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ALEX TRIED TO MAKE me feel better as we walked out of the Sheriff’s Office. “There’s no evidence something happened to Nate. For all we know, he could be hiding.”
I gave her a look as we stepped up into her Jeep. “I just wish I’d gone inside that store to see why he hadn’t come out. I’m sure if I had, I could’ve stopped whatever happened. Or at least help his friend...”
“You did help him. The doctor said he’s going to be okay.”
Alex took the keys from my hand and got behind the wheel for the first time since she’d gotten her head cracked open. “If you don’t mind...I think it’s okay for me to drive my own car.”
I nodded. “If we still have time, can you drop me off at Billy’s house to pick up that car he’s got for me?”
She looked at the clock on the dashboard. “I’m supposed to meet Chris at seven-thirty. And you’re going to Kayla’s apartment, so...”
“I need a car,” I said.
“You can take the Jeep then, just drop me off on your way out to Kayla’s.”
“Where are you meeting Chris?”
Alex turned onto North Liberty, her hair flowing in the air blowing inside the Jeep. “I have to call Chris to confirm, but it might make sense to meet him at Billy’s Place.”
I nodded. “That works. I can drop you off, come back to get you unless...” I turned to Alex. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt your date.”
Alex gave me a quick look then had her eyes back on the road as she turned onto 115. “Will you knock it off? I told you, it’s not a date.”
I looked ahead toward the Mathews Bridge, off in the distance. “Why are you going this way?”
“I need to go home and change.”
“Oh. But I thought it wasn’t a date?”
She looked down at herself. “Am I supposed to go out dressed like this, because it’s not a date?” She gave me another one of her looks. “Why are you acting so weird?”
I looked out at the St. Johns as we started over the Mathews Bridge. “I don’t know. It’s just...I’ve never even heard you mention Chris’s name before this week.”
“That’s because I didn’t know he was with the JSO. I told you, we were in the academy together.”
“I don’t remember you telling me that.”
“We always got along well. In fact, he got in a little trouble and I helped him out. We became friends after that. But we lost touch after a few years...as most people do.”
I grabbed the roll bar and held on as Alex drove onto the bridge. “So he’s a good guy?”
Alex nodded. “He helped us out, didn’t he?”
“Does he get along with Mike?”
“Stone?” She shrugged. “I think they’ve banged heads a couple of times.”
“Oh, okay. Then maybe Chris is all right.”
She looked in the rearview mirror as she shifted lanes. “But don’t be so hard on Mike. He rubs a lot of people the wrong way. But once you get to know him...”
“I’ve gotten to know him. And he still rubs me the wrong way.”
I opened the glove box and pulled out Alex’s Glock as she pulled into her driveway.
She looked down at the gun. “Maybe you should hold onto that. I have another one just like it.” She stepped out and walked up the steps to the porch. She slid her key in the door and glanced back at me as she pushed it open.
I slid my way past her, since I was the one holding the gun. But she reached out for my arm. “It’s fine. Nothing to worry about.” She looked around. “It’s weird coming in here without Raz waiting.”
“He likes it at Billy’s.”
She nodded. “He likes the food.” She flicked on the light in the hall. “But I feel better that he’s not here, alone. Not right now.” She walked in the room off to the right and unlocked the closet, stepped in and came out with another Glock in her hand. She started up the stairs and said, “Help yourself to a beer. Or there’s a bottle of Jack with your name on it in the cabinet.”
I went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. I pulled out a beer, cracked the top, and took a sip as I looked at my phone. I’d already tried calling Nate several times, but I got the same random message without voicemail.
I went outside on the porch and called Billy, told him what’d happened to Nate and the kid who was shot.
He said, “And the Sheriff’s Office still won’t believe any of this has something to do with John Thompson?”
“They’re trying to say it was a random attack. One of the officers on the scene said the area has a lot of crime, and it’s not out of the ordinary for retailers to be robbed.”
“Did they take anything?” Billy said.
“No, but the officer said Alex and I could have scared him off when we pulled in the parking lot. Or maybe Nate did.”
“So they have no idea where he is? Do you know where he lives?”
“According to the kid who was shot, Nate was sleeping on his couch.”
“What about family? Does he have anyone left around here?”
I sipped from the bottle and extended my feet out in front of me, one foot crossed over the other. “Only relative I’m aware of is the aunt he used to live with. But she’s down in Gainesville, although I’m going to call her myself.”
Billy was quiet for a moment. “Shit, sorry Henry. I’d love to talk, but I gotta run.”
I was about to hang up and he said, “Did you go by my house yet? Pick up the car?”
“No, we were planning on it until all this happened. Alex said she’ll drive me over in the morning.”
“It’s not a bad car, you know. Needs some work, but it runs. You’ll like it. Oh, and tell Alex Raz is doing well but...he’s been acting a little weird the last few hours. Pacing a lot upstairs, jumping up on the window looking out. I think he’s wondering where Alex is. Chloe took him for a walk, but she said the same thing. It’s like something’s bothering him.”
“Oh, shit. Okay, I’ll let Alex know.”
I hung up the phone and sat quiet as I gazed across the yard. But something behind the shrubs caught my eye. The sun was on its way down, but it was still light out. It wasn’t easy to see as I stood from the chair near the top step. I sipped my beer, kept my eyes across the yard.
Something was there. But I had no idea what it was.
I put my bottle on the top of the railing, walked down the stairs and across the lawn. I felt for the Glock tucked in my pants as I got closer. A few more steps and I knew it was the leg of an animal. And I had a sinking feeling in my gut, then tossed a stick into the shrub, hoping to see it move. “Hey!” I yelled.
It didn’t move.
I kept my hand on the Glock. But I was close enough to lean over the shrubs. I looked down toward the ground. “Oh no...”
It was a dog. A dead dog. It appeared to have a wound in its chest, the fur soaked with blood. Its eyes were still open, the poor dog’s lip snarled up over its teeth.
I turned toward the house and looked up at Alex’s bedroom window. I yelled, “Alex! Alex! Get out here!”
I looked up as Alex opened her window on the second floor and stuck her head outside. “Is that you yelling?” she said.
I turned away from her and looked down at the poor dog. “You have to get down here.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Alex, just get down here.”
“Okay, give me a minute. Is everything okay?”
I turned to her. “No, not at all.”
She closed the window and a moment later walked out the front door in flip flops and shorts.
I watched her as she walked across the lawn toward me.
“Will you tell me what you’re doing?” She looked at me, then shifted her eyes down toward the ground. She took another step closer and gasped as she covered her mouth with both hands. “Henry!” She looked at me, her eyes wide open, and grabbed me by the arm. She squeezed so hard it hurt. “That’s Kaiyuh. Mr. Greason’s dog. She plays with Raz.”
I swallowed hard. “She’s been shot.”
“Oh, Henry.” She stared down at the lifeless animal and started to cry, something I rarely saw Alex do. She was tough...until it came to animals. She’d never admit it, but I was sure she loved them more than people. Which I guess made some sense.
I turned and looked around the lawn and pointed to what looked like blood in the grass I hadn’t noticed. “Someone shot her right there.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Henry...” She stopped, looked back toward her house. “Where’s Raz?”
“He’s at Billy’s. You know that.”
“But have you talked to him?”
“To Billy?” I nodded. “Just got off the phone with him. And what’s funny is he said Raz had been acting a little weird...anxious, looking out the window.” I stopped and wondered if whoever shot this dog thought they had killed Raz.