For Pete's Sake

by Shannon Esposito

  Nope, not good at all.

  I placed a hand on his arm to brace him. “Actually, Landon, he never showed up at the Vinoy. We were kinda hoping he was here.”

  “What? He never showed up?”

  I held up my hand, trying to stop the rush of anxiety I could see discoloring Landon’s cheeks. “Don’t panic yet. Charlie’s on her way to his house right now to see if he’s there. Maybe he’s just having car trouble, and she can give him a ride back.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. Will placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  My phone buzzed in my hand. “Ah! That’s her now. Hey, Charlie, find out anything?”

  “Uh, you’d better have Will come over here …” Her voice sounded strained.

  My calm façade crumbled, my gut clenching under my red satin bridesmaid’s dress. “What? Why?”

  “Pete’s dead.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  I thought Sylvia was going to faint when I broke the news to her.

  In a surprising burst of speed with all those layers of cascading ruffles, she hoofed it down the path and rushed into view of the waiting guests—a white sequined and taffeta bird startled into flight.

  I half-ran, half-hopped, cursing the torturous heels as I tried to keep up with her and then slowed, torn between staying to comfort her or going with Will to find out what had happened.

  I made it to the ceremony area in time to hear the flurry of Portuguese as she relayed the news to her family. Haunting wails immediately erupted from her mother.

  Landon moved quickly to comfort Sylvia. Voices rose and a crowd gathered around her. Her cousins hurried past me and joined in the wailing.

  I decided she had enough support with her family there. Hiking up my dress to free my legs, I ran back to catch Will in the parking lot. Well, I tried to run, but twisted my ankle and went back to hopping.

  When I caught Will at his car and fell into the passenger seat, panting and red-faced, his mouth twitched.

  “You sure you don’t want to stay here with Sylvia?” He loosened his bow tie and motioned back the way I had come. “A wedding is much more pleasant than where I’m going.”

  I buckled my seatbelt, trying to catch my breath. “You haven’t seen Sylvia’s family upset.” I shook my head. “Besides, Charlie sounded really shaken up, and I feel like the worst friend in the world for letting her go there alone.”

  Will moved his hand to mine and squeezed. “All right. Let’s go find out what happened then.”

  We pulled up alongside the yard of the Placido Way address Charlie had given me. The scream of sirens were getting closer. I jumped out of the car and winced as my twisted ankle failed to support me. Stifling a curse word, I limped down the red-bricked path. Charlie was waiting on the porch step of Peter Vanek’s tan and brown ranch style home.

  “Are you all right?” I hugged her. Her face was blotchy and tear stained.

  “Better than Pete.” She jerked a thumb toward the cracked open front door behind her.

  Will approached, carrying protective gear in a plastic bag under his arm and a notebook in his hand. “Charlie, I need you to start from the beginning and tell me exactly what happened when you got here.”

  She nodded and sniffed. “I went to knock on the door, but saw it was ajar. So, I pushed it wider and yelled for Pete. After a few seconds, I could hear a dog barking, but he didn’t come to the door. So, I yelled again, louder. Something just didn’t feel right. The lights were all on, but it was too quiet. I stepped into the house and there he was, a little further on down the hallway across from the kitchen … just … just lying there with his eyes wide opened.” She shuddered, her fists gripping the edges of her blue cotton dress. “I checked for a pulse but he was obviously gone. That’s when I ran out and called you, Darwin.”

  “All right. Thank you. You girls stay here.”

  No problem. Seeing a dead body was not on my to-do list today.

  Will trudged up the wide, brick steps onto the porch. We watched as he tore open the plastic bag and dressed himself in the protective gear, including slipping paper booties over his shoes. He then pushed the door open wider with a gloved hand and disappeared through it.

  “Why’d he do that? Put on all that stuff?” Charlie asked. “Is he treating this as a crime scene?”

  “Don’t worry. They have to treat every death as a possible crime.”

  The puppy’s faint, desperate yipping reached us through the wide-open door. Poor thing. It must be confined or surely it’d be running out here to greet us.

