Rock Wolf Investigations: Boxset

by Dee Bridgnorth

  It was frustrating for more than one reason and Duke didn’t like this feeling in his gut that he’d left something unfinished, especially something like a job. He spotted the lights of their office around the next curve.

  “What was the deal with Hilary Allenwood?” Titus said with an almost exaggerated note of casualness as Duke pulled Henry off the highway into the parking lot. “She was really going after me like she thinks there’s some kind of story to drag out of the closet.”

  Duke whipped the truck around and backed into a parking space. It wasn’t difficult to park in an empty lot. “I don’t know. You were the one arguing with her. I dozed off during that part of the evening. Thanks very much. I don’t really care to hear that woman’s voice. It gives me indigestion.”

  Titus unfastened his seat belt and started to get out of the truck. “I guess I’ll see you first thing tomorrow. Ellie and Younger are back from vacation and unless I miss my guess, you’re supposed to be going on vacation at the end of the week.”

  “Vacation” in Rock Wolf Investigations lingo was just the break you got after you’d worked a few cases in a row. Titus believed pretty firmly that taking three or four days off between jobs kept you sharp. Duke had sort of considered a trip back to the farm to see his folks. But the closer and closer he got to the time when he would actually have to drive back, the more he felt like he’d rather just put it off. Again.

  “You don’t look excited,” Titus observed as Duke took the truck out of gear and let it idle.

  Duke looked at the bags of camera equipment on the floorboard beneath Titus’s boots. “Do you want help carrying that inside?”

  “Nah. I’ll handle it.” Titus jerked his head toward the building. “I got Caroline to leave the lights on.”

  “Ah, Caroline.” Duke made a face. “She’ll just be so thrilled to have Ellie back in town.”

  Titus began to laugh. “You know, maybe Ellie is the one I should put on the Hilary Allenwood case.”

  “I wasn’t aware there was a Hilary Allenwood case,” Duke mused. He gazed at Titus for a long moment as he tried to figure out the real problem. “Why are you letting her get to you? The woman is just looking for a story. The more you react, the more she’s convinced you have something to hide.”

  “Uh huh.”

  Strange, but the expression on Titus’s face suggested there really was something to hide. Duke didn’t ask that sort of question. He never had. His boss didn’t pry into his history and Duke was happy to return the favor. But Duke was starting to get curious.

  “Uh huh, what?” Duke prodded.

  “What, what?”

  Duke sighed. “You’re the one who brought up the topic. I’d forgotten about it. That means you’re the one mulling it over in your head. I don’t know why you would do that. But it seems like the ginger-headed beast really got to you. So. Why? That’s all I’m asking.”

  Titus stared at Duke for a long moment. The truck’s fan kicked on as the air conditioner continued to run full blast. It was dark outside, but the darkness was punctuated by the lights of other businesses along the high traffic thoroughfare. The interior of the truck was a comfortable place that seemed to exist outside the rest of the nonsense beyond the doors.

  “I think,” Titus began slowly after a moment or two’s thought, “that Hilary is so hungry for dirt that she’s going to make some up if she doesn’t find anything good.”

  Duke could not necessarily fault that line of reasoning. “You think that’s what she does with the rest of her ridiculously sensational stories? I’m still rather shocked that you read that crap. And religiously. You’ve been nothing but pissed off—pardon the pun—about the dog pissing on your paper every morning for the last few weeks.”

  “Months,” Titus hastily corrected Duke. “Ursuline Wankenfurter has been walking that dog by my house every single morning since June first. It’s her habit. This is just the first time that my gate has been broken and hanging off a hinge so that the dog can get into my yard. He’s doing it on purpose, too.”

  Duke rolled his eyes. “The dog doesn’t have a weird vendetta against you, Titus. You’re human. He’s canine. I’m pretty sure that dogs are man’s best friend.”

  “Yeah. Right.” Titus did not sound convinced. “Dogs don’t like me.”

