by Josh Lanyon
He tilted his head. “Are you from Louisiana?”
“Not even a little bit.” I chuckled when Rick did. “But he likes me to playact sometimes.”
“That sounds pretty skeevy to me. But this is delicious. My door is always open when you have extra food.”
“I won’t be around much after I go back to work, but feel free to come to Factory. I’ll comp you dinner anytime.”
“I pay my way,” he said.
“I know you do. I’ve seen you in action.”
“Not yet you haven’t.” His gaze shifted from my eyes to my lips. “But I think it’s time, don’t you?”
Despite his innuendo, I was surprised by the press of his lips to mine. Especially since he’d been so stiff with me for the last couple of days. His kiss tasted of gumbo, and beer, and something like relief—it was refreshingly honest, as if he were glad to lay his burden down, and I was his reward.
He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me closer. I reacted, tasting the smile on his lips with my tongue. I’d have been content to spend all night prolonging such languid exploration, because where Caleb was made of physical perfection, and Dillon was brilliant and suave, there was just something about Rick that made it impossible for me to see anyone else when he was around.
Rick was good. He wanted to do right. He was the kind of guy who puts his shoulder to the wheel and makes things better for everyone. So there went my doubts. My rules. I let my heart be my guide. Rick seemed like he knew what he was doing, and I…I just wanted whatever he offered me.
If things got complicated, maybe I was ready for that too.
I heard a faint thump, first on the window and then on the balcony. Pepper shot up and barked, abruptly breaking the spell between Rick and me. I stood, almost dizzy, to see what it was.
“Something hit the window.” I followed Pepper, who raced toward the balcony doors, stiff on her paws, circling and charging as though she wanted to kill whatever was out there.
I expected to find a bird, or a cat, or one of the squirrels that scampered up and down the trees across the drive winding around the building. Instead, when I opened the balcony door, Pepper charged outside and pounced on something I didn’t recognize—a paper bag, which she instantly tore to shreds to get at whatever was inside.
Despite the shock that momentarily immobilized me, I grabbed her collar and yanked her off the thing, but not before she’d gobbled some of its contents.
I pulled her away from it just as Rick joined us.
“What happened?” he asked. “What did you see? Was someone out here?”
“That’s not mine.” I pointed to the bag, holding tightly to Pepper’s collar while he went closer to examine it. She lunged, over and over, trying to get more of whatever it was. “What is it?”
“Shit.” He knelt, taking out a pen to push back the paper and expose the contents. “Some kind of meat.”
“What? Why would there be—”
“We need to get her to the vet. Now.” He stood and pushed us inside.
“The vet?” I asked, unable to process what had happened. “You think it’s poisoned?”
“Can you bag that up? Don’t touch it with your hands.” He took Pepper’s collar from me and dragged her to the door for her leash. “We need to go.”
“All right.” I did as he ordered even though he was scaring the hell out of me.
“Chances are it’s nothing,” he tried to reassure me. “Chances are someone’s just playing an asinine prank.”
It didn’t work. “You think it’s the guy Dave talked about? The dog poisoner?”
“I don’t think anything.” His demeanor screamed lie.
“I thought you were going to tell me the truth from now on.”
“All right. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to seem…” He huffed a sigh. “Truth is, it’s best if Pepper is seen by a vet right away.”
“Should we induce vomiting?”
He shook his head. “That could backfire on us by causing a chemical reaction, or introduce something toxic into her lungs.”
That was true in the case of human poisonings. You could do more harm than good if you didn’t know what someone was poisoned with. There were appropriate steps to these things.
Rick attached Pepper’s leash to her collar while I shoved the half-chewed bag into a plastic container.
He said, “Let’s not chance home remedies. Keep her calm; we’ll take my car.”
“Where should we go? Her vet’s not going to be open at this hour.”
“Animal ER,” he said. “They’ll know what to do.”
“You really think it’s an emergency?” I wasn’t hesitating so much as I was in shock. “It couldn’t just be a—”
“I do, Lonnie.” A muscle in his cheek flexed before he spoke again. “Someone threw that on the balcony, three floors up, knowing everyone in these apartments has dogs. We need to call Stephani and have her warn the other tenants.”
“I’ll call her on the way.” I got a jacket out of the coat closet. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Ten
Pepper started drooling copiously on the ride to the animal hospital. Since the local poisonings had everyone on edge, the vet tech took one look at her and carried her to the on-call vet immediately. They told us they’d have more information for us later, after they’d had a chance to observe Pepper’s behavior and get some blood work done.
Rick stayed by my side, offering his support.
“You okay?” The warmth of his hand on the small of my back steadied me. “Can I get you some coffee or anything?”
“I’m fine.” I skimmed over the intake paperwork and asked him for a pen.
He handed one over. “I notified the local PD. If Pepper shows signs of being poisoned, they’ll want the meat we bagged up.”
“They’re going to wait? Won’t the vet need to know what she was poisoned with to counteract it?”
“If she was poisoned, the vet will know what she’s looking for.” He dropped his warm hand on my shoulder.