  Maybe the puppy saw something? I’d have to hold it and see if I could get any images from it. But for now, my attention stayed on Charlie. I slid an arm around her. Her skin was hot and flushed. The tiny diamond in her nose-piercing glittered in the sunlight. She stared at the grass in obvious shock.

  “I’m sorry you had to find Peter like that. I can’t even imagine how awful that must’ve been. Were there any signs of trauma?”

  She rested her head on my shoulder. “No, none that I could see. He actually looked sort of peaceful. Except for his eyes being wide open, which was beyond creepy. He could’ve been sleeping. He’s all dressed up, wearing a black tux, shoes and everything like he was getting ready to leave for the wedding when he … he must’ve just collapsed.”

  A patrol car pulled up behind Will’s sedan, its lights whirling, and right behind it came an ambulance, firetruck and a second unmarked sedan. I recognized the two officers who’d exited the patrol car and were now making their way down the brick path toward us with the ambulance crew close behind.

  I raised my hand in greeting when they arrived. “Hey, y’all. Will’s inside.”

  “Thanks, Darwin.” Officer Fisch turned to the ambulance crew behind them. “You two wait here. I’ll let Detective Blake know you’re here and have you sign in.” He looked back at us. “You girls doin’ all right?”

  “Hangin’ in there,” I answered.

  He nodded and turned to his partner, handing him a roll of yellow crime scene tape. “You go on and get this place cordoned off.” He glanced around the area. “I guess make the perimeter the entire yard and driveway to be safe.” He tapped the clipboard in his left hand. “I’ll take care of the security log.”

  Once again, my attention was drawn to the puppy, who’s barking had turned to desperate whining. If there was no obvious cause of death, I might be able to help. I needed to hold the puppy. Luckily, Will reappeared at that moment.

  I waited until he finished talking with Officer Fisch and the ambulance crew, then stood and motioned him over.

  He had his mask pulled down beneath his chin, and he looked hot and frustrated. “What’s up?”

  “I can hear the dog inside.” I raised an eyebrow. “Can you let me hold him?”

  Will started to speak and then caught himself. I saw it hit him … the understanding of exactly what I was asking and what it meant, the uncertainty, the battle and then the moment he gave in with a frown. “Sure. Wait here.”

  He returned carrying a soft travel crate. I ignored the fact he wouldn’t make eye contact with me as he handed the crate over. Instead, I lifted the crate and peered inside. Two glistening black eyes and a pink tongue greeted me from the shadows. I smiled. “Well, hello there, cutie pie.” I glanced back up at Will. “It’s a Yorkie pup. I’m just gonna take him out in the yard.”

  “Yeah, sure. Let me know if … you know.” He mumbled something else, nodded and then disappeared again.

  “I will,” I said to the empty air. Well, at least he believed in my connection with animals now. He would get comfortable with it eventually, right?

  I’d kicked my shoes off and squatted above the grass as I unzipped the carrier. I didn’t feel like getting grass stains on a five hundred dollar bridesmaid’s dress, even if the chances of me ever wearing it again were slim.

  “Come on out, cutie pie. Come on, we’re not gonna hurt ya,” I coaxed, making soft kissy sounds.

 
; The pup stuck a tiny black nose out of the bag opening, sniffed the grass and then pounced on it with zeal. I laughed as he rolled around, a brown and black fluff ball showing us his little pink, freckled belly. He jumped up and nipped at the hem of my dress and then took off through the thick grass. He was surprisingly quick for a creature with two inch legs.

  “I’ll get him.” Charlie pushed herself off of the step.

  I watched her catch up to him only when he stopped to pee. She scooped him up when he was finished and held him to her. “Stop that!” she cried as he bit her earlobe. “He’s got baby vampire teeth,” she squealed, handing him over to me. But she was smiling, which was nice to see.

  As I wrapped my fingers around his tiny body, a current of energy zinged up my spine and then branched out through my arms and legs. An image flashed in my mind—a woman’s elegant hand with French manicured nails. A giant diamond engagement ring with rubies and sapphires on either side. A feeling of confusion washed over me. A flash of hardwood floor through black mesh. A burst of frustration the color of red light.

