Chapter Seven
“The asshole is heading our way,” Jana warned.
Tinkerbell growled.
I glanced over my shoulder. Dutch’s furious blue eyes were locked on me. “Think he knows I have his badge?”
“No, but I bet he wants his gun back,” Jana said, quickly dropping Dutch’s Ruger on the ground.
Tinkerbell peed on it and gave me a doggie grin.
“Aw. You read my mind. You’re such a good girl.” I pushed the pistol under the table with my foot.
A smitten look on his face, Enrique sighed, “I wouldn’t mind trying out his love muscle.”
“Dude, you gotta have higher standards,” I quipped.
Jana laughed. “The man is sex on two legs, but I think it’s best if we stay far, far away from him.”
The band broke into a hot Latin Salsa perfect for dancing the Tango.
I handed Tinkerbell’s leash to Jana and smiled at Enrique. “Shall we show Frederick how the Tango is supposed to be done?”
“It would be my pleasure.” Enrique walked out on the dance floor and crooked his finger at me.
I sauntered towards him, putting an extra swing in my hips.
Enrique quick stepped around me.
I heard a yelp and turned.
Enrique was sprawled face down on the grass.
Dutch stalked toward me.
Crap. I retreated.
The asshole followed.
“Go away.”
“No.” With a lightning fast move, Dutch grabbed my right hand, spun me around him and pulled me into a tight embrace.
I tried to break free. “I’m not dancing with you.”
“Yes. You are.” Dutch promenaded me across the dance floor.
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“About what?” I jerked away.
Dutch jerked me back. “What were you doing at the warehouse dressed like a nun?”
“Why in the world would I get dressed up like a nun?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. Maybe you like watching men and dogs fight to the death.”
“Listen, asshole, I’m a pet detective. I find lost critters for a living. I would never harm a living creature, but I might make an exception in your case.”
“Is Maria Torrez your client?” Dutch’s large hands skimmed down my back, grabbed my hips and up I went.
"Hey! Bad idea." Really bad idea. My skin heated wherever he touched me, and my girly parts were yelling yee-haw.
Dutch twirled me around his shoulders. “Is Maria your client?”
“Put me down!” I grabbed his bulging biceps for support as he slid me down his body. “Have you lost your mind?”
Dutch dipped me and lowered his head until our lips almost met. “Answer the question.”
“Is this a new interrogation technique?”
“I do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
One second his lips touched mine, the next Dutch slid me between his legs and slowly pulled me back up.
“Is that a banana in your pants or are you just really glad to see me?” I twisted and brought my knee up.
The jerk easily blocked my attempt to unman him. “Temper. Temper. That’s gonna cost you. Answer my questions or you will be spending time in the county jail eating three-day old bologna sandwiches.”
One look at the threat in Dutch’s eyes and I knew he wasn’t bluffing. “You have heard of client confidentiality? I don’t release information on my clients without their permission.”
“Even if they’re dead?” His voice was flat and deceptively casual.
“What? Dead? Maria’s dead? Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Dutch watched me closely.
“That bastard! I told her to stay away from Tomas.”
Dutch abruptly towed me off the dance floor. “What do you know about Tomas?”
“Just what Maria told me.” I pried at his fingers.
He pulled a chair out from a table. “Sit.”
I sat.
“What did Maria tell you?” Still gripping my hand, Dutch took the chair next to me.
“Tomas cheated on Maria and when she threw him out, he took her Yorkie as payback.”
Dutch’s thumb stroked my wrist. “That’s it?”
“She said he had done some prison time and might be back to fighting dogs again.”
“Did Maria tell you where he held his cage matches?”
“She didn’t know. I was going to talk to the sister,” I answered.
“The sister knows the location of the bouts?
I nodded. “Tomas took her to one of the fights.”
“You charged Maria five hundred dollars to retrieve her dog. Why?”
Crap. What else did he know? “There was an element of risk in the retrieval.” Was he trying to take my pulse? My dad had warned me some cops used this trick as a poor man’s lie detector.
“How did you know Maria’s dog was in the warehouse?”
Sneaky man. I countered with, “Is that where you found Maria’s body? Was her dog okay? How did she die?”
“I don’t discuss the details of my homicide investigation with a suspect.”
I gave a theatrical gasp of horror. “You think I killed her? Are you nuts? What about Maria’s slut of a sister or Tomas, the abusive ex-boyfriend? They both have motive, means and opportunity to carry out the crime.”
