Blind Rage: Team Red, Book 4

by T. Hammond

  “How does he do that?” Kirsch huffed. “It’s the damnedest thing.” I could almost see him shaking his head in disbelief.

  This was a very enlightening conversation. “Has Henry always been Jeeves, or did he have a different one when he was active service?” I asked, still grinning over Eddie’s stealth.

  “We don’t know what Henry’s call name was—he’s not sayin’, so we call him Jeeves since he takes care of the supplies and special orders. The man has a talent for finding the most obscure items,” Bastian explained. “The joke in the cave is, ‘If we don’t have it, Jeeves has it on order.’ Somehow he anticipates what we want before we know to ask for it.”

  “Bloody miracle-worker, is what he is. I was trying to track down a specific type of headset for three frickin’ days, and he finds it in five minutes with one phone call,” Russ complained. “I plan to steal him back from you, Bas.”

  I took pride in Henry’s contribution. As our employee, he wouldn’t have the same job complexity he experienced when he worked for the Wild Horse crew, but he’d fit seamlessly into our household. I was so pleased to have him as a new, honorary family member. “Good luck, Russ. He’s not simply on Team Red’s payroll, he’s considered part of the family. We’re happy he’s able to work so well with the Mustangs, but I’ll be mighty ticked off if you try to steal him.”

  “Miss Teresa is correct, sir,” Henry interjected, falling back on more formal address. “I’ve found a home here with her and Sebastian, and I plan to stay. Though, I will admit, I enjoyed the challenge of finding your supplies.”

  “Challenge,” Russ harrumphed. “It took you one call and a few minutes. If you want a real challenge, I have a list below stairs. Maybe you’ll be more successful finding some of the surveillance hardware I want for the compound. It’s not available to the public yet, and the company is giving me a six-to-nine-months shipping date.”

  Bas kissed the top of my head, and gave me a quick squeeze. “I know you and Red need to head out to the police station soon. I’ll let you get ready.” Over my shoulder, he addressed Russ, “Let me take a look at your list. I may have something which will work, or I may be able to apply a little pressure to speed up your delivery date.”

  There was a shift of bodies in the cramped kitchen, as everyone filtered out except Jaspar and Frost.

  “I’ll take Tank outside for a perimeter check of the back yard,” Red told me. “Back in a few minutes.”

  Understanding Red’s lousy sense of time management, I called after his retreating form. “Listen for the sound of the vehicle starting, and meet us out front. Tank will be fine in the back yard until we get back.” There were ways out of the fenced yard, so my older dog could have free run of the entire property, but a small board was placed across Red’s usual break, between two juniper bushes, to keep Tank contained. Red could easily clear the three foot board, secured with a few nails, while Tank struggled to maintain his attention span long enough to do more than peek over the top.

  “Are the two of you accompanying us to the station? Both of you worked yesterday, I thought Fritz and Dex were on the schedule for today.”

  “They made a trade-off. Jazz wants to make moon-eyes at our attractive Officer Marks,” Gwyn teased with a sing-song tone, from the living room. One of the byproducts of an open floor plan, is a lack of privacy.

  “In reality,” Jaspar stressed the word, “Fritz and Dexter wanted to sit in on the computer training today. Bas is reviewing the console operations and explaining… well, I suppose the details don’t matter. It’s a key component of the software program which ties in with features of your system in the basement.”

  “Do we need to cancel with Gil so you two can attend also? I don’t want to take you away from your other duties,” I offered, concerned they would fall behind in their training.

  “Teresa, you are the main duty; one we gladly take on. The security system is important for the property, but there are twelve—fourteen, counting Fritz and Dex—men learning the intricacies of drone types and camera range. I believe home security is covered. Frost and I are part of your personal detail. Your missions, and these police jobs, are the number one priority.”

  “’Sides. Already know it from working with David’s unit. Get Jazz caught up later,” Frost added. “Prefer field work to keyboarding.”

