“Might,” she said. “Although he doesn’t know about the physical.”
Ansel looked over at Caleb. “He looks fit.”
“I’m back from rehab after an accident in the navy,” Caleb said.
Ansel’s eyes lit up. “I heard you went into the military. Now you’re out?”
“Yeah, sidelined by the accident.”
“So what are you doing now?”
“Looking at options,” he said.
“Hmm. Well, law enforcement might be something you want to take a look at.”
“Maybe, I don’t know. Worry about your physical.”
“A sheriff in a nearby county is looking for a deputy,” he said.
She looked up at Caleb. “That might work.”
“Maybe,” Caleb said, “depends on whether I can find this dog or not.”
“I still don’t understand how this dog comes into play.”
Caleb quickly explained about the company he worked for.
“You got any K9 training?” Ansel asked.
“I do,” he said. “Why?”
“Because we’re looking for a K9 unit. But I don’t know that it would be full-time,” he said. “So that might be an option too,” he said.
“I could possibly put my services out on a private level too.”
“Maybe,” he said, “certainly something for you to consider.”
“Oh, I’m considering lots at the moment,” Caleb said, “but find the shooter, and then we can talk.”
Ansel snorted at that. “I just don’t understand what you got into.”
“We think it might be connected to that body we found,” she said quietly. “Nothing else has changed, and Caleb just arrived in town two days ago.”
“So this is your third day back in town?”
He nodded. “I came after the War Dog. We had that last-known address and, knowing the place was empty, drove out to see it, that evening on my very first day here. You know the rest.”
“Yep, and we checked the forwarding address you gave us, and nobody’s there. The manager did say it was rented to that name though. He thought it was a couple but said he didn’t see anybody move in. Yet the rent’s been paid on time.”
“And nobody’s living there?”
“We opened up the apartment this morning, and it’s never been moved into. So then it’s quite possible that this does go back to that mess,” he added. “Maybe you guys found something that has been perfectly hidden for a long time.”
“Well, surely somebody would be renting that rural property and would have found that dead body sooner or later.”
Ansel shook his head. “For a really depressed area, the rent they’re asking is very high,” Ansel said. “I predict it will stay empty for many months, if not years.”
“I don’t understand why you’d leave the body there in the first place,” she said. “Surely, if you buried it out in the back, it’s a better deal for everybody involved.”
“Maybe,” the detective said, shrugging, “but it’s not always that easy.”
“No, I guess not,” she said. “I’ve never tried to dispose of a set of remains, so I wouldn’t know.”
“People do all kinds of crazy things,” Ansel said, nodding to one of his deputies. “The bottom line is, my guys haven’t found any evidence of a shooter back there. We’ll take the bullet out of the wall, if you don’t mind,” he said, walking outside onto the rear veranda, where the shot had been fired into the house, watching forensics already digging it out.
“Do you think that will help?” Laysha asked Ansel. She and Caleb remained at the doorway.
“Well, it can’t hurt,” he said. “Now please stay safe and stay out of trouble.” He gave a sharp look to Caleb.
As the cops turned to leave, Caleb called out, “I’m still looking for that War Dog. So, if you hear anything about him, let me know.”
“I haven’t heard anything to date,” he said, “but I can pass it around town.”
“And, if you’ve got any friends on the other side of the border,” he said, “the War Dog was seen over there.”
“Really?” He stopped and stared.
“Yeah.”
“Most of the time the border doesn’t exist between us,” he said, “at least on a good day. The rest of the time? … Well, that border’s never going away,” he said. He got into his vehicle and drove off.
“You didn’t tell me about that,” she said.
“No, I’m hoping for a phone call,” he said, explaining about the guy whom he met at the cantina.
She stepped onto the veranda cautiously and said, “It’s a weird feeling now.”
“And I’m sorry about that,” he said, “because the last thing I want for you to feel is paranoid in your own home.”
“I’m more concerned about that asshole coming back after us,” she said. “They’re not chasing me away from my place, but I sure as hell wouldn’t mind putting the crosshairs on that shooter.”
He chuckled and said, “Come on. Let’s see if we can rescue our sandwiches.”
“Let me check again on my babies first.” Caleb nodded and followed her to the first-floor guest bedroom, petting all four dogs and reassuring them. Also finding them all healthy. “Y’all stay here, but I’ll share any leftovers with you soon, okay?” She shut the door on her dogs again.
Caleb rescued their plates and brought them inside to the kitchen table. She sat at the table and started eating, as she watched him on his cell. He put his phone down beside him and picked up a sandwich and took a big bite. They were only halfway done when his phone rang.
He looked at the number, frowned, and said, “I don’t know who this is.” He put it on the table, hit Speaker, and answered, “Hello.”
“You’re looking for a dog?”
“I am,” he said.
“I know where it is.”
“What’s the dog look like?”
“Looks like a shepherd, all black. But big, hefty.”
“Yeah? And who … where is it?”
“It’s not far from here.”
“Not far from where?”
“Where you were earlier today and said you’d pay money for information.”
“Yeah, I’ll pay money for any good information,” he said, “but I don’t pay money just on the off chance that the information you have is good.”
“Well, what else do you want to know?” he said.
“I want to know exactly where the dog is and some added proof would be good.”
“Well, I’m not going on the