  The pressure built inside my head until a small “pop!” in my ears signaled its release.

  I sighed. Well, that wasn’t a very strong vision, more like an echo of the event. I held the puppy close and let him furiously kiss my chin, then I wiped at the tear stains on either side of his nose with my thumb before squatting and putting him back in the carrier. “Poor little thing.”

  That was disappointing. Not the high intensity trauma one would expect from a puppy if he’d witnessed his owner’s death. I bit the inside of my lip and watched the Medical Examiner’s van pull up as I thought about that gorgeous ring and wondered who owned it. Guess it didn’t matter anyway. The vision probably had nothing to do with what had happened here this morning.

  We watched as the M.E. and two crime scene techs exited the van and proceeded to slip into white suits similar to what Will had put on. We moved out of their way as they carried their equipment up the step and into the house.

  While we waited, I played with the leather tag hanging from the carrier. It seemed like Peter Vanek was getting ready to take this puppy somewhere. Maybe to someone who’d watch it while he photographed Sylvia’s wedding?

  I glanced over at Charlie, who obviously had no qualms about grass stains as she’d opted to sit in the yard beside the porch. “This isn’t Peter’s name on here. It’s a woman’s. His girlfriend, maybe?”

  She shrugged. “He never mentioned a girlfriend, but I didn’t know much about his personal life. Only that he was passionate about helping unwanted animals. That’s mostly what we talked about. Ways to help stray and abused animals, and photography, of course.” She plucked at the grass.

  “He really hated the whole shelter situation. That’s why he tried to train as many willing students as he can … could … to take photos of the dogs dressed up in cute outfits. He said it really made a difference in finding them homes. Helped humanize them.” She smiled sadly. “He had this big dream, you know. He talked about it all the time. He wanted to build a no-kill shelter on enough land so the animals weren’t stuck living out their lives in small cages while waiting for their forever homes.” She sniffed and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “He was one of the most kind-hearted people I’ve ever met. I can’t believe he’s gone. It’s so surreal.”

  “I’m truly sorry. His death seems like a terrible loss … for people and for the animals.”

  We sat silently for a little while after that. Resting my head against the porch railing, I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind to the water behind the house. The tension melted from my body almost immediately and, as my chest relaxed, my breath came easier.

  Being half water elemental sure came in handy at times like this. As much as I complained about being a freak, I didn’t appreciate the stress relieving part of it near enough. Waiting to find out what had happened to Peter Vanek was torturous, especially with the tiny gnats dive bombing our eyes and nose.

  “Good God, these things are annoying,” Charlie said, swiping at her face. She stood and dusted off her hands. “I’ve gotta do something. I’m going crazy.”

  I unzipped the travel carrier. “Here, play with this little ball of love for a bit.”

  I watched her for about fifteen minutes, chasing the puppy in the grass, then letting it chase her. He rolled around, chased his own tail, took a tumble dashing after a dragonfly, and barked and leaped at nothing until he was just plumb tuckered out.

  Charlie carried the Yorkie back over. It was panting and both of them looked more relaxed. She sat back down with the pup in her lap. It only took a few seconds for him to fall asleep.

  “When he’s done with his little cat nap, we’re going to have to get him some water,” Charlie said.

  Nodding in agreement, I reached over and stroked between his ears with an index finger. “Also, if this is Peter’s girlfriend’s puppy, we probably need to get it back to her and give her the bad news.”

  After another long stretch of time, Will finally stepped back out on the porch and removed his mask, hoodie and gloves. His gaze found mine. I pushed myself up and limped up the step to him.

  “Are you all right?” He motioned to my ankle.

  “Yeah, just twisted the darn thing. It’ll be fine.”

  He nodded toward the puppy curled up in Charlie’s lap. “Well, anything?” he asked warily. He didn’t seem excited about the prospect of getting a clue this way.

