by Mimi Barbour
"Then you wouldn't be at all interested in putting the dog in shows in the future?"
"No, I don't think so. But of course, I'm only interested in a purebred with good family traits."
"Of course, Mister…?"
"Paul O'Brien, and this is my son, Liam."
"We like to pair our clients with a pup according to your specific requirements. In that way, you'll be confident in the predictability of the specific breed, and of course you can rest assured that each animal will be of the highest standard."
"I see. Yes, that sounds perfect. I guess we’ll need a mild-mannered dog that loves children, has lots of energy, and is easy to train."
"Would you be looking for a guard dog?"
"Not specifically, but I'd hope it would have a natural instinct to guard, not only the boy but the house. And although this wouldn't be a main prerequisite, I can't stand dogs being too yappy, either."
A falsetto laugh grated on Liam's nerves. He wanted to break Bradford's face in order to stop the irritation.
"Come with me to the office, and I'll show you photographs of the stock we have available at the moment."
Liam broke his silence and asked, "Is there any way we could pay a visit to where you have the dogs housed? I think it would be helpful for my dad to see not only the pups but the mothers and sires, also. I've read that if a potential owner wants a future glimpse of his pup, he should check out its parents."
"That's true if you're buying from an unlicensed breeder. We have only the best dogs in our stable and would give you a total guarantee of quality. Therefore, it wouldn't be necessary for you to have to do any traveling to the kennels. But we do have photographs of our farm, and I'll be glad to show you some of the features."
Liam watched the jerk walk like a sissy, and as he trailed behind, he wished he could give his sashaying ass a satisfying swift kick.
Settled into the leather seats in the upstairs office, Liam and Paul looked at each other, eyebrows raised in speculation. All the while their host busied himself gathering paperwork from his desk, he prattled on about the most popular breeds.
"Let me see now. We have Labs, Terriers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Poodles—one of our best sellers—the ladies do love their Poodles. And then there's Shih Tzus, Beagles, and we've just lately branched into Pomeranians, since we've found a wonderful sire for our female."
That’s it! I am gonna rip the guy's face off… Holding back wasn't sitting right with Liam’s tense stomach or the threatening headache. Sure as hell, he'd be suffering later. Another sleepless night.
The degenerate smiled in his oily way and nestled into the seat across the table from where they sat. "Can I offer you coffee or a soft drink?" His affected gesture towards the mini kitchen was another reason for dislike.
"No thanks." Paul looked toward Liam, who shook his head. "We'd like to know more about your facilities, if you don't mind."
"Of course." He passed them a bundle of professionally done posters with amazing photographs of various animals. Some featured puppies, while the others showed only the female or male parents. At the end of the pile, an exact replica of Peppi’s orange-brindled face stared back at Liam, and he had to stop himself from leaping across the low table and satisfying his need for revenge. He'd swear this was the little bugger who'd led him on a chase for three blocks and then washed his face all the way back.
"As I mentioned earlier, we've managed to add Pomeranians to our growing numbers. The male and female just came to us a short time ago, so it'll be some time before there'll be a litter. But I have no doubt we'll be offering the puppies soon."
"What do you have that's available right now? I wouldn't want to wait for too long.” As he spoke, Paul sifted through the pile and stopped on one poster. For instance, I see there are Golden Retriever puppies available?"
"Yes, the dam, Sunny Glow, has championship papers, and her breeding lines are impeccable. The sire, Golden Fellow, is also from one of the best kennels in the country and has many blue ribbons to prove his perfection in his class. Truly, this is an ideal choice for a companion for a small boy. These particular dogs are great for families, gentle and sweet natured. Not only that, they're beautiful to look at and intelligent, besides being the most sought after of all the dogs we own. I already had homes for all five pups in that poster, but one of the families, the ambassador for England no less, just notified me they’d been moving back home and so the little female in the middle is now available."
"What do you think, Liam? Do you like the look of these little bundles?"