“True, but I want to know how your fingerprints got on Maria’s Impala. The Impala you stole from the crime scene,” Dutch responded.
I rolled my eyes. God he was such a liar. He didn’t have my prints or any evidence connecting me to the warehouse. My latex gloves were fool proof and Samson had taken care of the cameras.
“If you cooperate, I’ll talk the County Attorney into giving you a reduced sentence,” Dutch added.
“Since I spent the day getting a makeover, not stealing a car or impersonating a nun, I’ll pass.” I fluffed my hair. “Which pound is Maria’s Yorkie at? I’ll let her family know.”
A muscle twitched in Dutch’s jaw. “I checked you out. They say you can talk to the animals. That you’re a regular Doctor Doolittle.”
I cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you believe in all that woo-woo stuff?”
“It would explain a lot.”
Holy crap! Was he serious? I gave him pitying smile. “The next thing you’ll be accusing me of is talking to the dead.”
“Can you talk to the dead?” Dutch studied my face intently. “I can take you to the morgue and you can ask Maria who killed her.”
“Very funny,” I replied angrily.
“I will get the truth from you, one way or another.”
I jumped to my feet. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise.” Dutch rose to his full height and pointed at Tinkerbell. “Is that Maria’s dog?”
“No. Tink is my dog.” There was no way in hell I’d let him take her.
“Strange. Maria’s dog looks just like her and I’ve never seen a Yorkie at your house.”
“I just got her from North Phoenix Animal Rescue. I can show you the paperwork.” After I made a quick call to Harry.
“Good. Bring it to the station tomorrow and we’ll continue our conversation. I’ll expect you at eight sharp.” Dutch walked off.
“Hey! I have a client at eight.”
“Reschedule them,” Dutch called over his shoulder.
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll arrest you.”
I drew a quick, angry breath. “For what, princess?”
Dutch stopped and turned to face me. “Interfering with my investigation and assaulting a police officer.”
“What evidence do you have I’m involved in any of this?”
“My gut.”
I laughed. “Your gut? Maybe you’re just gassy.”
“My gut is never wrong.”
“The only thing that will stand up in court is cold, hard evidence and you don’t have any,” I responded with cutting pleasantness.
“Sweetheart, I always clear my cases. Always. It’s only a matter of time before I slap the cuffs on.”
I made a rude noise. “Princess, you couldn’t find your own butt with both hands.”
“Keep pushing me and you aren’t going to like the consequences.” Dutch’s voice was a low growl.
“Time to go.” Jana grabbed my arm and dragged me away. “Piss him off enough and he’ll make it his mission in life to investigate every aspect of your business. Do you really want that?”
“No. God no.”
“And what if he finds out about your involvement with Tom, Dick, and Harry?”
I shuddered. “That would be bad. Very bad.”
“Exactly.”
Tinkerbell trotted up to me. Her little body shook badly. Arf? Arf? Arf?
Crap. She had heard Dutch say Maria was dead. I picked up Tinkerbell and cuddled her. “I’m so sorry, honey, but it’s true.”
The little Yorkie threw her head back and howled. An eerie, sorrowful sound that raised the hair on the-back-of-my neck.
Jana gasped. “Holy Jesus! That’s just plain awful. What’s wrong with her?”
“She knows Maria is dead.”
“Your client is dead? How?”
“I think she was murdered.”
Tinkerbell howled again.
I noticed Dutch watching us. “Let’s get out of here before the asshole decides to question me again.”
“Good idea,” Jana agreed.
I handed Dutch’s badge to the cop guarding the exit. “I found this on the ground.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Arf? Arf?
“You bet your ass I’ll find out who killed your mom.” I hurried across the parking lot.
Tinkerbell let out a series of worried yaps.
“No, you’re not going to the pound. I’m taking you home with me. You’re my dog now. Unless you want to live with your grandmother?”
Woof.
“That was a definite no.”
Arf. Arf. Arf.
I glanced over my shoulder. Dutch was trailing us. “I’ll start my search tomorrow.”
Arf?
“Because Dutch is a persistent bugger and I’m sure he’s already put a tracker on Jana’s limo.”
Tinkerbell whimpered.
“I know honey. Losing someone you love hurts a lot.”
Enrique opened the limo door for me.
“Gracias.” I climbed inside.
Jana slid in beside me. “My friend at the medical examiner’s office will get us into the county morgue tomorrow. Let’s hope Maria knows who killed her.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Tinkerbell woofed in agreement.