The operation at the furniture store had to be postponed until afternoon, since the place was unexpectedly shut Saturday morning. “Closed until three for a family emergency,” the sign taped to the door stated. Zach wondered if the family emergency had something to do with Beck’s crime spree or the drug seizure at Victor’s apartment, but there was no choice but to wait for afternoon to roll around. At least Violet was back, with a plainclothes cop watching her at all times plus a diner full of officers at any given moment. Beck was insane, but Zach did not think he would come after Violet with so much law enforcement around.
Then again, he’d been wrong before about Beck’s boldness.
As the hours ticked away, he drove his family nuts with his incessant motion, shooting hoops, running on the treadmill, shuffling and reshuffling papers, pacing while he checked his cell phone.
Ellie approached him. “Do you want to go outside and play ball, Uncle Zach?”
He sighed. “Your father put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“Yes. He told me you need someone to play with.”
He laughed and tugged her pigtail. “It’s okay, squirt. You don’t have to babysit me.”
“I like to babysit you,” she said. “You’re fun to play with, and you let me have ice cream. You know where Uncle Jordy hides the treats.” She frowned. “I mean, where he hid them.”
She stuck a finger in her mouth. He sank to one knee. “Do you feel sad right now, Ellie?”
She nodded, not looking at him.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay to feel that way.”
She sniffed and looked at him. “Do you feel sad, too? About Uncle Jordy going to Heaven?”
He fought for control. What was the right thing to say to a child when he couldn’t even comfort himself? “I’m glad Uncle Jordy’s in Heaven now, but I sure do feel sad that he can’t be here with us.”
“Do you cry sometimes?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Me, too.” She was thoughtful for a moment. “He was real good at playing ball.”
“Yeah, the best.” He waited for the razor-edged pain in his throat to subside enough for him to talk. “Your idea was super. Let’s go play some catch and find the ice cream. I think there’s still some in the freezer. Your uncle Jordy would want us to have some, wouldn’t he?”
He’d won a smile on that precious face. Thank You, God. Thanking God? Why should he do that? But looking into his niece’s eyes, how could he not? Jordy was gone but there was love here, still here, right before his eyes. How could he feel both love and agony at the same time? Confused, he followed her through the sliding door.
He spent some time playing in the backyard with Ellie and ate frozen ice cream treats with her. He thought Violet might have been proud of him for the way he’d handled things. It surprised him how much he hoped she would be.
Finally, three o’clock rolled around and he clipped on Eddie’s civilian leash and made sure his radio transmitter was functioning. Noah and Carter and two other cops were in position as backup, monitoring from their unmarked vehicles parked in the vicinity of the furniture store.
Zach wore jeans and a baggy sweatshirt to hide the transmitter taped to his side, and his gun. If Beck was inside, he’d be recognized immediately, but so far there had been no sign of the guy. He was pleased to see that Eddie was his usual easygoing self. The dog had been upset at being separated from Zach at the shooting scene and at being brought home by someone other than Zach, and he’d hoped their couch time was enough to ease his mind. Zach could always tell when Eddie was agitated because the dog would chew relentlessly on the door to his kennel. For all his amazing law-enforcement capabilities, Eddie was a sensitive dog who had been treated cruelly in his puppy years.
While they had waited for the hours to slip by, Zach had spent a little extra time playing ball with Eddie and brushing his coat until the dog’s eyes rolled with satisfaction, which restored him to normal. Now he was relaxed and eager to see what the next mission would dole out.
“All right, buddy. Here we go.” Zach walked Eddie down the street and into the furniture store.
“Sir,” a red-shirted man said right away. He was thin, so thin his polo shirt hung loose on his lanky frame. His name tag read Hugo. “I’m sorry, but we don’t allow dogs in here,” Hugo said.
Zach offered a smile. “It will only take a few minutes. Eddie is really well trained.”
The man looked doubtful.
“I mean, I don’t shop anywhere without my dog, and I really need to make a purchase quick.”
“Well…” Hugo said. His eyes rolled in thought as he weighed the cost of breaking the rules against a potential lost commission.
“It’s just that I really need a new sofa because Eddie here likes to chew, and he mangled mine. I don’t have much time to find one. I was really hoping to make a purchase today.”
Zach could see Hugo’s eyes light up at the prospect of a quick sale. Decision made. “I guess it’s all right, as long as he doesn’t chew any of these sofas.”
Zach made small talk, asked some questions and waited for his opportunity. When Hugo went to answer the phone, Zach bent down and patted Eddie. “Find the drugs, boy.”
Then he and Eddie wandered through the displayed furniture groupings. Eddie was uninterested until they made their way closer to the back of the store, crowded with massive wardrobes, towering bookshelves and coffee tables scattered about. Eddie began to tug at the leash. Zach feigned interest in the table with oak leaves carved into the wooden legs on which Eddie was fixated.
The salesman hurried over.
“You know,” Zach said. “This table would look great in my den. How much are you asking for it?”
