JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER

by Christopher Greyson

  Reaching down, he placed his finger on one of the hard, black chunks, and then pushed. The piece was pulverized.

  Jack’s head snapped up so fast that Replacement stopped talking and stared at him.

  He forced himself not to shout the question. “Ask Lacie if she’s home.”

  “Are you home?” Replacement listened and then nodded.

  “Ask her if we can come over.”

  Replacement’s eyebrows rose, but she asked and then nodded.

  “Tell her we’ll be right there.”

  “We’ll be right over. Bye.” Replacement hung up the phone. “What was that all about?”

  “I think the killer works at the shelter.”

  “What? How did you…because of the dogs?”

  “That’s part of it but I need to ask Lacie some questions. I need to know who has access and see if they have logs.”

  “I could just ask her. Do you want me to call her back?”

  “No, don’t.” Jack walked over and picked up the keys to the Bug. “I want to get a read on her. I can’t do that over the phone.”

  Replacement sighed. “I know. But I’m not up for going anywhere right now.”

  She’s had a rough couple of days. Let her sit this out. Jack hurried over to her and squatted down. “I got this. You don’t have to go, okay?”

  She tipped her head down and her green eyes up. “You’re just going to go to Lacie’s?”

  Jack nodded and then held up his hand. “Just to Lacie’s. What’s her address?”

  “Would you mind then? I’m just…”

  “Shh.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll ask my questions and come right back. Hopefully, the place keeps logs, and I’ll need you to go through them for me.”

  Replacement nodded. “She lives at 124 Granite. Come right back.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Trust Me, I Know

  Jack parked and then hurried out of Replacement’s Bug. Even with the seat all the way back, he felt cramped.

  I don’t even want to know how much the Charger is going to cost me to fix.

  Jack frowned when he stared up at the small apartment building. It was a square brick structure he guessed held six different apartments. As he reached for his phone, the apartment door at the end opened and Lacie looked out. She gave him a big smile and wave.

  “Hi.” Jack walked over. “I’m glad you saw me.”

  “I didn’t.” She held the door open as he walked in. “Alice called. She forgot to tell you my apartment number and wanted to let me know she wasn’t feeling well.”

  I love that girl. “Thanks for seeing me.”

  Jack walked into the little apartment that was what he expected, given Lacie’s eclectic wardrobe. An entertainment center took up one whole wall, but a sleek couch and matching recliner faced it. On one wall hung a classic oil painting, but on the other was a modern art piece made out of discarded bottles, caps, and wires.

  “Please excuse the mess.” Lacie pushed a pair of sneakers out of the way of the door.

  Jack couldn’t help but notice the size—they were huge. “Yours?” Jack joked as he pointed.

  Lacie laughed. “No. My boyfriend’s. We’re like you and Alice. Short and tall.”

  “How tall is he?”

  “Six foot six.” Lacie sighed. “That’s another reason I want you to catch this guy. I worry about Kenny.”

  “Kenny’s your boyfriend?”

  “Four years.” She grinned.

  Jack heard muffled yapping and scratching. “You have a dog?”

  She nodded. “Dogs. Do you mind?”

  Don’t make a face. “No. Let them out.”

  Lacie gestured to the couch. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “I’m all set. Thanks.” Jack sat down on the couch as Lacie walked down a little hallway and opened the door.

  Four little dogs burst out and headed right for Jack. One dachshund, one Shih Tzu, a toy collie, and the fattest little pug flew across the carpet and jumped on the couch. Jack held up his hands as they wiggled and yapped and tried to lick his face.

  “Down. Stop. Down.” Lacie picked up one dog, but when she set it down, another bounded right back up.

  Jack managed to pin two down with one arm and got a hold of the third with his other hand. Lacie picked up the forth one and sat in the recliner. When she did, the other three scrambled over to her.

  Jack exhaled.

  Lacie laughed. “Sorry. They’re a handful.”

