I hesitated when I saw a familiar car parked in front of the rescue. I started to get excited as we veered off our course to the front doors, and to the little side door that went up to the residences on the two floors above CPT. Those floors held low rent residences for dog walkers and my mother's flat. The rent paid the mortgage on the building so that we didn't have to dip into Calvin's trust fund to lease the Central Park Tails area. It made more fiscal sense to buy the building instead.
I had to sigh and shake my head at myself. When had I become a real estate maven? I seemed to be collecting properties. My five-year plan had originally only included my apartment. Now, there I was, owning my apartment, and the addition of the third-floor studio above to make the master suite. Then there was the underground parking spot a block from home that one of my client's owner's sold to me as a thank you for taking care of her fuzzy baby before she moved upstate.
What? I know I don't own a car, but I'm not stupid. Parking spots in Manhattan are worth more than their weight in gold.
Next was Calvin's old apartment that was given to him and his caretaker, me, when his mother died. I rent that to my twin brother Gar and his wife, Becky.
Then I made the decision to buy the CPT building and renovate and rent the apartments on the second floor and studios on the third floor. It was an initial capital investment, but as I said, the rent we got from the units paid the mortgage and utilities. This way, Calvin's inheritance was put to work in a constructive manner instead of wasting it on a lease.
The last purchase before I got married, is probably going to upset Jane when she learns of it when we sit down to combine our finances tonight. When mom put the family home in Liberty up for sale last year, I tried to accept it, but I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the memories of dad yet. I had my cousin, Polly, set up a Limited Liability Company for me and purchase the house. I use the rent to pay the mortgage, and the LLC pays a property management service to maintain it.
I'm first to admit that I have problems letting go.
I sighed and unclipped Calvin as I unlocked the entry door to the residences. His tail swished as he dashed into the short little hall and up the stairs. I had to chuckle at his enthusiasm, he loved visiting mom and Puddles as much as I did.
The thought of our old cocker spaniel weighed heavy on my heart. Mom had to take the elevator down to walk her now as the old pup couldn't navigate the stairs anymore. I dreaded the day she would no longer be with us.
I don't think my heart could take it.
She's been with us since just after dad died, and she was a fighter. She survived a tunnel cave-in at a huge sand mound at a construction site that killed her mom and litter mates, and sort of woke me up from my heartache at missing my father, letting me know it was still ok to love.
Calvin and the dogs mom routinely steals for the night from the shelter to keep her company, keeps the old girl's tail wagging. I think Puddles thinks she's the mom of all the rescue dogs at CPT, and it makes her feel younger.
I passed the mailboxes inset in the wall and bounded up the steps two at a time, I had to smirk when I saw the door to the apartment on the left was open and not a Calvin to be seen. My mother had the only decent sized apartment in the building. The only other door on the second floor belonged to a smaller studio that was identical to the three studios on the third floor.
I slipped into the open door and called out, “Knock knock.” I saw mom look up from where she was crouched giving Calvin a good scratch, while her free hand absently stroked Puddles' silvering hair. Killer was there, yipping and bouncing, trying to nip at Calvin's ears while Gar and Bec's Oscar ran around all of them with the boundless energy of a longhaired dachshund. I had to smile at the sight.
I shut the door and hung my jacket on one of the pegs by the door labeled Finnegan. We had taken the board with the pegs from the old house. I rested my hand on the old familiar thing that dad had built, my old faded labels curling at the edges.
Then when I turned, I squeed when I saw the owner of the car up front as she came out of the kitchen with a bundle of joy.
I rushed up to a super smiley Becky, in all her toned and athletic glory and promptly stole one of the biggest sources of joy in my life from her. I smiled hugely at my niece as I absently said, “Hi mom, hi Becky.”
Then as I was making baby talk to the most amazing baby girl in the world, Alyxandra Oleander May, the wise-asses started talking amongst themselves, “Glad too see we rate a greeting at least.” “Right?”
I stopped making silly faces at the little girl, who had the May eyes, and was wearing one of the tiny pink sundresses I had bought for her and looked up at the women. I smushed my smirky lips to one side and asked, “What? Can't Alyx's favorite aunt dote on her favorite niece?”
Mom was just grinning, and Rebecca stepped to my side and leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “She's your only niece, short stuff. And what makes you think you're her favorite aunt? What about Connie and Delilah?”
She invoked the names of her sisters. I've only met them once, at her and Gar's wedding, and they looked a lot like Becky, just older and without the chiseled physique of a rock climbing instructor. Bec was the baby of her family.
Connie was a securities manager down in Florida. She did well for herself, married, and three children, with what she says is her dream job. She has a thing for numbers.
Delilah? Well, she was the black sheep of their family and worked as a bartender in a casino in... New Jersey. Shudder. But she was delightfully sarcastic and kept us all laughing after the newlyweds ran off to their honeymoon. And she had a tough look about her and was what Jess and Kerry called a butch lesbian. Which explained Rebecca's nonreaction when she found out I was bi when I started dating Jane. My sis-in-law was super awesome.
