“No. I wanted to show you something first.”
“It’s been a long day, kid.”
“Watch.” Replacement moved beside the dog and held up a treat. “Lie down.”
The dog lay down. She clapped and tossed her a little cookie.
“Sit.”
Her claws clicked off the wood floor as she scrambled to sit up.
“Very nice,” Jack said.
“Watch this.” Replacement beamed. “Stand.”
Jack took a small step back as the dog hopped up onto her back legs.
That’s the biggest dog I’ve ever seen. “Watch your fingers,” Jack cautioned as Replacement dropped another cookie into the dog’s mouth.
“She’s a baby.” Replacement rubbed behind the dog’s ears. “Sit. Wait,” she commanded as she walked forward and put a biscuit on the floor a few feet in front of them. “Ready?” She walked back next to the dog and then ordered, “Get it!”
Although the dog’s eyes were fixed on the biscuit, she remained seated.
Jack chuckled.
Replacement frowned. “Go. Go, girl. Get it.” Her lips pressed together and she put her hands on her hips. “SIC ’EM!”
The dog’s ears flattened back on its head and its teeth flashed in a snarl. It lunged forward at Jack.
“Stop! Sit,” Jack shouted as he leapt back into the hallway with his hands on guard in front of him.
The dog barked ferociously and kept coming.
Replacement managed to grab the dog’s collar, but the dog lunged again, pulling Replacement out of the apartment and into the far wall.
“Mr. Stratton.” The familiar shrill voice of his landlady echoed down the hallway.
“Mrs. Stevens, stay back,” Jack warned when he saw her wild red hair appear behind the banister as she hurried up the staircase.
The dog spun around and then sprinted for the top of the stairs. Jack lunged after the dog, but Replacement stumbled into him. “STOP,” Jack yelled.
Mrs. Stevens was more than halfway up the stairs when the dog reached her. The large woman grabbed the railing with one hand and wrapped the other around the dog’s neck. “How’s my baby?” Mrs. Stevens cooed as the dog licked her cheek. “How’s my little girl?” She spoke in a voice three octaves higher than normal and it made Jack cringe.
Jack’s mouth dropped open. Does the Beast only hate me?
“You’re such a good girl.” Mrs. Stevens stroked the dog’s head as she continued her climb up the steps. “Mr. Stratton, I’d think you’d be a little calmer around a dog.”
“Me? That thing was going to eat me and then have you for dessert.”
Mrs. Stevens laughed. “My big snookie-wookie wouldn’t hurt a fly.” She rubbed noses with the dog and Jack’s lip curled.
That’s nasty. “Are you all right?” he asked Replacement.
She nodded. “Sorry. It was all my fault. I just wanted her to get the biscuit. I shouldn’t say sic—”
Jack’s finger shot out and pressed against her lips. “Don’t.”
“Sorry. Are you hungry? I’ll heat up your dinner.” Replacement tilted her head and gave him a let-me-make-it-up-to-you smile.
“I’m starving,” Jack said.
“I’ll let you two eat.” Mrs. Stevens ruffled the dog’s fur. “Anytime you need a dogsitter, just let me know.”
“Thank you.” Replacement gave a little wave before she scooted back into the apartment with the dog following closely behind.
Jack waved and then pulled the door closed as he went in. “Does Gigantor need to go out?”
“Nope. I just took her.” Replacement pulled food out of the refrigerator and turned on the stove. “Sit down and I’ll heat up some dinner. Why are you so late?”
“You can use the microwave.”
“It doesn’t taste as good.” She stuck her tongue out.
“That’s true, but it’s more work for you.”
“You’re worth it.” She smiled.
He gave her a crooked grin back. As he stepped close to her, he reached out; his fingertips lightly touched hers. He leaned in and kissed her, stroking from her fingertips, up her arm, and to the back of her neck. She trembled and then kissed him more forcefully.
Tingles ran down his spine as he felt her relax into him. He pulled her close. As he tilted his head and slid a hand up her back, she stiffened. She leaned back and wrinkled her nose.
