the carpet, but her slender build was no match for one hundred pounds of canine muscle with its heart set on frosting.
“NOOOOOooooooo!” Terri’s wail only spurred the dog on. She was leaning back so far that her blond hair dragged the floor. She had forgotten how strong a healthy young working dog could be.
Her best friend Calin had labored for hours over the practice cake. She even took a class in cake decorating to manage the special icing and learn how to create the elaborate floral designs.
“Angel, off! Off!”
Angel was an adolescent German shepherd named after Angel’s Point at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. That’s where Terri had met her fiancé, Russ Camino. That was where Russ’s bounty hunter skills had protected her from a hit man and saved her life again and again. Russ was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Well, he was tall enough for Terri, and he had dark hair and a perfect tan. When they returned from that adventure, crazy in love, the first thing they did was rescue a German shepherd recommended by Calin as a new pet for Terri. She had lost her own dog just weeks before leaving for the Canyon. And the rescue seemed like destiny, for it was the dog that had been used by the diamond smugglers who tried to kill her in Arizona.
“Angel, leave it!” Terri was now sitting on the floor, wrapping the leash around her arms as fast as she could. But as fast she she wrapped, Angel pulled faster. His black muzzle was aimed like an arrow at the pink and white cake. Terri had set it out of reach on the table, but Angel’s front legs were longer than she thought, and he was stretching one foot toward the prize.
Terri had been surprised when Calin arrived with a pink and white beflowered practice cake, but it was the duty of a best friend to appreciate extreme efforts, not criticize the result. So she had lavished praise on the spring garden that Calin was hoping to donate to her reception table. Terri didn’t have the heart to tell her that Russ’s father would have a fit at the thought of a homemade wedding cake for his son’s nuptials.
Angel’s toenails scraped the foiled cardboard base on which the cake was sitting. Terri called for help.
“Russ! Russ, help me! Angel’s after the wedding cake!”
A moment later, Russ came running down the stairs. He reached Terri’s side and took hold of the leash a moment after Angel lunged and grabbed a mouthful of cake and icing. Not waiting to swallow, he gobbled the top layer, snap, snap, snap. By the time Russ had control of the leash and gave one sharp command, the cake was history.
“Platz!” Lie down.
Angel did as Russ asked. He dropped to the floor with half the wedding cake between his paws and a huge toothy grin on his face. Pink and white butter cream frosting framed his sparkling brown eyes like a Mardi Gras mask.
Russ offered Terri a hand, and she pulled herself off the floor.
“What am I going to tell Calin?”
Russ reached down with one finger and wiped frosting off Angel’s right ear. Without thinking, he tasted it. “Mmmm, not bad. Way too much pink, though.” He gave Angel a hand signal for stay, then stepped away for a towel. “Tell her the truth. Angel ate the cake. Besides, I thought you secretly hated it?”
“I’m afraid she saw through my attempt to look thrilled. She’ll think I allowed him to eat it on purpose. What if she gets mad?”
Russ cleaned the dog’s face while Terri scraped cake and icing off the floor. “She won’t get mad. She’s a dog person. She’ll understand. Oh, she called while you were walking Angel. Said she has something important to tell you.
“Meanwhile, we do what you wanted to do in the first place,” said Russ, with a wink. “We serve strawberries and whipped cream at the reception.”
Terri rolled her eyes. “As if your father would ever allow such a thing.”
Russ’s brown eyes, square jaw, and movie star good looks had turned out to be the gift wrap holding the man of Terri’s dreams. His imperious, opinionated father was the man of her nightmares.
“He just wants everything to be perfect, sweetheart. Don’t worry. That gruff exterior hides a heart of gold.”
Russ’s tan had faded a bit as summer turned to fall, but he was still gorgeous inside and out. He was dressed for work this morning, wearing black, black, and black, down to his running shoes. His shoulder holster and semi-automatic were hidden from sight under his hoodie. Bounty hunter garb.
Terri rubbed her arm where the leash had left red marks. She pulled a chair out and sat down. Her hair was flying everywhere. When she ran a hand through it, her fingers came away covered with pink icing.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.”
