Nine: On the way to Wickwire. I got a dog!

 

From a wheelchair Methodist Hospital prescribed for her to get around, Deputy Commissioner Dodge eyed her daughter Tanya, then studied her daughter’s trainer, Detective Mary Bethune Collins. “Daughter, I believe the night you fainted in the ICU after seeing my injuries.” She rubbed her temples then closed her eyes, remembering that night. “Detective Collins was there too. I heard crazy things that night. I’m not sure they were real. I was pretty drugged up. I remember Vita Kane gave me ice chips to suck.” She smiled. “She said, and I quote, ‘Now, I know what you’d look like in twenty or thirty years.’ She meant you would look like me, now.”

MB worried either woman might question her more intently about Vita. They might ask where Vita went and why.

“Detective Collins, you seem nervous about something.”

MB rubbed her belly. “I’m just hungry, Deputy Commissioner Dodge. I’m supposed to bring home dinner tonight. My girlfriend didn’t say what she wanted for dinner.”

“My spies tell me you spend more time at her tailor shop than your own place. I sincerely doubt if you’re worried about bringing the wrong dinner meal home, Detective Collins. It’s something else.” DC Dodge paused to study the detective again. “I’m wondering what else you might have discussed with Vita when you two thought I was asleep.”

“And I’m wondering if she told you where she went, Ma’am,” Tanya remarked in a hopeful voice as she studied MB too.

“Why in god’s name would she do that?”

“She’d want somebody to know where she went. Maybe even check on her to make sure she arrived there in one piece,” DC Dodge remarked. “I think that somebody is you, Detective Collins. You are the perfect candidate. You get to keep an eye on my daughter and keep her safe. And you’re touch in with the woman who’d want to know that.”

“Where is she, Ma’am? I need to know,” Tanya practically begged. She had to know where Vita Kane disappeared to.

MB groaned loudly. Here it comes. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell you. She made me promise. She doesn’t want to be found for a while.”

“Why?”

MB shrugged then turned to look at her subordinate. “You scare her, Rookie. She was going to use you to get ahead in the department. Then she met you. She liked you.” She exhaled. “I think she’s worried you might be the one ... that special woman. She doesn’t think it’ll work between you two. She thinks she’s too old and you’re too young.”

“So, she ran away?” Tanya whined plaintively.

“That’s what you do when you’re scared of something or someone, Rookie. Most of us aren’t like you, running into danger instead of away from it.”

“Fuck that hero shit, Collins! Just tell me where she went,” Tanya demanded, confronting her trainer while standing inches away from her with a raised fist.

“You stop that this instant, Tanya Colby Dodge!” Deputy Commissioner Dodge wheeled quickly over to the two women who were squaring off to fist fight. When they continued to ignore her presence, she deliberately ran over toes of each woman, making them jump away from each other in pain. “Do I have your attention now, ladies!” the commissioner growled, shooting daggers at each woman.

MB rubbed her big toe while watching the rookie do the same. “Yes, Ma’am, you got mine.”

“Tanya?”

Tanya scowled at her mother, who gave her a withering glance in return.

“Better answer her, Rookie. We only have good nine toes left. She could hurt them all with that thing she’s sitting in.”

“Shut up, Collins! And quit calling me Rookie. I got a name, same as you.”

MB grinned broadly. “Finally, she speaks sense. The detective finally says something I’ve been waiting to hear.”

“Tell me, Collins,” Tanya demanded again.

“I can’t. Ask your mother. She doesn’t know what she knows.”

“I don’t know what I know?” Deputy Commissioner Dodge frowned as she repeated Detective Collins’ words. “This name I keep hearing in my head. Wickwire or Wirewick; what is that?”

Tanya pulled out her cellphone and Googled. “It’s Wickwire, New York, Mom. A small farming town in upstate New York. She went there, didn’t she, Collins?”

“And I stuck to my word. I didn’t tell you anything.”

