AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I think so.” He turned away from the cage.
“It’s a female. Her name is Charlie. She’s nine months old but still needs to be spayed.”
“Okay. What does that mean?”
“The Nelson Animal Hospital does our spaying for us. We would drop her off there, and once the surgery is done and she’s had time to recover, you could pick her up.”
“The Nelson Animal Hospital?”
“It’s run by a nice guy and his new associate, Dr. Carson, who’s a real charmer.”
“Okay. You said something about paperwork?”
“Right out front.”
He glanced back at Charlie. She stared at him with those guarded brown eyes, and he found himself growing leery of the animal. She wasn’t dumb. She didn’t rush up to anyone. She was selective. He knelt down and extended his fingers through the cage. Slowly, she approached and licked his fingers.
He smiled. “I think she likes me. Can I hold her?”
“Sure.”
Betty unlatched the cage and allowed the dog out. She moved toward Brian and allowed him to pet her. She ducked her head and wagged her tail before slowly moving closer.
“She trusts me.”
“She’s a slow one to warm up. I suspect she’ll be a one-owner dog. Very loyal.”
He scratched the mutt between the ears. “I like that.”
Out front, the bells on the door rang, signaling that someone else had entered the shelter. Betty frowned. “I need to check on that.”
“Go ahead. Charlie and I are just spending a little quality time together.”
“I can’t leave you alone with the dogs.”
Voices out front grew louder. “Sounds like you might have trouble.”
Betty glanced between the front door and him, as if making a decision. He grinned. She smiled back. “I’ll be right back.”
“We’ll be waiting.” He rubbed Charlie between the ears. “We’ll be waiting, won’t we, girl?”
Betty hurried up front, and as she vanished around the corner his gaze faded. “Charlie, I don’t know about you, but I want out of this place.” Ears back, she licked his face.
He glanced to the back of the hallway and the emergency exit. “What say we get the hell out of here?”
He could hear Betty’s voice rising, as did the other two voices. “Don’t worry about that. I paid those guys making the noise to make a fuss. We don’t need anyone telling us when you can leave with me.”
He picked up the dog, which tucked nicely under his arm, and strode toward the back door. No alarm sounded as he opened the door and moved at a steady, even pace, all the while scratching Charlie’s head. She was wagging her tail by the time they got to his truck. He settled her on blankets he’d arranged on the front passenger seat and quickly started the car. He drove off, glancing in his rearview mirror and catching the reflection of Betty standing at the emergency door, searching for them.
He started to whistle. “I can’t wait for you to meet Leah. She’s gonna love you.”
Charlie looked up at him and wagged her tail. Her pure love and devotion bolstered him like a tonic. “You’re a good girl. And I like you.”
She wagged her tail.
“But you’ve got a job to do, little lady. You’ve got to make Leah fall in love with you.”
She barked, with excitement.
“She’s gotta fall for you, hook, line, and sinker and when she does, then I’m gonna test that love, use that love.” Gently, he rubbed her between the ears, and when he spoke, his tone was gentle. “I’m counting on the fact that she’ll crumble when she sees me holding a knife to your throat.”
The dog edged closer to him, and he allowed her to sit beside him. “Yes, ma’am, you’re gonna work out just fine.”
It took a few phone calls to track down the man who’d last worked with Latimer as a partner. Gary Gilbert was a uniformed officer who, today, had been assigned the East Nashville beat. Alex called his sergeant and arranged to meet the officer in a coffee shop.
When Alex arrived, the officer was sitting in his car outside the shop, the motor running. When he saw Alex he frowned, shut off the engine, and got out.
Alex extended his hand to the man, who reluctantly took it. “Officer Gilbert.”
“Agent Morgan.” Gilbert appeared to be in his late twenties. His build was slim and his hair dark, but his eyes held the wariness of a man who’d seen more than most. “I understand you have questions about Philip Latimer.”
“That’s correct. I was told you were his last partner before he tried to kill his wife.”
Gilbert rested his hands on his hips. “That’s right.”
“What can you tell me about the man?”
“I was a rookie when I was partnered with him. He was good to me.”
“I’m more concerned with how he treated his wife.” Experience kept his tone neutral.
As Gilbert shifted, the leather of his gun belt creaked. “He loved her.”
Alex dropped his voice a notch as he clung to the reins of his anger. “He stabbed her twenty-three times. If you’ve never seen the crime scene photos, I’d be glad to share.”
Gilbert paled. “That’s not necessary.”
“Tell me about Latimer.”
The officer glanced from side to side, clearly wrestling with loyalty to a fellow officer and what needed to be said. “After she left him, he couldn’t stop talking about her. He became obsessed.”
“He stalked her.”
“He never talked about that stuff in front of me, but there were plenty of times he’d call her while we were on a lunch or dinner break. His messages never sounded threatening.”
“What would he say to her?”
“That he was thinking about her. That he loved her.”
“Did you know what he was planning?”
“Shit no.” The words blasted out, as if fired from a gun.
“He gave me the impression they were gonna renew their vows on their anniversary.” He shook his head. “He told me they had a special date planned. He took the night off. Was excited.” The officer met Alex’s gaze, all traces of annoyance gone. “If I’d have known what he was planning, I would have reported him. I met his wife a couple of times, and I liked her. She was nice. How’s she doing?”
“Remarkably well. She’s a vet now.”
That prompted a smile. “She was planning to go to school before he attacked her. I never h
eard. Glad to know she’s doing well.” He tapped an index finger on his belt. “Why all these questions after all this time? Latimer died in a car accident.”
“That’s what the reports say.”
“What’s that mean?”
“He was a smart guy, from what I’ve gathered.”
“Yeah, real smart.”
“Could he have faked his death?”
Nervous laughter burst from Gilbert. “Yeah, I suppose. Do you think he’s still alive?”
“I have no idea.” He relaxed his stance, shrugging as if he’d tossed a Hail Mary pass. “Just following up on a longshot, crazy idea. I follow all the leads, even the odd ones.”
Gilbert adjusted his hat. “I attended his funeral. A lot of cops did. We all agreed he’d lost his shit that night when he went after his wife, but he’d been a good cop. He’d saved a couple of guys, made clean busts, was well respected on the streets.”
“I never questioned his work as a cop. It was exemplary until his commander threatened him with suspension after Leah Carson filed the restraining order. I’m here about the man, the husband.”
A cold wind blew, making the officer turn away from the chill. “He didn’t have much family. A grandmother and a cousin, and there was Leah and the force. Losing either Leah or both would have been a hell of a blow.”
“And he’d have done anything to keep both.”
After a wary hesitation, he nodded. “Yeah.”
When Leah got out of surgery it was late in the day, and her back ached. It had been a tough surgery she’d assisted with Dr. Nelson. She checked her phone and noted a missed call and voice mail from Alex. She hit Play as she stretched backward and forward. “Leah, I want to talk to you about the case. I have more questions.”
She lowered the phone from her ear and hit Redial, quickly finding herself in his voice mail. “Alex, returning your call. Leah.”
“So, what’re your plans for tonight?” Gail asked.
“After we close up here, I’m headed home. Hot bath.”
“Ordering in?”
