Author: Schubach, Erik
Date: 2017-11-18
Publisher: Erik Schubach

Unleashed: Case of the Collie Flour

By Erik Schubach

Copyright © 2017 by Erik Schubach

Self publishing

P.O. Box 523

Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026

Cover Photo © 2017 Dean Drobot / ShutterStock license | Lifeonwhite / Depositphotos license

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties.  Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or broadcast.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Manufactured in the United States of America

FIRST EDITION

ISBN 978-0-9993740-2-3

Chapter 1 –  Walk In The Park

Damn, what a spectacular day!  I looked up and closed my eyes to soak in the sun as the breeze gently ruffled my yellow sundress while I walked up Madison Avenue here in Manhattan.  I really love this town.  The day I set foot in New York City, I knew I had found my new home.

I took a deep breath to savor the perfume of the city.  Steam, exhaust, people, and hotdogs, mixed with the scent of freshly mowed grass, trees, and flowers blowing in from Central Park a block away.  I smiled and almost skipped along to my first client of the day as I wove through the mid-morning foot traffic.  Exchanging smiles and inclined heads with the few who braved eye contact with the strangers all about them, lost in a sea of anonymity.

I stepped up to the brand new 855 Building and looked up at the condos, shaking my head in wonder.  One day maybe, Fin, but even the one bedroom flats in the glass and steel structure sold for almost two million, and upward of fourteen million for a three bedroom.  I didn't even want to think about what the penthouse would set someone back.

As much as I love this city, it is still crazy stupid just how much it costs to live here.  Where square footage is measured in the thousands of dollars as opposed to the under sixty dollars in my hometown of Liberty, New York, just a two-hour drive northwest of the city.

Imagine my shock when moving from my six hundred and fifty dollar a month two bedroom apartment to find out I couldn't even get within spitting distance of a one bedroom in the Big Apple for under two grand!  That first year in the city, three years ago, I wound up with three roommates in a two bedroom second story walk up just to afford to live where I was starting my own business.

My little quirks and idiosyncrasies chased off my roommates over the years. So what if I label my food cans, and cereal, and umm... my tissue box, my sock drawer, and... ok, I may have an unhealthy relationship with my label maker, but it is the longest relationship I have ever had, so there's that.

Luckily, my business took off, and I can afford rent on my own now, but that's the key words in that sentence... on my own.  I'm a social animal and need to be around people, that's why I moved to the big city.  So I've cycled through a couple more roommates since the girls left.  The last one toughed it out a whole year before she said that my perky and chipper attitude and my borderline obsessive-compulsive behavior was just too much for her, and she was off.

I have another listing in the want ads of the Crier and For Let, but so far no real viable candidates, a couple ladies who seemed put off by the place, but were already talking about maybe being late with rent as they pursue modeling or acting careers.  Then the prerequisite number of pervs who don't know how to read “only women need apply.”

If I hear, “I respect women, I have three sisters, and you wouldn't even know I'm there,” again, I'll scream.

The early thirty-something doorman at the 855, Jamal, in his smart pressed uniform saw me coming, and the cute and always impeccably groomed black man inclined his head with a genuine smile.  I've always thought he looked like he belonged in a boardroom or a talk show, but he swears he'd rather do what he does because he meets so many fascinating characters.

I grinned widely at him and said in a flirty manner, “Hey Jamaaal,” stretching out his name a bit with a little hop in my step.

His smile grew into a big grin that showed off his stark white teeth.  The tall man's goatee was, as always, so neatly trimmed with not a hair out of place as he said in an equally flirty tone, “Hi, Miss May.  Looking lovely today as always, Fin.”

I beamed at his compliment and gave a quick twirl for him, my sundress whirling as the clips on the leather harnesses in my hands clinked.  I glanced at my sundress that hit just above the knee, and my matching butter yellow flats.  Had to wear flats in my business, never knew when you might have to run.

He held the door open for me and tipped his cap as I slid in. “Thank you, kind sir.”  This was our daily routine.  Maybe I can tell mom I'm flirting with him, and that will keep her off my case about my dating life, or lack thereof.  I mean I go out on dates.  Lots of them.  A lot of first dates; I looked at the leather straps in my hands, each one labeled; but for some reason, I chase them all off.

I looked at the elevator bank then the security desk and waved at Ralph.  The laid-back security guard just waved from where he reclined and was watching the monitors, or possibly a sports channel.

I checked my lipstick in the mirror finish of the doors then pressed the up button as I looked up like I could see my handsome client upstairs waiting for me.  I just knew Calvin was already excited, ready, and willing.  I swear that big boy could go all day if I let him.

Oh, what?  The leather?  Clients...  oh, no.  No!  I'm not a call girl.  I guess I should introduce myself since you are patiently listening to me babble on about my story.  The name's Finnegan Temperance May, dog walker extraordinaire, at your service.  No really, at your service, if you have a dog in need of walking, you can book me on my website at FinneganWalks.com.  I'd strike a confident pose for you if the elevator door hadn't just opened and an elderly rich couple wasn't staring at me expectantly.

I slid to the side with a smile and said to them as they walked out, “Have a spectacular day.”  The grinch muffins just gave me a dour look and moved along.  Whatever.

“Gleep!”  The elevator doors almost closed without me.  I got my arm in just in time to stop the doors, and they reopened.  Lightning fast, like a ninja, that's me.  You've got your skeptical face on, it's my story, and that's how I remember it.  Forget the fact that I almost tripped over an air molecule, or possibly nothing as I stumbled into the elevator when said doors opened.  So... not ninja.  Shut up.

I looked around, embarrassed then straightened the hem of my dress and hit the button for the fourteenth floor.  I looked up at the camera in the corner and thought of Ralph, I made a silly face with bunny ears to give him a chuckle if he was actually watching the monitors and not the game.

Then the door slid open to the foyer shared by the two separate residences on this level.  It must be nice to have over two thousand square feet all to yourself, with spectacular views of the city.

I turned to the right and pulled my work keys out of my purse.  The huge purple scrunchy ring with a couple dozen keys and key cards.  All labeled quite nicely, thank you very much.

I was so lucky to have Abigail Reeves hire me.  Yes, THAT Abigail Reeves.  Highly popular Broadway superstar dog owners like her are very picky about who they let walk their babies.

As silly as it may sound, the dog walking industry is pretty cutthroat, and very volatile as other walkers are always trying to undercut you and scoop high profile clients out from under you.  It has taken me these three long years to build my clientele and become one of the most sought-after walkers in the city.

I tapped on the door.  I don't know why since the reason the owners of my clients hire me is that they are out all day.  Miss Reeves is the only one of the few dog owners in my stable who needs me twice a day to let my client, her prize purebred Border Collie, Sir Calvin Fluffytoes, out to get some exercise and do his thing.

I guess I knock because it is the polite thing to do.  You never know when someone might spill some grape juice on their white pleated skirt and had to rush home in the ensuing fashion emergency.  What?  It happens... to some people.  Whatever, it happened to me.

As expected, I got no response so I held my keyring up to the electronic keypad and the little light turned from red to green. I slipped in as quietly as I could and moved past the front entry to catch Calvin on the huge white couch where he knows he's not supposed to sleep and wait for me.  To my surprise, he wasn't there.

I cocked an eyebrow and looked around.  My eyes hesitated on the mess in the huge kitchen, which had stainless steel everything and transparent glass cabinet doors.  It looked as if a bag of flour had exploded on the floor and nobody bothered to clean it up.  There was some raspberry filling or something coloring some of the flour red.

I moved into the spacious living room, and the normally open floor to ceiling blinds were pulled, blocking out the amazing view down east 72nd where you could see a sliver of Pilgrim Hill in Central Park.  The doors to the two bedrooms were closed as always, Miss Reeves didn't like Calvin sleeping on the beds while she was out.

I called out as I glanced around, “Cal?  Where are you boy?”

I turned back toward the hall when I heard him whimpering.  I moved down the hall.  “Calvin?”  The whimpering was coming from the door shared by the private laundry room and the 'entertaining restroom.'

I had to grin, had the poor little guy accidentally knocked the door closed when he went in to sample today's vintage in the toilet bowl?  Eww... and I let him kiss me all the time.  Not today.  I opened the door, and the black and white Border Collie just about mauled me in his excitement to get out.

I giggled. “It's ok boy.  I'm here, I've rescued you.  We better get a move on if we are going to get the other clients for a nice stroll in the park.”

I walked all my fuzzy boys at ten and the equally as fuzzy, but much more poised and refined, girls at one.  But never ever together.   Ever.  From what I hear, it is never a good thing when Mrs. Green or Mr. Remington are faced with the oops of their prize poodle carrying bulldog mutts.  Surprise!

I wouldn't know because that was just dog walker 101 and only a fool would mix genders just to book a full gaggle.

In the early days I had to book groups of ten just to make ends meet, now that I have hit elite status and am in demand, I walk in groups of three, with individual emergency call ins to fill my free time between ferrying the fuzzy ones to vet or grooming appointments.

I generally work only six to seven-hour days five days a week unless something comes up, and I feel almost bad taking money to hang out with these fuzzy bundles of joy.  Almost.  A girl needs pretty shoes and dresses after all.  My best friend growing up, Kerry, would disagree profusely, but hey I'm a girly girl and won't apologize.

Cal was almost frantic and paced between me and Miss Reeves' bedroom as he whined.  I chuckled. “It's ok buddy.  I'm here.  Let's get you out of here before you have an accident.  I don't want to brave that kitchen for paper towels if you have a little accident on the carpet here.”

I jangled the leashes and harnesses, and he came scampering over to me and sat like a good boy.  I hooked him up in his harness. I will not clip leashes to my client's collars, I don't believe in choking them when they get a little excited out on a walk, and harnesses are much more humane and give me more control.

He immediately made a beeline for the front door, half dragging me.  I giggled.  “Ok, ok.  Duke and Hercules are waiting, then we can hit the park.”

I paused a moment to look at the mess in the kitchen.  I had to fight the impulse to go clean it up.  I reminded myself that I wasn't as OCD as my roommates had insisted.  I closed my eyes and turned my head away, peeking back through one squinted eye and said aloud, “This is me, moving along.”

We reached the front door, and it wasn't until we moved down the hall and entered the elevator that I was able to push the impulse down.  See?  Not OCD... ish.

I waved at Ralph where he sat lazily behind the desk with his feet up on the counter, as I headed to the lobby doors.  He raised a chin to me with a grin before returning to his monitors... I swear I could hear the cheering of a crowd.

Then as I approached the doors with Calvin, that prime specimen of man opened the door for us with a little flourish of his hand, I flirted, “Thanks, Jamaaal.”  I bit my lower lip, a nervous habit I've had all my dating life.

He said with confidence that made me blush, “The pleasure was all mine, Miss May.”

I will not titter, I will not titter.  Ha! I didn't titter... power of the mind over body.  Though I did put a little extra swivel in my hips to swish my skirt for him as we headed uptown a couple blocks.

Two stops later, and I had my full posse, Duke, the hyper Jack Russel Terrier, and Hercules, the poofy little Pomeranian with the manic looking wide eyes and super cute curl to his tail.  Damn our group looked gooood.

The guys got so excited the moment our feet hit the grass in Central Park on Pilgrim Hill right off Terrace Drive.  “Slow down boys.  Let's take some time to enjoy this spectacular day before...”  I sighed and dug the roll of plastic bags out of my purse to take care of the present Hercules was leaving on the lawn.  “Or not.  By all means, do your thing now.”

After the silly Pom was done and scratched the grass like a macho guy to make sure we knew he was a big boy, we were able to start a nice stroll and take in the sights in the nice lazy pre-lunch loll of foot traffic in the park.  I turned us north and asked, “What do you guys think, the Ramble today?”  Their excited whines were all the agreement I needed.

Chapter 2 – Murder

On the way back, after a leisurely stroll, we paused at the corner by Pop's Newsstand, at the plethora of boxes on the corner with all the free weeklies.  “Hang on guys, wanna check out my ads.”

I fished out a For Let from its lime green box it shared with For Hire and a Crier from its signature yellow box.  Then I looked around, the people passing by were lost in their own worlds, rushing to their destinations, and I quickly opened the red box and slipped a Hotline between the other two circulars in my hands.  Then started whistling innocently as we started back toward Hercules' place.

What?  So what if my dating life consisted of answering the personals in the Hotline and my profile on the Big Apple Connection dating website.  I'm a busy professional, and I am not blushing.  God, it felt like everyone around knew I was hiding a dating weekly in my hands.  I don't know why I was so embarrassed.

After dropping off the other guys, it was just down to Calvin and me.  I checked my cell as we turned onto Madison and weaved through the current of pedestrians flowing through the city.

Ooo, a new client inquiry contact form from my website, Tilly, a Golden Retriever.  I'd have to check the location when I got home to see if the timing would work to keep my schedule.  I was already full up, but sometimes it was fun to take a fourth along.

A text shared that Mrs. Taylor needed me to take Princess in to be groomed next Wednesday at three.  I grinned at the fact that all my client's humans knew my walking schedule and knew to schedule any vet or grooming... or therapy appointments in the afternoon.  I had them trained well.

I often wondered about canine therapy.  Did they like, lay on a doggie couch and the doc asks them about their childhood, and how it makes them feel while they scribble notes on a pad?  I'm not allowed in on the sessions for the privacy of the dogs, so that's how I envision them.

Oh, and a nibble on the RoomIt app for my spare room.  Jane, single female, twenty-seven, nonsmoker.  I hit the thumbs up and dragged it to 6:00pm for a meet and greet.  Then sighed at the three texts from people answering the ads in the circulars, nope, nope, hmmm maybe, I've never lived with a fifty-year-old.  That's a little more adult-y than I usually take as roomies, maybe that will give better longevity.  I quickly texted an invitation for a meeting at the apartment at 6:30pm.

My stomach gurgled and I looked down at it and chastised, “Just hang on, we have to drop Cal back at home then we can eat lunch in the park before picking up the girls.  So impatient.”  I patted my large shoulder bag absently and felt the Tupperware container with my lunch in it.

I slipped my cell back into my purse and then hesitated when I looked up.  There were multiple marked and unmarked police cars, and an ambulance in front of the 855.

I automatically looked up, scanning the terraces for jumpers.  Is it sad that that is the first thing we do here in the city?  I glanced around to see others doing the same, but I smiled at the fact there wasn't anyone I could see wanting to end all it just then.

Calvin and I paused at the doors, and I blinked.  Jamal wasn't there holding the door open for us with that dazzling smile of his on his face.  I opened the door and poked my head inside.  There was a bustle of activity over at the security desk, Ralph seemed to have his hands full with some of NYPD's finest.  I hoped everyone was ok.

We got to the elevator and hit the button.  I kept glancing over toward a flustered looking Ralph as we waited for the elevator car.  The doors dinged and slid open.  Two paramedics and a police officer stepped out, the cop giving me the heebie-jeebies the way he looked at me through eyes squinted in suspicion.

Cal and I grinned at each other when we started up to the fourteenth floor as I wondered what was going on.  I'm sure it would be all over the news tonight.

Then the elevator doors opened into chaos.  Jamal was there with three officers, looking shaken, his eyes widened a little when he saw Calvin and me, and he motioned his chin toward me, looking relieved, “Here she is, this is her, she's ok.”

We stepped out of the elevator as the officers moved toward me and I sort of freaked out a bit because one put his hand on the grip of his gun in its holster at his hip.  Calvin picked up on my sudden spike of anxiety and started whining then growling when one of them reached out for me to guide me away from the elevator.

My eyes were darting everywhere.  Miss Reeves half of the hall was taped off with that yellow crime scene tape you see on TV.  There were plainclothes officers with notepads and two uniformed officers there.  Two men with 'coroner' printed on their jackets in big white letters were wheeling out a gurney, and my legs about gave out, and my stomach did flip flops, no longer hungry.  There was a black body bag on the gurney which seemed to be occupied at the time.  My mouth went as dry as the Sahara just then.

Calvin's insistent growl brought me back to the immediate situation.  The officer with the gun pulled the gun halfway out of its holster, and he said in a dangerous tone, “Miss, control your dog.”

I blinked, the other man who was reaching for me had pulled his arm back, and he was stepping back from Calvin as the third officer moved blatantly to block me from the elevator.

Oh.

I looked down at Cal who was valiantly protecting me, his lips pulled back to show an impressive amount of fang for a mid-sized dog.  I crouched slowly as not to alarm the trigger-happy officer. And I hugged Calvin.  “It's ok Cal.  I'm fine, just sit, and we can find out what is going on.”

He responded to the command and calmed as he sat.

Then my eyes widened as I stood and I shot a frightened look from the body bag to Jamal. “Amy?”

He shook his head, and I exhaled in relief.  Amy was the elderly maid that Miss Reeves had come in around this time twice a week.  She was such a sweet old woman who always had a kind word to say and even gave me a little cupcake with a candle in it on my last birthday.

The officer took my arm insistently.  “Miss come this way, we have some questions for you.”

I nodded and let him and the others lead me and Cal farther down the hall away from the body and... I realized farther from the elevator and stairs.  What was going on?

I asked my friend who was looking concerned as I was pulled away, “Are you ok Jamal?”

His worried face split into his winning smile as he said, “I'm fine, Fin, thanks for asking,”  as Mr. Trigger Happy led him to the elevator.  The coroners joined him with the gurney as I wondered just who had died.  Abigail Reeves was at the Palace Theater going over her lines for the play tonight.

My stomach was aching now.  I've never seen a dead person before.  Well, I guess I still hadn't since they were zipped up in that black bag.  I probably would have lost my breakfast all over the marble floors here if I had seen the actual body.  I was just so monumentally sad for the family and loved ones of whoever that was.

Calvin was whimpering now and pulling at his harness, trying to get back down the hall.  I said absently to him, “Sit, Calvin.”  He grudgingly listened.

I looked at the officer who was cocking his head as he studied my face.  God, I probably looked like an emotional wreck.  I blurted out, “Who was that?  What happened here?  What's going on?”

The officer held a hand up to me to stop my babbling, the look on his face wasn't as hard as when they first approached me, and I noted his stance relaxed a little as he asked, “Finnegan May?”

I nodded, and he prompted, “Can I see your ID?”

I started to reach for my bag, and he held his hand up again, “Is it in the bag?”  I nodded, and he just held his hand out.  I handed it to him, and he opened it and looked in.  He rummaged for a second like he was looking for something else before pulling out my wallet.  Was he looking for a weapon or something?

He handed me my shoulder bag back as he opened my wallet to look at my ID, slid it out of its window, then handed the wallet back to me as he instructed, “Please wait right here, ma'am.  The detectives have some questions for you.”

I just nodded and asked, “What's going on here?”

The man just stepped away to lean against the wall without answering.  The gun happy officer moved beside him, his eyes boring into me with laser focus.  What the ever loving flip was his problem?

I mourned the spectacular mood I had been in all day as I waited. I felt like I was in trouble back in school again waiting at the principal's office to explain why I got unruly with Mr. Abner when he wouldn't let me reorganize the band room equipment when I was supposed to be playing my violin.

What?  They had the instruments all out of order and disorganized.  I mean, who puts woodwinds in with percussion anyway?  I mean really.  Hey, don't look at me like that, so I have a couple quirks, you do too.  I may be odd, but I have great fashion sense.

A couple minutes later a woman dressed like an extra from a paranormal cop thriller moved to the doorway.  She was tall and had an athletic build, her bobbed straight black hair, and almond-shaped eyes gave a hint of Asian heritage that was a counterpoint to her height.  She looked like she was ready to kick some serious ass in her all-black outfit complete with shit-kicking boots and well-worn light leather jacket.

She glanced my way then her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and I felt like sinking back into the wall under the weight of that look.  I felt like a little bunny who had been spotted by the big bad wolf.  She started moving my way with purposeful strides, her eyes locked on me with intent.  A man lifted the crime scene tape for her to walk under, and I swallowed.

Without taking her eyes off me, she stopped in front of the uniforms guarding me.  The one man handed her my ID, and she finally looked away from me and to my driver's license.  She said out loud, “Finnegan T. May.”

The officer nodded.  “The dog walker.”

She turned back toward me and cocked her head, regarding me as she said, “Hello Finnegan T. May, I'm Detective McLeary and we have some questions for you.”

I hated the way she said my name and that ignited my courage again.  I hadn't even realized it had abandoned me, but hey, dead body and all.  I snapped at her standing there with that annoying smug look on her face, “Why won't anyone tell me just what the ever loving fuzzy heck is going on?  Calvin here is getting anxious.”

She cocked an eyebrow, her dark brown eyes looking amused, “Everloving fuzzy heck?  Strong words.”

I looked at her and the elevator where the coroners had left, then hissed, “You're mocking me when someone just died here?”  My eyes went wide. “Crap, someone just died here, I need to call Miss Reeves.”  I started rummaging through my bag for my cell.

The detective held out a hand palm out.  “Miss May.”

I looked up from where I was pulling out my phone.  Her eyes were narrowed like she was seeking something as she said plainly, “That was Abigail Reeves.”

I just stared at her, the words not registering because they made no sense.  I mumbled, “But... she's at the theater, rehearsing...”

The woman said bluntly with no emotion at all, “No.  She's been killed, and I need you to verify you were in her apartment just over an hour ago.  Don't bother trying to deny it, the security office here can pull the keycard records.”

I was still trying to process this, Abigail Reeves was dead?  But what about... Calvin?  Then my eyes widened as her words sank in and I glared up at the tall woman.  “What?  Why would I lie?  Of course I was, I had to take my client, Calvin here, out on his morning constitutional.  Are you accusing me of something here?”  She cocked her head expectantly like she was waiting for me to add two plus two.  I squeaked out in anger. “You are!”

Then my blood ran cold as I looked down the hall then back at her, was that why Calvin had been whining at the bedroom door?  Oh god... was Miss Reeves dead in there?  Then I felt bile rising in my throat as I realized the red stains in the flour on the kitchen floor were probably not raspberry filling.

I covered my mouth, eyes wide, and then spewed, moving my hand just in time to avoid the vomit that landed on the detective's boots as she scrambled back.  Everyone was looking at me with sour faces as the tears came as I wiped my mouth on the back of my arm.  I whispered in a pleading tone, hoping she wouldn't confirm it, “Was she... in there?”

Then I looked at her when she started wiping her boots off with a plastic bag which a grinning officer handed to her.  She looked at me like I were detestable and said, “Right then.  I'm going to need you to come down to the station to answer some questions, Miss May.”

Wha?  I felt like I was in some sort of disorienting dream fog.  Calvin's mom was...  I crouched and gave the poor boy a big hug.  He had tried to tell me.  What if... what if she was still alive and needing help in there when we left?

I muttered, “How did it happen?”  Then my strained voice asked an even more heartbreaking question, “What... what about Calvin?  His mom is...”  I couldn't say the word.

The detective finished for me, “Dead.  Yes.  The dog will go to animal control until the decedent's next of kin can be informed.”

I looked down at him, being so very patient, not knowing the reality of what was happening.  I shook my head. “No, he doesn't need to go into a cage.  Cal stays with me, I have power of attorney for my clients for wellbeing and medical decisions while I'm out with them.”

She said as she grabbed my upper arm more gently than her agitated mood would have indicated and started moving me toward the elevator as she tried taking the leash from my hand, “Your client is dead.”

Ok, I was getting sick of her tone, I blurted out, “I don't like your condescending tone!  Miss Reeves is not my client, Calvin is.  Miss Reeves is just his mom.  I want my lawyer and Abigail Reeves' lawyer, Calvin isn't going to dog jail!”

Then I muttered in realization, “I can't go to the station, I have to go walk my girls in an hour.  It's lunchtime... I... they... need me.”

Calvin was now growling menacingly at the detective, seeing my distress at her trying to take his leash.  The woman had the good sense to hesitate, keeping an eye on him.  I hissed, “You're scaring him!”

She let go of me and held her hands up in a placating gesture and asked like I didn't know, “You realize someone died here today?  The dogs can wait.”  I just stared at her like she had just slapped me.  My tears were flowing again, and I hated that everyone saw it, I was an ugly crier.  The girls had to suffer too?  Calvin was going to be devastated when he realizes his mom was not coming back.

The woman looked conflicted for the first time, and she looked almost like she was debating consoling me.  She exhaled loudly then said, “Fine, the dog can come with you, but if he bites anyone...”

I nodded over and over, wiping my tears.  Then started walking when she made an ushering motion.  I said with the last bit of defiance I had for this rude and insensitive detective as we waited for the elevator,  “I have to make some calls to make arrangements for the girls to be brought out.  They don't need to suffer too.”

When she didn't protest, I took out my cell again and opened it, then stared at my contact list and grimaced and squinted one eye in pain as I tapped the skull and crossbones.  I wanted to puke again when my ex and arch nemesis answered on the first ring. “Rafiel's Canine Walkers, how may I help you today?”

I growled out, “Cut the crap, Raife.  I need your help.”

He chuckled. “Come to our senses have we?”

I sputtered. “No!  I'm not joining your crew.  Dog walking isn't a commodity service, it is a privilege that requires a personal touch and connection with your clients.”

Then I cut off whatever dig he was about to follow up with, “Miss Reeves is dead...”

There was silence on the line, even his smartassery had its boundaries it seems.  Then he asked, all the mockery out of his voice, “What do you need Fin?”

I looked up to the ceiling as we moved into the elevator car, why did I need to go crawling to him?  I said quietly, “I have three girls in need of walking in an hour.  I can text you their info, and I can contact their apartment managers to have someone let you in.  Don't bunch them in a gaggle with others.”

His smarmy tone was back as he said, “You got it, I'll get one of my people on it.  It's going to cost you.”  He hmmed then said, “Twice the going rate.”

I squeaked, “A woman is dead!”

His reply was devoid of emotion.  “Fine, regular rate... YOUR regular rate.  I still don't know how you can charge so much.  But you owe me one.”

I sighed and nodded dumbly as I affirmed, “I do.  And Raife, thank you.”

He muttered just to save face, “Yeah yeah.”  Then he added in a softer tone, “Call me.”

I looked at my cell when the line went dead.  I still don't know what I saw in him.  Other than he looked like an Italian god.  Well, that and he likes dogs.  Well, he used to until he lost sight of what was important and commercialized what we do.

I had dated him all of three weeks a couple years back until I saw where he was going with his dog walking business.  When you lose sight of your clients, you lose sight of your own humanity and compassion.  I smiled internally at the fact that the biggest shame was how good the man was between the sheets.

Now Rafiel has swallowed up almost two-thirds of the independent walkers like me and is creating a virtual monopoly in the city.  But there are still some elite owners who require that personal touch that only someone like me can give their fuzzy four-legged babies.  That's something Raife just doesn't get.  And it is why I can charge such extravagant sums for my services.  What's the old adage?  You get what you pay for.

I gave Jamal a sheepish look as he opened the door for us down in the lobby.  He looked like he wanted to say something, then asked, “Will I see you again Fin?”

Oh god, I hadn't thought of that.  With Calvin's mom dead, I wouldn't be coming here every day anymore.  I wouldn't see Cal anymore either.  I shrugged, refusing to cry again.  “I don't know.  Take care, Jamal.”

The man gave me his winning smile, being kind not to notice my tearstained cheeks.  He winked and assured me, “Everything is going to work out, Finnegan May, life has a funny way of doing that.”

That would have turned my legs to jelly if I wasn't already emotionally overwhelmed.  Instead, I just gave him a sad smile and then let Detective McLeary lead me to an unmarked police SUV as I sent the promised texts.

I just held Calvin the whole way to the police station.

Chapter 3 – Questions

When we arrived at the station, I was led up to a room that looked like a small conference room with a table and six chairs around it.  Calvin was getting nervous.  There wasn't a mirror or anything, but there was a camera in one corner.

Was I... I asked as she indicated for me to take a seat, “Am I under arrest?”

As I sat, she blinked at me blandly.  “I should arrest you for throwing up on my boots, but no.”  Then she cocked an eyebrow. “Why?  Should you be under arrest?”

I barked out, “Lawyer.  I watch TV, I know you gotta let me talk to a lawyer.”

She chuckled. “Again, not under arrest.  We just need to ask you a few questions about this morning.”  Then she motioned to the water carafe, and some glasses on a tray. “Thirsty?  Need to wash the taste of your breakfast out of your mouth?”

I covered my mouth to stop a repeat performance at the thought of it, and I hid a grin when she took a step back.  That's right detective, serial vomiter here.  My job won't be done until you are either covered or joining me.  I watched as she regained her composure, if she weren't a cold-hearted jerk, she'd actually be quite stunning in an 'I can kick your ass and look good doing it' kind of way.

Eeek, she's studying me again with those damn deep brown eyes of hers.

I muttered to her, “You just want me to touch a glass so you can get my fingerprints like I'm some sort of criminal.”

She surprised me by barking out a laugh and covering her mouth to hide a smile, it was sort of becoming on her.  I was mad at her, she shouldn't be allowed to be cute like that.  She chuckled. “You watch too much television, Miss May, we already have your prints on file.”

On cue, a big bear of a good-looking middle-aged man in uniform opened the door, causing Calvin to stand from where he had laid down at my feet.  The man could have played for the Giants, with a physique like that and his silvering buzz cut, and broad chest.  What?  I likes me a good specimen of manhood, though he was likely almost twice my age.  He handed a file to Detective McLeary then ducked back out the door when she thanked him.

