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Even so, the thought of this didn’t bring much relief.
Individuals had a habit of being unpredictable. When push came to shove, it was usually the unknown who behavedin a manner that would prove detrimental to all. It was why, if faced with a big angry man and a panicked teenager, a person needed to be more weary of the unpredictable teenager as they were more likely to do something stupid out of fear.
Turning to Bud, he held out an end of rope to him. “Find. Find where they are.”
Bud moved to him and investigated the gear with his nose. While he took in the scents, Kane thought about how amazing his sense of smell was. During their early training together, he had learned how they can smell one hundred thousand times better than humans and how each nostril can also smell separately giving the dog a 3D picture of where something might be in an environment.
All dogs have this amazing sense of smell, but German Shepherds have one of the best. That with their calm-under-pressure natures, their intelligence and how they loved to work were some of the main reasons why they made such great police dogs. It had been a no-brainer for him to train Bud for his line of work, though he’d underestimated just how useful his dog could be.
Bud alerted, having caught a scent.
He took off at a light pace as Kane jogged after him. Following him in the car would have been too noisy plus the fumes from the exhaust wouldn’t have done Bud’s health any favors while also masking the trail he had found.
He stayed close to his dog as they ran down the grassy path beside the road. It wasn’t quite light yet, though the sky had lost its deep shade of black. Kane didn’t expect much traffic to come this way this time of the night, but he kept two eyes fixed on the road ahead for any unwelcome surprises.
Bud took him on a weaving path, navigating the edge of the property until eventually looping back to the Rockefellers’ house.
When he finally stopped outside one of the property’s back doors, he barked a sharp, short bark to let Kane know that he needed assistance with the door which led directly into the kitchen. Kane couldn’t hide his surprise that the trail would lead here, particularly as no one had broken into the house.
He opened the door with a master key that he’d been given. Bud’s only response was a quick wag of his tail before he moved past.
Once inside the kitchen, however, he stopped as if confused. Turning, he spun to the left, then right, before turning in a full circle, not knowing which direction to go. He was still looking confused when the housekeeper entered the room.
“Oh, hi there! I wasn’t expecting company this early in the morning,” Ruth cooed, bending to fuss him. Bud danced around her, enjoying the sudden attention as Kane felt a surge of disappointment move through him.
Bud had lost the trail, which seemed to have stopped right outside that door.
He looked up at the door. His movements had caused the camera to turn on. A small blue LED light indicated that it was currently recording. The camera was working exactly as it should.
None of which made any kind of sense.
If their perp had come up to the house, to this door, and gone through into the kitchen, the camera would have caught them and his men would already have been in touch about it.
But if their scent stopped here… did that indicate that whoever it was had business at the house?
“Who uses this door Ruth?”
She stopped stroking Bud, considering his question. “Some of the household staff use it instead of the staff entrance.”
“Why’s that?”
“If they come through here, I’m usually around. I tend to offer food and drink, which people like. Speaking of which, can I feed him something?” She offered, gesturing at Bud, having no idea of the turmoil in his mind. “I’ve got some roast chicken in the fridge?”
“He’s on a raw diet, I’m afraid.”
“I’ve got just the thing.” She took out a tub of beef bones that she presented to Bud. “I keep this for making bone broth. Mrs. Gray, she swears it’s what keeps her young.” Bud whined, his body quivering at the unexpected delight.
At the hopeful expression on his face, Kane felt any objection fade. “Go on then.”
His thoughts went back to the door. “Other than the staff, would anyone else use it?”
She nodded, wiping her hands on her apron. “Yes. All of our deliveries go through there.”
Her eyes went wide suddenly. With the questions and his early appearance, things were falling into place. “Why? Has something happened?”
“I’ll let you know if it’s of any concern.” His cryptic answer wasn’t lost on her. It wasn’t her place to know of these things, and she must have realized that. Her face turned pink. She reached for a mug.
“Can I get you something? I’ve got coffee on the brew, though it’ll take a few more minutes. I wasn’t expecting company.”
