A Scent of Mystery (A Luke and Bandit cozy mystery Book 2)

by Paul Regnier

  The killer went back around to the front of the car and cleared the branches from the driver’s side door. He had his back to me but I could see brown hair and a trim frame. That eliminated Jacob. It had to be Graham.

  I let out a slow breath and slowly moved my fingers across the phone screen to zoom in on his face. He opened the driver’s side door and bent low, moving out of the picture. As he moved away, the camera refocused on the lifeless form of Jimmy Bosko slumped over the car seat.

  A hollow feeling settled in my stomach at the sight. Only this morning I’d watched this man performing magic tricks on stage. It didn’t seem real.

  A strong resolve swelled within me that Graham needed to face justice for what he’d done. As crazy as it seemed to be out in the woods less than twenty yards from a killer, I was more convinced than ever that I was supposed to be here. I’d discovered he was behind the robbery and had also murdered his accomplice. He’d fallen for my trick, and I’d have video proof of his actions. I smiled at the thought that he wasn’t getting away with this.

  Without warning, he stood and turned toward me, his face now clear on the video screen. I flinched at the sight. It wasn’t Graham. It was Larry Patterson.

  Chapter 17

  A nervous chill went through me. Larry was the killer. My mind spun with this unexpected revelation. Part of me felt triumphant that my trick had worked and he had revealed himself. The other part, which seemed larger at the moment, felt foolish for completely missing Larry as a suspect.

  He scanned the forest as though he’d heard something. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice me. After a moment, he turned back to the car. He used a handkerchief to retrieve a hunting knife from his pocket. It looked like the same type that was used to stab Jimmy. He leaned into the car and placed the knife beside Jimmy.

  Bandit. I glanced over at him. It’s Larry Patterson. He’s the killer.

  His ears went flat and he revealed his sharp teeth. Deceiver! He acted all nice and fed me chips. I feel so betrayed.

  Okay, keep still. I need to record him.

  I heard the metallic sound of the trunk release. Larry stood and walked back toward the trunk. My excitement at unmasking Larry dissolved quickly into fear when I noticed a gun holstered at his side. The dark leather holster looked well worn, like he was no stranger to carrying a firearm. Which probably meant he had lots of practice and wasn’t used to missing a target. And here I was crouching, defenseless, less than twenty yards away. If he found me here, he would probably kill me. Since he’d already shown himself capable of such a dark act, I doubted he would hesitate.

  Larry began to dig through the trunk in a rushed frenzy of movement.

  Bandit sniffed the air. He’s stressed. I can smell it.

  He’s panicking. Definitely not a good time for him to find us.

  Maybe we should sneak up on him before he has a chance. Attack him while he’s busy searching. Catch him off guard.

  No. A million times no. I’ve got him on video. This should be all they need to convict him.

  Should be?

  Well, I don’t know all the legal rules of how evidence works. I don’t really have the best shot here. I’m sure he’ll try to talk his way out of it, but I don’t see how he could explain all this.

  If I bite him hard enough he’ll confess. You can video that.

  I’m pretty sure that’s not admissible in court.

  Larry cursed as he threw a first aid kit into the forest. Bandages and ointment went sailing through the air before disappearing in the undergrowth.

  He spent another few minutes digging around, grumbling at his inability to find the gems. Every so often, I inched forward, hoping to get better video evidence of his criminal activity.

  Bandit sniffed the air. He’s not worried anymore. Just angry. Lots of anger seeping out of him.

  Larry let out a loud grunt as he hurled the spare tire into the forest. It took an unfortunate bounce and rolled right toward us. A flash of panic went through me. In my desire to get a better shot, I’d scooted a little too far into the open and suddenly felt very visible.

  I scooted back behind the thicker base of the tree, accidentally breaking a branch in the process. A loud crack sounded as the branch broke.

  Bandit bolted away from the tree and out of my line of sight.

  “Who’s there?” Larry called out.

  I froze, hoping he couldn’t pinpoint the sound. The broken branch left a gash on my leg. A line of blood started to form. Luckily, it wasn’t deep enough to cause any serious blood loss. Of course, a few of Larry’s well placed bullets would probably do the trick.

