Repent, page 5
The driver passed over the food, thanking her profusely for the size of her tip before bouncing back to his car. She closed the door and reset the alarm. Had barely placed the boxes on the counter when the garage door rumbled open.
Moments later, Justin strolled through the attached door.
He gave her a too-short kiss then lifted his head and gave an appreciative sniff. “Are we expecting company?” he asked, his arm looped around her waist even as he eyed the amount of food with suspicion.
“No, as usual Vinny is just very generous.”
Justin’s mouth curved in a relieved smile. He flicked an experimental finger over one of the boxes. “And as usual, it was a speedy delivery. In fact, it feels a bit too hot to eat. Perhaps we should let it cool?”
Her face was still tilted, ready to welcome another kiss, but she managed a composed smile. “Of course,” she said. “What should we do while we wait? Maybe burn a few calories in your gym?”
“I’d prefer we burn them elsewhere,” he said.
“Like in your bedroom?” Her words came out rather sultry for a supposedly tough PI. But Justin had that effect on her. And on other women as well.
“What an excellent idea.” He scooped her up, his mouth so close to her cheek she could feel his teasing grin. “Glad you thought of it.”
Nikki gave a luxurious stretch then snuggled into Justin’s shoulder. His bedroom was definitely more enjoyable than his gym. He had such a wide range of workout equipment she still hadn’t tried everything. But she intended to work up a sweat after he left. Jogging around the K9 field helped with her aerobic exercise. But she wanted to target some core muscles, maybe work with his weights. No doubt she’d be doing a lot of lifting when Gunner came home.
She felt Justin’s scrutiny and tilted her head, staring into his enigmatic eyes. “How’s he doing?” Justin asked, as if reading her mind.
“Still improving,” she said. “I guess it’s just a wait and see.”
“Do you have everything you need? Tony said you’ve been helping on the obstacle field in between monitoring Gunner’s rehab. But that you weren’t there today?”
Nikki fought a stab of irritation. Tony Lambert managed the K9 center and seemingly reported her every move to Justin. She knew her annoyance revealed a double standard since she gratefully accepted Justin’s influence whenever it could help Gunner. And she was one of the few civilians to ever be offered a dorm room at the center.
“I wasn’t there,” Nikki said, “because Sonja called me about a possible client.”
“That’s good. You need more to do than build dog ramps and worry about Gunner.” Justin’s empathy made her feel guilty for her prickliness. “Did you take the case?”
“I did,” she said. “In fact I already questioned Lara about it.”
“How’s Lara?” he asked, and if there was anything more than polite interest in his voice, Nikki didn’t hear it. In fact, he was already turning to check the time, and she guessed he’d be racing out in minutes, likely eating his food in the car.
“She’s fine. And her horse, Guinness, the one we saw being schooled a while back is fine as well.”
“I’m glad he’s working out. He’s quite a switch from her previous mount.”
“How so?” Nikki asked, knowing Justin could talk horses for hours and if any subject could keep him relaxed and in bed, it would be that. He never looked tired but she didn’t know how he could function with so little sleep.
Justin rolled toward her, idly running his hand in circles on her back and she closed her eyes in pleasure. He had the best hands, whether it was handling criminals, horses. Or her.
“Could you scratch a little higher,” she said with a sigh. “While we talk about the next time we go to the horse races, and, you know, who we should bet for the Pacific Classic?”
Justin chuckled. “The Classic isn’t until August. But I’m not going back to the office until morning. Do you want to talk about your new case?”
“I just want you to get some food and sleep,” she said, tilting her head and planting a kiss on his chest. “And my work is very boring compared to your murder cases, especially that unfortunate judge.”
Justin didn’t talk much about his work, preferring to put it aside when they were together. When he did speak though, she always learned a lot. She didn’t want to probe, but it was public knowledge that Judge Kirby’s ears had been hacked off and then delivered to a horrified journalist. When the judge had first disappeared, it had been front page news then slowly faded, despite the family’s offer of a substantial reward. Now the gruesome ear delivery had boosted his abduction back into the spotlight, driving home the fact that police still had no real suspects.
