Valley. Not that Gina wasn’t curious, but she’d figured she’d better not probe if she didn’t want anyone probing into her past. “Can you take me?”
Sophie winced. “I’m going to need to stay here and see what else might be missing besides our little Marco.”
Gina blew out a frustrated breath. “I understand. You should also check the vet’s prescription drug supply next door. If Tim needed money, he could sell the dog and any drugs he stole.” She glanced at Shane as he answered his ringing phone.
After a moment, he hung up and said, “Officer Harrison says your house is clear.”
She was boxed in with no other option. “Okay, fine. Let’s go.”
She hurried away. Each step that took her closer to her house pounded another shard of fear into her. What if Tim had slipped past them and was waiting for her to return home? What if he was there now hurting James Harrison? She shook her head to dislodge the horrid thought.
“Hey, wait up,” Shane called as he hurried toward her, Bella trotting at his side.
She slowed, keeping her gaze alert for any sign of Tim. Having Shane and Bella close did help keep the terror from overwhelming her. She whistled for the puppy. “Marco!”
Shane fell into step beside her. Bella stayed at his heel on his other side. He swept his flashlight over the bushes and at the trees. “Marco, here, boy.”
Worry for the pup churned in Gina’s stomach. Predators such as coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats and bears roamed the area. Though most stayed clear of the town, there had been enough sightings for Gina to know the small puppy wouldn’t stand a chance on his own in the wild.
She knocked on every front door between the training yard and her house, but no one had seen Marco. He must have run in the opposite direction. Or toward the woods at the back of the training center.
Though the moon was high and the clouds had moved on, there was no way to track the puppy at night. She shivered, grateful for Shane’s presence. His calmness helped to ground her fears and keep her coherent as she woke her neighbors with her questions about the missing puppy.
As they neared her house, Shane said, “For the record, I don’t want to believe you killed Veronica.”
“For the record, I didn’t kill her,” Gina shot back with frustration. “I may have had my issues with her, but I would never hurt another living soul.”
At least she prayed not. But the fear was always at the edge of her consciousness. “I can’t imagine how Marian Foxcroft will react to learning one of the puppies she donated to the center has gone missing.”
“Ellen’s mother, right?”
“Yes.” Ellen Foxcroft was another graduate from the same training session as Shane. “Marian has a purebred German shepherd.” Acid burned in Gina’s tummy. “I pray we find Marco. I can only imagine how upset Marian will be.”
“It was very generous of Mrs. Foxcroft to give the puppies to the training center,” Shane commented.
“Yes. Very generous. However, Veronica was certain Marian’s intention wasn’t pure benevolence.” A wave of sadness washed over her. Veronica had had her faults, but she hadn’t deserved to die.
Shane stopped walking and drew her into the shadows of a mesquite tree. “How so?”
His closeness sent her senses spinning. She backed up a step and bumped up against the tree. “I’m not sure. Veronica could be so caustic at times that I rarely paid any attention to her snide remarks. But she’d said something to the effect that Marian holds her donations over the center and expects something in return.”
“Like what?” He braced a hand on the tree near her head, surrounding her in a warm cocoon.
Her brain became a muddled mess. “I have no idea.”
“What’s the story with Mrs. Foxcroft?”
Needing distance from him and the confusing effect he had on her, Gina sighed and pushed away from the tree. She really hated telling tales out of turn. But if doing so helped her to earn Shane’s trust, then so be it. She stepped back onto the road. “I don’t know all the details. Her husband left about five years ago. As far as I know they never divorced. Marian’s family dates back to the founding of the town, though I’m not sure where her wealth came from.”
“I find it interesting that Ellen became a police officer,” Shane said, falling back into step with her. “How did her mother take it?”
“I don’t know. Ellen doesn’t talk much about her mom.” Gina wrinkled her nose. “Marian Foxcroft is...” She struggled to come up with a polite term for the town’s feisty matriarch.
“Intimidating?” Shane supplied.
“Yes, exactly.”
A car horn beeped. Shane waved a hand. James Harrison, another of the rookies from the most recent graduating training session, pulled up alongside them in his truck. His bloodhound, Hawk, poked his droopy-faced head out of the open passenger window.
James leaned over. “Hey, I was headed to the station.” He turned his focus to Gina. “Your house is in shambles. But there was no sign of the intruder.”
“That’s good,” Shane replied.
Gina detested hearing her house had been violated. Obviously, Tim had doubled back just as she’d thought. He could have easily sneaked past them through the woods. And he’d taken out his rage on her home. The thought knocked the breath from her lungs.
If she hadn’t been quick enough to get out of the house, if he’d overtaken her at any point, she could very well be dead at this moment. Like Veronica.
Gina clenched her jaw tight to keep from throwing up.
“Is it true? Veronica’s dead?” James asked, openly stunned.
“Yes,” Shane replied.
James ran a hand through his hair. “That’s shocking. I mean, I just saw her this afternoon at the station.”
“You’ll need to give your statement to Ryder,” Shane said. “That’ll help with the time line leading up to her death.”
“Yeah, sure,” James said. “Should I head over there now?”
“Not yet,” Shane said. “The chief wants us to stick close to Gina.” He turned to her. “Which is your house?”
“The one on the corner.” She pointed to the end of the street, at the small yellow-and-white two-story cottage that had been her safe haven for two years. She’d had the house painted yellow because the color had been her mother’s favorite.
James nodded and turned his truck around before heading back to Gina’s and parking in the driveway. As Gina, Shane and Bella approached, James let Hawk out. Bella and Hawk greeted each other.
Shane filled James in on what had happened both here at Gina’s house and at the training center.
James