She settled in to flip through the file as Cal resettled.  She put the file on the table so I could see what she was looking at.  I blanched at the top paper that had my mugshot.  Oh dear lord, I was going to die of embarrassment.  She grinned and asked in amusement, “Did you really break into a research lab at Columbia University and free the lab animals?  It says here you were picked up screaming, 'You're free now!' as you ran from the premises.”

I growled out, half in embarrassment half in aggravation over her smug look, “Lawyer.”

She cocked an eyebrow and reiterated, “Again, not under arrest... do you even have a lawyer?  I mean, being a dog walker and all?”

I sat up straighter, my hackles were now raised.  “My lawyer is with Stockton and Heinz, one of the best firms in Manhattan, thank you very much.  And I'll thank you not to disparage my profession, what I do is important, and I'm quite sure it pays better than your detective salary, McLeary.”

Again, she cocked an eyebrow, that's right, weren't expecting that were you copper?  She looked back down at the file.  “Misdemeanor trespassing.  The felony vandalism charges were dropped by the university... thirty days of community service.”

I defended myself, “I was young and stupid.”

She stopped reading and looked up, confusion painting her face. “It was this spring.”

I pointed out, “I'm still young and stupid, sue me.”

She sat back in her chair, sagging back in a relaxed manner as she regarded me again like she was trying to puzzle me out, then she just asked, “I don't understand your hostility.  I just have some questions for you.  A woman has died.”

I explained in a calm, professional manner, “You're being all grumpy McButtface.  I didn't do anything, and poor Calvin lost his mom, and we're here, and my girls need walking.  I had to hire my nemesis to walk them.  They won't understand why I'm not there.”

That stupid eyebrow of hers arched again, she should just tape it up there, she keeps cocking it enough.  “Nemesis?  Who talks like that?  And McButtface?  You have an aversion to swearing?”

I exhaled. “Fuck you.  Ask your questions.”

Ok, I had to smile at the huge grin she shot me.  She was getting to me, and she knew it, is this how they break down the perps?  Am I a perp?  I don't feel like a perp.  Oh god, does she think I'm a perp?

She crossed her arms across her chest, and I realized she was aping my position.  I quickly uncrossed my arms and smoothed down the hem of my skirt as she asked, “Let's start with the most important one first.  Where were you at 9:30 this morning?”

Ah, alibi.  Crap, I had no alibi, I didn't know I'd be needing one.  I mean who wakes up thinking, you know what?  I think I need an alibi this morning, I should go out and shake hands with a lot of people.

I shrugged. “At 9:30 I was finishing labeling my lunch and packing my bag with the supplies I'd need for the day, then checking my correspondences and sending out updates to all my client's owners.  At 9:36 I was out the door and walking through the park to the 855 Building, where I arrived at 10:00 sharp, just like every other weekday.”

She cocked her head and offered offhandedly, “That's very specific timing.  Can anyone corroborate this?”

It struck me hard when I realized what the original question meant. “Oh god, was Miss Reeves there when I picked up Calvin?”  I was feeling a little green again and grabbed the water carafe and poured some water in one of the squat glasses.  I swallowed greedily, trying to push down the rising bile.

Then I looked up at her, refusing to cry again.  I said, “I'm very precise about my daily schedule.  Punctuality breeds professionalism and shows your clients that you respect them and yourself.  I haven't varied from my schedule in the years I have been in the city.  Mrs. Kim at the corner grocery can confirm that I walked past her place at 9:39 like always and waved at her on my way to work.  Besides that, nobody that knows me would have seen me until Jamal opened the door for me at the 855.  I was right on time.”

She nodded at me, and I couldn't read the odd look on her face.  Then she narrowed her eyes a bit when I took out a tissue, folded it into a neat square then placed it under the glass since I didn't see any coasters.  She was silent a moment, and I defended, “I'm not OCD.”

Then she asked, “You used your key card to gain access to the residence once you arrived?”

I nodded.

“Someone used one to access the staff entrance of the stairwell at 9:15. May I see your keycard?” she asked.

I started to explain as I dug out my keys, “Each card has a different code, why would you need... oh, you want to make sure the one I have is really mine.”

She smiled at me, and I handed her my scrunchy bound keys.  She looked at them and looked a bit surprised then amused as she read a few labels and then held up the proper card.  She detached it from the ring and then cleared her throat, the silver fox stepped back in, and she just held up the card key, and the man retrieved it from her and then disappeared back out the door.

Then she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, steepling her fingers in front of her as she leaned forward onto the table.  “You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when you went into the apartment?  Why don't you step me through what happened when you arrived.”

I nodded and said, “Well I knocked like I always do, just in case the owners are in for some reason.  When I got no response, I just keyed in and stepped in to get Calvin here.”  The Border Collie's ears pricked at his name and I reached down and scritched him behind the ear.

Then I said, “He wasn't there like he normally was, bounding and trying to give me kisses.  I called for him and heard him whining down the hall.  I thought he had somehow got stuck in the bedrooms, he knows he's not supposed to sleep on the beds.”

I went through it all in my mind. “I passed the kitchen.  What a mess...”  I blanched.  “That wasn't raspberry filling, was it?  Oh god.”

I covered my mouth and stopped a dry heave as she slid back with her chair a couple feet.  I held my hand up, I was ok except the bile rising.

I pushed on. “I found Calvin locked in the bathroom.  He had somehow closed the door...”  He hadn't closed the door, had he?  Had the killer locked him in?  I looked down at him.  He could have been hurt!

The detective was saying, “Whoa, wait, back up a bit.  The kitchen was a mess?  What's that about raspberry filling?  The kitchen was impeccably clean when we arrived.”

I blinked dumbly at her.  Clean?  Then it had to have been cleaned after I left with Calvin.  That means...  I was feeling faint.  The killer really had been there while I was.  I shook my head. “It had looked like a bag of flour had exploded all over the floor and cabinets.  There was...”  I swallowed.  “Red splotches all over in it which I thought was raspberry filling.  I assumed Miss Reeves had an unfortunate baking accident and was leaving the mess for the maid, Amy.”

Then I looked at her pleadingly. “I just left with Calvin for our walk.”

She hissed out a breath and said, “The killer must have cleaned up after you left.  We had thought the body might have been moved due to the minimal blood on the bed.  The trace of white powder in her hair we assumed was cocaine...  We sent it to the lab.”

I whispered, “Cal had been whining at Abigail's bedroom door before we left...”

Then she looked at me incredulously. “And you didn't check?”

I blurted out in accusation, “I didn't know anything was wrong!  And I don't go snooping around the apartments of my client's owners!”

She sat back, contemplated something, and then ran a hand down her face and nodded to herself before locking those big brown eyes of hers on me.  “Your ethics may have saved your life.  It seems the killer was still there, cleaning the body and kitchen when you arrived.  You may have suffered the same fate had you gone into the bedroom.”

This was getting better and better.  I really needed to lie down.

I looked down at Calvin, and my heart broke for him.  I asked, “What about Calvin?  Does Miss Reeves have family?”

She shook her head, all of her smirky smartass attitude gone and replaced with what was no doubt computer simulated empathy from robocop there.  “We're checking into that now, so we can locate any next of kin.  He'll likely be remanded to animal control until next of kin can be found.”

Then she shared what I'm sure she shouldn't have as she lowered her voice and tone. “Her director said she had left her notes on the script in her apartment, so ran home to get them, but she never came back.  So the director went to her apartment when she didn't answer his calls and had security do a wellness check with him.  They found her body in the bedroom when they went in.  She must have interrupted the intruder, or she was followed.  Her spare card was used in the stairwell and at her door.”

So that's why she was at home instead of work.  But if she wasn't targeted and interrupted something... “A robbery?”

She shrugged. “Don't know yet.  That's my job to find out.”

I sighed. “It is all just so sad.  She was such a happy woman.  She was even hosting a big party for the cast this Saturday.”

McLeary quickly jotted something down on her notepad, interest on her face.  “A... party?”

Wait.  Did I just help?

She exhaled loudly again, I could tell she took her job seriously even though she was perhaps the most abrasive woman ever.  I respected that.  It was the sign of good character and internal compass that you did your best in your job.

I asked hopefully, “Can... can Calvin stay with me until his family can be located.  He doesn't need to go to doggy jail because his mom died.  I have power of attourney.”

She cocked an eyebrow again and asked with a bit of sarcasm, “Got a thing for animals?”

Then when I didn't smile, she sighed and said, “I don't think that would be a problem.  I can have an officer give you a ride home.  We have your information and may contact you with further questions.  Don't leave the city.”

She slid my driver's license back to me then stood when Buzzcut stepped in and handed her the card key, shaking his head.  She nodded to him and said, “Could you please give Miss May here a ride home Dan?”

He nodded and gave me a winning smile.  I looked back at McLeary. “The card key?  They entrusted it to me, and I'm not supposed to let it out of my possession.”

She shook her head. “We'll just hang on to this for a bit.  I'm sure the building managers would understand.”  I'm so glad she was flippant about my honor and my word.  Not.

She dismissed me with, “Officer Harris will see you home.  Thank you for your time Miss May.”

I grumped out to myself, “Yeah, like I had any choice.”

She chuckled as I was led back down the hall with Calvin in tow, sniffing at all the interesting smells in the air as we went.

McLeary was so frustrating, and I hoped I never saw her again.

Chapter 4 – New Roommate

I couldn't believe most of my afternoon had been eaten up by that.  My heart hurt so much for Calvin, he still didn't know and wouldn't understand that his mom wasn't coming back.  How had such a spectacular day turned into such a tragedy?

I waved to Officer Harris as he pulled back into traffic after dropping us at my door, calling out, “Thank you, Dan!”

He smiled and waved out his window as he continued down the road.  He was actually a pleasant sort.  I engaged in smalltalk on the drive over.  He told me not to feel slighted at Detective McLeary's abrasive attitude.  That she was, what did he say?  “A ballbuster if there ever was one, but tough as nails.  She's got a single-minded drive to close every case.”

I grumped my way to the tenant access door of the four-story block building on west 57th, across the bricked patio courtyard from the old fifties style Brooklyn Diner and the 57th Street subway station.  I waved at Mrs. Kim at the corner convenience store on the far end of the building. And stepped into the skinny hallway that was no more than five or six feet wide.  The paint had been white in a bygone era but was now stained around the edges and starting to look a little rough.  Everything was in fairly decent repair, though definitely looking its age.

I stopped Calvin at the mailboxes set into the wall beside the freight elevator which had been converted into a tenant elevator to meet accessibility requirements, likely in the seventies or eighties.  I fished out my keys and just stared at them, already missing the key card for the 855 Building.

I found the proper key and unlocked the antique brass mail door, which had my name labeled neatly on it, unlike the others that were written on pieces of tape and barely readable, and some were even missing.  They were lucky they got mail at all, and probably wouldn't if their apartment numbers weren't sculpted into the brass vine decorations of the boxes.  See?  A label maker is a good thing!

Bill, bill, bill, credit card offer, bill.  Ooo!  A letter from mom.  Silly woman was only two hours away and still insisted on writing me.  I've shown her how to use email a gazillion times, but she says they are too impersonal and don't show the love reflected in the written word.

I closed the box and looked down at Cal, who was looking up at me expectantly, his tail swishing from side to side like a metronome. “Ok, come on boy.  Let me show you around your new temporary digs.”

I grinned as we walked to the stairs at the end of the hall.  I was still in the same second-floor walk-up I had first lived in when I came to the big city.  The difference between then and now, just three years later, is that I now own the little two bedroom apartment.  Well, own as in having a mortgage that I have already paid half off, and then she will be mine in just two years if I stick to my five year life plan.

I explained to Calvin as we reached the second floor to the much more spacious hall between the four apartments on the second floor, “One of the perks to owning instead of renting, Cal, is that I don't have to ask permission to have a four-legged friend come to visit.”

He cocked his head and his ears pricked up at his name.  Silly boy.

I glanced up the stairs as I moved to my door.  There were six studios above me and eight on the fourth floor.  I don't think I could live in one of those little five hundred square foot pigeonholes.  Not that my nine hundred was much better, but it was mine.

Noting the faded linoleum tiles were starting to curl at the doorway, I made a mental note to contact the super about it.  Now it may sound like the place is run down, but it is far from that, it is just showing its age, and the apartments are much more modern, renovated in the late nineties.

I opened the door and unclipped the leash and said, “Here it is boy, home sweet home.”

Calvin ran in to start sniffing at all the new smells.  I smiled, and my heart beat a little faster.  I can't help it that I love dogs so much.

What?  A dog of my own?  Oh goodness no.  I wouldn't want a fuzzy baby that I'd have to leave behind every time I went to work.  Having them sit all alone in an empty apartment.  I just couldn't subject a dog to isolation like that.  I'm just happy I can keep my client's company for part of the day, so they don't feel so alone.

My stomach gurgled loudly as I hung up my leashes on the row of pegs by the door, keeping them in the proper order.  I hung my purse on the end peg and placed the mail in the little metal holder at the side table by the door which I had labeled, “Mail.”

There had been so much going on that I had completely forgotten about lunch.  I glanced over at Cal as he wove around all my furniture with his sniffer sniffing and tail wagging with all the boundless energy border collies possess.  I wondered when Abigail had fed him, in the morning or afternoon.  I felt sort of bad not knowing that about him, but it wasn't like I was privy to his home life and she certainly couldn't tell me.

I sighed and asked, “What do you say to an early supper, Cal?  I don't have any dog food here, just the treats you like.  I saw the Beverly's bag at your place, I'll pick some up tomorrow.”  I winced.

Boutique food like that cost a mint and wasn't any more nutritionally balanced than a lot of the more affordable brands.  I didn't want to switch him to something different and cause him gastric distress, as it was much harder to clean up after him in the park if he got a little runny because of the change.  What?  For dog walkers that is a genuine concern, so don't eww me.

He cocked his head at me, his tongue lolling out to the side, it was adorable.  I said, “Right then, tour first then I'll see what I can whip up for us.  You could use some spoiling tonight.”  Again my heart ached for the loss of his mom.

I crouched and took off his harness, hung it up and walked into the living space, it was small and encompassed the living room, and the kitchen, divided by the little kitchen table with its four chairs.  But dominating the far wall of the space was the reason I fell in love with the apartment and went into negotiations with the building owner to purchase it instead of finding another location to buy.

The huge six-paned window with a carved wood arch around them was such a spectacular focal point, and it opened the small space up to feel not as cramped.  The first thing I did with the building owner's permission when the sale closed, was to take out the large central window and had it replaced with french doors.

I had a small balcony built which is just big enough for a small table and a couple of chairs where I can go out and watch the city bustle about on the streets below.  The building owner was happy to agree as it brought some more curb appeal and distinction to an otherwise run of the mill structure.  Well that, and it didn't cost him a thing.

I could just barely make out the edge of Carnegie Hall from my balcony, and it was so interesting to see the people going to the various performances there.  I'm a people watcher.

I walked into the main room and pointed like he could understand.  “Kitchen's there, this is the living room.”  I placed a hand on the couch. “No dogs on the furniture.”

He hopped up on the couch and proceeded to give me a kiss.  I giggled and wiped my cheek.  “You're not listening very well, Calvin.”

His tail swished, and I rolled my eyes.  I walked over to the three doors on the far side of the room and opened the door to the smaller of the two bedrooms that sandwiched the bathroom.  I said as we looked into the ten by ten space, “The small bedroom.”

It was empty except the bed and chest of drawers, just waiting for a new roommate.  The little closet was beside the door to the shared bathroom.  And the small operable window had the curtains drawn, hiding the view of the little courtyard between us and the diner.

This had been my room, shared with Linda when I first moved in.  I have the big bedroom now.  Well big as in twelve by ten, but those extra two feet and the bigger closet make all the difference in the world.  Plus I had two operable windows being on the corner of the building; a small one like the other room overlooking the same courtyard, and then a much larger one that looked out over 57th.

Cal quickly bounded up onto the bed, and I grinned at him. “No dogs on the bed either.”

He didn't care, the silly boy.

I motioned my head to the open door to the bathroom, and he hopped down and followed when I stepped through.  The bathroom was a wonder, the most modernized room of the place and as big as the small bedroom.  Mirrors covered the far wall between rooms, and it had three, yes three large basins inset into a marble countertop between the doors.  That was quite a necessary feature when four of us were living here.

There was the original claw foot cast iron bathtub that was divine for soaking, as well as a freestanding shower beside it.  I said as we passed through, “Bathroom, and...”  We stepped through the other door. “My room, where the bed is...” Calvin hopped up on it and looked out the window, his tongue lolling as he wagged his tail while I finished, “...off limits.”

I sighed and sat on the side of the bed.  With only me here and the extra space, I was able to get rid of the two full beds and put in a queen.  I started to pet Calvin's silky fur and sighed.  “You know what boy, you can get on anything you want here.  Your life is about to get really messed up and confusing boy.  But that's ok until your mommy's family picks you up, you have me.  I love you boy.”

I think he was picking up on my sadness for him and he whined and gave me a lick.  I hugged him and scratched his ears, “I know, boy.”

I stood, and he hopped off the bed, and we went back out to the main room, and I opened the french doors to the balcony to let in some fresh air.  Calvin went out to sniff around the table and chairs out there.

I eyed him.  It had been quite some time since our walk.  “Don't even think about it, brat.”  Let's take a quick walk, then I'll get us some supper started.”

I moved to the door and dug out my lunch from my purse and sighed.  I could salvage most of it, but the sandwich wouldn't keep until tomorrow.  I looked around as if someone might catch me and I pulled the ham, turkey, and Swiss creation out and offered it to Calvin.  I know, I know!  Don't look at me like that.  I can spoil him just this once.

I cocked an eyebrow at him as he wolfed it down. “Did you even chew that?  Didn't your mother teach you any manners?”  I smiled at his hopeful doggy grin.  “No more.  I'll make us some supper when we get back.  My stomach gurgled again, and I looked down at it and chastised, “Enough of that, you.  You want to have to clean up Calvin's oopses on the throw rugs?”  My tummy argued, stupid tummy.

I grabbed the leash and harness, and Calvin came rushing to my side and sat.  “Good boy.”

Then we were off to Heckscher Playground in Central Park two blocks away.  I'm glad I did because Cal definitely had to do his thing.

By the time we got back, I was starving, and as Calvin laid on the couch, I decided to see what I could whip up for us.

But there was a knock at the door.  I looked quickly at the clock beside the tv and muttered, “Crap,” as Calvin ran excitedly to the door.  Well, he sort of does everything excitedly, that's the breed.  It was 6:00 already!  That Jane person was here, the day was slipping away from me faster than I could believe.  What happened to that nice sunny morning I woke up to?

I called out, “Just a moment.”  Then looked around.  I moved quickly to the coffee table and straightened the circulars I had grabbed today, making sure they were in the exact center of the table.  I looked toward the kitchen then gleeped and ran over to my coffee cup that was sitting on the counter and placed it in the sink.  Damn.  I didn't have time to wash it.

Come on Fin, stop it, don't obsess.

I rushed to the door, smoothed my dress and put on a smile and swung the door open and froze, my smile vanishing as I glared at the woman who was standing there with a surprised and confused look on her face.  I grumped out, “What now McLeary?  Find something else out about me you'd like to rub my nose in?”

She looked at the cell phone in her hand then at the 2A on the door then down the hall.  “Umm... Miss May?”

I grabbed the edge of the door with both hands and moved behind it a bit as I moved it toward her a bit to rush her away, “I really don't have the time nor patience to deal with you.  I have a potential roommate coming to view the place, and I'm starving.  Someone hauled me to the station today, and I missed lunch.”

The detective looked overly amused, and that just grated on me more.  She held up her cell to show me the RoomIt app.  Oh dear god no.  I asked, “Jane?”

She grinned, showing all her stupid perfect teeth.  I'm glad someone was finding this amusing.  What had I done in another life to deserve this?  She said with a touch of sarcasm, “Jane Marie McLeary.  I thought you lived in Liberty, that's what your file and license say.  It just glossed over me you said you walked to work.”

I shrugged. “That's my mom's place.  I use it as my permanent address, I only get bills and junk mail here.”

Her ever scanning brown eyes flicked from me to the entry table she could see from where she stood in the hall.  “And you labeled your mail sorter, 'mail'?”

I exhaled in exasperation as Calvin pushed past me and twined around the cop's legs.  The woman crouched and smiled at him and scrubbed him behind the ears, “Hiya boy.”

I said in defiance, “Yes, I did.”  Then I admit I was being a bit snotty, but she had just teased me about my label. “There's been a mistake, the room is taken.  Come on Calvin, heel.”  He looked up and rushed in and sat behind me like a good boy as she stood back up.

She placed a hand on the door, and I was surprised that I couldn't budge it when I tried to close it on her.  I swallowed.  The woman was strong.  It was sort of unfair.  Strong, pretty, tall, bad girl looks.  Fine, so what if I were jealous.  She had it all.  It was a good thing she was so abrasive, or she'd have to be beating the men off of her with a stick.

She said with a smug grin at my consternation, “What would it hurt for me to take a look at the space?  You could do a lot worse than a police officer as a roommate.”

I muttered, “Fine if it will get you out of here any sooner.”  I opened the door wide and moved aside for her to step in.  And I hated that she was right, a cop as a roommate would be about the safest my apartment could be.

She repeated in an amused tone, “Fine,” as she stepped in, her eyes seeming to flick everywhere and I'm sure she took in the entire space in moments.  She said over her shoulder as she moved past me, Calvin hot on her heels, wagging his tail, “Sorry about earlier, we got off on the wrong foot, but you were being difficult.  I was just doing my job.”

Difficult?  I was not... was I?  The quip about doing her job was what stuck sideways in my gut.  She had pulled me away from my job to do hers.  But to be fair, finding out who murdered poor Miss Reeves was more important than my girls getting their walk.  Was I being... I caught the smug look on her face when she saw me thinking it over.  Oh, now I remember, that's why I was being difficult.

I muttered to her as I stepped past to show her the room, “You're a jerk.”

She nodded agreement as she looked at the living room, and she squinted as her eyes took in the kitchen.  I was about to ask what had her interest when she exhaled in understanding of something and said to herself, “Forgot you're OCD.  The place looks sterile.”

I growled, “I'm not OCD, I just like things to be tidy and organized, it isn't a crime you know.”

Then I snapped, “This is the main room, kitchen, dining, living room.  I moved to the center of it all, and she moved beside me as I pointed, “Balcony, there, you've seen the place, now get out.”

She was just smiling at me.  What was so amusing to her?  My stomach gurgled again, and she looked at it, cocking an imperious brow.  Then she was in motion, pointing at the three doors, “Bathroom?  Bedrooms?”

I exhaled, she was harder to get rid of than fleas on a sheepdog.  I stopped her at my door as she peeked in, blocking the doorway with my body.  “Mine.”  She towered over me and leaned in her head beside mine, her black bobbed hair brushing my shoulder.  I held my breath and stiffened, feeling the heat rolling off her skin and catching the scent of her her lilac shampoo.  Didn't she understand personal space?

She looked around then pulled back with a smile, still in my personal space, pinning me with those dark pools of brown.  God if a guy looked at me with eyes like that I'd have turned into a puddle.  As it was, my knees were feeling a little wobbly.  She nodded in appreciation of the space and said, “Nice.”  Then she was gone, and I was breathing again.  I hadn't even realized I had stopped.

I swallowed and moved to the bathroom door and said, my voice a whisper, “The...”  I shook my head then said more firmly, “The bathroom.”

She stepped inside and looked around and nodded in appreciation as she said, “Passthrough doors, nice touch.”  Then she randomly shared, “Just got out of a toxic relationship, need a place fast, or I'll find my stuff at the curb.”

She brushed past me as I tried to figure out what to say, the smarmy look she gave me had me blurting out, “Its a wonder anyone could live with you.  You're so cocksure of yourself.”  My cheeks burned at now rude I was being, I was going to say I was sorry to hear it, but that came out instead.

She thumbed toward the smaller bedroom, asking, “My room?”  Then she slipped inside.

I muttered as I followed, “Not your room, my future roommate's room.”

She nodded. “Furnished... good thing I don't have much.”

My stomach gurgled, and she grinned.  It wasn't funny.

I raised my voice as she moved back past me toward the front door.  “For a cop, you don't have good observational skills.”  I got to the door first and held it open as I finished, “Someone else, anyone else, is getting the room!”

She cocked her head like she wasn't even listening, then reached past me, again our faces an inch apart.  I froze as she grabbed something and pulled it from the wall, chuckling as she held up the leash she took that had a label with Princess' name.  “You label the leashes?”

I found I could move again at her teasing.  I pushed her back with one hand on her chest, I wouldn't have been able to budge the fit woman, but she let me move her out of my personal space so I could breathe again.  I snatched the leash from her.  “Get out!”

She seemed amused as she mirrored my raised tone, “Fine.”

I echoed, “Fine!”  Incensed.

She raised her voice louder. “Shall I move in tomorrow?”

I found myself yelling, “Fine!”

She echoed, “Fine!”

Then we were silent, and to my perpetual embarrassment, my stomach gurgled yet again, much more insistently.  She seemed endlessly amused at it, and I exhaled then asked in a calm, quiet tone, “Have you eaten?  I was bout to make supper for Calvin and me.”

In an almost sweet tone, she said as she cocked her head like she was trying to figure me out, “Fine.”

I had to turn away to hide my smile as I replied calmly, “Fine.”

Then I did chuckle when she said, “What a fine evening,” as she shut the front door and followed me while I texted the 6:30 that the room was taken.  Just how the fuzzy heck had that happened?

I turned to look back over my shoulder as she headed to the couch with Calvin, and bit the tip of my tongue and said, “But your still an ass.”

She nodded. “Agreed.”

I made us some soup and sandwiches, and as we sat at the table, I thought it sort of thoughtful when she had shrugged out of her shoulder holster then stuffed her gun in the empty cabinet above the refrigerator that I could never reach without a stool.

She discussed the parts of the Reeves case she could with me, and heaven help me if I wasn't fascinated by the investigatory process.  And fine, yes, the woman was pretty wicked intelligent.

The conversation slipped into her need for a place and her relationship with Jessie.  The guy sounded clingy and needy and thought that she attacked her job with more passion than their relationship.

I said as I snuck a piece of cheese to Calvin, who had been mooching shamelessly from the both of us after he slurped down his own soup and rice, “It sounds as if this Jessie doesn't understand how important your job is.  I mean, you keep the city safe for everyone else.”

She cocked her head again, I saw that as a habit of hers, and she shrugged and said as she looked at the chunk of chicken in broth on her spoon, “I really can't blame Jess.  I mean, being afraid of every knock at the door, or call on the phone wondering if it is going to be 'that call' saying that I fell in the line of duty and wouldn't ever be coming home again.”

I paused at that, hearing the real emotion and regret weighing down her voice.  Detective McLeary was human after all.  I reached over and squeezed her other hand which was flat on the table, “You ok... Jane?”

She took a deep breath, ate her soup then squeezed my hand back and released me as she said softly, “I'm fine.”

I smirked a little and said, “Fine.”

This prompted a smile from her, and I kicked myself, I had just made a connection with her and saw her as human now.  Just great, and the smug wench knew it too.  She gave me that toothy grin of hers.

I muttered, “It was probably just your smug as crap attitude.”

She looked down at Calvin and said to him as his tail thumped the ground, “Oooo, crap, such language.”

I smiled and said, “Fuck you.”

Any smartass reply she may have had loaded in the chamber never got a chance to fire as we were interrupted by a knock at the door.

I cocked an eyebrow at the door as she turned in her chair to look at it while Calvin got up and raced to it, tail swishing a million beats per second.  It was just past seven, who the heck did I know who would be knocking at my door this late?  I didn't have many or any friends who weren't furry.

I hopped up and went to the door and opened it.  Standing there was none other than my ex, Rafiel, looking as well put together as always in his tight jeans and relaxed dress shirt.  I said as I barred the door with my arm when he started to enter, “What do you want, Raife?  I already thanked you and forwarded the payment for today.”

He pushed his way in, giving me a smile that used to make me go weak in the knees, which just made me growl now as he crooned, “It was good to hear from you today.  I just thought you were willing to talk to me again since you needed my services.”

I tried to drag him by the arm back to the door.  “Someone died today, and you think that's your 'in'?  When are you going to realize that after trying to steal my clients because I wouldn't sign up with your group, on top of you sleeping with Kate while we were dating, precludes my ever wanting to speak with you again.”

He poured on his Italian charm as I tried to no avail to tug him back out the door.  “Fin, love, I told you it was a mistake.  A moment of weakness.  You know we were good together.”

Damn him, we were good together, but the man tried to take my business, and he slept with someone else.

I growled out, “A mistake?  What, you accidentally tripped and stuck your... your boy bits in her?  Get out.”

He chuckled. “That's cute, you still can't say...”

A throat being cleared over my shoulder and the feeling of someone in my personal space interrupted.  “Is there a problem here?”

I looked back as Jane placed her hands on my shoulders, her eyes were laser focused on Raife like the terminator in kill mode, and I swallowed.  Damn, she was scary and close.  I'd have to explain to her the concept of personal space if we were going to be living together.  I shouldn't be able to smell the leather and lilac of her like that.  It was an oddly pleasing combination.

Raife straightened up and cocked his eyebrow in appreciation as he looked Jane up and down.  “And who, are you?”  He put on his winning bad boy smile.

The freaking perv was just talking about wanting to get back together then he goes and ogles tall dark and dangerous.  I looked at them and realized that for how tall I always felt Raife was, Jane was even taller than him and the look on her face could have frozen boiling water in an instant.