Liam heard the yearning in his father's voice, and his internal antenna began to work overtime. Why the old fraud intended for this to be a real sale.
"Sure. But don't you want to consider other options before buying?"
"No, I don't think I do. So, Mr. Bradford, what’s the price for this puppy, and when and where do I pick it up?"
Why the crafty devil! Now Liam understood his father's reasoning.
"You’re very lucky, Mr. O’Brien. The pups have reached eight weeks old and are now ready leave their mother. With a guarantee, of course, that they’re up-to-date with all their vaccinations. We like to bring the animals here to the pet shop for our new owners to collect. Because, added into the buying price, we have a fine selection of leashes and collars to choose from as our gift, plus there's a huge array of other accessories you might like to look over to help make the new member of your family feel truly at home."
"Do you at least have a brochure or a picture of your farm, where the puppies are raised? I have a lot of friends and associates who'll most likely be asking as soon as they see the puppy."
"Hum, yes, I do have a few shots we've occasionally taken of the farm. Let me get them for you. And I'll have my assistant organize your paperwork and receipt at the same time, shall I?"
"Yes. That will be fine. Hopefully you won't bankrupt me?" Paul joked, but with an edge that had the other man hesitate before he left the room.
"Quick, go through his desk, and I'll stay by the door." Paul motioned to Liam, who'd already moved in that direction.
First he picked up the cell phone left behind, and with a few clicks had the list of previous phone numbers revealed on the screen. He pulled out his own phone and carefully took a photo. Then he rifled through some loose sheets in the top drawer to see if there was anything incriminating. Damn! Nothing!
Just then a ping sounded in his mind, which made him look up to see his pirate friend standing beside the wooden file cabinet, arms crossed, legs splayed and an angry frown on his face.
"In the left side drawer. Hurry! Get the camera ready."
"Hey, nice of you to drop in. Long time no see!"
“Missed me, did ya?”
“Yeah, like a rash.” Liam grinned at the cocky fellow that he was surprisingly glad to see.
“Hurry, the miserable little worm is coming back.”
Sure enough, there was a copy of an e-mail dated today that said puppies would be arriving from the breeder in Oklahoma that evening, and the same vehicle would then transport the newest shipment of dogs from Bradford’s place in the return trip.
That left them twenty-four hours to find the crummy farm. So much for his plans to go to the lake and see his girl! Probably just as well. He knew he had no business encouraging Sadie to fall in love with him—or vice versa. Right now his life was so screwed up, she’d be far better off with a guy who could sleep at night without waking up screaming.
A hissing sound brought his attention back to the matter at hand, and he quickly took a photo of the paper he held before placing it back where he’d found it and closing the drawer. There was only enough time to show his thumb to the now angelically smiling John-boy and move back towards his seat before he heard steps approaching.
A picture hanging on the nearest wall drew him like it had been magnetized. Acting nonchalant, he stopped to study it. It was a lovely landscape with a faint conglomeration of buildings and the
view of a lake in the distance.
The door opened and Bradford stepped into the room, spied Liam by the watercolor, and moved to join him. “I see you’re attracted to this painting. We commissioned it to be done of the…of some property we used to own,” said Bradford, his tone full of pride as he stepped closer to Liam. “It was painted many years ago by Lara Schnell, who today is a very well-known artist. Art is a huge passion of my brother’s; he spends a lot of time in galleries and even dabbles a bit himself.” Bradford waved Liam toward his seat and stepped back to let him pass, the gesture saying in no uncertain terms that the subject was now closed.
Paul, pretending to study the posters from earlier, put them down and smiled convincingly at the slimeball whose greasy smirk had Liam’s fists itching. He had to get out of this room before he blew the whole operation.
As if sensing his son’s discomfort, Paul rose and looked at his watch, then stuck out his hand for the sheaf of papers held out in his direction. “Oh, good, you have the paperwork.”