  “They’d be a mouthful to mine.” Jack cleared his throat when he saw Lacie’s eyes bug out. “Just kidding. I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions for me.”

  “Sure.”

  “How long have you worked at the shelter?”

  “Three months. We just moved to Darrington. Kenny got a job at River’s Auto. He’s a mechanic. We’re from Weber originally.”

  “You work on the computers and help with the billing?”

  “I’m actually the assistant manager. They’re not big on titles and neither am I.”

  “That’s great. Then you know who has access to the building,” Jack said.

  “Everyone.”

  “I meant who has access to the building after hours?” Jack asked.

  “Everyone.” Lacie’s lip curled. “Most of the people are volunteers, and I think everyone knows the alarm code.”

  “There’s only one code?”

  Lacie exhaled. “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”

  “I’m not a cop but seriously?”

  “There’s only one and everyone shares it.”

  “That’s crazy. What about a key?”

  Lacie gave him an over-exaggerated smile. “It’s on a hide-a-key attached to the drainpipe next to the door,” she confessed.

  Jack rubbed his forehead. “Please tell me the medicine for the animals is locked up.”

  “It is.” Lacie straightened up, and the dogs jumped all over her until they settled back into their original positions. “It’s all locked up in a cabinet and only Ryan, Faith, and I have a key. I don’t think you’ve met Faith.”

  “No. How many people volunteer?”

  “In a week? Lots. We encourage people, and donors sometimes do it too.”

  Jack cracked his neck. “Have you ever changed the alarm code?”

  “Not to my knowledge. I’d say no. There’s another alarm in the main clinic room. That’s where the medicine is.”

  “Good. It doesn’t have the same code, right?”

  Her sheepish smile answered the question.

  “Is that where the crematorium is?”

  She nodded. “It’s in the back of the room.”

  “What can you tell me about that?”

  Lacie shrugged. “It’s broken. The guy should be out this week to fix it. A valve went or something.”

  “Can anyone use it?”

  She pet the little pug. “I don’t know if they know how, but there isn’t a cage around it or anything. It sits in the far corner.”

  “When did it break?”

  “A week and a half ago.”

  “When you get stray dogs in, what’s the policy for putting them to sleep?”

  Lacie pulled the pug closer. “We’ve limited resources. We try to stick to the thirty-day rule.”

  “You try to stick to it? So if you get a big dog in and you need the space, you may put it down in a week?”

  “No.” Lacie shook her head. “I meant sometimes we go over the thirty days.”

  “Or you take them home yourself?” Jack crookedly grinned at the four dogs in her lap.

  She smiled and nodded. “But we don’t put them down earlier.”

  “What can you tell me about the guys who work there?” Jack sat forward on the couch.

  Lacie’s shoulders squished together as she smiled awkwardly. “I try to keep things on an entirely professional basis. I mean, the guys are nice but,” she rolled her eyes, “you’re going to think I have a high opinion
of myself, but it’s the opposite. They’re the type of guys if you ask them how their weekend was they’ll be asking you out. So I just keep it robot-like.”

  “Have any of them asked you out?”

  “All of them.” She blew her hair up. “Doesn’t that make me sound conceited?”

  “What can you tell me about Andy?”

  “Captain Andy?” Lacie laughed. “Annoying. Sort of lazy. He’s good with people. I wrote him up for being late a few times. If you’re asking if I think any of them is the Giant Killer, if it wasn’t such a freaky thought, I’d laugh and say no way.”

  “You don’t think any of them are capable of that? Have any of them shown any anger toward dogs or anyone for that matter?”

  “Everyone gets mad.” She bit her lips. “I’d have to say Stan or Ryan has the worst temper.”

  “Ryan?”

  “Believe it or not. But I’ve never seen anything physical.” She held up a hand. “To clarify, we get some sick animals in, and the owner should have brought them to us way earlier. It makes me furious. Think about it: that poor animal is suffering, and the owner does nothing. That makes Ryan nuts.”

  “On a scale of one to ten, how mad has Ryan gotten?”

