Tracking Secrets

* * *

Alexis couldn’t believe they had to share the backseat of a police vehicle with a dog. Logically, she knew it wouldn’t attack her, but the positive thoughts did nothing to stop her heart from racing. Why people liked to keep animals around for company was beyond the scope of her imagination. If they knew what it felt like to be attacked by one like she did, maybe they’d feel differently. The dog’s breath alone was enough to make her want to go running. And yet, even though Alexis had shown her no signs of affection, Raven stared up at her, panting.

“She knows you don’t like her,” Nick said. “Animals can sense that, especially dogs. She’s trying to win you over.”

She eyed Nick. The chief had referred to him as Dr. Kendrick. Judging by his tan skin and athletic physique, he had to be active and a lover of the outdoors. And it seemed like those types often loved dogs just as much as nature, so maybe he knew something about animals. “So if I pet her, she’ll leave me alone?”

He shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

She held back a sigh. She’d already touched the dog more than enough for her lifetime when she had to pick it up to get it over the fence, but she humored the both of them and reached out to touch the top of Raven’s head. It was smooth yet wiry.

Raven stretched her neck at the touch so that Alexis’s fingers brushed against her ears. They were soft and velvety like a fuzzy pillow. The dog shifted in the small space between her and Nick until its whole body leaned against Alexis.

Admittedly, the warmth and connection were nice for a second, but she still didn’t trust the dog to keep its mouth to itself. She shot Nick a look.

He smirked. “Or petting her could just encourage her.”

Her gut twisted. She knew he was teasing, but she didn’t know him well enough to explain why it wasn’t funny. Alexis pushed away from the dog, calmly, forcing it to snuggle with Nick instead.

How could he have lived here long enough to be running for mayor? She’d thought she knew the few doctors who lived in the area. She’d worked for almost all of them, subbing for their receptionists.

She’d kept to herself ever since she returned to town, but she must have been more antisocial than she’d thought if Jeremy, the young officer driving, was right and his candidacy was old news.

Nick patted the dog’s head and her tail wagged, slapping Alexis’s thigh. Nick’s warm laugh soothed her nerves. “Sorry about that,” he said.

She tried to smile in response.

Jeremy parked the cruiser in front of the mayor’s house. She’d known Gerald Simonds lived out here somewhere but hadn’t known which house until now. He was only a few years older. She’d never imagined him as rich or running their town, but he owned a successful mechanic shop and had made some smart investment moves. In fact, his brother, Barry, owned the financial firm responsible. Barry used to do only bookkeeping, but everyone, it seemed, including her parents, had wanted to sign on with Barry as their financial advisor after seeing Gerald’s success.

Officer Jeremy Wicks opened the door for her. She had over ten years on him. Most days, she still considered herself young. She’d crossed the thirty-year mark, but she could remember changing Jeremy’s diapers when she worked as a mother’s helper one summer. He’d been an officer for a little over a year, but it was still weird seeing him with a gun and handcuffs.

He nodded at her. “Ma’am.”

She fought back a groan and hustled around the car. While she hated when people used her childhood nickname of Lexi, she hated even more when they called her ma’am. She was still a Miss until she got married, in her mind.

Some days she wondered if she had missed out on her chance for marriage by going after her career and law school with such singular focus. Her head had spent so much of the time stuck in the pages of law statutes that she’d forgotten how to flirt. Maybe she had never known how in the first place.

There weren’t many attractive, employed, witty men in Barings. The few that existed had already been taken. She’d pegged Nick for a nice guy as soon as he’d offered to help her get Raven. That is, until she found out he had political ambitions. Now she realized he had to be either a naive idealist or power hungry. At least, that had been her experience with political science majors back in school.

Maybe she was wrong and Nick was the nice guy she’d first imagined. But if he was, she should keep her distance. Her past would prove a problem for his dreams.

Nick led the dog back around the gutters. Raven stuck her nose in both, but when Jeremy leaned down in front of each of them, he shook his head. “Nothing, sir,” he said to the chief.

“Can’t you do a drug residue test?” Nick asked.