“I’m going there to find her. Don’t either of you try to stop me,” Tanya warned.

“I think you ought to wait until she returns to the city, Detective Dodge. Help me and my partner finish the Moby Dick case.”

“Ha! That case is a real loser! You yourself said how it’s been an ongoing problem in the department for years. Plenty of witnesses, but none of them wants to testify in court. I’m requesting a leave of absence, then I’m going upstate to find her.”

Deputy Commissioner Dodge studied Detective MB Collins’ face. Unless she was reading the detective wrong, she agreed with her daughter’s foolishness. “You don’t give up a valuable, stable career to go searching for a woman who might not love you, Tiny Tee. Go home and think about it. Or stay here with me. We can have dinner and talk.”

MB limped to the door. “I’ll leave you two to decide what you want to do. Rookie, I mean, Tanya, if you decide to find her, put in your request for tomorrow. Don’t just leave and not show for work tomorrow. I’m sure your mother can tell you about burning down bridges you might need later. Ask your mother, and for Pete’s sake, listen when she tells you, huh?” She cleared her throat. “Deputy Commissioner Dodge, I’d like to hear from you on other matters. If you catch my drift.”

Deputy Commissioner Dodge nodded. “I understand perfectly, Detective Collins.” She watched the tall, pregnant policewoman leave as quietly as she arrived.

 

 

That conversation was back then. It took place months ago. Tanya finished several cases with her trainers Detective MB Collins and Detective Ross Hayes. She was gathering the courage to go find Vita Kane. That was what took months to do it. She kept worrying what would happen when she found Vita. She did some personnel snooping and discovered Vita had several years of vacation time coming. Vita could stay out for eighteen months easily and even longer, up to three years plus. Suppose Vita wouldn’t come back to the city right away? Suppose she’d been upstate so long that she was beginning to enjoy the quiet and the farmyard animals too? Her Google search mentioned farmlands and farm animals like chickens, pigs, cows, goats, sheep and the horses. Did Vita like that kind of thing?

Detective Collins hadn’t heard from Vita except to say she arrived safely. And that was months ago … six of them, in fact. Tanya sighed as she looked down at the puppy with oversized paws, snoring away in the passenger side of her rental truck. She’d gone to the bathroom at a rest stop along the way. She’d stopped by the vending machines and emptied her loose change into the machines. She bought two peanut butter sandwiches, M&Ms, Fritos, chips, chocolate milk and bottle water.

She noticed a big-eared, fuzzy, brown and white puppy sitting on the lawn near the entrance to the dark brown fake wood façade of the rest stop, wagging his tail at anybody that passed. For some reason, he sniffed the air and then scooted over to her. He followed her to her SUV as if she owned him.

“If that’s your dog, better put a leash on him or catch a fine, Miss.” One of the State Park’s crew pointed to the white sign with the red letters. “Dogs must be on leash or pay a $200 to $400 fine. It’s the law.”

“He’s not my dog,” Tanya remarked as the big-eared puppy with the too big feet followed her. He barked and loped ahead, waiting at her rental truck. Soon as she opened the door, he jumped into the SUV then scooted to the passenger seat and hopped onto the floor. He got comfortable on the floor rug.

“Hey, Doggie? Get out of my vehicle!” Tanya shouted as she walked around and opened the passenger door. “Come, get out!” she yelled again.

A passerby stopped to give her some advice. “You shouldn’t yell at your dog like that. Talk to him nice, calm and low. He’s just a puppy. He might not understand what you want. Tone is very important when speaking to a dog or a puppy. Calm, firm and to the point.”

Tanya nodded. “Thanks.” She waited until he was out of hearing. “Yeah, Dude, thanks for nothing.” She looked down at the dog in her car. “You are a big guy. But you look like a puppy.” He licked her hand. “Who do you belong to, huh? I bet nobody. They just dumped you, huh? Probably not here. Maybe down the road somewhere and you wandered in here.” She sighed as she closed the passenger door. “Let’s find you food and water and a leash too.” She slid into the driver’s seat. “Maybe I’ll buy a bed and a couple of bowls for you too.” She watched him get comfortable on the floor.

