Busted
Page 35
“Did you touch anything in the house other than the shower?”
He looked up in thought. “Not that I remember. She opened the front door for me on my way in and out. The bathroom door was already open so I didn’t have to touch the handle.”
“Would you be willing to provide fingerprints?”
“Hell, yeah!” he replied without hesitation. “If it’ll clear my name you can have fingerprints, a blood sample, whatever.”
He certainly was being cooperative. Might as well make the most of it. “Would you let me take a look in your van?”
He swept his hand toward his vehicle. “Be my guest.”
I peeked into the glove compartment, ashtrays, and console of his truck. No rings. Ditto for his toolbox and cargo bay. I did spot a well-used pair of heavy-duty work gloves, though, as well as a box of disposable latex gloves. The discovery wasn’t surprising. Given the nature of his work, gloves would be needed for some jobs. While the thick work gloves would’ve made it harder for him to snag the rings, he could’ve donned a pair of the latex gloves and snatched them without leaving a print. Hmm.
I backed out of the van and returned to my cruiser for a fingerprint kit. After obtaining his prints and handing him a wet wipe to clean the ink from his fingers, I thanked him for his cooperation.
“I hope you find her jewelry.” He gave me a pointed look. “For her sake and mine.”
“Me, too.”
Brigit and I returned to our cruiser. I made a quick call to Nan to inquire whether the plumber had worn disposable gloves while at her home. She said she hadn’t noticed him wearing gloves, but she’d been in the living room and kitchen while he’d been working. She made a quick round of the house and confirmed he hadn’t disposed of any gloves in the bathroom trash can or elsewhere.
By then, my shift was up. I drove Nan and the plumber’s prints back to the station, and Brigit and I headed back home for an evening of sitcoms, Seth, and snuggling.
Chapter Three
Fur Shame
Brigit
That furry little sissy had been acting like a darn fool with all that snarling. Brigit should’ve told him to pick on someone his own size—like a flea! Heh-heh.
Despite having the occasional run-in with these types of amateur wannabe watchdogs, Brigit loved working as a police K-9. She was taken on way more walks than the average house pet, and had fun exploring the city, including great smelly places like the parks and the zoo. Sometimes, she even got to chase humans and tackle them to the ground. Other dogs were punished for that kind of behavior, but Brigit was rewarded for it. Best job ever!
She had the best pack, too. Megan always carried liver treats in her pocket, and gave Brigit lots of nice scratches and ear rubs. Megan did weird things sometimes, like when she picked up Brigit’s droppings and carried them around in a bag like a party favor, but Brigit had noticed that humans did all sorts of strange things. They bathed every day, willingly! And they ignored squirrels for some reason. Didn’t they realize the rodents were launching an uprising to take over the world? But even though Brigit would never fully understand Megan, she loved her partner from the tips of her ears to the tips of her toes, and she knew Megan felt the same way about her.
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I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at Paw of the Jungle!