Dogs Don't Lie Read online

  “You are very welcome.” He started picking up the wrappings and tossing them in the empty bag.

  “I can help.” I moved to get up.

  “No.” He patted my shoulder. “You just relax. I think I can handle this.”

  He threw the bag in the garbage and returned to the table. “Kallie, can you remember anything else Ariel showed you, even if it doesn’t seem important?”

  Closing my eyes, I sighed. “I think it was summer.” I smiled. “It smelled like it.”

  “How does summer smell?” His voice, calm and encouraging, came from the periphery, outside of my thoughts, from the dark boundaries around me.

  “Dry. Dusty. Cedar and pine trees—their aroma in the air when it’s hot outside.”

  “Good. Anything else?”

  I took in a deep breath and let it out through pursed lips. It’s difficult sometimes not to add my own interpretations, especially after so much time has passed. My eyes popped open. “Weren’t we supposed to go back so I could see the cat?”

  “We can do that.” Ben watched me. “After last time … I mean, you getting blasted with all those visions … I just want you to be sure.”

  “I want to. How about Thursday?” Remembering my date with Jeffrey, I added, “Afternoon.”

  “I’ll get that approved and set up a time with Mrs. Whedon.”

  My ringtone blared into the small space. Uh, oh. “Hi, Gracie. What’s up?

  “You’ll never guess what Sam and I found.” Gracie’s excitement buzzed from the other end.

  “That’s interesting, and I’d love to hear more about your new dress, but, uh, I’m kinda busy.”

  “Somebody there with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “What? No. Nothing like that.”

  “Jeffrey?”

  My face scrunched, and the expression leaked into my voice. “Noooo.”

  “Ben?”

  “Yes.” That silly grin came back again.

  “Okay. Call me later.” She disconnected.

  “Gracie.” I smiled at Ben as if her name explained everything—or nothing.

  Ben stood. “I should let you go. Oh, there’s a Star Wars marathon on SYFY tonight.” He grinned and walked out the door.

  I gave Ben fifteen minutes and then called Gracie back. “Okay. He’s gone. What did you guys find?”

  Sam yelled, “Hello.”

  “Hi, Sam. What did you do?”

  “We went to the address you gave us.” She sucked in a deep breath. “You are not going to believe this—”

  “There was nothing there. All gone.”

  “There was—How do you know?”

  “Ben told me. He went this morning.”

  “Oh. But I bet he doesn’t know what else we found out.”

  I dropped onto the bed and pulled my pillows on my lap. “What?” With the office no longer there, I considered what my two good-hearted friends—one an ER nurse and the other a high school math teacher—could possibly have uncovered.

  “I have a cousin that works for planning. He told me they have some questionable business practices when it comes to—how did he put it—land acquisition.”

  She had my attention. “Like what?”

  “Like—”

  The alarm sounded and a voice called over the com. “Kallie, we’ve got an emergency.”

  “Sorry. I gotta go. Talk to you later.”

  Chapter 10

  Later ended up being a lot later. My shift swung from low gear to high from that point on. I managed to text Ben, Gracie, and Sam a couple times, letting Ben know I’d meet him Thursday as planned and telling Gracie and Sam that I’d connect with them as soon as I got a minute.

  My lack of sleep had me craving sugar. I met Jeffrey at eight a.m. at the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble. I was still sleep deprived after a large, smoked-butterscotch frap and two frosted cake pops, but I didn’t plan on leaving without at least two new paperbacks.

  Jeffrey pulled a list of addresses from his pocket. Smoothing the paper on the table, he pointed. “These three are in town, this one’s closer to Ashland, and that one is … um, well …” He chuckled. “I’m not really sure.”

  Covering a yawn, I studied the list. “Have you looked at any of them yet?”

  “No. Waiting for your recommendations.”

  I fought another yawn and lost. “This one is good.” I pointed at the second on his list. “And so are these.” I rubbed my neck while pointing to the fourth and fifth. Then I slid the paper back to him. “I’d avoid the other two.”

