Blind Trust. Laura Scott

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      Hearing that the perp had hit her twice had him grinding his teeth in a flash of anger. It deeply bothered him when men used their strength against women. “Are you sure about not calling an ambulance? I think it’s best if you get checked out at the ER.”

      “I’m fine.” Eva waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve been hurt worse tussling with my older sister. We used to wrestle a lot when we were younger.”

      “Your older sister?” Finn felt a bit confused by the change in topic.

      “Yes.” Eva’s gaze reflected a deep sorrow. “Unfortunately, Malina died three weeks ago when she was struck by a car.”

      “I’m sorry to hear that.” He wanted to offer comfort but told himself to focus on the issue at hand. “I have to ask about the attack. Did the guy look at all familiar?”

      “No. But I still don’t understand. Why steal a puppy? Especially since we have older dogs here, too. Although it’s possible the older dogs might try to bite more than a puppy would.”

      “Good question.” He flipped his notebook shut and cast his gaze around the interior of the building. “Take me along the assailant’s path. I’ll also need to review the security video.”

      “The video won’t be available until my boss gets in, I don’t know how to use the equipment. But aren’t you going to head out to try to find him?” Eva asked, exasperation ringing in her voice. “I specifically asked for a search-and-rescue team.”

      Finn flashed a wry grin. “Abernathy is the best search-and-rescue K-9 on the force, and, yes, I plan to head out to search for Cocoa. But I need to see the path the guy took, and I need something belonging to either the perp or Cocoa to use, as well.”

      Mollified, Eva wheeled around and led the way back through the training center. “There’s a tire iron on the floor near the kennel. I think he used it to break inside the building then dropped it here by the kennel.”

      Finn took note of the tire iron on the floor. Metal wasn’t the best substance to use for obtaining a scent, but Abernathy was exceptionally smart. “Don’t touch anything,” he warned. “We may be able to use the tire iron or the keys to pick up the perp’s scent.”

      “I won’t.”

      He went back to put the keys in an evidence bag, then led his K-9 partner to the tire iron. He pointed at the object and offered the evidence bag of keys as two ways for the animal to pick up the scent. “Find, Abernathy,” he commanded.

      The yellow Lab sniffed along the entire length of the tire iron, going back and forth as if to distinguish the smell of the metal compared to the person who’d held it, and then buried his nose in the evidence bag.

      “Find,” Finn repeated. Abernathy put his nose to the ground and began following the scent. Finn let his K-9 take the lead, following his partner as the dog made his way from the kennel out to the main corridor toward the main entrance, alerting at several spots along the way.

      “He’s on the trail,” Eva said excitedly.

      “He is,” Finn agreed, energized by his K-9’s ability to track the perp. “Stay here. We’ll be back shortly.”

      “Wait! I want to come with you.” She tossed the ice pack on the counter and hurried to catch up with him. She didn’t like leaving the place unlocked and hoped they wouldn’t go too far.

      “We work better alone,” he protested.

      “I’m coming. If we find Cocoa, he’ll be scared to death, but he knows me. Cocoa might even respond to the sound of my voice.” She sent him a frustrated glance. “Come on, Officer Gallagher. Stop wasting time. Let’s go!”

      “Call me Finn,” he told her. Giving up, he reluctantly allowed Eva to tag along as he and Abernathy went to work. The K-9 alerted at the doorway leading out the main entrance, then turned to the left as he followed the perp’s scent.

      Eva didn’t say anything but seemed to watch in awe as Abernathy alerted again a short while later. They went one block, then a second, the K-9 picking up the scent at regular intervals.

      “Good boy,” Finn encouraged his partner, giving him a nice rub as a reward for his good work. Then he straightened. “Find, Abernathy.”

      The yellow Lab put his nose back to the ground, sniffing and moving in a circular and seemingly random pattern. Abernathy made a circle and then came back, alerting on the same spot he had before.

      “I guess this is it.” Finn battled a wave of disappointment that their attempt to find Cocoa had come to such a quick end. He glanced back the way they had come. Three blocks. The perp had clearly gone in this direction for at least three blocks. “Abernathy has lost the scent, here at the intersection in front of the Grocer’s Best convenience store.”

      “Maybe we could go up a block or two, just to be sure?” Eva suggested.

      Finn nodded. “I’ll take him a few blocks each way.”

      Twenty minutes later, Finn knew it was no use. The attempt to pick up the perp’s scent had failed. Abernathy didn’t alert once.

      “It’s likely the guy had a car waiting here for him,” he told her as they walked back to the training center. “Otherwise, Abernathy would have picked up his scent.”

      “I guess I hadn’t thought of that,” Eva acknowledged, her slim shoulders slumping in defeat. Then she brightened. “Maybe we’ll be able to catch the vehicle make, model and license plate number from the video.”

      Again he was impressed with her cop-like instincts. Most of the women he’d dated—of which there had been many, although no one serious—didn’t have a clue about what law enforcement really entailed. He looked up at the security cameras posted on the outside corners of the training center building. “Maybe, but it will depend on the camera range and the quality of the lens. It would be a huge break if we could get something from the tapes. How soon can I check it out?”

      Eva shrugged, then winced, putting a hand on her injured shoulder. “As soon as Wade gets in.”

      “Your boss?”

      She nodded, her straight long blond hair shimmering in the sunlight. “Wade Yost is the director in charge of the guide dog training center. He reports to the owner.”

      “Have you seen anyone lurking around over the past few days?” Finn asked. “The fact that this guy broke in through the back door, makes me think he cased the center before deciding to grab Cocoa.”

      “No, I haven’t noticed anyone. Although maybe the security video will give us that information, too.”

      “How far back do they go?”

      She pursed her lips. “I’m not sure. Maybe a week or two? I know they run on loops.”

      Two weeks wasn’t very long, but he’d take what he could get. “Do you think you’d recognize the guy if you saw him again?”

      “I’m not sure.” Eva looked away, gazing off into the distance. “Maybe.”

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