“You smell like an old lady.” Replacement rubbed her nose. “But…weird.”
Jack smelled his own shirt and got a strong whiff of Da Jewel’s perfume that still clung to him. “Let me take a shower.”
“Why do you smell like a grandmother?” Replacement raised an eyebrow.
“Work…I was helping that friend of mine and I just got some perfume on me.” Jack kept walking as he talked. He glanced over his shoulder as he went in the bedroom and saw Replacement standing there with her tongue in her cheek.
She’s not stupid. I should just tell her I’m a bounty hunter, but she’s going to be ticked I waited to say anything. I can’t win. She’d never have let me take the job, but we needed the money.
Jack took his time in the shower, but Replacement never came in. For some reason, that really bothered him. She used to always walk in on him before they started dating, but now he couldn’t drag her in there.
Jack dressed in some sweats and a white T-shirt and then headed for the living room. The dog curled up in the corner with her doll, and Replacement typed on the computer. As he walked out of the bedroom, Replacement’s hand leapt onto the keyboard. The screen suddenly flashed and another window covered it. Jack had watched Billy Murphy do the same thing at the police station when he was playing computer poker and someone walked by. He’d quickly switch the screen to hide what he was doing.
“I’m sorry.” Replacement glanced back over her shoulder at Jack as she pressed some more keys before she turned around to face him. “You startled me.”
“Everything okay?”
“I was just—CRUD! Your food.” She rushed over to the oven and swore under her breath. “Oh, Jack, I burned it.”
“It’s fine, kid. I’m not that hungry. I’ll just make an English muffin or something.”
She groaned and put her hands to her head. “Are you sure? Just give me a minute.”
“I can make it.”
“I want to. Please?”
“Sure.” He flopped down on the computer chair. “Thanks.”
Replacement ran around the kitchen to get something for him while Jack leaned back and closed his eyes. “How was your day?” he asked.
When she didn’t answer right away, he looked into the kitchen. Rubbing the heel of her palm against her chest, she exhaled and her eyes rounded. “Sad. I’ve been looking at Daniel’s Facebook. It’s just sad.” The toaster popped, and she spread some peanut butter on his English muffin.
Jack spun around to face the computer, but Replacement rushed over and half dragged him out of the chair. “Let me just save what I was working on.” She sat down, wiggled the mouse, and closed different open windows.
“What’s up? Do you not want me to see something?” Jack asked.
She froze for a second before she scoffed. “No. I just didn’t want you to close any of the windows that I had open.”
Replacement kept looking at the screen and Jack’s frown deepened. “You’re sure closing a lot of them. And you got freaked out when I came out of the shower, too,” Jack continued.
“You snuck up on me,” she said without looking at him.
Jack didn’t fully believe her, but let it go. “What did you find out about Daniel?”
“Tons. He seems like a super sweet guy. He’s a lumberjack.”
“Usually lumberjack and super sweet aren’t used in a sentence together.”
“Well, this guy is. He’s twenty-seven. His mom raised him, but she died a few years ago. He doesn’t mention any brothers or sisters so I think he’s all alone. He had a snotty girlfriend
.”
“How did you get all this information?”
“Facebook.” She rolled over to give Jack a clear view of the monitor.
A collection of pictures of Daniel appeared on the screen. He stood six eight with broad shoulders, curly brown hair, and a lopsided smile. Jack leaned closer to see a picture of Daniel kneeling beside the dog at a pond. Daniel had his shirt off and there was a tattoo on his right breast.
“What’s that tattoo?” Jack asked.
“It’s one of those old-fashioned ink things and a feather.”
“He has a tattoo of an inkwell and a quill?”
Replacement shrugged. “People get some odd tattoos.”
“Where does he work?” Jack asked.
“Linskie Lumber.”
“Do you want to go there tomorrow?” Jack offered.
“Great. His work should know where he is.”