Hugo fiddled with his pen. “I’m very sorry, sir. That piece has been purchased.”
“I don’t see a sold sign anywhere on it.”
“An oversight on our part. It was sold a few minutes ago.”
Zach noticed a bead of sweat trickle down the man’s temple. “Really? I thought you just opened up shop for the day.”
“Uh, well, perhaps it was yesterday, but it’s sold, for sure.”
Zach frowned. “But I really like this table.” Eddie nosed excitedly at one of the wooden legs. “My dog does, too.”
Hugo’s manner became even sunnier. “We have some similar pieces that I am certain you’ll like. Or I’m happy to show you a catalog. We can even have custom pieces made with enough lead time.”
“Naw, it has to be this table,” Zach pressed. “I’ll offer more than your current buyer.”
Now the man was swallowing hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Another man appeared, black-haired and clean-shaven, wearing a nice suit. He must have been listening to the conversation from the back room. His arms were muscled under the sleeves, neck thick, like he’d seen the inside of a boxing ring a time or two. Zach eased back on his feet just enough, just in case.
“Sir,” the burly guy said. “I’m sorry. It would be unethical for us to resell this table to you when it’s already been spoken for. I’m sure you understand.” His jacket was buttoned and Zach would not have been surprised to know he had a gun hidden underneath. Casually, Zach loosened his hold on the leash, ready in case he needed to draw his own weapon. Adrenaline began to pump through his veins, but he kept his demeanor calm, relaxed. He flashed a smile. “Oh, come on. I know there has to be something you can do. Everyone has a price.” Eddie tried to sniff around the big guy’s legs, to get at the table behind him.
“No,” the jacketed guy said coldly. “But if there’s nothing else you’re interested in, I’ll have to ask you to leave. We don’t allow animals in our store.”
Eddie was oblivious to the conversation. He whined, circled three times and sat, staring at Zach.
I know, buddy. Play it cool.
Zach feigned insult. “Fine. If I can’t have the table, I don’t want a sofa, either. I’ll take my business elsewhere. Plenty of other shops around.”
“Very sorry we couldn’t help you. Have a good day, sir,” the nervous salesperson called as Zach left. The other man did not say a word, but Zach could feel a cold stare boring into his back.
As they headed for the entrance, Eddie whined and tugged at the leash, loath to leave his find. By sheer force of will, Zach got him out of the store and radioed Noah.
“Did you copy that? Eddie alerted.”
“We’re already processing a search warrant. We’ll have it here within the hour,” Noah said.
“Back door?”
“Covered. Carter’s there with Frosty, keeping watch. We’ll eyeball the front. Nothing’s gonna leave that place without us knowing.”
Zach’s nerves were still zinging as he guided Eddie to a quiet spot on the sidewalk and gave him a treat. Eddie accepted his prize, dropping it on the sidewalk to lick it properly before he chewed. “You did a good job, baby. We’ll make the bust. Just gotta wait a while.” He got a tail wag and a yip in reply.
He walked Eddie around the block, where he found Carter and Frosty in Carter’s car. Without asking, he got in the front, Eddie scrambling onto his lap. Frosty barked.
“Deal with it, dog,” Zach said.
Carter grinned. “Still crabby that we cut you out of the action for a while?”
“Crabby doesn’t begin to describe it.”
“Sorry, man.”
“But not too sorry, right?”
“Well, it was fun to mess with you, I’ll admit.”
Carter straightened as a door opened in the back of the furniture store. “Who’s that?”
Exiting the store from the rear was a figure muffled in a coat and knit cap. Zach didn’t have to see the face to know the guy. “It’s Victor Jones, the guy we got on airport security camera. Bill got him through security a couple of days before the thing went down with Beck. He must have been inside the store somewhere. They figured out what was going down and they’re using him to move the drugs before we execute the search warrant.”
Jones looked up, saw Carter and Zach staring at him and took off, sprinting down the alley between the furniture store and the warehouse to the rear. Carter called for backup and turned to Zach. “Frosty can run him down. Cut him off at the end of the alley.” He leaped from the car and took off on foot, Frosty galloping along beside him.
Zach raced around to the driver’s seat, slammed Carter’s vehicle into gear and burned out of the parking place, sirens wailing, until he reached the other end of the alley. Braking hard, he lurched the car to a stop. Leaving Eddie inside, he pulled his weapon and charged into the alley. He surged forward, avoiding the patches slick with oil, his nerves electric with anticipation.
We got him. This time, we really got him.
Moments later he met his brother and Frosty coming from the other direction.
“Where is he?” Zach all but shouted.
Carter was breathing hard. “Dunno. He should have exited this way.”
They about-faced and Frosty nosed a metal door they had not noticed before.
“Some dog,” Zach groaned. “Why didn’t he alert earlier?”
“He’s a transit dog, not a tracking dog,” Carter snapped. They counted to three and burst through the door into an abandoned warehouse, guns drawn. One look at the cavernous empty space filled them in.