Russ laughed.
Terri glared.
“Hey, what’s wrong? A month ago, you would have laughed long and hard at Angel’s antics.”
“A month ago, I wasn’t watching everything possible go wrong with our wedding plans.” She spread her hands. “On top of that, I’m supposed to be a dog trainer, and yet Angel will obey only you. I’ve been using clicker training in the hope that he can learn to be our ring bearer, and he has chomped through the handle of five different baskets! It’s just not going to work.”
“I hope you mean Angel and not the marriage.” He wiped the last of the icing off the shepherd’s face and tossed the towel at the sink. Then he pulled Terri out of the chair. “This big wedding thing was my Dad’s idea, not mine. You know that, right?”
“But he wants it so bad,” moaned Terri.
“He wants it because my sister will never have a big wedding of her own,” said Russ. “I think he feels he’s honoring her memory by paying for a huge party for us.”
“Exactly,” said Terri, glumly. “And I want him to be happy.”
“Well, I want you to be happy. So strawberries and whipped cream will be the wedding cake. And this big doofus will be the ring bearer. There’s nothing that says he has to carry a basket. Where’s your treat bag?”
Terri unsnapped the canvas bag from the belt loop of her jeans.
Russ attached it to Angel’s collar. “Voila. A ring pouch. All he has to do is walk down the aisle on leash, and I’ll give him a treat and take the ring out of the pouch. Instant ring bearer.” He grinned at Terri.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “You have solved the problem,” she said warmly. “I have another one for you. Angel is supposed to be my dog. But he thinks he’s your dog. Any ideas?”
“He’s just settling in,” said Russ. “When we’re living in the same house all the time, and he sees how much competition the girls are, he’ll change his tune.”
Terri made a face. “I don’t know about that. He adores you. He thinks I’m just another pack member.” She held her hands up in front of her chest like a dog begging for a treat. “Kissies? Kissies?”
Russ bent down and gave her a series of playful kisses, then hugged her tight. “Everything will be okay,” he said. “Angel is bonding with me because of Schutzhund training. If you want me to stop, I will.”
Terri cut him off. “No, honey. He has to learn all that serious stuff from you if he’s going to be part of the family business.”
“Speaking of which,” said Russ, “I have to go. I have to swing by Dad’s place and pick up the girls on my way to work.” The “girls” were Russ’s German shepherds, Lucy and Sheila. They were experienced guard dogs, and their protection training meant they could take down an attacker if necessary. Russ’s assistant Sara always felt safer when they were around the bail bonds office.
“You’re not taking Angel? I thought you wanted him to hang out with the girls.”
Russ grinned. “Something tells me it’s more important for him to hang out with you today. Remember. You’re the alpha. Let him know you mean business.” He lifted h
er chin and kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you.” He handed her the leash and headed out the door.
Terri heard his cell phone start to ring before the front door closed. Secretly she hoped his day would be at least as busy as hers. She glanced at the clock. “Seven-thirty?! I’m going to be late again. Come on, you big doofus. I have to shower and change. Then we’ll go tell aunt Calin what you did to her wedding cake.”
CHAPTER 2
7:15 a.m.
Sara Landry felt her blood pressure rise as her daughter Meredith talked.
“I know it’s inconvenient, mother, but they didn’t exactly give me a choice. If Russ would hire me at the bail bonds office, I wouldn’t have to work these outrageous shifts at the casino. I can’t exactly afford to say no.” She was trying to pull four-year-old Toby’s Spiderman pajamas off as she spoke. He still looked half asleep, and he was fussing.
Sara couldn’t stand it anymore. “Easy, honey. You’re going to yank his arm off.”
Meredith rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. “Fine. You do it.”
Sara bit her tongue and began tugging at Toby’s sleeve, making funny faces at him as she worked. It was impossible to sound angry while making funny faces.
“There we go! I know it’s rough right now, Mer, but things will get better. Won’t they, Toby? Yes, they will. Yes, they will.” She fell into the sing-song baby talk she always used with small children and dogs.
