9 The Hitwoman's Downward Dog (6 page)

"You promise you’ll find that poor girl, won’t you?" Susan asked.

A worried look was exchanged between Brian and his uncle.

"He can’t promise that," I said flatly, grabbing the back of a chair to steady myself as a wave of old grief and bitterness hit me so hard it almost knocked me off my feet. "Don’t you remember the promises they made about Darlene?"

An uncomfortable hush fell over the room at the mention of my teenage sister who’d disappeared at the local carnival.

Zeke strolled into the room at that moment. Sensing the tension, he froze in place, looking to me for guidance, but I was too caught up in old pain to guide him as I remembered the empty promises the police gave back then about finding Darlene.

False hope doled out as a tranquilizer to keep everyone calm.

But they hadn’t found her until they discovered a body they claimed was her.

Now everyone thought she was dead. I’d believed it too until a woman who talked to ghosts said that the ghost of my sister Theresa, Katie’s mother, had told her Darlene was still alive.

"I’ll do my best to find her," Brian Griswald pledged solemnly, breaking the silence.

I offered him a weak smile. "I know you will."

"But I need you to stay out of it. For her safety as well as yours."

"I understand."

Brian turned his attention to Zeke. "That goes for you too. You can’t be helping her look for Armani."

"I promise I won’t be," Zeke said sincerely. It wasn’t a lie since Whitehat had another job for him. "Does that mean I can go get my car?"

Brian nodded.

"Great." Zeke looked at me. "Give me a lift?"

"Let me get the dog."

"You need the dog to get his car?" Brian asked suspiciously.

"I want to take her to the dog park."

"It’s dark out."

"Exactly," I said. "Have you ever brought a Doberman to a dog park during the day? All those owners who pay more to have their mutts groomed than I spend on groceries in a week act like she’s going to tear their precious pooches limb from limb. It hurts her feelings."

I got the distinct impression it took all of Brian’s self-control to not roll his eyes when I mentioned the dog’s feelings. "Fine. Go. Just stay out of trouble."

Leaving Zeke to make small talk in the dining room, I hurried down to the basement. "Armani’s missing and I’m going to look for her. Who wants to go with me?"

"Go! Go!" DeeDee barked excitedly.

I looked to the terrarium.

"Dammit, Maggie, I’m a lizard, not a private investigator," God declared.

"What about Operation Poisoned Apple?" Piss drawled sarcastically from her hiding place beneath the couch. "Then you were all Mr. Superspy."

"Fine," God agreed. "If you need me, I’ll go."

I picked him up out of terrarium. "But you can’t talk while Zeke’s around."

"Squeak chest," the dog declared with a big grin that the average person would have found frightening considering how many of her teeth showed.

"I won’t speak if you don’t do anything stupid," God bargained as he scampered down the strap of my bra and settled into the hammock-like space between the cups.

I let the dog out the storm doors so she could relieve herself before getting in the car, and made my way back to the dining room where Susan was spouting forth everything she expected to do to make Katie’s arrival a momentous occasion.

"Ready?" I asked.

"You bet." Zeke pressed a quick kiss to my aunt’s cheek. "As always, thank you for your hospitality, Susan."

She patted his hand where it rested on her shoulder. "You’re always welcome, Zeke. Anytime."

Zeke acknowledged each of the Griswald men with a brief nod and then walked out.

I half-expected Brian to utter another warning about staying away from the Armani investigation, but he stayed silent as I moved away.

Wordlessly, Zeke got into the passenger seat of my car while I got the dog settled in the back. He didn’t speak until I’d pulled out of the driveway. "I could tell her no."

"Tell who no?"

"Whitehat. I could stay here, help you."

I shook my head. "No. Go do what she needs you to do. I’ve got this."

"You can’t do this alone. It’s dangerous."

His concern was sweet. Instinctively, I reached out to pat his knee. "I’ve got DeeDee riding shotgun."

"Shotgun!" the dog barked for emphasis.

"Technically, she’s in the back seat," Zeke pointed out.

"I’ll be careful," I promised.

"And I’ll get back as fast as I can from whatever this mysterious assignment is." His voice crackled with barely contained bitterness.