  Duke started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. “Maybe you need to come out and visit the farm with me. There are a dozen dogs out there and they don’t hold a grudge against anyone as long as you’re an invited guest. We’ll get you used to dogs and then you can stop being angry at a pug.”

  Titus snorted and gathered up the camera bags. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. And yes, I do read that newspaper. I read it because it’s local news and that’s what I use to tailor either our advertising or to find potential clients.”

  Duke stopped laughing. “Well hell, I can’t argue with that. I should be thanking you for your sacrifice instead.”

  Another car pulled into the lot. Both men stopped their lighthearted banter and turned to stare. Once the flash of bright headlights passed as the car finished its turn, they could see it was a police cruiser.

  “Damn,” Duke muttered. “What do you want to bet that we’re getting a courtesy visit from the boys in blue about this case that we’re no longer working?”

  “Then we tell them we’re not working it and leave things be,” Titus suggested as he opened the door and got out of the truck. Once his feet were on the ground, he looked back up into the cab with an expectant expression on his face. “Come on, Duke. You don’t leave a man behind like this.”

  Duke made a rude noise and shut off Henry’s rumbly engine. Then he got out of the truck just as the police cruiser had parked at an angle presumably to block Henry’s exit from the parking lot. It was a bit of a stupid move on their part. The parking lot was nothing but gravel and packed dirt. There were no real boundaries and nothing to stop Duke from backing right over the rough terrain behind Henry and making his own way out if he’d wanted to.

  But for now, he wasn’t going to do that. He was going to stand right beside Titus and wait for the police to speak their peace. Duke did not feel more predisposed to think this was going to be a useful conversation when he saw that it was Detective Sellers and Sergeant Mathias Caprico getting out of the vehicle.

  “Boss, I might have forgotten to say a few things about what happened earlier today,” Duke murmured in a low voice.

  Titus turned to stare at Duke. “Forgotten?”

  “Titus, if your employees are going to treat my junior officers with blatant disrespect while they are doing nothing more than their duty, we are going to have a problem,” Detective Sellers said in a booming voice.

  Titus let the camera equipment bags slide to the ground and folded his arms over his chest. It was a pose he seemed to strike when he wanted to intimidate. At least that was what Duke had noticed over the last several years. Titus had shoulders, biceps, and forearms that were already huge, so changing his posture made them absolutely enormous.

  “I’m sorry.” Everything about Titus reeked of warning and yet the two cops kept coming with the sort of swagger that Duke usually attributed to idiotic teenagers who thought their shit didn’t stink. Titus did not let their manner derail him. “But I don’t think we’ve been introduced, which means you can call me Mr. Holbrook until I give you permission to do otherwise.”

  Sergeant Caprico made a childish gesture with his hands. “Oooo, listen to this one, Detective Sellers! He thinks he’s a badass.”

  “Good God,” Duke said with amusement. “Are we actually going to start brawling right here in the parking lot? You guys are out of your jurisdiction. You know that, right?” He pointed back down the highway in the direction of Branson. “In fact, you guys crossed the county line about fifty yards back. So, not just out of your city, but your county, too.”

  Detective Sellers waved that off with a dismissive gesture that actually made him look less competent instead of more. “S
tone and Taney Counties have a pretty close relationship. I think everyone knows that.”

  Titus passed Duke a look that said he didn’t want to get into this jurisdictional pissing match at the moment. “Why don’t you gentlemen just explain to us why you’re here outside of your stomping grounds and most likely outside your shift hours too.”

  This time a very strange look passed between Sellers and Caprico. The sort of look that suggested Sellers expected Caprico to state his case and that Caprico had expected Sellers to do it. Duke already knew what this was about. He was just trying to decide how far he wanted to push things with the already disgruntled sergeant.

  When they still hadn’t managed to decide who was going to do the talking after another minute or two had passed, Duke lost his patience. After all, patience really wasn’t his thing anyway. “For pity’s sake! Yes, Detective Sellers, it’s true that I physically ejected Sergeant Caprico from the Moonrise Theater earlier this afternoon. I did in fact put my hands on him to forcibly escort him from the building.”

