“I think it’s good,” Jules said. “I could be wrong, but I think fewer people would be familiar with Arkansas than West Virginia, which means less chance of someone catching a mistake if we make one.”
Tio gave a deep, long-suffering sigh. “Fine. Can you hand me the atlas?” The Pathfinder they’d traded for the Camry had come equipped with an actual paper atlas. Until this trip, Jules hadn’t used a paper map in years.
Pulling it from under his seat, Sam handed it over.
“What are you doing, T?” Dee asked, leaning toward him so she could see the atlas, too.
“Research. There’s not much I can do without access to the Internet or books, but at least I can learn some Arkansas geography.”
“Good idea. Why don’t you check out our new hometown while you’re at it?”
There were a few moments of silence before Tio asked, “Where are we going?”
Jules snorted. “It took y’all long enough to ask.”
“It was enough that we were leaving,” Ty said, and the others made sounds of agreement. “So? Where does this bus make its last stop?”
Excitement fought with nerves as she thought about the place they were going to make their new start. “Monroe, Colorado.”
Chapter 7
Present Day
“What in the holy fuck did you do to Don’s dog?”
Uneasy silence followed Blessard’s words, broken only by Gordon Schwartz’s low snicker. Theo focused on the ugly green tweed couch, clenching and releasing his right fist as he tried to contain his anger. It would be bad to hit Schwartz, and probably even worse to take a swing at the lieutenant.
His gaze slid to the gap between the couch and the wall where Viggy had wedged himself as soon as Theo had released him with a command to search. No part of the dog was visible from Theo’s position. Guilt and frustration coiled in his belly. Viggy had been the best explosives-detection K9 when he’d been partnered with Don. With Theo, Viggy wouldn’t even search a room.
“I didn’t do anything,” he gritted, his churning emotions morphing into rage that coated his words despite his best efforts to control it. “Don did that.”
Blessard made a scoffing sound. “What are you talking about? That dog was an explosives-seeking missile when Don was his partner. There wasn’t anything wrong with him before.”
“Exactly.” Staring at the couch was not helping the fury that wanted to erupt like lava, burning everything in its path. Theo met the lieutenant’s critical gaze. “There wasn’t anything wrong with the dog until his asshole partner ate his own gun and left Viggy alone.”
Blessard flinched, his head jerking back like Theo had punched him. After his initial shocked look faded, a brick-red flush darkened the lieutenant’s face. He opened his mouth but then closed it again after shooting a glance at a fascinated Schwartz.
“Later,” Blessard muttered, and Theo answered with a nod that was more of a shrug. After all, what could the lieutenant do to him? Write a letter of reprimand? Take away Viggy? Theo never really had him anyway. Suspend him? At this point, he didn’t know if he’d care if he lost his job. There was really no way Blessard could punish him. Theo had already lost everything that mattered.
Turning his back on his glowering lieutenant, Theo walked to the couch. Since he knew calling Viggy wouldn’t work, he crouched down next to the sofa. Viggy, who’d mashed his too-thin body into the space between the back of the couch and the wall, panted nervously.
“C’mon, Vig.” By reaching his arm as far as he could into the narrow gap, Theo was able to hook his index finger around the leash and draw it toward him. The sight of the crouched animal—the dog that, just two months ago, was brimming with confidence and eagerness to work—sent a spike of sorrow into Theo’s heart. “Let’s go home, Officer.”
Viggy raised his head at the word “home,” his expression alert for the first time in two months. Instantly, Theo felt like an enormous dick. To Viggy, “home” was Don. There was no way for Theo to deliver on what he’d just promised.
Grief coursed through him, even as he wanted to punch a hole in Schwartz’s drywall. With an audible exhale, Theo stood and pulled Viggy out of his hiding spot.
A thump and the sound of running boots made him jerk around and reach for his gun. Blessard was already in the hall, shouting, “Police! Romanowski, stop and drop your weapon!”
Feet pounded up the stairs as the lieutenant ran after Romanowski, and a half-dozen other cops followed. Theo was halfway to the door, determined to give chase, when a jerk on his arm brought him to an abrupt halt.