  “Show yourself.” Larry’s voice was harsh. Desperate. Far different from the laid back musician’s tone I’d grown accustomed to. And he sounded like he was heading closer. “I promise I won’t hurt you if you come out with your hands up.”

  As if to emphasize his lack of sincerity, he cocked his gun. I looked behind me, desperate for any escape route. The trees were too spread out to provide any decent cover. If I broke into a panic-driven sprint, those would be my last few moments on this earth.

  Bandit? I scanned the area for the reassuring sight of his tri-colored fur. Where are you?

  Don’t worry. He answered. I’m stalking.

  Don’t go near him. Get out of here. Run as fast as you can.

  No can do. He’s all mine.

  Bandit, no! He’s got a gun. Get out of here!

  “Last chance. Come on out.” Larry was definitely closer now. My guess was about ten yards away. “I’ll count to three.”

  My heart was beating so hard I felt like I could hear it pounding in my head. My muscles tensed, begging me to take some course of action. Any course of action. Since there was no chance of running away without taking a bullet to the back, I scanned the ground for any type of weapon.

  “One.” Larry called out.

  Two palm sized rocks rested near my shoe. I grabbed them, one in each hand and gripped tight.

  “Two.”

  I cocked my arm back. Ready to throw and praying he didn’t already have his gun trained in my direction. My brain screamed at me that throwing rocks was a horrible defense against lightning fast bullets. I clutched the rocks, my knuckles going white. Horrible defense or not, it was all I had.

  “Three!”

  The sharp crack of a gun fired. The impact hit a tree several yards away, which meant he was focused on the wrong hiding place. I stood quickly, taking aim and throwing the rock in one fluid motion. As soon as it left my hand, I knew it was going to miss him.

  Larry spotted me. I ducked back behind the tree as he pivoted toward me and fired. Another loud crack, and a chunk of bark flew off the tree just above my head.

  There was a wild volley of barks and Larry cried out in pain. I leapt to my feet. Bandit’s teeth were firmly clamped around Larry’s forearm. The gun lay on the ground nearby. Larry cursed and struggled to free his arm. Bandit growled like a mad dog, his jaws deadlocked on Larry’s forearm.

  Without thinking, I ran out from behind the tree, heading straight for them. I readied the second rock in my hand, drawing it back as I closed.

  Larry spun, flinging Bandit loose with a yelp. He bent down for his gun just as I was bringing the rock down in a heavy arc toward his head. He lifted his arm to deflect the blow. The rock connected with his elbow and he howled in pain.

  My uncontrolled momentum sent me tumbling into Larry. We rolled over in a tangle of limbs. Before I knew what was happening, he was on top of me. I caught a brief glimpse of a wicked looking fist closing in on my face. Pain erupted around my nose and left eye.

  I twisted my body and flailed with my arms, trying to throw him off. My disadvantage of being pinned beneath his weight was all too real at that moment, and he seemed to have a frightening control over the situation.

  With a savage growl, a blur of black and white fur slammed into Larry. He grunted and rolled off me as Bandit went at him tooth and nail.

  I s
tood, a wave of dizziness washing over me. My left eye was blurry and my head felt thick. I stumbled forward, almost falling down in the process. I scanned the ground. Where was the gun? It had to be close by. I took another unsteady step, blinking away the haze.

  A glint of metal caught my eye. The gun lay on a patch of grass not more than two feet away. I hurried forward and bent to pick it up just as Larry tackled me to the ground. The wind rushed out of me and I gasped for breath. I rolled sideways to avoid the horrible sensation of getting pinned again. Larry lunged toward me, his face contorted with rage.

  Instinct, fear, and desperation hit me all at once, and I threw a fist right into his jaw. His momentum turned the impact to my favor, and the well placed strike sent him sprawling.

  I scrambled to my feet, still trying to catch my breath, and went for the gun. A strong hand wrapped around my ankle before I could take a step, and yanked backward. I hit the dirt, the air leaving my lungs once again.

  Larry leapt over me, stooping down to retrieve the gun. A hollow sensation settled in my chest. There was no way I could stop him now. He had the gun. It was over.