“Are you sure the judge is even dead?” she asked.
“Most assuredly,” Justin said dryly. “The ears had significant bone and tissue attached.”
Nikki suppressed her wince. That hadn’t been revealed to the public. Although the fact that he’d had numerous affairs had been heavily publicized. “His poor family,” she murmured, feeling an ache in her throat.
“They had no children,” Justin said, “so his wife is dealing with it alone. It’s been hell on her. She already closed their kennel. Sold every dog right down to the last Doberman puppy.”
“Maybe one of the pups will end up in police training.”
“Doubtful. The judge concentrated on the show ring. Bred dogs for over thirty years and was a judge for almost as long. Some of the performance qualities were watered down.”
That made sense. Gunner had come from a long line of dogs bred for military and police work and even he had failed to pass the rigorous training. Although an abusive handler hadn’t helped. Yet it had worked out beautifully for her since Justin had given her Gunner. She’d never had a better partner.
“I gather you’re looking for that teen who skipped out on his service,” Justin said, surprising her with his awareness. He seemed to have the scoop on everything, at all police levels. Still, this was quick. Even for him.
“How did you know?” she asked. “Was it because I visited Lara?”
“Partly. And also because you wouldn’t have taken the case unless it was important. Running down insurance scammers or vetting employees would never have pulled you away from Gunner.”
She gave a reluctant nod. Justin knew her well, probably better than she knew herself. Sometimes that bothered her. But he was the one who had brought up the case, giving her the chance to run some things by him.
“Do you know Sgt. Aaron Smith?” she asked. “Mounted unit. Works with Lara.”
“No, but I remember when he was moved in to head that group. It’s a tight bunch, popular in the community. Damn shame when one of their horses was burned. Lara mentioned that the kid had skipped out.”
“Allegedly,” Nikki said. “I’ve been hired to find out if he really did run.” And then she absorbed what else Justin had said. Had he seen Lara this week?
“Your investigation won’t be popular with the police,” Justin went on. “Hurting one of their horses is like attacking a K9. You know how that feels.”
“I do,” she said, trying to straighten her thoughts. She’d never been the jealous type and she wasn’t going to start questioning Justin about his friends or activities. Not unless it could help her with a case. Of course, Lara was related to Billy’s case...
“I actually used your name with Lara today,” she said, deliberately shifting her hand to the left side of Justin’s chest. “I may have implied that you wanted her to help me.”
“Good. Use whatever means you have to gather information. But you should know I’m not Lara’s favorite person right now.” He gave a rueful chuckle. “When I called asking about a breeder who knew the judge, she was rather cool.”
Beneath Nikki’s hand, Justin’s heartbeat remained slow and steady. Reassuringly so. Whatever was going on with Lara seemed to be one way.
“You think another breeder killed him?” Nikki asked, relaxing against his shoulder.
“No, I’m just hoping for a break. It’s been months and we’ve got nothing. No motive. No body. Only the ears.”
That wouldn’t be good for his solve rate. Although stats and accolades didn’t drive Justin. He wanted to fight crime, to help people. He’d been like that since he was a teen. He was the best person she knew.
“I told his wife we’d find the killer,” Justin said. “But it’s looking grim. We’re short staffed and the lab is still backlogged.”
Nikki sighed. Justin was the type who followed through on a promise but unfortunately the city’s murder rate hadn’t slowed.
“Can I help?” she asked. “Want me to gather info on the breeder?”
“We’ve already done that. So far he’s not a suspect, just another disgruntled competitor ready to throw more muck. He’s gathered a bunch of material over the years that he claims proves tainted show results. We already know Kirby wasn’t the most ethical of judges...or men.”
“Hard to believe someone would kill just because their dog didn’t win a blue ribbon.”
