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Screw Montoya.
Proper procedure be damned.
Bentz knew in his gut that his daughter was in a killer’s crosshairs, her life in serious danger.
He’d do anything he could to save her.
And Montoya would do it for his.
So, again, screw Montoya.
CHAPTER 12
Kristi met Dave.
And fell in love.
The big, floppy-eared mutt acted as if he’d been waiting for her all of his short life. Besides running in circles as if he’d lost his mind when she was allowed to see him in the shelter’s exercise area, he leaped up and down on the sparse grass.
“So how is he with cats and kids?” she asked Heather, the handler, as he took another turn around the yard. He was running full speed, kicking up dust with his big paws. All sleek muscle and shiny gold coat, he looped past them, doing five full laps before settling down and sitting, tail sweeping the yard as he gazed up expectantly, practically begging her to scratch him behind those bat-wing ears.
“Oh, I don’t think you have to worry,” Heather said. She was a woman of about sixty. Compact and taut, with tattooed vines of ivy crawling up her sinewy arms and her silvery hair shaved on one side, she beamed at the dog. “He was introduced to Albert, our resident cat, weren’t you, honey.” Patting his thick neck, she added, “Barely noticed that Albert was nearby. And he’s good with kids. A couple came in with a toddler yesterday to meet him, and he was a perfect gentleman, but the two-year-old freaked and they decided on a smaller dog—a beagle, but it wasn’t Dave’s fault. He was gentle as could be.” She gave the dog’s broad head a scratch, then grabbed a leash hanging from a hook on the fence.
“Great.” That was good news. “So not much of a guard dog?”
“Oh, God, no.” Heather laughed, showing off a slight gap in her front teeth. “He’s big, so his size could be intimidating, of course, but just meet this big fella once and you know he’s a sweetheart. He’ll roll on his back and want a belly rub from just about anyone.” Her forehead wrinkled slightly. “Is that a problem?” She was snapping the leash onto his collar.
“No, no, it won’t be,” Kristi said. Better a dog who appeared intimidating rather than one who was actually ferocious. “When can I pick him up?”
“Tomorrow morning? He’s been all cleared by the vet, his shots updated, and since he was already neutered, he’s almost good to go. After we got your application, I did a drive-by of your place and saw that it was fenced, so”—she shrugged—“all that’s left is the paperwork and the adoption fee and he’s yours. We can be ready as early as ten.”
“I’ll be here.”
“Fantastic.” Heather smiled. “He’s a great dog.”
And soon he’ll be mine,Kristi thought, leaving the exercise area and walking through the squat building to the small parking area. Dave might not scare off any intruders, but he would be company and maybe help fill that huge hole in her heart that had been with her for weeks.
She unlocked her Subaru remotely and slid into the warm interior.
The dog wouldn’t replace Jay, she knew that—no pet could, no man could—but maybe Dave would help, at least a little. Retrieving a pair of sunglasses from the console, she said, “So what do you think?” and slid the Ray-Bans onto the bridge of her nose.
For the first time in almost three weeks, Jay didn’t answer.
* * *
“You coming to bed?” Olivia asked from the doorway.
Bentz glanced up from his computer in the den. The room was dark, only the computer’s monitor offering any illumination. Once more he’d been studying pictures of all of the guests at Jay McKnight’s funeral, some new ones taken by a couple of Kristi’s friends, hoping to spot something he’d missed before. Had there been someone he’d missed, someone lingering in the cemetery during the burial ceremony or inside the cathedral before and after the service? He’d wondered if the killer would be so bold as to show up, possibly keeping himself at a distance. Or had he been one of the mourners? Even someone dressed as a member of the press and huddling nearby? The cemetery with its raised tombs and sculptures had made hiding all too easy. Bentz forced a smile at his wife. “I’ll be there in a few.”
She arched a disbelieving eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Seriously.” He nodded and saw her cross her arms under her breasts.
“Why do I have the feeling you’re placating me?” she asked. “I’m smarter than that and I know you, Rick Bentz.”
She wasn’t mad, just mildly irritated, her eyes sparkling despite the forced set of her jaw. They’d put Ginny to bed hours ago, he realized as he glanced at the clock on his computer screen and saw that it was after midnight, nearly twelve thirty. But he’d been compelled to work through a knot in the case, or as Montoya thought, two cases. Try as he might, Bentz couldn’t get it out of his mind that the two were entwined.
“I thought you were going to retire,” she admonished softly.