  “Amen to that.” Jaspar’s agreement was heartfelt. “Our temperaments are better suited to personal security, than alarm system monitoring. Frost has the computer savvy, but he hates being confined to a chair all day. I have a form of dyslexia which makes the computer work difficult for me. He and I are where we should be.”

  “Fair enough. I’m happy you both enjoy guard duty. I’d feel terrible if I kept you from work you’d prefer.” Thanks to abundant practice, I deftly grabbed a fresh travel mug from the cabinet and filled it. Goodness knows where the cup from earlier went. Everyone’s pretty good about cycling dishes into and out of the dishwasher, so there are rarely dirty cups or plates in the sink. Lifting my coffee in their direction, I announced, “I have everything I need. Red’s service vest is by the door; I’ll put it on him in the vehicle. I’m ready when you two are.”

  Chapter Six

  ** 13:15, Thursday - Jan 10th **

  “What? Am I a giraffe?” Red snarked. “Come on Gil, lower the shirt already.”

  After relaying Red’s comment, I lifted a hand to cover the grin I couldn’t hold back. Gil and Red had been working together long enough, Gil should realize the dog knew be careful of evidence. I had to agree with Red on this one. Gil must have been holding the piece of clothing well above Red’s line of sight. Was he worried Red would fall into the evidence bag? Oh wait, no, I do believe it was Officer Marks who tripped and stepped on the shirt, which had been laid out for Red to sniff.

  I heard a snicker over my right shoulder. Obviously, Frost and I were on the same page. He and Jaspar had accompanied Red and me when we were asked to examine cold case evidence a few days ago. Both men were the reason Janice, the aforementioned Officer Marks, tripped over her own feet, landing squarely on the cuff of a blood-spattered blouse. Red tells me she was paying attention to the span of Jaspar’s shoulders, rather than the placement of her feet, concluding with a mental snort and a comment about pheromones. Interestingly, Red confirms Jaspar is very aware of the lovely Officer Marks, but she didn’t register on Frost’s radar.

  “We don’t have all day, Gil,” I complained. “I told you we only have an hour and a half to spare for you today. Red does better if he can actually smell the clothes, rather than have you fan them in his direction, hoping he can catch a scent in the air currents.”

  Frost graduated to a chuckle, and Jaspar, at my left shoulder, joined in. Since Red and I weren’t sharing mind-sight, all the better for him to focus his full attention on the evidence Gil was presenting, I could only imagine Gil’s mock-glare in my direction.

  “Dude, Red’s never contaminated your evidence. Give our guy a little credit, will ya?” Jaspar laughed.

  “I’m sure Janice put the paper booties on his feet, so even if he accidentally stepped on something, he won’t corrupt your evidence with doggie DNA,” I reminded.

  “He’s certainly more sure-footed than I am, lately,” Janice sighed, obviously realizing the teasing was at her expense. Of course, she could be sighing over the width of Jaspar’s shoulders again. While none of them were particularly movie star handsome, the three men in the room were physically fit and attractive in the self-assured way of men comfortable in their bodies.

  Gil must have accommodated Red’s four-footed stature, as my dog became silent. I could feel his concentration and excitement as he examined the evidence. He loved this work, and I was thrilled we discovered this outlet for his intelligence. The emotional link we share may never amount to anything we can use on missions, but I love sharing his pleasure in the simple things which make his life enjoyable.

  “There’s a scent here…” Red flashed briefly toward
me. “Something familiar…” The incomplete thoughts were a testament to his focus. He probably didn’t realize he was mind-speaking as he worked his way through the various scents. “Teresa, I don’t remember which case, but there is something familiar about the scent on the jacket. I’m trying to remember, but I think it was a cold case file we reviewed a few weeks ago.”

  “Gil, Red thinks the scent is familiar, but he can’t place it yet. I’ll need to ask a few questions, so don’t pack the jacket away.” Not wanting to make a big deal about his errant sense of time, I diplomatically added, “I’ll see if I can narrow down the day he learned the smell.”