Meredith poured herself a cup of coffee and propped her pert behind against the kitchen counter. “Mom, you are so good with him.”
Sara relaxed a bit. They were back to “mom” and “Mer.” Blow-up avoided. Sometimes she wondered how she, a calm, stout woman with dark brown forgettable hair, could have given birth to fiery Meredith, a long, tall drink of water with auburn locks and a metabolism that could eat anything and stay thin. She was just like her daddy. Mystery solved.
Meredith continued. “I know Russ will understand. You’re like his second mother.”
Sara took a careful breath. She didn’t want her exasperation to show, not while she was dressing Toby. “I’ll give him a call. Maybe he can swing by the office and relieve Carla until I can get there.”
“Why can’t Carla just stay an extra hour?”
Sara coaxed Toby’s legs into blue corduroy overalls. “She has her own kids to get off to school, remember? That’s why she works the night shift.”
“If Russ would hire me, I could relieve her. Or help her. Or something.”
Sara knew she would end up asking Russ one more time about the possibility of finding a better job for Meredith, even if it was pointless. “You know it’s not Russ who vetoes you. His father owns the business. It’s his father who makes the final decision.”
“But you’ll ask?”
Sara surrendered. “Of course, Mer. I’ll ask. Again.”
“Thanks, mom.”
Toby began crooning a wordless melody. He was fixated on the light switch on the wall. “Switch,” said Sara. “Switch. Can you say switch?”
“You never give up do you?” Meredith sounded wistful.
Sara slipped the blue-striped tee shirt over Toby’s blond curls. “We can’t give up on our boy, can we?” She glanced at her daughter and was saddened by the hopelessness she saw in Meredith’s eyes. Softly, she added, “Don’t give up, Mer. Autism isn’t the end of the world. Remember what the therapist said. Many children grow up to live normal lives. With the scholarship he received for that special school, chances are good that Toby will be highly functioning.”
“My mother the optimist.” Meredith emptied her cup and checked her watch. “Too bad Allan didn’t feel the same way.” Allan Dodge, Meredith’s soon-to-be ex-husband, had not handled the autism diagnosis well.
“Allan has his own set of problems,” said Sara, struggling to get Toby’s feet into his tiny hiking books.
“Don’t defend him!”
Toby wailed and covered his ears.
Meredith looked strained. “Sorry, baby,” she said softly. “Mommy’s sorry. No yelling.” She turned to the sink and rinsed her cup. To her mother, she said, “You’re not allowed to defend him until the divorce is final and he starts paying child support.”
“I was hoping you two would patch things up before then.”
Meredith gave her a scathing glance, but kept her voice even. “You know how shouting affects Toby. With Allan in the house, it was just one scream-fest after another. Toby is miserable when his father and I are together. Allan can’t get over the idea that I did something to cause the autism.” She sagged beneath the weight of remembered accusations.
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” said Sara. “You’re a good mother. Not even the experts know what causes it.”
Meredith nodded. “I know. Thanks, mom. I have to go.”
“Did you get any sleep at all?” Sara stood up. Toby was all dressed. He stood and stared at the light switch. Sara stepped around him and pulled a cooled piece of toast onto a plastic plate.
“Are you kidding? I got off at midnight. I practically had to push the babysitter out the door. Yak, yak, yak. It was two a.m. before I got to bed, and then I just couldn’t turn my mind off. I was afraid to take anything because I had to wake up at six. I finally gave up at four a.m. and got up and did some housework.”
Sara spread peanut butter on the toast and showed it to Toby. He didn’t look at her but followed the toast to the table. He struggled up onto the chair and began to eat his toast, still staring at the light switch.
“Will you be working days from now on?”
Meredith snorted. “No. Just this week. Someone is on vacation, Pam somebody.” She slung her purse over her shoulder. “The sitter will pick Toby up after daycare and watch him until I get off, so you don’t have to worry about that.” She kissed her mother’s cheek, then stroked Toby’s blond curls. “Be good.”
Toby didn’t respond.