  “Are you all right?” He squinted at me, folded the paper, and returned it to his pocket.

  “I had a busy shift. Didn’t get much sleep.”

  “Kallie, you should’ve told me. We didn’t need to meet.”

  “That’s okay. It’s probably a good idea you jump on these. They won’t last long.”

  “Let’s go.” He stood and grabbed my pack. “You need to get home and sleep.”

  “Thanks. I think I will.”

  He walked out with me and watched me drive away, waving.

  A rush of disappointment crashed over me. So no new books? Fine. I’ll come back later.

  I set my alarm for one since I’d be meeting Ben at two. I climbed under the covers and remembered nothing until the obnoxious buzz from my phone woke me a couple hours later.

  While eating string cheese and an apple, I changed into clean jeans and my I survived the Kobayashi Maru T-shirt. I opened the front door before Ben even knocked. Okay, I was watching for him. I chewed fast. “Hi,” I said around my last bite. I swallowed. “I’m ready.”

  “Are your doors locked?”

  “Yes.” I smiled and nodded. “I even got one on the back-patio gate, like you suggested.”

  “Good.” Ben gestured toward his unmarked car.

  “Did you talk to Mrs. Whedon?” I buckled into the front passenger seat.

  “Called her first thing Tuesday.” He backed out of my driveway.

  “What does she think? I mean, about what I do?”

  He shrugged, stopped at the bottom of my street, and, after looking both ways, turned left. “She didn’t seem to have any thoughts.” He frowned and tipped his head. “In fact, she seemed quite interested—asked a lot of questions.”

  “Like?”

  His frown deepened. “How accurate you were. Had you helped with many investigations. Stuff like that. I told her this was the first time the department has used your services and you’re right on with your information so far.”

  “Did she say anything about Ariel or Ella?”

  “No. Should she have?”

  “I don’t know. No. I guess not. I’ve just had them on my mind the last couple days.”

  Smiling at me, he entered the on-ramp to the freeway. “I’m sure they’re fine.” But his smile faltered, and his bright-green eyes darkened. He turned his attention to driving, glanced in the rearview mirror, and frowned. “We’ll be there soon.” His frown deepened.

  “You okay, Ben?”

  “I’m fine.” He shrugged and repeated, “I’m sure Ariel and Ella are, too.”

  “Did Mrs. Whedon say anything else?”

  His fingers gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white. “That’s just it. She didn’t ask about any progress toward identifying the body found in Eagle Point, or if we had any new information regarding the case at all.”

  Half an hour later, Ben turned up the curved gravel drive to the Whedons’. In the daylight, I noticed a llama and a miniature donkey in a corral next to the barn. They both stood at a feeder stuffed with hay, munching peacefully.

  Well, that’s a good sign.

  Stopping at the top of the drive, Ben parked. “Let’s go see Ella and Ariel.” Th
e sudden tension around his eyes was carried in his voice. Slipping out of his seat, he reached down and freed the strap holding his gun in the holster.

  I scrambled out the passenger side. “Ben. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Probably. But stay behind me.” Hand on his gun, Ben took the steps onto the deck two at a time. He slowed when he reached the front door.

  My words came in a raspy whisper. “What did you see?”

  “Shhhh.” Finger against his lips, he stood to one side of the door.

  A soft wind sighed through the tree tops and faded to silence. No birds chirped. No small animals darted under the low brush. The day seemed to stop in the moment.

  I glanced around. My gaze landed on a sheer curtain fluttering out an open window at the far end of the deck. “Ben.” The low squeaking whisper never left my dry throat.

  Ben tried the knob, and it turned in his hand. He pushed, and the heavy wooden door swung in a silent arc inward. Looking back at me, he mouthed, “Stay here.”

  I nodded, the movement almost undetectable, and wiped sweaty palms down my jeans as he disappeared inside.