  “Is the familiar scent male or female, Red?”

  “Female. Lots of pheromones. Maybe pregnant or recently had a baby?”

  “Could it be from sexual excitement, instead of pregnancy?” During times like these, I was thankful I couldn’t see the faces of the men in the room.

  To give my dog credit, he thought carefully for a moment before answering, “No. There’s a complexity to the smell. It’s faint, but it’s definitely a high concentration of female pheromones.”

  I translated the conversation for Gil, hoping he would remember any cold cases, we examined recently, involving a pregnant woman. I could hear Gil tapping computer keys as he entered information into the desktop computer in a corner of the room. He finally responded, “I don’t see any references that fit.”

  “Add miscarriages, or fertility treatments. Could increase pheromone levels, maybe,” Frost suggested.

  “Bingo!” Gil said, moments later. “Five weeks ago, Red reviewed a file for Jane Marie Scarsdale. She was a victim of a homicide in ’99. Unsolved. No person of interest—her husband was so distraught we ruled him out almost immediately. Mmm, had a solid alibi too. She and her husband were seeing a doc…” Pause, as he presumably read the screen. “…a Doctor Waverly for hormone therapy treatments. They were trying to have a baby. I’m not sure why a jacket with her scent would be in a totally unrelated case file, but it will be interesting to see how Mrs. Scarsdale intersects with this homicide almost two years later.” His voice trailed off as he continued to review the file, no doubt comparing aspects of the two cases.

  “Carol Ann Mathers: single, lived alone, office worker… well, hello coincidence. Both women were attacked in their home and struck from behind with a small, heavy object. In each case, detectives determined the victims probably knew their assailant. Nothing stolen. No sexual assault. No deep dark secrets we were able to uncover. We’ll have to see if there is anything, or anyone, which links the two women together.”

  “What type of office work did Miss Mathers do?” Jaspar asked, sliding into the sleuthing groove. It was pretty cool to work closely with the cops, and to toss ideas back and forth. The first time I did it, I apologized, but Gil encouraged a committee approach, valuing the perspective of others.

  “At the time of death, she was unemployed; had been for… mmm, hello second coincidence… two years. Her record shows she was jobless two weeks after Mrs. Scarsdale was killed. I’ll see if I can locate a work history for both women. Red, can you smell any blood or DNA I can take to the lab?”

  “No, sorry. I double checked, but I don’t detect anything more than the scent. It’s especially strong near the armpit and neck. If you can take the sleeve lining out, I may be able to find something more.”

  I relayed Red’s observations, once again proud of his reasoning skills. Gil packed up the evidence after promising to talk with Lt. Faber about dismantling the jacket to examine the lining in more detail. There was a low voice conversation behind me, and I caught occasional words as Jaspar continued his on-going flirtation with Officer Janice Marks.

  “Seeing as you’re so busy, Officer Marks, I suppose I can change Red’s booties instead of laying out the next evidence box,” Gil teased, obviously aware of a budding romantic interest between his officer and my escort.

  “Slave driver,” Janice mock-snarled, saying a few final words to Jaspar before crossing the room to pluck another four foot covers from the box by the wall.

  Frost took advantage of the downtime, while Gil and Janice prepared the next box of goodies. “Am constantly amazed by Red. Excellent deductive reasoning skills. You tell stories ‘bout him, but seein’ is impressive.”

  “You’ve got a talent for asking the right questions, too. Though, I just about swallowed my gum when you asked your dog if the woman was turned on. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting that line of questioning during a police investigation,” Jaspar laughed. “I find it fascinating he cataloged a scent from weeks ago, and could recall such detail.”

  “As far as I can tell, it would be the equivalent of you remembering the difference between the smell of bananas and oranges. Dogs can distinguish and remember a variety of scents. The bonus is, thanks to our mind-link, Red can communicate those nuances.” Red was practically oozing his excitement. “Both Red and I feel fortunate we can offer our services and make a difference.”