  I shook my head and detected a note of relief on his face. “Just an image of a lady’s hand, wearing a huge engagement ring. And some crappy emotions with it. But, there’s a name on the dog carrier. It’s a woman’s name and number. A Rachel Jennson. Should I call it and see if she’s the dog’s owner?”

  “Is there an address?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We’ll just stop by then. If she knows him, I’d like to see her reaction to his death.”

  I crossed my arms and studied the tightness in his jawline. “Are you thinking foul play?”

  Will shrugged noncommittally. “M.E. right now says it looks like a heart attack. We won’t know for sure until the autopsy, but I couldn’t find Mr. Vanek’s camera anywhere. Surely, if he was about to leave for Sylvia’s wedding, his camera would be packed up and ready to go, either in the house somewhere or already in his car.”

  I stared at the front door. “Charlie said he has a studio here at the house, did you check in there?”

  “Yes. A quick sweep turned up some lenses and other gear, but no cameras.”

  “Huh. That is weird. So maybe a robbery gone wrong? He does seem a bit young for a heart attack.”

  “If he didn’t have any pre-existing heart condition, yes he does. But why steal the cameras and not the lenses?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  We sent Charlie back to The Sunken Gardens to give Sylvia the scoop on what we knew so far, while we drove the puppy to the address on the carrier.

  “There, that’s it. On the left.” I pointed to a large beige, Spanish-style home sitting back from the road. Will pulled into the driveway, and I grabbed the carrier from the backseat.

  Her landscaping was the usual variety of large and small palm trees, silver saw palmettos, a couple of overgrown bird-of-paradise, some pink dwarf oleander. I eyed that. It was pretty close to the sidewalk. I hoped she knew it was poisonous and kept this little guy away from it.

  The doorbell made a soft chiming sound. After a few seconds, the door swung open and a young woman stood before us.

  No, make that a goddess. A half-naked goddess at that.

  She stood there in a red bikini that barely covered her curves, her skin a flawless caramel, her dark hair like silk falling over her shoulder, and her amber eyes glittering with curiosity.

  She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow as she raked Will with her gaze. “Yes? Can I help you?”

  Something unfamiliar stirred in my chest like a bristling cat. Even her voice was inviting. Talk
about winning the genetic lottery.

  At that moment I realized I wasn’t the only one mesmerized by her. The bristling cat tensed within me. I nudged Will with my elbow.

  “Yes.” He cleared his throat and kept his gaze purposely fixed on her eyes. “Are you Rachel Jensson?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Detective Blake and this is Darwin. We’ve just come from Peter Vanek’s home and this puppy was found there.” He pointed at the carrier. “Your name and address are on the carrier. Is he yours?”

  Leaning over, she peered in at the puppy, and I felt the carrier jiggle as the little guy shifted forward and yipped excitedly.

  I also noted Will was suddenly interested in the wood frame above her head. What a gentleman.

  Thankfully, she stood back up. “He was. I gave him to Petey last week to try and find him a home. I think Petey was getting attached to him, though.” Her attention shifted from the puppy to Will. She looked him up and down, her eyes narrowing. “Do all detectives wear tuxes to make house calls?”

  “We’re supposed to be at a friend’s wedding. Mr. Vanek was the photographer hired to shoot the wedding, but he didn’t show up.”

  A fleeting cloud of worry passed over her expression. Mostly her eyes, the rest of her face didn’t move much. Maybe genetics weren’t solely responsible for her perfection after all.

  She crossed her arms. “Well, that’s not like him at all. Did something happen? Is that why you’re here?”

  “May we come in?”

  “Yes. Of course.” She stepped aside to let us enter and a knot formed in my stomach as I caught a whiff of her perfume. She even smelled good.

  Stop it, Darwin.

  What in blue blazes was wrong with me? Why did it bother me that this gorgeous woman also smelled nice? Did I really need her to be flawed in some way?

  She led us through the entranceway to an open living room, which was littered with clothes, shoes and empty water bottles. She moved a pile of dresses off the cream sofa. “Please sit.”

  The puppy began to yip even more and scratch at the carrier door.