“Luck, brother.”
“Thanks. With this caper, we’re gonna need it.”
Pushing open the back door, Paul was engulfed in darkness. Three bouncing lights were already at the back of the property, pausing at a large gate.
“Hang on,” he called, moving quickly toward them. They waited, then went through the gate and into a long stretch of wild grass. The power line easement stretched out before them, rolling for miles as it meandered through neighborhoods and out into the countryside.
“He’s holed up in a shed over on the other side of the easement,” Carlos said. “Some kids found him and came and let me know.”
“Kids?” Torie asked, amazed.
“Yeah, they know stuff. They keep me posted.” Paul could see the flash of his grin in the dark. “I know everything going on in my ’hood, ladies. Everything. Kids see a lot more than anyone thinks, you know.”
“I know,” Pam muttered. The way she said it was striking. Paul, used to listening to jurors and clients for the meaning behind the words, had to wonder what might have happened to Pam, or what she’d heard as a child.
“Is he frightened again?” Torie asked, oblivious to the byplay.
“No, I don’t think so, but the kids, they shut him in. I think he’s just stuck,” Carlos explained.
“Okay. Do the property owners know he’s there? Should we tell them?”
“Naw. Those people are never home.”
“As long as we don’t get shot at again, I don’t care,” Pam muttered.
“Shot at?” Paul growled. “Torie.”
“Later, Paul. I’ll explain it all later. For now, we’ve got to get to Bear.”
“Bear?”
“The dog.”
“What is he, a Chihuahua?” His buddy in high school had named his Chihuahua Rambo, so he figured it might fit.
“No. He’s a Rottweiler, and maybe an Australian Cattle Dog, crossbred with a Labrador retriever. Could be some Newfoundland, too, as big as he is.”
“Holy shit.”
“Big motherfu…sorry,” Carlos aborted what he was about to say. “He’s huge.”
“Great.”
They reached the other side of the cleared area, and Carlos took the lead again. A narrow dirt path opened up to a cement sidewalk, and they were able to move more quickly.
“Let me go in—he knows me.”
“He’s gonna be scared,” Carlos temporized. “You sure you want to do that?”
“He knows me. I got him into this mess.”
“Torie,” Paul started.
“Shut up, Paul. Don’t start with me. My life is so out of my control, I can’t bear it. This, I can do. So shut up and let me.”
The three waited five endlessly tense minutes for Torie to return. When she did, she was leading the biggest damn dog Paul had ever seen. The beast was pressed firmly to the side of her leg, eyes darting furtively around. When he caught wind of their presence, he didn’t bark. He just stopped. Torie, caught off guard, stumbled to a halt as well.
“It’s okay, Bear, they’re with me.”
Her voice, cheerful and pleasant, was like a live wire to the dog. Without warning, Bear bounded forward again, dragging Torie with him. He ignored Pam and Carlos, whom he knew, and focused on Paul.
Two enormous, dinner-plate sized feet planted themselves on his lapels. For several heartbeats, he and the dog stared at one another. There was the barest curl to the dog’s lip that made Paul wonder if he was going to lose his face. Instead, a moment later, the biggest damn tongue he’d ever seen wrapped itself around his jaw.
“Get down, Bear,” Torie managed, tugging on the lead.
Seemingly satisfied, Bear dropped down to all fours.
Pam let out a long breath. “Good Lord, I thought he was going to take your face off.”
They started walking, and Paul answered her. “Me, too, Pam. Me, too.”
When they finally arrived at Paul’s house, it was after ten. Paul plopped the fast-food bags on the kitchen table and flipped on the lights.
“So. What’s the story with the dog? Is that where you were with Pam? The night your place was…” Paul hesitated, not wanting to say torched, which was the first word springing to mind. “Damaged?”
Torie nodded. She was still standing in the doorway. She looked weary and a little bewildered. Asking about the dog brought a spark of interest to her eyes.
“He’s a sweet dog, really. The owner lives next to a friend of Pam’s. He chained the dog up short, only let him have water once a day or so. We’re not sure how often he fed him.”