Liam watched his father’s expression as he perused each sheet and knew exactly when he’d come to their price. The raised eyebrows and cough made him slightly uncomfortable, but he watched as the old man carried it off without a glitch.
“Yes, this seems reasonable. I’ll give you half now and pay the difference as soon as I take possession of the dog. I see here the puppy’s kennel name is Luna Mist. That is lovely. I know she’ll fit in with our family very well.”
“I have no doubt; she is a purebred with an impeccable bloodline and worth every penny. I’m very happy we were able to be of service. We should have the pup ready to be picked up here in the store on Monday. I’ll call you myself to let you know she’s arrived.”
Liam couldn’t get out of the place fast enough once the arrangements had been settled. And he couldn’t believe his father had gone so far as to buy the puppy.
Back in the car, he questioned the self-satisfied guy sitting next to him. “Why in the world did you actually give that asshole money? We agreed you would be making enquiries, nothing more.”
Paul’s discomfort showed as he squirmed and looked everywhere but at Liam. Finally he spoke. “When I was a lad, we always had dogs running around the place. But they terrified your mother, and she wouldn’t even discuss the possibility. Now I can go ahead and own a pet…and no doubt, the boy, Pedro, will enjoy having an extra playmate also. A win-win situation, right?”
Liam caught the self-satisfied smirk, and gladness filled him up and crowded out some of the blackness he couldn’t seem to shake.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Dad, do you mind if I stop for a minute and use your landline to update Stan, a friend with the Metropolitan Police? My cell phone is getting low; hopefully I’ll have enough juice to send the picture I took. If I try and talk also, my battery will be dead.”
“Liam, you don’t need to ask me. This is your home…” He held his hand up to stop Liam from interrupting. “I know it’s my house. But, son, it was once and always will be your home.” The words seemed to choke him up, and he quickly got out of the car. “Come on in. I’ll organize some coffee while you make your calls. I noticed my cell phone is the same model as yours, so you can hook it up to my charger.”
Once seated, facing each other, they re-hashed the afternoon’s events and Liam brought his father up to date on what Stan had managed to uncover after Liam had sent him the information and photos from the night before.
“Seems these guys have kept a very low profile and like to pay others to do their dirty work for them. No questions asked when expensive, high-quality animals suddenly show up and become available for sale or for breeding purposes.”
“The rotters!” Paul hadn’t been a top-notch defense attorney without gaining a modicum of detachment, but Liam could literally see and feel his father’s wrath. It made them seem connected, and that felt good.
“Yeah! You said it. Stan’s been in touch with Washington’s Humane Law Enforcement Department. They have nothing on these guys. But he said they’re interested and would be more than willing to take the case to the U.S. Attorney’s office if we can get the goods on this operation.”
“That’s great news.”
“I know. When I sent him the list of calls just now, he sounded quite excited. Then I stumped him with the news that they’re moving the animals from the farm tonight. Somehow we need to be there. He’s pretty sure their main puppy mill would be in Oklahoma and so has been focusing his attention on anything linking them with that state. Shipping papers, border info, anything he can get his hands on that might give them any clues.”
“If we only knew where the farm was located.” Paul scratched the side of his face, a gesture Liam found so familiar.
“That would solve a lot of our problems.” He knew it was the missing link, but right now they were whistling in the wind.
“Liam, remember when you stopped at the painting and Bradford said it was painted by Laura Schnell? She did move to New York recently, and he’s right, she’s become quite famous, her landscapes bring in top dollar. Anyway, I know he mentioned that it was property they used to own, but in case you didn’t pick it up, he hesitated and corrected what he’d been about to say. To me it was a glaring ‘tell’ that he lied. If your friend, Stan, was to get in touch with this woman and ask her directions to the place, maybe the deed on that property could prove ownership and, well…you never know.”
“I never thought about that—man, you are a genius!” Carried away by his enthusiasm, Liam added, “I’m proud to be your son.”
