“He was bitten by a dog,” Galloway said.“A dentist could have made sure he lived.So, yes.He will.I’ve debrided, cleaned, and stitched multiple lacerations.He also has a fractured sternum, but since I was able to x-ray him—and I’m not sure I want to consider why this facility had an x-ray machine—I can confirm it seems to be stable.The treatment for that is time.The treatment for his wounds is antibiotics.I’ve left instructions.I also suspect from his general demeanor when I arrived that he’s onmultiplepsychiatric medications.I’ve taken blood samples, but I assume your labs will be able to process them quicker than mine.”
“Appreciated,” Kincaid said.“When can we question him?”
Galloway turned her wrist to look at her watch and then sniffed.“When he wakes up,” she said, then softened the answer reluctantly with, “It won’t be long.A few minutes.Now, if you excuse me, I have dead people waiting for me, and I think I’d enjoy their company more.”
She stepped around Kincaid and stalked toward the door, the soles of her shoes squeaking on the tiles.The heavy clubbed braid of her hair tapped against her shoulders with each step.
As she pulled open the door, she stopped and turned back.This time, she looked at Javi, her gaze steady.
“I can live with this,” she said.“Maybe you can.I’m not sure that Deputy Witte’s moral compass is quite so flexible.So keep your head.”
“I don’t think this is something I’m going to be able to tell him about,” Javi said.“Not even if I wanted to.”
“Look,” Kincaid interjected quietly.“Someone with sense.”
Galloway looked Javi over, head to toe.“Good idea,” she said.“Sounds like a plan.Let me know how it works out.”
She left without giving Javi a chance to say anything.The door slammed behind her.Javi stared at his reflection in the scratch-misted reinforced glass window, dim and distorted.
“What does she know?”Kincaid said.“Secrets and lies are the basis of any relationship.If people knew who we really were, they’d run a mile.I mean, not your boyfriend.He seems like a genuinely good person, but the rest of us have to work with what we’ve got.”
Javi turned away from the door, his reflection sliding out of sight.He gave Kincaid a tight smile and then nodded to the restless, still knocked-out man in the bed.
“His name’s Brian Fowler.”It felt like a betrayal, somehow.Javi tried to ignore that.It wasn’t like Cloister wouldn’t understand if he knew what was going on.“It might be an alias.That doesn’t mean it’s not useful.”
Chapter Seventeen
ThelasttextCloisterhad sent to Javi was still unread.
He stared at it for a second, as if that was all it took to change the status.When nothing happened, he tapped the box and hovered his thumb over the keyboard.He got as far as “hey” before he ran out of ideas and backspaced the letters.
There was nothing new to add.Not yet.
He tucked the phone into his pocket and glanced in the car’s rearview mirror to check that Bourneville didn’t need attention.She was lying on her mat, hips canted to the side and chin on her front paws.As he watched, she rubbed her muzzle against her paws.It was probably just her tongue, but…
“You’re going to the dentist,” Cloister told her.“Better safe than sorry.”
She didn’t look worried.Maybe because she always got treats when she let the vet look at her mouth, maybe because he’d never taught her “dentist” as a command.Either way, she gave a half-yawn and sprawled out on her side.
While she got comfortable, Cloister reached for the radio.He thumbed the button on the headset as he lifted it toward his mouth.
“Hey, Mel,” he said.“Can I get a twenty on Gardner?”
“Witte?”Mel’s voice came over the radio.She sounded exasperated.“Didn’t you get shot?Why are you still out in your car?”
“I got winged,” Cloister said.“I’ve seen turkeys take more buckshot and walk away.”
“Turkeys drown in the rain.”
“That’s an urban legend.”
“You’re an urban legend,” Mel sniffed at him.“Hold on.”
In the back, Bourneville grunted as if she agreed with that.Cloister twisted around to give her a look as he mouthed “traitor” at her.She rolled onto her back to show him her belly.
“OK,” Mel said as she came back on.“Gardner and Boyd are taking a break at Hardwell’s Gas n’ Go on Route 23 Spur.I’ll let them know you’re going to swing by.”
“No need,” Cloister said.“It’s on my way home.If I miss them, I’ll catch Gardner tomorrow.”
