Due or Die

by Jenn McKinlay

  Jason Meeger, the head of the town sanitation department, had his head bowed as if he was studying his notes. She checked the rise and fall of his chest. Asleep. Candace Collins from the public works department got up for her third cup of coffee, and Lindsey suspected it was a way to keep herself awake.

  Lindsey glanced at the clock on the wall behind Herb’s head. Five more minutes, they just had five more minutes to go.

  “And now the mayor would like me to ask if any of you have any questions about the new work-flow policy?” Herb asked.

  No one moved. No one spoke.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “I can go over it again.”

  “No!” Candace shouted and then cleared her throat. “What I mean is, I’m sure everyone is all clear on how to implement the new work-flow techniques. Right, everyone?”

  Lindsey looked at the manic light in Candace’s eyes. She was pretty sure Candace would smack anyone who spoke upside the head with the coffeepot.

  Herb glanced around the table, looking at each of them over the top of his reading glasses. “All right, then, meeting adjourned.”

  Like runners in the blocks, everyone made for the door at once. There was a bit of a jam up in the doorway, but Jason Meeger, who had bolted awake, used his former high school football brawn-turned-to-fat to strong-arm his way through the door to freedom. Candace was right on his heels, as were several other department heads.

  Lindsey followed them down the stairs, relieved that there wouldn’t be another one of these meetings until next month. She waved at the others as they made for the front door.

  She turned and headed for her office, wondering what to expect. She eased open the door in case the little guy was asleep. She needn’t have bothered. Amid a pile of half-chewed papers, she saw a black furry behind sticking out of her overturned wastebasket.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Lindsey turned and saw Ms. Cole headed her way.

  “Oh, no, it’s all good,” Lindsey lied and quickly stepped into her office and shut the door behind her.

  The snap of the door caused the puppy to back his way out of the wastebasket. When he got a sniff of Lindsey, he went into spasms of delight. He bounded across the office and jumped up on her leg. On his hind legs, he reached just above her knee and wrapped his paws around her leg as if he was hugging her.

  “Hi, there, buddy,” Lindsey said as she stooped to pet him. “I’m not going to bust you this time, but just so you know, the garbage is off limits.”

  His tail went into hyper speed, and Lindsey assumed they understood one another. It took her a while to clean up the mess, and she made a note to herself to pick him up some toys on the way home. Just to get him through the night, she told herself.

  Lindsey was relieved that it wasn’t her night to close the library. Ms. Cole had taken to popping into her office, and Lindsey had the feeling that she was trying to catch the dog misbehaving. And what exactly did she think Lindsey was going to do? Throw him out into the freezing temperatures outside? Not likely.

  She called Tom Rubinski and he managed to fit her in at the end of the day. She had to leave work an hour early to catch him before he closed, but that was okay. She had a feeling the sooner she got the dog away from Ms. Cole the better.

  When it was time to go, she emptied her tote bag of its usual paperwork and put the dog inside. She wasn’t going to be able to bicycle home with him, so she figured she’d hoof it. He was solid, at least ten pounds, but given that she didn’t have a leash for him, she didn’t want to risk having him run into the road.

  As she hefted the bag onto her shoulder, the dog popped his head out. His eyes sparkled under his bushy eyebrows and his pink tongue hung out on one side, making him look like he was enjoying the lift.

  Lindsey decided to walk to the police station first to see if Carrie and Nancy were still there. She certainly hoped not. They simply could not have questioned Carrie for a whole day. Then again, she supposed she might have been arrested, but that was just ludicrous. Carrie was not a killer.

  She pulled open the glass door that led to the station and saw Emma still at the front desk. No sign of Nancy, however.

  “Hi, Lindsey.” Emma greeted her. “What have you got there?”

  “A library donation,” she said.

  Emma frowned at her.

  “Someone shoved him into the book drop, so I’m taking him home for now. You don’t happen to want a dog do you?”

  “I have three already,” Emma said. She held out her hand for the pup to sniff, and he went all licky-lou on her.