“What kind of sick fuck does something like this?”
“Who knows why sick fucks do anything?”
“You still have connections in the department, don’t you? Can’t you ask someone to expedite this?” I wrote the reason for Pepper’s visit in the box provided on the form. Possible poisoning. A lengthy silence made me look over at Rick. “What?”
He swallowed, hard. “I— Remember when I said I wanted to be a superhero?”
“Yeah?”
“It didn’t work out. That’s the reader’s digest version. One or two people in law enforcement wouldn’t hang up on me if I called for help, but only to hear me beg.”
“I don’t understand.”
He glanced at his hands. “I was a whistleblower, Lonnie.” Suddenly Chandler’s behavior toward Rick made some sense. “I did what I thought was right, but it cost me everything. It’s unlikely we’d get anywhere, even if I hadn’t left under a toxic cloud. There are backlogs filled with major crimes against humans.”
Clearly, it had been difficult for him to share that. “I’m so sorry.”
“It is what it is.”
“Still—”
“Old news. But thank you.” He flushed deeply. “I’m proud of what I did. I faced some backlash, but it was the right thing to do.”
“If you ever want to tell me what happened, I’m here to listen. But Rick, if you did what you thought was right, you have every reason to be proud.” I covered his hand with mine, then checked the time on my phone. Was time slowing down? “How has no one caught this pet poisoner in the act? Doesn’t everyone have doorbells with video these days? Aren’t there a million security cameras out there?”
“They leave poisoned meat on the street or throw it over a fence. They’re picking properties with lots of foliage to hide what they’re up to.”
“Then why change things up and lob something onto someone’s balcony? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Local PD doesn’t even have a starting point on this guy yet. They’ll catch him in the act, eventually, but until then…”
“This wasn’t random. Think about it. I’m three floors up. Whoever did this was trying to kill one particular dog.”
He leaned back. “C’mon, Lonnie. You don’t know that.”
“You don’t think it’s a little strange that someone murders Pepper’s owner and then within a week, she’s a target? Someone thinks she’s a problem.”
Rick laughed at me. “I understand why you’re trying to figure this out, but—”
“Someone threw meat on my balcony. They targeted Pepper specifically.”
“No, they didn’t. The complex is full of dogs. It’s a coincidence.”
“Has this happened to anyone else in the building?”
“Not that I know of, but—” He raised a hand to stop me interrupting. “All right. I’ll ask Dave. But honestly, this isn’t some plot.”
“That you know of.”
He stood and stretched. “For all you know, someone’s playing with you because you’re doing so much poking around.”
Stung, I frowned up at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve seen you asking your little questions about Jeff. Being a busybody.”
“I am not a busybody. But even if I were, can you blame me? The police interviewed me for hours. They think I killed Jeff, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s one hell of a reason to find out who did. Or do you think I should let them skip the formalities and put me in jail?”
“You’re not helping yourself by digging around into everyone else’s motives. It makes you look desperate. If you tell the police you think someone poisoned the dog on purpose, it’s gonna backfire, because who has access, who has the best motive, and who is spouting screwy ideas about silencing a possible dog witness?”
“Rick, I—”
“Who proved he could hop from balcony to balcony like a fucking sparrow?”
My face heated. “Am I keeping you? Don’t you have work tomorrow?”
He gave an unhappy grunt. “I’m taking the day off.”
“Fine.” I checked my phone again. It was two a.m. “But you heard them; it’ll be hours before they know anything. Why don’t you head back? I’ll get an Uber later.”
“Really?” His irritation was clear. “Just because I don’t believe someone put a hit out on your dog—”
“I never said—” I took a calming breath. “You obviously think I’m a nutjob.”
“I think you’re recovering from an illness. Add a move and a murder and the new experience of fostering a rambunctious dog, and now you’re tense and frightened. Don’t make so much of something totally random. Let’s just go home, okay? They’re taking good care of Pepper. You should get some sleep so you’ll be rested when they call.”
“I…” It was irrational, but I didn’t feel right leaving Pepper alone there. I knew how it felt to be sick and vulnerable and alone. She had no one. She didn’t even understand. She was like a baby. Wow. When did I get maternal instincts? I certainly didn’t come by them from Mom. Or… That wasn’t fair. She had maternal instincts. They just played out differently in our world.
One thing she did prepare me for was to medal in the stubborn Olympics.
I said, “I’ll wait.”
“Oh, stop.” He softened his tone. “You don’t look so good.”
“Thanks.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. You’re pale as hell.”
“I’m fine.” I was cold, though, so I zipped my jacket. “You can go. Really.”
He sighed heavily. “Be right back.”
After he left, I read a dated Animal Wellness magazine. Every page challenged me to be a better pet owner about things I’d never given a thought to before.
Rick returned with coffee. “Here, drink this. I’ll wait with you for a while.”
“Thank you.” The coffee was a horrible, bitter brew. It had too much sugar and some chalky powdered creamer, but I was so touched by his kindness, tears stung my eyes.