A twinge of guilt twisted in my gut. He was miserable under Whitehat’s thumb, and I hadn’t done anything to help him get out of the situation. Yet.

We drove the rest of the way to his car in silence, each wrapped up in our own thoughts. He seemed surprised when I slid to a stop behind his car.

"Promise me, Maggie," he said, his voice ragged with worry.

"Promise you what?"

"That you’ll be careful." He grabbed my right forearm and squeezed it for emphasis. "That you won’t do anything stupid."

The intensity of his request made me uncomfortable.

I patted his fingers curved around my arm. "I think I’m genetically inclined to do stupid things," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. "You know my family."

He frowned, not playing along.

"But I promise I’ll be careful," I pledged seriously, trying to assuage his concern. To seal the promise, I leaned across the gearshift and kissed his cheek. Settling back into my seat, I searched his face to see if he believed me.

"I’m going to hold you to that," he murmured, pressing his lips firmly against mine for the briefest moment before jumping out of my car and stalking over to his.

As I watched him go, the urge to do something to help him was strong. Knowing I was helpless to do anything at that moment left me grinding my teeth.

He waved good-bye and drove off.

As soon as he was out of sight, I bent over to retrieve the gun Ms. Whitehat had kindly provided.

"Any farther forward and you’re going to smother me," God complained from my chest.

I snapped back upright. "Sorry."

"You forgot about me, didn’t you?"

I had, but I wasn’t going to give the lizard the satisfaction of knowing that. "Of course not."

"Liar."

"Shotgun?" DeeDee panted hopefully, wedging her head and chest between the two front seats.

Since I wasn’t driving and her ungainly maneuvers wouldn’t cause me to crash my car, I said, "Sure."

Wriggling awkwardly and slamming into my shoulder more than once, the Doberman huffed and puffed and finally got her butt into the front passenger seat.

"You could have just opened the doors for her," God groused.

"What’s the fun in that?" I countered.

"Fun!" DeeDee yipped.

I drove over to Armani’s home. There were no longer any neighbors gawking, or a police presence. The only giveaway that something was potentially wrong was the yellow and black strip of police tape tacked across her door. It fluttered in the night breeze, mocking me.

"I’ve got to go in there," I said.

"Too me," DeeDee panted.

"What are you waiting for?" the lizard urged. "Let’s go find a clue."

Slowly, I got out of the car, glancing around to see if anyone seemed to notice. I didn’t see any curtains move in the surrounding houses. DeeDee didn’t wait for an invitation. She bounded out of the car, forcing me to scramble to grab her leash.

"Take it easy." I stumbled after her.

"Don’t you dare fall and squash me," God warned, scrambling up my bra strap and perching on my shoulder.

"Inside?" DeeDee asked.

"No," God mocked. "We’re just going to stay out here all night and hope clues come marching out the door."

I started to regret bringing him along. I sighed heavily before telling the dog, "Yes, we’re going inside."

Unperturbed by the snarky lizard, DeeDee led the way to the door.

I eyed the crime scene tape I’d have to duck under.

God began to hum a limbo tune.

"Party?" DeeDee panted hopefully.

"How low can you go?" God challenged before returning to his limbo tune.

Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, I stuck out my hips and shimmied under the tape.

"Woohoo!" God called, hanging from the bra strap with one hand and waving another like a rodeo rider on a bucking bull.

Clearing the tape, I reached for the doorknob.

"Impressive," a gravelly voice said from behind me.

I froze as my heart skipped a beat or two, when it picked up again, thundering faster and louder than a locomotive; I whirled around and found Jack Stern watching me.

"Uh-oh," DeeDee whined softly.

"Do you have any other party skills I should know about?" the reporter asked.

"What are you doing here?" The adrenaline coursing through me made my tone belligerent.

He arched his eyebrows. "What are
you
doing here?"

"I’m trying to find my friend," I said defensively. "Are you going to call the police?"

"Patrick!" DeeDee barked excitedly.

Jack took a step back, watching the Doberman nervously. "I’m not going to call the police unless your dog attacks me."

I looked down at DeeDee, who looked up at me hopefully.