She wasn't impressed like most girls I knew were.  To my embarrassment, like I had been once upon a time.

I found my cheeks and neck heating in a blush for some reason as I said, “Jane.  This is my very ex-boyfriend, Rafiel Moretti.  Raife this is my new roommate Jane McLeary.”

He offered a hand, but she didn't reciprocate, her hands still firmly on my shoulders from behind.  I felt like she was backing me and I felt a little less unsure of myself.  I didn't need Raife wearing me down and me falling back into a poisonous relationship, no matter how lonely I was.

He looked put off by the slight and changed his offered hand into smoothing back his long dark hair as I assured Jane, “Raife was just leaving.”

When he hesitated, she finally let go of my shoulders and stepped in front of me, where she loomed like a specter over him.  “You heard the lady, you're not welcome here, Rafiel Moretti.”

He actually looked nervous at the way she said his name then he moved out the door and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked back at me. “Call me Fin, we should talk.”

I moved to the doorway and looked around the door to see him heading for the elevator.  That was always something odd about the boy, he never used the stairs.

I moved back in then turned around and squeaked as I almost ran into Jane's prodigious chest.  She leaned in, and I stopped breathing again.  It almost felt like anticipation to me at her closeness, but then I exhaled as her hair brushed my cheek when she reached past me to swing the door closed.

I swallowed when she turned and headed into the living room to flop down on the couch.  God, if she were a man, I would have taken my increased heart rate over what had just occurred as my motor revving.  Now was a good time for that talk about personal space.  Was it a cop thing?

I sat on the other side of the couch and exhaled and said, “Thanks.  He's really insistent.  I don't know if I could have held out.  We were pretty good together, and sometimes I just feel...”  Why was I telling her about my relationship with Raife?  She didn't care nor need to know my weaknesses.

She stopped me. “It's nothing.  We've all been there.”  She snorted and amended, “Hell, I'm there right now.”

She reached out to the coffee table and fanned out today's circulars, curiosity on her face.  Then that damn eyebrow of hers arched as she spied the Hotline as she sat back on the couch, her arms draped over the back.

I knew I was red as a beet as I pushed my long light brown curls back over my shoulder as I defended while I straightened the weeklies again, aligning them in the exact center of the coffee table.  “So what if I date... a lot.  How else am I supposed to find a decent guy?”  Then I crossed my arms defiantly and pointed out, “Sounds like you could use the Hotline yourself just about now.”  I knew it wasn't fair, and her wounds were still raw, but I felt on the defensive with her at all times, and it bugged me.

She shrugged it off, but I felt like crap because I could see the sting of it in her eyes. “Eh, too soon.  And I'd be looking in a different publication anyway.”

What did that mean?  Is there some sort of cop dating circular out there?

I apologized. “Sorry, I just get defensive.”

She smiled at me and shrugged again as she looked around and changed the topic. “Just the two of us in the apartment?  And you're really only asking seven fifty?”

It was my turn to shrug and explain. “Just need to cover the utilities and property taxes, and I can meet my five-year plan goals.”

She froze in place, her eyes now focussed intently on me as her brow furrowed slightly.  She asked in shock, “You... own the apartment?”

I nodded.  “Mostly, the mortgage will be paid off in two years if I can manage to keep a roommate that long.”

She sputtered, “You walk dogs.”

I narrowed my eyes.  Why did everyone think I didn't have a real job that could support me?  Like dog walking wasn't a worthy profession?  None of my fuzzy clients have ever complained nor whined at me.  I shot back, “Very observant, you learn that in detective school?”

She chuckled.  “Sorry, it's just... how much can you possibly make walking dogs? And you're buying your own place.”

I didn't need to candy coat it, so I shared. “A hundred and fifty per walk.”

Her eyes were wide, and widened, even more, when I added, “Per dog.”

She asked carefully, disbelief in her eyes, “And how many do you walk a day?”

“Usually six, and then get double my rate to bring them to the vet or groomers after my walking hours.”

I saw her quickly calculating in her head, and she whispered, “But that's...”

I interrupted, embarrassed at the real number for some reason, “More than a detective's salary – yes.”

Her shock turned into a smirk, and she inclined her head to me in apology.  I had to smile back as her smirk turned into a smile.  I was so awkward at times.  And I never shared how much I made with people, but she had been looking down upon my profession.  She seemed oddly impressed now, and that made my ears heat at the tips.

She gave me a cute little wink and stood.  “Well, Miss May.”

I absently mumbled, “Finnegan,” as I stood too, getting Calvin excited.

She nodded.  “Finnegan.  I have to get back to work, I'll drop by tomorrow to start moving in.”

I blinked at her.  “You're going back to work?  But it's getting dark out.”

She nodded, and all her flippant attitude just seemed to bleed away as she said, “The dead need justice, and they don't go by a clock.  I'm waiting on some results from the lab, and I have a couple things to follow up on.”

Oh.  That was sort of... I felt bad for being so abrupt with her.  But she knew how to pull all my triggers.  I think it was a cop thing.

I said, “Oh, ok.  Umm... just a sec.”  I went to the kitchen and opened the junk drawer.  Well ok so it wasn't a junk drawer, I had multiple partitions to separate the various things I stored there.  I pulled out a spare key and turned around “Eeep!”  She was right there again.  I hadn't even heard her move.  How was she so silent in those shit-kicking boots of hers?

I composed myself and took a half step back to give myself an illusion of personal space.  I offered her the key with both hands.  Shut up, I already told you I was awkward.  She took the key with a grin on her face.

I said, “Rent is due on the first of each month, just tell me if you'll be late or short.  We can discuss the apartment rules when we have some time together.  I work until three on weekdays unless I have a special call.”

She took the key and looked at it, and cocked her eyebrow at the label, 'roommate,' on it.  She chuckled. “Rules, three, check.”  Then she said with that infuriating smirk of hers on her full lips, making me wonder just how I had agreed to let her room here, “You seem to like labeling things.”

I narrowed my eyes.  “Just a second.”  I took my labeler from the drawer and typed quickly on the LCD screen.  A label printed and I set the labeler back in its partition and closed the drawer.  Then I looked a challenge at her as I slapped the label on her chest.

She looked down and then started chuckling in mirth instead of the annoyance I was shooting for.  “Jerk Cop?  I like it.”  She reached over me, invading my personal space again, her chest in my face as she retrieved her gun from the cupboard then donned it.  Was it hot in there?

Then she headed for the door.  She shook her head as we walked like she was trying to puzzle something out. “Someone who looks like you should have no problem landing a date.”

That was almost a compliment.  I felt a blush spreading, and I shrugged as I held the door open for her.  “You'll understand once you get to know me.  My roommates never stay long.”

She stepped out, and I said quickly, “Stay safe.”  Why was I worried?  She was a detective with a gun.  And a whole department behind her.

She gave me a genuine, non-smirky smile, which looked really good on her.  She should really smile more often like that, it gave her a sexy vulnerability.  She assured me, “I will.  Don't open the door for Raife.”'

I smiled back, amused, “I promise.  Night.”  She just turned and headed toward the stairs, waving to me in the air.

I closed and locked the door a few times just to be sure.  Hmm... I had a cop roommate.  I looked down at Calvin as he looked up at me, his tongue lolling. “Well, how about that?”

Chapter 5 – Jessie

The next day I had to modify my routine a bit.  Calvin had slept on my bed.  I think he was missing his home, so I didn't enforce the no dogs on bed rule.  Besides, he's just so cute and laid across my feet and kept them toasty all night.

It was good that after his show days, Abigail had him fixed, or I didn't know what I would have done.  I didn't want to leave him all alone at home in this confusing time for him.  I had to take a bit of time shuffling my meals in the fridge so that I was organized for the week, and had to pack extra water for my new gaggle buddy, Cal.  He could be my new temporary lieutenant.

Hey, don't look at me like that.  I really enjoy my walks with my clients.

Everything came slamming down on me when I started for the door with Calvin at 9:36.  It hit me like a sledge, I didn't need to leave yet, not for another ten minutes.  Abigail Reeves was dead.  She may have been dying while I was in her apartment picking up Cal.  The murderer was there...

I slid down the wall, panting.  Was this a panic attack?  Cal was there for me, he started licking my face, and that snapped me back to my senses.  I had to be strong for him like he was for me.  I scrubbed his ears.  Thanks, boy.

I had to do something to keep my mind off of it for a few more minutes.  I glanced around, then did a quick clean of the place, not wanting to look like a pig and make a bad first impression for Jane.  A clean home is a happy home.  At least that's what mom told my brother and me growing up.  It may have been propaganda and misinformation, but I was borderline obsessive about things back then, so I grudgingly took her at her word.  I'm better now.

Shut up.

I stood in front of the mirror at the front door with Calvin after harnessing him up.  I chose a black sundress with white trim today.  We were in mourning.  Hmm... I wonder when poor Abigail's service would be.  I smoothed down the skirt of the dress and glanced at my black and white flats.

Then I took a deep breath and said, “Ok, boy, let's go.”  Then we were off, heading toward the park to make our way toward Duke and Hercules' homes.

The sun was shining on the city, and it was eerily similar to how great the day had started out the day before and I wanted to revel in it but wondered if that would be bad or in poor taste if I did.  I had to pretend that I had already picked Calvin up at the 855, as we moved on to my second stop or I would have obsessed.

My heart just about broke when Cal tried to turn down Madison when we crossed it.

The morning just flew by, I found myself laughing at the boy's antics as we opted for a romp through the Sheep Meadow.  It was almost enough to forget about what had happened if only just a moment.

Once we dropped the boys off, Calvin whined once crossing Madison again, and that brought it all back.  “It's going to be ok Cal.  After a while, your mom will just be a warm memory, it will always hurt, but you'll remember the love.  I've been there, with my father.  We can help each other out.  And I just know your new family is going to love you to death and spoil you rotten.”

That was just as painful to me, knowing that sometime soon, he would be whisked away to god knows where, and I'd probably never see him again.  But that was life.  I suffered through that every time I lost a client to age or sickness, or their owners going with a different walker.  The later was rare, as my services were fought for tooth and nail as I had just a finite number of slots since I wouldn't do gaggles of ten.

With me, my clients didn't just get walked, but they got pampered and trained by me, and their owners see this and appreciate it.  It was a perk of my service, and I took pride in it.

I looked down at the silly Border Collie, and he cocked his head, his tongue hanging cutely to the side.  “What do you think Cal?  The park for lunch?  After we walk the girls, we can hit Eloise's Barktique to pick up a bag of your food.”

He just wagged his tail, silly boy.

“Then it's settled.”

I may or may not have shared my sandwich with my furry lieutenant.  I was spoiling the poor boy.  But he was just so darn cute.  I mean, could you say no to that face?  His black mask over his white muzzle made him look like a little thief of hearts.

The girls were endlessly fascinated with Cal-sanova.  I was endlessly happy that he was fixed.  Little Princess, the adorable King Charles Cavalier, seemed taken by him.  He took point and we looked a merry bunch as we visited the Bethesda Terrace on our walk.

After bidding the ladies adieu, we headed back home, I didn't have any special runs to do today except getting Calvin's food.  I was worried the radical change in his diet was going to rear its ugly head today, but it didn't.  I silently wondered if Abigail was as bad as me in sharing her meals with him and he had a cast iron stomach.

Ok, I'm no wimp, having to hold back three dogs at a time, but my arm was aching carrying the twenty-pound bag of dog food on the mile walk home.  I could have hailed a taxi, but most don't allow dogs.  I don't know why I got such a big bag, I'd most likely be losing Cal today or tomorrow.  The next of kin had to have been informed and would be on their way to the city by now.

But like mom always says, “A good host is always prepared, and not caught off guard by the unexpected.”  Yeah, that's why I bought it, it had nothing to do with the asinine price of the five-pound bag.  Why would it cost half the price of the twenty?  I'll never understand these Boutique brands.  The more affordable brands are just as nutritious, you just have to read the labels to suss out which are actually healthy for your fuzzy baby.  Was it just a status thing?

As soon as we got home and I checked the mailbox, I unclipped Calvin, and he bounded up the stairs ahead of me, his nose and tail working like some sort of advanced sensor suite that only dogs understood.  I had to grin at how inquisitive and excited he was all the time.

We got to the door, and I narrowed my eyes when I found it unlocked.  Had I forgotten to lock it?  I thought I remembered closing the door, locking it three times, and pushing on it like I do every morning.

Three times?  No, I'm not obsessive compulsive!  ...much.

I guess I have a faulty memory.  Now I'll be paranoid for weeks and have to lock the door four times.  I opened the door, and Calvin rushed in, I had to grin at him.  I placed the leashes on their pegs, and my bag on the entry table then turned to call Cal over so I could take off his harness.

I squeaked, dropping the bag of dog food, which thankfully remained intact, and placed a hand on my belly before I could compose myself.  An amused looking Jane was standing by her bedroom door with a box.  I had already forgotten I had a roommate.  I exhaled as I tried to get my thumping heart back under control from my surprise.

I grinned sheepishly. “Hi.  I didn't expect anyone to be here.”

She looked thoroughly amused at my shock and reaction.  Jerk cop.

“Apparently.”

Ok, I smiled a little as I crouched to prop the dropped bag against the wall, causing Cal to come darting over.  I took his harness off and hung it, making sure it faced the same way as the others.  I grumped out, “You don't need to look so amused.”

She just said as Cal raced back over to her to wind about her legs, “Oh, I beg to differ.”  Then she said in a pleasant tone which had me blushing, “It was kind of adorable.”

I couldn't make eye contact as I brushed my long curls back over my shoulder and smoothed out my skirt.  I am not adorable!  I'm fierce.

I felt so bashful just then.

I changed the subject to get the spotlight off of my spastic behavior, “Moving in?”

She nodded as she stepped into her room with the box.  “Astute.”

“Ass.”

“Guilty as charged.”  She popped back out with that smirk of hers on her face, walking toward the door.

I about jumped out of my skin, and may have uttered an aborted scream when the door behind me opened as a woman called out, “This is the last one, Jane.”

Jane stepped into my invisible bubble of personal space again, standing just a wee bit too close as she steadied me.  I had to crane my neck up to see her as I looked between her and the tall redhead who looked like she had stepped out of the pages of Biker's Monthly, all curves and tight black jeans and boots.  I felt like a prepubescent boy standing between these two models for the Bad Girl Gazette.

The redhead's eyes narrowed almost dangerously at me as she stared at Jane's hand on my arm.  If looks could kill, my next nap would have been at the city morgue.

Jane let go of me and said with a patient tone, “Jess, play nice.”  Then she moved between us and said, “Jessie Freeman, this is my new roommate and landlord Finnegan May.  Finnegan...”  She paused and emphasized, “My EX, Jess.”

I looked at the two and offered my hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

She didn't take my hand. Instead, she crossed her arms over her belly like she was hurting and looked at Jane.  “The dog walker?”

Jane nodded, and Jess shrugged eyes almost accusing.  “You didn't say she was pretty.”

“What does it matter that she's pretty?  She's my roommate.  Jesus Jess, you were the one who dumped me, remember?  You can't have things both ways.”

I felt both awkward and embarrassed as they both spoke like I wasn't there.  They thought I was pretty?  I felt my face heat.

Then my eyes widened a little as I looked at them again.  McLeary was gay.  Jess was her girl... well I guess 'had been' her girl would more accurate in this case.  I didn't really need to be the source of any friction did I?  I didn't know how I was supposed to react.

Oh god, the dog food was leaning against the wall, not tucked away in a cupboard like it should be.  My purse was crooked on the entry table.  There were a couple dishes on the counter I was going to wash when Cal and I got home.

I was moving past Jessie, hugging my arms.  I quickly hung my shoulder bag on its peg and grabbed the bag of dog food, Calvin trailing behind me.  I hustled toward the kitchen almost frantically.

Jane said, “Finnegan.”

I tucked the food away and went to the sink and started the water and shakily grabbed the dishes.

“Finnegan.”

I wasn't expecting guests.

“Finnegan!”

I looked over at her, peripherally aware of what I was doing.  She assured me, “The place looks fine.”  Then she quipped toward the redhead, “Now look what you've done.”

I took a deep breath, I was so emotionally spent from the last couple days.  What the hell was I doing?  I just wanted to be far away from any confrontation.

Jess was beside me, I hadn't known she had moved from where she was facing Jane.  She was taking the dishes from my hands and smiled kindly.  “Hey, girly.  The place looks great.  Let me do that.”

Crap, I was obsessing again.  I exhaled a long breath centering myself.  I doubted I could have looked any more awkward if I tried.  I just wasn't used to all these high emotions swirling around after a tragedy.  It was the same when we lost dad.  I must have made and unmade my bed a hundred times while everyone had been downstairs at the wake.  I couldn't get the one god damned corner straight, no matter what I did.  You've had that problem before, right?

I inhaled then smiled at Jessie, she wasn't the mean person I thought at first.  Just jealous.  She must have been stressing too.  I assured her with a shaky voice as I took the plate from her hand, “I'm good.  I'm good.  Thanks.”

She looked at me with a touch of concern then when I nodded firmly she smiled and stepped back.

I glanced at Jane, her intense brown eyes were studying me closely.  For god's sake, it was just a minor panic attack, I wasn't a damn porcelain doll.  She smiled at seeing my fire returning, and I gave her a sheepish grin.

Manners!

I asked Jess, “Will you be staying for dinner with Jane, Calvin and me, Jessie?  I can whip something up really fast.”  I pretended I hadn't just dweebed out and I appreciated that they were happy to pretend it hadn't happened.

She shook her head. “I really shouldn't.  I was just helping Jane move her stuff over.”  She stepped over to Jane, and they placed their foreheads on each other, then she whispered, “I'm sorry.”  They kissed, and it broke my heart when Jess turned and walked out, Calvin pawed at Jane who was just an emotionless statue.

Then she looked down and then crouched with a sad smile as she scritched his ears as the door latch clicked closed, “Hiya boy.”

She took a deep breath, I knew she was centering herself too, then she stood with a little smirk, mouthing, “OCD.”

I flipped her off but smiled, knowing what she was doing and appreciating it.  She said, “I've only got a few minutes left on the meter before I have to move my car.  Let me get my stuff unpacked before I have to go.  I have a couple leads to follow up on anyway.”

I blurted, “Use my parking spot.”

She hesitated and then cocked her brow as Calvin ran over and hopped up on the couch and curled in.  “You have a parking spot?”

I grinned a toothy grin. “Underground parking a block up on 58th, one of my old client's seventy-year-old mom moved upstate.  She sold me the parking spot she's had the past thirty years as a parting gift.”

She sputtered out, “Parting gift?  What did you do, have her dog's pups?  Parking spots are worth more than gold in the city.”

I grinned and nodded. “Pretty much.  I helped her Fiona birth a litter.”  I moved over to my purse and dug out my keyring.  I found the key card for the garage and took it off the scrunchy ring.  Then turned and gasped, I was staring right at her chest again.  I squeaked out, “Stop sneaking up on me!”

She chuckled as I took a half step back.  “I don't sneak, it's called walking.  You're just too excitable.  You need to be a little more laid back like Calvin there.”  Did she just call me hyper?

I growled at her, and she looked at my hand.  I held up the key card then pulled it back when she reached out.  “One word about the label and I take it back.”

She smirked, and I squinted my eyes at her and handed her the card.  Then she looked at it and made a show of biting her tongue.  She really wanted to comment on the label but kept quiet.  Good.  It looked like she could be trained just like my clients.  Go me!

Then she looked confused and asked, “Wait, where will you park then?”

I shrugged. “I don't own a car.  All my clients are within a few blocks of Central Park.  I just walk everywhere I need to go.”

She blinked and looked at the card again and asked, “Then why...”

I smiled widely as I offered, “Because like you said parking spots are worth more than gold,  I'd have been stupid not to take her up on the offer.”  Then I pointed at her before she could mouth off, “And I'm many things, but stupid is not one of them.”

She nodded in appreciation. “That – you are not.”  Then she looked a question as she pocketed the key card.

I said, “207 58th, slot A7 like on the label.”  I gave her a neener neener look, and she chuckled.

She nodded and said, “You are an odd platypus, May, and I like that.  Thank you.  I thought I'd have to leave my car at the station and bus home every night.”

Super Finnegan to the rescue!

I wondered absently why I never offered my spot to my other roommates.  I've had it a year and a half now.

She saluted with the card then started for the door. “My stuff can wait.  We're trying to track down who had access to Reeves' spare key card.”

I absently said, “McKnight Catering.”

She almost stumbled.  “Beg pardon?”

I shrugged as I moved over to start washing the dishes. “McKnight Catering.  Tanya McKnight has the key because she's coordinating Saturday's party at Abigail's.”

She just blinked at me, then started shaking her head and mumbling, “Son of a bitch.”

I stood straighter at her reaction.  Had I just helped again?  I thought it was common knowledge.  Tanya always ran the catering from the kitchen of the host, it made for the freshest and tastiest foods.  The woman was a legend with the upper crust in the city.

She smiled then said, “Thanks, Finny.  You've been a great help.”  Then she hesitated when Calvin hopped up to join her at the door.  She looked over at me almost apologetically.  “Umm... we found out that Abigail has no next of kin.  She was an only child, and her parents have passed.  There's no one coming for Calvin here.  Once the coroner is done, the lawyers for her estate say the funeral will be at the Marble Cemetery, it seems Abigail had paid almost a half million dollars for the empty Sheldon vault a few years back when the seventy-five-year waiting period expired.”

What?  Calvin was alone?  Then she offered as my eyes widened, “I can contact animal control for you.”

I was blurting, “NO!” before she could finish.  Then I composed myself and spoke again, “No, he's not going to doggy jail.”  Then I said in a cold and accusatory tone, “I... I have power of attorney for him, so I say where he goes.  Calvin is staying with me... with us.  That's final.”

She smirked and winked before she slipped out the door.  She knew I was going to say that, she was just yanking my chain, the.. the... the jerk cop!  Then I smiled and looked over at Calvin who was cocking his head at the door as it clicked shut.  “Looks like you're stuck with me boy.”  And for some reason, my heart was soaring.

I smiled and twirled, letting my skirt spin up then gacked when the door opened again, Jane poked her head in.  She grinned at my embarrassment as I smoothed my skirt down self consciously, then touched my hair, not knowing what to do with my hands.

She nudged her chin at the door. “Lock the door.  Don't wait up, I don't know how late I'll be.  I'll try to be quiet when I get... home.”

I just nodded, and she popped back out.  I rushed to the door and locked it – a few times.  Then looked at Calvin who was wagging his tail as he ran to me.  I giggled and spun again.  I had a dog.

Chapter 6 – Trash Day

The next morning I woke up to nice toasty feet again.  It was early and I don't know why I hadn't awoken just before the alarm like normal.  Had I heard something?

Calvin had slept with me all night.  I sat up and grinned.  He stretched from ears to tail and looked up at me from where he lay, his tail swishing.  Just all in all being too cute.  “Friday, boy.  Are you ready?”

I glanced at the clock, my alarm wouldn't be going off for another half hour.  I decided to snuggle back into the covers and catch just a little more shuteye before I had to get up.

Ah, who was I kidding?  I was awake.  I couldn't sleep more when the day was waiting.  There was so much I could do with the extra time.  Like sorting the napkin drawer again, maybe by color instead of size?  I had that letter from mom to read, but I preferred to put it off until the weekend so that I could savor it.  Crap, I needed to call her to let her know she was a grandma now.  But she'd go into her lecture about how unsafe the city is, and the circumstances prove it.  I was dreading that.

I stood and stretched in my pajamas, Cal was quite interested, like maybe treats would fall out of my sleeves.  I really was spoiling the poor boy, wasn't I?

I wandered out into the big room to start a pot of coffee brewing before I showered.  I hesitated when I saw the drapes at the balcony door rustling in a breeze.  The French doors were open.  I changed course as I rubbed the rat's nest my hair had gotten itself into as I yawned big enough to swallow the Earth.

I pulled the drapes aside to see Jane, already dressed for the day, sitting at the little table with an iPad and files strewn about it.  She looked up and then smiled, biting her cheek like she was trying to suppress a chuckle.

What?

I stretched and yawned again, “Good morning.”

She inclined her head and said, “Morning.”  She was looking me over again and then asked, “Pajamas?”

I grumped out, “Shut up.”

Her brown eyes were full of mischief as she asked, “Cats?”

I muttered, “A joke gift from my mom – this isn't you shutting up.”

She nodded and brought a cup of coffee up to her lips. “It's one of my endearing traits.”

There was coffee already?  I turned from her and parried back as I headed toward the dark caffeinated liquid of life in the kitchen.  “You're confusing endearing and irritating.”

Ok, I had to smile at her low chuckle.  I didn't know why she brought out the worst in me, but I was glad it didn't offend her.  She said from the balcony as I poured some coffee into the crude cup that Raife had bought me.  Heaven help me if I didn't find the “Walker's do it doggy style,” printed on it as funny.  I think he had a batch specially printed to give out to the walkers that signed on with Rafiel's Canine Walkers.

I noted that the Tupperware of last night's spaghetti I had centered on the table for her before I went to bed with a label on it instructing her to heat it for forty-five seconds wasn’t there.  She had apparently washed the Tupperware since the kitchen was its spotless self.  I don't know why I smiled at that.

I shuffled out to where the four-footed traitor was getting his ears rubbed by our roommate.

She cocked an eyebrow at my cup and my face heated as I sat in the other chair.  I reached out a finger and turned her iPad toward me and looked at a gorgeous multi-layered diamond necklace with longer and longer strands, and matching earrings.  The set was breathtaking.

I cocked an amused eyebrow at her, not even being able to imagine her wearing something as ostentatious as that.  She muttered, “Don't poke through my files, brat.  This isn't for public consumption.”

I smiled. “I didn't think it was your style.”

She purred almost suggestively, “Oh?  You'd be surprised at the things that are my style.”

I swallowed.  The woman was sexy, and she knew it, and there I sat, questioning my own sexuality because of how the tips of my ears and my cheeks started to burn as my belly warmed.

She smirked and said as she shut the pad off.  “Well since you've seen it, we think that was the motive.  A robbery gone bad.  That is the Princess Anne collection from Valentine's.  The set was on loan to Abigail Reeves for her party tomorrow.  The jewelers contacted the station when they heard of her death, but the necklace was nowhere to be found in her apartment.”

My eyes widened. “Valentine's?  That must be worth a mint then.”  Valentine's Fine Jewelers was the jeweler to the stars and royalty, they wouldn't even let you in the doors if you didn't at least have a seven digit portfolio.

She nodded and offered, “Two and a half million.  A cool three million with the earrings.”  I swallowed at that then took a sip of coffee.

I prompted, “Did you contact McKnight Catering about the keycard?”

She nodded. “Met with Tanya McKnight herself.  The card wasn't where she left it.  She employs over a hundred cooks, drivers, and wait staff, all who had access to her office.  We're going to be running down her own alibi today.”

Then she pursed her lips. “I'm not supposed to be talking about my cases.  We need to make one of your copious house rules about that.”

I widened my eyes and defended, “How do you know I have copious rules?  We haven't gone over them yet.”

She smirked.  “Do you have them printed out?  Is it more than a page long?”

I blushed.

“There you go.  Someone like you was bound to have a ton of rules,” she said.

“Someone like me?”  Should I be offended?

She shrugged and took a deep swallow of coffee.  “Borderline obsessive compulsive.”

I squeaked out, “I'm not obsessive compulsive.”

“What are you going to wear today?”

What did that have to do with anything?  I squinted at her and provided, “A pretty red sundress with white trim I picked up the other day.”

She asked, “Print?”

I shook my head.  “Solid.”

She nodded.  “There you go then.  A pattern is emerging.”

What?  So what if I preferred solid color to print... and my closet was full of sundresses.  And that I wore one every day.  I like them.  I mumbled over the rim of my coffee cup at the infuriating, judgmental woman, “I have a pair of jeans.  I just... choose not to wear them.”  Why did I feel like I needed to defend or apologize?

She sighed and cocked her head at me then looked down at Calvin like they were sharing some sort of insight.

Then she set her cup down and asked in a tone that held no teasing, “Why don't we throw caution to the wind and toss the rules?  We can learn each other's patterns, likes and dislikes and make a whole new set of rules of our own.”

Toss the...  I looked toward the apartment in the direction of my bedroom where I had the ten-page document stapled neatly and ready to give to her.  But we all need rules, right?  She wanted to start a new set with me – and you know what?  I felt bold.  I'd show her I'm not obsessive.

I nodded and grabbed her pen from on top of a folder and her notepad and flipped to a blank page.  “We can do that, I can be impulsive.  Let's make our own rules.”  I looked at her, pen at the ready.  This was actually going to be fun, I loved rules.

I stopped breathing when she laid her hand over mine holding the pen, her hands were surprisingly soft.  She looked at me until I met her eyes.  She almost smiled then said, “We don't need to write them down.  They may change organically as we change as people.”

I looked at her then her hand on mine.  I could feel the heat from our contact, her skin was so hot.  She offered, “First rule, we don't need to write everything down.”

She moved her hand, and I found I could breathe again.  She wouldn't let go of me with her eyes though.  I grinned, feeling sassy as I asked, my voice cracking, “Should I write that down?”

God, she had a great laugh.

I stood up, feeling almost excited like I was being a bad girl throwing out all the rules like that.  It was shaping up to be a good day already.  I scurried back through the drapes, Cal stayed behind to get some lovin' pats from Jane.  I heard her call out, “Thank's for the tasty dinner last night Fin, it was unexpected.”