“Did Daniel write anything about his job?”
“Yeah. He wrote about all the guys he worked with. It’s sorta dumb to write about work but he had nothing but nice things to say about them. He really likes working there. “
Jack looked back at the photos. “Can you print out that photo of him?”
Replacement hit a few buttons and the printer fired up.
Jack looked back at the monitor. “You said he had a girlfriend?”
“He has an ex. They broke up over a month ago. Sandra Hughes. She dumped him.”
“He wrote that?” Jack asked.
“No. She did.” Replacement pulled up another window. “She dumped him for a new guy and plastered it all over her Facebook.”
“Do you have an address for her? Tomorrow we’ll go to the lumberyard first and then we’ll pay her a visit.” Jack heard whimpering and he looked into the kitchen. “There goes my second dinner.”
“Oh, no.” Replacement jumped up and rushed over to the dog.
Half the peanut butter English muffin was nowhere to be seen, but the other half was stuck in the fur under the dog’s chin. She was trying to knock it off with her paw but was only succeeding in spreading peanut butter all over her head.
Jack laughed.
“I’m so sorry, Jack.” Replacement got a wet dishcloth.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad the thief got caught. Getting my English muffin stuck to her head is justice.”
“Muffin!” Replacement’s face lit up. “That’s awesome. I’ll call her Muffin.”
“Call her Thief.”
“No.”
“Call her Peanut Butter Head.” Jack laughed. “I’ll call her Butt Head for short.”
“No.”
“Are there any other English muffins?” Jack asked.
Replacement wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “I’ll make you something else.”
“No. I’m good. I’ll just head to bed,” Jack announced as he stood up.
The dog scarfed up the other half of the muffin and then happily wagged her tail as Replacement continued to wipe her fur.
Jack peeled off his shirt, shut the door, and hopped into bed. His stomach growled. Great. I’m starving and the dog’s full. He put his arms behind his head and looked at the ceiling. Ten minutes later, there was a faint tap at the door, and then Replacement walked into the room with a tray. She had made him a grilled cheese sandwich and poured him a big glass of milk. Jack felt like a little kid as he pulled himself into a sitting position and scooted back on the bed.
His smile dropped when the dog came in carrying her doll and headed for the blankets still in the corner.
Replacement looked from the dog to Jack. “Is it okay if she sleeps in here?”
Jack picked up the sandwich and his hands went out. “I don’t know why it wants to. It hates me.”
“No she doesn’t.” She tilted her head and looked at him. “Jack, I’m worried about Daniel now.”
“We don’t know if anything bad happened.”
“I’m reading over his Facebook, and I don’t think he’d just leave his dog. Do you know he helped rebuild the Diaz house?”
“That’s the family where the father was hurt and they have like ten kids.”
“Seven. The father was injured helping at a car accident and then their house caught on fire. Daniel volunteered to rebuild their home. He’s all over the website.”
“I’m concerned too, but right now all we know is we have a lost dog. I’m hoping Daniel turns up and everything’s fine.”
“Do you think she just ran away? The leash was stuck on the fence. Maybe she took off and broke the leash. Maybe he’s been searching for Muffin?”
Jack took another bite and shook his head. “He hasn’t stopped by the shelter or put up flyers. That bothers me. We know he likes the dog so he’d be looking for her.”
Replacement wrung her hands and let out a big sigh.
Jack gave her leg a light squeeze. “Right now, we just don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t even know she’s missing. He could have asked someone else to watch the dog while he was out of town.”
“Muffin’s in almost every picture with him on Facebook. He didn’t tag any of them, though. You’d figure that he would have written her name somewhere but I can’t find it.”
Jack frowned. “Let’s see what happens tomorrow.” He took a swig of milk and smiled at Replacement.
She laughed. “You have a milk mustache.” She leaned forward and wiped his upper lip with her thumb. The tips of her fingers touched his chin. She ran her thumb across his lips again and they parted. She closed her eyes and then stood up.