"Sit," I ordered. For once, the dog obeyed. I looked back at Jack. "You haven’t told me what
you’re
doing here."

"Waiting for you."

"Me?"

He nodded. "Watching the way you spoke to Detective Griswald, I figured you’d come back."

"Who is this interloper?" God demanded imperiously.

To me it sounded like a bossy command, to Jack it sounded like squeaking.

Squinting, he leaned forward, trying to identify the sound. "Do you have a
lizard
on your shoulder?"

"Can’t get anything past the crime beat reporter," I replied dryly, answering both him and the little guy.

"Ooooh," God gasped with undisguised delighted wonder. "A crime reporter."

"Why’s he squeaking?" Jack wanted to know.

"He doesn’t like strangers," I replied.

"I do not squeak!" God bellowed.

"Too do," DeeDee growled softly.

Jack, thinking the growl was meant for him, backed up another step, keeping a watchful eye on the dog as though he expected her to leap up and devour him like he was an oversized rib eye. "Call her off."

"I can tell he’s a reporter," God opined. "He’s getting his pronouns right. He didn’t call me
it
, and he knows the beast is of the female persuasion."

Jack’s eyes widened as the lizard droned on, but he wisely kept his mouth shut and his gaze fixed on the dog.

"Stop scaring him, DeeDee," I ordered firmly.

Chastised, she hung her head and relaxed her body posture.

"I wasn’t scared," Jack corrected. "I was just being cautious."

"You shouldn’t stand out here all night chitchatting," the lizard said. "We’re here to find clues."

Knowing he was right, I reached again for Armani’s door. It swung open when I touched the knob. I stepped inside cautiously, DeeDee on my heels.

When I realized he wasn’t following, I looked back at Jack. "Are you going to stand there exercising caution or are you coming in?"

His response was to duck beneath the crime scene tape, albeit without my limbo flair.

"I don’t suppose you thought to bring something to see with," God mocked as we stood in the darkened space.

As though Jack understood him, a thin beam of light cut across Armani’s foyer, emanating from the flashlight he held.

"A man who’s prepared," God approved.

"Talkative thing, isn’t he?" Jack remarked.

"Shut up," I muttered.

Despite the darkness, I sensed Jack stiffen beside me.

"I didn’t mean you. I meant the lizard."

"Okay." He cut a swath through the shadows with the beam, illuminating the evidence of a struggle I’d witnessed earlier. He let out a low whistle. "Something definitely happened here."

"Glad your professional opinion concurs with my uneducated guess," I snapped.

"Hey, I’m not the one who didn’t take you seriously. Detective Griswald is the one who blew you off.
I
wanted to find out what happened here."

"For a story," I complained bitterly.

"It’s my job," he replied without a twinge of guilt. "Take my hand." He held his own out, palm upward.

"Why?"

"Because I want to move farther inside, but I don’t want you falling on your face because you can’t see what’s in your path."

"I won’t trip." I laced my fingers behind my back to emphasize I wouldn’t be putting my hand in his.

"She’s light on her feet and full of grace," God drawled sarcastically.

"You catch," DeeDee pledged on a pant.

Jack let out an audible sigh of frustration. "So you’re the stubborn and independent type."

"They serve me well."

Swinging the light in wide arcs, Jack began to slowly creep deeper into Armani’s home. I followed closely behind, desperate not to trip and prove him right.

"There’s a fine line between character strengths and character flaws," God reminded me.

"Will you please be quiet?" I countered. "I’m starting to regret bringing you along."

"Fine," he sulked.

"You talk to him a lot?" Jack asked.

"Lots of people talk to their pets."

"True, but most don’t bring them to potential crime scenes."

"I didn’t want to come alone," I admitted grudgingly.

"I’m surprised your boyfriend didn’t come along."

Thinking he’d somehow guessed my relationship with Patrick, I was thrown off balance and stumbled. I would have fallen in the dark, just as he’d predicted, but he turned quickly to catch me. I felt his muscles flex as he kept me upright and could smell his leather jacket as he held me against it.

I hung on his steadying arm, trying desperately to come up with an excuse for what he’d witnessed between myself and my married hitman-mentor.