She sat in the SUV, using her cellphone to find the nearest pet store. “Well, Puppy, it looks like we’re about twenty minutes away from help. I’ll get you a bed, food, water and find out what kind of dog you are. Okay?” The puppy dog closed his eyes and went to sleep. She started the car and drove to the shopping mall looking for the Chew Bits Pet Store.

 

 

At the pet store, Tanya grabbed a shopping cart then struggled to lift the roly-poly puppy dog into it.

“Whew! You are heavy. You need to lose some weight.”

“Aw, don’t say that. He just a big guy,” one of the store clerks who was bringing carts into the store for customers remarked. She walked over to pet his fluffy fur.

Tanya noticed the bright orange badge, pinned on the breast of her long-sleeved navy shirt. She wore a white thermal shirt underneath it. “You work here, right?” She watched her shake her head. “Could you answer a question for me.”

“Sure, if I can.” The salesclerk kept petting and stroking the puppy dog’s fluffy hair. “He’s a cutie.” She looked up at the puppy dog’s owner, for the first time realizing she was a cutie like the puppy she owned.

“I found this big ole monster puppy earlier today. He just hopped inside my truck and wouldn’t leave. I think somebody left him on the side of the road. He wandered into the rest stop then into my car.” Tanya sighed. “I live in the city. I’ve never had a dog before. What kind of dog is he? What’s he eat? What stuff should I buy? What hotels or motels accept dogs around here?”

The salesclerk raised her hands in defense and then giggled. “Whoa! Slow down. I can show you everything you need to know. He’s probably a Saint Bernard. They can get huge, around a hundred-plus pounds when full-grown. Did you look for a chip or collar? If he has a chip, it means he’s registered.”

She examined his neck, ears and chest, feeling for something under his skin. “Nope, I’m not feeling anything. I’ll run a scanner over him when we get inside. Then we’ll look at beds, food, and feeding bowls. Oh yeah, he’ll need a leash, maybe two, and collars too. Shampoos, and conditioners, vitamins. He’ll need shots too and an exam. Our vet is still here. Let’s do that first.”

“That all sounds expensive.”

“We have pet insurance plans that can link up with your health insurance or your home insurance. In fact, you could call your own insurance agent. See how much it would cost to add a pet plan.” The clerk stopped playing with the puppy dog to study Tanya. “There aren’t many motels or hotels around here I can think of that accept dogs. I’m Penelope Rains. Everybody calls me Penny.” She offered a hand to shake. Then she smiled when Tanya took it. “You certainly have big, strong hands. You’ll need them to handle this big guy.” She winked at Tanya. “For other things too, I’d imagine.” She studied the flush creeping up Tanya’s cheeks. “Ah, she blushes too. Will she tell me her name?”

Tanya suddenly felt shy and a little confused. “Sure, it’s Tanya. My name is Tanya.” She fluffed the puppy’s fur. He whimpered and wiggled with excitement. “This guy doesn’t have a name unless it’s on that chip you mentioned.”

“Your new puppy certainly likes your hands on him,” Penny remarked, trying to imagine what the tall, sturdy woman’s hands might feel like caressing her body. “Follow me inside and we’ll get started.” She led the way into the store. She hoped Tanya was watching her ass as she wiggle-walked inside.

Tanya was watching. She speeded up the cart to walk alongside Penny. She cleared her throat. “Do you live around here?”

“Yes, maybe five miles away. I usually take the mall’s employee bus to get to and from work.”

Tanya nodded. “I see. I see.” She wanted to say more but couldn’t think of anything.

“Should I take the bus tonight or will you take me to dinner and then home?”

Tanya flushed again then studied Penny. “Was I that obvious?”