I countered as I turned my body to prevent her from stealing her daughter back, “Then who's dress is she wearing?” Then I googly eyed my niece and said in baby-talk, “Don't listen to them. Who looks so pretty in her dress? Who's a little heartbreaker?”
By all that was fluffy and good in this world, looking at her made my heart ache in need, wanting one of my own. That was going to be a huge conversation with my copper wife one day. Gah, I'm such a girl sometimes.
I leaned in when mom stepped up, and I kissed her cheek. Then looked at Killer with a smirk, as the three dogs played. “Seems you have a favorite.” She lightly slapped my shoulder with a smirk of her own on her face. I studied it a moment. More than once Jane and the girls said I got my smirk from my mom. I don't see it, her's is much more smug than mine.
I smirked. Ok, fine.
Then I turned to Becky and asked, “What brings you here today? Don't you have to be at the gym?”
My opportunistic mother, took my moment of distraction to steal the adorable one from me. By the swishing tail and lolling tongue, she was pure evil I say!
As my sis-in-law chuckled at my consternation, she said, “Not today. They're removing the main tower to replace it with a bigger one with more routes to accommodate a wider variety of climbing skill levels.”
Then she bit the inside of her cheek and tried to hide a smile. “You should come in once it is installed, there's a beginner's wall for children.”
I slugged her shoulder, impressed how it felt like coiled steel like Jane's arm. Garrett was a lucky boy. But then again, he's always been popular, so it's not much of a surprise he could land this fitness queen. She just had a baby a few months ago, and she looked amazing. All tight muscle and feminine grace.
“I think just the one time was enough, thank you very much.” It had taken Jane, Jessie, and Kerry all begging me to get me in there the first time. How can anyone resist three amazons begging, especially with Jess throwing around sexual innuendo all the time to keep you off balance? I spent more time screaming and giggling as I fell off the wall to swing in the air on the safety ropes than actually climbing.
She exhaled and gave me a hug, �
�Oh, Fin.”
Then we sat, and they again had me go over the honeymoon... as much as I cared to share. I swear they were living vicariously through me. I had to chuckle, Bec was like an old married woman. For some reason, the paintball match was the most intriguing thing to them as they only had me gloss over the break-ins.
I got to change Alyx's diaper and hog her as much as I could. I was so proud of Calvin, who was so gentle with her whenever we lowered her for him to see. It's like he got instinctively calmer and almost protective. Dogs are smarter and more empathetic than people like to give them credit for.
I asked about the zip line. And Rebecca perked up at my mom's description of the adrenaline rush and how “You should try it, girls, you're only young once.” No thank you, you couldn't get me to ride a string of death.
By the time we were winding down with sharing each other's current events, mom stood and said, “As much as I'd like to stay home and commune with my granddaughter... oh, and my children.” She grinned at the implied afterthought which just got both of us younger Mays smirking at her. “I have a column to write, then I have to get ready for tonight.”
I started to stand and asked as Calvin made a whining sound as he cocked his head at me, tongue lolling out as he wondered if we were going, “What activity do you have planned tonight?”
Bec grabbed her diaper bag and pried her daughter from mom's talons as we were lead to the door. I clipped up Oscar for the mother of my super-niece. Mom kissed each of our cheeks then raspberried Alyx's and said as she almost pushed us out the door, “I have a dinner date.”
We both spun back to have the door closed in our faces. In unison, we both blurted, “What?”
I called through the door, “A date? With who?”
Bec was wide-eyed as she chimed in, “Come on Winnie... mom, you can't just drop a bomb like that then shut us out.”
All we got in return was muffled laughter which I equated to evil cackling.
We stared at the door then each other as we smiled widely. I muttered, “The brat.”
She nodded agreement. “Isn't she just?”
A date.
Mom had a date. My smile doubled. For years Gar and I have been trying to get her to get back in the dating world. Dad would have wanted it. And once she moved to the big city, she had started taking that to heart. She's always flirting with someone, but we can never catch the target of her interest. Now she pulls this offhanded, “Oh, I've got a date,” stuff?
I whispered to Bec, “She's got a date.”
She grinned like a loon.
Then I asked, “You know who with?”
She shrugged and said, “I was hoping you'd know.”
Grr. I shook my head, and we chuckled and started down the stairs. I crouched to clip Calvin up as we reached the door and I held it open then walked her to her car. I stole my niece from her with an evil giggle and went about securing her in the baby seat in the back seat. The two dogs jumped in, tails swishing and I had to say, “Sorry Cal, not our ride.” He cocked his head, and I winked at him and made the hand signal for heel. He dutifully hopped back out of the vehicle and sat to my left, looking up at me.
I kissed the cute little bundle of cooing joy and then shut the door. I paid the toll, kissing Becky's cheek and said, “Tell Gar hi for me.”
She nodded and said as she walked around to slip into the driver's seat, Oscar getting in her lap, “Will do. In the meantime, we need to do some sleuthing to find out who she's dating.” She nudged her eyes to the second floor.
I grinned and nodded in agreement. Yes. Yes, we did. “Bye Bec. You coming over for movie night?”
She nodded. “See you Saturday, sis.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Then she shut her door, and a few moments later she was driving off as I was waving through the back window at Alyx.
