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The nut job was getting cuffed beside him, and Nutsbe didn’t want to give his name. “My company called this in. They can provide you with my information. Anything you need beyond that can be addressed with my lawyer.”
“Lawyer, huh?” The police officer laughed. “The guy is lawyering up before he’s even in cuffs. Whelp,” he said, “put your left hand behind your back. Leave your right hand in place.”
“My name is Mickey Pauley,” The attacker said. “This is my house. He has my dog in his yard, and he won’t give her back to me.”
Sure enough, Henrietta was on the other side of the fence, barking her head off.
“Is that right?” the police officer asked Nutsbe as he clapped a cuff around his wrist, none too gently.
“Lawyer,” Nutsbe said on an exhale. Mickey Pauley was either lying his head off, or he was probably the soon-to-be ex-husband and didn’t belong anywhere near here. “Operations,” Nutsbe said, “Check with Bob, Cerberus Team Alpha, for the lawyer's name and phone number we were assisting earlier this evening.” Nutsbe didn’t want to use Olivia’s name lest this guy was lying, and he could use the information to squirm out of charges. “Please apprise her of the situation. Over.”
“Hey,” the Pauley guy yelled. “Who are you talking to? What’s going on here? Officer, look at how he’s hurt me. Look at my face. I need an ambulance.”
Nutsbe shook his head as the officer patted him down, got below the knee, and startled. He pulled Nutsbe’s pant leg past his sock and took in the prosthetic leg. He scratched his nose and stood.
Today was one for the books.
“I’m checking your pockets for weapons.” The officer who had cuffed Mickey Pauley started going through the guy’s pockets, pulling out his phone, his wallet, and a pouch of tobacco.
“Officer, are you listening to me? Look here.” Pauley raised his shoulder and leaned to the side, lifting his jacket high enough to expose the police badge clipped to his belt. “I want to press charges against that man. Every charge available to me.”
Nutsbe wondered why the guy had kept his badge secret until that moment. All he could think of was that he didn’t want his commander to know this went down.
Pauley turned his head and spat at Nutsbe’s feet. “I want him to go down hard.”
Yeah, buddy? You’re just another name on the list.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia
It was remarkable to Olivia that the night sky was just now getting dark. Today felt like it had gone on for an eternity.
She went from court to Candace’s, home, and then on to work. Walking down the hallway to Steph’s office, Olivia hoped their witness had been located. If they had not, a Plan B needed to be laid out.
Candace’s house was the surprising chocolate spread that made today’s shit sandwich palatable. Mmm, no, those aren’t words that should go together in a sentence. But the sentiment there was correct. Bob, Beowolf, and Nutsbe each had a steady wholesomeness.
Olivia had done meet and greets with other dogs and other witnesses, but never with a horse like Beowolf.
It seemed to Olivia that Beowolf was the perfect dog for Candace. And that was important.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
She’d specifically told Judge Madison that Beowolf was a bullmastiff, and he seemed a-okay with all of it. She wasn’t sure that the judge had a clear picture. Time would tell, Olivia thought as she knocked on her boss’s door.
“Good you’re here,” Steph looked up from the pile of papers on her desk. “Let’s get right to it.” She pointed her pen toward the armchair.
When Olivia sat, she immediately slid her heels out of her shoes. There was too much walking today, and she would have blisters. Tomorrow, she’d like to wear pants and flats, but this particular judge was very old school and had his own view of how people should dress for court. Granted, he was eighty. Olivia went along to get along. She saved her brownie points and points of contention for when they served her best. And that was never over the dress code.
“It looks like Congress might be trying to get involved in our foreign extremist’s case.”
“How do you see that playing out?” Olivia asked.
“I have a meeting set up on Tuesday next week to talk to them about it. What have you got on your calendar?”
“Divorce,” Olivia said. “That day, I’ll be in court for me. I’ve penciled that in for the whole day. You just never know what can happen.”
“I forgot that was coming up.” Steph laced her hands and rested them on her stomach as she leaned back in her chair with a grin. “Big congratulations.”