“Are you going right to bed?” Jack reached out for her.
Replacement backed toward the door. “No…I still have some research to do.”
Jack started to get up. “I’ll hang out with you if—”
“No. You’re tired. I’m just reading through emails. It’ll be boring. Night.” The door swung shut so fast the dog’s head shot up.
The dog and Jack looked at each other.
Yeah, something’s wrong with her. Jack laid back and stared at the ceiling. She hasn’t been right since our date night exploded. Something’s bugging her. Or someone is. It all started after the convenience store.
Jack rolled over and watched the dog. She lay with her eyes closed and her head on her paws.
It’s not good with Daniel. It doesn’t make sense. If the dog broke off the leash at the park, you figure he’d look for her. That’s if he’s really a good guy like Replacement thinks.
Jack stared at the ceiling while he waited for sleep to come. He felt his body relax into the bed and he tried to will himself to let go. The dog whimpered. Jack looked into the corner. The dog’s leg twitched and he saw her eyelids move.
She’s dreaming. I wonder what dogs dream about?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A Mini-Volcano
Replacement’s blue Bug parked outside the office of Linskie Lumber. The lumberyard consisted of a small, one-story office building with an attached showroom and several open storage barns. Jack frowned on the passenger side of the Bug while Replacement gripped the steering wheel and the dog lay down in the back.
“You can’t leave the window open,” Jack grumbled.
“I have to.” Replacement’s hands shot out. “One, Muffin needs to breathe. Two, I have to leave her here or I can’t go inside and talk to the guy with you.”
Which is exactly what I want. Right now, she’s a firecracker ready to go off, so her talking to people is not a good idea. Don’t grin.
Replacement leaned forward and grimaced. “Are you smiling? Is that what you want? Do you want to talk to the guy alone?”
“No.” Jack leaned away from her blistering gaze. “It’s just…not safe to leave the windows of your car open.”
“Pfft.” Replacement scoffed. “Muffin would eat anyone dumb enough to try to steal something.”
“That’s what I mean. It’s unsafe because…what if someone comes by the car and they try to pat the dog? That’d be bad.”
“Fine,” Jack grumbled as he got out of the car.
Replacement closed the door and continued to glare. “Would you do that? Would you just go over to someone’s car and pat a dog?”
“You made your point.”
They walked up the small staircase, and Jack held the door open for her. The office was bright and cheery. A middle-aged woman sat behind the only desk in the room as music played softly from her computer speakers. She stopped typing and turned around in her chair as they walked in.
“Good morning. Can I help you?” she asked.
“Jack Stratton. I’m hoping you can.” Jack grinned and the woman did too. “We found Daniel Branson’s dog, and I’m trying to get in touch with him.”
“Oh, certainly. Let me look up his phone number.”
“Actually, we have his phone number, but we haven’t been able to reach him,” Jack said. “We’re hoping he’s here today.”
She picked up a pen off her desk and nervously looked over her shoulder. “Well…you see—” Her speakerphone came on.
“Heather, did Bickford pick up the certs for the lot off Ellis Street?” The man’s voice popped like a machine gun. “They’re supposed to start this afternoon.”
She leaned forward and spoke into the speaker. “No, sir.”
“Get on the horn right away and make sure he’s headed over there.”
“I will, sir. Right after I answer this couple’s questions.”
“Is someone out there with you?” He didn’t wait for her to answer but instead kept firing away. “Do you have me on speaker? I’ve told you—”
Click.
The woman cringed and the office door behind her flew open. A short man with a potbelly, thinning hair, and a face lined by years of scowling nodded at Jack.
“Sorry about the noise.” He walked forward. “Mike Tate.”
“Jack Stratton and Alice Campbell. We’re trying to get in touch with Daniel Branson.”
Mike exchanged a quick look with the secretary and then put his hands on his hips. He exhaled loudly. “Dan’s no longer with the company.”
“What?” Replacement stepped forward. “Why? When?”
JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER Page 9