The old saying that “Silence could be cut with a knife” fit the moment perfectly. Emotions rose, and the atmosphere became tense. Finally Liam moved to grab the phone once again and call in the goods to Stan.
As if that spontaneous remark had opened a path never to be ignored again, Paul sat and waited. As soon as Liam had replaced the receiver, his father cleared his throat, the redness crawled up his neck.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it’s been hanging out with you today, son.”
God, don’t do this to me. Not now! Liam knew his expression had darkened. When he heard those words, he felt the lights go off inside, and like a raging avalanche that can’t be stopped, neither could his despair.
“Dad, I’d rather not talk about this now.” When he leapt to his feet, he knocked some books off the coffee table and automatically bent over to pick them up. For a few seconds, panic and nausea attacked and left him breathless. So much so that it was all he could do to throw himself back onto the sofa and clutch his head. Pain blasted inside, and how he didn’t pass out, he’d never know.
“Liam! What the hell’s going on with you? If it's the army, you can always quit and finish your law degree."
"It's not that. Leave it alone, Dad."
"I can't. I’ve been watching you all day, and you’re self-destructing. I’ve…I’ve had enough! Now you’re going to tell me what’s making you look like the devil is riding your coattails.”
A head-on collision took place in his brain, his overwhelming need against his want to not go there. He spit the words from his mouth as if they were rotten. “It’s the blasted nightmares. I can’t sleep, and food tastes like crap. The only time I can forget is when I’m busy, and so I never stop staying busy.”
“Something is behind this, Liam. It’s not normal for a guy to be suffering these symptoms. Have you talked to a doctor?”
“Sure. All they’ve done is give me drugs and refer me to a shrink.”
“What did the shrink say?”
“Didn’t go. Dad, I’m not crazy. It’s just I had to do some bad shit while overseas and it’s been…well…haunting me.”
“Like what kind of bad shit? Tell me, Liam. Don’t go getting that stubborn look and shut down on me now. Just blurt it out. Son, I love you. Nothing you say will make any difference as to how I feel about you. And keep in mind that I spent two horrific years in Viet Nam, so I probably have a good i
dea what happened to you in Iraq.”
Liam searched his dad’s features. He’d forgotten his dad had served. The topic had always proven uncomfortable and therefore had been ignored. Searching, probing, his eyes digging, he stared into greenish-brown pools, replicas of his own, and they revealed adoration. Plain and simple, the man loved him. How could he have failed to remember? How could he have just put it out of his mind?
“I killed, Dad. Young guys, maybe family men, certainly someone’s sons who probably didn’t deserve to die any more than I did.”
“Then why did you kill them?”
He leapt up, leaned over the old man, anger blazing. “What do you mean, why?” Anger was evident in his threatening body language. But his dad didn’t even flinch. He looked at him steadily, kept eye contact.
Liam felt himself unwind, like a cable expected to stretch too far. He whipped around, shoving his clenched hands in his pockets.
“Shit! How could you ask me that?”
“Answer me, Liam. Why?”
Galvanized by fury, he screamed the words that had blocked his throat and his heart. “Because, for Christ sake, because I had no choice. It was kill them or let them kill my men.”
The words burst out fuelled by rage and colored by pain. His lips wobbled uncontrollably and tears globbed his eyes. He shook so hard he dropped onto the sofa and lowered his head into his hands. A sob escaped, forcing him to bite down hard on bloodied lips, but the next sob escaped, and so did the next.
Strange warmth engulfed him, easing the agony that loosened his control. He sensed Paul’s fatherly presence as if vibes of spiritual medication were being launched from the older man’s heart, soothing and so appreciated.
“I heard they wanted to award you the Silver Star.”
Disgust rang in his voice. “Yeah…for killing Iraqi soldiers.”
“No, for saving Sergeant Harry Ryan.”
“How did you know?”
“I ran into an old friend still in uniform. He congratulated me on my brave son.”