Ok, sometimes she isn't the most annoying cop on the planet.

I headed to my bedroom and selected my outfit for the day, looking at the pristine red dress then out toward the balcony.  Obsessive-compulsive?  I'll show her.  I pulled out the hanger that held my pair of jeans, cleaned and pressed, and... a solid red top.

I brought my clothes into the bathroom and closed the other two doors and looked in the mirror.  Oh, the bedhead mess!  I looked as if a goose and a duck had just nested in my tangled brown curls, and I had let Jane see me like that!  No wonder she looked amused.

I sighed and started the water in the shower.  I stepped in and let the hot water just roll down my body washing away the high emotions of the past couple days.  My mind drifted to the Hotline.  I really should get myself out there again.  If Raife comes on strong again, I don't know if I'd be strong enough not to cave.  Being with someone is better than being alone.

Then I smiled.  I had a dog!  I wasn't alone anymore.  I felt sassy at that thought and absently wondered if Jamal was dating anyone.  Ah, doesn't matter, I'd never have the confidence to ask him out.

I shut off the shower, wrung my long hair out, and stepped out as I reached for my towel, then almost fell back into the shower, “Glurk!” Jane was at the center sink, combing her silky hair out.  Wait, had I heard the toilet flush while I was showering?  I pulled the shower curtain around me as she turned back.

She cocked that infernal eyebrow of hers at me then shook her head.  “What?  Its just us girls here, you don't have anything I don't.”

I squeaked, “I... you...”

She rolled her eyes.  “Got it, that's our next rule then.  You're not comfortable with your body so only one in the bathroom at a time.  I just figured there were three sinks for a reason.  You hadn't locked the doors.”  She stepped forward and grabbed my towel off the rail and handed it to me.

I quickly wrapped myself and snapped at her, “I'm comfortable with my body, thank you very much.  I happen to have a good body for my size.”

Wait, she was grinning.  Why did she seem to enjoy it when I snapped at her?  Was it that she liked knowing she could push me like that?

I muttered, “I just wasn't expecting to see you in here.”  She seemed pleased then I stood up taller, dwarfed by the woman.  Then I realized she was making me stand up for myself.  Was that why she kept teasing?  Or was I just giving her more depth and credit than she deserved?

I grabbed my clothes and scurried back to my room to get dressed.  I could dry my hair after.  I dressed quickly then went back to the bathroom, hesitated, and knocked lightly.  She wasn't there.  I slipped in and locked the other two doors then went about drying my hair and pulling it back behind me and using a cute red hairband I had found when I bought the red dress.  I did my makeup for the day, choosing to be bold.  I was wearing red so bright red it was.

I looked in the mirror and absently went to smooth the skirt I wasn't wearing.  Right.  Jeans.  I felt a little off, I loved being a girly girl and jeans were so me in my awkward tweens where the other girls would tease me that I dressed like my twin brother Garrett.  That was about when I had started wearing the dresses, to show them I wasn't trying to be like Gar.

I slipped on some red flats.  What?  Don't you have shoes for all your outfits?  Color matches color.

Then I headed out to prep my lunch with a little something extra for Calvin – my dog.  I headed to the fridge and saw Jane straightening the circulars on the coffee table and standing, causing my beautiful boy to hop off the couch he isn't supposed to be on, but we were making new rules so he could make some too.

She was checking her pocket for keys, and I figured she was heading off to detect things.  I guess she didn't have time for a bagel with cream cheese.  I called over, “I'm prepping lunch, I can put something together for you if you like.”

She hesitated and then smiled at me. “Thanks but you don't need to, and I don't need to be eating all your food.  I'll get to the market sometime today to stock up.”

I waved her off as she approached. “It's nothing.  I don't mind.  I actually like making meals, it relaxes me.  A person can't concentrate and give their all on an empty stomach.”

She smiled as I turned back to the fridge and opened it.  “It'll just take me a second.”  I grabbed my Tupperware labeled 'Friday Lunch' and pulled it out along with some fresh fixings for a couple sandwiches.  Then turned around and found myself face to chest again with the silent creeper of New York.  I stifled a squeak of surprise.

She said, “Thanks, Finny, that's sweet of you,” as she reached past me, her hair drifting along my shoulder and she pulled her gun down from the cupboard over the refrigerator.  Now she smelled of soap, lilac, and leather.  How had I slept through her showering this morning, I must have really been out.  It was sort of an intoxicating combination of scents, and I found myself closing my eyes to savor it even though the woman had no concept of personal space.

I looked up at her as she shrugged into her shoulder holster.  She was smirking down at me.  I shuffled under her arm and to the counter, then remembered to breathe as she prodded, “Jeans?  Fin, I didn't intend to make you feel self-conscious.”

I growled out, “You didn't.  I, uh, wear jeans all the time.”  Not.  Why was I so defensive, she was actually trying to be nice.

I prepped two lunches quickly as she watched me, then she cocked an eyebrow when I got my label maker out and printed up a quick label and put it on another of my copious amounts of Tupperware and then offered her her lunch with both hands like an awkward tuna.

She took a look at the label when she took the lunch, and I smirked and looked away, feeling all tricksy.  I grinned to myself when she snorted, at least she was a good sport.  She asked, “Jerk Cop's Friday Lunch?”

I asked innocently without turning back toward her, “Oh, is that what it says?”

She chuckled and said, “Thanks, Finnegan, I'll be home at a decent hour tonight, and I'll stock the kitchen.”

I liked when she said my full name like that.

I turned to watch her go.  She had such a confident swagger.  The kind of confidence I only had while walking my clients.  I sort of envied that she could be that way all the time.  The only chink I've seen in her armor was the hesitation in her, and the half-raised hand like she wanted to stop her when Jessie had left the prior day.

I understood.

I looked down at Calvin as I went to the door after she left. “Ready to gear up boy?  Time for work.”

His tongue lolled out as he tilted his head at me like he knew what I was saying and sat.  I harnessed him up.  Such a smart boy.  I was so proud of how he was handling his loss.

We stepped out, and I locked the door a few times just to make sure and pushed on it then we were off.  As soon as we stepped into the sun, I inhaled the scents of the city and sighed.  Yes, it was going to be a spectacular day!

I still felt a little off, leaving at a different time, I really needed to get another client for the boy shift.  I had so many on the waiting list.  It made me feel good that my services were needed and appreciated.

I looked around as we passed out of the park to head to Duke's place and pulled out my cell, I looked through my contacts then grinned.  Jarvis!  I sent a quick text to his mom and dad.  The English bulldog was such a gentleman when I interviewed his owners for a place on my list last year.  The poor fuzzy boy almost falls onto his jowls when he sneezes.

I giggled when a minute later, Mrs. Montague respond with an all-caps YES!!! and three smiling emojis.  I replied quickly that we'd be happy to take him on in two weeks so that they could give their current walker the proper notice.  I wouldn't be accused of poaching.  I'd get with them in the next few days with all the contracts and required paperwork to sign.

The day turned out to be super awesome, though the boys did seem a little unimpressed by me sharing that Jarvis would be joining our gaggle soon.  They were more intent on the little flexible frisbee I brought for us all to play with on the Great Lawn.

The girls, however, seemed quite impressed with Calvin, and Princess still looked enamored with him, always watching with her big brown puppy-dog eyes.  I giggled when I added in my head, “Like Jane's.”

When we had all the ladies safely at home, I started us down east 79th, back toward the park.  “Well boy, should we get back home, I have some contracts to prepare, print, and collate for the newest addition to our pack.”

I took his waggy tail and cocked head as agreement.  It was still odd to have him with me after my walking hours.  I smiled hugely and looked up at the sun on its downward arc, closing my eyes to bask in its warmth as I stopped a giggle.  I had a dog.  Oh lordy be, Puddles back home at mom's was going to be so jealous when she smelled him on me.

I squeaked at that thought.  Logistical problem!  How was I going to visit mom this weekend?  Most trains and buses didn't allow non-working dogs on them, and I didn't have a car.  Maybe I could bum a ride off of Garrett if he wasn't too busy with his bevy of girlfriends.

I know, that wasn't fair of me, but he's just always been so handsome and popular.  He's always had girls, and a guy or two, following after him over the years.  Mom calls him a heartbreaker.

I've always looked up to him.  Tall, confident, popular.  But he always kept falling for the wrong kind of girls in school.  The popular clique, they used him up and dumped him.  Though he never lost his winning smile.

After school, he seemed to learn from his mistakes, and I have to admit, I really liked his past couple girlfriends.  I was sort of sad when they broke up with him because he is not ready for a serious relationship so would never take things to the next level with them.  I'm sure though that one day, a girl more stubborn than him will shackle him with a ring on his finger, then I can get me some little nieces or nephews.

Oh fuzzy fritters, I was as bad as mom, wasn't I?

Mom had noted that he has been getting pretty serious with his latest girl, Rebecca, though.

For how confident and carefree he was, he's never spread his wings and left Liberty.  He lives just down the street from mom.  He made me blush the day he told me he envied how brave I was to move to the big city.  He has always believed in me.

I was knocked out of my thoughts when Calvin started pulling hard on the leash and growling.  I looked at him as other people on the street started giving us a wide berth.  “What is it, Cal?”

He almost yanked me off my feet as he lunged at the alleyway, growling more fiercely.  He would have succeeded if I hadn't had years of experience training dogs not to pull.  I thrust one foot forward and planted it as I leaned back a little.  My hundred and three pounds strained against his forty-five.  Calvin was strong!  And that he had four legs and a lower center of gravity made us about even.

“Calvin?  What is it?”  I gave him the two tugs to get him to heel, but he ignored me and kept straining and barked once, looking back at me.  He was almost frantic.  “Is someone hurt or something?”  I'd never seen him like this.

I gave him some slack, and he pulled me into the alley.  “What?”

I grimaced, it was a fairly neat alley but still beyond my cleanliness threshold... shut up.  There were a couple unlocked dumpsters there.  Ah, it was Friday, trash day in this area, that's the only reason they'd be unlocked.  As a matter of fact, I could see the garbage truck in the next alley across the street.

Cal was jumping at one of the dumpsters, and then he was barking his fool head off.  “Calvin, calm down, what is it?”  His barking turned to frantic whining as he wound around my legs then went back and forth between the dumpster and me.  It was all I could do to keep him from tying us up in the leash.

He looked up at me and whined then barked once as he cocked his head at me then went to the dumpster and started sniffing around.  Oh, no, eww... “Is there something in the dumpster, boy?”  His growling was unnerving me, and I tried to calm him.  “Ok, ok, I'll check.  Sit.”  he seemed to know what I was doing so he finally sat, whining.

I grumbled as I moved a little empty fruit crate to the side of the dumpster, sometimes being short was a hassle, but most of the time it was awesome, “I am not looking through trash.”  Belying my words, I looked through the copious bags at the top and almost gagged at the smell of rot and decay.  It must have been refuse from a restaurant and was going bad.

Three bags were purple, the rest were black.  “I am not opening a trash bag on the street.”  Calvin barked once and whined as I untied the trash bag and opened it with two fingers.

“I am not going through a trash bag.”  I tugged at some of the contents, paper towels and fabric and.

Oh my god!  I fell off the fruit crate, and Calvin swarmed me, sniffing at my hand that had flour and a brownish flaky substance that could only have been dried blood.  Some girl was repeating, “Oh my god, oh my god!” Over and over again, I wished she'd stop so I could think.  Oh... it was me.  I didn't really sound that whiney, did I?

I took a calming breath.  Calvin had just found the evidence that was cleaned up at his place.  But why today?  We've walked past this alley the past couple days and nothing.  I heard the engine of the huge dump truck heading across the street into the alley we were in, and I got it.

Trash day!

The killer had held onto the bags until today when the waste management department would take care of the evidence for them.  They must have just dumped it, and Cal had smelled his mom's blood.  It was heartbreaking.

I looked at the approaching garbage truck, and then the dumpsters and I started striding toward them, my hand up to stop them.  I slipped the loop of the leash around my other wrist then fished out my cell along with Jane's card from when she had questioned me.

After the first ring, she responded, “Detective McLeary.”

I lost it and blurted out, “Jane!... There's... blood...”

Her normally teasing voice was suddenly full of concern, “Finnegan?  What is it?”

Chapter 7 – Home

Jane was chuckling at me as I sat in her fancy-schmancy detective car, that midsize green SUV, as she drove me home.  She said with a grin, “If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it.”

I pouted, my arms crossed as Calvin licked my cheek.  Opportunistic boy.

She just chuckled.  “When we pulled up in that alley to see a tiny woman with her dog standing in front of a garbage truck with her eyes closed and hand up in a halt gesture, ignoring the three huge men yelling at her, I about died laughing.  You looked like that defiant girl statue over on Wall Street.”

I grumped at the evil woman, “What?  They were going to take the dumpster trash anyway.  They were yelling at me about schedules, and the union, and stuff.  They were just... just big bullies.”

She smirked at me. “Well it's a good thing you wore jeans today, you were badass.”

I narrowed an eye at her, not knowing if she was being serious or teasing again.

God, I was done with jeans for a while.

Calvin and I had to sit through Jane and a Detective Flannery having me step them through everything that occurred in the alley and how we found the bags.  Six times!  I was feeling really small with the world pushing down on me.  I think Jane noticed because after glancing at me, she shut off her tablet and folded her notebook closed where she was questioning the now very helpful sanitation workers.

She said something to Flannery, and he nodded, and she walked back over to us and crouched in front of Cal, who was super excited to see her.  She spoke to him as she rubbed his ears as he basked in the attention, tail swishing.  “You've been through a lot today boy, I better get you home.”

She looked up at me from where she crouched. “You coming?”

I knew what she was doing, and I appreciated it, though it made me feel like she was coddling me like a child.  I flipped her off, and she chuckled in amusement.  Then as she helped us into the SUV, I whispered, “Thanks.”  She just nodded once, not making eye contact.

She asked as she drove, “What say we call in pizza tonight.  Just relax at home with a movie?”

I said quietly, “But I really like to cook.  I don't mind, really.”

She shook her head.  “New rule, Friday's are lazy nights, no cooking or doing anything.  Girl's nights where we just relax and decompress after a long week.”

I nodded slowly.  That did actually sound fun.  But I'd have to rearrange the meal plans I had come up with for the coming week.  I could throw caution to the wind and do that... as long as I didn't think too much about it, that is.

I looked back from where we came from and asked hesitantly, “That was her blood, wasn't it?  Abigail's?  Don't you need to be back there?”

She shook her head and grinned. “We have crime scene techs taking the bags and scouring the dumpsters and the area, uniforms canvasing the neighborhood to see if anyone saw anything or any cameras caught who went into the alley.  My captain is yelling at me to take a day off since I've put thirty-six hours into the case already with not much rest.  And the crime scene techs won't have anything conclusive for at least twenty-four hours.  Flannery is fresh off a day off, he and the uniforms can finish the interviews with the rest of  McKnight's employees.”

She's put thirty-six hours into the first two days of investigation and still found time to move her stuff in and sleep last night?  When had she gotten in any way?

I nodded at the dedicated woman. “Ok.  A girl's night.”  I think she needed it more than me.

This would actually be fun, I have ordered in maybe two or three times a year max since I came to the big city.  I really did prefer to make my own meals, not to mention it was much cheaper.

I don't think Raife even knows how to boil noodles.  He'd order in every night I spent at his place.  I was really starting to question what I saw in the man.  Was I that shallow that I didn't see all the warning signs and was just blinded by a great looking man paying attention to me?  Maybe I was more alone than I thought and just craved human contact.

“Why so serious?”  Her voice cast the thoughts aside, and I looked over to McSmirky McLeary.  “You were frowning.”

I shrugged.  “You bring that out in me.”  I couldn't keep a straight face at her amusement.  I just shook my head and told the truth, “Was just wondering what I ever saw in Rafiel.”

She exhaled and stated the obvious, “You, Miss Finnegan Temperance May, are a random woman.”

It was true, what could I say?  I shrugged.

I was oddly glad that she was coming home to keep me company like this.  I didn't want to think about what we had found, and it was a real possibility I would have obsessed about it a little if I were left to deal with my own thoughts.

We pulled into the underground parking, and I furrowed my brow at my parking slot.  There was a guy there putting up his convertible top on his Volkswagen bug.  Jane's eyes were narrowed, and she tapped the horn.  The stringy looking guy looked up.  He gave me the impression of a reggae musician wannabe with his dreadlocks that looked way out of place on a twenty-something white guy.

The guy furrowed his brow then called out in a terrible Jamaican accent as he walked belligerently toward us.  “Hey!  You're the woman who done stole my spot last night!”

Jane's eyes narrowed, and I swallowed as she slowly undid her seatbelt, Calvin crowded her window, and I had to wrap an arm around his middle and hold him back.  His tail was up, and he seemed intent on Jane's reaction to the man like he was watching her for cues.  Oh good god, he saw her as his Alpha.  Just great, yet another man passing me by.

She slid out and said to me, “Stay in the car.”

I blinked as she slid out and stood tall, towering over the young man by almost five inches.  Stay in the car?  Really?  Stay in the car?  It was my parking spot!  Cops only say stay in the car to the comic relief in the movies and TV.  I wasn't the comic relief!

I growled and opened my door and then glurked when I stopped moving when I went to get out.  Oh yeah... seatbelt.  Shut up.

I slid out telling an enthusiastic Calvin, “Stay in the car, boy.”  I grinned at the irony then stepped around the SUV to Jane who was saying to the man, “This isn't your parking spot if you would please move your vehicle.”

The guy lost his fake Jamaican accent and said belligerently, “Oh piss off girlie.  I've been parking here for six months now.  It's my spot.”

I blurted in a high pitched voice, “No it isn't, it's my spot!  Bought and paid for! ...”

Jane held a hand out to stop me in mid-tirade as the man shot back, “The other people in the garage says there hasn't been a vehicle parked here for over a year.”

Jane got his attention with her frosty tone, “So because someone wasn't using their property, you decided it was fair game?  There are squatting statutes in Manhattan that prohibit that exact thing.”

He shook his head and waved her off as he started to turn away, “And who are you?  The police?”  He froze when she shifted the light leather jacket she was wearing to expose her shoulder holster and her badge.  “Oh, shit...”

Suddenly he wasn't belligerent at all.  “Sorry officer, I didn't know.”

She corrected him, “Detective.”

He nodded.  Then he said, “I figured it was ok since the garage charges me the full forty dollars a day to park.  Nobody ever said a word to me.”

Jane said smoothly as she let her jacket swing closed, “Well now you know.  I don't want to ever see you in this parking slot again, or Miss May here might feel the need to sue you for back rent on her spot.”

He paled at that then looked at us.  “Sorry.  Sorry.  I'll move my car right now.”  He scurried off, like a mouse being chased by a cat, and got into his VW.  A moment later it was running, and his tires squealed with the speed in which he left my spot and headed out of the garage.

I looked at Jane, that was sort of... she was a badass.  She gave me a funny screwed up face then smiled.  I grinned back and then she looked toward the toll booth at the entrance and said, “I think parking enforcement needs a little tip about the garage scalping.  You own the spot, they can't charge for it.”

I scrunched up my face and asked, “Can you not be Jerk Cop, at least tonight?  So the attendant is a little opportunistic.  It's girl's night.”

She locked eyes with me.  They were such an intense brown that seemed to get swallowed into the laser-focused black pupils.  For a cop, she had really pretty eyes.  My heart was racing.  Why was that damn garage so hot?

Jane seemed to deflate under my unintended stare, and she looked away with a smile.  “Fine walker girl.  I'll park the beast.”

I smiled back at her, and she got that cocky look on her face that was unfair how sexy it made her look.  I mean.  Oh dear god, I was getting confused again.  I swallowed and blushed and got Calvin out as she got into the car.  Then we waited as she parked it.

I admitted to her on the short walk home, “That was sort of hot back there.”

She just grinned smugly and then looped her arm in mine as we took in the atmosphere of the city.  “Come on Finny, let's get home.”  Then she pointed out ironically, “And I still didn't get to the market.”

I was fine with that, really, then wondered if that was why she suggested takeout.  Was tall dark and sassy feeling guilty eating my food?  It was the food for the apartment.  She'd know that if she had read page eight of the rules we threw out.

I squeaked, and Calvin bounded happily and barked when Jane crossed a leg behind her to kick my butt.  I responded in kind as I grinned.

I really love New York.

We got home, and true to her word, after stowing her gun in the cabinet above the fridge, and shedding her boots and jacket, she ordered up some pizza.

She cocked that frigging eyebrow of hers when I went about labeling a peg at the door for her jacket and organized her boots tidily against the baseboard below it.  I pointed my label maker menacingly at her, and she just chuckled and held her hands up in surrender.

I'll get her trained up nicely yet.

Calvin was already way ahead of us and had hopped up onto the couch to curl up.  It had been a long and stressful day for the poor boy.

She looked over at me from where she leaned a hip on the counter as I replaced my labeler in the drawer.  She held up her cell and mouthed, “Toppings?”  Then Cocked her eyebrow and smirked. “Vegetarian?”

I blurted, “Just how Mary Sue do you think I am?”  Then I raised my chin in defiance and said, “Canadian bacon and sausage.  About anything else just no fungus.”  Though vegetarian did sound good, she didn't need to know that.

She grinned and spoke to the person on the line, “Extra large, Canadian bacon, sausage...”  Then she paused and looked a question at me as she continued, “Black olives, onion.”

I smiled and nodded as I headed to my room to get into something more comfortable.  Then snorted when I heard Jane add, “And mushrooms on half.”  She had raised her voice on the word mushrooms to be sure I heard her putting the disgusting fungus on her half.  I shivered.

As we were not planning on going out about on the town tonight, I thought I'd just slip into my pajamas and fuzzy slippers.  I closed my door and took a step, then reversed and locked my door to the amused chuckle of Detective McLeary.

A moment later Calvin came trotting in from the bathroom.  I rolled my eyes and started for the door but paused.  She knew I was changing and wouldn't come walking in, I don't know why I was being so random.  I could lie to myself all I wanted and ignore the tiny part of me who wanted her to.  I was so confused that the woman both excited and scared me, knowing she liked girls.

I asked Calvin, “What am I doing?”

He – didn't answer.

I ruffled his ears and then quickly got into Finnegan, lounge around lazy mode version 1.0.

I stepped back out, Calvin trailing behind, to find her looking into the fridge, her arm draped lazily over the door.  She looked back at me.  “Water?  Pepsi?  Apple juice?”  Then she smirked, “You really have each shelf labeled in here?”

I pulled Cal's food out from the lower cupboard, where I needed to reorganize things since it would be a permanent addition to my system now.  Not looking at her as I growled out, “Shut up.”  Then added quietly, “Apple juice is fine, thank you.”

She grabbed one and a Pepsi and shut the door as I scooped exactly two leveled cups of food into Calvin's dish.  He sat beside me, his jowls drooling and his tail swishing along the floor behind him.  He had impeccable manners, and I was glad Abigail had him so well trained.

I smiled at him as I put the dog food away, hesitating, I'd need a label for that.  Then I retrieved his water dish and rinsed it out and filled it.  Once I placed it beside his food; I’d need a little mat there to keep the area tidy; I told him, “Go ahead, boy.”  He almost dove on the food.  It had been a hectic day, and I didn't blame him.

I looked up and froze.  Those gorgeous brown eyes of McLeary were trained on me, studying me from where she was leaning her hip against the counter again.  She slid the apple juice toward me on the counter, and I took it.  “What?”

She smiled and walked off toward the couch.  “Nothing pajama girl, just wondering if you were going to label the spot for the dog food is all.”

I looked at her retreating back, and my junk drawer then snapped out in frustration, “I hate you.”  Then retrieved the labeler and labeled the spot.  She knew mentioning it would put it in my head, drive me crazy.  I could always move the label later once I reorganized the cupboard if needed.

I hesitated and looked back at her when she opened her Pepsi and pointed the remote at the TV and turned it on.  She had known that... was she... playing with me?  Were we becoming friends?  My other roommates never became my friends.  Well, I considered them friends, but I don't think it was reciprocated.  They all said I drove them crazy.

She asked as I moved over to join her, “So no beer?  Any alcohol in the place?”

I absently thought about page three of the rules, wondering if it were smart for us to have thrown them out.

I supplied as I moved over and sat on the far side of the couch from her, “I don't drink.”

She nodded as if in understanding.  “You have to be in control of yourself.”  She flipped through the channels.

Why was I embarrassed about that?  It was true but – hey!  She was doing that cop thing again!  I pretended it hadn't hit the mark and tried to be casual as I offered, “I can pick up some beer for you.”  Ignore the rules Finnegan, you're making new ones now, remember?

She hesitated, turned to me, and cocked her head, the cockiness replaced by questioning.  “I'm not saying that, Finnegan.  I'm just trying to get to know you, see what makes you tick.  Understand you more so I know where the boundaries are.  If we're going to be roommates, we should know each other's likes, dislikes, or triggers.”

Oh.

I nodded as I opened my apple juice.  “That makes sense.”

She added with that smirk of hers, “That's not saying I won't bring in a six pack from time to time mind you.”

I nodded, I could live with that.  It wasn't like I would be drinking it or anything.  “Compromise.”

She nodded and raised her Pepsi can toward me in salute. “To compromise.”

I tapped my plastic apple juice bottle against it and found myself smiling.

Smugly I said as I snatched the remote from her hand and offered in the spirit of getting to know each other, “You're one of my triggers.  Jerk.”

She chuckled out in amusement. “Brat.”

I cued up Netflix and asked as I smiled at the banter, “What kind of movie?”  Then added tongue in cheek, “Cop flick?”

She shot back easily, “Not a chick flick.”

I cocked an eyebrow.  But chick flicks were my drug of choice, romantic comedies my lifeblood.  Jane swiped the remote from my hand and gave me a 'so there' look, and she paused at an epic fantasy and raised an eyebrow in question at me.  Compromise.  Action with a little romance mixed in.

When I kicked off my slippers and curled my legs up on the couch, she smiled and selected it.  This felt nice, sharing a lazy evening with someone without any expectations.  Calvin thought so too as he joined us after finishing his supper.  Sitting his butt on my feet and laying his head on Jane's lap.  He was an equal opportunity touch monger.

I hugged myself as the show started, this felt like – home.

Chapter 8 – Liberty

The next morning I awoke feeling warm and safe, the scent of lilac and leather surrounding me. Someone was running their fingers through my hair, and it felt sinfully erotic.  I opened my bleary eyes and stretched... then sat up in a rush when I fully woke with the realization that I wasn't in my bed.  I had fallen asleep on the couch watching movies with Jane after we ate our pizza when it was delivered.  Sneaking pieces of Canadian bacon to Cal.

I had somehow wound up laying across Jane, my head in her lap, Calvin tucked in neatly in front of me.  She smiled at my shock and disorientation. “Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakens.  God, I think my legs are asleep now.”  Calvin licked my face then hopped down, whining.

I got my bearings and blushed at Jane then told Cal with a yawn.  “Just a minute boy.  I'll take you out in a second.  Gotta get dressed.”

I slid off the couch and looked at our in house detective as she started massaging her legs while she grinned at me, her feet twisting in circles sluggishly.  Oh lord, her legs did go to sleep, how long had I been laying on her?  I looked down sheepishly as I shuffled past her and half whispered, “I’m so sorry.  How long was I like that?  You could have woke me.”

She shook her head, that smug look and amusement twinkling in those big browns of hers.  “Almost the entire night.  Don’t worry about it, you were too cute to move, I didn’t want to wake you.  You had a traumatic day.”

All night?  Why hadn’t she… wait, cute?  I shuffled faster to my room.  I wasn’t cute.  I shut my door behind me, and predictably, Cal came trotting in through the bathroom.  I smiled at him and asked, “Why didn’t you wake me, traitor?  I was laying in her lap!”

I swear the fuzzy turncoat gave a doggy smile as he hopped up on my bed and curled in.  How could you be upset with that?  I sighed and quickly got dressed for a walk, I’d shower after I got Calvin out to do his thing before he exploded.

I looked at the door and repressed sticking out my tongue at it and selected my new red sundress.  A few minutes later, after dressing and brushing my hair out quickly, I came out feeling embarrassed as we made our way to the door.  I said to the floor, trying not to look at my roommate over by the coffee maker, “We’ll be back in a few, Cal needs his morning constitutional.”

She waved at us as I harnessed… my dog.  I had a dog you know.  She said with a yawn, “Great, that’ll give me a chance to shower and get ready for the day.”

I waved and slipped out with my silly border collie as I wondered just how she could look so good in the morning when I always looked like I had been in a life or death struggle with a weed whacker.

True to her word, she was changed and smelling like soap, lilac, and leather when we returned.  Gah, why did I find the combination so… so something?

When we joined her in the kitchen, I saw my coffee cup sat on a coaster on the counter, full of steaming ambrosia.  That was considerate of her.  She looked up from over the rim of her cup, “Good walk?”

I nodded.  “Calvin was a champ and didn’t dawdle, just went straight to business.”  I closed my eyes and sighed as the first of the hot invigorating liquid went down my throat.

I opened my eyes and noted she was still looking over the rim of her coffee mug, looking smug.  I snapped, “What?”

She shrugged and placed her cup down… on a coaster, and then leaned her hip against the counter. “Nothing, just amused at your choice of clothing today.”