“I love you, too,” said Meredith. “See you later.” She breezed out the back door.
Sara allowed herself the long-suffering sigh she had been suppressing. She would have to call Russ. She poured a plastic cup of milk for Toby. He was humming and munching toast, still fixated on the light switch. Sara glanced about for her cell, but it wasn’t in the kitchen. Her purse was in the living room, and so was the land line. She gave Toby another glance to make sure he was still transfixed by the light switch, then she stepped into the living room to get her phone.
CHAPTER 3
7:30 a.m.
Russ settled behind the wheel of his black SUV before he answered his cell. “Hi, Sara. What’s up?” He started the engine.
“Russ, I know you get tired of hearing this, but I have a little problem.”
Russ grinned. “Let me guess. Something to do with Toby, right?” He backed out of Terri’s driveway and began maneuvering through the Wingfield Springs streets toward the highway. “My first guess, Meredith is late.”
“No.”
“No to Meredith? Or no to Toby?”
“Meredith had to double back and do a day shift at the casino. She dropped Toby off in his pajamas. I had to get him dressed, and now I’ve got to feed him and take him to school before I can head to the office.”
“No worries. I’ll swing by my dad’s, pick up the girls, and we’ll let whoever got arrested this morning wait half an hour before we open the office.”
“Russ, you’re the best boss ever. I’ll just--.” Silence.
“Sara? Are you there?”
“Toby? Toby, where are you?! Toby!”
“Sara, talk to me.”
“Russ, Toby isn’t in the kitchen. The back door is open. Oh, my God!”
Russ frowned at the traffic and maneuvered around a little old woman in a Volkswagen. “Check the back yard.”
“I am.” Sara couldn’t remember if Meredith had closed the back door when she left or not. Toby was tall enough to reach the knob, but he had been totally transfixed by the wall switch. “I on
ly left him alone for a second! Long enough to get my phone.” She was outside now, checking the back yard. “I don’t see him.” She ran to the side gate. The gate was closed, but a closer examination showed that the latch had not caught. “Oh, no! The gate isn’t latched! Meredith never remembers to latch the gate. Oh, Russ! I don’t see him anywhere!”
Russ was on Pyramid highway now and picking up speed. “I’m on my way, Sara. Toby isn’t very fast. You check out front. And call the cops.”
Sara’s house was in Sparks, not far from Pyramid and McCarran. She knew Russ was only fifteen minutes away. She trotted down the driveway, looking left and right. No sign of Toby. Where could he be?
“Toby! Toby, where are you, dear?” She tried to sound calm, but knew she was failing at it. Her cell phone was still open in her hand. “Russ, I don’t see him anywhere!” But Russ had hung up. Or maybe he was already at the bottom of the hill where cells never got coverage. “Toby! Please come out, sweetheart! Grammy will give you a cookie!”
She trotted over to her neighbor’s door and knocked frantically. “Gwen? Have you seen Toby?”
Gwen’s wispy white hair and clumpy walker belied sharp blue eyes that kept track of everything in the neighborhood. Her front drapes were open by six every morning. Neighborhood Watch signs decorated her front door.
“He hasn’t come by my front garden,” she said. “No one has come by this side of your house since your daughter left a few minutes ago. Of course, I can’t see beyond your driveway, not from in here.”
“Thanks, Gwen.” Sara didn’t invite Gwen to join the search. Her mind was sharp but her walker kept her in the house. Sara moved to the sidewalk and peered up and down the street. Her heart was balling into a knot in her chest. There was no sign of Toby.
She made an effort to calm herself. “Think, Sara, think. If Gwen didn’t see a car go by, it’s doubtful someone snatched him.” Her stomach turned at the thought and she hammered the fear into submission. “No screech of tires yet. Think, dammit!” She moved away from Gwen’s house to the other side of her front yard where lilac bushes had not yet lost their leaves. More than once, she had found Toby huddled beneath the bushes, rocking himself back and forth in some quiet communion with nature. She parted the branches in four different places, but no Toby. “Oh, please, God, let me find him!”