  “Twelve. It was over a cat. It was so sad, though, and the guy was a jerk, but Ryan went ballistic.”

  “You mentioned Stan has a temper too? Toward people?”

  “He gets mad at everyone but mostly the dogs. He trains them. We offer obedience classes. I’ve never seen him hit a dog, but he can go off.”

  “What about Carl?”

  “Carl?” She made a face and then chuckled. “I’m sorry. I try not to treat anyone differently but now I realize I felt bad because there’s no way he could be a killer. I guess I shouldn’t be so quick to judge. I don’t think it’s not him just because he’s in a wheelchair, but he’s really nice. Horny but nice.”

  Jack angled his ear toward her. “What?”

  Lacie laughed. “Carl’s the worst as far as hitting on me, but I guess he’s known for that. I felt bad turning him down until I found out he slept with Faith. He goes for the sympathy sex angle, and it works. Right below the waist is still functional, but he uses it as a come-on line. If you want to talk about angry, Faith was ticked when she found out he used the same line with Tammy, but I think she got over it.”

  “Have you seen Carl angry?”

  “I haven’t seen him get angry. Frustrated when he can’t do something, but never angry.”

  “What does he do there?”

  “Pre-screening exams mostly. He gets the dogs on the table and ready for Ryan. He really wants to train service dogs,” Lacie said.

  “He mentioned that. I told him Lady could pull a bus.”

  “Lady? Is that what Alice settled on?” Lacie asked.

  Jack nodded. “We found out that’s her real name. Can you think of any volunteers I haven’t met that we should talk about?”

  She sighed. “I honestly don’t think anyone there could possibly hurt an animal, let alone a human.”

  “Alice went through the database you gave her and found a lot of big dogs were put to sleep in under thirty days. Sometimes in just a week.” Jack stated the fact bluntly, hoping it shook her up.

  Lacie blinked rapidly. “That can’t be.”

  “Alice is positive. I need to take a look at—”

  A crying baby caused Jack to jump to his feet, and the dogs went crazy. They ran around the room, yapping and jumping on the furniture.

  “I’ll be right back.” Lacie dashed down the hallway. She came back a minute later with a baby held tightly against her chest.

  Jack smiled as he looked at the curly hair poking out of a blanket. “Is it yours?”

  Lacie shook her head. “My girlfriend’s. I’m babysitting.”

  “Sorry. I’ll come back.”

  “It’s no problem.” Lacie rocked the baby. “Normally she stays asleep.”

  “Would it be possible to get a look at the crematorium tomorrow?”

  “Sure. But if you need to get over there tonight, I can give you the code.”

  “Are you sure?” Jack asked.

  She looked down at the large sneakers on the floor and then back up at Jack. “Like I said, I want you to catch the guy. The code’s three two one seven. You just put in the number. Don’t hit the alarm button after, or the police will come.” She laughed. “Trust me, I know.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Bonded

  “You’ve reached Alice Campbell. Please leave a message, and I’ll get back to you.”

  Jack waited for the beep of Replacement’s voicemail. “Hey, kid. I got a chance to swing over to the animal shelter and check it out. I won’t be long. Love you.”

  She probably has her music cranked. I’ll get an earful for not picking her up.

  When Jack pulled into the animal shelter, the parking lot was empty. He parked near the ramp and then instinctively checked his gun. Damn. He didn’t have it. It was still locked in the safe.

  He got out of the car and walked up the ramp. It was overcast, and the faint light from above the door did little against the gloom. As he leaned over the railing, he felt down the drainpipe until his hand settled on the square box.

  Seriously? He exhaled as he took out the key. They should put out a Please Rob Me sign.

  The door swung open, and he moved quickly to the alarm panel and entered the code, careful not to press the flashing red button. Jack waited for his eyes to adjust to the low light. The exit lights cast a red glow, but it was enough for him to see. He headed through the double doors and down the hallway. The corridor was pitch black. He waited a few moments, but he couldn’t see the door at the end. As he moved over to the side wall, he let the double doors shut before he flicked on the light. The fluorescents hummed, glowed, and then flicked on.