In fact, all my emotions seemed to have floated to the very surface of my spirit like sentient water lilies, rippling painfully with every plink of affection he gave me.
“Hey, what’s that face?” He cupped my jaw, and I turned away.
“I’m just tired.”
“Okay.” He didn’t let me evade his touch. “You’ve had a long day. It’s easy to see how exhausted you are. Your doctor told you to rest, didn’t he?”
“Yeah,” I admitted.
“Maybe it was too much to ask you to take Pepper on this soon after.” He rubbed his thumb over my unshaved jaw, my cheekbone, soothing and smoothing away the tension there.
“It’s fine.” I leaned into his big, calloused hand. “This has been eye-opening, if nothing else.”
“You’re pushing your limits, so I’m sorry we asked.” He backed away and tapped my foot playfully. “Not what you expected, huh?”
“What?” Was he talking about Pepper, or himself? Because neither one was anything like what I expected.
“Dog ownership?” He rested his elbows on his knees and winked up at me. “Admit it. You had a picture in your head, and it hasn’t gone like you planned.”
He was right, damn him. “I admit nothing.”
“Life is messy.” He chuckled. “Especially when it involves kids or dogs. You can’t expect everything to be perfect from the beginning.”
“I know that.”
“But do you? I think you kind of romanticize your Afghan hound.”
“Maybe.” I hid my irritation. “Doesn’t mean I’m not ready to do what it takes.”
“All right.”
“Pepper might not be what I planned, but I’m taking good care of her.”
“Of course you are.” He frowned at me. “I never said—”
“And I’m not going to let anyone hurt her. You can take that to the bank. I’m not without resources, and if the police think they can slow-walk the results of the tests on that meat because she’s only a dog, then they can expect to hear about it from every local animal lover I know.”
“That’s not how it works, Lonnie. Testing takes time—”
“It’ll take more time if the police put Pepper last.”
“That’s not what they’re doing. There are finite resources.”
“Do you know how many pet lovers I serve on a daily basis? Do you know what Betty White, America’s most ardent dog lover, enjoys eating? She’s local, and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” His wagging finger pissed me off. “Are you aware what would happen if you started threatening the local cops? Better put Kimble on Speed Dial.”
“Oh, honey,” I lied smoothly, “he’s already on it.”
That was nasty, even for me. In my defense…
I had no defense for being an asshat. Rick had been nothing but kind to me. He was a decent guy. But old habits died hard, and making things all about me might have been mine.
“I’m sorry.”
His lips twisted. “I’m trying to help you here.”
“I can’t…” I shook my head. “Don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me. I don’t need anyone’s help.”
“That right?” Brown eyes burned into mine. “Fine.”
He got up and left without a backward glance. The sliding doors chimed. His footsteps splashed audibly over puddles on the pavement outside before the doors closed behind him, shutting out the street noise.
I wanted to call him back. I wanted to sit with him, hold his hand, and rest my head on his shoulder. But leaning on him wasn’t going to solve my problems. And he lived right next door. If things didn’t work out, I’d have to see him every single day.
No coworkers.
No neighbors.
Those were my rules.
And already, I’d let things go way too far.
I didn’t have an alibi. I could leap tall buildings at a single bound. It was my
knife the killer used. The cops didn’t need more than that to build a case.
They would eliminate all the people who wanted Jeff dead, one by one, and sooner or later, the detectives would circle back to me. Then the questions would begin again.
No matter what Rick said, I had to figure out who killed Jeff before that happened, and I thought finding out who poisoned Pepper was a damned good place to start.
“Mr. Boudreaux?” Oh shit. The vet tech didn’t look happy. “There’s been a development. Dr. Jones needs to see you right away.”
Chapter Eleven
The vet tech led me to Dr. Jones’s office, where two uniformed officers waited with her. They must have come in the back way. I froze with dread.
“Look, there’s no easy way to say this”—Dr. Jones simply blurted the truth—“Pepper has ethylene-glycol poisoning.”
“Antifreeze?” Ethylene glycol was the deadly ingredient in antifreeze. I don’t know where I’d picked up that tidbit of information, but I’d heard it somewhere. Antifreeze poisoning was often fatal, causing kidney failure and long-term problems if not treated immediately. And Dave said the dog poisoner used it.
“I noticed a sweet odor on the meat you bagged,” she continued. “I hoped I was wrong.”
“Is she—”
“She’s resting comfortably.” She handed the poisoned meat over to the officers. “Within half an hour she started presenting with symptoms—drooling, acting uncoordinated, vomiting. We began treatment immediately, and though there aren’t any guarantees, your prompt action in bringing her here means she’s got a fighting chance.”
“How…? Who would do this?” My hands tingled, which probably meant I wasn’t pulling in enough air. I couldn’t breathe. How was I making a sound?
I answered Dr. Jones’s gentle questions about how the meat got onto my balcony, how the dog got it, why we decided to play it safe and come to the ER rather than wait for symptoms.
It was Dr. Jones who’d called the police. She had treated a couple of the other poisonings and was all too happy to put pressure on the department to find some answers. I liked her.