Canine Cupids for Cops Read online

  With a trace of relief sliding over his face, Jorge nodded. “All right. I just had to tell you. It was weighing on me like an overloaded backpack, dragging me down, worrying about it. The rumor is the cops almost caught some guys here the other night, over the weekend. I know nothing about that, and I tell my coworkers it is just a rumor. We still gotta work, like you say.”

  Jake rested his hand on the other man’s shoulder for a moment. “Thanks for telling me, Jorge. I’m going to hope it isn’t your nephew too. If it is, he isn’t doing it alone. Several people are involved…have to be. We’ll get them. It may take a little time, but we’ll get them.”

  As Jorge turned and ambled off, Jake’s phone buzzed, and he checked to see who was calling. Boz. He answered it on the second ring.

  “Got a match on one set of prints. There’s a warrant on the guy out of California, drug-related, and not the first time he’s been in trouble. Even if he’s working on site, which would be a reason for the prints to be there legit, the warrant’s enough to pick him up. Two officers will be there for him at the end of the shift if not sooner. Could be if he’s guilty, he’ll spill the beans on the rest.”

  Jake hesitated, torn between relief and dismay. “Got a name on the guy?”

  “He uses several, apparently. He’s on the rolls here as Felipe Delgado. Age twenty-three. From the records the super had, he’s only been on this job about thirty days.”

  Nodding, Jake started putting things together. “I just talked to his uncle—or I should say he talked to me. He overheard a phone conversation, just his nephew’s part of it, but it got him worried enough to come tell me. Damn, Jorge is a good man. I hate to see this. The kid seemed like a good worker too.”

  “Can you identify this Felipe?”

  “Oh, yeah, I know everybody on my crew. “

  “I’ll be down there in about half an hour. Two uniforms will be there not long after that. It’ll be best if we can take him quietly.”

  “Okay. I’ll meet you at the super’s office. I think I can have Felipe there too.”

  Jake arrived at the office before Boz showed up. Jorge and Felipe turned up at almost the same time Boz did. When the two uniformed officers rounded the corner into view, Jake saw Felipe tense, but he didn’t run. In seconds, he’d schooled his face into a stoic mask. Jorge’s glances shifted quickly back and forth among them all, worry tightening his round, pleasant face. He knew what was going to happen, and he dreaded it. To be honest, Jake did as well.

  The cops bracketed Felipe smoothly, then reached to take him by both arms. One showed him the warrant and spoke the chilling words, “You’re under arrest.”

  The young man’s shoulders drooped. He shook his head, just a slow side to side, the gesture eloquent of defeat.

  Boz stepped up then. “If you’ll cooperate with us on details about the thefts from the site here, we might be able to make things a little easier for you. Even though I don’t think we can lose that California warrant, at least there may not be one from New Mexico to add to it.”

  Jorge spoke a few quick terse words in Spanish. Even though it was rapid-fire and in the slurred border dialect, Jake got the gist of it. Felipe would get no help from his uncle if he didn’t cooperate, quickly and totally. The youth cut his gaze first to his uncle and then back to Jake and Boz.

  “I’ll tell you what I know,” he said. “The first thing is I should not have gotten involved. I’m thinking honest money is better, and no one gets hurt. I wish I could start over again. I’ll tell you what I know, though. Maybe it’ll help end this.”

  * * * *

  Later that evening, when Jake got home, he headed off to the dog park almost as soon as he got to the apartment. He wasn’t sure if Boz would be there. Even if he hoped, he also suspected the detective was up to his eyeballs sorting out the case, which had likely cracked wide open with Felipe’s confession. He told himself he wouldn’t be disappointed if they didn’t see each other this evening, even if Snick would miss the hell out of Athena.

  Although Snick was glad to run as always, Jake could tell he was looking for his lean and lofty friend. After a few minutes of racing around in dizzy circles the small dog settled down to a slower circuit of the park, sniffing and peeing every few steps.

  Jake shook his head, laughing at his pet’s antics. “Yeah, kid, you’re gonna make sure there’s no question you were here, right? You’re leaving your mark on every blade of grass and fence post and…”

  Snick must have heard or smelled the first clue. He skidded to a stop, then went racing across the park to the gate Boz and Athena usually used. Sure enough, there they came. With a bit more dignity than Snick, yet close to the same eager joy, Jake headed that way too.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be home in time to come down tonight,” Jake greeted them, as Boz brought Athena through the gate and unclipped her leash.

  Boz grinned. “Almost didn’t, but I’ve got most of my stuff done—I can finish the reports tonight or tomorrow. Felipe sang like a prize canary. We have names and leads enough to break this ring wide open. I don’t think you’ll be losing any more wire or components, at least not through these guys. The evening shift is picking some of them up as we speak, and the rest are in Mexico. Not sure what we’ll be able to do about them. At least they won’t have their local minions stealing for them here anyway.”

  One question was bothering Jake enough he had to ask. “Jorge wasn’t implicated, was he?”