  I fought the urge to chase after him. A scene from the thriller movies I like to watch ran through my mind—the one where the girl stays outside and gets attacked after her boyfriend goes inside the big spooky house. “Why is it any safer out here?” My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I worked at slowing my breathing. Gravel crunched behind me and I spun around, my heart lurching into an irregular cadence. Nothing there. Swallowing hard, I took a deep breath. “Get a grip, Kallie.”

  In an almost choreographed moment, Ben dashed outside as Ariel raced across the deck from the back of the house. His face tight with concern, Ben punched numbers into his phone.

  Before Ariel could slam into my legs, I squatted and scooped the trembling dog into my arms. Caked dirt lined her wide eyes, and her matted fur was full of stickers.

  “This is Detective Jacobson. Send all available units and a CSU to my coordinates. Contact Captain Granger. Let him know Mrs. Whedon and the two kids are gone.” Ben ended the call and slipped his phone into his back pocket.

  “Gone?” I clutched a trembling Ariel tighter.

  Ben frowned. “What happened to Ariel? Is she okay?” Before I could answer, his gaze shifted to me and he nodded. “They’re gone, and by the looks of the house, it’s possible they were taken against their will.” He motioned me forward. “Stay with me. Don’t touch anything.” He glanced at Ariel.

  “I’m not putting her down. She’s terrified.” Straightening, I stared at him with as much determination as I could pull from my own fear. “I can hold her.”

  “Okay.”

  Following him into the house, I saw what he’d meant about “against their will.” Glass from broken windows littered the entry’s and living room’s hardwood floors. In the kitchen, drawers pulled from cabinets lay on the tile at our feet. Their contents were scattered everywhere, mingling with jagged shards of dishes raked from the cupboards.

  “Looks like they were looking for something,” I said as I tucked a whining Ariel closer. “I wonder if they found it.”

  We circled through the dining room and down the hall, checking the bedrooms. A sudden quiet enveloped me as I stepped onto carpet, glass no longer crunching underfoot. Clothes spilled from open dresser drawers. Closet doors gaped, empty hangers askew. A blank space from the corner of each closet stood out with a significance I couldn’t quite grasp.

  In the master bedroom, I finally captured the idea flitting inside my brain. Their suitcases are gone. I stepped into the bathroom. Drawers hung open, rifled through in haste. Cold medicine, aspirin, and old makeup tubes lay strewn over the counter. “Ben? Could you open the medicine cabinet above the sink?”

  Gloves on, he pulled the edge and revealed the small space.

  Empty.

  “I think they left on their own—in a hurry. But I believe they got out before whoever came in and trashed the place.”

  “Yeah. I think so, too.” Ben turned to look at the dog relaxing into a doze in my arms. His forehead furrowed. “Why would they leave without taking Ariel?”

  I bit at my lip. “Maybe they couldn’t find her. Or maybe they left so fast.” I leaned my face down to kiss the top of Ariel’s head. “I don’t know.”

  “If they left Ariel, what about Ella?”

  I beat Ben to the deck, where an unsettled Ariel no longer dozed in my arms. I scanned the low brush, peering into the shadows.

  Nothing.

  “Ella. Come here, kitty,” Ben called, voice shaking. He dashed off the deck, first searching the gravel driveway leading to the barn and then spinning around, head whipping back and forth.

  “Ben,” I called. “You’ll only frighten her. Just calm down. If she’s here, we’ll find her.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance.

  “That was fast.” I focused my attention to the end of the road. Within seconds, a green-and-white cruiser turned up the drive, gravel spraying behind it.

  “Probably in the area.” Ben waited until the unit stopped and then met the officer as she climbed from her vehicle.

  “Wilkens, start setting up a perimeter.” Ben pointed to the residence and surrounding yard. “Everything.” He gestured with a wave that encompassed a wide area.

  “I’ll sit in the car with Ariel.”

  Ben smiled at me. “Thanks.”

  Warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and not much sleep was a triple whammy when it came to staying awake—that and my sugar high had worn off. I’d left the car door open and, with Ariel on my lap, gotten as comfortable as possible in the upright front seat. It didn’t take much. I was vaguely aware of matching Ariel’s soft snores in minutes. Mumbling, I allowed myself a short snooze—a quick power nap.

  A gentle tap on my cheek followed by a light tickle across my nose brought me out of a deep sleep. A low rumble vibrated under my chin. I smiled. “Well, hello, Ella.” I coaxed my lids open and saw Ella sitting on Ariel’s back, her front paws just below my shoulders, staring at me with clear green eyes. I stroked her from head to tail. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  Aware of movement in my peripheral vision, I noticed Ben about ten feet away.

  Brow furrowing, his smile wavered. He mouthed, “What do I do? I don’t want to scare her.”

  Continuing to pet the cat, I whispered, “Ella, there’s Ben. He’s your friend.”

  She glanced at him and then curled into a ball on top of a sleeping Ariel.

  “It’s okay. You can come over. They are both exhausted.”

  “Just them?” He stepped over and knelt at the open door. “I think you could use some sleep, too.” His movements slow, he reached out to pet Ella.

  She purred and arranged her head under his hand.

  “I’m going to be here a while.” He sighed and glanced back at the house. “I’ll get someone to take you home.” His focus on me, he asked, “What do we do with these two?”

  “They can come home with me.” I put my left arm around Ariel and used my right to pull Ella closer.

  “You sure?”

  “Yes. It’ll give them time to calm down and me time to find out what they know. I don’t work until Monday. They need some love and attention, along with food and rest.”

  His smile faded. “How long have they been on their own?”

  “I think about two days. I’ll know more later.”

  “I’ll get a voucher from the department and have what you need sent to your place. You know—dishes, food, beds, whatever.”

  “Oh, can you see what they’ve been eating? It’s hard on them to suddenly switch foods.”

  “I’ll do that right now.” Ben stood, still looking at me, and motioned to a uniformed officer. “Thank you, Kallie.”

  Chapter 11

  As Ben promised,
two boxes of supplies arrived a couple hours after the officer dropped me and my houseguests off—beds, toys, food, treats, and kitty litter. Perched on the back of the couch, Ella watched me unpack while Ariel insisted on sniffing each item and tossing around a few of the toys. “Ben did good, huh, guys?” After their dinners, my two new roommates settled in, a purring Ella on my pillow and Ariel trotting behind my every move.

  The evening brought rain drumming on the roof, large drops pattering against the windows. I changed into sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, grabbed a blanket, and dropped on the couch, Ariel next to me. I picked up the remote, and the TV blinked on. The breaking story of the missing Whedon family was dominating the news. The camera alternated between showing a distant shot of the deck, the front of the house, the police presence, and reporters standing before a backdrop of the barn. I didn’t need or want to hear what they said and pressed mute.

  “Well, it’s not a secret anymore.”

  Ariel stirred at my voice. She raised her head and glanced at the large screen. Uninterested in the activity, she flopped back down with a long groaning sigh.

  “Yeah. Me too.” I found an old horror movie fest on a classic station and settled in, watching giant ants invade the tunnels under LA, until my phone vibrated against the side table.

  “Sam, hi.”

  “Kallie, they’re talking about you and the family that disappeared in the news. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I sat straight, throwing off the blanket. “What are they saying? And who’s ‘they’?”

  “Some reporter’s doing a live newscast. It’s all about you communicating with animals and that you’re helping the authorities with the case.”

  “Oh noooo.” Eyes closed, I rubbed my forehead. “Who could have found that out? And why tell the news?” It’s the media circus Ben’s boss feared.

  The phone buzzed in my ear. I glanced at the screen. “I gotta go. My mom’s calling. I’ll call you back.”

  “You better.”

  “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

  For the next half hour, I did my best to calm my distraught mother. It wasn’t an easy task since I wasn’t pleased about being mentioned on several news channels either. After promising I’d call if I found out anything else, my calmer but far from happy mom said good night.