by Tasha Black
“Right,” Natalie said, begrudgingly impressed. “How did you know that?”
“The leather pen case,” Vi replied. “It was a little too big, and he carried it in his right breast pocket.”
“True,” Natalie admitted.
“How did that tell you it was an EpiPen?” Jana asked, looking back and forth between them.
“Because he was right-handed,” Natalie said. “He would have kept a pen in his left breast pocket to grab for writing. Anything in his right pocket would be something he wanted to have close, but didn’t think he’d actually use.”
Vi gave her a reluctant half smile.
“Anyway,” Natalie said, “there was no EpiPen anywhere at the scene. Not on his person, or even in the desk. It’s totally out of character for him, especially when eating homemade treats. He knew the risks.”
“The treats on his desk were homemade?” Vi asked.
“It looked that way,” Natalie replied.
“Who made them?” Vi asked.
Shit.
“I-I wasn’t paying close enough attention,” Natalie admitted.
“Why not?” Vi asked.
“Vi, her friend just died,” Jana reminded Vi quietly.
“Yeah, right,” Vi said. “Sorry about that.”
“No, you were right,” Natalie said. “I should have been paying attention to that. I should have been paying attention to everything.”
“So what were you paying attention to?” Vi asked.
Jana rolled her eyes as if her friend were a lost cause.
But it was actually a good question. What had she noticed?
“The drapes were thrown open,” Natalie said slowly. “They’re never open. Most likely it was done by one of the first responders on the scene, to make it easier for the guys to look around, but not necessarily.”
She automatically reached for her notepad, but of course she wasn’t in uniform.
“I’m on it,” Vi told her, whipping out a notepad of her own.
“And I could hear Barker Posey whimpering in her crate in the other room,” she went on.
“Did the police put her in the crate when they arrived?” Vi asked.
“That’s what they told me,” Natalie replied.
“Did you notice anything else?” Vi asked.
Natalie shook her head.
“The chief got me out of there pretty fast. I think he was worried about me. We’re all pretty close down at the station. Anyway, he let me take the dog and he gave me the rest of the week off with pay, and then he walked me out.”
“Do you trust him?” Vi asked.
“Of course,” Natalie said, offended.
“Then why are you here?” Vi asked.
“He’s not going to investigate,” Natalie said.
“How do you know?” Vi asked.
“He told me he isn’t,” Natalie said. “He asked me to stay out of it too.”
“Why?” Vi asked.
“He said it was for the good of the town,” Natalie said bitterly. “He said that digging into something that’s obviously a tragic accident will only upset people.”
“Hmm,” Vi said.
“I care about this town,” Natalie told them. “I really do.”
“We know that,” Jana told her.
“But something about this doesn’t feel right to me,” Natalie said.
Spenser wrapped an arm around her, and Jana patted her hand like a mother comforting a small child.
But it was Vi’s scowl of annoyed concentration that made her feel better. Her wheels were turning, and that meant that Natalie had been right to be suspicious.
“I’ll take the case,” Vi said, giving a single, firm nod and then getting up from the table.
5
Natalie
Natalie held her phone to her ear as she exited the vehicle with Vi and her friends. On the other end, Lila from the station was gabbing on and on about office gossip.
“…Anyway,” Lila said at last, “I’ll check out that traffic cam on the mayor’s street for you and get back to you shortly.”
“Thank you so much,” Natalie said, meaning it. “And please don’t tell anyone.”
Natalie had covered for Lila a few times. Hopefully, that would keep her quiet. The last thing Natalie needed was to get on the chief’s bad side.
Vi slammed the driver’s side door of the old ice cream truck she now used as a crime-solving vehicle, and joined everyone else on the sidewalk.
“Can’t you leave the dog in the car?” Vi asked Natalie.
“It gets hot in there fast,” Natalie said, clutching Barker Posey’s leash protectively. “Plus, she’s my alibi if anyone sees me there.”
“You mean sees us there,” Vi corrected her.
Natalie sighed.
She knew Vi needed to see the crime scene for herself - it was a condition of her taking the case. And it was a good idea. Vi was very observant. Natalie knew that much.
But she was also risking her career by sneaking a private investigator into the mayor’s home.
The dead mayor’s home.
On the other hand, what else was she supposed to do?
“Come on,” she said quickly, before she had a chance to change her mind.
The group strode onward, toward the block where the mayor’s little blue house was shaded by two magnolias.
“We’ll go in the back,” Natalie suggested. “Through the alleyway.”
Barker Posey’s ears lifted slightly. She knew she was nearly home, and Natalie was afraid she thought the mayor might be there.
“We’re only going for a minute,” she whispered to the hopeful dog. “He’s not there.”
Spenser moved closer to walk beside her.
“It will be painful for you to go to your friend’s house because he is dead,” he pointed out kindly in his deep voice.
He was an alien and had maybe missed the finer points of how to be sympathetic, but his heart was definitely in the right place.