  “No way. In fact, I’m about ready to put him in for a medal. Even if we’d have broken the case in another day or two, he made it faster and easier, coming to you the way he did. Other than your bump on the head, this one has gone down pretty smooth.”

  Jake watched the dogs frolic for a moment, then turned back to Boz. “The carnies and circus folks have a saying, ‘I love ya, honey, but the season’s over.’ That doesn’t quite apply here. The case closed, though, so what else is there besides the dog park? What I mean is, was Sunday a fluke, or is there something here we need to explore some more?”

  For a few seconds, Boz looked everywhere except at Jake, took a step away to lean against the fence, then propped his elbows on the pipe running along the top of the chain link. Finally, he met Jake’s gaze, his expression sober and intent. “How much longer does this job run, building the med center? I heard it was due for the grand opening in December. Will your crew’s work be over before then?”

  “We’ll be on the job until the last, bringing all the equipment on line and standing by while the medical people test things. I don’t expect to move on to a new job until the first of the year.”

  Boz nodded. “Good. Where all does Merritt Brothers operate?”

  “Mostly in the southwest, Texas to California, once in a while up to Colorado or Utah, maybe Nevada. Most of the jobs the last several years have been right here along the border—El Paso, Tucson, San Diego—that area. I expect the next job I’m on will be in the same region.”

  Boz hesitated a minute, as if gathering his thoughts or maybe his courage. “Did you ever consider establishing a base somewhere? Maybe investing in a place you could call home and fix up over a few years? Always have a place to come back to?”

  The questions made Jake pause, wondering how Boz had stumbled onto his dim dream that never seemed to work out. “Yeah, I’ve thought about it more than once, but it just never quite jelled. Still, the idea feels good, sounds good. I’m getting damn sick of apartments and living out of my truck.”

  Boz’s intent gaze slid away for a moment. “Well, Las Cruces is a decent enough town, big enough without being too big. Lots of older homes selling at pretty reasonable prices. It might be something we could look into together between now and the end of the year. Our spending more time together would sure make a couple of dogs happy.”

  With a tilt of his head, he indicated the unlikely pair of canine lovers, who were checking the perimeter together. Athena seemed to slow her pace so Snick only had to take three or four steps fo
r each one of hers. When they slowed more to turn a corner, she bent down and nuzzled him. He reared up on his hind legs and licked her face. Despite a somewhat pained expression as if she was thinking, Aw, man, not out here in public, she waited patiently until he stopped.

  Jake had to laugh. “I can see that. They won’t be the least bit unhappy if we spend more time together so they can too. To tell the truth, I won’t either.”

  Boz grinned. “I was kind of hoping you’d feel that way. It wouldn’t be a hardship to me at all if you were to let that apartment go and take over the extra bedroom in my place for the time being. I think there’s room in my fridge for your brand of beer, and I know the yard is big enough for two dogs with some space left over to grill a steak now and then and maybe even watch a sunset or two.”

  Jake clapped him on the shoulder. “I think this whole thing calls for some kind of a celebration—the case is almost wrapped up, and it looks like a new partnership might be in the works. Let’s take our fur kids home—to your place—and see what we can scare up for the four of us to eat.”

  “And after that, we could watch the tube or listen to some music or maybe just make an early night of it.”

  “I like the way you think. It looks to me like the possibilities are pretty near limitless if we put our heads together and take a cue from our dogs’ philosophy.”

  The dogs came running at the first whistles. Both of them wagged their tails with an excess of enthusiasm when their masters started off together instead of in opposite directions. Things were working out just like Snick had hoped they would.

  THE END

  Author’s Note

  This one is for Nancy and “Pinto” with a nod to the great breed rescue groups who work selflessly to save lost and abandoned dogs and find for them loving forever homes. A million dogs and their happy new families thank you but it can never be enough! Brightest blessings on all of you and your charges.

  Again special thanks to my wonderful editor E.J., also an animal lover and surely the world’s most eagle eyed and patient of editors! A furry halo for you, my friend! Smiles, hugs and heartfelt mil gracias as well.

  ABOUT DEIRDRE O’DARE

  A lifelong reader, Deirdre learned to write—poems and stories—as soon as she could print the letters and try to spell words. She went pro with women’s fiction as Gwynn Morgan after she retired from a US civil service job and switched to erotic romance some years back. A confirmed desert rat, she sets most tales in her beloved southwest and slips in her ranch and outdoor background with adventures and ‘critters’ as secondary characters.

  Although all of Deirdre’ s tales are explicit, she emphasizes she writes love stories and not just sex stories because she believes Love in all its forms is the One True Thing. She also believes that every human deserves to find and enjoy it. She currently resides in central New Mexico and serves as chauffer and household staff for two amazing dogs. She enjoys many creative hobbies and spending time with friends and her spectacular grandkids when she can escape from the keyboard.

  For more information, visit deirdredares.blogspot.com.

  ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC

  JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!