“It’s a long shot. Probably nothing in the material will help. But we’ll comb through it. We all know how crazy people can be about their dogs.” Justin’s voice lowered a notch. “Like how you deserted me... And moved to the center.”
Nikki gave him a teasing jab. It was doubtful he felt it though since his arm was so hard it hurt her hand. But she hadn’t deserted him. Justin barely came home except to sleep. Admittedly though, her thoughts had been focused on Gunner.
“Would it help if I picked up the boxes for you?” she asked.
“Definitely. But the breeder lives thirty miles east of the city. Opposite direction to the K9 center.”
“No problem. My client lives out that way too.” It would help keep Mrs. Tanner’s bill low if Nikki could split mileage with another account. The feisty woman would love the fact that the police were covering part of her bill.
“Thank you, Nik.” Justin yawned and closed his eyes, as if taking one small thing off his plate had lightened his load enough to sleep. Clearly he wasn’t in any hurry to go downstairs and eat.
She knew he’d recharge quickly; he was the master of catnaps. But she couldn’t keep her mind off the waiting food. The protein bar she’d eaten during the drive back seemed like ages ago, and mouth-watering odors were wafting up the stairs. Garlic, tomato, onion. It had been weeks since she’d enjoyed Vinny’s excellent cooking and her gut kicked with impatience. Yet she lay unmoving, giving Justin a chance to fall asleep, and just hoping her rumbling stomach didn’t jar him awake.
“Go ahead and eat,” Justin said with a chuckle, proving that his eyes might be shut but he was still catlike in his alertness. “And take some pictures tomorrow as well. Dogs, kennel, anything that might give us insight into how this guy is thinking. Doubt you’ll see much of interest but at least then you can bill us for a full day...Lara mentioned that the Tanner family is struggling.”
Gratitude warmed her chest. Justin appeared tough, but he was compassionate to the core, especially to the disadvantaged. And Nikki hadn’t been the one to reveal the Tanners’ financial challenges. Surprisingly it had been Lara.
“I didn’t think Lara was worried about Billy or his grandmother,” Nikki said, brushing a heartfelt kiss over Justin’s cheek before easing from the bed.
“She’s torn,” Justin said, his voice drowsy. “Until Smitty insisted on a switch, Radar was her mount.”
Nikki stilled, her legs draped over the side of the bed. She’d been focused on Smitty, solely because Radar was his horse. But Radar had been Lara’s partner too. She remembered the way Radar had laid his big head on Lara’s shoulder, his trust apparent. But Lara hadn’t mentioned that. Had it been intentional or had it simply not come up?
She pulled in a pensive breath, glad Justin couldn’t see her expression. “Good to know,” she said.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The pigs were restless this morning. Billy didn’t know why he hated them so much, only that their squeals always made him shiver. The sounds of their greedy rooting had been the first thing he’d heard when he woke to find himself imprisoned.
Obviously the man chained in the hell hole beside him felt the same way. The man was whispering about pigs, senseless incomprehensible words, but at least he was talking. Billy rose, starved for companionship—then stilled.
The back door clicked open, letting in a flood of daylight.
Billy sank back to his knees, hunched with fear, wishing he could turn invisible. Even without the stun gun and syringes, his tall captor was terrifying.
But the man ignored him. He walked to the adjacent stall, his stride long and purposeful. Slid open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.
“Do you understand your transgressions?” the man asked. “That justice must be served before release?”
He spoke softly, like a normal person, and Billy’s head lifted, buoyed with hope. It sounded like they were going to be released.
“Pl-please,” the starving man whimpered. “I’m sorry.”
“You were morally obligated to look after your dog. But you failed him.”
“I was busy. I forgot. Please—”
“Animals have rights too. And atrocities committed against them cannot be tolerated.” The man’s voice rose. “Violence and neglect will be turned back to the perpetrator. Only then can all species live in harmony.”
