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Furry Friends Animal Clinic and Shelter was one block off Main Street near the center of town. Inside, it smelled like a mixture of antiseptic and wet dog. The receptionist's desk was empty. Based on the hours posted on the plastic partition, the shelter was due to close in five minutes.
“Hello,” Claire called out, leaning over the counter.
“Give me a second,” a male voice called. “Be right there.”
She turned to Gavin and mouthed Alex.
He nodded. A yipping sound came from an open corral in the corner. Gavin drifted closer. Several puppies played in the open cage, rolling over each other in a tumble of fur and tiny black noses. A sign announced they were available for adoption. They looked like Lab-mixes. A yellow one with a white spot on his head came running to the side, tripping over his own feet.
Gavin smiled at the puppy’s enthusiasm. It was tempting to reach down and pet the little fellow. But it wouldn’t be a good idea. He was here to interview a potential suspect, not adopt a stray dog.
Claire came up next to him. “They’re cute.” A smile played on her face and there was laughter in her voice. “Thinking about taking one, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I was thinking about getting one for Jacob. We had such a great conversation about it the other night.” He winked. “Every boy should have a dog.”
Claire laughed and shook her head. “Don’t you dare. I mean, we will get a dog at some point. I’m just not ready yet.”
She lifted her gaze to Gavin’s, and suddenly, he didn’t think they were talking about a puppy. His heart skipped a beat. Unless he was mistaken, there was a yearning in her eyes. It ignited his own. What was it about this woman that sent his emotions into a tailspin? Why couldn’t he shake these feelings for her? Gavin prided himself on staying in control. Always. With Claire, it was a struggle to keep his thoughts locked on the case.
“Sorry about that.” Alex Sheffield’s voice entered the room seconds before he appeared. Different shades of animal hair clung to his polo shirt, etched with the company logo. Mid-twenties, he had an easy smile that bunched his cheeks. “What can I do for you, Sheriff? I hope you’re here to adopt one of those puppies. They could use a good home like yours.”
“Afraid not, Alex.” She gestured in Gavin’s direction. “This is Texas Ranger Gavin Sterling. Your name came up in the course of an investigation. You’re not in any trouble. We just have some questions.”
He flicked the sign on the door so it read closed. “Ask away. I hope you don’t mind if I keep working while we talk. I have some errands to run after closing up.”
“Not at all.”
“Thanks.” Alex collected a puppy. He offered it to Gavin. “Do you mind? I can only carry two at a time. You’d save me a trip.”
Gavin took the wiggling bundle. It was the yellow fur ball that’d raced across the corral to greet him. The white mark on the pup’s forehead resembled a heart, and when Gavin cradled him against his chest, he licked his hand.
Trouble. That’s what this puppy was.
Gavin cleared his throat. “Have you heard from your ex-girlfriend Stephanie Madden lately?”
Alex looked up from his position, wrangling one of the other puppies. A flash of worry flickered across his expression before his eyebrows drew down in confusion. “I haven’t, but you’re the second person to ask me that recently.”
“Who else asked you?”
“Faye. She came in…I don’t know…like a month ago. I told her I hadn’t heard from Stephanie since she left town. Faye was anxious to speak to her, but I don’t know why.” His complexion paled. Alex’s gaze shot to Claire before landing back on Gavin. “Is that the reason Faye was killed? Because she was looking for Stephanie?”
Gavin adjusted his hold on the puppy in his arms. “We don’t know yet. Did Faye ask you anything else when she came to speak to you?”
“No. Only that she was thinking of hiring a private investigator to search for Stephanie. Faye never believed she left town.” Alex sank into a chair next to the corral. He appeared shell-shocked. “Sheriff King insisted Stephanie had moved to Houston. I mean…that’s what happened, right?”
Gavin ignored his question. “What was your relationship with Stephanie like?”
“Complicated.” Alex ran a hand over his face and then took a deep breath. He rose and gathered the remaining puppies in the corral, holding them like footballs. “We dated throughout most of our senior year but broke up after graduation. Then we spent quite a few years going back and forth. We loved each other, but we were young. I don’t think either of us was ready for a long-term commitment.”
Gavin followed Alex into the rear room. Nothing about the vet tech’s demeanor indicated he was lying or nervous. In fact, he answered their questions straightforwardly. Either he was an excellent actor or he wasn’t involved in the murder of Faye or the attacks against Claire. “So when Stephanie left town, were you surprised?”
“Not really.” Alex shrugged. “She’d talked about starting over somewhere new. There were a lot of people in town that looked down on Stephanie.”
“Why?”
Alex snorted, taking the puppy from Gavin. “Take your pick. Because she was poor. Her stepfather is strange. Her mother was an alcoholic. The sun shines on Tuesday.” He shut the cage and double-checked to make sure it was latched. “This is a small town. People don’t need a reason.”
The puppy came to the door of the cage and gave Gavin a sorrowful look. He averted his gaze from those big brown eyes. He didn’t have room in his life for a dog right now.