  He walked slowly down the hallway to another set of double doors. Pulling them open, he hurried over to the alarm panel on the wall. He turned on the lights and felt the hairs on the back on his neck rise. The stainless steel all over the room reflected the lights. Two thin grates ran the length of the floor. Jack knew it was used as a surgical room, but it didn’t feel like a place where people helped animals. It felt cold. Jack looked at the metallic tables and images of dead men lying on them flashed in his head.

  Stay focused. You have a job to do. Move.

  Jack forced himself forward. In the back of the room, the metal crematorium door gleamed. An out-of-order sign was taped to the front. Jack walked over to the door and froze. He heard his heart pound in his chest but as he listened, he heard something else. He couldn’t make out what the noise was, although he could tell it came from the front of the building.

  Jack silently hurried to the double door and peered through the tiny window. The door at the end of the hallway slowly opened. Someone had turned the lights in the waiting room on.

  He exhaled when Carl wheeled into view. Jack pushed the door open and waved. “Hi, Carl.”

  “Jack?” Carl tipped his head back and squinted as the hallway lights turned on. “What’s up? Is Ryan here?”

  Jack shook his head. “No. It’s just me. I was at Lacie’s, and she said it was okay for me to come in. I’m glad you’re here. I had a question about the equipment, and Lacie thought it would be easier if I looked myself, but I don’t have a clue. What brings you by?”

  “I was supposed to meet Ryan. Do you need a hand?” Carl put his keys in his lap then wheeled down the hallway as the door automatically shut behind him.

  “Great. I just have a couple questions.”

  “Are Alice and your dog with you?”

  “They’re at home.” Jack moved aside as Carl headed past him and into the large room.

  “Have you been here long?” Carl asked.

  “No. I just got here.” A crooked smile spread across his face.

  “Whoa.” Carl zipped over, reached up and flipped open the cover to the alarm. “This room has an alarm t
oo. Did you shut it off?”

  “I already did.” Jack pointed across the room at a long metal table. “I just wanted to see one of the tables that you examine the dogs on.”

  Carl’s brow knit together and then he shrugged. “Sure. What questions did you have?” He wheeled over to the table.

  When Carl turned his back, Jack entered the code and pressed the alarm button.

  “So,” Carl twirled his keyring around his finger, “what do you want to know about the table?”

  Jack kept looking at Carl as he walked across the room. “How do you get really big dogs on it?” Jack asked. “That’s a lot of weight to lift.”

  “There’s a pedal under the table.” Carl pointed at a foot pedal underneath. “It’s kinda hard to see.”

  Jack tilted his head. “It’s a poor design. Lacie had to feel around with her foot to find it. You figure they’d put a button on the side.”

  “It’s a pain in the neck.” Carl nodded. “They should—” He twirled his keys and they fell out of his hands and landed on the floor. “Crud.” Carl leaned over and peered down at the keys. “Would you mind giving me a hand?”

  Jack didn’t move. “You do the pre-screening exams by yourself. How do you reach the foot pump under the table?”

  Carl’s smile faded. “Don’t tell me that’s what gave me away?”

  Jack shook his head. “No, but that was part of it. And you’re trying way too hard to get me to walk close to you, bend down, and put my back in the perfect place for you to stab me.” Jack smirked.

  Carl’s hands gripped the armrests of the wheelchair.

  “It’s all clicking into place now.” Jack shifted his weight to his back leg. “Sorry. That’s how it usually works. It’s like a puzzle. My dad—he’s a math teacher. He actually does puzzles upside down so he can’t see the picture. He just goes off the shapes. Now that’s hard. Kinda like trying to figure out who the killer is from a town full of people. But once you see the picture? Then the pieces start falling into place. Once you know the killer, you connect the dots right away.” Jack snapped his fingers.