I just gave her a toothy grin.  Yes, that’s right, I was subtly thumbing my nose at the woman and was glad she had taken note of it.  We shared a chuckle, and I looked toward the bathroom.  “I should get ready for the day.  I can whip up some breakfast when I get out.  I’ll be stuck here for a couple hours, I gotta call my brother for a ride to visit my mom today up in Liberty.  With Cal, I can’t take public transportation anymore.”

She looked interested at that and offered, “Well I can watch Calvin for you, or better yet I can drive you and save your brother eight hours on the road making two back and forth trips today.”

I hesitated.  “You’d do that?”

She shrugged. “I’m supposed to take a day off, and if I didn’t occupy myself with something, I’d be mulling over the evidence all day anyway.  If the techs find anything in the new evidence, they’ll call.  Flannery is a competent man and will follow up on our other sparse leads until I return.”

Oh.

I looked at Calvin. “What do you think?”

He cocked his head, wagged his tail, and lolled his tongue out.

I nodded. “Agreed.”  Then looked up at her. “That sounds wonderful.  Thank you.”

She took her coffee cup and headed toward the living room where I saw her case files strewn all over the coffee table. “De nada.”  She really would have obsessed with the case on her day off wouldn’t she have?

I smiled.  That made Jane more, I don’t know, human?  To me just then.  I teased as I headed to get cleaned up for the day, “Borderline obsessive compulsive?”

I screamed and hustled to the bathroom when she threw a throw pillow from the couch at me.  I chuckled to myself.  Threw a throw pillow?  Is that why they’re called that?  Calvin barked once and bounded to her like it was a new great game.

I made sure to lock the other two bathroom doors this time.  I didn’t need to be parading around in my birthday suit around anyone again.

After getting ready for the day and preparing bagels and cream cheese for us, we set out on the two-hour drive to mom’s.  Calvin thought the window I cracked for him in the back seat was just as wonderful as stomping all over me in the passenger seat to stick his nose out my window.  Silly boy, I’d have to discuss proper riding etiquette with him later.

On the way there, Jane had been peppering me with questions about my family and my childhood.  After the first half hour, I was feeling like I was being interrogated and had to pull up short. “Wait, wait, wait.  I feel like I’m a perp in the squad room again.  You have to barter for answers from here on out.  I’ll answer one question for each you answer.”

She cocked an eyebrow as we hit the interchange to head northwest.  “Perp?”  She cocked an eyebrow.  “You do realize we don’t really talk like they do on the crime dramas on TV, don’t you?  Well, for the most part anyway.”

I shrugged.  How the fluffy heck was I supposed to know?

She prompted, “Fair enough.  Shoot.”

I scrunched my lips to the side as I thought.  What would tell me more about Jane than the obvious, where were you born, where did you go to school questions.  I tilted my head and asked, “Did you have a nickname in school?”

She nodded and said, “Now I get a question.”

I waved her off with a fluttering hand and narrowed my eyes at the smart-butt. “Clarification.  If you had a nickname in school, what was it?”

She asked, “Got some lawyer blood in there somewhere?”  Then she seemed to contemplate something as we rocketed past a slow car in the passing lane.  My eyes widened, we were going eighty-five!  Then she sighed. “Jane the Pain.   That changed to Stretch in high school.”

Jane the Pain?  That was mean, but kids were mean.  I understood. I got teased all the time.  She started to explain, “I was always taller than the other kids and got into more than my fair share of fights growing up standing up for myself.  The kids would say that I always brought the pain.  That just morphed.”

Then she cocked a curious eyebrow.  “My turn.  Same question.”

I froze.  I should have seen that coming.  Stupid Fin, really stupid.  I said, “I’m tired of questions.  Want to listen to music?”

I had always been teased because I always wanted to be like Garrett.  He was never afraid of anything.  The kids took to calling me Fin-dyke-again because I wore boy's clothes.  Then I blanched.  What would Jane think about me hating that nickname which followed me all the way through my senior year, even after I started wearing dresses?  She wouldn’t think I thought that hating that terrible slur for a gay woman meant I hated gay women, would she?  Oh god.  I didn’t.  I envied her for being brave enough to be herself no matter what bigots may say.

I started breathing faster, and she glanced at me and then her eyes widened a bit in concern.  “Sure.  Music is good.  We could just move onto another question.  Any time either of us asks something, we’d rather not answer just say ‘next,' and we move on without comment.”

I dropped my hand from where I was reaching for the radio.  “Oh.  Ok.  Sorry for freaking out.”

She shrugged. “We all have skeletons in our closet.  No biggie, Finny.  So, alternate question, Why New York?  Just an observation, not a dig, but isn’t such a hectic ever-changing environment hard for you when the apartment is so sterile?  Or is it your inner sanctorum?  Like Superman.”

I grinned and corrected, “That’s the Fortress of Solitude.”

She grinned, and I realized she was baiting me.  She teased, “Geek.”

I shook my head at her and peeled the banana, showing her my middle finger, which rewarded me with her awesome laugh.  Then I contemplated her question and shrugged. “New York City… Manhattan… Central Park!  It is so alive, so full of life, excitement, and promise.  Can it be overwhelming at times?  Yes.  But it is such an amazing place like no other, how can you not love the spectacular living metropolis.  So full of sound and light and smells that just scream to you, 'I'm home.'”

Then I admitted, “Yes, I use my apartment to decompress when I feel overloaded, so in a sense, it is my Fortress of Solitude, the one place I can control.  But I also know that to truly live, I have to try to get out in the world instead of locking myself away when I'm not working.  Thus the copious number of dates I go on.  If only I could get past a first date...”

She snorted. “Shortsighted people.  How can a smart girl who looks like you be single?”

I felt a blush blooming on my cheeks as my neck heated.  A girl who looks like me?  Has she seen herself?

I bit the tip of my tongue, then noted in good humor, “A couple of relationship geniuses we are, huh?”  I beamed when she snorted again.

The question and answer game played out the rest of the way to mom's, and I found her being far less shallow and way more open than I had given her credit for on our first meeting at the 855 Building.

Though she did lose points for never having had a dog in her life.  I guess I could forgive her since she now had one by proxy as a result of the horrific demise of New York's Broadway darling.  I smiled.  Calvin certainly took a liking to her, and he has great taste, and I trust his judgment.

Before long, I had her pulling into the familiar driveway on Cedar Street in Liberty.  I always smiled while looking at the little robin's egg blue house with its striking white trim and door which always reminded me of frosting.  Home was home, even if you had another home.  A person could have more than one home, but the one in which you grew up in would always be your anchor home.  I seem to be saying home a lot here, I should refrain from saying home for a bit.

I said with a grin, “Home.”  Shut up.

She cocked her head and looked at the house and our little yard surrounded by the little cedar fence.  I could hear Puddles barking in the house, and that just got Calvin excited as his whole body was wagging as he stuck his nose out the back window and started sniffing and snuffling the air.

I rolled my eyes at the silly guy.  “Just a second Cal.  Don't be impatient.”

I unbuckled and then was squeaking as Calvin bounded into the front seat, squishing me as I opened the door.  Jane stifled a laugh and grinned as I mimed falling out the door after him.

The silly boy was bounding around me in excitement, his tail a lethal weapon as it swished violently.  I know he should have been on a leash, but the gate was five feet away, I could be a rebel.  It was exciting.

Jane stepped out of the car and shut the door lightly.  Calvin had to make sure she was still her as he ran and bounded around her too.  What had gotten into him?  He was just being silly.  Jane ruffled his fur, and he came darting back to me as I opened the gate and he shot into the yard.

I exchanged an amused look with the tall woman with the bright sunlight reflecting off her shiny black hair, then I made an ushering motion.  She inclined her head and said primly as she stepped into the yard on the grey cobblestone path, “Why thank you.”

I curtsied, playing along. “My pleasure.”  Then shut the gate behind me, and cycled the latch three times before pushing on it to make sure it was really latched.  I turned and squeaked when I came face to chest with Jane.  I looked up at her, as she regarded me, then the fence.

I swallowed and placed a finger on her breastbone and pushed her back a step so that I could breathe again.  Why couldn't I ever breathe when she was in my personal space?  She looked at the gate one last time, then smirked and turned to the short little path that cut through the freshly mowed lawn to the door.

I tried to kick her in the butt as she moved along mumbling, “Obsessive...”

I ran to catch up with her long-legged stride and squeaked past her to open the door.  Our old Cocker Spaniel, Puddles bounded out, and she and Calvin started the excited circle dance as they greeted each other as only dogs can... getting a good sniff of each other's posteriors.  Eww.

I squatted and gave the old girl a rub of her floppy ears.  Her golden coat was showing silver strands.  She licked my face and went back to introducing herself to the handsome Border Collie in our mix.  I offered, “Jane, Puddles.  Puddles, Jane.”

She smiled and started to open her mouth to ask, but then saw the wet marks on the cobblestones and shut her mouth.  Yes, our poor fuzzy girl peed when she was excited...

I slipped inside, and the dogs almost bowled me over as they darted in past my legs. I called into the house as I nudged my chin to Jane, indicating she should follow, “Moooom, I'm home.  I brought a boy and my new roommate.”

I squinted an eye in mock pain as I heard mom's excited voice approaching from the kitchen. “A boy?  It's not that self-absorbed Rafiel is it?”

Mom popped out into the hall, wearing the little yellow apron I got for her when I was a kid.  She always wore it when she was cooking.  Savory smells permeated the space.  She always had something mouthwatering cooking for my weekly visits.

I whined, “Moooom.”  She knew I had dumped Raife... it was a long and drawn out break up where I wound up in bed with him again before I could finally gather up the courage to step away and just keep stepping.

I blushed at her obviousness and then said as Calvin charged at her, tongue loaded and prepped.  I said as she crouched to receive the bad boy, “No not Raife.  I ummm... well I sort of own a dog now.  This is Calvin.”

Mom was in baby-talk mode as she spoiled the wagging tail with a dog attached.  “Calvin?  Who's a good boy?  You're a good boy!  Yes, you are!”  The hand that wasn't flopping Cal's ears back and forth with her praise was absently caressing Puddles' ears when she joined in the celebration of welcome.  Yup, I'd be cleaning up any puddles she left behind.

Then mom looked up with a big smile before she stood.  The crows feet and smile lines that were getting deeper on her pretty face every year just gave her that much more character, and you could see the beauty she had been and still was for a middle-aged woman.

Her hand was shooting out to Jane, and I quickly said as they shook.  “Mom, my roommate, Detective Jane McLeary.  Jane, this is my mom, Winfred Oleander May.”

Jane was beaming as they shook. “I see where Finnegan gets her name and her killer smile from, ma'am.”  Then her amusement turned to something else, and my cheeks started to burn when mom didn't release her hand.

Instead, she was giving a steely-eyed, well, steel grey gaze, directly in Jane's brown eyes as their grips tightened.  Oh, fluffy lord of the swishing tail, this was mom's boyfriend shake.  She was taking Jane's measure.

For Jane's part, her mild surprise turned into a smug and entertained smile as she didn't let go and their grip tightened.  My mom is... well, my mom has varied hobbies that aren't exactly what one would expect of a suburban mother of two.  One is that she is the Liberty ladies amateur arm wrestling champion, as well as captain of the Rolling Pins bowling team.  Something she hid well under her trendy mom clothing and her Sunday bake sales.

For a slim motherly woman, she had a grip that could cripple a male giraffe.  She used it to take the measure of the two boys I brought home to meet her over my college years and my three years in the city.  All two of them who hadn't run after their first date with me.

I'm glad I never brought Rafiel home.  She would have gelded him for sure.

I pushed past the two as their smiles grew as they measured each other, umm, dangly boy bits.  “When you two are done deciding who's the bigger man, I'll be on the couch with the fuzzy ones,”  I noted that mom, who had always been the tallest woman I knew, was an inch or two shorter than the Detective who looked to be having the time of her life.

I pouted as I flopped into the familiar protection of the overstuffed purple sofa, the two dogs bounding up and curling in quickly on either side of me, laying their heads across my lap so they could sniff each other's ears.  Much more civilized than the animals in the 'whose is bigger' competition at the door.

I whined, feeling like an awkward teen, “Mooom.  I said roommate, not boyfriend.”

They both lost eye contact with each other and let go, mom looking mischievous and... was Jane blushing?  Mom said in her default mothering tone, “I know baby.  Just seeing who it is that has your back in the city.”

Then she patted Jane's arm with smug approval. “You'll do, dear.  Please, have a seat Detective, I just have to set the roast to simmer.”

Jane suddenly looked as awkward as the boys mom did that to, as she headed into the living room saying, “Jane, please ma'am.”

Mom smiled as she motored off toward the kitchen.  “Winnie, then.”

Jane echoed like she was trying the taste and shape of it on her tongue. “Winnie.”

Mom's voice echoed down the hall. “I'll bring out refreshments girls.  Garrett called, he's running a little late and said he'd be here in a few.”  Then after a pause, she added excitedly in a musical tone, “And he's bringing Becky!”  She sang the girl's name drawing it out between syllables.

Mom seemed extremely pleased about the fact that Gar was bringing her.  I had yet to meet the girl, she was always working weekends as a rock climbing instructor whenever I visited.  Did mom know something I didn't?

I stared at the hall to the kitchen and dining room a moment before I turned to Jane who cocked her eyebrow at the living room and rubbed her hand and moved the laundry basket off the recliner beside the couch.  “Your mom has quite the grip.”

I shrugged and smirked, feeling sassy again as I explained, “Liberty Ladies arm wrestling champion six years running.”

Her brows were swallowed by her hairline, and she looked genuinely amused as she looked at the moderately messy living room.  Yes, yes, I get it.  Mom and I are almost polar opposites.  She saw my brow cock in challenge.  Daring her to say one word.  She chuckled instead, saving her from my wrath.

Then I exhaled and let my shoulders slump as I looked at my feet in embarrassment.  Then said from my fuzzy heated cocoon, “Sorry about that.  Mom usually reserves that for the boys I bring home.  Though few and far between.”

She shook her head and then leaned in, draping her arms lazily across her legs, hands dangling over her knees.  “Don't apologize, she's got spunk.”  Then she eyed me crossways, her smirk coming out to play, “And height... what happened?”

I muttered, “Hardy har har,” as I flipped her off.

I felt so awkward just then.  And would have leapt to my feet when mom came trundling out with a tray with, I kid you not, a clear glass pitcher full of lemonade and five glasses.  I shot her a questioning look, and she waved me off after she pushed the newspaper from the coffee table onto the floor and slid the tray in their place.  “I just wanted to make a good impression for Rebecca.”

She seemed pleased.  What in the seven canine lords of Nebula B was going on?  I asked, “Is there something I should know mom?”

She shook her head, shooed Jane from her favorite chair, then flopped down with a smug look when the detective vacated the recliner.  “Nothing dear, my mother sense is just tingling.”

I snapped my fingers, and Calvin looked up and hopped down off the couch, and I nudged my eyes to the vacated spot for Jane.  She grinned and flopped into the overstuffed comfort of my childhood couch, and Calvin hopped up to lay across both our legs to continue the jowl cleaning the two canines had been engaged in.

The scent of lilac and leather overpowered the smell of canine, and I realized I was savoring it and then held my breath, very aware that Jane's leg was pressed against mine and it felt like a furnace between us.

I am not attracted to Jerk Cop.  I like boys.  She likes girls.

God, she smells good.

Just what the hell was wrong with me?

Mom was giving us crossways look as she asked, “Lemonade girls?”

Jane nodded as mom started pouring. “Yes please, Winnie.”

I just grumped out, “You never make lemonade when I come home, mom.”

She replied with a cagey, “You've never brought home someone I've approved of dear.”  Then she added to Jane, “Present company excluded, of course, hon.”

I stood quickly rearranging the dogs on the sofa behind me as she handed a glass to Jane.  I started tidying up.  Mom paused and watched me a moment then asked, “Fin, what are you doing?  Sit down, relax.”  She placed my glass on the coffee table in front of my vacated spot... without a coaster!  As I gathered and neatly folded the newspaper and headed toward the basket of unfolded laundry.

The ebony haired detective explained like my mom already didn't know, “She organizes when she's nervous.”

Mom supplied, “Always has.”

I complained, “Ladies – I'm right here you know.”  Then huffed when they exchanged amused looks.  “If Rebecca warrants lemonade, the least you could do is clean up the mess a bit, mom.”

Jane started to say something, but mom waived her off. “Let her be. It helps her center herself.”

I growled out as I started folding shirts, “Still right here.  You two can see me can't you?”

Hey, these are Garrett's things, he still has mom doing his laundry?  Lazy!

Jane pointed out, “She's the same at the apartment.”

They were obviously going to talk about me like I wasn't here.  Fine.  I glanced around and found the coasters I bought for mom after I graduated high school.  I just pushed through their ongoing conversation and put our three glasses on coasters then went back to folding clothes.  Seriously, the place wasn't a pigsty, but it was a bit of a mess.  How am I even related to my mom?

I hid a grin.  I really was relieved the two women got along.  It was important to me for some reason.  I always felt a sort of relief when the strongest woman I knew approved of parts of my life.  She and Gar always encouraged me, and I didn't want to let them down.  I caught a quick glance and smile from my roommate that set me at ease.

I tried to tune them out as Jane copped on her, asking a zillion questions about mom, me, and Gar.  Segueing into mom's interesting and diverse hobbies.  Just as I finished dusting the mantle, the dogs hopped off the couch where they had Jane pinned, and they rushed into the entry hall.

I almost squeed and ran to the door myself when I heard my brother's deep, manly voice calling out as the door opened.  “Knock knock.”  Followed quickly by, “And who is this?  Hello boy.”

Then his chuckle as he said, “Come on guys, leave Bek alone.”  A moment later he poked his head around the corner, giving me a smile under that shaggy curly mop of hair that matched mom's and my color.  “Hey, sis.”  Then he hesitated when his eyes went over Jane, then his brow furrowed, but he lit up when he said, “Hi mom.”

I waved at my brother as I hid the duster behind my back.  He was always on my case to stop cleaning mom's place on my visits and kick up my shoes and just enjoy family.  I could hear it now, “She's a grown woman, Flea.  And what you view as a mess, the rest of us humans view as a comfortable lived in atmosphere.”

He moved into the room, dragging an embarrassed looking, extremely fit brunette woman with a cute pageboy cut, by the hand into the room.  I told myself as I grinned widely, well, of course, she's fit, Finnegan, she's a rock climbing instructor.  She made me feel like I was wearing a potato sack compared to the sporty and form fitting outfit she wore that showed off her physique.

He explained as mom got up and motored to him with restrained excitement, “Sorry we're late, we had to come straight from the gym, Bek's session ran long.”  Ah, that explained the outfit that showed off the woman's body like it was a sculpture displayed in the Louvre.  I absently crossed my arms over my chest, feeling physically inadequate.

Gar engulfed mom in a big bear hug, lifting her off the ground and swinging her side to side.  Then placing her down so she could give Rebecca a silly side to side hug, making the woman grin and blush.

Jane stood, straightening her blouse.

Gar looked over at me. “Flea, this is... my fiance, Rebecca DeLacroix.”

Mom squeed.  No really, she actually squeed at the word 'fiance' as she held her arms open to get another hug from the now thoroughly blushing statuesque woman.  The commotion causing the dogs to bound around them in tail wagging excitement.

As they hugged, the woman smiled widely at me as Garrett supplied unnecessarily as I blinked in happy shock, “Becky, this is my twin sister, the incomparable Finnegan Temperance May, dog walker extraordinaire.”  It was my turn to blush.  He always made my job sound so glamorous.

My brother's bride to be extracted herself from mom's silly hug and took a step toward me.  I stepped forward and brought my hand from behind my back to shake her offered hand.  I blushed at the duster in my hand and quickly set it on the coffee table and then wiped my hand on my hip then offered it to her.

She bypassed the hand and bent down a little to pull me into an enthusiastic hug. “It is so good to finally meet you Fin.  Gar raves about you, he said you were pretty, but wow, his description didn't do you justice.”

Ok, my cheeks were on fire, and I had the urge to escape to the garage and start organizing the boxes in there.  Then to my eternal embarrassment she released me with a cheek dimpling grin and said, “I didn't expect you to be so – compact, what with being Gar's twin and all.”

I looked away, ready to die of embarrassment.  I explained, “Garrett got all mom's height and looks.”

He was born first, thirteen minutes before me, so he always says that since he's technically older, that makes him my big brother, so mom had to put a little more building material into him to protect me.  He calls my short stature, concentrated awesome.  God, I love my brother, he's never seen any of my many flaws.

The woman cocked an eyebrow at me like I had said something wrong.  Ironically it matched the look on Jane's face.

Oh crap!  Jane!

I moved to her side, realizing I was in a room full of giants, and said, “Rebecca, Garrett, this is my new roommate, Detective Jane McLeary of the New York Police.  Jane, my brother Gar, and his fiance Becky.”

Jane grinned at me, her eyes full of mischief. “I caught that, Fin.”

I gave her a sour look but then had to grin at her familiar smirk.

She shook Gar's hand firmly, then Rebecca's just as firmly.  I could tell she was evaluating both of them with her cop need to classify and file them into specific categories.  She saw Becky was no shrinking violet, so she didn't see the need to treat her with kid's gloves like she did me.  I could tell Becky appreciated her not giving her a wimpy girl shake.

I found myself liking and approving of my brother's choice.  Well, if she were worth her salt, then it was actually her choice, and he hadn't stood a chance.  The realization hit me, and I started getting more excited.  Someone had finally won Gar's heart, and he was going to have his own family now!  God, I felt the need to organize something, this was such exciting news.

I looked at the dogs just having a blast in the positive energy of the room, their tails threatening to go supersonic.  Gar crouched to scrub both their ears and I said with pride in my voice, “And that handsome boy there is... is my dog, Calvin.”

Gar's smile doubled as she glanced from me to Cal.  “You finally took the leap.  I'm proud of you sis.  You love animals to the exclusion of all else, and it was sort of sad you didn't have a dog of your own.”

Well, it was by happenstance and not design, but it really did make me so very happy.

Rebecca asked Jane, “How did you two meet?”

I blurted out, “The jerk arrested me when Calvin's mom was murdered.”

It was like a needle was dragged across a record as all eyes went to Jane and me.  Oops.  I guess I should have called.  But I knew mom would fret and tell me the big city was too dangerous and I should come back home.

Jane chuckled. “Hey now brat, you were never arrested.  I just brought to the station to answer some questions.”

I hooked a thumb toward her and said as I nodded, “Mean.”

Mom was not amused as she stepped over grabbed my hands and pulled me to the couch.  “What's this about a murder?  I told you that...”

I whined, “Moooom... this is why I didn't tell you.  I'm fine.  I got a police detective living with me now so I couldn't be safer.”  She didn't need to know that I technically hadn't at the time of the murder.

I shot a look at Gar whose lips were pursed as he looked at me with concern, and I nudged my eyes to mom.  In our well-orchestrated diversionary technique we had perfected over the years, he said as he ushered his girl into mom's recliner, “We can talk about all that after we eat.  Is that lemonade?”

Mom shot us both dubious looks then smiled at Becky. “Would you like some?”

The brunette looked endlessly amused as she said, “That would be delightful, Winnie.”

Mom dropped her suspicious and accusing gaze between Gar and I and smiled at the rock climber. “You can call me mom now if you like Becky, we're going to be family after all.”

This was going to be a loooong day.

Chapter 9 – Evidence

We had an early supper, halfway between lunch and dinner... linner, lunner?  Where we had heard all about Garrett's clumsy proposal on the climbing wall, and they shared with Jane and me how they met.  Then Gar shared why he calls me Flea when Jane had asked.  “Because she's always been so small.”  This seemed to amuse the detective to no end.  See if I label her dresser drawers for her now.

Then everyone moved into the living room while I attacked the dirty dishes.  I loved making things clean.

Mom stepped back in. “Hurry up sweetie.  It's time for dessert.”  She pulled the clear plastic wrap off a freshly baked apple pie and smiled at me as I put away some pots and pans I had washed and dried.

I nodded.  “Just about done here mom.”

She looked at the pie and the hall and then said almost cagily, “Jane seems to be a nice, well put together girl.”

I smirked. “She's annoying, sarcastic, overbearing, and a little too smug.  But I guess she's ok.”

Mom kept her eyes on me as she smiled and cut the pie like a seasoned professional without really looking.  What?  She was doing some sort of cryptic mom thing again.  I shrugged. “She's nice I guess.”

Her smile grew to a smirk and then she looked at the pie as I moved over to the cupboard and handed her some pie plates from it.  At least she kept my organization in the kitchen since I moved out.  I grinned at that fact.

I turned back to the sink and squeaked, Jane had somehow snuck into the kitchen with the empty pitcher and glasses and set them by the sink in my distraction, and I found myself face to chest with her again.  The lilac and leather should have been an early warning for me.  I heated up and took a step back to look up at her smirking face.

I chastised as my heart thudded, “Why do you have to go sneaking around like that and getting in my personal space like that?”

Mom pointed out, “She didn't sneak, sweetie, she walked in plain as day, and it was you who stepped into her personal space.”  Why was mom so amused?

Jerk Cop was just as amused when she thumbed over toward mom. “What she said.”

Then I froze when she reached out and pushed a lock of my lazy curls back over my shoulder.  I wasn't breathing when a thrill went down my spine, and she was gone, heading back into the living room.  Good god it was hot in there, had mom left the oven on?

I finally exhaled, feeling mom's eyes on me and I turned back to the sink to wash the pitcher and glasses as I chanted in my mind, “Leave it be, mom.”  I don't know what I would say since I didn't understand my own reactions, so how could I explain it to her.

I asked as a diversion, “So, what do you think of my Calvin?”

After a second, mom replied with a smile in her tone, “He's adorable, Fin.  Gar is right, it is about time you got a companion.”  Then she added off topic, “She seems very protective of you.”

“Mooom!”  She was acting like she did whenever I brought a boy home.

She seemed pleased that she could ruffle my tail feathers, so I didn't give her the satisfaction as I just silently washed the last of the dishes while she prepared slices of pie.

She grinned at me as I folded the towel neatly and hung it on its hook.  I grinned at my old faded 'dish towel' label on the tile wall behind it.  “Why don't you bring these out, sweetie, and I'll rustle up some ice cream.”

I nodded and brought the tray over and put the plates of pie on it and headed down the hall.  Just before reaching the living room, I froze when I heard Jane asking, “I was wondering what the story with Finnegan and her sun dresses is?  It's adorable, but I get the feeling there is more to it than that.”

Oh god no...

Garrett sounded a little strained as he said with that tinge of anger in his voice whenever he wanted to talk to me about it, but I never let him.  “I know we're twins and all, but I'm her big brother, thirteen minutes older.  She always looked up to me for some reason even though she's the strong one.  She always followed my friends and me around and liked to dress like me.”

He chuckled. “It was about when puberty was hitting her hard, before the other girls in the neighborhood.  She was developing faster than the others, and as kids do, their jealousy brought out the worst in them.  They started calling her Fin-dyke-again and teasing that she wanted to be a boy.”

I closed my eyes hard and steeled myself against the memories.  I never wanted to be a boy, I just admired how strong Gar had been.  By that time he was so much bigger than me, only our eyes and hair connected us as being related.

He continued, “It got worse in high school, and she insisted on wearing dresses all the time to prove she was a girl and didn't want to be a boy.  And that old nickname had followed her, and the girls were so terrible to her because she had turned into such a pretty girl who happened to have a couple little quirks.”

His voice changed, I had never heard him telling people this before.  His voice was softer then.  “But she was so strong, never telling mom because she didn't want her upset.  She wouldn't let me.  She's the strongest person I know.  You should have seen her when the bullies ganged up on her.  She would just stand there, stock still, a hand out to stop them with her eyes closed, and she just took all the hate, she never said a word, just stood strong until I could get there to chase them off.”

Jane surprised me with her soft reply, “I've seen that.”

God, she must think I'm some sort of mental loser now.  The dogs saw me and hopped up and started toward me so I started walking, drawing their attention, pretending I hadn't heard.  I put a practiced smile on my face and forced a chipper and even tone, “Who wants pie?  Mom's bringing the ice cream.”

Then I looked around at the guilty looking faces and asked, “So what's the topic of conversation?”

Garrett looked relieved and deflected, he never really lied, “Just about school.  You get mom all straightened up in there?”

I nodded, happy to pretend nothing happened as I slid the tray onto the coffee table.  I froze again as Jane leaned over me, her head beside mine and her hair tickling my shoulders as I tried hard not to close my eyes at her scent as it enveloped me.  She said, “Ooo apple.”  And Jane grabbed a plate then she was gone, sitting back on the sofa.  My legs were a little wobbly, so I just stood there, my hands still on either side of the tray on the table until I remembered to breathe.

Gar hopped up from the love seat where he had been sitting with his arm around his girl.   He winked at me and grabbed two plates and sat back down with Becky, who was just studying me.  Why did she look embarrassed?  I was the dweeb in school.

I stood then smoothed my skirt down to regain my composure and retrieved a plate for myself and then looked at Jane.  She grinned with the fork in her pie hole.  The dogs had hopped up and curled around each other on the other end of the couch, and the only seats available were mom's recliner and right next to the police officer who confused me so much.

I knew better than to sit in mom's chair, so I sat beside her.  She took another bite, closed her eyes and moaned.  It was an almost sexual sound that again had me questioning things about myself.  Mom said from behind us as she moved in with a smaller tray with little cups containing scoops of vanilla ice cream.  “Glad you like it.”