  While Gil finished setting up the next box of evidence, I regaled my escorts with stories of prior cases and some of the tracking tests we’d set up. We were all laughing helplessly when I relayed the story of Red finding Janice in a tree.

  “Okay, enough levity, let’s get back to work,” Gil grumbled in my direction. “I understand you have a date with a bevy of hot babes tonight.”

  “That’s right, rub it in. I really wish I could make it tonight, Teresa.” Janice’s voice held sincere regret. “Thanks so much for the invite. If I wasn’t a bridesmaid in my cousin’s wedding, I would totally blow her off to join Girls’ Night.”

  “I thought the wedding was Saturday afternoon,” Jaspar said, surprising me with his knowledge of her schedule.

  “Rehearsal and dinner starts at five-thirty tonight at the Elks Club. Would much rather be hangin’ with my girls than fending off the dubious advances of the groom’s brother, Arnold. We’re paired up for the walk down the aisle, and he seems to feel it gives him a right to monopolize my attention. He’s a vile little man with wandering hands.”

  “Ohhh,” Red interrupted with a sly lilt in his tone. “Jazz doesn’t like that at all. His body language is all alpha and aggressive.”

  “Should I loan you one of my detail to warn off the creep? I’m sure one of the guys would be happy to stand at your side, glaring at overbearing assholes.” I hesitated to offer Jaspar, specifically, but hey—if he volunteered…

  “No, but thanks. I’m an independent woman of the new millennium; I’m sure I can successfully hold him at bay. Besides, I’m heading to the club straight from work, so I’ll be dressed in my uniform. Maybe he’ll think twice when confronted by an officer wearing handcuffs and a sidearm.”

  “Then again, he may like a dangerous woman with ‘cuffs.” Jaspar’s tone indicated he understood the attraction.

  “Thanks for the visual, Jazz. It’d be my luck he’s into restraints. Gawd, could the mental scenario get any worse?” she groaned rhetorically.

  “He could decide to follow you home,” Jaspar added helpfully.

  “Owww. Damn woman, I was joking.”

  “Be thankful I only punched you in the arm, Mr. Ray of Sunshine. Now, and for the rest of the afternoon, I’ll have a visual loop in my head of Arnold following me around the rehearsal tonight, begging to be handcuffed and thrown in the pokey.”

  “To make it up to you, how about I drive you to the Elks Club? I can escort you inside and glare menacingly at whoever you want me to. As long as I’m back to Teresa’s by six-thirty, I’d be happy to extend my services.”

  “What a noble sacrifice,” Red snickered. I chuckled in agreement, but didn’t say anything aloud.

  “Jazz, your offer’s very tempting,” Janice replied, her voice dropping a sultry octave.

  Double meaning much? I decided to cut through the bullshit. Left to their own devices, it could take weeks for them to make a move in their courting rituals. “Great, it’s settled then. Jaspar, you�
�ll drop Janice off at her event, make mean and dangerous eyes at the slimy groomsman, then meet us back at the house so we can head off to dinner. Now, we gotta get moving along. There are two more cases to review.”

  The case files took another thirty minutes, with no interesting or additional insight from Team Red. Janice and Jaspar managed to solidify details while Gil set out clothing for Red to sniff.

  “How are we doing for time, Frost?” I asked during the elevator trip to the police lobby.

  “On schedule. Quarter to three,” he stated, deferring to my preference of civilian time updates. Although, what does it say for me, when he told me the time, I translated it to military: fourteen forty-five? Argh! “Need any stops?”

  “Nope, I’m good.” I answered, loving Frost’s phrasing. He could have been asking about picking up groceries or diverting to the ladies room. I wonder if he did it on purpose. “I see a long soak in the tub in my near future. It seems we’ve been going non-stop since early morning. I’m looking forward to relaxing for a while before primping for dinner.”