“Actually, you weren’t.” Penny chuckled. “You just need a little shove in the right direction.” She studied large, pretty eyes in an attractive face. “You are so sweet and a little shy too.” She smiled when the flush deepened. She cocked a finger at Tanya, who bent down. “I bet you blush for other reasons too, huh?”

Tanya grinned at Penny. “That remains to be seen. Have dinner with me. You pick the place since I’m new to these parts.”

“And after dinner then what?”

“What would you like to do?”

“I want to do you, of course,” Penny remarked in a low, husky voice as she looked up at her newest customer.

Penny’s words sent Tanya into a tailspin. She hadn’t had sex since Vita left. She hadn’t wanted it. She didn’t miss it until today just now with Penny whose last name she couldn’t remember. She felt the need to adjust her suddenly too snug jeans and tried to do it surreptitiously. When she looked up again, Penny licked her lips in response, which made her flush darken.

“I definitely want to do you later tonight,” Penny whispered. “For now, let’s get started on William’s needs.” She grabbed his big friendly face to look into his eyes. “You look like a William to me. We can call you Billy.” She giggled when he licked her face in response.

Tanya leaned down to whisper, “I think he likes you as much as I do. Let’s do this shopping stuff quick. How about dinner in bed?”

Penny chuckled. “Ah, I like your mind.”

Two hours later, Tanya loaded all the supplies in the backseat and trunk. She fed William, watching him wolf down his food like an eating machine with an empty pit for a belly. She sighed. “Billy, you are a little piggy. Aren’t you? Well, we’re walking this off today.”

She and William went for a walk in the nearby woods while they waited for Penny to end her workday. When they returned from their walk, Penny was waiting for them in front of the pet store. Penny changed from her work clothes to a casual burgundy turtleneck dress, brown and burgundy heels and a below-the-knee brown tweed woolen coat. She’d taken her bun down and allowed her shoulder-length black hair to flow freely.

Tanya knelt to whisper to William as they crossed the parking lot. “She’s very beautiful, isn’t she, Billy boy?” She wondered if Penny was Native American or Spanish with the shiny, thick, black hair. She could be either one.

Penny smiled at the tall Black woman and her cute large puppy. They made a striking couple as they walked across the parking lot and over to her as she stood in front of the pet store. She noticed that Tanya wore a formal dress coat over her navy down vest and blue jeans. She noted the pale lavender button-down shirt and the thermal shirt peeking through the navy topcoat with the subtle plaid design.

“Hello again,” Penny remarked then kissed Tanya’s cheek.

“Hello yourself. You look great.” Tanya grinned then leaned down a little to kiss Penny’s lips.

“You taste delicious,” Penny murmured and returned her kiss ... longer and deeper this time.

“G’night, Penny and friend.”

“Yes, Penny, have fun.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Better get going before the boss sees you kissing the hunk and gets jealous again,” Penny’s coworkers remarked.

Tanya chuckled as she watched Penny’s female coworkers walking past or staying to stare at them. “You have a jealous boss, huh?”

Penny shrugged as she fiddled with the buttons on the bosom of Tanya’s topcoat. “She can be a bit of a bitch sometimes. Other times, she’s sweet as a slice of my homemade pumpkin pie. Her problem is we have an open relationship. It was her suggestion not mine. I agreed because she was already dating somebody. I didn’t want to lose her.” She sighed. “She’s a different kind of woman than I’ve ever dated. She’s older and sexy as I don’t know what.” She studied Tanya’s face. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Tanya nodded. “I agree. Where are we going to eat?” She noticed somebody giving her the side-eye when she was at the cash register. The woman was as tall as she was but thicker and more muscular. She wore an orange blazer with the store’s logo over a black button-down shirt tucked into formal black khakis and black boots. A black, navy and orange striped tie hung around her corded neck. She wore her wavy dark hair slicked back in a braided ponytail. Her eyes were an amazing shade of blue against a burnt toast complexion. She ignored the woman giving her a dirty look at the register, paid her bill, and carted her dog and dog stuff out the door, then packed it in her SUV.