Jane pulled the fork from her mouth and said with a mouth full of apple pie, “Marry me, Winnie.”

I squeaked out, “Jane!”

Mom winked, shrugged, and said as she took a small bite of ice cream, “I could do worse.”

“Mooom!”

Gar was chuckling with his low rumble, and Becky was grinning from ear to ear.  Fine.  I started smiling at the banter and found I was leaning into Jane as I started eating my pie.  She didn't seem to mind.  What was I doing?

Just then, said detective's cell started ringing.  She leaned forward and set her plate on the coffee table, and the pulled out her phone and looked at the screen.  She looked around and squinted in apology as she held the cell up.  “Sorry, I have to take this.  It's the crime lab.”  She stood and moved down the hall as she answered, “McLeary, speak to me.”

Part of me missed the contact.

We all exchanged glances and then strained to make out what she was saying as she spoke in a low tone.  I couldn't make any of it out.  I don't think the two wagging tails, who had adopted her, and ran down the hall with, were going to be of any help.

Her voice raised as she ended the call and started back toward us. “Ok, give me two hours.”  Then she looked up to see all eyes on her, and she froze and gave a sheepish smile.  Then she wobbled her phone in the air before pocketing it.  “Sorry, the crime techs have some results.  I have to go in.”

We all nodded in unison.  She was keeping the public safe from murderers, of course we understood.  She looked at mom who was standing.  “I'm sorry Mrs. May.  The meal and conversation were wonderful.  I can't remember the last time I just sat down to relax.”

Mom was in motion. “Not a problem, dear.  Let me get you some pie for later.”  Before Jane could protest, she was off like a shot as Garrett and Becky stood.

Jane squinted an eye in painful apology at me. “Sorry, I know you were looking forward to visiting your family longer, Fin.”

Gar offered, “I can drive her home.  It's no problem.  Becky has a question for her anyway.”

I stood there in amused silence as they determined my fate for the night, it was humorous really.  “Hello, I'm right here.”

Jane looked at me with that aggravating smirk of hers. “Hush now, the adults are talking.”

Grr... I slugged her arm, and the dogs barked merrily as she feigned pain.  That's right woman, take that imaginary charlie horse and like it!  I smiled.

Mom came trundling out of the kitchen with two huge slices of pie on a paper plate covered with plastic wrap.  “Here you are Jane.”  Mom handed her the pie then opened her arms.  The unflappable Miss McLeary actually blushed and gave mom a one-armed hug.

Then shook the offered hands of my brother and his girl.  Gar said, “It was a pleasure, Jane.”  Becky echoed the sentiment.

Then the tall ebony haired woman looked down at me.  I said as I took the pie from her, grumpy that mom only gave me one piece whenever I left, “I'll walk you to the car.”

Jane quipped as we all followed her to the door, “A dog walker walking me to the car?  Are you saying that I'm a bitch?”

I giggled. “Your words, not mine.”

She looked amused and feigned hurt.  Then she gave a little wave to the others as she stepped out with me.

The door closed behind us, and I walked her to the gate with the dogs as she said flatly, “The blood tests came back, it was Abigail's.  You and Calvin found the evidence we needed.  The only thing still missing is the murder weapon.  Whatever it was that left those odd cuts on her.”

I nodded, I already knew the blood was Miss Reeves'.  I trusted Calvin, and he had gone crazy at those dumpsters.

I handed her the pie as she went out the gate, and I stayed on the other side with the fuzzy minions.  I stepped closer to the gate, and she moved in front of me, that familiar position we kept finding ourselves in – close but having a barrier between us.  I found a pang of worry in my gut and just said quickly, “Be careful.”  I leaned up quickly and kissed her cheek then I turned and hustled back toward the door.

She called out as she got in the SUV, “I really like your family, Finnegan.”

I opened the door and turned to see her waiting for me to look back.  I held the door edge with both hands and shot her my best smile as I assured her, “Me too!”

Then she wiggled her eyebrows. “Your brother is easy on the eyes, I think my ovaries may have sighed.”

I blinked at that and said in distraction, “I... thought you were...”

She rolled her eyes playfully and interjected, “I am, but everyone is a little bi around the edges, I can appreciate a pretty man.”

Oh.

Her smug grin disappeared into the car, and I shut the door behind me, leaving the kids out to do their thing, I'd police the yard before I left.

I thought about her words, and with the way I had been feeling around her lately, I think there was a grain of truth there.  I turned, and my smile vanished as I came face to face with three inquisitive looks.

I pushed past them, windmilling my arms and patty-caking the air to get past them.  To their collective chuckle, I grumped out, “What?”  Fine, maybe I didn't like my family as much as I had a moment before.

Chapter 10 – In The Wind

On the way home later that night, I found out to my terror, what it was Becky wanted to ask me.  Gar was grinning like a loon as the blood ran from my face when Rebecca asked, “Finnegan, it would mean the world to Garrett and me if you would be one of my bridesmaids at the wedding.”

Bridesmaid?  In front of a room full of people?  Was the woman disconnected from reality in some way?  I started petting Calvin in short robotic strokes.  Gar looked ready to say something as I just stared at Becky, my eyes wide, but she prompted with a mischievous smile, “I promise the dresses will be gorgeous, no lime green or fuchsia.”

Ooo a dress.  I swallowed.  I could get behind that if the dresses were pretty.  I mean, how often did you get to go out in a formal dress?  Let me rephrase that, how often did 'I' get to go out in a formal dress?

I must have been smiling because Gar teased, “Ooo nice one Bek, right on target.”

I nodded slowly, realizing I might have been rubbing poor Calvin's fur off and settled my hand to scritch his back.  “I could do that... I mean, I'd love to.  The stupid boy hasn't stopped smiling since you two walked into mom's.”

She prompted with a wry grin, “Well you know how they are, always thinking with their...”  She wiggled her brows.

I nodded.  “Don't I know it.  There was this one time Raife...”

Garrett broke in and said, “Ok, I don't need to be hearing my fiance and sister talking about that stuff!”  I pushed on to torture him, but he started yelling, “La la la, I can't hear you!”

Becky and I laughed at his discomfort, and I realized I was having a genuinely good time after a mini panic attack at the thought of standing up in front of a room full of people.  I really think my brother did good, I liked Rebecca.  I just wish I had the chance to meet her before this.  That was the one drawback to living so far from home; missing out on current events.

And the woman worked almost every weekend since that's when most of the rock climbing enthusiasts hit the walls at the gym she worked at.  So my weekly visits always consisted of me, mom, and Gar.

My eyes drifted from where I sat in the back seat to the console between the front seats.  They were holding hands, their fingers laced and that made me so happy.  I've seen my brother when he thought he was in love before, but he had never been like this.  A grown twenty five-year-old man acting like a smitten teen.  I was sure this was the real thing, and it made me just want to run around super fast in tiny circles for him.

Maybe one day I'll get that silly smitten look on my face for someone.

Gar kept looking into the mirror at me, it was his, 'Mom is going to kill me, save me Fin,' guilt face.  We twins have our own secret language.  I cocked an eyebrow in the awkward silence and just asked, “What did you do now Gar?”

I jumped at the explosive chirp of laughter from Becky, then grinned at her when she looked back with a huge smile.  She looked at her man. “She's got you pegged, love.”

He sighed in resignation and drawled out, “Well, it isn't what I did... yet.”

Yet?  Oh boy, what was he planning now?

Before I could drag it out of him, he asked almost offhandedly, “You really love the big city?”

I nodded, cocking an eyebrow at him in suspicion over the segue, then answered carefully, “You know I do.”

Then he prompted, “Is it really all you say?  Whenever I visit, it seems so crowded, so hectic.  So – not you.”

I shrugged.  “I don't know how to explain the feeling of being a part of something that is so alive, so organic and ever-changing.  You can be lost in the anonymity if you want and just let the world and sea of people flow around you like you're a rock in a stream as you watch the impossibility of it all around you.  Or you can let go of your mooring whenever you want to sail on that same current, and be seen, and contribute to that life happening all about you.  It makes you feel... bigger than yourself, just being part of it.  If you know what you are doing, you can find a certain peace and tranquility in that chaos.  I don't know.  Sounds stupid.”

Becky was smiling like she was a million miles away as she said, “No it doesn't sound stupid.  It sounds amazing.  Most people would be talking about the physicality of it.  The buildings, the cars.  The restaurants and parks.  You talk about the experience of it instead.  That tells us more what we needed to know than the other, superficial stuff.”

She looked at Gar and me, then my brother blurted, “Bek got a job offer in Manhattan, managing an elite indoor climbing gym.  We're going to be moving to the city after the wedding in three months.”

He had that 'help me' look on his face again as I processed what he just said.  My brother...  moving to New York City?  My smile was growing, then I sobered quickly when I realized his dilemma and the reason for 'the look.'  I blurted, “By the swishing tail and lolling tongue!  You haven't told mom yet!”

Becky started a low chuckle that was half amused giggle half laugh as Gar shared a sheepish shrug with me in the mirror.  “She's got your number, babe.”

He shot her a cute chastising look, then admitted, “We were going to tell her tonight when we announced our engagement.  We sort of hoped you'd tell mom why you loved the city so much, to soften the blow.  Remember how she freaked out when you moved away?”

I nodded, thinking about the hours and hours of arguments I had with mom, and Garrett too, about me moving to Manhattan.  I knew if I didn't, I would be stuck in Liberty, never moving forward... stagnant because of my fear of everything.

I finally convinced them it was something I had to at least try or I'd never be able to live with myself otherwise.  It was the scariest and most exciting thing I had ever done.  It was – bold... a term that would never have been applied to me, and never would if I had stayed.

I exhaled and shared what I told myself three years ago, “Staying is easy, it's striking out to find yourself that's hard.”

I know they had expected me to come running back, screaming at the top of my lungs in a few weeks.  They had never expected me to actually find myself.

The car was quiet a moment, and Calvin whined.  I started petting him again, and Becky looked at my brother.  “I really like your sister.”

I blushed as he nodded.  “Me too.  She's the strongest person I know.”

I wanted the attention off of me, so I supplied, “Fine, next weekend I'll hold your widdle hand when you tell mom.”  He was nothing but a cheesy grin at that.  So I added, “Wimp,” to Becky's explosive laugh again.

Then I offered, “If you need help organizing for your move...”  Which got Garrett laughing too.  Typical.

Jane wasn't home when we arrived just after ten.  They just dropped me at the door, declining my offer to come up.  It would be around midnight by the time they got home as it was.  I waved as they drove off, then looked at the apartment, then at Cal.  “Let's get a quick walk in or you'll be crossing your legs by morning.”

He just looked up at me with his doggy eyes.  I know the only thing he caught of that was 'walk', and I smiled down at him and started toward the park.  What?  Walking through Manhattan and Central Park in the dark?  No, I'm not crazy.

It isn't like it was in the 90's, Central Park is one of the safest places to be at night now.  The paths are lit brightly, and there are extra mounted and foot patrols, not to mention all of us out in the park at night sort of have each other's backs.  And muggers and rapists as a general rule don't go after someone with a dog.  Especially dogs as big as Calvin or bigger.

On a typical night like this, when I was first starting out and taking night walks since I wasn't at elite status yet, I'd cross paths with about twenty or more pet owners or other dog walkers getting the last walk of the night in.

It sort of brought back memories of a couple of years ago for me as Calvin and I crossed over into the park.  It is like a whole secret society, those of us with fuzzy friends.  An unspoken kinship and camaraderie.  With acknowledging head bobs and friendly smiles.  Then the occasional meet and greet where we allow the dogs to introduce each other as we usually just silently stood to enjoy the night as they did their sniffing, before exchanging nods and smiles again and continuing on our way.

We had a few encounters like that as we saw some familiar faces and some not so familiar, then we headed home.  Once we were in and I locked the door a few times, I saw that Jane hadn't been home yet, so she must have driven straight to the 19th street station.  Who knew how late she'd be.  I bet she'll be hungry.

As Calvin yawned and headed to the couch, I settled in and prepared an easy meal for Jane that she could nuke in the microwave when she got home.  I labeled it neatly with instructions, then yawned myself.  What an awesome day this had turned out to be.

I lazily scratched my left butt cheek and headed to my bedroom... shut up, you do it too, and you know it.  I mumbled, “Come on Calvin, bedtime.”

You didn't have to tell him twice.  He was already lying on the bed by the time I was in my cat pajamas.  I slid under the covers, pushing my feet under my dog for his industrial-strength toasty warmth on my toes.

I had a dog.

***

The next morning, we woke up to find Jane had been here sometime during the night.  The food was gone, and a sticky note was in its place.  It read, “Thanks for dinner, I forgot to eat.  You're the best Fin.  Just a few leads to run down, back early P.M.”

I smiled, it was considerate of her to leave the note.  I liked that she hand wrote it instead of just texting or emailing me.  That reminded me, I had a letter from mom to read.

I prepared breakfast, then kicked back on the couch with my boy to eat as I read my mom's letter.  I had to smile, it was just the normal stuff that goes on day to day that you would normally text or email about, but like mom said, you can feel the emotion and love in a handwritten letter.  It seemed so much more personal.  I glanced back at the kitchen and smiled.

Then I giggled at how flowery her writing got when she shared that she thought Garrett was close to popping the question.  Yup, she had known, that mom sense that is always tingling for her.  Again, I wish I had been around to see the budding romance.  All I got was the past few Saturdays at moms listening to Garrett go on and on about Rebecca.

I took a bite of bagel then looked up from the letter at a knock at the door.  Calvin was off to it like a shot, his tail wagging.  I licked the cream cheese off my fingers and stood, making my way there.  Had Jane forgotten her keys?

I unlocked the door and opened it then froze, it was Jessie.  Her smile faded to be replaced with slight disappointment and curiosity as she looked above my head into the apartment.  “Hi, Finnegan was it?  Is Jane around?  I was just in the neighborhood as wanted to see if she wanted to talk over coffee at the diner next door.”

I pulled the door open the rest of the way, and she stepped in as I said, “No, she was gone when I woke up.  She left a note saying she had some leads to follow.”

Calvin, unaware of the odd jealousy I couldn't explain inside me, was excitedly wiggling at her feet and she smiled at him and crouched to give him some good ear lovin'.  She was so pretty and dressed immaculately.  Oh lord, I still had bed head, Sunday was my lazy day.

She just nodded up at me, a shadow which looked like it had a permanent place showed in her eyes to belie her smile, “Yeah, she does that.  A lot.  That's the main reason things didn't work out for us.  I can't take the anxiety not knowing if today would be the day she didn't come home.”

By the fluffy foot feathers of the canine savior, now she had me thinking about it.

Then she blanched when she looked at me and quickly said, “I'm sorry.  I don't know why I said that.  I should really just go.”

I shook my head.  I thought she was so mean when we first met, then she was nice when I was in distress.  Now she was just being sweet.  I didn't know if I was supposed to like her or not since she was Jane's ex.  Aren't exes supposed to be like mean and vindictive?  Like Raife?

I offered, “I could call her if you want Jessie.  Would you like breakfast while I do?  I have bagels.”

She quickly held up a hand.  “No no, don't call.  You're sweet.  But I really don't know why I came.  I just guess I don't know how to be alone...”  She paused, “...aaaand I don't know why I'm telling you.”  She gave a sheepish smile, and I was starting to see what Jane saw in her.

I shrugged and said from experience, “Breakups are hard.  First, you're two, then you're one, living alone with a dog.”  I pointed at Calvin who gave a huff and a doggy grin.

The woman gave a genuinely amused smile and chuckled.  “Maybe I need a dog.  Thanks, Finnegan.  I should be going.  Tell Jane I dropped by?”

Then her eyes widened in panic. “Or better yet don't, I don't want to seem pathetic.”

I feigned innocence. “Jessie who?”

This got another chuckle, and she said as she inclined her head in thanks. “I judged you all wrong at first.  You're ok.  I can see why Jane likes you.”

I blushed and found myself weakly defending, “She's just my roommate.”

She whispered with a wink, “Keep telling yourself that short stuff.”  Then she stepped back out the door, and I snapped to call Calvin back to me when he tried to follow, and he sat on my left.  “See you around.”

Why was I so embarrassed?  I gave her a squeaky, “Ok, see you around Jessie.”  I shut the door and looked at Calvin.  “What was that all about.”

Then added in a sadder tone, “She seems lost.”  I knew lost.

I went to get ready for the day and cleaned up my mess in the living room, then kicked back for a lazy day with Calvin.  Discussing ideas for new paint on the two walls in the living room that wern't brick.  He was no help at all.

By the time dinner rolled around, I had about given up on Jane joining us when I heard the keys rattling in the lock as I stepped into the kitchen.  My smile bloomed as a tired looking badass in her light leather jacket stepped in, Calvin about turning himself inside out at her feet.

She smiled tiredly at him, scrubbed his ears, and took her boots off as she said, “Hi boy.”  She looked my way as she stood and slid her boots against the wall with a toe as she took off her jacket to hang on the peg. “Oh, Luuuucy, I'm home.”

I blinked at her.  I'm sure it was some sort of movie quote or pop reference I didn't get.  I asked as she came to join me, “Who's Lucy?”

She sighed heavily. “You're kidding, right?  Don't tell me you've never seen I Love Lucy.”

I rolled my eyes at her and prompted as I turned to get supplies for dinner out of the fridge, “Not all of us are into that Star Wars thing with the Klingons and Cylons and junk.”

Then I froze when her body heat was on my back as she stretched over me to put her gun in the upper cupboard above the fridge.  When she stepped away, I started breathing again, taking in her scent which seemed to calm and relax me, she said in an affronted tone, “There are just so many things wrong with what you just said.”

I turned with the bounty I had pulled from the refrigerator as she explained, “One, Star Wars is not a thing, it is an entire SciFi fantasy of epic proportions.  Well, all except the prequel movies.  And I think you mixed up like three distinct universes there.  But most importantly, we have to introduce you to comedy goddess that is Lucille Ball... it is almost sacrilege to confuse her with anything SciFi.”

Ok, why did all her babbling just make me feel five degrees of embarrassed?  I grumped out at the Jerk Cop, “You want dinner or not?”

Her smirk faltered a bit, and her tone softened as she said, “You don't have to keep feeding me like this, you're spoiling me.”  She opened a cupboard to grab out two coffee mugs and paused, and the humor returned to her voice as she added, “And who labels their spice rack, 'spice rack'?”  Her chuckle would have been almost cute if it hadn't been teasing me.

I muttered, “Dog food it is.”

She grinned and started a pot of coffee and turned to the cabinets as I started chopping tomatoes and peppers.  I cocked an eyebrow at her as she pulled out Cal's food and filled his dish and returning the bag.  That was considerate of her.

Then she tilted her head at me as I opened a can of kidney beans and black beans.  I explained, “I like cooking, it is relaxing and... and I'm good at it.”

She nodded as she expertly pulled the pot from the coffeemaker, and slid her cup to fill with barely a drop sizzling on the hotplate below.  Must be a cop thing.  “You are.  Your mom teach you?”

I nodded and smiled at the memories.  “I spent many an hour in the kitchen with her.”  I set the small stock pot on the big burner and turned it on, then I put some water into it then started dumping ingredients in.

She watched me, fascinated as I went to my spice rack – labeled thank you very much – and started adding spices.  I said, “Chili.”

She nodded, well I guess it was obvious.  She prompted, “Memorized the recipe?”

I shook my head. “No, mom doesn't use any recipes, you just sort of get a feel for it.”

She looked surprised and then swapped her cup for the coffee pot again and took a sip, looking over the rim of her cup.  Her eyes were the same rich brown as the coffee she was drinking, the steam playing with her lashes as it rose to dissipate to nothing.

She set her cup down and started to reach for a mixing spoon, and I snatched it before she could and slapped her fingers with it and pointed to the living room to get her out of my way.

She shook her head, looking amused then took her coffee, heading toward the living room as Calvin chomped happily on his food.  “That's an awful lot for two people.”

I smiled and explained as I pulled out some beef to brown, “Chili keeps and freezes well.  It's great for lunches and other meals.  If you don't have time to cook, you can pull a portion from the freezer and nuke it quickly in the microwave.”

She snorted. “You're not going to Suzy Homemaker out on me are you?”

I growled.  She was amused.  I sighed.  No winning with her.  I changed the topic. “Any luck on the case.”

She turned the TV on with the remote as she flopped on the sofa. “You know, I'm still not supposed to be talking about an ongoing case with you.  But as some of it is already all over the news, then yes and no.”

She sank into the sofa, looking exhausted as she said, “After checking with Abigail's insurance company, it seems that some of her jewelry besides the Princess Anne collection on loan from Valentine's is missing.  She had a few pieces of her own that were appraised at over one and a half million.  They weren't in her jewelry chest, but none of the other jewelry was missing.  We think the murderer left them to make it to look like nothing was missing.”

I looked over as I dropped a couple pinches of black pepper into the pot then started browning the beef in a skillet.  I scrunched up my face in confusion.  “Why?  They had stolen the Princess Anne collection, and if Abigail hadn't come home early and surprised them, she would have found it missing when she got home.”

She responded in the affirmative, “People don't always think when they panic.  We followed up on the key card after Flannery, and some uniforms seemed to be getting nowhere interviewing the employees of McKnight Catering, and Tanya McKnight was in the wind.”

I blinked at that.  Tanya McKnight?  Why would she be running?  She was the most successful caterer for the rich and famous in the city.  Robbery?  Murder?  It didn't make sense.  She was so glamorous and famous in her own right.

I think Jane took my confused silence as an invitation to continue.  She said in a more hushed tone, “What the press doesn't know is that after she skipped out, I did a little research and found two similar cases spanning sixteen years.  The first, sixteen years ago in Boston.  After a socialite party, the then Mayor of Boston found that their rooms had been robbed.  Over eight million dollars worth of jewels came up missing.”

She muted the news and turned in her seat as I used the spatula to scrape the meat into the stock pot then started stirring.  “The person of interest was a Tanya Porter, a server working for the caterer for the party.  She was never located.”

I saw where this was going and it was still unbelievable that someone, as refined as Tanya McKnight, could do that, let alone murder.

“Then ten years ago, in Denver, the Princess of Monaco had a necklace valued at over three million vanish while attending a party in her honor at a senator's mansion where she and her entourage were staying.  There were no signs of forced entry, so it was thought to be an inside job.”

She chuckled. “The catering company for the party was being looked at, and one of their servers had gone missing.  A Tammy Porter.  They connected the two robberies and the press a decade ago had taken to calling them the Socialite Cat Robberies.”

Then she put a bow on the whole thing nicely as I joined her on the couch with my coffee.  “I searched all the records and can't find anything about Tanya McKnight prior to ten years ago.  When she showed up in New York and started an elite catering company with cash.”

I whispered, “Tanya McKnight is Tanya Porter, the Socialite Cat?”

Then I furrowed my brow and squinted one eye. “But she's so successful, not hurting for money, why throw all that away now and steal again?”

The look of profound sadness and resignation on Jane's face told the whole story before she offered, “Criminals do a thing for one of three reasons, for power, for money, or for the thrill of it.  It is like an addiction, that's why there are so few reformed criminals out there.”

I murmured, “She didn't need money nor power.”

She finished for me, “That leaves the thrill.  It may have started out sixteen years ago for money, but we believe the Princess Anne collection was too much of a temptation, she wanted to feel that thrill again of stealing it and getting away with it once again.”

I whispered, “But Abigail came home early...”

She nodded and repeated, “But Abigail Reeves came home early.  I don't think it was ever her intent to kill anyone, it was just a robbery gone wrong.”

I shook my head.  “This whole thing is just so sad, and so unnecessary.”  Calvin jumped up on the couch on my other side and curled in.

She said in a tone that tried to hide the pain and futility of it, “Welcome to my world.”  Then she went all cop on me.  “We believe she brought baking supplies to stock up for the party as her cover, at a time she knew Abigail wouldn't be home.  Using the staff stairs where she knew there weren't any cameras.”  She left it at that then she shrugged.

I nodded.  The flour.

I started petting poor Calvin.  He was alone because of something so pointless had occurred.  His mom just came home for her notes on the script.  No, he isn't alone.  I leaned over and hugged the silly boy as his tail went into overdrive over the attention.  He has me.  And Jane.

She chuckled, “Didn't mean to be a Debbie Downer.  I don't know why I'm even telling you, it's against protocol.”

I nodded and changed the subject, breaking my word from this morning because I felt she needed to know.  “Jessie dropped by this morning, wanted to talk and have coffee with you next door.”  She had perked up a little at that, and I could see that no matter how aloof she tried to act about their breakup, it was hard on her.

After that, we just slipped into a comfortable banter, and I wondered why I hadn't acclimated and opened up to my other roommates as fast as with Detective Jane McLeary.

Chapter 11 – Cake Knife

The next day I woke up to another picture perfect day in Manhattan.  I sent Jane off to the station with a big container of chili for lunch.  She had three bowls the prior night.  I think she was moaning with her mouth full, something about not having home cooked food for so long.

I was just mesmerized watching her having a foodgasm that had me swallowing and trying to control my breathing, as I couldn't keep my eyes off of her, wondering if that was the look she had when she... ummm, never mind.

Calvin was just as excited to get going to collect our clients as I was, he ran to the door and sat beside it the moment I started for it.  He was such a diligent worker, I was proud of him.  I imagined this was heaven for him.  Never being alone and being out walking half the day.  And he was loved.

I made sure he knew that, and I had to grin at the thought of the big grumpy Detective McLeary being so good with him.  I'd have to ask her why she never had dogs growing up.

As I harnessed my working boy, I caught the scent of lilac and leather from her jacket she had left at home today.  I held it to my nose and inhaled deeply, relaxing.  She had to wear a smart business suit today which again had me questioning my sexuality again and biting my lower lip when I watched her leave.  She had an early morning court case.

Crap, was I crushing on my roommate?  My – female – roommate?  No.  She was just the Jerk Cop who arrested me.

I opened the door. “Come on Cal, the boys await.”  After quickly locking the door behind us... a few times, we were gone.

We had an awesome time, the day was just as spectacular as Friday, I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and soaked in the perfect weather because I knew we were just days away from the inferno that Manhattan became in the summer.  I'd have to be packing the footies for my clients soon, for when the asphalt gets too hot.

After we dropped the last of the girls off at home, we turned back to the park to head home.  “So, what do you think of chef's salad for dinner?”  I crinkled my nose at him in a yuck face and said, “Don't worry boy, we won't make you eat rabbit food.  “Though a little ham, turkey, and eggs might find its way into your bowl.”  I held my finger to my lips.  I was spoiling the little guy.

As we weaved through the early afternoon foot traffic on 68th as we approached Park Avenue, Cal started whining.  He seemed so agitated that I pulled him off the sidewalk into an alley.  I crouched and asked, “What is it, boy?”  I started running my hands all over him to try to determine if he was suffering any physical discomfort.  He had been a champ with all the walking the past few days and never complained once.  I hoped I wasn't pushing him too hard.

He seemed fine, and I stood.  “What's wrong, Cal, I don't...”  I froze when someone pressed up against my back, and I could see a long blade, a cake knife against my side hidden from the mouth of the alley.

And as Calvin started growling, a cheerful voice said, “Finnegan May.  You've messed up my life.  I was comfortable here.”  Even though she forced my face back ahead when I tried to look back, there was no mistaking that rich, cultured voice.  And Tanya McKnight was keeping her tone light and lilting like there was nothing wrong and we were old friends, to keep Calvin from diving on her to protect me.  The poor boy was confused.

I was starting to shake, and my voice came out shaky, but I tried not to sound as distressed as I was, Calvin could get hurt if I didn't.  I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him and just after his mom died.  I played dumb, like most people thought I was, as Calvin growled and whined.  “Who are you?  What do you want?  You can have my purse.”

I'm ashamed to say I was about to pee my panties and couldn't keep my eyes off the knife against my side.  I had never felt so afraid in my life, and I have never been afraid of New York.  But what would she do to Calvin if she... umm... killed...

She snapped me out of my spiral by asking, “Tell me everything you told the police... dog walker.  You lie to me, and you join Reeves.  Everything.”  Her voice was still smooth and lilting.  She did it too well... too calm.  Was she some sort of sociopath?  How had she fooled everyone so well?

My knees were shaking as I said, “Nothing. I didn't see anything.  Just some flour in the kitchen when I picked up Calvin for his walk.”

She hissed, “Shit.”  Cal growled louder.  “Why did the bitch have to come home early?”

A tear rolled down my cheek, and I closed my eyes tight.

I wouldn't let her make me feel this way, she was no different than any of the other bullies I faced in my life.  Though this may be the last of that life for me.  I stood straighter, and she pushed the knife, with its wicked looking wide flat blade and small serrations, harder against my side and I could hear the fabric of my mint green sundress tearing and could feel the metal touching my skin.

Then the woman laughed, she actually laughed and asked, “Are you actually crying?  Pathetic.”  Then the knife was gone, and I could feel her digging in my bag as she snapped in a more dangerous tone that had Calvin baring his sharp fangs, “Don't turn around for twenty seconds, dog walker.  You do, and I will hunt you down, you stupid girl.  I tracked you down here, I can find you anywhere.”

I started counting out loud, “One.  Two.  Three.”

I heard Tanya cursing as she left the alley to be swallowed by the sounds of the bustling foot traffic beyond, “Shit.”

“Four.  Five.”  I kept my eyes squeezed shut as I slipped to the ground in the alley and started crying as Calvin tried his best to comfort me.  He was such a good boy.  I wrapped my arms around him, sinking my fingers deep into his silky fur, “Six. Seven.”

