Page 49 of Honor ’N’ Duty

“This is fascinating,” Mrs. Sanderson said. “I’ve never seen a police dog at work.” She uttered a sad laugh. “And I certainly never expected to see one in my own house. He might smell Daisy. We’re still finding her gold hairs tucked away here and there.”

“That’s okay,” Kade answered over his shoulder. “Smoke can work around that.”

He allowed Smoke the full length of his leash and followed his dog into the massive kitchen, with its black granite center island, pricy Thermador appliances, and another crystal chandelier, this one smaller than the VW-size one in the vestibule. Smoke circled the entire room, sniffing, his tail whipping back and forth as he processed scents.

Kade allowed Smoke to set the pace, following him back through the dining room, the vestibule, two smaller rooms, then into a large study with an antique oak desk, dark red leather furniture, and high shelving crammed with books.

A lump formed in the back of his throat. This had been Josh’s office. He could imagine his brother sitting at a similarly impressive desk, working on papers, reviewing bank documents and…

Laundering money for a drug cartel.

Laia’s face was a blank mask, and it was so obviously not normal for her, since he’d figured out that she generally wore her emotions on her sleeve. The only indication she was struggling being back in this house was her tightly clenched hands.

“May we go upstairs?” Kade asked.

“Yes, of course.” Mrs. Sampson led them back into the vestibule, waiting for them to head up the long spiral staircase first.

Smoke’s nails clicked as he went up the stairs, sniffing each one before moving on. At the top of the stairs, he pulled harder and led them into what had to be the master bedroom.

A king-size sleigh bed made of some unidentifiable yet expensive-looking light-colored wood sat against one wall. The beige bedspread and matching rug completed the creamy, soothing ambiance, but all Kade could think about was that this was where Josh and Laia had made love and conceived a beautiful little girl.

Through the bedroom window, the clear aqua water in the swimming pool shimmered in the late morning sun. Beyond that were the Navesink River and the Atlantic Ocean, a view that few could afford.

Smoke’s breathing grew louder. He strained harder at the leash until Kade gave him free rein. Smoke kept his nose to the ground, tracking directly to a brass HVAC vent in a corner of the wood floor.

Smoke sat and looked at Kade. His dog had just hit on something.

Kade knelt in front of the vent, trying unsuccessfully to peer through the slats to see whatever his dog had detected. “May I take this vent cover off?”

Normally, he’d need a search warrant, but since Mrs. Sanderson had agreed to them looking around, he was on solid legal footing. If what he hoped was down there actually was down there, he’d have her sign a consent form.

“I suppose so,” she answered. Not exactly a yes, but definitely not a no. He’d take that. “What kind of police dog did you say Smoke was?”

I didn’t.

Feeling as if they were about to overstay their welcome, Kade quickly slipped a folding knife from the pocket of his shorts and began prying off the cover, doing his best not to scratch the wood floor. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Sanderson.” He winked at the woman, sensing she needed reassurance that he wouldn’t drag her away in cuffs. “It’s probably just something of Daisy’s that fell through the slats.”

Not likely. Smoke loved bones and toys as much as the next dog, but when he was in work mode, he didn’t hit on them, and there was barely enough space between the vent’s slats for a piece of kibble to fall through. He knew his dog’s body language like he knew his own. Whatever was down there fell into one of two categories.

Narcotics or something tainted with narcotics.

He tugged off the brass cover. Two inches down and taped to the side of the vent tubing was a plastic baggie.

Jennifer Sanderson gasped. “Oh my God. What is that?”

Though she’d remained silent, Laia’s lips had compressed into a tight line.

“My guess,” he answered, holding the baggie up to the light. “Cocaine.”

Chapter Fifteen

For the entire drive back to the shack, Laia had stewed over what Smoke had discovered in her former house. In hers and Josh’s former house. By the time they turned onto Jamie’s street, the temperature of her blood had reached the boiling point.

Beneath her crossed arms, her hands were tightly fisted. If her mother hadn’t brought her up with strict rules of decorum, she seriously would have considered punching out the SUV’s window.

“How could he have done that? How could Josh have brought illegal drugs into our home?” Both rhetorical questions, but recklessness was unforgivable. “What if Rosa had found that cocaine? I don’t know who was more horrified when you pulled out that baggie, Jennifer Sanderson or me.”

Kade slowed before turning into the driveway. “I know it’s a shock, but it doesn’t mean he was using in the sense of being an addict, and I don’t think there’s any way Rosa could have pried off that grating. I had to use a knife to do it.”