Billy clenched his hands together. The man sounded smart, almost like the lawyer his grandmother had hired back when Jack had that court trouble. Maybe he should speak up, plead his case. He liked animals, and always took Sparky on walks and fed him on time. He shouldn’t be here. This was all a mistake.
Were the police pulling another gag on him, laughing when he pissed his pants? But even they wouldn’t go to this much trouble. And the man in the stall wasn’t pretending; he was truly starving. If Billy’s mouth wasn’t so bone dry—if he wasn’t so utterly terrified of drawing their captor’s attention—he’d ask some questions.
“I’m sorry,” the man whispered, so low and weak Billy could barely hear. “I should have checked his bowl.”
“So you repent?”
“Yes, yes, I do.” The man was whimpering now, his fear contagious. “But please, don’t do this. Please don’t kill me—”
Billy wrapped his arms around his legs, too terrified to leave his safe corner and peer through the crack. His teeth clamped together so tightly he tasted blood. But he heard everything: the gasps, a bump, one last grunt. Then the sharp smell of urine, all horrifying details that his brain didn’t want to process. He stuffed a hand over his mouth, blocking his whimpers. This was all horribly real.
The shuffling noise stopped. A wheelbarrow rolled down the aisle. Minutes later a meat saw hummed, and the air in the barn thickened with the smell of blood and bones. The pigs’ grunts turned to squeals of anticipation.
And then Billy understood. Bile climbed his throat. And he couldn’t stop gagging.
CHAPTER NINE
“Can you repeat that?” Nikki asked, her hand gripping the phone as she listened to her source within the police department. The man who’d trained Nikki had stressed that developing contacts was eighty percent of an investigator’s job. And Ava Simmons was an excellent source, a clerk in the department with a very active social life. Ava had been open to swapping business favors and regularly asked Nikki to check out her dating partners, both male and female.
“Yes,” Ava said. “I checked the routes you requested and can confirm a teenager who looked like Billy Tanner boarded the bus at 8:17 pm. He disembarked at 9:24 at the last stop, way out in the sticks.”
Nikki stiffened. That meant the police were looking for Billy in the wrong place. He wasn’t hanging out in any back alley. He’d actually left the city, just much later than anyone expected. And this was the route Mrs. Tanner had said Billy didn’t take, the one that stopped a long mile from his house.
“Was he alone?” Nikki asked.
“As far as I can tell.”
One good thing anyway, Nikki thought. “So the police search will be widened?”
“Probably,” Ava said. “Once county is notified. But I assumed you’d want the chance to collar him first. Robert used to get real hot if his investigative work was wasted and the police took the credit.”
Nikki’s mouth tightened. She didn’t like to be compared to her retired mentor. Preferred to bury his memory. And she just wanted Billy safely located; it didn’t matter who found him. Of course, it helped that money wasn’t important. A recent insurance payout meant she didn’t have to worry about a pay check now, not as much as many other investigators.
“Thanks, Ava,” Nikki said. “But the quicker Billy is found the better.” She scanned her office notes, checking for the name of Ava’s latest lover. “How’s it going with Erin?” she asked.
“Our relationship is over. I’m going to run solo for a bit.”
That would last for about a week, Nikki thought. Ava was constantly in and out of love. “Okay, well I owe you one,” Nikki said. “Thanks for being so quick.”
She cut the connection, her mind weighing all the possibilities. Last night, Smitty’s GPS showed he hadn’t been within ten miles of the Tanner’s house. And the fact that Billy boarded a bus seemed to exonerate the man. But Mrs. Tanner claimed Billy always took the early bus. What had he done in those missing hours?
And though that last stop was far from the area shown on Smitty’s GPS, it was still in the eastern county. Close enough to warrant more questions. Smitty would not be happy to see her again. Neither would Lara. But Lara hadn’t been open about the fact that Radar used to be her horse. And Smitty couldn’t be dismissed either.