No!  She can't make me a victim.  I'm not a victim!  I opened my eyes and glared at the mouth of the alley, where the world was passing us by like it was just some sort of backdrop to a play.  I growled out as I stood,  “She has no right!”  I dug for my cell to find the woman had taken it.  I was shaking with fear, adrenaline, and anger as I said to Cal, “The 19th precinct is a couple blocks away.  Jane is there.”

I felt like I was in some sort of shock as my wobbly legs propelled me forward, Calvin like a trooper right at my side.  I concentrated on breathing.  I needed to tell the police, I needed to tell Jane.  She would know what to do.

I was shying away from all the people we passed, and it just made me so mad.  I loved this city, these were my people.  McKnight couldn't take that way from me.

I marched into the police station, placing my bag on the conveyor belt on autopilot.  I made Calvin go first, and his harness made the metal detector beep, and I stepped through cleanly.  The officer at the security checkpoint was saying something to me as she ran his fingers under Calvin's harness.  I'm not sure what it was.

The second floor, Jane said she worked on the second floor.  I bypassed the front desk and went straight to the lobby elevators. And we stepped inside.  Two officers were already in there with a police dog, heading up, as I hit the second-floor button, replaying the alley over and over.

The big German Shepard started growling at Cal, and I stomped once to get its attention and raised my right arm over my head palm out and snapped out, “Platz.”

The K-9 officer stared at me as his dog laid down at his feet, then the elevator doors opened and Cal and I stepped out.  What?  Why was he shocked I knew they trained their dogs with German commands and hand signals so that the bad guys couldn't do what I just did by taking a commanding stance like that.

I started walking woodenly through the cubical sea, eyes scanning.  Someone to my right asked, “Miss, can I help you?  Are you ok?”

I was shaking my head mumbling.  “Jane.  Where's Jane?”

Then I saw her at the end of the row, and she looked up from her desk and did a double take.  I was so cold and shaking.  All my adrenaline was spent.  Her smile quickly turned to concern as she strode up to me quickly.  I whispered,  “A cake knife... the weapon was a cake knife.”  Then my legs gave out as I started sobbing.  She didn't need to see me like this.

She caught me and steadied me and quickly dragged me to her cubical and sat me in an uncomfortable chair.  She had both of my hands in hers as she asked carefully, “Finnegan?  Are you ok?  What happened?”  Then she was snapping to someone, “Jones!  Get her some water!”

I would not be a victim!  I took a deep breath pushing away my shock and fear. In a sing-song voice to keep Cal from stressing, as strong as I could, I said, “The murder weapon was a cake knife, Tanya McKnight just pulled it on me in an alley on 68th and Park.”  Then I turned pleading eyes to her. “Calvin could have been hurt!”

She hugged and shushed me then started looking me over, holding up my arms.  “You've been cut!”

I looked down to see my pretty green dress torn with a little red staining the edges of the tear.  A small cut showed on my skin.

Then I growled out, “The bitch ruined my dress!”  Now I was pissed!

This got Jane smiling and chuckling as she gave me a hug.  “Let's get you patched up, and you can tell me exactly what happened.”

She said to a man who stepped up with a water bottle, “McKnight was spotted ten minutes ago at 68th and Park.  Get an APB out, armed and dangerous.”

I smiled.  Damn, Jane really was a badass.

Chapter 12 – Casting A Net

A little piece of me had smiled when I saw my 'Jerk Cop' label taped across the nameplate on Jane's desk when she called an officer to drive me home while she and Detective Flannery spearheaded the manhunt.

Their captain had a car stationed across the street from my apartment on protective detail in case McKnight showed up there.  She seemed to know my dog walking schedule, so she likely knew where I lived too.

Jane had shared that she was probably going to flee the city.  That it sounded as if she wasn't sure what the police knew and that I was the wildcard.  But since I shared that I had seen the kitchen before she had sterilized it, that she likely knew they were putting the puzzle pieces together and were looking for her.

I had asked why she hadn't fled already.  They said it was likely that she was trying to fence the jewels to fund her flight from justice since the police would now be watching all of her accounts and freezing her funds.

All they could do was to increase the patrols around the known fences, and public transport out of the city at the train stations and airports to keep the pressure on during the search.  Hopefully, she didn't drive out.

The problem was manpower.  The NYPD was basically an army of its own, at over thirty thousand officers, but they were already spread thin in one of the biggest cities in the world.

I blushed when she had felt the need to walk Calvin and me down to the car herself back at the station.  She had held both my arms and made me look at her.  She asked as her eyes searched, “You ok, Finny?”  I just nodded, I really thought I would be now that anger had replaced my fear.  Then she said firmly, “Everything is going to be ok.  We will find her.  Ok?”  I nodded again, and she had smiled and helped Calvin and me into the cruiser.

I dwelled on their lament over how understaffed the NYPD was as Calvin and I made it up to our home.  Then I got a wicked grin when it hit me after I locked the door a dozen times to make sure it was secure.  The New York Police weren't the only ones who had an army.  I was a dog walker in one of the most populated places in the United States – we are legion.

I smiled as I unharnessed Cal.  Then dug for my cell in my bag as I thought about the fact that in New York City alone, there were close to ten thousand licensed dog walkers. If you counted the Loose Leashes as we called them, the people who illegally freelanced without a license and undercut us professionals, then we have close to half the numbers the police did.  And we were invisible, just background noise in a city that was always moving.

I growled when I remembered that Tanya had taken my phone.  Jane had sent my number to the techs to be traced, but it was turned off.  I took off my flats and placed them under the peg I hung my bag on then looked sidelong at the cordless landline phone that was sitting in its charging cradle on a side table in the living room.

I absently wondered if the old thing even worked or would keep a charge.  The only real reason I had a land line was that my DSL internet connection was cheaper if I bundled it in.  I had never made a call on it in two years since I paid for it when I got tired of paying for the data costs tethering my devices to my cell.  Of course, it was one thing about me that my roommates didn't complain about.

I acted all casual murmuring sweet nothings to Calvin as I sidled up to the ancient technology, not wanting to startle it or scare it away.  I giggled at myself for being silly.  Then I pounced.  I said in my best Snidely Whiplash, “Ah ha!  Now I've got you.”  Calvin looked amused with his cocked head and lolling tongue.

I winked at him then went to the balcony doors and opened one so he could go out and watch traffic while I cast a net far and wide.

I stared at the phone, ready to make my first call, then furrowed my brow.  Now wasn't that a sign of the times?  Growing up I memorized dozens of phone numbers, it was second nature to keep a list of them in your head.  But smartphones have become so prevalent in our lives, and you could call anyone you knew with a simple tap, we've stopped trying to memorize them, and we are sort of helpless without our contact lists.

I sighed and went to get my iPad.  I powered it up and pulled up my contacts and then sighed in resignation.  My first call was necessary, even though I didn't relish doing it, but he had connections.  I turned on the cordless and grinned at the sound of a dial tone, something the generation after me wouldn't recognize, then I dialed Raife.

He answered on the first ring, “Rafiel's Canine Walkers, how may I help you today?  Time and a half rates apply after 4:00pm.”

He didn't have that smug tone to his voice he had adopted after we broke up, he didn't know it was me.  I said in a small voice, “Raife, it's me, Finnegan.”

There was a pause, and then he asked with a touch of hesitation and concern, “Fin.  I don't know this number.”

I nodded even though he couldn't see and I hoped he would put aside the pettiness and help.  “I need your help.”

He was quick to interrupt at that. “So, the great Finnegan May, the untouchable freelancer, needs my help again.  Who needs walking this time?  I'm sort of enjoying this, getting your rates without having you on staff.”

I growled out, “Cut the shit.  I have to send out a Broken Leash.”

He hesitated at that.  It was usually a death knell for a walker's contract with a dog owner when they lost a dog.  But then he asked, though I didn't catch any of his snideness, “You?  You lost a dog?  And you're calling me?”

We all had each other's backs, except for the unlicensed freelancers. When a Broken Leash was sent out, it spread like wildfire, and all the dog walkers in the city put aside any differences and kept their eyes peeled for the runaway dog.  We all took it as the most serious of all calls since we knew the next Broken Leash could easily be ours.

I said, “As much as I'm loathe to admit it, you've got a bigger network that can get the word out faster.”

He took it in stride and said, “Ok, you're going to owe me big Fin, this is two favors in less than seven days.  Which dog are we looking for?”

I hesitated then squinted one eye and cocked my head as I almost asked, “Tanya McKnight.”

I waited for his outburst, but instead, he said, “I didn't know she had canined herself up.  That woman is way too busy to care for a dog.  What kind is it, any ID on the collar?”

I exhaled slowly actually hearing concern for a dog in his tone, that was the old Rafiel, and I just told him, “No Raife...  I need the network looking for McKnight herself.”

He made an indignant noise, but I beat him to it, “It was her Raife, she killed Abigail Reeves.  She killed Calvin's mom.”

He said slowly like he knew I wasn't telling the whole story.  “Fin, we don't abuse the system looking for people...”

I was surprised how raw my voice was when I blurted, “She pulled a knife on me today Raife, she... cut me, ruined a dress.  She could have hurt Calvin!”  My voice went up, in the end, colored by my anger.

He hesitated again and asked in a tone devoid of all emotion, “She cut you, Fin?”

“Yes.”

“Are you ok?” he asked

“Yes.  Jane took care of me.”

Then his voice was hard. “You got it, Finnegan, Broken Leash being sent.  I know you have some circles in the community we can't touch...”

He left it a question, I was in the highest circle that serviced the elite of the elite in the city.  It was another reason he wanted me working for him.  I supplied, “I'll get the word out.  Use this number for now, she stole my cell.”

Then the Raife I used to know prompted, “You're one of us, Fin, we walkers have each other's back.”  Then the Raife I dumped was back, “But you will so owe me.”

I just nodded. “I know.”  Then my voice got small again like I felt. “Thank you.”

Then he sighed and said, “Anytime.”  Then he hung up.

I smiled at the phone, not wanting to make any sudden movements that would make the ancient technology panic and skitter away.  Sorry, I was feeling a little silly and playful knowing that the other walkers of New York hadn't abandoned me.

A couple calls later, and the Broken Leash was sent out.  I could envision it in my mind.  Each walker calling three others and they, in turn, called three more.  I could see it as a heart beating in the core of Manhattan, with each beat it got stronger, and the lifeblood it pumped stretched out farther and farther, creating a web that covered the entire metro area.

But that wasn't enough, if Tanya had gone to ground, we'd never find her on the streets.  I blinked when an idea came to me.  Tanya was used to high society now and was used to a certain lifestyle, so wouldn't be hiding in Hell's Kitchen or the docks.  And New York City had over five thousand doormen.  Maybe Jamal...?  My cheeks heated.

I looked up the number for the 855, and after speaking with Ralph, he got the phone out to Jamal.

He answered with that deep rumble of his, “Umm... This is Jamal Stone?”

I found myself smiling as I said, “Hi Jamal, it's Finnegan.  Finnegan May.”

His voice was smooth as silk when he responded with a smile in his tone, “Well I'll be.  I've been meaning to give you a call Fin.”

Was it wrong I was comparing the thrill of him speaking to me with how confused Jane was making me feel?  And it just confused me more when I realized it was pretty much the same.  I squeaked out, “Really?”

Being the flirty smooth talker he was, he said, “I sort of been wanting to see if you'd like to maybe go to a show, or coffee with me sometime.”

I sounded like a schoolgirl when I squeaked again, “Really?”

He was so confident with his, “Really.”

I smiled down at Calvin when he wandered back inside from the balcony, and said, “I'd love to.”  Then my smile faded.  “But right now I have a favor to ask...”

After a quick explanation, sharing the confrontation in the alley, a mad Jamal assured me he'd get the word out on the doorman vine.  It sounded like they had a network similar to ours, but they had a union.  There may possibly have been a promise to have coffee with him on Wednesday evening if the threat of Tanya to Calvin and me had passed.  I absently wondered what I'd wear.

A little guilty voice inside me supplied that Jane liked me in jeans.

I inhaled deeply and centered myself.  Now that we had cast our net, I had to contact the Apple store to see if they could messenger a replacement phone over to me before they closed at six.  Take that Garrett, the hundred dollar replacement insurance you teased me about, wound up being worth it.

And I also had to get to the corner market.  The meals I had been making for Jane and me meant I was clearing out my stores fast.  It was sort of nice to cook for someone again.

Would that break Jane's order for me not to leave the apartment?  The uniformed officers were right across the street, and the market was on the corner.

Then I looked down to my ruined dress and the two big Hello Kitty bandaids across the cut.  I absently wondered why they had hello kitty bandages in their first aid kit at the station.

First, I needed to change.  I felt so defiant just then because instead of just saying it, I knew – I was not a victim.  I muttered, “We're coming for you Tanya... you ruined my dress!”

I grinned at my closet, and I pulled out the solid black dress without any complimentary color trim and sash.  I took out the matching solid black bonnet.  This was my power outfit.

After dressing and putting on the flat heeled calf-high boots to complete my all black outfit, I strode out to the balcony and waved down to the officers in their car across the street.  One got out of the vehicle and looked up at me.  I waved at him again then called out, “Is it ok if I go to the market on the corner?”

The man looked at me and the market dubiously, then I shot my biggest smile to him with a pleading look.  The man slid his cap off and then seemed to deflate.  He waved me down with a small smile.  Men were easy, now all I had to do was find one who wouldn't run away or one who wouldn't 'accidentally' sleep with someone else.

I hesitated at the door after I harnessed an eager Calvin up.  I looked at Jane's light leather jacket then grinned and slid it on over my sundress.  Where it stopped just shy of Jane's waist, it hit my hips.  I rolled up the sleeves then inhaled the lilac and leather deep into my lungs, and I felt wrapped in safety.

I bet I struck an odd picture, but I thought it gave me a badass look.  I smirked and grabbed my bag and stepped out with Cal.  Then the heroic music playing in my head died out to my giggling, as I ruined it all by obsessively locking the door behind me... again and again.

Then I sighed, easy come easy go.  “Come on boy.  Let's grab some groceries.”

I sighed again in exasperation this time when the officer from across the street was waiting at the door on the sidewalk when we emerged outside, his partner stayed in the car.  So much for my independence.

He tilted his cap. “Ma'am.”

I looked at the nameplate over the man's badge on his uniform, “Finnegan, please, Officer Garcia.”

He straightened his cap and did an admirable job of hiding that he was looking me over as he offered, “Jorge.”

I inclined my head and beamed. “Jorge.  Just needed to pick up some groceries at Kim's.”

He smiled back.  He looked like a kid, probably fresh out of the academy.  Heh, a kid?  That would make him only a couple years younger than me.  But truly, with a clean-shaven babyface like that, it was sort of disconcerting to see that gun on his hip.

He looked at Calvin.  “Nice dog.”

I nodded and agreed enthusiastically as we started walking.  “Yes, he is.”  I glanced over, and the older officer behind the wheel of the police cruiser had his eyes trained on us.  I waved to him.  He looked a little awkward when he hesitantly waved back.  I know they have such a hard job, and many people don't respect what they do for us, so I suppose it would be out of the ordinary for someone to be friendly to them.

Jorge snorted. “So Kennedy actually does have a weakness.”  The kid seemed amused that his partner was human.

When we reached the corner, I hesitated and looked at Calvin.  I hadn't been thinking, he wouldn't be allowed inside.  I looked at him sheepishly then Garcia, and shrugged, offering him Calvin's leash, “Would you mind watching Cal here?  I'll just pop in and won't be but a minute.”

He looked at the leash then me, his face taking on a large helping of worry as he furrowed his brow and looked around nervously.  Then he started, “Ma'am...”  I gave him a narrow-eyed glare, and he corrected, “Finnegan, Detective McLeary would have my hide if I let you out of my sight.  We were threatened with grave bodily harm if we did.  Everyone is scared of her.”

I smiled warmly at that.  I didn't know Jane had done that.  I felt like she was protecting me even here.  I pointed and countered like I was being covertly sneaky, “Big windows, I'll never be out of your sight.”  Then I added with a conspiratorial wink, “I won't tell Detective McSnarky if you don't.”

He snorted then nodded.  Yup, Jane's coat made me a badass.  I stepped in and quickly got a few things to tide us over until I could do a proper shopping trip.  The walk back was uneventful, then Cal and I settled in for the day after the iPhone was delivered.

I texted Raife that I was available at my old number now and I went about cleaning the apartment to keep my mind off of the memory of the knife at my side.  If I didn't busy myself, I knew I would go over it again and again in my mind.

Cal heard the keys in the lock around seven before I did and he went rocketing to the door to greet Jane as she stepped in, looking exhausted.  I was coming to realize that was normal for her, she worked so hard and put in long hours.  When did she take time for herself?

I waved from the top of the step stool where I was cleaning the curtain rod at the french doors.  She did a double take then cocked an eyebrow when I scurried down the stool to the floor.  “Well hello there, Fin.”

I furrowed my brow then realized I was still wearing her jacket.  I blushed as she crouched to say hello to Cal and his waggy tail.  I shrugged as she stood and started walking toward me.  I blurted, “Sorry, I was just... it made me feel safe.”

She stepped right through the invisible personal space bubble like she always did and smiled down at me as she straightened the collar of the jacket. “You look like a Mary Poppins renegade.”

I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.  It was sometimes hard to tell when Jane was teasing.  The tips of my ears warmed along with my cheeks.  I said, “I'll go hang it up.”

She shook her head and said almost smugly, “No, don't on my account.  Use it as long as you like.”  Then she sobered a bit and adjusted the shoulders of the jacket a bit.  “How are you doing, Fin?”

I nodded and found I kept nodded and fought tears,  No, I wouldn't be a victim.  She pulled me in and hugged me, and I buried my face in her arm and mumbled, “She pulled a knife on me, Jane.”  She nodded and shushed me.  I soaked in her warmth, her strength, and I felt so – safe.

When I got control over my emotions again I straightened a little, and she let go, and I looked up at her with watery eyes but and growled, “She ruined my dress.”

Jane gave me one of her genuine laughs as she stepped back, then moved back to the door to lock it and take her shoes off to place under her peg.  “We'll add that to the list of crimes she's responsible for.”

I gave her a sour face which just got her more amused.  Fine, I smiled back.

I asked hopefully, “Any luck?”

She exhaled and deflated a little.  “Not yet, she's gone to ground, but we'll find her.  Don't worry.  Kennedy and Garcia are assigned to you for the duration.”

I wasn't worried about that.  Maybe I should have been.  I just wanted the woman who killed Cal's mom brought to justice.

I asked, “Hungry?”

She grinned and slipped past me to stow her gun.  “I feel spoiled.”

I muttered in fun, “I'll spoil you right up side the head.”

She chuckled and started a pot of coffee as I started prepping for dinner.  I had to cock my head and reflect upon how we were already slipping into a comfortable pattern in these few days as she pulled out Cal's food and filled his dish and then got him fresh water.

I called out as she headed to her room.  “Salad.”

She grimaced, and I said, “You'll eat it, and you'll like it.”

She played with her earlier Mary Poppins quip and curtsied as she vanished into her room calling out, “Yes mum.”

Calvin slipped in with her, and she shut her door.  I was a little jealous, he had a front-row seat when she... changed... her... what was I thinking?  I blushed and basked in that blush.  What?  She was sexy, and I could appreciate that couldn't I?

I went back to preparing our Chef's salad, baking some eggs instead of hard boiling them.  If you baked the eggs for thirty minutes then drop them into ice water, you get perfect hard boiled eggs that the shells virtually slide off without any sticking.  I made a couple extra to slip into our lunches tomorrow and may or may not have added one for a certain Border Collie who shall remain unnamed.

When Jane came back out and made a beeline for the fresh coffee, she was in a pair of jeans and a tight-fitting black tee.  She looked more – her – and less boardroom professional; Neither of which was necessarily a bad thing mind you.

I asked in an almost whiny tone, “Will I be allowed to walk Calvin tonight after dinner?”

She glanced at me over her cup before she headed to the couch and the TV remote.  “I'll walk him.”

I cleared my throat and looked at her expectantly when she glanced back.  She sputtered in exasperation, “There some psycho bitch out there gunning for you and you think I'm going to let you...”

I cut her off in exasperation. “Let me?  By the lord of the swishing tail, I'll do what I want.  I'm not a victim, and I won't be locked away like some porcelain doll.  I'm not going to let her take my freedom away when it is her who needs to be in a cell.”

She looked equal parts amused and concerned when she said, “Nice cell,” as she looked around the apartment then hid her grin behind her cup as she took another swallow.  I glared at her, how had she ever had me questioning my sexuality.  She was a mean grinch.

She set her cup down and teased. “Lord of the...”

To her endless amusement, I quipped, “Fuck you.”

Then she suddenly sobered and said, “Good, McKnight didn't take your fire.  I think you're going to be ok.”  Then before I could respond, she added, “But I'm going with you.”

I snapped loudly, “Fine!”

She raised her voice over mine. “Fine!”

I started chopping ham, muttering, “Fine.”

Cal punctuated our argument with a happy bark, and I grudgingly smiled.

She grinned and settled into the sofa saying softly, “Fine.”

I asked, “You always have to have the last word don't you?”

“Yup.”

“Jerk”

“That's what my label says.”

Ok, the woman was fun.

Then I asked offhandedly, leaving the question open, “And tomorrow... ?”

She turned back slowly. “You're not thinking about traipsing around through the city tomorrow with her out there?”

I stared at her, as I sliced the turkey into tiny strips with purpose, the knife striking the cutting board solidly.  She relented. “Jesus woman, you have a death wish.”

I defended, “I have a job to do, and my clients depend on me.”

She nodded slowly. “They're dogs.”

I nodded right back, eyes wide to punctuate the point. “Dogs are people too.”  Then I grinned at her with Calvin laying across her lap as she absently rubbed his ears.  I doubt she even realized she was doing it.  “Tell Cal differently.”

She looked down and shook her head as a smile grew. “You're about as easy to contain as the wind with a butterfly net, Miss May.”

I smiled smugly at the turkey that was sliced maybe just a tad too thinly and said smugly to it as I cut some the right thickness and shoveled the thin stuff into Calvin's bowl.  “That's a yes.”

She sounded amused as she pointed out, “But Kennedy and Garcia keep you in sight at all times.”

I nodded.  Fair enough.  Then I grinned.  We both knew I had just won and it seemed to amuse her even more as she flipped on the news.

When her back was to me, I dipped my nose and took in the lingering scent of lilac and leather from her jacket and relaxed.

Maybe she wasn't totally evil after all.

Chapter 13 – Pursuit

She was totally evil!  The woman had smirked at me this morning when I wandered out to give her her jacket back when she tried to leave the apartment to go back to the station at five in the morning.

She seemed almost pleased when she draped it over my shoulders over my cat pajamas and said, “You keep it.  You make it look good, Finny.”  Her eyes seemed to linger a moment, and I felt a warm stirring below that just made me swallow, before she was kind enough to release the hold her eyes had on me by looking away.

I had to growl at her so she would hold on a moment while I prepped her lunch.  She wouldn't be at her best on an empty stomach, and she didn't have time for breakfast.  She almost whined, “I'll pick up a breakfast burrito at the golden arches on the way to the station.”

I pointed at her, my nose almost touching my finger as I squinted my eyes until she rolled her eyes and said, “I promise.”  See?  Humans really can be trained.

She crouched at the door and ruffled Calvin's ears and thumped his sides and said like I wasn't there, “At least someone here appreciates me.”

She looked at me, and I stuck my tongue out at her and smiled.  Then she was gone.  I hugged myself under her jacket then wandered back to bed.  It was almost time to get up, but I could still laze about for a few minutes.

Calvin was all for that and burrowed in under the covers.  We really spoil him, and the silly boy didn't think I knew when he hopped off my bed in the middle of the night to pad through the bathroom to Jane's room to suck the heat out of her feet too.

As usual, I sat up ten seconds before my alarm went off.  I often wondered if I didn't set it if I would still wake up at the same time.  I think I might since daylight savings time messed up my internal clock for a couple weeks.

After Cal and I got ready, and I prepped my lunch, I scanned my text messages.  The network was already texting all clears in on the Broken Leash.  I don't miss the early and late walks I had to do the first few months I was in the city when I was first starting out.  I was up at all hours and not getting decent or consistent sleep.  I much preferred my current work week.  Some people would kill for full-time pay on a part-time job like this.

We headed out, and as we were passing the mailboxes in the lower hall, I was hoping we could get out without the boys across the street seeing.  I stepped out, but Garcia was leaning against the car across the street.  I sighed.

I crooked a finger at him, and he timed the traffic and ran across to me.  I asked, “Jorge?  Were you two here all night?  Didn't anyone relieve you?”

He shook his head as he looked down at Calvin who was wiggling around, winding around him as I passed the leash around, so he didn't get tied up.  He yawned and supplied, “Not enough manpower.  Most are out looking for McKnight.  It's all good, Finnegan, we spelled each other in the car.”  I absently wondered where they went to the bathroom but then decided I probably didn't want to know.

I was glad I had packed a little something in my bag.  I pulled out two Tupperware containers, labeled neatly with their names and handed them to him.  “Here, I made you a little something.  You must be starving.”

His eyes widened in surprise, and he smiled genuinely, making him look so much younger again.  “We have the other guys drop stuff by, or one of us hits the corner store.”

I chastised, “Well this is healthier for you and will help keep up your energy.”

He looked at the containers then inclined his head.  “Well thank you.  It was very sweet of you to think of us.”  Then he said cryptically, “Detective McLeary is a lucky woman.”

She was a... oh.  I felt my cheeks warm and smoothed out my orange sundress.  They thought we were together.  Well, of course, they'd know her sexual preference.  I felt flattered that they thought I'd be in her league if I weren't so into guys.  She'd be a catch for anybody.

I squeaked out with a smile, “We're just roommates.”

He shrugged. “I still stand by my words either way.”  Ok, now he was just being charming.

I shared, “Heading through the park then to my client's places before the morning walk session.”

He shook his head. “Sorry, Finnegan.  Detective McLeary and the Captain says we have to have an eye on you at all times.  Just a second.”

He wove through traffic back to the squad car, passed the food in and said something then thumped the top of the cruiser and ran back over to me.  He made an ushering motion down the street, and I cocked an eyebrow.  He said, “Just keep where we can keep eyes on you from Center Drive or East Drive through the park.”

Kennedy turned on the lights then flipped a U-turn.  Jorge hopped into the car with a tip of the hat to me.  I crouched and waved at the silver-haired Kennedy.  The man looked embarrassed but waved back.  I had to grin, the big bad man didn't like to be seen being nice.  It made me giggle and want to encourage it more.

Then I endured the embarrassment of a police cruiser driving slowly down the road beside me all the way to the park.  It was even worse once we hit Central Park and the guys signaled an officer on horseback, and he trotted over to pace me as well.  Was the entire 19th precinct going to walk my clients with me?  This was stupid.  Were they all that afraid of Jane?

That was pretty much how my day went.  Hundreds of walkers checked in signaling the all clear on the Broken Leash throughout the day.  And it wasn't until we dropped the ladies off at home in the early afternoon that my cell started ringing as Calvin and I left Princess' place.

I looked at the screen and grinned.  I answered with a huge smile on my face.  “Hi, Jamaaaal.”

He was equally as flirty, “Well hello there Fin.  I call bearing news.”

I perked up, all the pretense of flirting with the model gorgeous man was gone. “What is it?”

He shared, “I got a call from Marty, over at the Bennington, he just held the door for a woman he swears was Tanya McKnight.  She got into a hired car, and they looked to be headed south toward the Queensboro.  I'll text you the make model and license.”

By the swishing tail and lolling tongue!  She was heading out of the city, she must have fenced the gems.  I know, that sounded like an old James Cagney film.  Concentrate.  I said absently, “Ok, thanks, Jamal, you're a gem.”

He chuckled and said, “You're welcome Fin.  See you tomorrow.”

He hung up as I thought.  Ok, I had to tell the police...  I looked over to the patrol car trailing me and waved them over.  If she got out of the city, she'd disappear like she's done twice before.

As Garcia hopped out of the cruiser and ran over, I dialed my new speed dial one, and on the first ring, a familiar detective with that awesome smoky tone asked, “Fin?  Are you ok?”

I nodded to the air as Garcia stepped up and put her on speaker, “Yes, I'm fine Jane.  I have Jorge here on speaker.  I just got a call from Jamal.  McKnight was spotted coming out of the Bennington a couple minutes ago.  Heading South in a hired car.  Probably toward the Queensboro or even the Lincoln Tunnel.”  In reality, there were seven ways to get off the Manhattan island to the south.  But that was good, because if she had headed upstate, there would have been no way to track her.

She paused then asked, “Fin, why was Jamal calling you?”

I shrugged an apology to Garcia. “Umm... he sort of put the word out to the New York doormen for me that we are looking for McKnight.”

She blew up on me. “Finnegan!  What do you think you're doing?  She's a murderer!  One who threatened you with a knife!  Leave the police work to the professionals!”

Then she calmed as my face started to burn with an embarrassed blush.  Her tone was almost awkward when she asked in a hushed tone, “I don't suppose they got a description of the vehicle.”

I grinned wide and toothy at Jorge as I said smugly, “As a matter of fact, yes.  Texting it to you now.”  I quickly forwarded Jamal's text to her.

