“I’m not even sure whatIcan do.” Pearl whined and panted from the passenger seat, then turned in agitated circles. Reece looked up as Shane walked toward him. “Hang on.” He lowered the passenger side window and pressed the phone to his chest. “I’m on with Noah.”
Shane draped his arms across the window frame. “She’s not in there. There’s no blood, no sign of a struggle besides the bag, which looks like it might have been kicked in there rather than someone yanking it off her. Neve could have kicked it in there herself.”
“But why?”
“A pet emergency? Maybe she flew out of there so fast she dropped her bag.”
“Youbelievethat?”
“No.”
“I want you to do me a favor and find out where Chelsea is,” Reece clipped.
Shane’s eyes popped wide. “Chelsea Selkirk?”
“Yes.”
“You thinkshe’sgot something to do with this?”
Yes.
Bright red-and-blue lights strobed across the building, broadcasting Sheriff Chesterton’s arrival. He parked behind Reece and got out. Meanwhile, a small crowd of curious townsfolk began gathering on the dirt road beyond the clinic’s parking lot.
Shane pulled away from Reece’s door and turned to meet his boss. The sheriff hitched up his pants and gave Shane a bob of his head. “Deputy O’Brien.” He acknowledged Reece with another bob. “Hunnicutt.”
The two lawmen put their heads together. Reece sharpened his hearing, picking out words here and there, itching to hear the entire conversation.
“Reece?” came Noah’s voice.
Shit!He’d forgotten his brother was on the line. “Sorry. Forgot you were there.”
“I’m coming over there. Charlie’s in GJ, but I’ll let him know what’s going on. We’ve got you, bro.”
He ended the call at the same moment Chesterton lifted his stubby chin. “Why don’t you step out of there, Hunnicutt? I’d like to ask you some questions.”
Gladly. Reece couldn’t stand to sit anymore anyway. He felt like Pearl, ready to spin in circles. When he opened his door, he wasn’t prepared for her launching herself through the opening. She ran to the other side of the truck while the lawmen gaped at her.
“Damn it, Pearl! Get back here!”
Reece raced around the truck. The two men moved in, looking at the dog, whose nose was stuck to the ground.
“Hunnicutt, get your dog under control. Now,” the sheriff warned.
Pearl flattened her body and crawled a foot or two under the truck. What the hell was her problem? Reece crouched down and tugged on a leg. “Pearl, come. Now!” The dog responded with a whine. “Pearl!” She looked at him over her shoulder with frantic eyes but didn’t move. “I swear to God, dog …”
Reece dropped to his elbows and shimmied under partway, intending to wrap his arms around her sausage body and pull her out. Hopefully, he could minimize her impact on the scene.
She put her head down on her paws and whimpered, her eyes trained straight ahead. When Reece tried to grab her, his gaze caught on a shiny object.
“Sheriff! Shane!” He raised his head and smacked it on the underside of the truck. “Goddamn it!”
Shane dropped to his haunches beside him. “What is it?”
Keeping one hand on Pearl so she wouldn’t lunge toward the item, Reece rubbed his sore head. “I think Pearl found something important.”
Shane stared at the object. “Holy fuck!”
Reece couldn’t have said it better himself.