“Yes,” she said. “That’s true.”
“I will be with you,” he told her.
“Oh, no, it’s bad enough that Vi needs to come in,” she said. “The rest of you will have to stay outside.”
He didn’t reply.
He was silent, but his mouth had formed a thin line of displeasure.
“It’s just a house,” Natalie said. “Sure, he was the mayor, but it wasn’t anything fancy.”
“I have no desire to see this house,” Spenser said firmly.
“Oh,” she replied. “You just looked kind of ticked off.”
“What does it mean to be ticked off?” he asked. “I have no bugs on me, if this is what you mean.”
“No,” she said, smiling. “It means annoyed or a little bit angry.”
“Ah,” he said. “Yes. I am ticked off.”
“Why?” she asked. “I might get in trouble, but your friend Vi won’t be in danger. I will protect her.”
“But who will protect you?” he asked.
She looked up at him in surprise.
His dark eyes looked especially soulful. His expression wasn’t annoyed, it was pained.
“I can protect myself,” she said slowly, feeling a little ticked off herself. “I’m a trained police officer. I aced my hand-to-hand training at the academy. But I don’t think it’s going to come up.”
He turned away, as if he were trying to focus on the trees and the houses instead of talking with her.
“Is there something else?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “But we will talk of it later.”
She nodded.
It was impossible not to think about their attraction, and the deal with the men from Aerie.
In the papers it said they were here to search for their bonded mates, and that once they found them, they were extremely protective.
She was certainly attracted to him, but it felt unlikely that she was his mate. They had only met by happenstance. And he had said nothing abou
t it.
The interviews with the Stargazer Three always began with the women talking about how the one called Bond had wooed Posey immediately, just moments after they met.
Those first three women to meet aliens had to learn everything about the men from Aerie in a hurry.
Now the world knew more. And none of it led Natalie to think it was likely that she was Spenser’s mate. She was sure they would be interested in women who were more adventurous and outgoing. And they probably expected stuff like…
“Going in the back door?” Vi asked, coming up to join them.
“What?” Natalie coughed.
“Are we going in the back door?” Vi repeated. “To stay less visible?”
“Yeah,” Natalie said, glad for the distraction.
“We should have everyone else spread out,” Vi suggested. “They can signal us if anyone is coming.”
“Good thinking,” Natalie said. “I’m going to head in with Barker Posey by myself now. That way if anyone is already there, I’ve got good reason to be inside. I’ll signal to you if the coast is clear.”
Vi nodded and headed back to the rest of the group.
“Be careful,” Spenser intoned. “Please.”
“I will,” Natalie said without looking at him.
She was afraid if she looked in his eyes, he might read her thoughts, and she would be infinitely embarrassed if he knew she was thinking about being his mate.
She headed to the back gate and lifted the clasp.
Barker Posey headed right to her favorite tree and squatted to pee. Natalie waited for her, taking the opportunity to glance around and be sure no one was watching her.
Though it was a beautiful day, none of the neighbors were out on their decks. When Barker was finished, they jogged up onto the back porch.
The mayor’s back door was locked, which was a first. But the key was thoughtfully left under a potted plant next to the door.
She slipped it in, turned the knob, and they were in.
The house felt quieter than usual. The mayor’s classical music wasn’t playing, and he wasn’t on the phone chatting up one person or another, trying to cajole the whole town into bettering itself.
Barker Posey sat politely, looking up at the cookie jar on the kitchen counter that held her treats.
Natalie took a moment to pull one out for her.
“Hello,” she called out, as the dog made quick work of the biscuit.
Natalie headed out into the living room and then crossed over into the dining room, finally peeking her head into the study.
The downstairs was clear. So far, so good.
She trotted up the steps, Barker Posey at her heels.
After finding the bedrooms and bath empty, she headed back down to the kitchen and waved at the window.
Vi waved back from the alley and then headed up the rear steps, holding something.
“Is that a magazine?” Natalie asked as Vi came in.
“It’s my cover,” Vi said. “If anyone asks why I’m here, it was delivered to the wrong house.”
“Nice,” Natalie said as she led the way to the study.
She had a hard time even looking at the room, though she knew it was her duty to help Vi search it.
“What are you doing?” Vi asked her. “Go get the dog’s stuff. Let me concentrate.”
Natalie knew she should argue, but she felt nothing but sweet relief as she headed out to the living room.
She grabbed a reusable shopping bag from the table by the front door and took it over to the dog’s toy bin.
Barker Posey followed with interest.
Natalie had nearly filled the bag when she heard a loud whistle outside.
She froze, realizing they were being warned.
“Vi,” she called out softly.
“Almost done,” Vi called back. “Buy me some time.”
But the front door was already opening.
“Hello,” Natalie called, so as not to startle whoever was entering.
She was relieved to see it was one of her nicer colleagues, Lance. He wasn’t likely to make trouble for them.
“Natalie, what are you doing here?” Lance asked, looking a little scandalized.