  “Aw, he’s sweetie,” she said. “What are you going to do with him?”

  “Put up signs in case his owners are missing him, and then if we can’t find them, I suppose I’ll take him to the pound.”

  Emma gave her a nod as if to say she understood, but Lindsey still felt like a heel even using the p word. The dog turned and licked her hand and she felt even more rotten.

  “I keep lousy hours for having a dog,” she said. “It wouldn’t be fair to him.”

  “Hmm, I think he’d find that more fair than being shoved in a book drop,” Emma said.

  Lindsey sighed because she knew she was right. Still, she didn’t want a dog.

  “So, I see that Nancy is gone. Does that mean Carrie was released?”

  “Yes, just over an hour ago,” Emma said.

  “So, she wasn’t arrested or anything?”

  “No, why? Should she be?”

  “No!”

  “Relax, I’m just messing with you,” Emma said.

  She winked and Lindsey said, “Funny, really, stop. You’re killing me.”

  “You take it where you can.” Emma shrugged. “A word to the wise, though, I played Chief Daniels that message from Marjorie.”

  “And?”

  “He’s concerned, and he’s planning to pay her a visit,” Emma said. “For some reason, she’s focused on you, so keep your guard up.”

  “I will,” Lindsey said.

  With Emma’s warning ringing in her ears, Lindsey headed to the vet’s. It wasn’t a long walk, but the sun had already set and the streetlights, although helpful, didn’t really dispel the shadows that were making Lindsey twitchy. She didn’t really think that Marjorie was going to run her down or jump out from behind a trash can, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered over her like a stranger’s eyes watching her every step.

  When she turned onto her street, just a few houses from the vet’s, a pair of headlights swung in her direction, catching her in their light. Startled, she felt her heart slam up into her throat like a brick.

  CHAPTER

  11

  BRIAR CREEK

  PUBLIC LIBRARY

  Lindsey did not want to have another go-round with Batty Bilson. If the chief had questioned her about the voice mail, Lindsey had no doubt that Batty was hunting her down for another little chat.

  She should have asked Emma what the plan was so she could be prepared. As it was, she had no intention of engaging in another go-round with a nut burger. She began to jog, hoping her loafers didn’t slip on a patch of ice and send her and the puppy sprawling.

  She could hear the vehicle behind her coming up fast, and she jumped onto the walkway that led to the Rubinskis’.

  “Lindsey, wait! Hey, are you all right?” a deep voice shouted after her.

  Lindsey stopped short and spun around to find Sully in his truck parked against the curb with his window down. She felt her heart resume beating in her chest as the dog wriggled around inside the bag, trying to get a good look at the owner of the deep voice.

  She put her hand flat on her chest and sucked in a deep breath. “Oh, jeez, I thought you were Marjorie Bilson.”

  “Nah, I’m too tall,” he said.

  A laugh that was mostly relief escaped her. Height was the least of their differences, she thought as she puffed out a breath. She waited while he shut off the engine and stepped out of his truck.
/>   “What have you got there?” he asked as he pointed to the bag.

  “A new patient for Dr. Rubinski,” she said. “Someone shoved him in the book drop at the library, so I’m bringing him in to make sure he’s okay.”

  “Are you serious?” he asked, looking appalled. “Someone stuck him in that big metal drawer?”

  “Sadly, I am,” Lindsey said. “Poor guy, we have no idea how long he was stuck in there.

  Sully held out his hand, and the fuzzy, black dog sniffed and licked him and then barked in approval. Sully reached up and ruffled his ears. The dog pushed against the bottom of the tote bag, trying to get to him.

  “He seems to like you,” she said. “Interested?”

  “Ah, I’m more of a beta fish kind of guy,” he said.

  “You can’t snuggle a beta fish,” she said, using her best sales-pitch voice.

  “Sure, you can,” he said. “You just hold up their bowl and puff out your cheeks. They love that.”

  Lindsey rolled her eyes, turned and went up the walkway, following the signs that led to the office. In what she guessed used to be a free-standing garage, the vet practice had been built, complete with cat and dog paw prints leading the way into the entrance.