  There was a high pitched buzzing overhead. The sharp crack of Larry’s gun echoed through the forest. I flinched, thinking for a moment that he’d shot me, and looked up to find Kenny’s grey drone circling the sky directly above us.

  It swung in a tight circle, coming back around toward Larry. He held his gun extended toward the drone, following its path like he was hunting ducks. He shot again, and the drone exploded in a shower of grey fragments.

  Bandit leapt forward with a primal growl, his jaw clamping on Larry’s shooting forearm. Larry cried out and dropped the gun, struggling to shake the dog free. I scrambled forward, snatched the gun in my trembling hands and trained it on Larry.

  “Hold it!” I shouted in a desperate voice. “Don’t move a muscle!”

  “Okay, get him off me! Get him off me!” Larry screamed, trying to free his arm from Bandit’s teeth.

  A police siren echoed through the trees. I saw a flash of red lights rapidly approaching our position.

  “Bandit, let go,” I said. “I got him.”

  Me too. Bandit growled. No one shoots at you and gets away with it. This creep isn’t going anywhere.

  “Bandit, stop. He’s already bleeding.”

  Just a few more bites.

  “Call him off!” Larry screamed.

  “Bandit, let him go.”

  Oh, alright.

  Bandit finally released his arm and took a threatening stance. His front legs were spread wide, his teeth bared, and his eyes locked on Larry. A low growl resonated in his chest, as if daring Larry to make a move.

  Larry stumbled backward, holding his bleeding arm. “Keep him back. Don’t let him bite me again.”

  “Okay, just don’t move.” I tried to sound confident and commanding, even though my whole body trembled.

  The police car pulled up beside Jimmy’s blue car. Brooke jumped out, drawing her gun in a single smooth motion.

  “Freeze!” She rushed over, gun trained on Larry. “Down on the ground. Hands where I can see them.”

  As Larry lowered himself to the ground, his eyes looked vacant, and his face was expressionless. It was hard to imagine this was the same man who only moments ago had attacked me with such aggression and murderous intent.

  Bandit’s growl diminished in intensity. I caught his eye and smiled at him.

  Great job, Bandit. I winked at him. You were amazing. You saved my life. Thank you.

  My pleasure. That was so exciting. And I bit him real good. That’ll teach him.

  Yeah, I don’t think he’ll mess with you again.

  You weren’t so bad yourself. You got in a couple good shots. And you got his gun. We’ve definitely got a wolf pack thing going here.

  I chuckled. Something like that.

  You think Brooke will give me a K-9 vest now?

  Anything’s possible.

  Brooke put her knee on Larry’s back and pulled his arms back to handcuff him. She proceeded to read him his rights.

  “C’mere, Bandit.” I patted my leg.

  Bandit ran over, and I kneeled down to hug him. I buried my head in his soft fur. He leaned in and licked my neck.

  “Ah.” I pulled back. “That tickles.”

  Bandit barked and licked my face. Glad you’re alright.

  I smoothed back the fur on his head and smiled. “Glad you’re okay too, buddy.”

  “Get off me,” Larry grunted, craning his neck back toward Brooke. “It wasn’t me. It’s Carol. Arrest her.”

  “Easy now.” Brooke fastened the cuffs on tight.

  “She’s the one that stabbed Jimmy.” Larry’s face was tight. His jaw clenched. “There’s a knife in the car. Go check. It’s hers.”

  “How do you know he got stabbed?” Brooke asked. “And how did you know the car was out here?”

  Larry was quiet for a moment. “I ... I found it. I was riding my motorcycle and saw it.”

  “Ask him why he was searching through the trunk,” I said.

  Larry glared at me, his face twisted with anger.

  “What were you looking for in the trunk?” Brooke asked.

  Larry remained quiet.

  “And how do you know there’s a knife in the car?” Brooke asked.

  “Because he put it there.” I pointed to my phone. “I have the whole thing on video.”

  Larry narrowed his eyes. “You’re dead, Cooper.”

