Tread Softly (15 page)

Next thing she
knew she was on the ground next to the dog, lying in odorous mud, an angry,
very wet man standing above her with the key in his hand. Cady gave a quick
glance toward the arena where the dogs had been fighting. Both animals were
lying on their sides, tongues lolling, bodies heaving as they fought for air.
Fresh blood oozed from several deep cuts.

"Who the
hell are you? And what the hell are you doing in my barn?" The man, whom
Cady assumed was Ted Proctor, brandished the key like a weapon.

Cady swallowed
once, deciding to brazen it out, hoping that Ruth had gotten to a phone.
"That's my dog in there. It was stolen from me." She looked back at
the white dog behind her, which was pressed close to her back. The terrier
wasn't looking at her; he was looking up at the man. "And this is my dog
as well. See, he knows me," Cady lied. "The police have been called
and you're going to be arrested." Cady tried to sit erect in the goo but
only succeeded in covering herself more completely with mud. The white dog was
getting browner.

One of the other
men was standing nearby and heard the conversation. He was soaked and leaning
forward, trying to shake some of the excess water from his body. "Damn it,
Ted, I don't want no trouble with the cops. And you didn't say nothin' about no
dames, either. I'm gettin' outta here. Otis, you comin' with me?"

"Yeah,
Harry, I'm comin'. Wait till I pour the water outta my wallet. I got a good
mind to punch that broad." The scowling Otis squished toward Cady, his
feet making a sucking sound as he tried to make his way through the mud.

"Just
hold it right there, buddy. You're not punching anyone." Rafe's voice was
harsh, his body thrusting forward as he moved in from the front door of the
barn.

Cady recognized
the two men just behind him as campaign aides. She stared goggle-eyed at her husband.
He was all denim-clad menace, his eyes a leaping green fire. This must be the
look that his political foes described as Rafe's street-fighter stare, Cady
mused, unable to look away from the man she loved. He must have read her note,
she thought. How fast he'd gotten here! Oh, Lord, Rafe, please be careful.

"What the
hell is going on here, Ted?" another man whined. "I don't like all
these people. You said this was going to be private, just a few friends. I
don't like it."

"Shut up,
Frankie," Ted muttered. "They got no right on my property."

Cady
felt immobilized as she continued to watch Rafe. The glitter in his eye held
hard amusement. He was poised on the balls of his feet, a slight upward curve
to his lips. She wanted to speak to him, but the words stuck in her throat.

"If this is
your broad, take her and get outta here while you can still walk." Ted
brandished the key in his hand, waving it toward Cady's head.

Rafe's
face seemed to take on a yellow cast as he looked from the key to Cady.
"Cady, come here." His voice was hoarse.

Cady struggled
to rise, slipping in the stickiness. "We have to get Max, too, Rafe,"
she panted, almost erect.

"Wait a
minute here." Ted hooked the key around Cady's arm, jerking her back into
the mud. "What's this about—" he started to ask.

With an angry
snarl Rafe launched himself through the air at Ted, who was looking down at
Cady.

As
Ted looked up, hearing the threatening rage in Rafe's yell, he attempted to
bring the steel key up to protect himself.

Cady threw herself upward, latching onto Ted's arm so that
he couldn't bring the key into position.

Ted swore. The
dog behind Cady whined, then growled. The other men began shouting and milling
about. Rafe hit Ted chest high, flinging him into the mud alongside Cady.

Cady
was almost blinded by the mud, but when she saw the man called Frankie try to
come to Ted's aid, she picked up a handful of mud and threw it straight into
his face and yelled, "Get him, boy," to the dog.

"You
lousy bitch," Frankie squealed, then he howled as the bull terrier landed
on him with a ferocious snarl.

There
was no way to tell friend from foe when the police whistle sounded. Ruth
Proctor was screaming, "Mrs. Densmore, Mrs. Densmore, where are you? Oh,
help, help, someone, we have to find Mrs. Densmore." Her voice was shrill
and bordering on hysteria. Cady knew that even if she screamed back, the other
woman might not hear her. The din was ear shattering.

Cady was
struggling to her feet when she saw Frankie tear himself away from the dog and
try to make a break for the back door. Without thinking Cady launched herself
at his back, hearing her husband's voice in her ears.

"Cady—don't—uuuuuhhh!"
The breath left Rafe's lungs as he was pummeled backward.

Cady looked over
her shoulder at Rafe as she lay astride Frankie's back. The bull terrier had
now positioned himself at Frankie's head, his growls and snapping jaws keeping
the prone Frankie immobile.

"Damn
it, lady, get offa me. Aaagh, I got mud in my mouth..."

A policeman
leaned down and lifted Cady from Frankie's back. "Here you are, ma'am.
Stay right here and let me take care of this fellow for you. Easy, now, dog.
Take it easy." Though the policeman spoke in soft tones, his face had a
don't-mess-with-me look as he dragged Frankie to his feet.

Before
long the police had restored order, and Ted and two of his friends were being
led in handcuffs to police cars.

Cady patted the
dog whose head was pressed against her leg and tried to wave to Ruth Proctor as
the noise lessened gradually.

Finally
Rafe managed to introduce himself to the police. As Rafe helped her to her
feet, Cady could see the incredulous looks on the faces of the two officers,
but she was too busy trying to reassure the crying Ruth Proctor to say
anything. Rafe could handle it.

As
the police led some of the men away, Cady told them she wanted to speak to Ted.
"Where's Max?" she confronted him. "Have you killed him?"

"Naw, don't
be stupid," Ted rasped, then stepped closer to the policeman as Rafe made
for him again.