She growled out, “Good thinking Fin.  Just don't do it again, ok?”  Was that concern in her tone?  Then she said in a tone that conveyed her smug smirk, “Now get off the line so I can get the APB out.”

I squeaked, “Bye,” and the line went dead.  I glanced at Jorge, and he just shook his head at me like you would a misbehaving child.  I shrugged, and he just chuckled.

I asked, “Will you be able to catch her?”

He took a slow, deep breath and nodded slowly. “So long as she takes the bridges or tunnels, we can have cars there to stop her.  But if she figures out we have them covered and heads upstate?  We'll get her, it just might take some time.”

I nodded slowly in understanding, then he tipped his hat to me and headed back to the cruiser.

One thing McKnight wasn't, was stupid.  She's been able to evade the police for almost two decades, staying one step ahead.  She'll see the increased police activity at the bridges and tunnels and then head north, upstate.  If she gets past Martin Luther Boulevard, she'd be, how does Jane say, in the wind?

There are about fourteen streets heading upstate from Manhattan, but once you crossed MLB, there were dozens of ways off the island and out of town.  Maybe the Broken Leash could help, watch for the car and relay it to the police?  I sent a text out on the network.  We couldn't let a murderer go free.  And as I stated before, we are legion.  We could cover fourteen streets, and most likely at any given time, there were dozens of us on each street.

Jorge startled me when he yelled out the window of the cruiser, “They just sounded an all cars in Lower Manhattan, Finnegan!  They've got her penned in.  We've got to go.”

I nodded, feeling a relief and excitement flood through me.  I hadn't known I was so tense.  I waved as their lights and siren cut through the hustle and bustle of the city and they were off.  Godspeed men.

I smiled at Cal as we started to head home.  It was over.  But then my smile faded when a text arrived from the network.  A walker named Sandra in the East Village saw McKnight switch cars to a rented limo.  She gave the make and license in her text, flooding the net.  Oh god, the police were tracking the wrong car!  Others texts popped up almost immediately that the limo was spotted heading back north, up 3rd.

A moment later my cell was ringing, thank god, it was Jane, I had just about been ready to call her.  “Jane!”

She cut me off. “Finnegan, what's going on?  I just got a call that there are people with groups of dogs on leashes blocking the MidTown and Lincoln Tunnels.”

Whaaaa?  I blinked and almost barked out some surprised laughter.  The Broken Leash?  Were my people trying to contain McKnight?  I pushed that aside and said, “Tanya switched cars!  A walker in the East Village saw her switch to a limo.  I'm texting the license number now.”

I quickly texted then added, “Other walkers spotted her heading back up 3rd.”

I heard her curse under her breath, “Fuck.”  Then she said, “Hang on.”  I heard a rustling then her muffled voice, “All cars, this is Detective McLeary...”  She rattled off the new information then she was back with me. “I don't know what you're doing Fin, but tell your people to back off, someone can get hurt.”

I felt sheepish as I rocked from foot to foot, my face screwing up in apology as I said, “Umm... I don't know if I can.  I sort of asked for help spotting McKnight yesterday and Raife put out a Broken leash – that's a runaway dog – on McKnight.  They were just supposed to keep an eye out for her.  Not this.  It's become something organic with a life of its own.”

She didn't say anything for a moment, and I almost looked to see if we were disconnected and she muttered, “Shit.” Then she asked, “How many participate in this Broken leash thing?”

I swallowed and said almost in question, “Umm... all of us.  Thousands.”

She sounded surprised. “There are thousands of dog walkers in the city?”  Before I could answer, she growled out, “Get home, now.  Most of our manpower is down here now, we're heading back up and should box in the limo in a few minutes.  Tell your people to back off!”

But... she could be out of the city by the time the cavalry could get turned back around.

I looked at my phone when another text came in.  A Larry said he and two others blocked off third and the limo turned onto East 34th.  I blinked... they were blocking the...  my eyes flew wide, and I texted a request, squinted an eye almost in pain and hit send.

I told Jane in a hoarse voice, my mouth dry, “I've got them funneling her to me.  We'll have her at 64th and Madison for you.”  She started cussing at me, and I hung up.

I ignored her repeated callbacks as I watched the flood of texts scrolling past on the screen.  It was like a continual real-time update of McKnight's progress through the city as more and more walkers converged, confining the limo to a corridor toward Cal and me.

Jimmy said he and another walker, Anne, had slowed the traffic behind the limo.

Barry said that he and his gaggle crossed in front of them slowing them to isolate them a block from any other vehicles as he pretended to untangle leashes before moving on.  What had I done?  Why were they putting themselves at risk?

Before long the traffic on Madison was only a trickle past me, though I could see from the intersection that on both Park and 5th, traffic was as heavy as normal.  And I saw a girl with two dogs on Park who waved at me.  I hesitantly waved back.  Then when traffic cleared and there was just one lone limousine driving my way down a street devoid of vehicle traffic.  People on the sidewalks were all slowing and looking around at the unnatural sight of an empty street in the city.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do now... Jane hadn't made it even with the Broken Leash slowing McKnight's progress.  I looked over when a familiar voice said, “Fin.”  Rafiel was there with three dogs looking at me then the limo with a look of apology on his face.

No.

I wasn't going to let the woman who murdered Calvin's mom get away.  I looked at Raife and then steeled myself and held out Calvin's leash.  He hesitated then took it without a word.  I took a deep breath, smoothed my skirt, then stepped out into the street in front of the limo.  I closed my eyes and held up my hand, palm out in front of me and prayed to the canine lords.

I didn't move nor open my eyes as I heard the tires screeching on the warm pavement.  It wasn't until the limo driver started honking the horn and I realized I was still alive that I opened my eyes.  My hand was held out over the hood of the limo, the bumper mere inches from me.  I swallowed and just stood there.

A shrieking Tanya McKnight threw one of the back doors open and slid out, looking a million bucks and glamorous as ever.  She stormed toward me as I saw dog walkers converging on us from every corner.  Sirens were echoing through the streets around the buildings, building upon themselves to sound like they were everywhere.  “You stupid girl.  Get out of the way.  I thought I warned you...” She froze when I heard the roar of an engine as a car came around the corner behind me to skid to a sliding halt.

I stood there, shaking, hand still outstretched and relief washed through me as half a dozen other police cruisers came up Madison behind the limo.  Jane's voice, ferocious and commanding shouted out, “Freeze McKnight!  NYPD!  On your knees, hands behind your head!”

The caterer to the stars hesitated, her eyes locked on me full of hate and rage as she gradually dropped to her knees, slowly placing her hands behind her head.  She never lost eye contact with me, and I could finally see the murder in her eyes.  I knew instinctively right then and there that she was capable of it because all I could see in her eyes was that self-important rage that put her needs above all else.

Jane moved past me, her service weapon trained unwaveringly on Tanya, as the confused limousine driver stepped out of the vehicle to be detained by some of the officers pouring out of the vehicles.  An officer came up behind her and cuffed her as Jane reached her and grabbed her arm firmly near the elbow, pulling her to her feet as McKnight winced.

Then Jane holstered her weapon and started leading her back to her SUV as she read her her rights.  “Tanya McKnight, you are under arrest for the murder of Abigail Reeves.  You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

Keeping herself between McKnight and me, Jane paused as they passed me.  She reached a hand out to place on my shaking arm.  She said softly, “It's ok, you can put your arm down now.  It's over, Finnegan.”  I relaxed as my entire body started shaking from the adrenaline.  I sure hope I hadn't soiled my panties, I'd never live it down.

I nodded and took a shuddering breath as my heart pounded violently at my ribs, then I stepped in front of McKnight and locked gazes with her.  She actually smirked at me.  I exhaled and then stomped on her toe as I said almost manically, “That's for killing Calvin's mom, and for ruining my dress!”

Jane slipped between us as the woman stumbled then started almost hopping.  I was face to chest with my detective again.  We had to stop meeting like this.  I almost started giggling just as maniacally.  It was either that or breaking down on the spot.  She leaned down, her silky black hair tickling my ear and neck as she whispered to me,  “Easy there killer.  I'll have Kennedy and Garcia see you home.  You did good.”

I was frozen in place with her leaning into me, her scent a promise of safety and of Jane.  She pulled back, and I could move and breathe again.  I just nodded and numbly turned toward Raife and Calvin on the corner.  Calvin was going crazy trying to get to me.

I could hear Jane as she continued bringing Tanya to her car, “You have the right to an attorney...”

My fingers had no feeling as I took the offered leash from Raife and dropped to a knee to place my forehead against Cal's and rubbed his ears desperately as I whispered, “It's over boy.”

A cheer went up around us, and I looked around.  There had to be at least three dozen dog walkers around the scene, with over a hundred dogs who started barking at the cheering.  I smiled at Calvin's wagging tail and looked around.

We – are legion.

Chapter 14 – Decompressing

I was anxious as heck at home, waiting for a no doubt ticked off Jane McLeary to arrive and read me the riot act.

I went through all the texts I received and thanked each person personally after the Broken Leash was canceled.  I hesitated when I saw one voicemail from a number I didn't know.  Had someone else called while I was ignoring Jane's calls?  Oh god, she was going to kill me for that.

I listened to it as I cleaned the coffee table for the sixth or seventh time in as many minutes.  Shut up, it's how I deal.  To my surprise, it was the lawyers for the Abigail Reeves estate.  “Miss Finnegan Temperance May, this is Trent Ives with Thornton, Kissinger, and Ives.  We are the firm representing Abigail Reeves estate.  We request your presence along with Abigail's dog, Sir Calvin Cornelius Fluffytoes at our offices after the funeral and internment of Miss Reeves' remains at Marble Cemetery this coming Friday.”

I inhaled sharply as it went on to give the time and location of the reading of Abigail's will and 'other legal matters.'  It terrified me... they were going to take Calvin from me, weren't they?

The coffee table...  I started scrubbing it.  Why wouldn't it come clean?

I had to calm down.  Cal had started whining.  I was ok, I was good.  I didn't need to stress him.  God, I loved him.  I put on a smile and pretended everything was ok.  “You got a middle name boy?   Cornelius?”  His tail swished tentatively, ears still flat.  The poor guy was confused.

I shoved away all my anxiety and told him, “Come on, let's get the place cleaned up and have dinner ready for Jane, so she doesn't skin me alive.  What do you think.”  I gave a genuine smile at his enthusiasm.

I started to clean the coffee table again then stopped and forced myself to move on to something else.  I cringed at six when Jane sent a text.  It was a text, she didn't call.  I stepped in deep doggie doo this time.  I stared into the cupboards.  Maybe I could make her cupcakes?  I cursed at myself for not knowing what she liked... besides chili and spaghetti.

Then I had it, and my smile bloomed as I grabbed my cell again.  Mom always said the key to a man's heart was through his stomach.  Here was hoping it tamed a modern day Amazon as well.  I made a quick call then got into my cat pajamas.  I stared at Jane's jacket... on my peg and then slipped it on and hugged myself as I went to sit on the couch with Calvin.

He decided to be my lap warmer as we switched on the television.  That – may have been a mistake.  Every channel was talking about the huge disruptions on the island.  Dozens if not hundreds of dog walkers and dogs, blocking the roads.

Not good.  Not good.

I switched channel after channel, then stopped on KDRN, I could actually feel the blood draining from my face as the news anchor went on about the capture of the suspected killer of Abigail Reeves.  And how the dog walkers of the city seemed to help.

I swallowed at the picture taking up the whole wall behind him.  There I was in my pretty orange sundress, with matching orange flats, standing in the middle of Madison with my hand out, a limousine just inches from my legs.

No, no, no... so not good.

My cell started ringing, and I swallowed, praying to the holy tugging rope that it was Garrett.  I looked at the screen and winced.  I accepted the call, “Oh hi mom, what a pleasant...  yes ma'am... no ma'am...”  This went on for a while so I'll spare you and just skip ahead to when I hung up, equal parts mortified and chastised.  I reeeealy hate the 'told you so' speech.

I needed to catch my breath, I hated arguing with mom, but Manhattan was my home now, I wasn't going back to Liberty.  I almost let slip that Garrett was going to be moving here too just to get the pressure off me.  I think mom understands though, that I have to do this to be me, I have to stand on my own or I would slip into the shell I find myself slipping into at times.

I started toward the drapes, the pleats weren't hanging evenly, I'd have to... my anxiety spiked when I heard the keys rattling in the door.  My emotions were already running high after my call with mom, I didn't know if I had it in me to listen to another lecture.

I crossed my arms over my belly and hugged myself, trying to hide away into the leather jacket.  Jane stepped through the door and greeted an overly excited Calvin.  He was all wiggles and swishing tail as she thumped his side.  She stood, and her sharp brown eyes scanned the apartment, a hard look on her face.

But she froze when her eyes landed on me, and that hard look softened.  I looked down at my shoes, afraid of what she was going to say.

Instead, she was silent as she slid up in front of me and wrapped me in her arms.  All of the overwhelming emotions I had been holding in since Abigail's murder came crashing down on me.  I hadn't even known I had created a dam to hold it back.  I think it was a self-preservation thing.  But I felt safe in her unyielding arms as that dam burst.

She just stood there and held me as I sobbed uncontrollably.  She never said a single word, just shushed me and shared her strength, surrounded by the scent I was starting to associate with safety and Jane.

I finally was able to get myself under some semblance of control, my face buried in her shoulder, my hands flat on her muscled belly.  I eased back a bit and looked up at her.  Then tried to smile, knowing my mascara was probably running all over and I looked like an extra form the movie 'It'.  “I know, I was stupid.”

She cocked her head that infuriating cocky smirk on her face as she wiped tears from my cheeks with one hand before returning it to my waist.  I tried to explain, “I didn't mean for it to happen like that.  The other walkers were just supposed to call if they saw her.  Really.”

She just kept that smug look on her face, and her deep brown eyes were twinkling with some sort of amusement that was going to get her toe stomped.  I blurted, “I know I could have been hurt, but she was getting away, and I knew...”

I tilted my head and said in a calmer tone, “I knew you'd be there, Jane.”

Her smirk turned into a smug smile.  I growled and pushed her back.  There is no way I could have moved her if she didn't let me.  She took a half step back, her arms still on my waist, heat spreading deep into my core from the contact, my hands still on the rippling muscles of her taut flat belly, “Say something!  Yell at me, tell me how foolish I was.  Something.”

She shrugged and said as Calvin cocked his head at us as he sat, “Why?  You seem to be doing a good job of it yourself.”

I moved one hand to slap her breastbone lightly.  “If you're going to be a jerk about it then I'm not sorry!”

She cocked an imperious eyebrow leaning down a bit, so her eyes were level with mine, “Fine.”

I swallowed when I realized I was staring at her lips now.  But she was such a condescending... “Fine!”  I leaned in farther my eyes seeking hers.

I could feel her hot breath on my face, and it sent a tingling electric current to my core as I realized it wasn't rage heating me, it was desire.  She whispered, “Fine.”  I closed my eyes as she tilted her head, our lips almost touching and she started to move in.  Part of me was so confused about how I could be feeling this way, and the other part was aching for it so badly.

The instant before our lips met, there was a loud knock at the door that caused me to almost jump out of my socks.  The magic of the moment was lost, I was in a haze of arousal, my nostrils filled with the scent of her sweat, of lilac and leather.  And I covered my mouth with a hand to repress a nervous laugh as she released me.  I still may have squeaked.

I glared at the door then my eyes widened.  I crinkled my brow in apology to her.  She looked flush, had she wanted it as much as that part of me which did?  I grinned sheepishly as I held up a finger.  “Sorry, just a second.  I thought you were going to be irate, I got a bribe.”

I grabbed some cash from my bag at the door then opened it and paid the delivery driver, tipping him well.  Then I turned dramatically as I closed the door and held out the pizza box out to her like an offering of peace with both hands.  I shrugged a shoulder up to my cheek and asked, “Pizza?”  I tried to give my best puppy-dog eyes like Calvin could do.

She looked at me and the box, I think she could read my eyes begging her not to talk about what just about happened.  Then her face bloomed into that pretty smile of hers that held none of her smug Jerk Cop-ness.  She accepted the bribe and said in amusement, “You know me so well already.”

We wound up on the couch with drinks and pizza, flicking little pieces to Cal.  As she took her first bite, I took a chance and turned to lay back against her, my had on her shoulder as I nibbled my own slice.  She just lazily laid an arm across my shoulders, her fingers playing with my curls as we ate.  It felt good.  Like home was supposed to be.

I tilted my head back to look at her.  She deserved to know what I was thinking.  I took a deep breath then said, “About earlier.”  I saw pain in her eyes even though she kept a smile on her face.  “I don't know if I can.  I mean I want to... I reeeeally want to.  I'm, it's just that.”

It was all coming out wrong.  So I just blurted, “I'd like to see... it will take me some time.”

She shrugged and said, “It's confusing, but life is like that.  To be plain, Finnegan, I think that I like you a little more than I should.  And I think you're worth it.  I can wait until you decide.”

Then she smirked. “It's not like I'm going anywhere, my room's just there.”  She nudged her chin, and I grinned back and took a bite of pizza before turning back away and snuggling my back into her.

She ran her fingers through my hair again and kissed the top of my head.  I felt content.  And surprisingly I was ok with the realization that I was apparently bi because there was no denying what I had felt whenever she was near.  I just had to work through the revelations of my new sexuality with myself before I committed to changing our relationship.

I didn't want to experiment, as it wouldn't be fair to Jane, and wouldn't be fair to me.  I'd hate to wake up in the morning and realize it had just been my heightened emotions over the murder and its aftermath.  She deserved better than that.

I handed my crust to Cal, then Jane said with humor in her voice as she switched the TV on, “You know, stomping McKnight's foot was technically assault.  I really should bring you in.”

I jabbed her ribs with a finger, and she chuckled, “Fierce.”

I took a moment to smile then took in a deep breath as I looked down at Cal and voiced the new fear that was eating away at me.  “I think they are going to take Calvin from us.”

She froze then started breathing after a moment and asked, “What do you mean?”

I stretched out to retrieve my cell from the coffee table.  She asked as I pulled up the text.  “Did you wax the coffee table.”

As I handed her the phone, I muttered, “Shut up.”

She read it and was quiet for a long three heartbeats before she just handed it back and said, “We'll deal with it if it comes.  Calvin is family, and we won't let him go without a fight.

Then she slid the cell onto the side table and said as she flipped through the news who were all still reporting about the arrest.  Jane said with a smirk in her voice, “Right now I want to hear about the case of the Collie Flour.”

I groaned.  “How long have you been wanting to say that?”

She tapped my head. “Shut up and watch, brat.”

I smiled and snuggled in as Calvin joined us on the couch. “Fine.”

“Fine.”

Epilogue

We were carrying the mattress from the moving van to the freight elevator in the 855 Building.  Jane barely flexing her muscles as she dragged me stumbling along.  I squawked as I almost dropped it, my arms aching.  She teased, “Come on Finny, we're burning daylight.”

I crinkled my nose at her and dropped the corner of the queen-sized mattress with a flourish.  “Stop being Betty McBoss Pants.  This thing weighs more than I do.  Why did you pick this of all things for us to carry?  Jerk.”

She chuckled. “You're tiny, but you're mighty.”

Ok, I may have blushed there.

Garrett walked past carrying a lamp.  A lamp!  I had been carrying a twenty-seven thousand pound mattress, and my big bad brother had a lamp.

I growled at him and grabbed the lamp from his grasp and held it away from him, my body between him and it.  I pointed at the mattress.  “Make yourself useful, Gar.”  Then I said primly to the Detective who was watching in amusement, “I'll take this lamp up.  Now chop chop you two, my sister-in-law awaits.”

He squinted one eye at me and gave me his winning grin.  “I didn't know why you even tried to carry that, sis.  When Jane motioned over your head to me to help her with it, you just grumped and picked up one corner.  I figured you knew what you were doing.”

Whaaaa?  I thought she was motioning me to help.  My cheeks were burning, but I could spin this.  “Well as you can see, I could, I got it to here, didn't I?  Becky has mentioned you've been getting soft after the wedding, so I thought I'd help you out by getting it this far for you.”

He asked Jane, “Is she still talking?”

She shook her head. “I'm not sure, I stopped listening in the van when she was telling me the fastest way to get here.”

I grinned, happy that they got along so famously.  Jane was so very important to me.  I wasn't really sure what we were to each other as we still haven't defined our relationship over the past three months.  I'm coming to terms with who I am and am thinking it is probably time for me to swallow whatever fears I may have lingering about my attraction to her just being a phase or hero worship and do something about it.

Because one thing I did know, was that I loved the woman.  She was infuriating as hell, but she saw me.  I can't explain it any better than that.  She – saw me.  And she was sexy as hell.  That's like a bonus.  I admit I've had fantasies about being her personal squeaky toy for quite some time now.

Garrett called out, “Hey, Flea, stop perving out over Jane and press the button.”

Oh god... If it was possible to blush your way to another dimension, I had to be getting close.  Jane had her smug smirk going on as I pressed the button in the elevator.  “I was not...”

He interrupted, “You were practically drooling.”  He rolled his eyes and asked Jane, “Women.  Am I right?”

She opened her mouth then shut it again, then said, “I should be offended by that, but oddly I find myself in agreement.”

I muttered, “I hate you both.”

McSmirky smiled hugely and said, “Tough, we love you, so live with it.”

I muttered, “Fine.”

“Fine.”

As soon as the doors opened, I marched out, chin high, ignoring the evil ones.  I stepped into Abigail's old apartment and placed the lamp on a stack of boxes, then smoothed my sky blue summer dress before I embraced Calvin as he bounded up to me, tail wagging, tongue lolling.

Bek waved from the kitchen area where she was unpacking the bakeware mom had gifted them for their wedding.  I waved back as I thumped Calvin's sides and ruffled his ears.

I remember how terrified I was of losing him when I went to that meeting at Thornton, Kissinger, and Ives.  We hadn't been able to attend the funeral.  It was full of socialites and a veritable who's who of the New York upper crust.  They had turned it into a spectacle, and nobodies like me were turned away by the police and security at the cemetery.  Even when I explained that Calvin was Abigail's son.  I thought he should get a chance to say goodbye to her.

Jane took some time off work to accompany me.  When we arrived at their offices, Trent Ives reasserted to us that it was the reading of Abigail's will.  Only one other person was there, Trent introduced him as Dr. Henry Gere from the Manhattan School of the Performing Arts.

Every second that ticked by, my fear and anxiety was growing.  I loved Calvin with all my heart and knew that nothing good could come of this.  He was just sitting at Jane and my feet by our chairs as we sat.  One of my hands was continually stroking his fur, the other Jane had in hers, sharing her strength.  She knew I was about to break and she wouldn't let me.

I swallowed hard when the lawyer started the reading after discussing all the legal mumbo jumbo of a  reading to us.  “I Abigail Rene Reeves, being of sound mind and body...”

I must have retreated in upon myself, because Jane shook my hand to get my attention a few minutes later when Trent read, “Bequeath fifty percent of my financial holdings and all my worldly possessions, save my apartment and my dog to the Manhattan School of the Performing Arts for a scholarship for financially disadvantaged students.”

He paused and looked up and stated, “Miss Reeves' current financial holdings are just over twenty-three million five hundred thousand dollars.”

My smile bloomed at her generosity, half of that would fund a scholarship foundation for decades.  She lived and breathed the arts, and I found I respected and admired the woman even more now.  How many disadvantaged students would be able to realize their dreams because of her generosity now?

Then the distinguished man with his silvering hair looked over his glasses at me and then Calvin.  His slate grey eyes were sharp, and I thought I saw the tick of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.  This was it, the moment I dreaded, the moment I lost the dog I saw as my own now.  I had a white-knuckled grip on Jane's hand, and she gave it a reassuring squeeze.  The man continued, “The balance of my financial holdings and my condominium at 855 Madison Avenue, I leave to my companion in life, who gave me unconditional love and loyalty, my Border Collie, Sir Calvin Cornelius Fluffytoes.”

I think I may have gasped.  Calvin would want for nothing!

He continued, “The funds are to be placed in a trust for Calvin's caretaker to give him the best life he can have.  A cap of twenty-five thousand dollars per month to be placed on the funds until such time as my Calvin leaves this world, the remainder will go to his caretaker for their service to my beloved boy.”

My eyes were starting to well up with tears as I looked around for who was going to take him from me to start his new life.  Jane placed her other hand over mine.  I would not cry, I would be strong for Calvin.

The stuffing ripping lawyer just kept reading, not caring that he was tearing out my soul, “At the time of this writing, that dear sweet girl, Finnegan May holds power of attorney for my Calvin.  I entrust my darling boy into her hands, or heaven forbid, she is no longer in my employ at the time of my passing, then I entrust him to the care of whoever holds his power of attorney at that time.”

I blinked as he paused to look at me, a kind smile on his face.  I wiped tears away as I tried to digest what he had just read.  I asked him as Jane just beamed at me, “You're... you're not going to take Calvin from me?”

The man chuckled, “Of course not.  You seem to have engendered Miss Reeves' trust.”

I asked, just to make it completely clear that the rug wasn't going to be ripped out from under me like this was some sort of cruel joke that lawyers liked to play, “Cal gets to stay with me?  Forever?”

He furrowed his brow and said, “Yes... and you will control his share of Miss Reeves' fortune...”

Like that was important?  I said as I slipped off my chair to hug Calvin to me, “Who cares about the money... Calvin gets to go home with Jane and me.”

He prompted as Jane slid down to crouch by Cal and me, “You do understand we are talking about almost twelve million dollars here, Miss May?”

I waved him off as I scrubbed my boy's ears.  “That doesn't matter.  The important part is that Calvin is going home with me.”  I looked up at him like he were daft.

He blinked twice then got an odd smile on his face and inclined his head slightly as he said, “I understand her choice now.”

There were all sorts of blah blah blah and legal speak after he finished the reading.  I was almost bouncing off the walls.  If I had a tail like Calvin, it would have been swishing around like a tornado.  I signed the endless documents, and Jane witnessed them.

I was exhausted by then, my emotions strained to the breaking point.  Half the day had been spent in terror of losing my boy, then this massive relief and then blinding joy.  I had a dog, he was mine for real now, and nobody could take him from me.

It wasn't until Jane led us to her car and asked after we settled into our seats, “So... what are you going to do with two apartments now.”

I don't think it registered until that moment that Abigail had left her apartment to Calvin.  Then I realized what she was really asking without coming out and voicing it, and I almost got whiplash I had snapped my head to her so fast.

She didn't think I was moving out of our place did she?  Sure Abigail's was so much more spacious and posh but, “I don't know.  We're not moving in if that's what you're asking.”  I knew it was selfish of me, but I loved the look on her face when I said “We're” not “I'm.”  It was a sheepish relief that she tried to hide under an air of disinterest.

I shared, “I couldn't live where Calvin's mom had died.  Besides, I kind of love our home.  It may not be as glamorous, but it is home.”  Then I feigned innocence. “But if you wanted to move out to there...”

She smiled fondly and said, “Damn it Fin.  You make it so hard to wait sometimes.  I love that about you.”

It had been my turn to smile, it was the best day of my life, and I felt bold.  I leaned in without hesitation and gave her a whisper of a kiss on her lips.  She tasted just as good as she smelled.  I whispered, “I promise it will be worth the wait,” then sat back with a smug grin on my face.  I crossed my arms over my chest as I looked out the window, purposefully not looking at her.

After a short silence, she grumbled, “Brat.”  Then added with a smile, “Let's go home Finny.”

I sighed at the memory and thought of how awkward I had been when Jamal had shown up at our place the day after McKnight's arrest for the promised coffee date.  If looks could kill.  Poor Jamal didn't know what he did to make the tall ebony haired Amazon glare at him with a burning jealousy.

I had such conflicting feelings at that moment, it was like choosing between cake and pie.  I had looked back at the cake, and she tried to act like it didn't bother her that someone was there to court me.  Jamal was looking at us and did the math, and I saw him deflate a little even before I turned back to him and asked, “A raincheck?”

The man was as amazing as ever as he gave me a warm, understanding smile and said, “Of course.  But the invitation is always open, no expectations.” I gave the man a quick hug and saw him out.  I understood Jane's comment about her ovaries sighing when I caught Jane checking me out as she bit her lower lip.  She was quick to turn around and examine the salt and pepper shakers.

I didn't know what, if any relationship we had in our future.  But I was pretty glad I had netted the Jerk Cop.

I was knocked out of the arousing memory by said Jerk Cop whining, “Move it short stuff or get run over.”

I looked back at the smartass and took one deliberately slow and long stride out of the way as she trundled past with Garrett stumbling to keep up on the back end of the mattress.  I shared a knowing look with Becky, and we chuckled at the help.

I was so glad that they had accepted my offer of them staying at Abigail's apartment as my wedding gift to them.  I waived any rent and asked instead that they just paid utilities and property taxes.  That way I didn't need to dip into Calvin's trust fund to maintain the second residence.

I stepped up to one of the huge windows overlooking the hustle and bustle of the city I loved below me and sighed when warm arms wrapped around me from behind.  I leaned back into Jane and inhaled her scent.  I think I'm ready now, but to my chagrin, the tables had turned, and now it was Jane wanting to wait to make sure I knew what I was in for.

She whispered, “How you doing?”

I snuggled back. “Fine.”

She nodded. “Fine.”

She kissed the top of my head as Calvin twined his way through and around our legs, his tail wagging.  And I knew that whatever the future held for us, I just knew that the three of us would face it together.

Damn, what a spectacular day!

The End