Tiger's Eye (24 page)

A few minutes later, Dr. Zimmerman entered the room.

“Hi, Stacy.”

“Hey, Doc.”

He glanced over his assistant’s brief notes, then washed his meaty hands. He was a burly man who looked more
like a professional wrestler than a veterinarian, which was the main reason I chose him to be Thor’s doctor. He had the muscle to lift my two-hundred-pound dog, should the occasion arise.

“How’s Thor?”

“Great.”

“Laying off the cheeseburgers?”

“He prefers hot dogs now.”

The good doctor shook his head, scolding me with his eyes.

“Sparingly.”

He nodded like I was full of it. Which I was.

He weighed Keesha, checked her ears, eyes, and temperature, dictating notes to Tracey. I explained that she was lost from her family, but also seemed lethargic.

“It could be dietary, but we can do a quick radiograph to make sure nothing’s broken or fractured. If it looks like there’s a problem, a closer x-ray would be the next step.” He looked at her gums and said, “We should scan her for a microchip.”

Tracey rushed out to grab whatever they used for that. She was back in a flash, carrying what looked like a garage door opener with a screen on it. She held it up near Keesha’s neck and read the results.

Tracey raised her eyebrows. “Well, this is a new one.”

“Who does she belong to?” I asked.

“Joliet Correctional Facility.”

Chapter 31

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

—Roger Caras

Well, my day just got more complicated.

Tracey explained that a lot of prisons have implemented dog training programs. Sister Pauline Quinn began the program back in 1981 at the Washington State Correctional Center for Women. The organization rescues pets from kill shelters and, with the help of qualified trainers, teaches inmates how to properly care for and prepare an animal for service with the disabled or just to be a well-adjusted family pet.

“It’s a win-win, because often the prisoners are transformed by the experience of being unconditionally loved and respected, not to mention the joy of doing something that’s important and the feeling of hope that comes with it,” Tracey had said.

I dialed the number to the facility while Keesha was being radiographed.

I spoke with a nice woman who said that indeed, Keesha was one of their dogs, and that she had been adopted by the recently freed Cole Tripp.

“They live with these dogs twenty-four seven, you see.” She had a bold voice like a basketball coach. “The crates are kept right inside the cell with the inmates and their sole responsibility is to train these animals for six weeks. Cole had been a part of our program since its inception five years ago. We don’t usually allow violent offenders into the program, but since his crimes were mostly drug related, despite the accident that killed the woman, he was permitted in on a trial basis.”

“Wow, so he was doing this for five years. That’s a long time.”

“He was very good at it. There’s something magical about watching a hardened, tattooed man rolling around on the floor baby-talking to a dog.”

“I can imagine.”

“Keesha was his last trainee, and since he did such good for the program, we permitted him to take her home. So do you know Cole? Is Keesha lost?”

I hesitated for a moment. The woman was doing the work of angels. She deserved the truth and I told her. “But don’t worry, Keesha is safe and she’s in a good home right now,” I said.

She choked back a tear, paused, and said, “Well, I’m glad to hear that.” She excused herself and hung up.

I didn’t know how to feel at that moment. Sorry for Keesha, sorry for Cole, but mostly angry at whoever would hurt him for trying to straighten out his life and do the right thing.

I was also pretty damn certain he didn’t run down my father.

The doctor came into the lobby then, Keesha trailing behind. “She certainly ate something she shouldn’t have, but it’s small. It should pass in her stool. She’ll feel better when that’s over.”

I thanked him, paid the bill, and left.

I loaded Thor into the backseat first and ran back inside to fetch Keesha. We were striding toward my car when my bag slipped off my shoulder, spilling my keys onto the pavement. I loosened the leash for a moment and bent to get the keys as they slid near the sewer drain.

“No, not now!”

They didn’t tumble over the edge, thankfully.

That was when I noticed I had dropped the leash. And out of nowhere an older model red sedan came barreling through the parking lot right at Keesha.

“Keesha!”

She stood there, frightened out of her mind and shaking as I dove to push her out of the careening car’s path.

The car screeched off and Thor bolted through the open window, giving chase.

“THOR! NO! COME, BOY!”

Tracey came rushing through the door and said, “Are you all right? My goodness, people should be more careful.”

“Take her!” I threw Keesha’s lead at her and sprinted in the direction Thor had gone—around the building and down a back alley.

My adrenaline was pumping and my heart was in my throat. The fear and panic of knowing that I might turn
the corner to find my dog bloody—or worse—sent me flying around the corner.

He was sitting near a bicycle rack, panting like crazy, but unharmed.

“That was bad! Bad dog, Thor!”

I rushed over to him and squeezed him tight, his goggles pressing into the side of my cheek.

I pulled back. Looked at his spy wear.

If I had known, before he entered my life, how much smarter this dog was than me, I would have been completely intimidated.

Instead, I was just glad he was on my side.

I made a quick stop at home, stocked up on water and dog food, then slipped into a pair of flair jeans, strapped Cinnamon’s gun around my ankle, and left.

Mace was no match for four thousand pounds of steel bearing down on you.

And I’ll be a witch in hell before I let someone hurt my dogs.

Next, I went to the newspaper office to figure out how the hell to work these goggles.