“Here’s the thing.” The chief tilted his head to the side. “I can come on this property because I had reason to suspect I’d find some gunmen. We haven’t. I can look at the gutters because they’re on the outside of the house. If contraband is in plain sight, it’s fair game, but I don’t have enough probable cause to perform a residue test.”

“But I saw the drugs,” Nick said.

He nodded toward Alexis. “And if Lexi had seen them, too, then we’d be in business.”

Alexis shifted her gaze away from Nick. She felt bad enough that she’d put him in the situation in the first place. He’d saved her life and the dog’s, for that matter. She wished she had seen the drugs, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“What about the dog?” Nick’s demeanor brightened. “I can’t verify without my records, but I think this is the K9 detection dog I examined several months back.”

“Wait,” Alexis said. “You examined her? You’re a veterinarian?” The questions came out accusatory. The information had just taken her by surprise. She hadn’t imagined he would be a doctor of animals. Well, that ruled out another eligible bachelor. Even if he ended up losing the mayoral election, they could never have a future because as a vet, he probably wanted to own a dog, if he didn’t already. And that was a deal breaker. Why did all the great guys love dogs?

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “You need to get out more, Lexi.” He stepped forward. “So is this Raven? Joe’s dog?” He dropped to a knee and looked at Alexis. “They left you to take care of her?”

He could’ve skipped the incredulous tone. Though it was no secret in the town that she wasn’t exactly fond of dogs. One notch short of terrified, really. “It was a favor for Theresa. Theresa said if she didn’t get someone to take care of her right away, she’d have to come back tonight to do the job personally.”

Jeremy took the leash from Nick and ruffled Raven’s ears. The dog responded by nuzzling into him.

The chief folded his arms over his sizable chest and studied the dog. “This is Raven, huh? Joe’s technically retired from the force but trains K9 dogs all over the country. You know, he was training this dog for us. She was going to be his last one. He planned to gift her to our department.”

Jeremy shook his head but kept his gaze on the dog. “Last I heard he was in critical condition.” He straightened and handed the leash to Alexis.

“Critical?” Alexis asked.

Chief nodded. “Hit-and-run just last night. Raven was in her harness and did fine, but Joe had to be airlifted a few hours away to Boise.”

That explained the sudden need for someone to watch the dog.

Nick’s frown deepened. “Well, if she’s a drug detection dog, you should have cause to test for residue.”

Chief shook his head. “I know for a fact Raven’s not certified yet. Last I knew, Joe said she had a heap of potential but some obedience issues. She hasn’t been in the program long enough for testing. Takes a minimum of a year, from what I understand. Besides, didn’t you say you were on this property because she broke off the leash in pursuit of a squirrel?”

Alexis felt her cheeks heat but knew that the chief was right. If Raven wasn’t certified and court-qualified, her skills would be inadmissible in court. Not that they needed or wanted her opinion.

Chief sighed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t hunt down a judge and an out-of-town mayor on a holiday weekend for this.” He gestured to the downspouts. “Let’s say you’re right. For all we know, this was a dead drop gone wrong, so it doesn’t do me any good to search the mayor’s house. He’s visiting family.”

In other words, the chief didn’t want to risk bad publicity. She’d read the news headlines. A mayor in Maine had been an unwitting victim of a dead drop. The drug runners would send packages of drugs to addresses that likely wouldn’t answer the door. The mayor in Maine sued the police department after they’d raided his home, scaring his wife and children.

Nick’s eyes implored Alexis. “Did you recognize any of the men?”

“From town? No, but I haven’t been that observant lately. I didn’t recognize you.” She sighed. “I’d guess the man who talked to us was in his early forties. The men with guns...” She strained to remember any important details and failed. “Everything was a blur once shots were fired.”

“I think the guy we talked to was a scout,” Nick added.

“You said that before. What was he scouting for?” Alexis questioned.

Jeremy looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes. “They serve as guides for drug shipments. They aren’t the actual ones to pick them up. They go ahead and make sure the coast is clear. Oftentimes they don’t have weapons or drugs on their person, so if they get picked up, we’ve got nothing on them.”

“They serve as both spies and decoys?”

Nick looked at her, as if impressed. “Basically.”

“If Lexi thinks they’re not from here, it’s unlikely they’ve made the two of you targets,” the chief mused.