  “That’s assaulting an officer of the law,” Sellers shot back. He flung his hand into the air and effected a stabbing motion with his index finger. “You could go to jail.”

  “And what is it when a police sergeant enters the workplace of a former lover and fiancée and begins to harass her? Is that using your badge wisely? When she asks you repeatedly to leave and you do nothing but heckle and verbally abuse her, does the law really defend those actions? Because I’m certain I would be more than happy to give a full account of what happened to the courts. And since Ms. Houghton and I were both there to witness what happened, it would be rather difficult for Sergeant Caprico to twist the truth, as he seems to want to do.” Duke stubbornly set his chin and glared at the policemen. He was not going to let them stand there and bully him. Not about this. Not about anything. He’d been a cop too. A state trooper. Duke knew plenty about how the brotherhood of policemen functioned.

  Now Sellers turned to Caprico and stared for a moment or two as though he were dying to demand a full account of the situation. In the meantime, Titus was still looking at the policemen as though they had already overstayed their welcome.

  “Now that we have that straightened out,” Titus said expectantly, “you’re free to leave my property and get on with whatever official duties brought you both out to Stone County after nine o’clock at night.”

  Sellers looked irritated, but it was hard to say who it was he was really irritated with. It seemed rather unlikely it was Titus and Duke considering there was an officer right next to him that had contributed mightily to him looking like a fool.

  “In the future,” Sellers blustered, obviously intending to save face, “you need to call the department and let us handle things if you believe there is an officer out of line. There is never a reason for a civilian to put his hands on an officer of the law.”

  “That isn’t entirely true,” Duke could not stop himself from saying. “The law does not provide a cover for policemen to use their position, their uniform, and their badge to intimidate private citizens for their own purposes. And, I’m sorry, but continuing with this ridiculous vendetta against a woman who simply decided she didn’t want to marry you is petty and totally your own purpose, Mathias Caprico.” Duke felt as though his temper were about to boil over. “Not only that, but it weakens any case you might have for her lying about mistreatment during your relationship.”

  “You’re a damned liar!” Caprico lunged forward and tried to grab Duke.

  Duke effortlessly turned his body to the side, lifted his arm, and rebuffed Caprico’s wild, emotional charge. “You’re not making it seem like I am now, are you?”

  Sellers looked uncomfortable. “And what in the hell gives you the right to say what’s in the law or not?”

  “Duke here was a state trooper for years,” Titus drawled with amusement. “Didn’t you know that? He’s got a pretty tight handle on the ethics of law enforcement.”

  “That’s why I left,” Duke told the policemen. “I got tired of everyone around me trying to bend the laws for their own purposes. And now here I am watching it happen yet again. I’d like to say that I’m surprised, but I’m not. But like hell I’m going to let it happen right under my nose.”

  The two policemen didn’t say another word. They got in their cruiser and left, throwing gravel from beneath their back tires as they rushed out of the parking lot and headed back toward the Taney County line with all possible haste.

  “Well then,” Titus said in a voice filled with amusement, “in the future, you should probably not leave out details like that one. Not that I’m criticizing you. I know you, Duke Dunbar. You’re justice-oriented. It’s why I hired you. I know I can trust you to behave yourself without abusing your authority. Just be careful getting mixed up with this woman. All right?”

  “What woman?” Duke said automatically.

  Titus grabbed the camera equipment and shook his head as he headed for the office to drop it off. “Right, Duke. What woman?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Olivia sat center stage and let the tears stream down her cheeks. Staring out at the blackness of the seats created by the glaring overhead stage lights, she struggled to make sense of what was happening. Family was all she had. Family was supposed to be important. This show was her family, which included those who worked there, especially her uncle. They were all that she had. For the first time though, it was a terrifying truth.