"Watch
your mouth when you speak to my wife," Rafe ordered in a menacing tone.
"Now where's this Max?"

Before Ted could
respond, Ruth Proctor let out a groan and knelt beside one of the dogs,
cradling the dirty, bloodstained animal to her.

"Hey, Ruth,
for God's sake be proud of him. He's the best fighter I ever had," Ted
asserted. Ruth laid the dog's head on her jacket, then rose to her feet,
walking toward her brother-in-law.

"Don't you
ever come near me or Jerry again, Ted Proctor." She lifted her arm and
smacked him full force in the face, rocking him back on his heels. "And
don't you ever come near my dog again, either."

"Good
for you, Ruth," Cady applauded as the officers led Ted away.

Before
long Rafe and his aides had arranged with the police for the care of the dogs and
assured Ruth Proctor that Max would be taken to the best veterinarian possible.
Since there were no known owners for the other dogs, the police told Rafe they
would contact the SPCA.

Cady
took hold of Rafe's arm as they walked to the car. "You shouldn't have
done that—fought that man, I mean," she whispered, swallowing. "Your
spine... your operation..." She bit down on her lip. "I didn't think
there would be any fighting."

Rafe
leaned down to kiss her. "I've had tougher workouts with the twins. Don't
worry." He looked past her at the dog Cady had insisted that she would
keep, watching as the animal followed her docilely into the taxi. "What
are you going to do with him, Cady?" Rafe asked as he tried to wipe some
of the caking mud from her face. "I hope you know we'll have to face a
barrage of reporters when we return to the hotel. You're not looking your best,
Mrs. Densmore." He chuckled.

"You don't
look that good yourself, Senator." Cady stilled his hand on her face.
"Will this hurt your campaign, Rafe? Will it damage you in any way?"

"I
doubt it—might even help. In the past there have been exposes about illegal
dogfights in this city and people have been very angry about it. Don't worry,
love; I'm not."

"Then
to answer your question about the dog, I'm going to keep him. If a real owner
is found, I'll return him, of course, but the police seemed to think the
animals could have been stolen when they were pups or even purchased by some of
the men who were arrested. The officers didn't think any of the men would admit
to ownership because of legal repercussions related to dog fighting."
Cady took a breath and smiled at the dog that sat on the floor of the car,
looking up at her. "I'm going to call him Hobo."

The
trip back to the hotel seemed to take mere minutes. When she saw the battery
of cameras, Cady was glad the overwrought Ruth Proctor had been taken home by
the police. She blinked at the flash of lights as the cameramen moved in.

Rafe promised to
answer all their questions if they would just give him and his wife a chance to
wash and change clothes. A press conference was hurriedly called by Rafe's
aide, and all at once Cady had another schedule to meet.

* * *

Cady was sure
she would never be able to get used to the blinding effect of the television
lights. She was in awe of the panache with which her husband handled the press
conference. Suddenly Cady realized that all eyes were on her. Since she had
been concentrating on Rafe, she hadn't heard the question. Her eyes beseeched
Rafe, and he repeated the question in low tones, calming her at once.

"How
did I find out about this? Good question. There are many public spirited
citizens who come forth with information, especially to my husband. They know
that Rafe is a man of honor—"

"Yes,
Mrs. Densmore, we are all aware of the opinion you have of your husband,"
a woman with a ginger-color frizz of hair stated, making the others laugh,
including Rafe. "But the woman came to you. Doesn't that make you a potent
figure in your husband's campaign and in his political life?"

"I'd like
to answer that, Cady, if you don't mind," Rafe interjected, giving her a
reassuring smile. Then he looked directly into one of the television cameras.
"My wife, Cady Densmore, is the most potent factor in my political life as
well as my private life. Cady's integrity and her innate dignity are prime
forces in all I do. I'm very proud of her."

Cady didn't hear
much more of the conference. She was too wrapped up in Rafe's glowing words of
praise for her. She hugged them and turned them over in her mind, feeling as
gleeful as a child at Christmas. Rafe cared for her. She would make that caring
grow into love.

Rafe finished
the conference by vowing that he intended to do all he could to eradicate
various types of injustice and to protect the vulnerable—whether they were the
elderly, children, or animals—from victimization.

Cady applauded
along with everyone else, relieved that he looked so fit.

Back
in their suite, she thought that Rafe would want to rest awhile, but to her
surprise he followed her into her room.

"We
both need a rest after that wild time today, but I'd like to speak to you,
Cady. So if you don't mind, I'll lie down on your bed." He yawned as he
yanked the tie from around his neck. "I'm always glad when a campaign is
over. Then I can go back to wearing sport shirts." He sighed and threw
himself backward on the king-size bed, waving his hand at her to come join him.

When
she sat down, he reached up and began lifting the sweater over her head and
unzipping her skirt. "You can't be relaxed wrapped up in all that
clothing. Shall I take off your panty hose?" Rafe laughed when she reddened
and said that she could do it. He pulled her under the quilted cover and hugged
her close to his body. "Now, as for putting yourself in danger as you did
this morning—don't ever do that again. I almost had a heart attack when I saw
that creep Ted Proctor standing over you. Cady, you know I want your help in
everything, but I don't want you in danger. Clear?"

"Clear.. .but, Rafe, I couldn't refuse Ruth Proctor.
She's such a nice woman, and life hasn't been easy for her."

"I
could tell that, angel. That's why I want to arrange for a college scholarship
for her boy Jerry when he comes of age. I understand from his mother that he's
very interested in engineering, so if he still feels that way when he finishes
high school, the money will be there for Clarkson or any of the other good
engineering schools in this state."