Let Loose by Rae Davies Read Free Book Online Page B

was
sure it had the dogs’ attention, bounded off the hood and onto the
road.
    One dog slammed against the back of my rig’s
front seat, sending another scrabbling against the dash.
    I closed my eyes and tried not to think about
what state the interior of my Jeep would be in by the time I’d
unloaded my unwelcome guests.
    It didn’t work. I could still feel the stress
of potential property damage swirling inside me. What I needed was
something to take my mind off my troubles. Like some light
reading.
    After one last glance out the window to check
for human life, I flipped open the clipboard and settled in for a
little me time.
    The reading was a bit dry. I’d give it at
most three stars at Amazon and only then because of the mention of
my new hairdresser, Carol. Apparently Carol’s husband had had two
snowmobiles stolen recently and Carol had made a statement about
the last time they had been parked in their driveway. Actually, now
that I read it more carefully, I was mentioned too. Not by name,
but by appointment. The snowmobiles in question had disappeared the
night after my new do and Carol had listed everyone who had been at
her house. Ethel and “friend” were listed. I had to be that
friend.
    In truth, it was a little insulting that
Carol hadn’t remembered my name. I mean how many blue dye jobs did
she do a week?
    Mentally lowering the review from three stars
to two, I lifted the page to see what followed.
    A rap on the door startled me into dropping
the clipboard onto the floor.
    George Pearson, police officer and friend who
I’d thought was out sick, jerked his head to the side, warning me
that someone less friendlike was coming. I tossed the clipboard
onto the driver’s side floor instead and opened my door.
    Stone, with the stealth of a snake, was
already waiting. “I see you’re keeping busy, Lucy.”
    I licked my lips and concentrated on not
looking back at the car I’d just vacated. “Best I can,” I replied
with my strongest Southern Missouri accent. A lot of people here
found my semi-drawl charming. Stone apparently wasn’t one of
them.
    He hmphed. “Chuck got your statement?” he
asked.
    I smiled, nodded, and pretended total
reverence.
    He stared at me for a good two minutes longer
than was polite. My right eye started to twitch, but I held my
smile.
    After another thirty seconds of me thinking I
was going to explode and say or do something that would convince
him that I needed to be hauled in, cuffed and fed nothing but
crackers and water for the next five day, he turned away and
stalked to his car.
    Unsure if this meant I was safe, I glanced at
George.
    “You’re good,” he offered. “For now.”
    That was less than reassuring, but it was
better than being told that I had to hang out in the arctic while
Stone did whatever it was he did when not biting the heads off of
innocent antique store owners.
    I almost got to my Jeep before remembering
why I’d been at the campground in this decidedly not
camping-friendly weather.
    Dogs. A team of them.
    Damn.
    I trotted back the direction from whence I’d
come.
    Stone was out of his car, talking to Chuck. I
pretended not to notice either of them and instead directed my
attention to George.
    “I have a bit of a situation.”
    “A situation?”
    “Yes...” Howls cut off my plea. I let out a
breath. “That.” I filled George in on what I’d already told Chuck,
about trying to return the team to Red when I’d found his body.
    George nodded his head and rubbed his chin.
“That does sound like a situation all right.”
    I waited, expecting him to offer some
solution.
    Finally, he continued, “Guess I can call the
Humane Society. They’ve worked with us in the past.”
    Yes, the Humane Society. That would be
perfect.
    “It’s Thursday. They’re closed on Thursdays.
Won’t be open until tomorrow. Of course, we can call the director,
but they’re still dealing with those puggles they got from that
puppy mill case. I don’t know that