  Reaching for the hem of her practice skirt, Olivia wiped her eyes and tried to calm down. She didn’t know what to do, which was the scariest part of what was happening. It wasn’t like she’d never been in this situation before though. She’d had plenty of experience with those moments in life where you didn’t know how to proceed or who to trust. Hadn’t she stood beside the open graves of both her parents and thought her world was ending right then and there?

  The jingle of dog tags was the first tip off that Olivia wasn’t quite alone. The little red chihuahua came trotting onto the stage from somewhere off to the right. His toenails clicked with each step and there was no doubt in Olivia’s mind where the little critter was headed. Chili was a typical teacup dog. If he could find someplace to burrow, he was all about it. And right now he made a beeline for her lap before curling up and practically disappearing into himself.

  “Are you tired?” Olivia asked the little dog as she lightly stroked his thin, silky fur with her fingertips. “I can’t imagine why. You work maybe two hours a day and sleep the rest.”

  It was amazing how much a dog could do to change your mood. It was almost like the need to care for the little creature was enough to pull Olivia out of her own self-pity. Who had time to wallow in depression and loneliness when there was a tiny creature like Chili Pepper with his sad eyes staring up at you begging you to snuggle close.

  “Oh, there he is.” Uncle Riley walked out on stage from the safe general direction that Chili had come from. “I wondered why he seemed determined to come out here and have a poke around. That dog always liked you, Olivia.”

  She used one finger to scratch beneath Chili’s tiny jaw. “He’s just a shameless attention hog.”

  Riley squatted down and scooped the dog out of her lap. He settled the critter in the crook of his arm and then stared down at Olivia. “Are you done with your dancing? You should go. It’s late. You’ve probably got plenty of work to do tomorrow. That donkey will be here about eight in the morning.”

  “Eight o’clock?” Olivia felt her mouth pop open. “Have you talked to Mona about that? She doesn’t usually bring Snooker until about ten o’clock and she’s probably going to need to see health certificates and shot records and things. Does the donkey have a current negative Coggins report? Did you even think to get a pre-purchase exam from the vet? We need to make sure the donkey is healthy enough to participate in the show.” The list went on and on in Olivia’s head. Sometimes it shocked her the way Riley would just dive into something with absolut
ely no thought about the welfare of the animal involved or the cooperation of the people he expected to bend over backwards to do his bidding.

  Riley stared down at her. His expression was totally flat. “That’s your problem.”

  Olivia didn’t know what to say. Lately, no—maybe in the last five years—Riley had been acting the regular boundaries and even behavioral norms just didn’t matter more and more. It was so odd and sometimes, like now, it drove Olivia absolutely out of her mind.

  Riley looked almost bored. He was staring down at her and Olivia got the feeling he was actually having a bit of difficulty focusing on her, and not in a vision sense. More as if his mind was wandering.

  “You were dancing?” Riley asked suddenly. He tilted his head and looked mildly annoyed. “You didn’t move any of my markers, did you? Because if you did, they have to be remeasured. It’s absolutely vital for my performance and this is my stage after all.”

  “Right.” Olivia swiped at her eyes and stood up. “I don’t move your markers, Riley. I just keep the barre in the back tucked behind some stuff. And I don’t need the… well, it’s not necessary for me to move anything.”

  “Oh. Okay. That’s good.” Riley seemed satisfied with that. Then he made a face at her practice clothes. “Should you really be doing this anymore? You’re not a kid, Olivia. You’re a grown woman.”

  Olivia was taken aback. “You always said that dancing was good.”

  “Well, when you had a hope of performing, sure.” He shrugged. “I thought it was ridiculous that your parents didn’t try to get you a gig with some television show or one of the theaters here in Branson when you were young and cute.”

  Olivia swallowed as her brain processed what he was implying. “And now that I’m no longer cute and probably not ready to go on stage?”

  “It just seems rather pointless.” Riley seemed totally uninterested in what she might want to do. “Your job is to manage my show—the stage, the business end of it, the whole thing. The dancing thing came and went. This is your life now.”