  Sully fell into step beside her, and when she glanced at him, he said, “I just want to get a good look at the little guy.”

  “Excellent and maybe you know someone who’d like a dog?” she asked. Just then the pup licked her chin and she looked down to see him gazing at her with warm brown eyes.

  “Yeah, I think he’s already found his person,” Sully said.

  “I work too much,” Lindsey protested. “And I don’t know how Nancy feels about dogs. She may not even let me keep him through the night.”

  “Sure she will,” he said. “Nancy’s a softie. She lets Charlie live there, doesn’t she?”

  “He’s housebroken,” she said.

  “Barely,” he teased.

  They entered the building and she approached the reception area. A young woman in scrubs greeted her and handed Lindsey a clipboard.

  “Hi, Ms. Norris,” she said. “This is a form for new-patient information.”

  “Here, I’ll watch him,” Sully said as he took the tote bag off her shoulder and let the puppy out.

  “Thanks,” Lindsey said, and she sat down on the lone couch to fill out the forms. Given that she knew nothing about the dog, it went fairly quickly.

  Sully and the puppy played on the floor while they waited. Lindsey noticed that Sully’s large square hands dwarfed the dog and yet he played with an innate gentleness that she found endearing.

  “Ms. Norris,” the young woman called her. “We’re ready for you.”

  Lindsey rose from her spot on the couch and Sully scooped the puppy up from the floor and followed her into the exam room.

  Tom, Dr. Rubinski, was already there, and he took in the sight of the two of them with the dog with a large grin.

  “Lindsey, we meet again,” he said. He held out his hand and they shook. “At least I’m wearing clothes this time.”

  Sully raised his brows and looked in between them. Lindsey felt her face grow hot and she said, “He was in his pajamas the last time we met.”

  “Oh, really?” Sully asked.

  “As was his wife,” she added. “It was the night of the Batty incident.”

  “Oh.” Sully smiled and shook hands with his friend. “I hope it wasn’t those embarrassing SpongeBob ones that you own.”

  Tom laughed. “You’ll never forget those.”

  “They’re burned on my retinas,” Sully agreed. He turned to Lindsey to explain. “We were on an overnight fishing trip on my boat, and when we decided to do some night fishing, he showed up on deck in these neon yellow pajamas. I’m pretty sure he scared all of the fish away.”

  They both chuckled and Lindsey smiled. She could see there was a strong friendship between them. They looked to be about the same age, but where Tom’s blond hair was thinning at the top and his middle was developing a decided paunch, Sully’s thick chestnut curls barely showed any gray and he had the build of a man much younger than he was. She supposed that working outside kept him trim. Not that she thought about him or where he worked or his physique…much.

  Thankfully, the puppy was not to be ignored, however, and he wriggled out of Sully’s arms to check out the newcomer.

  Tom crouched down on the floor so as to be level with the puppy and held out his hand. The dog sniffed and licked and wriggled closer to the good doctor.

  Tom ran his hands over him and listened to his heart and lungs with his stethoscope. He took the puppy’s temperature, apologizing for having to be so rude. The puppy had a hard time staying still, but Tom talked to him in a soothing voice, and Lindsey could swear the puppy was trying his hardest to be good.

  When he finished the exam, the dog stood up on his hind legs and licked Tom’s face, and he simply said, “Oh, thank you, buddy. You’re a good dog, aren’t you?”

  The puppy wagged and barked in agreement. Tom’s way with animals was amazing, and Lindsey knew if she were a dog, she’d probably try to get him to adopt her.

  “You’re not looking for a dog by any chance, are you?” she asked.

  “Thanks but, no,” he said with a grin. “With that litter of nine we just delivered, I doubt we’ll be taking in any strays any time soon. Gina and I are pretty sure having a baby will be a snap after this.”

  “Oh?” Sully asked.

  “Not that we’re having a baby just yet,” Tom said. He looked embarrassed and both Sully and Lindsey grinned at him.