“Well, nice of you to join us,” Parker said.

I held up my hand. “Not now.”

Parker didn’t say anything more as I marched past him.

Derek was on the phone when I walked in with Thor and Keesha, but he quickly cut the call. Must have been the look on my face. I unfastened the spy wear around
Thor’s head, handed it to him, and said, “How do I retrieve the data?”

“Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

I glared at him.

“I hate that look.”

“Then don’t make me toss it at you.”

“Did you get another dog?”

“She’s a guest.”

Derek shrugged his shoulders, reached over and grabbed the goggles, flipped open a latch, and inserted a USB cable. Next, he inserted the other end into his computer and downloaded the video onto his laptop.

We watched several minutes of scenery, sniffing of crotches, poop, melted ice cream on the sidewalk, and the sashay of an Afghan’s ass.

Finally I said, “Derek, fast forward. If there’s a time stamp, it would be around the 9:15 mark that I’m looking for.”

Derek moved the video forward several hours until I said, “Freeze!”

He paused the frame. “Hey, that reminds me, we’re all going to Tastee Freez for lunch. You in?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Things to do.” People to kill.

“Man, why can’t you be a team player?”

I ignored that and asked, “Can you zoom the screen?”

Derek made the screen bigger and I thanked him. I wrote down the license plate of the maniac who tried to mow down Keesha.

I thanked Derek and he said, “Hey, Sydney called. That file is ready. Pick it up anytime. His fee might be a bit pricey since it was no easy task creating an .mp3 file from that older model equipment. Did you want the watch back?”

“Yes, will you tell him I’ll be there this afternoon?”

Derek said he would do that, and he put the video from the doggie cam on an external disk and handed it to me.

I told Parker I was following a lead and that I’d be back right after I talked to Leo. He waved from his open office door and I drove to the police station with the disk in my pocket.

I realize it may not have been the smartest move—walking into a cop shop with a weapon that didn’t belong to me clinging to my ankle—but right now, I was desperate.

Leo was talking to Amy when I entered the building. He looked at Thor, then at Keesha and said, “I see you are traveling with an entourage these days.”

“I’m keeping up my end of the deal. I want you to keep up yours.”

He opened his arms and stepped aside, allowing the three of us to pass. “Come on in.”

I handed him the drive as he settled into his chair. “What’s this?”

“This is video of someone trying to kill Keesha.” I pointed to the fluffy collie and she rested her head against Thor.

“Why would someone want to kill a dog?” Leo asked. He flipped on his monitor and plugged the external disk into the USB port.

“That’s your job, Chief.”

Leo smirked and said, “You’re right. Okay, let’s check it out.”

He frowned after a few minutes and I said, “Oh yeah. You have to fast forward. Thor got the goggles yesterday and I didn’t know how to unload the data.”

“Thor?”

I swung around and leaned over his shoulder. “Wait, stop! There.” I pointed to the image of the car driving away.

“This looks a lot like Thor chasing cars.”

I sighed. “Leo, just run the plates, please. I swear to you, this car tried to plow Keesha down and I want to know why.”

I explained to him the connection between Keesha and Cole. I didn’t tell him about my father’s time capsule because, really, what would I say?
Yes, we’re looking for a person named RJ.
Might not go over well.

He seemed intrigued then. He plugged in some numbers into his computer and said, after a minute or so, “It’s a rental car.” He picked up the phone, chatted with someone on the other end, thanked her, and hung up. He stared at the phone for several seconds.

“Well? Who rented it?”

Leo looked me straight in the eye and said, “Cole Tripp.”

Chapter 32

Leo called out a search on the car and I left the police station to head to the spy store, really hoping Cole Tripp was not a zombie.

Sydney was behind the counter when I pushed through the door.

“Hi, Sydney, Derek said you had something for me?”

He grinned. “This was a doozy, I tell you, had to do a lot of data configuring to update the technology, but I think you’re all set.”

“You think?”

Sydney said, “Of course, I don’t actually listen to the contents. That would be a violation of the confidentiality agreement I provide to all my customers.”

“Of course,” I said.

“What kind of phone do you have?”

I showed it to him.

“Would you like me to upload it here?”

“That would be great.”

I handed Sydney my phone and browsed the store for a little bit, choosing a few items for myself I thought would come in handy.

After a few minutes, Sydney rang me up and I was out the door, with my purchases stuffed in my bag. It was a twenty-minute drive back, so I let both dogs out and walked them up the block to a grassy patch where they could do their business. Then I purchased two waters from a vending machine, grabbed the water dish from the car, and filled it.

They each took turns lapping up the water, Thor dripping half of his all over poor Keesha’s head. I grabbed a towel from the backseat and wiped her down.

Her eyes were so soulful, she seemed half-human. I wanted to put her in my pocket and keep her safe.

Then the most amazing thing happened. She licked my hand.

My heart melted and we looked at each other for a few minutes longer. She cocked her head as if trying to read my thoughts and I did the same.

Except I was not Fiona.

But I did have something that might help figure this all out.

My notebook was buried beneath the pregnancy test packages, the purchases from the spy store, and my audio recorder. I dug it out, tossed the test packages in a nearby garbage can, and flipped to the page where I had recorded Fiona’s reading notes from her session with the petite, furry girl.