I looked toward home, then CPT and asked my stalwart companion, “Shall we inspect the compound then get home? We have to start the meatloaf for our cop if it's going to be ready when she gets home. He wagged his agreement to our course of action.
Chapter 8 – DNA
Just after Jane arrived home and stowed her weapon in its cupboard above the fridge, there was a knock at the door. I glanced over at it and started for it, but my wife, being the overprotective pain in my butt, reached the door first.
It was a young boy. Well a teenager, in a messenger uniform. “Hi, umm... I have a delivery for a Mrs. Finnegan McLeary-May.” He held up a cardboard envelope and held out an electronic tablet.
I hip bumped my overbearing matrimonial partner over a bit as I squeezed in front of her. I handed the delivery back to her as I smiled and said, “I'm Finnegan.” I signed his tablet and then said, “Just a second.” I dug in my bag hanging on the hooks next to the door and pulled out a five for him. “Thank you.”
He smiled, probably not used to being tipped, but I knew how little people in the service industry made. He repeated my words, “Thank you, ma'am.” Then he was off, with a big smile on his face.
Jane shut and locked the door and moved past me as she asked, “What is it,” as she examined the package. I looked between her and the door, feeling off. Then I reached out and unlocked and locked the door a couple times more, just to make sure, before sighing and turning to her.
I froze. She had that look on her face. The one where she looked almost sad as she studied me intently. I looked down and tucked some hair behind my ear, and smoothed my skirt down as I scurried past her, snagging the document envelope from her hands.
I said as I moved into the little office nook at the base of the circular staircase, pointing at the logo on the package, “It's from the AKC. The DNA results.”
She moved behind me as I sat at the desk and opened the package. I could feel the heat of her body pressed against my back as her hands absently found my shoulders and she started massaging them. I moaned in pleasure and closed my eyes for a moment to savor it. I felt so... loved. I shot a coy look over my shoulder, then pulled out the paperwork inside the envelope.
I smiled. “Oh. We have a positive match instead of a familial one.” I read the papers over, then looked at the back of them as I furrowed my brow and read them again. “Huh.”
She exhaled in frustration and asked, “Care to share with the class?”
I looked back at her and smiled sheepishly. “Well, the results are wrong.”
“Wrong how?” She cocked one of her sculpted brows.
I tapped on the impossible name as I explained, “This says the DNA is from Darius Larkin. Grand champion of the AKC dog show the year after Tinkerbell won it.”
She nodded and shrugged, a slight smile on her face at the name of the big goofy Great Dane that Calvin had frequent play dates with. “So?”
I turned in my chair and offered her the papers as I explained while she read, “Killer can't be Darius.”
She nodded at what she was reading, then cocked the papers off to the side in one hand as she looked at me in curiosity, “How so. It looks like the results are pretty conclusive. You couldn't ask for a better match than a positive match with one hundred percent certainty. We'd kill for results like that in a case.”
I gave her a sardonic look, and she said, “Well I guess there isn't such thing as a true one hundred percent.” I nodded, knowing the chances of someone having the same DNA sequence as you is one in a billion. But there are over seven billion people in the world, which means by the laws of probability, there are six people out there with the same DNA sequence as you. And identical twins also have the same DNA.
The same would hold true for other animals. I said, “Unless we just won the lottery at one in a billion odds, or they made a mistake in the lab, because I know for a fact that Killer is not Darius.”
She smirked, looking amused as she prompted, “Then tell me, canine DNA whisperer, how do you know this?”
I sighed and said plainl
y, “Darius is eight. He won Grand Champion at four.”
She looked like she was waiting for more when I didn't say anything else she prompted again with an expectant look. I rolled my eyes as I thumped Calvin's sides as he slid between us. I sighed yet again and asked, “In what world, is that pup eight years old? He's twelve months at the most.”
Jane just cocked an eyebrow, entreating me to explain.
“Didn't you look at Killer's teeth and eyes? And he still has his downy undercoat. He can't be more than eleven or twelve months at the most.”
She took in a deep breath as she furrowed her brows and looked at the papers in her fist then me. “Are you... of course you're sure. I forgot who I'm talking to. Ok, so the lab made a mistake. Maybe he's one of this Darius' offspring, and their tests aren't as accurate as the crime lab?”
Again I shook my head. “He hasn't been put to stud yet. His owners said he was retiring and they weren't sure if they were going to. Unless they decided it was time and I haven't heard. But that would be huge news. Pups from a grand champion demand a premium.”
She shrugged, and I said, “Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to check with them. The Larkin's live just north of the city.”
I exhaled and slumped, and she seemed to deflate too at the look on my face. “I know, Finny, you've gotten yourself attached... again. But he needs to go back with his family.”
I nodded and said, “I'll contact them and drop by tomorrow after I'm done walking my clients. And really, it's mom who is getting attached. I'm going to hate taking him away from her.”
She smiled softly then her eyes widened as I suddenly sat up, my own eyes wide in excitement as I blurted, “Mom has a date tonight!”
Case of the Yorkshire Pudding Page 6