Zach slammed a fist against his thigh with frustration. “He got out. Slipped through the front. They’ve rehearsed it before, no doubt.”
“And he took the stash with him, neat as you please.”
Zach could have spit nails, but he radioed in Jones’s last known position, anyway.
“Our search warrant is gonna get us a big fat zero,” Carter said. “Furniture store’s gonna be clean as a whistle.”
Another lead lost. Another chance to save Violet from harm slipped away.
From the police car, Eddie let out a heartrending howl.
He felt like doing the same.
* * *
Violet was relieved when Zach, Carter and Noah made their way into the diner. It was past their usual dinner hour and Violet was growing worried. One glance at their expressions as they led the dogs to the screened patio area told her everything. The furniture store had been a bust. Xavier Beck was more than likely still on the loose, too, judging from their slumped shoulders. She fought back a chill that rippled over her skin.
Feed them. Wordlessly, she poured bowls of clam chowder and carried them to the men. “Hard day? You must be hungry. Chowder’s good.”
Zach looked so downcast, she longed to put her arms around his neck and whisper comfort, but instead, she tried for a bright smile. “Saturday special is coming, fried chicken.”
Zach shook his head. “Jones slipped between our fingers and we got nothing from the furniture store. Whatever they had in there was long gone. No leads on Beck, either. We got zero out of today, absolutely nothing.”
“Not nothing,” Noah said, checking his phone.
“What?” Zach pushed his soup away. “Did we get Beck? Victor Jones? Please tell me some good news.”
“Okay, here it is, but I’m not sure it qualifies as good. I won’t sugarcoat it.” Noah blinked as if fighting for control. “We’ve expected it, so it won’t be a surprise to anyone here.” He cleared his throat. “Final autopsy reports are in. Jordan died of a massive heart attack due to a cocaine overdose. It was administered via an injection into his upper arm. It wasn’t a finesse job, enough to convince the coroner it wasn’t self-inflicted. There was no evidence of old tracks, of course.”
“We’ve been telling them that from the beginning,” Carter said. “No way was Jordy a user.”
Noah raised a palm. “Everyone in the department knew that, but the ME had to rule it out. Her official finding is the death is the result of foul play.”
The room fell into a profound silence so deep that Violet could hear the water dripping in the sink.
“It’s not really news, I guess,” Noah said. “Just confirming what we already believed, that Jordy didn’t kill himself, but now it’s official enough that reporters might stop hounding us about it.”
Zach’s face was stark, pulled taut with extreme emotion. “No, they’ll start hounding us about what we’ve done to catch the killer and we have nothing to say, no progress to report. It’s a sizzling story, isn’t it? Someone went to great lengths to make his death look like suicide and we have absolutely no idea who that someone is.”
Luke Hathaway cleared his throat. “The department is working the case.”
“Not hard enough or fast enough,” Zach snapped.
“They have good cops on it, Zach,” Brianne Hayes said. “They’re doing their best and you know it.”
“We should be the ones working this case, the K-9 unit. The investigators spent too much time looking at Claude Jenks, but we know he didn’t kill Jordy. We’ve suspected that from the beginning since Sophie caught him planting the suicide note.”
“They had to be thorough. It can’t be our investigation. We’re too close to it,” Finn Gallagher said gently. “Protocols are in place for a reason.”
Zach slammed out of his chair. “I don’t care about protocols, Finn. My brother was murdered, leaving a wife and child behind, and I did nothing to prevent it.” His voice shook. “I’m sure as shooting not going to do nothing to solve it.”
“We have to be patient,” Noah said, a warning in his tone.
“No, we don’t,” Zach spat.
The cops looked at each other helplessly as Zach stalked into the screened room and called sharply for Eddie. The expression in his eyes, the desolation and rage when he returned, scared Violet.
“Where are you going?” Noah asked.
“To look for Snapper. If I can’t find Jordan’s killer, at least maybe I can find his dog.”
“It’s too late in the day, Zach,” Noah said. “Sun’s setting and you’ve been hard at it. Sit back down and eat your supper.”
Zach’s eyes flashed blue fire. “I’m off duty so I’ll do what I please. Or are you giving me orders on how to spend my off-hours now, too?”
Without waiting for an answer, he stalked out.
Noah blew out a long, slow breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
Violet’s stomach knotted watching him. She ached for what she understood must be his feeling of painful helplessness at days, weeks, of agony with no progress toward solving his brother’s murder. Now added to that was another case that was seemingly stymieing the police. The burdens were almost too much to take for all of them.
“Do we just let him go?” Finn said. “Walk out when he’s in that state of mind?”
Carter sighed. “Can’t stop him. We have to hope and pray that he doesn’t self-destruct or do something dumb.”
Violet knew she had to act fast before her father tried to stop her. Quickly, she went to the kitchen and hung up her apron, grabbed her phone and slipped out the back door.
Hoping and praying were one thing, but she wasn’t about to let Zach go off by himself.