“I had to get Barker Posey’s stuff,” Natalie said, allowing herself to look at little guilty. “Please don’t tell the chief I was here. I was so upset when I left before that I didn’t even think to get her toys or her food.”
“Oh,” Lance said, looking a little relieved. “Sure, go ahead and get her stuff. But then you better get out of here, the chief is on his way.”
“What for?” Natalie asked. “I thought he didn’t want to investigate.”
“He just wanted to make sure we cleaned up after ourselves today,” Lance said. “And get the place locked down until the estate attorney gets in touch. As a courtesy to the mayor’s memory.”
“That’s nice,” Natalie allowed.
“I guess,” Lance said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
His back was to the study, so he didn’t see Vi poke her face out and give Natalie a thumbs up.
Natalie automatically smiled back at her.
Lance got a funny look on his face.
Crap.
He was asking if she was okay after the death of her mentor, and she was grinning at him.
Way to act normal.
“It’s so kind of you to ask,” Natalie said, trying to give a reason for the smile. “It’s really good to have a close colleague like you.”
“Er, thanks,” Lance said.
She wasn’t really lying. It was nice, and they had always been friendly, if not particularly close.
She hoped she wasn’t giving him the wrong idea.
Meanwhile, Vi looked desperate.
She couldn’t go out the French doors of the study without making too much noise. And she certainly couldn’t walk out into the living room where Lance and Natalie were.
If Natalie stopped talking with Lance for even a moment, he would surely head right into the study and find Vi.
If only they had one more person, they could create a diversion. Natalie glanced over at Barker Posey and had a sudden thought.
The mayor was very proud of his dog’s training. He had shown it off to Natalie a million times.
Barker Posey responded to hand controls as well as to vocal commands. The mayor felt there was no excuse for not training a canine. Their intelligence made training essential in his eyes - the smarter the dog, the more training it needed.
And Barker Posey was super smart.
Natalie coughed to get the dog’s attention.
As soon as she looked up, Natalie gave her the signal for play dead.
Barker Posey did her late owner credit, flopping suddenly to the ground, bouncing stiffly a little, for effect.
“Oh, my God,” Natalie cried, feigning despair.
“What happened to her?” Lance asked.
“She has seizures,” Natalie wailed, kneeling at the dog’s side, knowing Barker Posey would not get up until she heard her release word. “She needs her medication.”
“Where is it?” Lance asked.
“Upstairs, in the bathroom, I think,” Natalie cried.
Lance dashed up the stairs, two at a time.
“Check the medicine cabinet,” Natalie yelled.
Vi shot out of the study and dashed past Natalie and the still-playing-dead Barker Posey and headed for the kitchen door, where she waited.
Natalie shooed her on.
Vi pointed upward.
Oh. Of course.
If Lance looked out the bathroom window, he would see her making her escape across the backyard.
“Okay, Barker Posey, good girl,” Natalie said quietly.
The dog hopped up and shook herself vigorously.
“Never mind, Lance, she’s okay,” Natalie called up.
“Are you sure?” he yelled down.
“Very sure,” she said. “She’s fine now.”
As soon
as his feet hit the steps, Vi headed out the back door.
“Wow, you’re right, look at her,” Lance said, gazing at Barker Posey in disbelief.
“I guess I’ll swing her by the vet to be sure,” Natalie said weakly.
“Good idea,” Lance said. “That was really weird. You really should get out of here though - the chief will be here any minute.”
“Roger that,” Natalie said.
She had barely gotten the leash back on the dog when there was a commotion in the backyard. There was some kind of shouted exchange that she couldn’t quite make out, and then the door swung open.
“What the hell is going on here?” Chief Baker bellowed, striding in the back door, leading Vi by the arm.
6
Natalie
Natalie fought the urge to scream with frustration.
“And what are you doing here?” the chief demanded, glaring at her.
“She just came back for the dog’s stuff,” Lance said automatically.
“I forgot her food,” Natalie said.
“And her medication,” Lance added.
The chief looked like he was going to explode. The vein in his temple was doing that thing it did when he was about to lose his cool.
“You two don’t have anything to do with this person being here, do you?” he asked, glancing at Vi.
“I told you, I’m only here to return the paper,” Vi said, waving the magazine weakly in her free hand. “I got it by mistake.”
“Let me see that,” the chief said, snatching it from her and reading the mailing label out loud. “Harvey Smalls.”
He sighed through his nose, clearly frustrated, and let go of Vi.
“Get out of here,” he told Vi. “And you…”
He turned to Natalie and frowned for a long moment.
“I hate to do this,” he said at last. “I asked you to stay away and you didn’t. You should have called if you needed something for the dog. I would have gotten it for you, and you know it.”
“But, Chief—” Natalie began.
“—No, no, no,” he said. “Don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining. I asked you not to investigate, and a few hours later I find you here with a private detective and a paper-thin cover story. I don’t have to be a genius to connect the dots.”