  “So, I heard this guy was dumped at the library?” Tom asked, obviously hoping to change the subject.

  “Shoved in the book drop,” Lindsey confirmed. “How did you hear?”

  “News travels pretty fast in Briar Creek,” he said. “Well, that and Mrs. Holcomb was in the library when he made his appearance and she brought her dachshund in this afternoon.”

  “Tinkerbelle?” Sully asked.

  “That’s the one,” Tom said. “I keep telling her that she can’t dress her up in a pink tutu or Tinkerbelle’s going to get depressed, but she doesn’t listen.”

  “Really, she would be so much happier in purple,” Sully joked.

  “I keep saying that,” Tom returned. Then he turned to Lindsey and asked, “So, what are you going to name him?”

  “I’m not naming him,” she said. “That will be up to his new owners.”

  “Any takers yet?” Tom asked.

  “No, but there will be.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

  Tom gave her a dubious look.

  “What?” Lindsey asked.

  “Well, I’m thinking what you’ve got here is a mutt,” he said. “A lot of people won’t take mutts.”

  “But he’s so sweet.”

  As if he knew she was talking about him, the puppy wiggled his way across the exam room to her and sat on her foot. Lindsey tried to ignore the way he gazed up at her, but still she felt the need to scratch his ears in reassurance.

  “Well, there’s one other problem,” Tom said. “He looks to be a mix of a pit bull and a schnauzer. Pit bulls, even half breeds, have a pretty bad reputation, and they’re hard to find good homes for because people either want them for the wrong reasons, to be aggressive, or they are afraid of them.”

  “But that’s ridiculous. Who could be afraid of him?” Lindsey asked, kneeling down beside the dog, who licked her face and thumped his tail. “He has the nicest disposition.”

  “Well, he’s a puppy,” Tom said. “At a guess, since he still has his puppy teeth, I’d put him between three and four months. He’s going to get bigger and stronger and harder to find a home for.”

  “No worries,” Lindsey said stubbornly. “He’ll also get cuter and more loyal. I’ll find a great home for him. You’ll see.”

  Tom smiled at her. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Sully was smiling, too.

&
nbsp; “Oh, quit it,” she said. “I’m not keeping him.”

  To their credit, both men refrained from comment.

  “I’ll keep my ears open. If I hear about anyone looking for a pup, I’ll let them know you’ve got a good one,” Tom said.

  “Thanks,” Lindsey said and shook his hand. “Come on, little fella, let’s show you your temporary home.”

  Lindsey wasn’t positive but she was pretty sure he waggled his eyebrows at her. She plopped him in the tote bag and handed it to Sully so she could pay the bill.

  Sully and the dog waited for her by the door, and they all stepped out into the cold night air together.

  “Can I give you a lift?” he asked as they headed down the walk toward his truck.

  “Thanks, but I’d feel silly taking a ride for just a few houses.”

  He nodded and an awkward silence fell between them.

  At the risk of making an uncomfortable moment worse, Lindsey shifted the tote bag on her shoulder and said, “So, what brought you out here tonight?”

  “You,” he said.

  CHAPTER

  12

  BRIAR CREEK

  PUBLIC LIBRARY

  Whatever she had been expecting, that had not been it. Instead of asking an open-ended follow-up question like any good librarian, Lindsey had merely gulped and stuttered and shouldered the tote bag with the wiggling puppy, and with an awkward wave that must have had all the grace of a pimply twelve-year-old, she set off down the street toward her apartment.

  She had seen Sully’s slow smile as she departed, red-faced and stammering, and she knew he was amused by her.

  Good grief, how would she ever face the man again?

  Her reaction had been so, well, lame. What if he had just been being neighborly and he meant he’d been checking on her because he knew she biked home and she’d left her bike at the library tonight? He might not have meant you as in he was interested.

  Lindsey looked down into the bag where the puppy was trying to stand and groaned. “I am so embarrassed.”

  As if he completely understood because it happened all the time, the puppy licked her hot face and Lindsey laughed. “Make an ass of yourself frequently, do you?”