  Normally, a threat like that would bring on the chills. But seeing Larry in handcuffs, flat on his stomach, definitely took the sting out of his words. I heard it for what it was. A criminal coming undone, desperate to retain a fleeting sense of power.

  Kenny exited the passenger side of Brooke’s police car, his drone remote control in hand. He walked toward us with tentative steps. “Is it safe to come over there?”

  “Yeah.” Brooke double checked the handcuffs. “Come on over.”

  Kenny walked toward me, giving Larry a wide berth. He shook his head as he reached me. “Larry Patterson. I knew it all along.”

  “Oh, really?” I said. “Funny, you never said anything.”

  “Maybe not, but deep down I knew it.” Kenny kneeled down and hugged Bandit. “Glad you’re okay, Bandit.”

  Me too. I’m gonna go help Brooke guard that creep. Bandit trotted over to Brooke and stood nearby, a low growl resonating in his chest.

  Kenny stood and sighed. “Yep. I knew there was something off about Larry.”

  “Well, you could’ve fooled me,” I said. “You acted like he was your mentor of coolness.”

  “Hey, I never got to be cool in high school. This was like a second chance.”

  I motioned to Larry. “Now what do you think?”

  Kenny shook his head. “Never trust the cool kids. Why do I keep having to learn that lesson? If I’m not careful, next thing you know I’ll start listening to celebrities.”

  I patted his back. “Well, it’s over.”

  “Yeah.” Kenny’s eyes locked on the ground nearby, where the remains of his fallen drone lay. “You can say that again.”

  We walked over to the scattered, grey remnants, sharing a moment of silence over the destruction of advanced technology.

  Kenny’s shoulders slouched, a frown hanging on his lips. “Well, it died a hero’s death.”

  I put my arm around Kenny’s shoulders. “Kenny, you probably saved both our lives with that thing. Thank you. Seriously, thank you.”

  Kenny gave a weak smile. “Things were getting pretty sketchy over here. Larry went for his gun. I had to do something.”

  “By the way, how’d you get here in time?” I asked. “My phone didn’t have a signal. I couldn’t call.”

  “Once I got to the station, I told Brooke what you were up to and she drove out here right away. Told me to get in the car and show her where you were trying to do your, let’s see now, what did she call it? Oh yeah, your ‘dangerously stupid
gamble.’”

  I frowned. “Well, it worked, didn’t it? And anyways, you were supposed to wait till I called to tell her what I was up to.”

  He threw his hands up. “Hey, it was a stressful situation. I forgot the exact order of events. And it’s a good thing I told her, or else you would’ve been out here on your own with that psycho.”

  I nodded. “True. Good point.”

  “I can’t believe he shot it.” Kenny stooped down and grabbed a grey hunk of plastic with jagged edges. “Why’d he have to have such good aim? It’s completely ruined. I can’t even salvage the camera.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Sorry, man.”

  He stood, letting out a heavy breath. “There’s no way I can fix it. It’s a total loss.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll replace it. It’s the least I can do.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He turned and headed for the car. “You owe me nine hundred and twenty-five dollars.”

  “What?” I raised my eyebrows. “Are you kidding? It costs that much?”

  “Plus tax.” Kenny called back.

  “I can’t afford that.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll subtract the cost of your spare tire. Plus, you can pay it off with the proceeds from our detective agency’s next case.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  Brooke led Larry to the squad car. “Let’s go, boys.”

  Bandit loped alongside. Sweet. I'll growl at him the whole way.

  “Oh, one more thing.” Kenny looked back. “Shotgun!”

  Chapter 18

  The days following Larry Patterson’s arrest felt downright restful in comparison to the whirlwind leading up to his unmasking. I had a nasty purple coloration and swelling around my eye for several days, care of Larry’s fist. Of course, it was a small price to pay for looking heroic in front of Brooke. Even though her sense of law enforcement safety protocols compelled her to scold me for taking the risk of wrestling with an armed murderer, I could tell she was kind of into it.

  The police recovered the star garnet gems in a well-sealed “trick box” hidden under a floorboard in Jimmy’s apartment. There were several locking mechanisms on the box, but nothing a good set of tactical police tools couldn’t handle.